Or not. And fascinating to see
the crop of posts that grew from last week’s.
Jim (MORTHAN and I),
Patricia (My Own Sweet Way) and
John (Friends) all went for the humorous/quirky; David (So High Above the Chimney Tops) and Terrie ((SAS) Diaries - entries 62 and 63 – check it out) had
superb opening sentences, and Dave’s PARADISE taped into my nightmares, but
I don’t think I’ll cause much dissension in declaring this week’s winner Holly for her ‘Angels’.
Thank you all for comments and
contributions which make this site the pleasure that it is.
Words for next week:
eradicate innocent tow
Entries
by midnight (GMT) Thursday 9th May, words
and winners posted Friday 10th
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. Serialised fiction
is, as always, welcome. All variants and uses of the words and stems are fine.
Feel free to post links to your stories on Twitter or Facebook or whichever
social media you prefer.
No dissension in the ranks, Sandra, for Holly's Angels. Her story was top notch.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! An exciting start to my morning. :)
DeleteLast week was a touch crazy so I still need to go back and comment on all of your fascinating stories.
Holly's entry really was a most excellent choice for last week's winner. Congratulations.
Deletemany congrats to Holly, superb writing!
DeleteA well deserved huzzah to our bevy of honorable mentions and a gracious congratulations to Holly for her winning story.
DeleteThank you so much!
DeleteThe Assassin’s Creed
ReplyDelete“We don’t just relocate them as some would like to think.”
“I’m assuming they’re eradicated… even the innocent?” Nancy said, staring at the camouflaged man.
“Fuck em. We can’t be towing their sorry asses around just because they’re ignorant of the grand scheme.”
“Yes, we must keep our eye on the prize.” Nancy said, sniffing. “But I can’t help thinking about the children,”
“Children grow up eventually, and we’re back at square one.”
“I suppose,” she said as the camouflaged man threw the rat traps in the back of his truck and drove off.
There was something of Cormac McCarthy in this - dark and nasty and not-quite-graspable.
DeleteLove the sense of possible concern from Nancy as compared to the obvious flippant attitude of the exterminator. Very nicely composed, while remaining inherently horrifying in nature.
Deletelots of hinted at nastiness... good one!
DeleteSandra said it well - there's an undercurrent to this that makes me uneasy even though I don't quite understand it. I like the contrast between their conversation and the man picking up traps.
DeleteFinal Countdown
ReplyDeleteIt was a face off. Both wore a sardonic smile.
"You do realize one of us will be eradicated?"
"Not necessarily true, brother. Neither will ever be totally wiped from memory."
"Is that ignorance or innocence talking?"
"You really believe it's the latter?"
"Probably...once upon a time."
"I see you brought down no angelic host to accompany you."
"And I see you towed no minions up from the abyss for support."
"One on one, Mikey-Boy!"
"Then let the games begin!"
I don't think either will ever win this battle. The consequences of a clear winner would likely be disastrous. Very nicely done, Patricia.
DeleteSibling rivalry writ large and menacing, yet with a sort of poetry.
Deletebiting dialogue to uncover the sibling rivalry in a brilliant way.
DeleteI loved how you described their lack of support - 'you brought down no angelic host' and 'you towed no minions up from the abyss'. I can't get Europe's The Final Countdown song out of my head too haha.
DeleteSo, you want to be in pictures
ReplyDeleteThe casting agent was looking for innocence. The part called for a virgin but God only knew those had been eradicated in this town. He thought wryly to himself that he and his colleagues might be partly responsible for that. The first girl walked in, practically flawless, her virtues in tow. He directed her to the red velour couch where she sat, hands in lap.
“Well, pretty lady, how badly do you want this part?”
“I’d kill for this part,” she said as he cupped her left breast.
Where the machete came from, the agent had no idea.
Loved 'virtues in tow' - really well-used prompts in this, John.
DeleteThe movie moguls of yesteryear were lucky not to have ever run into this wannabe star of the silver screen. Love the unique take on the prompts but I am left pondering on where she hid that machete!
Deletewhere the machete was hidden is a mind boggling thought... loved this very nice vignette.
Delete'Virtues in tow' stood out for me as well. I also wondered where she stashed the machete and if she was hoping to get a part in a slasher film. ;)
DeleteOn A Mission
ReplyDeleteWe are a convoy. We criss-cross the land scooping up undesirables. Ours is a righteous undertaking and we won't stop until all such guttersnipes are eradicated.
