At least of the Prediction crowd, this week, and good it is to begin the year so strongly – welcome one and all to 2021.
I did spend some time pondering on the potential (or intent) of Perry's dialogue-rich triplet titles when taken as a whole, and promise the idea only occurred to me after I'd posted 'Je suis desolée', and for a while thought David's windmill shadows in the evocatively-named Wicken Fen might clinch it, but Holly's delicious 'Sink or Swim' leap-frogged both to become first winner of the year.
New words for the coming week are: counter heal
Paris
Entries by midnight Thursday14th January, new words posted Friday 15th
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.
Thank you so much! So many great stories to enjoy last week. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat job, Holly
DeleteBeautiful job, Holly, and a most enjoyable story.
Deletewell deserved!
DeleteThank you all!
DeleteTo Speak with Shadows [2]
ReplyDeleteI take the woman’s hand, eyes darting from her tattooed fingers to the badly-healed scar across her cheek. “Who are you?”
Nuarthan, elbow resting on the counter, reaches for a bottle behind the bar. “This is Mireya Paris.” He grins, pulls the cork free with his teeth. “She’s a witch.”
“I am a Shadowspeaker.” Mireya stares at my palm, prods the callused skin. “Why abandon your crown?”
“I won’t be traded for an alliance,” I say stiffly, annoyed by her tone.
“Is that not why you were born? Don’t glare, girl. I can help you disappear, for a price.”
I would imagine Shadowspeakers are good at helping people disappear. I like how she corrected Nuarthan after he said she was a witch.
DeleteHmmm nicely intriguing.
DeleteLove the authority of Mireya.
DeleteI think this girl better change her stiff attitude. I wouldn't want to mess with this Shadowspeaker's powers.
DeleteI love the idea of a Shadowspeaker and this one comes with some authority so it seems. Great inclusion of the prompts...and what a magnificent name.
DeleteShadowspeaker is resonating with us on a high level, very nice central point, very evocative in its imagery. Nice one!!
DeleteThe Bray Chronicles
ReplyDeleteBartholomew Bray watched the bustling Paris streets from his hotel balcony. He heard Moroccan music and knew the Amazigh Berber parade was near. He snatched the filet knife from the counter and slipped it into an angle sheath before hurrying to the elevator.
Outside, Moroccans were everywhere. Bartholomew’s psychiatrist had told him there was hope, that he was almost healed. He salivated when a young Moroccan boy asked if he’d like a shoeshine.
“Why, yes, my boy. I would.”
As the two walked back inside the hotel, Bartholomew Bray thought it best to withhold this incident from the psychiatrist.
Oooooh, seedy.
Delete'Almost healed' ain't gonna' get it done, eh, Bartholomew? I think you will choose to remain in this phase of recovery.
DeleteMany a slip ... and I suspect there's many more to come.
DeleteHow lovely to see the return of the Bray Chronicles. This week's prompts seem to be custom made for this latest installment. I hope the young Moroccan has some implement of protection within his shoeshine box. He's going to need it.
DeleteDefinitely don't want to mess with a man who has a sheath ready for random knife selection. :) I also hope the shoeshine boy is prepared for him.
Deletean offering full of intrigue! and definitely seedy, but what makes a good blood and guts, concealed knife and all, killer story,.. all of it...
DeleteCongrats, Holly! yours was a splendid entry!
ReplyDeleteThank you. :)
DeleteCASUALTIES
ReplyDelete“What’s up with him,” Joanie asked, nodding at Finbar still rubbing his injured shin.
“He’ll heal,” Mary responded curtly, eyeing the broken handrail previously attached to the ceiling of the bus.
Joanie smirked. “Thomas confused an Arab pirate with a certain Parisian hunchback and fell mid-swing.”
Duncan waggled his eyebrows.
Joanie gave him a disgusted look. “Paddle that kayak out of the gutter.”
Duncan snorted. “Clever.”
Mary ignored the exchange. “Fill me in later. Where is he now?”
“Colm has him stretched out on the counter in the mess.”
