Friday 16 October 2020

Schedule for Friday 16th October

I thank you for your choice of winners from last week, while I visited what, to my husband, was the Jurassic coast, and to me was Hardy country, two books of whose referenced the hotel we'll be staying at.  

 this week’s words are: beard public rune

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.

50 comments:

  1. Bolanesque Boogie

    In your tight blue jeans
    You caused a public scene
    They thought I was weird
    In a tie dye beard

    Bolanesque boogie
    With a bop bam boom
    Alligator arbitrator
    Sleeping in your room

    Electric volt motion
    Drives your locomotion
    Howling at the moon
    Reading lycanthrope runes

    Bolanesque boogie
    With a bop bam boom
    Alligator arbitrator
    Sleeping in your room

    Psychedelic Piper
    You stole my windscreen wiper
    Your vampire fang
    Made my heart go bang

    Bolanesque boogie
    With a bop bam boom
    Alligator arbitrator
    Sleeping in your room

    Meanwhile, I was still thinking…

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    Replies
    1. I think Bob Dylan would enjoy singing this. Very entertaining, David.

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    2. "Psychedelic Piper
      You stole my windscreen wiper" as good as Vandals taking handles, for sure.

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    3. Must agree this is as sublime as subterranean homesick blues

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    4. Many lines to love both in this and the original upon which it is based. Personally, I liked the "Psychedelic Piper..." line from the former and "Pump don't work cause the vandals took the handles" from the original And speaking of original, it don't get more original than this. Wonderfully inspired entry.

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    5. I'd also like to add that "Meanwhile, I was still thinking...." had me remembering a song by one of my favourite glam rockers, Marc Bolan.

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    6. oh so much to remember, so much brought back to mind. Just today I downloaded an article from the Guardian newspaper, 4 pages of Don McLean explaining American Pie - which set off another st of memories. David, this is exquisite, thank you!

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  2. jdeegan536@yahoo.com17 October 2020 at 17:37

    MY POND

    My pond is a small one in a remote area of my property far from public notice. The trek there is difficult, through closely packed trees bearded with moss and across a swiftly moving stream.

    I always spend the night, and I especially love those when the moon drapes a silver sheen upon the water. Tonight is such a night, one made even more enjoyable by a healthy breeze exchanging friendly runes with the trees.

    I placed the body in the water and pushed it towards others I’ve deposited over the years. Many are still afloat.

    I love my pond.

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    Replies
    1. Everyone needs a hobby. It's good to hear of someone enjoying their work. We have a floater...

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    2. Glad you managed to beard the trees with moss, at least.

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    3. A chilling piece that has got right under my skin with it’s crawling. I bet the guy whose well is fed from the pond enjoys the nitrogen richness.

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    4. good thoughts there, William, it's easy to forget a well is fed by underground springs which come from -
      very cold indeed.

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    5. This was told with such a wonderful heartless detachment. Especially the "I love my pond."

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  3. Cave Music

    The translator of runic alphabets stared at the recently exposed stone wall. The space would be open to the public tomorrow morning. It wouldn’t do for them to see this. He walked to the cave’s mouth and checked his phone. No service. He really couldn’t call anyone about this anyway. Well, maybe the bearded one from Anthropology.

    He went back inside, wishing he’d thought to bring a snack. He checked his translation again, the ancient hieroglyphs dancing before his eyes as if to mock him.

    So, it’s true. No denying it. The hokey pokey really is what it’s all about.

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    Replies
    1. Most excellent, turn about. I could tell you put your whole self in this piece.

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    2. Just what I needed tonight, John, perfect nonsense beautifully done!

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    3. Hokey pokey indeed, John. Yet another totally out of the box little tale that makes for such amazing entertainment.

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  4. jdeegan536@yahoo.com19 October 2020 at 16:47

    You devil, John! You really sucked me in with this one. Very clever.

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  5. Change of focus [399]

    In Pettinger's experience, the majority of sex workers, having sold their bodies for public consumption, come to count the currency worthless. 'Twas ever thus: didn't blond-bearded Vikings scrawl runes at Maeshowe, commenting on the charms of a wanton Isabella?

    He wasn't such a prick-led savage. And with Philly's history… He gestured to Aleks' empty bed. 'Take that if you prefer, the sheets've only been on a couple of days.'
    But Philly smiled. 'You don't trust yourself?'
    He stared. 'And how am I supposed to answer that? Damned for rape if I don't, and you'll sulk if I say you're resistible!'

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    Replies
    1. Ooh, things are heating up in the Petinger abode.

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    2. A painful dilemma, personally I’d err on the side of caution and let her sulk.

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    3. Tensions building, captured in your usual sharp dialogue, Sandra.

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    4. I simply must admire Philly. She can turn Pettinger into something of a ditherer...which I'm sure he's far from used to, especially from a woman.

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  6. Baldrick The Berserker

    Baldrick, red-bearded warrior, hammer carved with Nordic runes, would pillage no more. Tenaciously, he'd defended his territory against the Phantasm of the Fjord...white-pelted, shaggy beast with barbed teeth and razor-sharp claws. Only a cowardly rear attack had vanquished the stout-hearted fighter. Little remained of Baldrick but to provide a public send-off to Valhalla.

    Venturing from its bone-strewn lair, the Phantasm waited for accolades duly awarded to the victorious. None came. Instead, Baldrick's Chieftain regarded the brute malevolently as it skulked, belly dragging the ground. The salutation bestowed upon the wet-nosed instrument of destruction was disapproving and depressingly familiar.

    "Bad dog!"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What surprising twists from this week's words!

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    2. Exquisitely written, Patrica. I really like the title.

