Friday 6 May 2016

May the force remain with you

From Chris’s cruel diagnosis, Patricia’s round peg suicide, William’s wonderfully-phrased ‘truancy of life’ and DI Pettinger’s latest murders, there’s been a lot of death around this week. At least Rosie’s Pirate Princess only suffered an accident. 

But the excellency of Antonia’s Captain was no accident and for this exceptionally strong episode of 'Infinity'  – the 145th – I name her this week’s winner. And, as she rightly says, despite the deaths, the standard of writing here is decidedly uplifting. Thank you one and all.

Words for the coming week are:  fleapit, sable, rapid

Entries by midnight Thursday 5th May, new words and winners posted on Friday 6th

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.

26 comments:

  1. Change of focus [178]

    DI Pettinger, dispirited, ‘Location?’
    ‘Floozy –‘
    ‘Give them the dignity of their rightful names!’
    ‘Sorry, sir. Fanny Atkins in what used to be local fleapit, now Bingo hall; Gina –‘
    ‘Christ, not Gina Jacobson?‘
    ‘’Fraid so sir. Bit more upmarket than what we’ve had so far. Though still fur coat, no knickers –’
    ‘Sable. She was proud of that, claimed it proved her Russian ancestry –‘
    Moth watched his superior’s pale green eyes unfocus in reminiscence. ‘Did it?’
    ‘No, though she –‘ He was interrupted by the urgent chatter of his radio. Listened, rapidly replied, ‘I’m on my way –‘

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    1. and? Should have given yourself a second 100 words for Change of Focus and not left it like that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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    2. Do we have yet another victim on our hands? What a cliffhanger. Love the association of sable with Russia. Made me think of the imperial Romanovs.

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    3. I do love a good cliffhanger, love the pairing of sable with Russia, gives the vic an air of opulence.

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  2. Eyes wide open [Threshold 113]

    Notwithstanding sleepy bedroom eyes, lashes reminiscent of a row of sable paintbrushes, the rapidity with which sweat soaked the fleapit of his oxters heavily detracted from the escort leader’s authority.

    I, still arm around my throat (albeit less tightly) had more to lose yet, perhaps unwisely, felt no fear.

    Above my head, he shouted, ‘Follow! We can’t afford to lose the horses!’ with a desperation sounding more than self-interest.
    And as I wondered, yet again, about the cork-screwedness of O’Bedrun’s dealings, a groaning screech, a shout, a horse’s panic and a less-than-manly scream said Ravenscar’s doom-laden prediction had been well-founded.

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    1. totally different writing, totally different scenarios, same tightness of dialogue and action. Great instalment.

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    2. This was so intriguing and nigh-invisible prompt words. You have utilized "sable" equally well in this piece as you did in "Change of Focus." Delicious stuff...!!!

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    3. "the fleapit of his oxters" brings an all too fragrant image to this piece and adds a very vivd dimension. Very skilful use of the prompts going on here.

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  3. thank you so much, Sandra! I did like that episode, I have to say, and I am intrigued to know where the adventures are going ... most of all, the challenge of writing within the 100 words continues to colour all I do.

    Here is one small example of how it has helped.
    There are two selling sites on the Isle of Wight, Wightbay (which was the market leader and could sell most anything but they've jazzed up the site beyond recognition and people are leaving in droves) Islebuy where I can ramble on for half a page if I want about the items for sale and Marketplace, part of the local paper. They have limits. Two lines. Within those two lines I need to say we are The Old Curiosity Shop in East Cowes as there's another and he got fed up with our customers going in there... so, describe a piece of Beswick, Lord Mayor toby jug with Worthington bottle behind his back in 2 lines... thanks, Challenge, I can do this!!!!

    back later with comments...

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    1. The habit of tight writing works well in novel-length too, especially the opening paragraphs of chapters where you need to keep the reader reading.

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    2. Very worthy win, Antonia. I too found last week's installment of the Captain's adventures to be particularly enjoyable. Not sure how my creative time is going to pan out this week so I may or may not be tossing my hat into this particular ring, but I shall certainly find time to comment at the very least.

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  4. Congratulations Antonia loved lat weeks episode immensely a very worthy win indeed.
    I thought I'd posted this last night, but must have shutdown the mac before clicking the button. Yet another casualty to my glass of Delirium Tremens From M&S. Time is my demon too (again) this week. My little ones are in a Senior School production of Bugsy Malone, and I'm behind on my screen writing course, then that four letter word "Work!"

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  5. I'll return before the end of the day with my comments. I do hope there's more offerings at that time. It has apparently been a bit of a slow week for submissions.

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    1. Just to clarify, I didn't have time to work on anything personally, but I'm hoping to rectify that with the next set of prompts.

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  6. Come Taste the Spirits Hunting

    See the souls arising from within the graveyard ground,
    hear their rapid beating hearts as they make a marching sound.
    Their vapour's slick as sable as they rise before the dawn,
    they are here to seek their vengeance and to spread their fetid spawn.

    With eyes as dank as fleapits and mouths flavoured for the kill,
    they come in search of mortals, with a heightened sense of will.
    Their knowledge of your secrets that are rotten to the core,
    drives their appetite for human souls and makes them hungrier for more.

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    1. Ooh, William, this your best yet, I think - a lovely rhythm and a wicked sense of haunting.

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    2. oh this is good! perfect rhymes, perfect images, the two combined to indeed make it the best yet you have given us. I love 'mouths flavoured for the kill' - says so much.

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    3. Absolutely incredible in both rhyme and rhythm. Such vivid (if horrific) images in this and marvelous use of the prompts. I agree with Sandra, I think this is your best yet!

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  7. 146.
    Such thoughts as I did annotate in my journal last week be deep ones for this here cap’n, shut up in his fleapit of a cabin as he is. But then, if I wish to drape a lady friend in sable, or myself come to that, I had best stop this drear thinking and rapidly set sail for some distant waters and satisfying ships to loot and sink.
    I wish well to lose my demon dreams in action rather than grog, for grog does befuddle the brain so and action stirs the blood and makes you feel young again.

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    1. As always, totally authentic in mood and reflection. Love the comments that "grog does befuddle the brain." I am so fond of this Captain and his sea stories.

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    2. I am always charmed by captains thoughts, and this week in particular he has struck a chord with me. I can concur that grog and being cabin bound all make for a befuddled brain. I do love the line "drape a lady friend in sable" very evocative.

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  8. "drape a lady friend in sable" - lovely line.

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  9. The Adventures of Rosebud, Pirate Princess #24
    All That Glitters


    I approached the theater as the sun fell. The outside was sable, gilded in the fading light. A new task, begun inside that fleapit of a theater. Stepping into the shadows once more. I don’t know why I’m here, or where I’m going, but it seems I’m about to find out.
    “Nightingale, how charming to meet you again.”
    “Same to you. How long has it been this time, ‘Cleopatra’?”
    “The river reversed direction. The rapids are gone.”
    “I’ll tell Natasha, A-” She melted away before I realized. Alex hasn’t met me yet.

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    1. Love the beautiful, creepy atmosphere of this.

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