Mary set her eyes on Duncan, who zipped his lips emphatically.
Such a lot of busy-ness going in in this deceptively simple-sounding scene.
DeleteQuite a cast of characters. Nice dialog.
DeleteThis certainly conjured some amusing visuals, the major one for me being the impersonation of a "certain Parisian hunchback" falling mid-swing.
DeleteI enjoyed the back and forth and Joanie's reply with 'Paddle that kayak out of the gutter.'
Deletedefinitely busy but everyone having their off-the-wall input to this fast moving story.
DeleteLame Duck
ReplyDelete"Need some help with that?"
She watched him struggle to gather the items on the counter into a neat and manageable pile.
"Thanks! Can't wait until this is healed and I can do things for myself again," he said, indicating his left hand and wrist encased in a plaster of paris cast. "My car is just around the corner."
He smiled.
Charming. Disarming. And by no means alarming.
"Name's Ted, by the way."
Not alarming to the counter staff, perhaps, but all sorts of bells ringing here.
DeleteSo simple. So threatening.
DeleteRun away! I swear, reading stories like this has turned me quite paranoid. ;)
Deleteon surface, so charming... I think I'd want to run away... for sure...
DeleteLame Duck Rewind
ReplyDelete"Need some help with that?"
She watched him struggle to gather the items on the counter into a neat and manageable pile.
"Thanks! Can't wait until this is healed and I can do things for myself again," he said, indicating his left hand and wrist encased in a plaster of paris cast. "My car is just around the corner."
He smiled.
Charming. Disarming. And by no means alarming.
"Name's Ted, by the way."
"I know."
Urk! Disconcerting for the cereal killer. Lovely little twist with two words. Skill of the writer.
DeleteCharming his way toward wrong doings, I think. Just like another Ted we know.
DeleteHer "I know," response is intriguing. Is she in under cover perhaps?
I wonder what she is inviting by saying "I know"? Much to weigh here, Patricia. Nicely done.
DeleteLike Jim, I see that final line as precursor to myriad possibilities. Well done indeed.
DeleteFun how that single line neatly flips the story.
DeleteOnce upon a long time ago I wanted to be an artist, thought it would be a nice thing, bringing colour into people's lives - now I know why words are better, this flip of the story is so clever, so precisely done, I can only sit here and go WOW! How did she DO that?
DeleteSomewhat counterproductively, the writer scribbled something meaningless on the plaster of Paris encasing his healing arm.
ReplyDeleteOoops - not a criticism of others ... just an honest on-the-counter experiment in brevity - no brash offense of Paris beyond the healing of Troy.
DeletePlaster of Paris works well with healing here. Nice study of brevity and smooth prompt usage.
DeleteShort, sharp and amazingly inventive. An entire story under 20 words. Not easy to do.
DeleteShort and sweet indeed.
DeleteFun to imagine what and why and how. :)
DeleteLiberty – Equality - Fraternity
ReplyDeleteBrought down by the airship bombardment the wreck of the Nautilus lay listing in the murky waters of the Seine. But the elusive Captain Nemo was still at large. Paris was on high alert.
If he carried out his insidious threat to heal a fractured world colonies would revolt. Empires would fall. Darkness would descend on Europe. New civilisations would rise.
Agent Passepartout set the explosives and activated the counter. The recently commissioned Eiffel Tower was the medium by which the Captain planned to release his virus to the winds. Its destruction would thwart his Egalitarian adventure.
Agent Passepartout - what a star!!
DeleteYou've pulled off a miniature epic story hete, David. I was well entertained.
DeleteAnd I though Captain Nemo was a good guy. This entry ripples with doom, David. Well done!
DeleteI applaud your inventiveness, David. What an incorporation of characters and scenarios. Very nicely done.
DeleteA fun reimagining. That first line had me immediately intrigued.
Deleteme too! images abound for the reader to develop in their mind.
DeleteWhere can I get the novel?
ReplyDeleteDEJU VU?
ReplyDeleteA friend and I were fishing the Chusoveya River in the southern Urals when we spotted a figure stumbling along the bank. Sensing something amiss, we paddled to shore and intercepted an elderly woman whose limbs sported numerous unhealed wounds.