Are any of these dissidents innocent? We don't know, nor do we care.
Our tow trucks are fitted with tall cranes and nylon rope in the event immediate justice is the order of the day. It's not an easy death. Strangulation rather than the long-drop method. Still, it gets the job done.
Eventually.
Tight and painful. And to the point.
Deletethere's a whole novel behind these few words. Complex thoughts expressed simply but horrifically.
DeleteHorrible and chillingly fascinating. I had a strong image of those tall cranes being towed along in my head.
DeleteThis is one terrible guttersnipe hunt. Very dark and somewhat possible...
ReplyDeleteNot only eye of the beholder [Threshold 247]
ReplyDeleteMy name? An innocent question, from a tow-headed man, gold heavy at his throat, belly honey-coloured, blond hairs catching the sun. Beautiful, in a way Raven was not. Sexual, in a way Raven was not. A potential rival? (Raven rarely tempted that way).
For me he held but fleeting interest; brevity of bubble-gum, soon become flavourless.
Whereas Raven – ah, he watched me just as closely. Not that I could tell what was in his eyes, whether he compared me to the now-dead Lolita.
Partly because, beneath attempting to eradicate his, ‘Too old for you!’ I struggled to conceal fresh-grown lust.
A satisfying episode, Sandra. Loved comparing the fleeting interest to bubblegum loosing its flavor. I also enjoyed how raven watched closely, with no apparent interest, but the interest is definitely there.
DeleteRaven...ever the enigma! And shucks! I thought we might finally get to know the name of our protagonist. Knowing Sandra, I should have known better, but one of these days...!!! In the meantime, I will simply delight in the storyline presented week after week with seemingly little effort.
Deletea very precise episode with overtones of Things To Come while entertaining in the here and now.
DeleteThe image of the man is very striking - all that gold. I also loved the phrasing of the line 'For me he held but fleeting interest; brevity of bubble-gum, soon become flavourless.', though I'd never considered bubble gum was part of this world. :)
DeleteCaught Napping
ReplyDeleteAn antiquated law and barbaric one at that, but it had never been eradicated from the books and remained a viable option: lopping of the right hand for thievery.
At an impromptu trial, a trio of witnesses testified as to illegal entry, destruction of property and... the crime that carried the most severe sentence...pilfering. The empty dish provided all the proof needed and a verdict was returned in record time.
"I'm innocent," shrieked the golden-haired delinquent as they towed her away.
Reeks with dodgy practices and corrpution, cloaked in seeming innocence.
DeletePilfering from the candy dish again? That will teach her. Curious as to who the trio of witnesses are (likely some boys who got no candy). Very clever and enjoyable, Patricia.
DeleteFar too obscure once again, I'm afraid. I really must work on my "reveals" a little more. LOL. However, to clarify this one, as part of her sentence, perhaps this golden-haired pilferer will be obliged to "do porridge"...???
DeleteAhh, I knew it was something of a minor crime, but I missed. But please don't diminish your obscurities as I enjoy them a lot.
DeleteI agree with John!!!!
DeleteI love your clever reimaginings of fairy tales! Perfect title for this too. :)
Delete[Change of focus 327]
ReplyDeleteBeyond the police station, in a gathering dusk of smoke and lilac, the ghost of Tamara Pretty drifted into consciousness again. Spiked conscience. Amusement became gross and the eradication of mirth guiltily essential.
Similarly sobered, Vladina asked, ‘What now?’
Pettinger sighed. ‘I need to talk to her family. Show them her sketches. Get them to identify the Khakbethian men who assaulted her.
Vladina’s snort that of a drayhorse, one at the tired end of a day of towing ploughs through thick black mud. ‘Jesus, Yanno, you some innocent?’
‘What d’you mean?’
‘That sketchbook is as good as a family album.’
Loved the description of the smoke and lilac. general more used as odors but used as colors here. Vladina snorting like a drayhorse towing plows was also quite pleasing to the senses.
Delete"Snort of a drayhorse." Now that is visual perfection put into words. Methinks maybe Yanno and Vladina are putting their heads together here. Can't wait to find out the results of that pairing!
Deletethat last line could and probably does fit a lot of families... very telling.
