Thursday photo prompt – Sight #writephoto – Foresight.

Posted on September 1, 2017 by Michael

sighting-stone

He wished he had the gift of foresight. Hindsight he had in bucket fulls.

As he stood and watched her walk away, he was filled with that sense of dread that he may never see her again. If only he’d been more aware and treated her more fairly maybe it would never have come to this.

But they had had it out, and she made clear she wasn’t staying another day in his house.

It was time for a change, and she was determined to see change happen.

Her bag was packed, and as she stormed out of the house and down the pathway, he couldn’t help but recall the first steps she had taken, her first words, her first meal at the big table with he and his wife.

Now she claimed she was all grown up, independent and her own person.

He stood at the gate, watched as she made her way down the street towards the corner. He dreaded her reaching the corner as then she’d turn right, and he’d not see her again.

His mind filled with the many dangers he knew she’d face, shysters, con men, thieves and murderers and he felt his heart breaking as she headed off into the unknown.

As she reached the corner, she stopped, and he saw her turn and begin to walk back towards him. His heart quickened its beat, he felt hope that she had seen the folly of her ways and was returning to his embrace, the safety of her family.

He watched as she struggled the last few paces, still that look of defiance and determination on her face.

She walked up to him set down her case and looked her father in the eye.

Without blinking an eye, she said, “I forgot my hanky, and you forgot to give me $2.00 for the bus.”

 

Written for: https://scvincent.com/2017/08/31/thursday-photo-prompt-sight-writephoto/

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Tale Weaver/ Fairy Tale – #135 – August 31st – Princess Charming – Annie

Posted on August 31, 2017 by Michael

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Image: Google Images: Labelled for re-use

Everything was going along just fine until the day Prince Charming fell and broke his leg. They said it would be a good six weeks before he could get back to his Prince Charming duties and in the meantime, his sister Annie, Princess Charming, would be standing in for him.

This came as a complete surprise to Annie who never had any inclination to go out and get her hands dirty rescuing maidens in distress or fighting off dragons.

After all, she had a reputation of constant idleness to protect and her nails needed manicuring every day so any suggestion she might sit astride the family stallion and answer the call to rescue or perform something heroic was out of the question.

For the first week, there was nothing for her to be bothered about. Every damsel was happy, and even the dragons were behaving themselves.

In the second week, word came that Peter Peters the Pumpkin Picker was being held hostage by the wicked witch of the North, one Dolores Gotchainmygrip.

Dolores had no truck with tradition, and it appeared Peter Peters had been short changing Dolores by selling her undersized pumpkins and charging full price.

Dolores had made up a resin potion, and Peter Peters was now encased within it, and there was no reconciliation between the two, likely to occur.

If there was one thing that Annie disliked it was witches. To Annie, they were foul smelling, obnoxious in attitude, rude and disagreeable.

Community pressure came to bear, and Annie donned her Princess Charming outfit, and she did look stunning in lycra everybody did say.

The horse ride she knew would create chaffing between her legs, and heavens only knew when that might clear up and so she calculated her social life might be on hold for several days if not a week by the time she recovered. The blacksmith’s son would just have to wait.

The one thing the Charming household possessed that assisted them with every encounter was the magic sword of Charm. This was a mighty sword, and Annie could barely lift it let alone swing.

It was fitted onto the side of her saddle and as she rode along all who knew of the sword would mutter behind their hands in admiration of the Charming family.

When Annie reached Peter Peters, he was not looking so well. The resin was contracting, and his breathing was beginning to be affected.

Annie looked him over wondering why this scrawny little man had gone to so much trouble to inconvenience her in this way.

Behind her came the cackling voice of Dolores Gotchainmygrip. Unfortunately for Dolores, her voice did little for you other than infuriate you further having ridden so far and now in considerable discomfort with your bottom beginning to glow from the chaffing and your understanding of Dolores’ point of view being tested by the second.

“Let him go,” declared Annie, “if you refuse I shall draw the sword of Charm and what happens then will all be on you.”

“You don’t frighten me, little girl, go ahead and do your worst,” challenged the old crone.

And Annie did. As much to her own amazement as everyone else’s. One moment her eyes were focused on the witch, the next her hand reached for the sword, and she swung it with the skill of well-trained magic swordswoman.

Dolores taken by surprise reeled back in horror as the sword severed her left arm. As it did so the resin potion crumbled its hold over Peter Peters. He fell to the floor gasping and sucking in the air around him.

Annie replaced the sword with the ease of a seasoned warrior and ordered the old witch to take her arm and go home. She then turned to Peter Peters and suggested he compensate Dolores for the short changing that had been going on.

She rested her hand on the sword awaiting his reply.

When it came in the affirmative, she turned her horse and headed for home where she intended to ask the village witch, Potions Pansy, for a sure-fire cure for horseback rash.