We offered help. She answered, “Non;” a reply counter to her condition and our uninhabited location.
“You’re French?” I asked.
“Parisian,” she mumbled.
We left her with the police in a town some distance downstream.
A year later, my friend and I were fishing that same section of the Chusoveya when we spotted an elderly woman stumbling along the bank.
Deja vu indeed. These guys need a new fishing spot. Nice, Jim.
DeleteThis deserves a place in the Twilight Zone. What a very novel approach to the given prompts.
DeleteI never did the 'Twilight Zone' but can feel the mounting horror in this.
DeleteOh that is chilling, isn't it. Very curious to learn more.
Deletea definite Twilight Zone mini story, says it all without using a superfluous word!
DeleteChange of focus [408]
ReplyDeleteAt first glance the discarded tea-towels heaped upon the kitchen counter could be taken as a mountain range, modelled in plaster of Paris for a Lego snow-scene, the scarlet streaks suggestive, perhaps, of some post-disaster action.
Taken in conjunction with Aleks' singing and Pettinger's near-smothered guilt, it was not surprising Sally Vicksen's insensitivity encouraged her to proffer sugared smiles and fresh-baked cakes.
Only when Philly Stepcart opened the door, damp-blushed and revealing all a tiny hand-towel failed to cover was it obvious that a level of damage unlikely to heal had been done to Sally's hopes of becoming Pettinger's wife.
Beware of proffered sugar smiles. There was a lot of good stuff here, Sandra, that was strung together nicely. Poor Sally, trying to compete with Stepcart's exposed assetts. The week is young, but this would surely warrent a number one vote in my book.
DeletePoo Sally... she deserved better than this. Beautiful imagery t5houghout this. Well done, Sandra!
DeleteCould there be a rivalry brewing here? The stage is nicely set for one. Course, when it comes to Pettinger, I find that anything is usually possible.
DeleteA striking and emotional scene. Loved the line 'Vicksen's insensitivity encouraged her to proffer sugared smiles and fresh-baked cakes.'
Deleteit's always interesting to see how many secondary stories are revealed week in week out, this has several, by the look of it, all intriguing...
DeleteAttention tout les inhabitants de Paris et le UK!
ReplyDeleteTo counter the idiot who dictated such stupid prompts and heal her inability to come up with anything of intelligence for Raven and his compatriot to say, you should perhaps offer copious libations of Highland Park. (and stop her watching 'Spiral')
Merci beaucoup.
Clever and might I add a bit show offy, with all the fancy French words...
DeleteWhat did you say the compatriot's name was again?
DeleteDamn! - I thought I'd deleted this!!
DeleteWell Sandra, I'm damn glad you didn't. We would have ended up so deprived.
DeleteOoo I think I might have to watch 'Spiral.' :)
Deleteclever and funny!
DeleteKursaal (Episode Two Hundred Twenty Four) - Out Of The Blue
ReplyDeletePrimrose Lee, elixirologist extraordinaire and former mentor of the missing Libby Pepperdyne, continued to be saddened at her protégé's vanishing.
Upon dismantling "Libby's Lichens," counter kiosk in front of Primrose's Emporium where Libby had peddled merchandise (one item, an original herbal remedy labelled "Heal-All" purported by Libby to mend broken hearts) Primrose discovered an inventory of unsold items, including several unmarked mesh pouches and blue perfume bottles bearing the lingering bouquet of "Evening in Paris," favorite fragrance of Libby's mother.
Primrose delivered everything to Mrs. Pepperdyne, whose eyes grew over-bright at the scent bottles and in particular, the "Heal-All" sachets.
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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/kursaal.html
A link to return to "The Prediction" can be found on the site. Thank you.
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NOTE: Primrose Lee and Libby Pepperdyne, as well as reference to the "Heal-All" herbal remedy, have featured in previous episodes.
Your long paragraph, that was one elegant sentence, would have exhsusted me, if I'd tried to write it, to no end.
