This week felt like I’d sprinkled magic words and
they each and every one sprung to life. To a different, magic, unanticipated
life. Not that Merlot is a sparkling wine but each tale made it do so. And so it
seems most apt to award John top spot this week for his ‘Grapes of Wrath', not
that any made me wrathful, Thank you one
and all for the participation.
Words
for next week: bubble demolish siesta
Entries
by midnight Thursday 10th September, words and winners posted Friday 11th
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.
Congrats John!
ReplyDeleteNicely done, John. You are certainly a force to be reckoned with these days.
DeleteOnce again... way to go, John!
Deletecongrats John, fine writing as always -
Deletetry typing congrats with the fingers on the wrong keys, it's quite an intriguing word... (LOL)
An Unexpected Education
ReplyDeleteNeve flopped backward across the arm of the chair with an irritated huff. “He has it,” she said, punctuating her irritation with a snap of her bubblegum.
Robbie, laid out on the floor with a graphic novel across his face, cracked open an eye. “I’m siesta-ing here,” he grumbled.
Neve rolled her eyes. “It’s a magic book, Robbie. Aren’t you curious to see what’s inside it?”
“I highly doubt our library had a secret magic book.”
“Oh, so the storage room demolished itself? Ripped the bricks apart? It was Camren, and I’m going to find out how he did it.”
This, so fresh and individual, and so far from anything I might ever come up with, is a real delight. Thank you, Holly.
DeleteNice and punchy, whetting the appetite for more.
DeleteNice, Holly. An enjoyable read indeed.
DeleteThis was so "of the moment" and could have easily been a scenario from a Harry Potter book or film. Love the name "Neve"...not sure I've heard it before.
DeleteI am very curious about where this might lead us, Holly. You've set the hook in deep.
Deleteoh, so much being described in dialogue, bringing the images to match the overall feeling, more please!
DeleteCreggan’s Lost World
ReplyDeleteThe obviously named Watery Lane was an extension of Lislane which provided coddled a small burn emerging from beneath the Glassagh Road.
It was the rich nucleus for youthful adventure, lined with grand old trees and hawthorn hedgerows the farmer’s fence of choice.
In the top corner of one field or the other the cows would take their siesta while waiting for feeding time as boys lay at the border ditches, rapt in the run-off – looking for bubbles which would indicate frog burrows.
In their anticipatory delight, they never imagined soldiers would tear up their playground and demolish the trees.
This is rich with colorful language eye popping imagery. Very well done.
DeleteLove the description of the boys watching for frog bubbles. Such a calm scene, until that dire final line.
DeleteA splendid painting with words, Perry! A very enjoyable read!
DeleteA splendid painting with words, Perry, and a very enjoyable read!
DeleteBoyhood delights interrupted by the invasion on the scene of soldiers. This was a most unique piece and most unexpected given the prompt words.
DeleteHow delightful, that 'coddled' small burn. Makes the demolishment all the more painful.
Deleteso much captured in so few words, images arise of their own accord from just thinking about the piece as a whole. That takes some doing.
DeleteShattered
ReplyDeleteThe bubble had floated eternally. Unnoticed. Unseen.
When it finally descended, playfully toying with gravity, it was gracious in defeat.
Contact, airy light with unyielding ground, demolished the fragile arrangement, leaving naught behind.
And when the time of siesta was over, there was no trace. Nothing remained.
The delicate daydream died as it had lived.
In obscurity.
I'm reading these from the bottom up and each of your tales is more desolate than the last. In a good way, mind you. You evoke much emotion this week.
DeleteBeautiful, sad, and very unique. I love where your mind goes. :)
DeleteThis is beautiful writing, Patricia. No more need be said.
DeleteYour writing has encapsulated the airyness of your well-chosen words, gentle magic.
DeleteI'm working from the last message up, like David, so this came as a lovely cool delicate surprise after your (hinted at) horror entries. This is captivating in many ways and on many levels.
DeleteDriving blind [Threshold 315]
ReplyDeleteMy rare bubble of supremacy lasted as long as the light in the sky, then Raven, near-invisible, reached to the panel, flicked some sort of switch causing lights to shine ahead of us. Yawning, he said, ‘You’ve flattened enough small animals. Bigger ones likely to demolish us.’
‘I … I didn’t notice –‘
‘I know. Best not to let ourselves be seen though –‘ He peered through the windscreen. ‘Just need to – Ah! ‘There, On the left. Pull in.’
‘Why?’
‘’Bit late for siesta, but plenty of time for –‘
‘Talk. Nothing more until –’
‘Better after –‘
‘After explanation.’
I can't believe she's driving. Another enjoyable slice of their tumultuous lives. I think Raven will prevail on what goes on next after she pulls in.
DeleteI loved the beauty of that first line 'My rare bubble of supremacy lasted as long as the light in the sky.'
DeleteThis flows along so smoothly, Sandra, then there is double the enjoyment in the dialog. Nice!
