10th
July- and in a Seattle hotel where the fan sounds like a waterfall behind which a man is playing an accordian.
And truly I cannot pick a single winner from this week's entries so declare you all equally meriting of first place - your words wonderfully entertaining, for which I thank you.
And truly I cannot pick a single winner from this week's entries so declare you all equally meriting of first place - your words wonderfully entertaining, for which I thank you.
Next week’s words are jam, porcupine, seven
Entries
by midnight Thursday 16th July, new
words and winners posted on Friday 17th
Usual rules: 100 words maximum (excluding
title) of flash fiction or poetry using all of the three words above in the
genres of horror, fantasy, science fiction or noir. Serialized fiction is, as
always, welcome. All variants and use of the words and stems are fine. Feel
free to post links to your stories on Twitter or Facebook or whichever social
media best pleases you and, if you like, remind your friends that we are open
to new and returning writers.
thanks for that, Sandra! It was a good week, outstanding writing as always. Interesting words ... not sure what the Captain will make of porcupine but we will see...
ReplyDeleteenjoy your holiday.
She thundered up to the bar and heaved her perfect ass onto the stool. A mixture of instant hardon and ecological disaster, thought Kohl, drinking in this mysterious fish.
ReplyDelete'Interesting earrings,' he said.
Her electric blue eyes bore into his brain like a pneumatic power orgasm. The low plunge of her tight scarlet dress pulled her cleavage tight in his face.
'They're made from porcupine quills,' she said. Her voice sweet and raspy.
'In some kind of jam?' Kohl asked, trying to keep the saliva in his mouth.
'GreenPeace?'
'Actually, it's quite experienced.'
‘Funny guy? I'd give that a seven!'
Superb opening, intriguing undertones. I shall watch for developments with interest.
DeleteFerg, please read below as I posted to the wrong 'reply' doh!
DeleteNewbie
Liked the turn of phrase here.
DeleteFun and spunky
Deletesharp precise dialogue and description, loved it.
DeleteThere's such a great energy to this, and the twist of humor adds to the atmosphere.
DeleteCreeping low through gorse bushes, Smog halted at the sound of snarling. Seven dogs gnashed their teeth at a figure hanging high above them. Using his eyescope for enhanced vision it was possible to make out the bloodied figure. A rustling to Smog’s left brought a cold sweat to his skin. Throwing stones at the dogs to attract their attention, Smog moved swiftly away. Shrieks from them and the emerging porcupine, blotted out the rattle of rocks as he clambered to release Niall from his jam.
ReplyDeleteNewbie.
Well-evoked action; the hanging figure and the gnashing teeth mythical nightmare.
DeleteGripping action. ;)
DeleteNeat piece Newbie
Deleteinteresting scenario, Newbie, now where? interested to see where this goes.
DeleteStrangely, though this all happens in low light, I had a very clear visual of it. I agree with Chris - totally gripping.
DeleteFerg, I love the humour it's quick and quirky. I'd give it ten :-)
ReplyDeleteNewbie
Ha! thanks Newbie! Yours too has a nice pace about it. Quite otherworldly. Opening up lots of possibilities at the end.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteThe Dwark
Ai loosened the runners on her last reach towards home, the outblades skittering over the blood-pinked ice. She ignored the bone-shadows hurtling underneath Aquaravi, her vision fixed like a lance on the Dwark who she hoped would sleep a little longer before the wicked sun rose at 7.
Ai had adapted the ice-cutter for this single moment, building in mast ends, so she resembled a porcupine.. The mast-ends had been sharpened and coated in Purple Flail sap. The Dwark would, in theory, remove the boat, once jammed into its thick skin, with its softer maw-tongues, where the poison might work.
'bone-shadows' gorgeous, and 'maw-tongues' somehow horrific.
DeleteOh, now that's just cool. Great imagery.
DeleteThis is fast paced, Mashie I can hear the wind and hiss of ice. Fantastic descriptionss.
DeleteNewbie
fast, yes, had to go back and read it properly, first time it led me to the end at incredible speed! that's a gift in itself.
DeleteThere is such an incredible world building happening in these few words, and it adds depth to a really great action piece.
DeleteGone to ground [Threshold 72]
ReplyDeleteOur head-start had them floundering at first. Above our near-silent progress over the pine-needled floor of the forest we heard shouted instructions. Pursuit came closer. Ravenscar indicated we separate, take evasive action. My horse jammed a foreleg between rocks and, in stumbling, threw me to the ground.
After unknown minutes I regained consciousness, to a two-pronged, throbbing, stapled pain in my thigh and a background rattling noise which terrified me.
Ravenscar returned, in search. When, teeth-chattering, I stammered ‘Rattlesnake’ he briefly laughed. Looking down on me, ’Seventeen and cannot recognise a quill-rattling porcupine? Don’t be so self-dramatis- Don’t move!’
Poor horse! Interesting placement of the porcupine.
DeleteSuch a charmer that man... Can hear the muffled clump of hooves on the needles. Good use of key words.
DeleteNewbie
Enjoyed the atmosphere created in such a short space
Deletethe story moves on inexorably horrifically, as always!
DeleteThis poor girl. Not a moment's rest for her. I rather like that he ends on a panicked note.
DeleteYour ass is grass
ReplyDelete“Whyn’t you called afore?” Alaister whined.
“Get off,” said Brown, snarling. “It’s here. You owe me fifteen on the pound.”