Along with that, she needed a manicure urgently along with an explanation from her brother as to how she was able to swing the sword as she had done.

 

Written for: https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2017/08/31/tale-weaver-fairy-tale-135-august-31st-princess-charming/

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Reena’s Exploration Challenge – People

Posted on August 30, 2017 by Michael

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It was in recent times that he had become aware of what he was avoiding.

PEOPLE.

It had been going on for some time before the realisation hit him.

He was afraid of people.

What if they saw the real person?

What if they did more than give him a cursory time of day?

He lived the ideal life now. Away from people, he could dwell in his small world, write to his heart’s content and no one would even know he was there. It suited him because the past had taught him harsh lessons.

Public ridicule had scarred him far more than he understood at the time. Those days when the dressing down in public, in front of the community had made him feel humiliated and life didn’t seem all that much like living.

It was easy he thought to see the failures in his life, they lined up as if in a patient queue awaiting their time to step forward and remind him of his deficiencies.

He hated feeling the victim, he longed for the love and comfort of someone understanding and accepting. But it was as he viewed it a pipe dream. He felt so socially isolated there was no point in stepping forward, people would accept him as he was.

So, he continued in silent isolation, allowing his words to step forward. Behind them he hid for life had taught him his words had far more value than he did.

 

Written for: https://reinventionsreena.wordpress.com/2017/08/25/reenas-exploration-challenge/

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100 Word Wednesday: Week 34 – Arch’s Riff

Posted on August 30, 2017 by Michael

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Image: Don Naman Photography 201

The riff went on and on. Arch considered himself a virtuoso, and even though the rest of the band saw as a gratuitous act of self-indulgence, there wasn’t a lot they could do other than let Arch have his head and bore them all silly.

Arch had his own set of groupies and would remind the band that if it wasn’t for him, they’d still be playing to no audience at all.

Tonight, the riff went twenty minutes. His fans yelling and screaming, his fellow band members having had enough left the stage leaving Arch lost in his own thing.

 

Written for: https://bikurgurl.com/2017/08/30/100-word-wednesday-week-34/

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Twittering Tales #47 – 29 August 2017

Posted on August 29, 2017 by Michael

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Photo by David Estebanez at Pixabay.com

My dad’s better than your dad.
He isn’t, my dad never fudges.
Neither does mine, he’s round to go round.
My dad will beat your dad.
Bet cha.

 

Written for: https://katmyrman.com/2017/08/29/twittering-tales-47-29-august-2017/

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FFfAW Challenge-Week of August 29, 2017 – Humiliated

Posted on August 28, 2017 by Michael

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Image with thanks to Jade M. Wong

It was true she had to admit that he had broken her heart, pierced through it with his act of deliberate humiliation.

It was a set up in which he led her to believe one thing before leaving her an emotional mess.

They had agreed to meet at the Museum. There was an exhibition of contemporary art on display, and as they had both signalled their desire to see it, so they agreed to meet there on the Sunday morning.

She waited an hour before he arrived. She should have known, she thought in hindsight, as it turned out he was watching her wait, enjoying her discomfort in the cold morning air.

Then he arrived with Rhonda on his arm. Her best friend, the one she confided in. He announced with a sanctimonious smile on his face that she was dumped and Rhonda was now his girlfriend.

Off they pranced, hand in hand leaving her punctured, devastated and broken.

 

Written for: https://flashfictionforaspiringwriters.wordpress.com/2017/08/28/fffaw-challenge-week-of-august-29-2017/

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Bonus Wordle “Dead Reckoning Take 2”

Posted on August 28, 2017 by Michael

bonus-dead-reckoning

dead reckoning

  1. to find yourself bothered by someone’s death more than you would have expected, as if you assumed they would always be part of the landscape, like a lighthouse you could pass by for years until the night it suddenly goes dark, leaving you with one less landmark to navigate by—still able to find your bearings, but feeling all that much more adrift.

When Bernard Threlfo passed away, he did so with his room packed with family. He did have a big family, and when Death arrived, he had to elbow his way through the throng of relatives to take hold of Bernard’s soul.

Bernard was much loved. His grandchildren had often thought their grandfather would live forever. Bernard had been very resilient. He’d been ill on several occasions and had fought Death off each time. It wasn’t as if Death minded as he had plenty to do and he knew sooner rather than later he’d be back.

For the grandchildren, they saw his passing as creating a great hole in their lives. They had loved visiting him, hearing his stories and finding in their grandfather someone interested in their own stories. Who would listen to them now they wondered?

The eldest grandchild was Jack. He sat quietly in the corner of the room as around him family began to reminisce about their father, brother, uncle and grandfather. Jack had spent a lot of time with his grandfather and during this time sat remembering each of those times. Their building of his first ever billy-cart, their excursions to Bunnings to buy the equipment they needed for one job or other and the wonderful stories Grandfather told him of when he was a kid and things he got up to.

