Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers – The Flock

Posted on July 10, 2018 by Michael

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Image: ©wildverbs

There was the suggestion of danger in the air. Then a fluttering, then chaos as wings and bodies panicked in the knowledge there was a reason to be in a flit.

The call went out: “Which way? Which way?”

“This way,” crowed one.

“No this way,” cawed another.

“What the …”

“Careful of the language,” said another, “We are a flocking family.”

Suddenly there was an explosion of feathers as Egbert the Eagle struck carrying off the hapless victim is a cloud of down and the muffled cries of help and goodbye mum.

The flock then settled to make plans, like they always did when mayhem occurred knowing they’d forget the plan by the time of the next attack.

The plan was intense and carefully thought out, they all adopted it and then there was the cry of “Chips, chips on the ground.”

The flock swooped, food overrode the plan, they were back to doing what they did best, eating.

 

Written for: https://flashfictionforaspiringwriters.wordpress.com/2018/07/09/fffaw-challenge-173rd/

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Three Things Challenge, 09 July 2018

Posted on July 9, 2018 by Michael

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Today’s things are: museum, sneeze, romance

Its hard to conduct a romance in a museum what with all that dust at the most inopportune time you might well break out into a sneezing fit completely ruining the moment.

Its one of those occupational hazards, the sort of thing where the handler of all things ancient and precious has his fingers permanently in places that haven’t seen the light of day for often centuries.

Museums are like that full of places dark and secretive, ideal in lots of ways for organising liaisons of a romantic nature so long as you didn’t get spooked by finding yourself up against a two thousand-year-old mummy.

It happened to me once. I took Mira Shakles to the Museum of Yesteryear only to find Mira was physically aroused by the ancient tapestries featuring lovers at play such that she pushed me into a tapestry featuring a rather well endowed young man and a voluptuous young lady. A cloud of dust engulfed me and was accompanied by a sneezing attack like none I’d had before.

To say my sneezing was a real downer is an understatement.

I concluded, museums and romance really don’t mix.

 

Written for: https://thehauntedwordsmith.wordpress.com/2018/07/09/three-things-challenge-09-july-2018/

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Wordle #203 – The Waiting Area.

Posted on July 9, 2018 by Michael

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This week’s words: Finesse Money Lover Masterful Illusion Brevity Shatter Empathy Cri De Coeur (n.)) a passionate appeal, complaint, or protest) Catalogue Nostrum ((n) a medicine prepared by an unqualified person, especially one that is not considered effective) Central

Central Station was awash with its usual afternoon noise. People coming, people going, announcements met with cri de Coeur that fell upon deaf ears as the commuters made alternate arrangements or sat somewhere quiet to await the next commute.

The waiting area was packed with fellow travellers whose day was shattered by announcements of delays, leading to an empathy among them of souls being hard done by when they desperately needed to get home to loved ones.

Away in the corner of the space was Nostrum the Snake Oil salesman who offered a range of ‘fill in ya waiting’ mixtures supposedly to take your mind off the grief you left over being late home again.

He did a brisk trade, as plenty of the waiting crowd were happy to waste their money on wasteful products such as his “Take Ya Mind Off It” or his ever-popular “It’ll Be Here Any Minute Now”.

He distributed a catalogue each afternoon with the range of product he had to sell. There was little finesse about it all, if you had the money he had the product with never a money back guarantee.

Lovers were great customers, spurred on by the brevity of most illusionary relationships his “Get It On Quick” mixture saw many a lover drop all pretence of the illusion and do just that on the seats at the back of the waiting area. It was a matter of masterful timing to do the deed before being noticed or in more modern times to do the deed before anyone filmed you and uploaded you and your partner to You Tube and or Facebook.

Many an uploaded video bore testament to the illusion of modern marriage.

 

Written for: https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2018/07/09/wordle-203/

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Three Things Challenge, 8 July 2018

Posted on July 9, 2018 by Michael

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Today’s things are: canyon, river, hot

It was one of those days where things could be considered too hot to handle. It was like that during the summer, every day was a hot one, every night stayed warm and fleetingly in the mornings a cool breeze might be found boldly trying to go where no breeze had gone before.

