Friday, 11 November 2022

Brief flash left fingers crossed

 Patricia’s posting of a previous piece looking successful, I had hopes the gremlins had been shown the door, but seemingly not. All the more pleased to read Jim and David’s postings, and hope next week’s words enable more.  

Words for the coming week: bell revelation torso 

Entries by midnight Thursday November 17th,  new words posted Friday 18th 

 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.

15 comments:

  1. The tales by Jim and David were indeed most enjoyable. I shall try once more this week to SUCCESSFULLY post a NEW piece and fingers crossed this one will stick.

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  2. [Threshold 413]

    Seemingly, my ability to start, steer and turn on the headlights of the now dented, dusty and decrepit quad bike a revelation. Not its mechanical ability so much as that I, possessed of a torso sufficiently curvaceous in places to correspond with ‘female’, was not only capable but permitted.
    Turning inwards they muttered. Body-language spoke of illogical but burgeoning group fear; their words a belief Raven had been bewitched. I pressed the quadbike’s bell, trusting its next tune would be appropriate. Couldn’t have been more unlucky: ‘I’ll put a spell on you’ rang out: Redbone’s ‘Witch Queen of New Orleans’.

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    Replies
    1. Antonia Woodville - what a smoohly written 'other' example of how to write crime.

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    2. What a terrific opening paragraph, highlighted by '... torso sufficiently curvaceous...'

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  3. A DETOUR - PART VI
    Armed groups launched a search for the source of the screams, which was found in a clearing deep in the woods.
    “Damn,” muttered Johnny Cushman, the group’s leader. “It’s Art Irwin. Scores of stab wounds to his torso. The sight of him rings a bell, doesn’t it?”
    “Yeah,” said Ron Glenn shakily. “We found Chichester McClean like this last year.”
    “And before him,” Roger Busch offered, “Pete Browning, Mike Batza and Rich Lisella.”
    “Here’s another revelation,” said Tom Hirschen. “All in the same place… among these beautiful flowers.”
    Johnny Cushman nodded. “Flowers that look like pretty girls in white dresses.”

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    Replies
    1. The Anonymous is I... Jim.

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    2. Oh good! You've geared this up for several more episodes.

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    3. Antonia Woodville - sharp pecise writing conjuring its own images - the one at the end is the cherry on the uneaten cake.

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  4. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  5. Antonia Woodville
    The torso was magnificent, statuesque; the unveiling and revelation was superb and deserved and at the ringing of the bell, was complete. The audience put down their fragile thin stemmed glasses and applauded politely, stepping cautiously over the display, nervous, their first time – and his. Moving on, always moving on, the critics said and so they did. Art has lost is appeal, someone muttered. They put down fine glass with a sigh; it was of more interest than the exhibition, even though

    Even though the blood-leaking body bereft of limbs and head to create THE TORSO was the finest – ever.

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  6. So well done, Antonia! So deliciously nasty!

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  7. Change of focus [491]


    Bad news indeed. Doorbell then DI, heavy with the weight of revelation, DCs suspicion sparked by Philly, so obviously at home; London’s sneeringly arrogant sprawl.
    ‘Sorry, sir, but do you have a family member who has the name Petzincek tattooed on his shoulder blade?’
    Pettinger’s green eyes narrowed. ‘All my brothers are dead; tattoos mostly on their arms. Did he try and claim otherwise?’
    ‘He’s dead. Couldn’t claim anything. Was fished out the river, couple of hours ago. Still had his head, but otherwise just a torso, so can’t say about the arms.’
    ‘You want me to ID him?’
    ‘Tomorrow.’

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    Replies
    1. Antonia Woodville - this is superb, love the first line - real nasty stuff which us crime people secretly love...

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