The best news this week is that Sandra is feeling well enough to think about take up the reins again from next week, so this is likely my last plucking out a stimulating trio of words! I have to admit, I have found caretaking The Prediction has been a great kick start to get me writing a little again, and I have really enjoyed rediscovering a community where people interact with each others words. Speaking of words...
John's The Rice Chronicles still have me wondering who was the traitor (Justin Bieber perhaps?), Terri's 'Dillo world continues to capture the claustrophobia of trench warfare, Perry's smoky bacon cereal is something I would definitely try! Sandra's inventiveness and atmospheric vocabulary never fails to impress, Jim's rueful spy and David's sibling rivalry raising a knowing smile, and Antonia keeps up the pace with the bonfire night theme.
However, my favourite this week, for the juxtaposition of the French Revolution and a robot execution, is Patricia's Inhuman - so well done!
Words for the coming week are contract, support, surrogate
Entries by midnight Thursday 18th November, new words posted Friday 19th November
Usual rules: 100 words maximum (excluding title) of flash fiction or poetry using all 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.
Congratulations Patricia - a well-deserved top place, and thank you once again to Julia for taking on the tricky job of judging. I very sincerely hope you continue to participate and keep us entertained with Ellis's tale.
ReplyDeleteDelighted to hear of your improvement, Sandra. Look forward to having you back at the helm. And thanks to Julia indeed for acting as an incredible stand in.
Deletecongrats, Patricia, thanks, Julia, welcome back Sandra...
DeleteWell done, Patricia, as always!
ReplyDeleteRIDING SHOTGUN
ReplyDelete“Believe me now, honey? I’ve said for years that driving this rig all over the country night and day, day and night, ain’t no picnic. But rather than supporting me, you bitch and moan about the crappy life I provide for you.
“And while I’m gone, darlin’, what do you do? You violate our marriage contract, that’s what! Think I didn’t know about my… my what… my surrogate?
“Well, well… coming along on this trip has plugged your lying mouth, hasn’t it?
“Okay, this week of you riding shotgun is enough. Time to dump you somewhere. You’re starting to smell.”
Til death do us part... or beyond!
DeleteSharp and claustrophobic - end inevitable.
DeleteA week of riding shotgun in her condition can't be pleasant. No wonder the conversation was rather one sided. Nice, Jim.
Deleteoh good one, Jim!!
DeleteEllis 019
ReplyDelete“thnx 4 ur support” said Kurt’s message.
And I’d thought men weren’t good at being passive-aggressive.
In the commune, getting everything out in the open was the way to avoid serious conflict; the aggression between my surrogate family members was never far from the surface. Nothing a chest baring wrestle and a good cup of herbal tea couldn’t solve. I just didn’t think that would work with Kurt. Trust me to yearn for a bloke whose opinion of me would contract if I got my tits out.
The phone pinged again.
“when can u debrief re chatting up “Petrol” Byrne?”
Eager to see how this turns out.
DeleteI typed out thanx 4 ur support and thanks for your support, and the latter took less time. I'd make a terrible young person.
DeleteI think chest baring wrestle would go better with beer than herbal tea, but that's debatable. Enjoyable read.
very enjoyable read,John, you never let us down!!
DeleteOf Stars and Giants
ReplyDeleteMarcia’s predecessor was coming to the end of her contract. She lay in the shallow vat, tubes of the life support system stuck like leaches to her shaven head and naked torso, sustaining her while sucking at her thought waves.
Light years away, in the gargantuan glittering gas clouds of the nebulae, the pilot of the exploratory dream craft endless voyaged. The surrogate was called Nax, a wizard hewn from osmium. Soon Marcia’s telepathic connection would animate his silvery ten foot frame. A few days more to go before the sleeper awoke and her own eyes closed for forty years.
fantastic amount of World building in so few words!
DeleteGigantic quantity of imagination, for sure.
DeleteNot sure I'd enjoy this future, but this is clever and very well written, David.
DeleteA rather bleak future for these characters. Nicely done, David.
Deletesometimes bleak works, it does here, a vivid description of an unpleasant civilisation.
DeleteDevil or deep blue sea! [Threshold 370 ]
ReplyDeleteRaven's support for me had ever fluctuated, both in intent and deed. Never the life partner I craved; far too infrequently a lover. Oft-times verging uncomfortably close to surrogate father (or, at least as if contracted by such to keep me safe.) To which end, he now seized the mattress, put it up against at the burning door, wedged it in place with the bed-frame. Short-term, desperate solution. 'Bathroom!' – he ordered, 'Shut door. Open window, Jump.'
But on entering the bathroom, what should I see but Cock-Tail's tattooed face, grinning as he shoved the sash upwards.
Anticipating flame-suction, I shrieked a warning.
A lot in this, a relationship put in perspective in the light of imminent danger... but is Cock-Tail the right escape route?
DeleteI like practice's observation about the relationship being scrutinized at such a dangerous moment.
DeleteMaybe this will be Cocktail's last grin. I think that's what I want, but I'm not sure.
so pleased to have you back in the weekly roundup of stories! Very vivid writing, bringing the characters fully to our attention.
DeleteThis Cock-Tail is one weird fellow. What is his intent? Hmm...