DeleteThe first line is exquisite! I loved 'in a gathering dusk of smoke and lilac, the ghost of Tamara Pretty drifted into consciousness again' not only for the phrasing, but for the imagery and curiosity it sparked in me as well.
DeleteLad’s Night Out
ReplyDeleteSmiffy was almost legless. ‘Tow along if you like, geezer,’ he went. ‘Tool up with a mallet and stake. We’re out to eradicate the Living Dead. You ain’t exactly gonna’ do that with no feather fuckin’ duster.’
It was phenomenal how quickly the cemeteries had replaced the football terraces.
I played the innocent, hoping the liberal dousing of Old Spice had done enough to disguise the stench of my decay. Didn’t want old Smiffy and his muckers cottoning on to the fact I was rooting for the other side till I was good and ready.
Doesn't feel right to exclaim "What joy!" but that is what I felt on reading this beautifully-executed gem of a tale. The feather duster a lovely, light addition.
DeleteYou don't often hear the story from the undead point of view. Nicely done.
DeleteThis was absolutely gorgeous in the way it drew the reader in and then delivered a gobsmack. I also loved the vernacular and use of such words as "legless" and "muckers" and "cottoning." Luverly stuff...!!!
Deleteoh definitely a top one this week!
DeleteA fun, excellently written piece. I loved the phrasing of that first line 'Smiffy was almost legless.'
DeleteKursaal (Episode One Hundred Sixty Two) - "What The Jester Saw"
ReplyDeleteNot strictly towheads, the young Pepperdyne Twins were still recognizable by flaxen braids. When Lucy (more innocently gullible) met with untimely demise, her sister vowed revenge. While in pursuit of that goal, Libby disappeared, as did her pup, Lulu. Many feared Libby had been eradicated.
Yet, while visiting a ladylove at the Travelling Circus, Arbuthnot Jester noticed two little girls and a small dog playing outside the mystic's tent. Resemblance to the Twins (including fair pigtails) was remarkable.
Since abrupt departure of the Big Top, there were no further sightings, leaving Arby to wonder if his eyes had deceived him.
---------------------------------------------------------
To read the earlier installments (a suggestion only) which led to this point in the tale, please visit:
http://www.novareinna.com/kursaal.html
A link to return to "The Prediction" can be found on the site. Thank you.
---------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: The Pepperdyne Twins (Lucy and Libby), Lulu the Pup, Arbuthnot Jester and the Travelling Circus (a/k/a the Big Top) have all featured in previous episodes.
And I'm unable to totally decry Arbuthnot. Lovely descriptions.
DeleteThat dang traveling circus... lot's of unsavory activity there. At least the girls and the pup seem to be together, but it provides little comfort for now until we find out more. Looking forward to more...
Deletedeep mysteries and conundrums galore abound in the travelling circus and I think there are yet more to come, too.
DeleteUncertainties [Threshold 249]
ReplyDeleteOr was Raven wondering about my name?
I know he’d been shown it, scribed on tow-coloured parchment. Heard it innocently spoken, (insofar as O’Bedrun did anything innocently) At the time O’Bedrun – green-cloaked, vermilion bearded and topaz yellow eyes – was aiming to impregnate me. My failure to conceive allowed me to leave and, Raven never mentioning it since, I assumed whatever else went on – he sick and wounded at the time – enabled him to eradicate the knowledge.
O’Bedrun knew my father. Claimed I worth far more alive than dead. I could never be sure Raven had wiped his mind of that.
This was a treat, so eloquent and entertaining. You must have been mentally exhausted after writing this. Twice today, you teased with a near name reveal, but not yet...
DeleteAnd so you return and raise my hopes for a ceremonial naming yet again. Ah, not to be! However, I did like the references to O'Bedrun. These were two episodes of sheer perfection in one week.
DeleteAs I've said before - as soon as she reveals her name to me, I'll let you know, but she's been silent so far ... a rare occurrence as my characters generally do so with alacrity.
DeleteMaybe we can have a naming contest. like the zoos do with baby animals. Or maybe not...
DeleteNot I think, John.
DeleteOoh, bold lettering.
Deleteanother almost-revealing-everything instalment which takes us further to the edge and then stops...
DeleteCripplegate Junction/Part 188 - Bit Of A Lad
ReplyDeleteCousin Christopher had been missing for so long, his presence could have been eradicated from memory or even nonexistent. Miss Constance knew better. He was her charge and she took such responsibilities seriously. With George in tow, she went in search.