DeleteNice cliff-hanger here in what might transpire next. I love that our protagonist had sufficient knowledge (or luck) to drive the vehicle but not enough know-how to realize it came with headlights. What a disastrous scene is conjured by the reference to "flattened...small animals." As always, these installments fire the imagination.
Deletelike this instalment, it carries a lot of weight in its few lines, leaving all of us wanting to know where it goes next.
DeleteHush-A-Bye
ReplyDeleteThe new arrival had demolished Scotty's perfect world and he was no longer the baby. Mother was too tired to play with him any more, taking what she called "siestas" every afternoon while the infant was asleep.
Scotty wasn't happy.
While mother was napping, he carried the little one to the bathtub and turned on the water.
Pretty soon, no more bubbles broke the surface.
My oh my. What makes this so honorific is it could happen. Kind of leaves one with a hollow feeling.
DeleteWow! So subtly sinister! Compassion built for Scotty then BOOM! true horror! Very well done.
DeleteTerrifyingly horrible with the perfect ending line.
DeleteA very well-constructed nightmare.
Deletecold horror, this one, the calculated thoughts of Scotty and then actually doing it. A truly devastating last line.
DeleteCripplegate Junction/Part 244 - Point Of Departure
ReplyDeleteThe entirety of Cripplegate Junction was in the throes of a siesta, or so it seemed. This state of affairs included the Sanitarium and gardens. The institution building was demolished and the statuary reduced to rubble. The atmosphere was that of an abandoned graveyard. Silent and stagnant, as though the area had been captured in a sealed and timeless bubble.
At the deserted station, the tannoy system hissed and then crackled to life. The voice of the announcer was detached and robotic:
"The train now standing at platform..."
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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.
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Patricia, this is fantastic. You captured the scene sans characters. Is Cripplegate really sealed in a timeless bubble?
DeleteWhat a wonderful opening sentence ... and the mood of the rest, the tannoy interruption ... you really are on a roll this week, Patricia.
Deletea quiet but deadly sense of menace among the shattered statuary and the eeriness of the place and then - the tannoy... what next??
DeleteI love how well the atmosphere of the piece is conveyed by the rubble and silence.
DeleteAn unexpected turn
ReplyDeleteHe chose the bubble butt bleach blond and paid the proprietress. The hooker trembled and pleaded with her hazel eyes.
Something in Siesta Man’s demeanor caused the proprietress to renege and attempt to refund his fee. He laughed and demolished the brothel with a wave of his hand.
“What will you do to me?” the hooker said from the passenger seat.
“That depends,” said Siesta Man through his Covid mask. “Can you cut hair?”
Quite the surprise in that last line, John. The Siesta Man is quite a powerful dude!
DeleteThe hope is she can, she does and he allows her to walk away. But in your hands, John, I'm far from sure it'll pan out that way.
DeleteThere is never any knowing where you're going to take us, John. I do hope you continue this. I'm anxious to know the fate of the "bubble butt bleach blond."
DeleteI'm curious about the talents of the Siesta Man - seems there is a world of horror there already.
DeleteMy mind is spinning at imagining what the Siesta Man's demolition entailed with that intriguing line 'He laughed and demolished the brothel with a wave of his hand.'
DeleteHear No Evil
ReplyDeleteWith the crude aid of a skewer I have destroyed my inner ears. Free at last. My head is clear.
I was there in Wembley stadium when the high velocity waves emitted from the public address system. One minute the capacity crowd were singing I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles, the next every man, woman and child was taking an enforced siesta.
Free will ended that day. Replaced by aural oppression.
But now we are many. An army of the deaf, rising to demolish our tainted dog whistle democracy. You cannot obey what you cannot hear.
Quite the novel entry, David, and a very creative use of the prompt words.
DeleteStomach-curdling start, matter-of-fact ending chilling. Perfect recipe, perfectly cooked.
DeleteWhat an absolute tale of horror. Self-mutilation...ACK...!!! I should have known West Ham was the devil in disguise. (Though I always thought Bobby Moore was kind of cute.)
Deletethat's seriously criminally nasty - I applaud the thinking behind the mutilation but - doing it...
DeleteOh, I can't even imagine having to do that. A chilling and fascinating tale.
DeleteKursaal (Episode Two Hundred Fourteen) - "Little Ladies"
ReplyDeleteTo the enticing sizzle of breakfast bubble and squeak being prepared in the canteen, Paulette Merlot returned to the Travelling Circus. From the demolished wreck of a sleigh bed, Quinn Underwood, Kursaal's "Lost and Found" Manageress, wriggled beneath the crumpled satin sheets and decided to indulge in a siesta before starting her day. Quinn was, in a word, knackered.
Paulette was greeted by two identical little girls (no taller than herself) who demanded to know if she had brought them anything. Paulette kissed each blonde head and scratched behind the ears of a small dog who accompanied the pair.
--------------------------------------------------------
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.
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NOTE: Paulette Merlot and Quinn Underwood have featured in previous episodes.
"bubble and squeak" - you always seem to find a rarer use for the prompt words.
Deleteyes, good way to use the prompt word! and what, if anything, has Paulette brought for them? Somehow I don't think it will be 'nice'.