Mum decided to get us out of the house during the school holiday and packed the car for a trip into the canyon to a picnic spot she remembered beside the river.

She had long regaled us with river stories, the fast flowing roaring stream where you had to look out for the undercurrents because they could suck you under.

It was a three-hour trip; with so many boring games of ‘I Spy’, I thought I’d throw up if she initiated one more. The air con in the car kept us relatively cool but outside it was easy to see the hot day searing the bush, the air vacant of birdlife as they sought shelter out of it.

So we arrived at the bottom of the canyon and mum enthusiastically jumped out and grabbed the picnic hamper from the boot and made her way towards the river.

We followed expecting to see the raging water mum had so often spoken about.

Instead, we saw a small creek like watercourse, barely trickling, struggling to make a gurgle let alone the expected roar.

Mum was so disappointed, but in her usual style spread out the picnic rug under a tree and started to organise lunch, ignoring the hot day and the hordes of flies who saw us a smorgasbord of their own.

 

Written for: https://thehauntedwordsmith.wordpress.com/2018/07/08/three-things-challenge-8-july-2018/

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Reena’s Exploration Challenge #Week 44 – The Sum of the Whole.

Posted on July 8, 2018 by Michael

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I’ve tried a few times to disconnect with life. To withdraw into my own bubble and let everything go.

The whole blogging thing gets out of control at times.

If it wasn’t that I liked writing so much I may well have given it up ages ago.

I’m not sure how bloggers who use their blogs to promote their writing/novels/anthologies deal with it. You can’t guarantee that on any day you’ll attract any readers.

You learn early on that what you think is of merit is most probably all in your head as no one else sees it as you do.

I recently entered a writing competition knowing I wouldn’t win it but hoping I might make the anthology. I did neither.

It was disappointing but in keeping with my understanding that in life there is always someone better than you, though in the above case 110 better than me.

I think the saving grace with life, and in particular, my writing is that I have become interested in so many other people and what they have to say. I can’t disconnect because I am so connected.

Turning my back on it is easier said than done. I have had occasion where I have withdrawn, but then a day or two later because I know gives me a sense of satisfaction, I am at the keyboard tapping away.

In the end, there is far more to live for than to deny.

I’ll plug away in the hope I can continue to find the words that reflect my interest in all that is happening around me, that I can make some small contribution to the blogging world, after all, each of us adds our little bit to the sum of the whole.

 

Written for: https://reinventionsreena.wordpress.com/2018/07/05/reenas-exploration-challenge-week-44/

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Three Things Challenge, 7 July 2018

Posted on July 8, 2018 by Michael

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Today’s things are: blues, rock n’ roll, country 

There’s a place in the country where they play country music. Its called Phil’s Blues Bar and Grill.

We go there all the time just to watch Rocky and the Pipe Dreamers, our favourite country band.

They sing a lot of original stuff, Rocky writes songs all the time as he is in and out of love on a weekly basis. As he says, he has plenty of material to draw on.

When they get a little tired of playing country music, they take a break and come back, in different dress as Reggie and the Rockers and play the most driving rock n’ roll you can imagine.

Everyone is on the floor, it’s a fabulous rocking time, and Reggie is the best rock guitarist around.

Phil’s Blues Bar and Grill rocks like no other place.

 

https://thehauntedwordsmith.wordpress.com/2018/07/07/three-things-challenge-7-july-2018/

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Weekend Writing Prompt #62 – Zephyr

Posted on July 7, 2018 by Michael

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At the bottom of the yard, I watch her standing against the fence looking out across the farm. I observe as the slightest breeze, nothing more than a gentle zephyr blows against her face. The grey bangs on either side of her forehead lift in recognition.

She brushes them into place and doesn’t notice as I come up behind her and slip my arms around her waist.

Her strong hands clasp mine, and we stand for a moment, nothing to be said as the action says it all.

“Every day is a good day,” she says, “thank you for being you.”