Christopher, ever-innocent expression that belied an impish nature, indulged a proclivity for mischief. He might be anywhere. The Sanitarium or its gardens. The platform or adjoining buildings. No joy!
Constance questioned Alice who was feeding fishy treats to Marmalade. She denied all knowledge. But the tabby, calculated glint in his gold-green eyes, ambled away toward the abandoned Rook's Nookery.
---------------------------------------------------------
To read the earlier installments (a suggestion only) which led to this point in the tale please visit:
http://www.novareinna.com/cripplegate.html
A link to return to "The Prediction" can be found on the site. Thank you.
----------------------------------------------------------
'gold green eyes' - how delicious! And my belief is Miss Constance has been a little lax in her supervision.
DeleteCats know everything... but reveal nothing, so Constance needs to look a little wider than our feline hero, methinks...
DeleteI like fish and I like treats, but a fishy treat appeals to me very little. You moved this mystery along nicely and threw in the little tidbit about Marmalade possibly knowing the answers.
ReplyDeleteThe Secret Armadillo Soldier (SAS) Diaries - entry 63
ReplyDeleteSorry Pinkie, I used yer feather boa t’ leave a trail fer Atlas, an’ it got wrecked, but I’ll find yu’ summat better, ‘onest.’
‘I’m just glad you’re safe brother. From Atlas’s account it seems he eradicated a gerbil patrol and left Moloch badly injured, so who ever the Big Boss is they are not going to be too happy.’
Atlas is a good soldier an’ a true mate Pinkie. I dunno ‘ow he towed me as far as ‘e did…bluddy amazin’.
At the mention of his name Brenda hid her flirtatious thoughts of Atlas with an innocent smile.
This just as absorbing and Twisty as 'Line of Duty'!
DeleteGood to see Armi on the mend. I appreciated the recap of events as sometimes, when reading serials, I forget some of the things that happened. For instance: I thought Mulloch was likely dead, but now I know he may be alive but badly injured.
DeleteFlutters from a feather boa so much more satisfying that the plain old breadcrumbs used by Hansel and Gretel to leave a trail. Can't wait to see what the promised "summat better" will turn out to be. As always, this was so enjoyable and such a delight to read.
Deleteanother great instalment which brings out the characters even more.
DeleteA bank holiday weekend intervened; someone got difficult on the phone (at 1 PM Saturday, when we close) obviously hadn’t read the ad properly. It does give our opening hours. But then again, another person with a baby in tow demanded to know why we don’t open on Sundays… sometimes I wish I could eradicate every idiot that walks in or calls us, for it would mean the rest of the island could revert to a state of innocence, thinking all is well in the retail world… instead it’s very slow and Shaun with a bad back again isn’t helping!
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear this past week presented something of a rough time, but it does nothing to lessen the always entertaining and down-to-earth scenarios that you delight us with every week. Hope Shaun's bad back gets to feeling better again very soon.
DeleteOuch - my sympathies, Antonia. My 2/3 years of a Saturday job in a newsagents was sufficient to understand how hard it is sometimes to deal with customers.
DeleteIn a perfect world, your next customer will be completely delightful and Shaun will walk in straight and true, but in the real world, it will likely be somewhere in between. Good luck.
DeleteThe Mad Italian 105
ReplyDeleteIt would seem some political parties are towing a bunch of rather ignorant people along with them as the politicians try to eradicate the subjects they dislike – which range from anti-Semitism to the state of the union right now, and not doing a good job of ridding themselves of these hangers-on. This may be a ‘free’ society but there are many divisions, many divisive decisions being made which will cause even deeper rifts than can be found now. Some who were never inclined against other races now see their thinking changing and there is little anyone can do about it.
Sometimes I wonder how the human race at large managed to get themselves into such a complicated state of mutual living. I often despair of things ever getting any better, but while there's life, I suppose.
DeleteI will be back with comments tomorrow evening. I'm extraordinarily tired and just found out tonight my publisher/friend is feeling the same. Must be weather pressures or something, it's not overwork, I'm not that busy at the shop and the book grows, but slowly, slowly.