DeleteI'm glad Mrs. Pepperdine ended up with the Heal All.
Lovely picture painted here.
DeleteThis was a lovely phrase 'whose eyes grew over-bright at the scent bottles and in particular, the "Heal-All" sachets.'
DeleteI kept wishing I could come up with a story to use Evening in Paris, it didn't happen but how brilliantly is it used here???
DeleteCripplegate Junction/Part 254 - "Wish Me Luck As You Wave Me Goodbye"
ReplyDeleteAnimosity between siblings can be a rift that never heals. So it was with Violet (former Crossing Canteen manageress) and her sister, Poppy (former proprietress of the Turnstile Kiosk).
Violet, who rarely ventured from her cafeteria counter or donned anything other than a dowdy waitress uniform, envied the more attractive Poppy, with her flair for Parisian fashion. Independent Poppy found Violet's slavish devotion to the Station Master to be demeaning.
Violet cared nothing that Poppy was on the brink of departure. She cared only that the Station Master had no intention of leaving and would remain in her constant company.
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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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This gives food for thought of what might happen after the train leaves. So many avenues for exploration. I hope it is a good, long goodbye.
DeleteEnvy cropping up between sisters can brew substantial problems. It's probably best that Poppy is departing, but I wonder what the future holds?
DeletePerfect title!
DeleteI also love the title! It is sad when siblings don't get along.
Deletethere's a lot of churniong emotions going on under those costumes - and a way to go yet with the intrigue. The Vera Lynn song title fits so well with the whole atmosphere of Cripplegate Junction.
DeleteThat's myths for you! [Threshold 332]
ReplyDeleteRaven snorted, half amused. 'Rumour has it – and it is only rumour – his life-story runs somewhat counter to that of Paris.'
'"Paris"?'
'That Greek kid, left to die but saved by shepherds. He –' A nod, '– allegedly, too beautiful to be spawned by the shepherd, so his two-timing wife gave him away. Claimed he'd been stillborn –'
I snorted with disbelief. 'Hard to believe.'
'– A year later he was secretly sold to some ruler's wife who'd mistakenly had a daughter, but kept it a secret. She swapped them –'
'What's his name?'
'Mendit, for healing two otherwise-faltering marriages.'
Raven can be quite the conversationalist when he tries. Maybe Mendut can be of use with these two.
DeleteRumour indeed. If we've learned anything, we have surely learned one can never be truly sure when it comes to what rolls off Raven's tongue.
DeleteA clever name. :) It is always fascinating when the often taciturn Raven becomes chatty.
Deleteand which is the real Raven, the chatty one? Is that Raven being held back for a reason we have ye to learn?
DeleteGran’s Miracles
ReplyDeleteMy tiny Gran sat in the dark kitchen in her new grey coat, a valise on the floor beside her. A telegram lay on the counter.
“An English friend is dying. I’ll take the train from Calais. I’m going alone; Calais holds a curse for our family.”
Gran was young during the War. What had she done? Calais…Dunkirk…there was a miracle; how could that be bad?
“How long–?”
“If he’s dead, I’ll return to Paris tonight; if I can heal him again…,” she creased the telegram. “The valise allows options.”
“I’m coming with you.”
“Fine, I have your passport.”
A very intriguing setup this is. I liked how Gran succumbed to the grandchild coming so easily after she said she was going alone. I don't think Gran had any intention of going alone. The contents of the valise... well, I hope I find out what they are. Nicely done, Dona.
Delete'... if I can heal him again'... what an intriguing passage! I'm quite anxious to learn what happens next. Well done, Dona!
DeleteI'm with John. Pretty sure "tiny Gran" had no intention of going solo from the beginning. Hope this continues since I'd love to know more. Please excuse if I'm wrong, but your name is unfamiliar and so I would like to say welcome to The Prediction. What a magnificent debut.
DeleteThis sounds like the opening of a novel - Sebastian Faulks for example. Great stuff, and a very warm welcome Dona - hope you give us the next instalment next week.
DeleteI agree, it seems like Gran had already intended for grandchild to go along. :) I'm very curious about the curse and healing.