 

Written for: https://sammiscribbles.wordpress.com/2018/07/07/weekend-writing-prompt-62-zephyr/

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Time To Write: Sentence Starter 36 [Creative Writing Prompt]

Posted on July 7, 2018 by Michael

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Irma Fortescue-Smyth surveyed her guest list. In her head, she checked off each name noting who it was and why they were invited.

Irma wanted her evening to be perfect even though there were three guests who had indicated they were bringing a guest she was not familiar with.

Irma had worked hard to foster an evening like no other. She didn’t want any embarrassing incidents; she didn’t want any guest to do anything that might bring disgrace on her. For Irma Fortescue-Smyth everything had to be prim and proper.

When the appointed hour arrived she and her husband, Godfrey, took up their respective places to greet each of their guests.

The final guest was Alice Waddle, of the Ascot Waddles, a well to do family who delved into racehorses and who had done rather well.

On Alice’s arm was an obviously intoxicated middle-aged man. Irma was immediately taken aback, she had seen drunken men before, she knew what havoc they could bring with them, and she was apprehensive about inviting him in.

Alice introduced him as her cousin Klaus from Batavia, visiting the Waddle’s for the coming week.

Unfortunately for Irma, Klaus was not a quiet drunk, and from the moment he set foot inside the dining room chaos eschewed.

He upset the drinks waiter, he spilt drinks on the other guests, and he was loud and began telling jokes, the sort to make a wharfie blush.

All the while Alice was impervious to his behaviours preferring to spend her time with the Smiths of The Valley Winery, the most successful winery in the district leaving Klaus to whatever resources he found to tap into.

It reached a head when during the dinner Klaus in making a point to his neighbour Brian King of Kings Fashion Emporium, he waved his arms knocking the plate of roasted potatoes across the table, shattering several wine glasses and landing hot potato in the laps of most guests.

There was a silence like no other, then collective screams as the hot food seeped through dresses and pants.

Margo Caldwell stood up, pointed down the table and indignantly asked: “Who invited him?”

 

Written for: https://rachelpoli.com/2018/07/06/time-to-write-sentence-starter-36-creative-writing-prompt/

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Three Things Challenge, 6 July 2018

Posted on July 6, 2018 by Michael

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Today’s things are: Electric Company, Wuzzles, Captain Kangaroo 

We always maintained John Drane was a wuzzle. He certainly wasn’t human, at least not in our understanding of what a human was. He had an extra finger on each hand and webbing between his toes and each afternoon as we watched the latest episode of the Wuzzles John always came to mind.

The additions to John’s body meant he not only looked unusual but he could swim like no other kid. He was a nice sort of kid, and over time we referred to him as Wuz, a nickname that stuck with him throughout his life.

After he finished school Wuz went to work for the Electric Company, and we’d see him in his truck driving around the town. He married and had kids, they didn’t inherit his unusual features, but Wuz found a way to make extra money on the weekend dressing as Captain Kangaroo for kids parties.

Everything went great for Wuz until one day he got a bit too game and agreed to attend a fortieth birthday party in his Captain Kangaroo outfit. His act became a tad too risqué, and he found himself in deep trouble over his comments to the birthday boy’s wife who didn’t take kindly to what she discovered in his side pocket. That was the end for Wuz’s Captain Kangaroo; there were no more bookings once word spread.

He stuck to the Electric Company where the only damage he was likely to cause would be to himself.

 

Written for: https://thehauntedwordsmith.wordpress.com/2018/07/06/three-things-challenge-6-july-2018

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Three Things Challenge, 5 July 2018

Posted on July 6, 2018 by Michael

3tc

Today’s things are: Model A, road, airplane

With Model A all you needed was a road for the airplane to land.

Model A could be manipulated to land on any size road.

For an airplane, it was years ahead of its time.

It flew high, it flew low, it flew where you couldn’t see it.

The invisibility factor was a significant development

It enabled wars to start and end rather suddenly

Not seeing your attacker was a disadvantage

And so Model A became a sought-after weapon.

But the secret was protected from the clutches of the warmongers

No telling how quickly they’d bring about the destruction of us all.

 

Written for: https://thehauntedwordsmith.wordpress.com/2018/07/05/three-things-challenge-5-july-2018/

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