After all the threat-laden
warnings (and reports of a LOT more elsewhere), I wasn’t surprised to see the
ends of the branches of the rowan tree clotted with white lumps when I looked out the window. Not too much
on the ground, either (but I’ll be better testing that in an hour or so when I walk up
for the paper.)
An interesting
selection of entries this week, Terrie’s poem especially lovely, but ultimately
I decided Jim’s ‘The way of war’ squeezed itself to the top spot. Thank you all
for participating with posts and comments.
Words for the coming week: feint oblige shudder
Entries by midnight Thursday March 16th, new words Friday
17th.
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.
The Devil Went Down To Suburbia
ReplyDeleteThe first punch was a feint. I dodged, as he knew I would. His other fist rammed into my face. My entire body shuddered to the impact. I spat out a piece of my tongue. He kicked the legs from under me and ground my fingers under his heel.
'You are not obliged to fight me,' he said with a mocking grin.
'And if I don't?' I lisped. 'If I surrender now?'
'Then the souls of your wife and children are mine as agreed.'
He straddled me, laughing maniacally, pummeling my face to a pulp.
A thoroughly convincing - and decidedly painful - fight scene; sound track provided via the title.
DeleteDoesn't bode well for the fellow being pummeled. Nicely done, David.
DeleteGreat opening offering, David lots of nastiness but also the germ of something longer. Win or lose it would be interesting to see how the Devil fares against the wife and children.
ReplyDeleteThe Secret Armadillo Soldier (SAS) Diaries - entry 219
ReplyDeleteThe hidden Dillos remained motionless.
Sarg feigned retreat again. ‘You and your feckin’ sidekicks couldn’t fight yer way outtah pile of dandelion fuzz,’ she taunted.
Moloch squealed angrily and Sarg laughed, ‘that all you got you wizened little shite? What do you lot want with Base-Burrow.’
‘Not just Base-Burrow; the whole valley. Those who help gets rewards, those who don’t get dead.’
‘You wanna fight I’m happy to oblige.’ Sarg’s tail crept over her dirt marker.
In a shudder of movement her soldiers surged forward.
Sarg grinned, ‘Well, there’s a surprise yuh didn’t count on, you tail-less piece of crap.’
"couldn’t fight yer way outtah pile of dandelion fuzz" - perfect, and enviably apt.
DeleteAs always, Terrie, your entry is loaded with great images.
DeleteChange of focus [507]
ReplyDeleteJohn Pettinger’s smile a double feint, to both hide from Vanessa his shudder of repugnance and force his sergeant’s obedience; well-deserved payback for his too evident amusement of Pettinger’s entrapment by the notorious ex Chief Constable. He straightened, raised his voice, ‘Vanessa, you will oblige me by leaving. Ben Brickwood will escort you to your car.‘
Philly, quick to catch on, chivvied Aleks, ‘You’ve homework to do before tea, which wiped the smile off his face. She bent to whisper into his ear, and whatever her words, they quickly restored his good mood. Unlike Vanessa’s.
ReplyDelete[Threshold 429]
We were awaited. Raven’s blackness standing tall and central flanked by an assortment of men whose body language implied he’d obliged them to cede power to him.
Against my back, Indigo Eyes’ shudder of surprise said he’d read the the same. Less than wisely he assumed Raven would read his arms around my nakedness, his blood striping my breasts as triumph of his own. His misplaced optimism such that Raven’s feint of open-armed welcome he read as genuine, whereas I knew it prelude to the crushing of a rib-cage. Fingers crossed, it wasn’t aimed at me.
Let's hope it wasn't aimed at you.
DeleteTHE LETTER
ReplyDeleteI’m sure you’ll consider this letter a feint, a bluff intended to make you shudder with fear. It isn’t. I simply feel obliged to warn you that I am going to kill you.
You deserve death, and I deserve to be your executioner, for it is I whom you repeatedly deceived with your numerous affairs. I loved you fervently, and in return I received only treachery from you.
I am not a fool… how long did you think I’d tolerate your disgraceful chicanery?
It is deep into night as I furtively enter her apartment. The letter is in my pocket.
Antonia here,,, Jim, a tight little horror piece, I like this a lot!
Delete'Tight' is the word that came to my mind too, Jim. Well writ.
DeleteAntnia- bit of realityIf you make a slight feint to one side, the dog will run from you. It’s your choice, they are no longer trained to oblige their master or mistress. They’ve been lonely for a long time but – nothing seems to persuade them to leave. Maybe the nomadic life is one that suits heroes like this, those who are still on guard even after all these years. Saw the shudder, yes, me too, I’d hate to call this home. Wish I had room for a dog or two… and could choose one from the current 800 heroes…
ReplyDeleteThe horror of this buried beneath the matter-of-fact delivery of information
Delete