DeleteVery curious where this scene is headed, and what exactly breakfast 'bubble and squeak' would be. :)
DeleteChange of focus [393]
ReplyDeleteIn a café named ‘Siesta’, where momentarily closed eyes risked being mugged, Philly Stepcart overheard the planning of Pettinger’s team’s demolishment. Took but moments for habitual bubble of jaded disbelief to pop, this lot being prone to take the hero’s part in every tale they told, but there was a note of authenticity...
…and from outside, shouting and the rumble; inappropriate bright light leaking from boarded upper windows, told her it was true. She’d arrived too late.
Then the warehouse door she stood before shuddered. A barrel burst through its rain-rotted bottom. A second, third, then Pettinger, Moth, wielding staves.
Staves, huh? Is this a new weapon for Pettinger or does he always come so equipped? Much movement here and so enjoyable to boot.
Deleteyes,. fast moving episode but I took time to savour 'jaded disbelief' which is quietly sinister in its own way.
DeleteOooh loved the image of Pettinger bursting through the door in the wake of a barrel, and with staves no less!
DeleteTHE BOX V
ReplyDelete"Come out," the wasted man said. "It’s okay."
A man emerged from the shadows. I couldn't halt a sharp intake of breath, for this man, a demolished skeleton, was more emaciated than the wasted man. Moreover, his left arm was missing.
"Where's Nick?" the wasted man asked.
“Siestaing,” the skeleton-man mumbled through spittle bubbling on his lips.
The wasted man saw my confusion, “Sleeping.” He then asked, “You hungry?”
That absurd question added to my confusion.
The wasted man motioned the skeleton-man closer. He stepped forward then pulled his right hand from behind his back.
It held his left arm.
Ooof!! That a really solid belly punch, Jim!
DeleteNow that was a lesson in pictured horror!!! "Nick"....hmmm...could we be referencing the Evil One himself here?
Deleteph my, what sinister characters in this episode! Nasty people to a fingertip, so they are. Missed your brand of horror, Jim!
DeleteUgh, well done making my stomach flip. :) This immediately brought to mind a recent episode of The Boys, if you've seen that Amazon Prime tv show.
DeleteI missed last week due to some severe computer problems. Glad to be back this week.
ReplyDeleteand you were missed. I'm glad you are back too.
DeleteAlways a joy to see you and your talented plume, Jim.
DeleteMISSED YOU!!
DeleteThe Joys of Mediumship 21
ReplyDeleteNo messages this week, but I’m keeping a journal of a meditation which is leading me into strange places. I write to my publisher/friend each time I get to go on the journey and discover something else and he responds with ‘thoughts’ which are often a continuation of the journey or expanding thoughts around it, so I know we are ‘seeing’ the same thing, like being in the same bubble. Some clever person will try and demolish it when the journal is published. Me, I will take a siesta from spirit work for a while – if they let me!!
Do they ever allow you to partake of a full siesta, Antonia? I some how doubt it. I picture them lingering in the shadows just waiting for an appropriate time to emerge.
DeleteI love journaling and seeing where my mind goes with the act of pen to paper.
DeleteStop The Week: I Want To Get Off (114)
ReplyDeleteThere seems to be a sense of bubbling excitement around the shop, lots of customers, lots of browsers, familiar faces (even behind the masks) coming back to see us and ask ‘how long have you been open?’ Two months at least…perhaps the virus has demolished their memories… items being sold that we have had forever are on their way to a new place for their siestas. They’re done hanging around with us! Some items coming in for us to buy, everything begins to feel better. Now if we can get Shaun’s car fixed once and for all…
Our local independent bookshop reports better sales post lockdown than before - all good news.
DeleteWhat good news this posting brings, Antonia. Perhaps things have indeed turned the corner in your area of the world. Seems things here go from bad to worse. We now have raging forest fires and evacuations to deal with on top of everything else. Thus far, 2020 has done a bang-up job, going out of its way to carve a place in history...!!!
DeleteGlad it's going well! I do think that more people seem to have taken up reading lately, which is lovely.
Delete@Patricia it does feel like quite the apocalyptic year! I grew up on the west coast and have so many memories from camping in the forests that are burning. So heartbreaking.
The Mad Italian (173)
ReplyDeleteThere are bubbles emerging from flapping mouths but they might as well be having a siesta for all the use they are to the people right now. Proposals made and demolished, decisions taken only to find they have created confusion and upset. It is true the people are ignoring the virus, it isn’t there, it doesn’t exist or it hasn’t got me. They ignore it because they can’t see it. They will, sadly, be seeing the results of it ere long, with long term physical damage. They are foolish but then, the young are foolish, are they not?
It is strange that so many people believe the virus doesn't exist. Easy to ignore what doesn't touch them until it does, and then it's too late.
DeleteThe young are indeed foolish...and naive and generally consider themselves far above vulnerability. I fully understand. I too was once one of the "bright young things" who existed in an assumed impenetrable bubble. I think perhaps the Mad Italian never lived in such a state of cluelessness.
ReplyDelete