And the penultimate winner of the year is Jim, for ‘Something Silly’ – his variation of ‘Night before Christmas.
Words for the coming week, should you need some writing inspiration:
appoint coast lip
Entries by midnight Saturday December 31st, new words Friday 6th January 2023
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.
(Antonia) -Many congrats to Jim, worthy winner for sure! Hope we can welcime back PATRICIA if kogger gets its axt together,, hope the otherr MIA's can find a way to slide back in, missing you all on a weekly basis... for everyone else, stay safe from storms and snow and accidents - and see you soon - when you're done ekebrating!!!
ReplyDeleteThe Secret Armadillo Soldier (SAS) Diaries - entry 204
ReplyDeleteSarg’s group took up vacant spots between soldiers already in place.
‘Ow long we got,’ asked a waiting ‘Dillo.
Sarg viewed the lip of the cleverly hidden hole, ‘an hour if we’re lucky, less if not, but I gotta trick they won’t expect.’
She scratched a line on the floor from the hole across the narrow slit between it and the wall, snouted a suitable spot in front of it, and appointed a broad-shouldered soldier to dig a scrape.
Her eyes glittered with the light of rapid planning. ‘When they come coastin’ in thinkin’ it’s easy, ‘ere’s wot we do.’
And thus we are all ears ...
DeleteNice to see yet another very interesting entry from you, Terrie. '... eyes glittered with the light of rapid planning' a wonderful turn of words.
DeleteThe Secret Armadillo Soldier (SAS) Diaries - entry 205
ReplyDeleteA small dark bird coasted across the clearing and settled in the trees as Cinereus waved his staff persuasively. ‘Anyone else need a lesson in manners,’ he asked.
With a disappointed grunt, Nigel stowed the stone in his tool-belt and nudged the fallen Vark, ‘ Wot ‘he knows about scribin’ in any form aint natural an’ is downright disturbin’, but lemme tell yu’, yu’ need t’ be quicker n’ that t’ get the better of the ol’ fur bag in future, mate.’
Cinereus twirled the staff expertly and glared as the Vark rolled over, and wiped his bloodied lip.
Love the opening sentence
DeleteHmm... think the Vark learned any manners?
DeleteChange of focus [497]
ReplyDeletePettinger, eyes on the torso, random thoughts coasting across the internal slopes of his skull, registered an anomaly:
Why would Goren Dubnovaski have the Petzinek family name tattooed on his shoulder-blade? Pettinger recalled evil uncle Raptor: who appointed himself family historian; paid meagre lip-service to truth by trying to claim he’d fathered Pettinger. Was it possible he’d likewise persuaded Goren to change his allegiance?
No. Pettinger recalled seeing Goren naked. Unmarked. Some years after he himself’d dug Raptor’s grave. Goren must’ve had his reasons, but Pettinger had to hope whoever killed him was minded to keep them to himself.
Loaded with very interesting questions.
DeleteAbsolutely yes! Questions open up the doorways to a story and fnd us dying to get ourf sticky figers on it...
DeletePAYING HOMAGE
ReplyDeleteI stood on the lip of the crater and stared into the mouth of the boiling volcano. Within it, noxious gasses swirled in steamy clouds above lava that twisted and rippled like scores of wounded snakes. This volcano was new, the first birthed on our lands in nearly a century.
I am appointed to glorify this one, to pay homage to the Earth King when a new volcano is born.
I looked below to the scores of people gathered at the base of the infant mountain. They waved and shouted encouragement.
I waved back then leapt into the welcoming flames.
Forget this one, for I neglected to use a prompt or two.
ReplyDeletePAYING HOMAGE
ReplyDeleteI stood on the lip of the crater, staring into the mouth of the boiling volcano. Within, noxious gasses swirled in steamy clouds above lava that twisted and rippled like scores of wounded snakes. This volcano was new, the first birthed on our lands in a century.
I am appointed to glorify this one, to pay homage to the Earth King when a new volcano is born.
I looked below to the scores of people gathered on the coast at the base of the infant mountain. They waved and shouted encouragement.
I waved back then leapt into the welcoming flames.
Did you not read the small print before you took the job on?
DeleteMuch enjoyed the telling of this, especially the opening sentence.
Antonia - what a suPerb piece of flat Out nastIness!
DeleteClever imagery building to your usual brilliant hook of an ending.
Delete[Threshold 419]
ReplyDeleteRaven’s lips twitched in a manner which told me he’d appointed himself my superior, despite the irritation he knew it would court. Addressing Indigo-eyes, pointing to me, he said, ‘Ravenhenna will give you an extended lesson. How far to the coast?’
Indigo-eyes pointed westwards, ‘Hundred-fifty miles,’ then, swivelling, pointing east, ’More.’
I twigged Raven was reconnoitring, nevertheless was firm in my. ‘Fifty miles will be more than enough.’ I’d question him on the way. Then Raven’s stepping closer, slipping some sort of weapon into my pocket as he kissed me farewell, told me he too had reservations about my safety.
Skilful writing as always , Sandra. The back and forth between these two characters continues to keep me invested and the many facets to their relationship draws me along with them every week .
DeleteAntonia - I appointed the rat-headed rat-ass – well, rat but she didn’t look furry like a rat, if you think about it what I mean, seeing someone without lipstick was bizarre, drawing lines around the length of the rat whiskers, never noticed them before so, here we go from here… to… wherever she was going on a sort of holiday on her way to Free-Rats-Inc and left the rest of us to get on with it… the poster looked good, even with one corner hanging down. And I knew there was something fishy as all hell get out = none of this added up, persistent Ratteries Direct didn’t do that, proper rats didn’t do that… so what did that leave us?
ReplyDeleteA chance for some fun. We just gotta get out there and get it.
Another weekly entry i am invested it ,Antonia. Shudder-worthy but so more-ish.
DeleteAntonia - well, yes, with this bunch, there has to bw deception, nasties, blood letting and any other thing they ir anyine else can think of... anything else is just good luck...
ReplyDelete