DeleteChange of focus [448]
ReplyDeletePhilly's laughter, at Aleks' comment on Pettinger's d̩shabill̩ suggested she a less-than-suitable surrogate mother. That is, if he hoped for a stiffly well-mannered son, but despite lawless family support and unconventional life-style, lacking any sort of stability, Aleks had turned out bright and intelligent Рsuggesting nature was sufficient to overcome it. And in truth, he couldn't imagine Philly accepting any sort of contract that included the role of step-mother, despite her claimed interest in investigating his "cultural journey".
Then the DCI waded in. "That boy should be in school!"
Philly smiled. 'I'm about to take him. See you later, John.'
This could all have been avoided if Pettinger would just keep a pair of quickly donned pajama bottoms at hand. I always know where mine are, just in case.
Deletejust love John's observation on this instalment!!! an d how good is the instalment - ???
DeleteHIT
ReplyDeleteHe could take no more, but much as he hated passing the pleasure of cutting her throat to a surrogate, his job as support staff with Samaritans took up too much of his time to indulge himself.
Fortunate then that he was able to meet with a destitute man on the edge out of office. The contract money would tide the man and his family over for another month.
Tonight, both of them would have warm, welcoming homes where no-one would be seeking to make their lives hell.
I'm wondering how long this respite will last? Quite the interesting entry, Perry.
DeleteBleak but thought-provoking.
DeleteSomething tells me this arrangement will not end well for anyone involved... especially the wife. But the two men may not be satified as well, in the long run.
Deletevery interesting observations in this, scary thought but - there's justification here which makes the actions valid.
DeleteCold hard facts
ReplyDeleteIt was another time, another place. A food truck drove by, guarded by heavily armed troops.
The surrogates trembled as the riflemen took aim.
“What good will this do?” said the assistant.
“It’s a starting point.” The leader took a long pull on his cigarette. “The fact they have contracts makes it easier.”
“Who’s next,” the assistant said, ‘if you’d care to make a prediction.”
“I detect disdain. A dangerous sentiment, Cedric. But if you must know, I’ll tell you. Unbaptized babies.”
Cedric jumped as the guns fired. It was ‘t easy being men of God.
WOW, John!Some heavy knockout punches with phrases like 'unborn babies' and 'being men of God'. Nicely done!
DeleteQuite horrific in its cold inhumanity. And what Jim so accurately says.
DeleteA chilling dystopia and a great talking point.
Deletedeep dark thoughts and actions which can almost be visualised.
Delete
ReplyDeleteFUNGAL TRANSFER
Ants, busy foraging, are unaware ophiocordyceps waits, patiently, for unsuspecting, mobile, little surrogates to wander by. Insidiously its spores cling on, passing through the feet to lodge firmly in its host’s brain.
Such ants are doomed, for there ophiocordyceps, like a zombie puppet-master, ripens, un-detected, until germination releases subtle chemical messages, compelling its host to climb.
Ant jaws clamp in death-throes as sickly white tendrils carrying new life burst through a tortured skull.
Spores swell, contracting and bursting, falling like dusty stars, into the supporting pillars of green-skied vegetation where ophiocordyceps can wait again for unsuspecting surrogates to wander by.
I dub this genre as techno-horror. Very nice, Terrie. So intense.
DeletePowerfully horrific, Terrie, and rife with the wonderful images you always create.
ReplyDeleteIf you google ophiocordyceps you can see images of how they do this for real
DeleteGreat little piece about the zombie fungus. I've read about these. If we knew the horrors of the micro world we might never goout at all. The cotesia glomarata wasp is another - must have been the inspiration for Alien.
DeleteYour description awful enough; I certainly don't need to find out more, thank you Terrie.
Deleteserious nastiness!
DeleteJoys of Mediumship
ReplyDeleteIt’s a basic fact that the ‘contract’ mentions support, without any of it being written on ‘paper’, of course. I asked my djinn yesterday for some money. A new plan has been out in place for the publishing and people have been donating goods to the shop… that contract was fulfilled and will no doubt go on being fulfilled. There was a time, a desperate time when I needed a surrogate for love, care and support for a six year period. It was given. It seems impossible anyone would want to live without spirit in their lives.
Stop the week? It goes faster all the time! Slow days set me on quests to change things, do advertising work, do anything to get everything moving again. The van is off the road again, battery problems, which is the very time we need a contract with a garage… if we could afford it… and where I look to Shaun for support. I think at times I am a surrogate grandmother, his have long gone to the spirit world.
ReplyDeleteI began the Christmas window today. It’s simple, start with central point and add something every morning.
Especially enjoyed your use of 'surrogate here, Antonia!
DeleteThe Mad Italian
ReplyDeleteIt seems to the muddled mind I live with that your politicians have not learned from us at all, your MPs blunder through all sorts of major decisions, contracts thrown out, support withdrawn, where senior members of parliament use what can only be described as surrogacy in the wheeling dealing with younger MPs who are emphatic and volatile and demanding and that Will Not Do, obviously. They are expected to conform and they are finding it hard to conform, so the nonsense of wearing a mask in the chamber and other such discussions waste valuable political time.