DeleteDona's one of my Thirteen O'clock writers, I invited her to join us, I know what she can do...
DeleteGlad you made it, Dona!
Mediumship no 39
ReplyDeleteFor some reason channelling is still giving me problems, but a huge ray of sunshine came in, healing and counteracting the lockdown wintery days. Someone nudged me to open Dispatches book 1. I did and found the message from William Rufus. It’s cynical, amusing and very likely an accurate description of his death. He’s looking forward to life returning to ‘normal’ as he’s missing the repartee with customers. First I’d heard about it… this king would do wonders for us right now, irreverent and fun. Next message, Stephen and Paris, Nowhere near as charismatic but – the history should be revealing.
You are visited by such a varying array of characters, Antonia. I would imagine, even given your referenced problems, there's rarely a dull moment.
DeleteIt does feel wonderful when we get sun after weeks of dark winter. :)
DeleteStop The Week; I Want To Get Off (132)
ReplyDeleteThe shop is extremely cold, the counter is an ice block on feet – the patio heater has been returned so next time I can have healing heat along with decent coffee. We look bad but next door’s renovations have now gone on for two years, father does the work alone, while daughter’s busy with her other business in Paris. She plans on a yoga centre, he’ll want healing when he’s done. Our problems are nothing compared to his workload. I just want the noise to end… as with upstairs# renovation work, power drills, sanders, hammers…and men who have elephantine feet.
It appears you are enduring a bad spell, Antonia. I'd encourage you to believe things will improve, but what if they don't? I'll keep hoping they do though.
DeleteHope you have a goodly supply of headache medication to ward off the aggravation of all that noise, Antonia. I am still keeping all available appendages crossed for things to improve for you very soon.
DeletePatio heaters and hot coffee work wonders, I'm sure. I enjoyed the elephatine feet comment though that's easy for me to say sitting here in my quiet house.
DeleteNoise can kill all constructive thought I've found - my Dearly beloved has a garage beneath my office which contains some seven old British motorbikes.
DeleteConstruction noise can be quite terrible. We have our own renovations to do and I'm not looking forward to the noise when it begins.
DeleteThe Mad Italian (190)
ReplyDeleteThe ego driven ‘leader’ in the great land has no idea what he has done, how much healing the country will need now his falsehoods have divided the nation. Few seem able to counter his rhetoric and the damage continues. From Paris to Bejing and beyond, leaders express their astonishment at the way democracy is being torn apart but ego writes its own mode of transport… This is not a new situation, ever have there been such leaders capable of capturing the right people who will stand with them, no matter how nonsensical the platform on which they gather.
Who are we talking about??
DeleteOh, yeah, him.
Well, all I can say is, try experiencing him from this side of the Atlantic.
And yet some still say there are no divisions, just conspiracies. It is a mad, exhausting time.
DeleteI find it repulsive yet comical, in a sense, that the mindless wackos seething hatred for President Trump allow them to totally ignore all the good he has done for the U.S. Thank you, President Trump, and God bless you.
DeleteAny way you can ask the Mad Italian if there has ever been such a more despicable leader in all of history? If ever there was a good reason to invoke the 25th Amendment....
ReplyDeleteI'll ask when he looks in, for sure. Good question for him to ponder on...
DeleteMercy: clue or distraction?
ReplyDeleteDS Fran Lloyd peered at the photograph, one of several singled out as a potential clue as to Ursula Bothwell's past.
Long dark hair and laughing, she was one of a crowd, leaning against a counter in what was obviously a 1960s Parisian bar – bottles labelled Pernod and Chartreuse visible beyond. 'Anyone significant?'
DC Jane Peebles, who'd spent some hours sorting, sighed. 'No, except on the back she's written 'P RH end.'
Stopping short of enlarging the image to pixels, '"P"? The one with the half-healed scar?'
An unwelcome twinge of recognition. To be denied, until she was more sure.
this is interesting... more please... soonest...
DeleteThe description of that photograph is just so visual. Like Antonia, I am requesting more.
Delete