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    3. Excellent build up and Love the switch back

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    4. yes, this week's offerings are full of twists turns and outright entertainment. We're so fortunate to be able to read them before anyone else.
      I like this - a lot! It's clever and very well done, no hint of what is to come.

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  7. Making conversation [Threshold 321]

    Musing, allowing my head to fall back, I said to Raven, 'Once upon a time there used to be Public Conveniences –¬'
    'Yeah. Watched over by men with dodgy beards –'
    'What does a beard have to do with being dodgy?'
    You never knew where they'd been. What they'd been wiping –'
    I sat up. Demanded, 'You knowabout that? That sort of thing?'
    Grin replaced ill temper. 'With my multitudinous attributes, how could I fail ?'
    Muttering, suppressing imagination, I scratched a row of made-up runes into the paint. 'But they did have water.'
    'Would beer suffice?'
    'We've beer?'

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    Replies
    1. Some nice, lighthearted moments fom these two today. Nicely entertaining.

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    2. Some great interplay unfolding in this piece

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    3. jdeegan536@yahoo.com22 October 2020 at 16:37

      Great example of dialog carrying a scene, Sandra.

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    4. the author whose book I have just edited would benefit from studying your handling of dialogue, Sandra, it drove me mad to see he said he said she said she said, nodding, he nodded, she nodded...
      this would give him some idea of how dialogue should work but I think he's beyond help while you go on turning out these perfect snippets.

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    5. This came across so different from anything than has gone before...in my memory anyway. Loved the banter...loved the last line even more.

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  8. The Before Times

    He didn't always wear red robes, carry a sack and sport a white beard. He wasn't fat or jolly either...in the Before Times.

    Then, he was a skeletal pariah with sunken cheeks and bulging eyes. Tufts of wiry hair sprouted from his otherwise bald pate. His attire was a mud-brown mantle. He carried a wooden staff decorated with primordial runic symbols. He was cruel and savage..in the Before Times.

    But now, he was accepted with open arms by the public...better yet, the children.

    Adored. Venerated.

    This disguise was far more successful and satisfying than the one adopted...in the Before Times.

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    Replies
    1. And the sooner he comes back, and displaces the white-beard fraud, the better.

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  9. jdeegan536@yahoo.com21 October 2020 at 16:56

    Splendid, Patricia... beautifully written second paragraph... vivid and powerful.

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  10. Very imaginative, Patricia. I've never been a huge fan of Santa. He probably scared me as a kid. This explains why.

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  11. You have such a talented imagination. There is such a deliciously dark undercurrent to this piece.

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    1. dark and enticing, too. The black side of Christmas captured in a very precisely written narrative.

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  12. The Joys of Mediumship no 27
    One of the up and coming mediums I am mentoring at the moment works with runes, not sure if they are going to be her main method but it is a good, solidly rooted in the past method of divination. I imagine bearded Vikings with steins saluting the public who would no doubt gather to see them – or would they? We know little about those strange far ranging men in reality. I have two Viking guardians, brothers who go way back, 4th century as far as I can tell, who keep all at bay who should not be near me.

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    1. My daughter was once applauded for submitting a Social Studies Fair Project decrying the fact that Viking helmets had horns. It was written up in the local paper under the heading: "Hagar Is A Fraud." Thank you so much for that fond memory.

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  13. Stop The Week, I Want to Get Off (120)
    I haven’t been asked for runes, but just about everything else under the sun. Today’s request was for antique skis. I didn’t dare make it public that we dumped a pair because after 6 years, they were a non-seller… nearly growing beards. People are noticing masked teddies and smiling, so it will work as a window. The puppy dog toy has a mask with a hole torn in it, he looks as if he’d do that. This is going to be such fun – if Shaun can get rid of the bad neck he currently has. Never a dull moment…

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    1. My brother and I (when we spoke ) did house clearances and ran a stall, I put a flourescent star on a butter dish proclaiming "Butter Dish of the week!" My brother who trained in retail chastised me for my wastefulness of a star. However we got lot of interest and sales of the items around the butter dish, till I sold it for £5.

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    2. What a delightful image, a puppy dog toy whose mask has a hole that appears as though the puppy did it. Shame about the skis though...and Shaun's bad neck. Regardless, seems as though things are finally looking up.

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  14. The Mad Italian (179)
    Now we see the public rising up against government, we see disorder and defiance and we will see more of it ere long. Few are old enough to grow beards but they know what they want – to learn to live with the virus without restrictions. It seems to me the politicians would be better sitting with a bag of runes and fortune telling with them, for sure there is no sense or understanding coming from the heady heights of government right now. There is no clarity of thought, no comparison with other countries… no desire to learn… as always.

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    Replies
    1. I've pretty much given up trying to make sense of anything these days. Sad to say, I'm slowly forgetting what life was like prior to 2020. I guess learning to adjust is a defense mechanism, but still.... Leonardo, take me away!

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  15. It's been an interesting few months since I last joined in. I had to delete the Digital orange stories where I could, upon advice.
    Long story short, I'm still here, emotionally battered and bruised, but still breathing and defiant.

    The Truth That Must Be Told

    Going out in public is nothing to be feared,
    Just Wash and mask up properly.
    It's not there to warm your beard.

    There is no confusion,
    common sense is not cast by runes.
    Don't get distracted by 364 buffoons.

    They got there for one reason,
    it wasn't to govern straight.
    It's to divide our population by stoking fires of hate.

    Whilst you were all distracted,
    pointing fingers at the left,
    They were syphoning our money until there's little left.

    If we cant feed the Children,
    Now that winters here,
    Look deep inside the mirror
    That's who you ought to fear.

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