Alaister weighed the bags, his simpering façade fell away. “Fifteen was for good stuff,” he muttered. “This is pencil shavings and rosemary.
“Fifteen.” Brown stepped closer. “Or you can try them scales again when you’ve got a porcupine jammed up yer arse backwards.”
Alaister kept his eye on the scale. “Nah. Tell the truth, man. Ain’t you got seven bags you’re hanging onto?”
“You prissy shite …”
**CLACK**
“Meet Josh,” said Alaister. “His shotgun says this is crap stuff, too.”
Clever stuff, Chris. I like the humour.
DeleteNewbie
Slick and witty!
DeleteYes, what Mashie says - clever dialogue indeed.
Deletedefinitely sharp and clever. Like this!
DeleteThe dialogue does so much to reveal character. No wonder Alistair was willing to barter so hard.
DeleteBreak (cont)
ReplyDeleteSo we went and stood together on the wall. I said this side it’s the pianists, this side its the grumblers, thats the way they talk. But the grumblers arent happy. They say they want to go home.
Dad said well there was the bloodiest battle here over 700 years ago, between the Norn that lived here and the invading Vikings. But the fire was on the pianists.side, Thats the Norns.
Yeah I said. Weird. Maybe thats cos you jammed their gold in your pocket.
Ouch. They sound a prickly bunch, he said.
Yeah, prickly as porcupine
Well-convincing voice to this.
Deletevoice is the most difficult thing to capture, you did it well here.
DeleteThis is wonderful and fey and both otherworldly and a grounded family memory. Amazing combination.
DeleteA change of focus [135]
ReplyDelete‘When did you last see Raptor?’
Were this a film, a spine-tingling rustle of porcupine quills would’ve accompanied Pettinger’s question.
Vladlina, downing her seventh vodka, ‘Not seen but spoken to. Emails. He enjoyed hearing about HRH’s antics.’
‘Yesterday? You heard from Raptor yesterday?’
Seven months ago he and Vanessa jammed Raptor’s body into a just-dug grave, at dead of night. Only one man knew of that; had the photos to prove it. Trading silences they’d ensured he left the country.
Vladlina’s innocent-sounding comment told Pettinger where he’d ended up. ‘Jake Cherriman arranged this trip for me.’
oh oh oh, dark doings going on here... more please!
DeleteFor a second, my heart pounded as hard as Pettinger's must have. Brief respite, and it turned out to be worse. How do you DO that?
DeleteWalking the Planck
ReplyDeleteSeven minutes into the game, Bok dropped Captain Zenon's favourite porcupine. The team watched it accelerate towards the planet surface. 'That'll be jam now, Bok,' said Morf, always first with the clever comments, 'and so by this evening will you be.' They all walked back along the Planck, except Bok, who walked the other way.
this is funny, sharply coldly funny. Good one.
DeleteI now want to watch this game, whatever it is. That's a neat trick.
DeleteThe facets of your imagination seem to multiply each succeeding week, Mashie.
Delete105.
ReplyDeleteIn grog there is truth as much as in the Good Book itself, sometimes more so, even if it does leave the crew with moods like porcupines. Watch what you say or be jammed into the hull without a second thought. Seven crew talked of the Creature so I knows now I have to be more careful when feeding it, for fear of repercussions. How they be knowing I cannot say for I only part heard the talk but enough, oh enough to know they have knowledge now that they cannot forget.
Any more than I can forget it exists.
This spells danger for the Captain. Well, more danger than he already had. It's never good when the crew figures out the captain is hiding something big.
DeleteYes - a big problem looming for the Captain, and presumably he can't afford to lose any more crew. Hopefully next week's words will rescue him.
Deletespent much of this week re-arranging the shop floor. If you remember this is a second hand shop, with possibly 2-3000 items in it, that's no mean feat and I have come home shattered each night. Almost there, one last bit to tackle but that's gonna be big, we want to bring in a triple wardrobe... I kid you not... well, maybe and perhaps and sort of. It may not arrive, if we need the space for something else. Or just want to make sure when someone comes in, they see all the shop, not a bit of it. One of the things on display, but definitely not for sale, is a pub sign from a long gone pub here on the island, depicting a skull and crossbones and ghastly sights for lawless sailors, walking the plank and being hanged. Lots of shudders from customers, who then (oddly) don't shudder at the replica skull in the cabinet, covered in occult markings!!!
ReplyDeleteBe well, everyone, play well, looking forward to joining in again next week and reading all your offerings.
Thanks Sandra, it's good to have you running it now.
So the Captain finally arrived for his instalment, grumbling about the porcupine as I guessed he would... but we got there and the story moves on.
Antonia - you are the staunchest and most regular of regulars, I look forward to your piece each week, but no apologies for porcupine: the words come to me unbidden.
DeleteRicochet
ReplyDeletePain erupted, a porcupine kiss blossoming across my jaw. Nate’s second blow didn’t land, and it took all his skill to maintain control of the car, as energy directed at me jammed into him instead.
“What the fuck was that?” he snarled.
“Self-defense. Probably best if you don’t hit me again.”
“I had good reason.”
“So did I. To disentangle you from the spell weaving, I needed a blood connection. I know you hate it, but I’ve seen you possessed before. I would fight through seven hells to prevent that from happening again.”
Mollified, he nodded. “Let’s go kill something.”
Oh Rebecca, how do you DO that - such innovative use of porcupine, such twitchy dialogue between these two. Never fails to satisfy.
DeleteThat's slick, pacy and tasty all at once.
ReplyDelete