Friday, 21 July 2023

Picking the perfect word

This week rich with wonderfully intriguing and sense-tickling phrases : Terrie’s ‘the smell of blood clotted the air’,  Jim’s, ‘stood dumbfounded as Byrdie’s knife plunged into his chest’ (even though I could not fully rid my mind of Rowdy Yates) and Antonia’s ‘foreboding’ china Angels (Terrie picked the perfect word there) has me wondering why so few participate, even though I know all writing sites are struggling for participants. Fingers crossed each of you will be inspired by this week’s prompt words, and accept my decision to name Terrie as the week’s ‘winner’.

 Words for the coming week: immobile key stretch

Entries by midnight Thursday July 27th, new words and winners Friday 28th

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.

23 comments:

  1. Thanks for choosing my offering as your top pick for last week Sandra .

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  2. I fully agree that your entry, Terrie, deserved top honors last week. Well done!

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    1. Antonia says - Terrie found the right word in a very small pool of words, shows if we look hard enough (or are just flat out forttunate) we do mercies without effort... sounds like a good life, is child;' work...work... now how sure am I, there is time to get i t wrong...I can get it wildly wrong... .

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  3. HYPOTHETICALLY SPEAKING

    Randy looked across the table to his wife Anna, who sat stiffly immobile. “Anna,” he said, a Machiavellian smile stretching his mouth, “honesty’s the keystone of our marriage, right?”
    Anna smiled, nodded.
    Randy nodded back. “I have a purely hypothetical question, okay?”
    Anna smiled. “Hypothetical, Randy?”
    “Yes. You know I’d never do this, but what would happen if you learned I cheated on you? Be honest.”
    Anna smiled. “Hypothetically cheating? You mean hypothetically with your secretary?”
    Randy’s jaw dropped as Anna’s hand rose from her lap. “This, Randy, is a hypothetical gun. What will happen when I pull the trigger?”

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    1. Good to see Anna's well-prepared.

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    2. This is so well done. Dialogue at its best with the prompt words perfectly blended into the first sentence and as always the little sting in the tail.

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    3. imagine Randy half listening to tis convrsation and then reakising - hell, it' for rea! - and bristling with- arms? and - screaming in his headm how will he get away?

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  4. [Threshold 444]

    A second, more urgent shout from Indigo Eyes suggested Raven had remained immobile. Unable to comprehend or relinquishing responsibility? While stinging pain stretched wider, and my throat further narrowed I could not decide. Felt my breath squeeze to a halt as Indigo Eyes reached me. Reading panic in my eyes, he leant forward, put his mouth on mine and huffed sweet new breath as if to reinflate me. His startling eyes held only gladness at having provided the key to my survival.– no sense of having triumphed over Raven.
    Would Raven read it the same?

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    1. "... sweet new breath as if to reinflate me..." = a marvelous turn of words, Sandra.

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    2. Wow an action packed 100 words, with a brilliant final sentence. I agree with Jim about the use of 'sweet new breath'. I also liked 'stinging pain stretched wider.'

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  5. The Wizard of Combustion

    The car sat immobile on a long stretch of abandoned motorway. Its key had rusted in its ignition. Its roof and engine hood were pitted with corrosion holes that had eaten into the chrome. Over time the rubber of its tyres had welded itself to the weed strewn tarmac.
    But it was retrievable.
    The magician spoke the mysterious words and sprinkled his mystical oils. The car growled and juddered to life, tore itself free of its glutinous tomb, and hobbled after him to where his reanimated four wheeled convoy purred like a pride of mechanical lions.

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    1. This scene so vividly created - and hugely intriguing. Hope we'll read more of the convoy's adventures.

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    2. I fully agree with Sandra... such a clear, vivid and powerful scene.

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    3. Such wonderful imagery. 'purred like a pride of mechanical lions'. along with clever alliteration ..'welded itself to the weed strewn tarmac' and 'mysterious words ... magical oils' - what a gem of an offering .

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    4. woo hoo what demands are coming throiugh to this special bunch of creatures who are more concerned with fighting than living...

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    5. Sweet!
      Unique, and quite original.

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    6. Sorry, that was me

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  6. The Secret Armadillo Soldier (SAS) Diaries - entry 233

    Retreat came at great price as several ‘Dillos were immobilised and slaughtered under the lethal mass of rats.

    Sarg and the remaining ‘Dillos roared angrily and withdrew further.

    At a cleft in the tunnel two ‘Dillos appeared from the stretch of darkness and dipped their snouts discreetly at Sarg as the signal that everyone was safely in the secret escape tunnel.

    Sarg barked orders for the newcomers to ‘defend’ the higher tunnel which was key to their diversionary plan for it concealed many traps, and an escape route. A third ‘Dillo joined them as they disappeared into the trap-laden area.

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  7. Drama portrayed in excellent fashion here, Terrie.

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  8. Should we worry about that third 'dillo?

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  9. The conflict is clearly set out in a way that you cannot miss a single screenshot of it...conflict pst and future - topped by the all out chase and conquest of the two residents of our home, residents who hate one another it is so ovious it shows on a fur covered face...

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    1. Antonia-
      there's the third 'visitor' with unknown abilities for thee creatures to beware of... the unknown. he might look sharp enoigh for the time and the fight but -

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    2. Antonia
      be ready to run,. The more those who want to right a secre battle will nt be stopped, thse who want to run dare not give way - t

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