ReplyDeleteLeonardo's comments about people's attitude changing is in part due to a report we read yesterday. It has been revealed that there are 0.4 Muslims on the island but 100% of the meat being cooked at the one and only hospital is halal, for their faith, not for anyone else and this has caused uproar. And a good deal of very bad feeling. It doesn't bode well for future relations among island residents, does it?
More tomorrow.
A Poem by Another Name
ReplyDelete“What say you to the charges against you, Savien de Cyrano?”
“I’m innocent of them, your majesty of Bourges.”
“You stole Queen Judith’s tart.”
“I returned with Roxanne in tow, after a summers day. I knew I’d never get clean away. Despite my words being captured by her heart. Blame me not for eradicating her feelings of the Queen, in her heart.”
“I’ll have you beaten for this.”
“Being whip for eating a tart is worth being known as a Knave. However, I promise that of tarts and hearts to never steal again.”
Ok, I had to look the poem up and read it again. It's been so many years I'd rather not put a number on it. I detect a twist in the tart being Roxanne. Is this true? A really good re-telling and very enjoyable.
DeleteExcellent title to begin with and a nice rhythm to carry us along. Good mix of tales incorporated into this with quite a unique flair.
DeleteThe First Battle: The Enemy
ReplyDelete“Assault Commander, you requested my presence,” said Speaker Rashkin.
“Your thoughts and eradicate the illusions of faith from your answer about our enemy.”
“The two skins are their warrior caste. Our losses have been glorious. You’ll be commended by Population Control.”
“Rashkin, I’m not an innocent hatchling or white skinned elder, towing my tail.”
“I’ll ask the Delvers of Knowledge what they have learned from the bodies.”
“Have any two skins been found alive?”
“A few but they were killed.”
“Any two skins found alive will not be converted to food, like our fallen. Bring them to me.”
Well, the troupes have to eat I suppose. This was well written and ominous. The battle is becoming more and more interesting.
DeleteThe horrors of war at their most basic and now we have a variation of possible cannibalism thrown into the mix...albeit of a probably alien kind. This moved the tale along very nicely.
DeleteWeeds
ReplyDeleteFern contemplated the weeds’ eradication with an irritated frown, as she felt the wet grass soak her knees. “Gotta pull them from the roots,” she muttered. “Gotta rip them out completely.”
“Goodness, Fern,” Kimber said behind her. “They’re just innocent little flowers.”
Fern looked back at her friend perched atop an old stone lantern, covered in moss, that’d fallen over ages ago. “Weeds,” Fern corrected.
Despite towing Kimber out into the rain-soaked backyard as soon as she’d arrived, her friend was still in her usual good mood.
“I think they’re pretty,” Kimber said.
“That’s because they haven’t bitten you yet.”
Lovely package tied up with a most unexpected bow. One of the best things about Prediction is the varied tales it inspires week after week and this week has been particularly diversified of which "Weeds" is a perfect example.
DeleteTrips off the tongue in a misleadingly pretty manner until the final line and, as Patricia says, so individual.
DeleteFern was the perfect name for this character. A quirky and enjoyable story, Holly.
Delete
ReplyDeleteThe Secret Armadillo Soldier (SAS) Diaries - entry 64
There was a frantic scurry of movement as the body was forcefully towed out into the open.
Hoping the smell of blood and layers of mulch would eradicate his scent,
Atlas stilled his breath and sank deeper into the leaf-litter.
‘Leave him for the crows, that’s all he’s good for,’ the chilling voice commanded, now, get started on that trench or more of you’ll join him.’
As the patrol moved away, Atlas could hear several of them weeping quietly: It left him wondering; were gerbils as ruthless as they seemed, or merely innocent elements in a more lethal contest.
Emotionally powerful and deliciously devious, promising a complexity way beyond a simple armadillo tale.
DeleteThe gerbils weeping kind of got to me a bit as I too now wonder along with Atlas if they are the ruthless little bastards I thought they were. I'm really glad I came here today, as I almost missed this one.
DeleteI think the lesson here is that one can never totally trust those damned gerbils. These installments are such a joy to read and such a spur to the imagination.
ReplyDeleteThe Adventures of Rosebud, Pirate Princess #178
ReplyDeleteA Tough Spot
Competition eradicated - neck snapping, such fun! - I skirted the partying innocents and climbed the north-north-west tower. And that’s where my dubious string of good luck ran out. A normal ship, with trading barge in tow, swept around the wall. As the barge morphed into a strange winged thing, every alarm rang.