As Death gathered Bernard’s soul and carried him from the room the sight of the boy deep in thought touched him. Bernard’s soul looked across at his grandson, and a smile came across his face as he knew what his grandson was remembering.

Death paused for a moment for Bernard’s soul to take in the room before taking him into his eternity.

Death never ceased to be amazed by the depth of love and affection the living had for the dead. They were never given up lightly.

Death knew the living would celebrate Bernard’s life, it’s what they did he had learned. Good luck to them he thought, best be remembered for all the good you did rather than be spat upon as he’d seen happen a few times.

He saw Jack look up as if seeing his departing Grandfather and smiled his deathly smile at the young grandson before slipping Bernard off into the hereafter.

 

 

Written for: https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2017/08/28/bonus-wordle-dead-reckoning-take-2/

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Mundane Monday Challenge #124 : Learn Photography

Posted on August 28, 2017 by Michael

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At one time my neighbour and I shared a bamboo tree, but once it became too invasive down, it came. Timmy, the panda, clings to hope the tree will return.

https://trablogger.com/mundane-monday-challenge-124-learn-photography/

 

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Writing Prompt #217 “Stories by 5” – Usher and Undine – A Walk In The Forest

Posted on August 28, 2017 by Michael

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Topic: A Walk in the Forest

Names: Usher & Undine

Fruit: Apple

Colour: Ebony

Sensation: Tingle

Usher had waited a long time before working up the courage to ask Undine to walk with him. Today was perfect as it was warm and sunny and if they made good time, they might make it to the apple grove where the most succulent of fruit could be found.

They set off and at first Usher was nervous as he knew Undine was the most beautiful girl in the village and that she had agreed to this assignation was beyond his wildest dreams.

Undine for her part had always looked at Usher in wonder. For a white boy, he was not like the other white boys who were brash and ever wanting to assert their superiority over the coloured girls in particular, as if they were mere playthings. Undine would never have a bar of their overtures and spurned their every request.

But Usher was different, she’d jumped at the chance to spent time with him and enjoyed being with him as they walked along. She chatted away to him, and in turn, Usher began to feel more and more relaxed.

When they reached the apple grove, they found the fruit was in season and so helped themselves to the succulent tastes each apple afforded them.

Having their fill, Undine took a moment to thank Usher for the lovely day she was having. She reached up and stroked his cheek giving him rise to a blush that was more than apparent.

He returned the gesture, and his hand gently caressed Undine’s ebony velvet skin, and in that second they both felt the alluring tingle of their touches.

That afternoon Usher and Undine explored and enjoyed.

They were silent as they walked back to the village, this time holding hands, their minds awash with the sensations of the afternoon, their bits tingling from the gentle and loving attention of the other.

 

Written for: https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2017/08/27/writing-prompt-217-stories-by-5/

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Weekend Writing Prompt #17 – Emptiness

Posted on August 27, 2017 by Michael

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Image: Google images – re-useable.

When Mark Terrence Vessels was born, it was his father who took to calling him Empty.

The name stuck with him through life and even his teachers, the cruel nuns he faced each day, referred to him whenever they could as Empty Vessels.

But he was a quiet boy, sat silently through his childhood well aware of the ridicule that came his way whenever he dared to say anything.

As a teenager, he buried himself in reading and playing music. He taught himself the guitar but played for no one but himself.

A few times he was attracted to girls he saw on the street, but as his social skills were poor, he could never get beyond the wondering.

After school, he found work in the Offices of a town accountant. He did a few basic accountancy courses, so he had something to show in the way of qualification but even in the work place he was never taken seriously, and no one bothered to find out his real name.

He began to have polite conversations with his co-worker during their work hours. Then a few drinks after work. He found he enjoyed her company but later realised he should have known better when Victoria Bitter asked him to marry her.

From the start, life wasn’t as he imagined.

He was the ideal punching bag for her, the scapegoat she longed for, and he became the reason life was so shit for her.

It wasn’t long before he was aware of an emptiness in his life even though he sat each day with his wife, slept in the same bed and shared his earnings with her.

One day he came home to discover she had left him. His bank account had been emptied, his house left a sparse shell of what was once a home.

Alone he struggled to understand why it was life had been the way it was for him. Slowly he dragged himself back to his feet and faced life with a degree of resolve he’d never known he possessed.

He could survive alone, he was capable of making a life for himself. With renewed purpose, he put the past behind him, made a mental note of the things he had learned and set out to create a world he was happy within.

He was Empty Vessels, but only by name.

 

Written for: https://sammiscribbles.wordpress.com/2017/08/26/weekend-writing-prompt-17-emptiness/

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