Friday 12 April 2024

Innocuous words portraying nastiness

This was the initial idea behind Lily Childs beginning Fridy Prediction, and once again, much ingenuity was brought to bear on last week’s innocent trio, giving rise to much enjoyment. Thank you all.

Hopefully, the words for next week (taken from titles on an adjacent pile of to-be-read novels) will do likewise: consume  mist  relish 

Entries by midnight Thursday 18h April, new words scheduled Friday 19th 

 Usual rules: 100 words maximum (excluding title) of flash fiction or poetry using all of the 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. 

10 comments:

  1. The Secret Armadillo Soldier (SAS) Diaries - entry 268

    Aggie frowned, ‘course, don’t relish digging all that nastiness out again if we need to mount an attack from in here, but it’d definitely keep out unwanted visitors, wouldn’t it, Sarg?’

    Ever the consummate plotter and planner, Sarg, slightly misty-eyed, re-evaluated the potential of her small companion: A meek, sharp-witted, ‘Dillo with skill and an aptitude to lead others. ‘Bloody good idea, Aggie, and yuh know I think any soldier restin’ in this place would raise a roar knowin’ they were still of use, even in death. Let’s widen this opening and shore it up safely before we get started.'

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    1. Loved your use of 'consume' along with Sarg's practicality/

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    2. Quite the manipulative soldier, this Sarge.

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  2. NO NEED FOR THANKS

    I lay prone on the ice, immobilized by the consummate irony. The frantically thrashing man was Nick Ferlazzo, who left me struggling for life in this ice-covered lake twelve years ago.
    Shock seized his face, announcing that he recognized me. Still, he begged “Please!”
    I pulled him from the hole and through a swirling mist to shore. There, his eyes widened with dread. “Jimmy,” he muttered, “I’m sor—“
    “No need, Nick,” I interrupted. “Think I’d relish you perishing in these freezing waters?”
    “Thank you” had barely left his mouth before the bullet from my .38 entered the bastard’s skull.

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    1. Skillful incorporation of the the prompt words Jim. You always manage to pack so much detail into these 100 word challenges .

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  3. That's what's sometimes called delayed gratification. Me, I'd say wickedness, well-evoked.

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  4. Thresholds new [17]

    Thresholds new [17] consume mist relish
    ‘This may help’.
    The sympathy with which Raven unscrewed the lid off a small tub of what he assured me was proven efficacious balm failed to hide the relish with which he explained, ‘To be applied by hand, not consumed.‘ Desperate for relief, and knowing any show of modesty would be false I removed my skirt and leant against my quietly-standing horse. His gasp at the raw redness of my buttocks enough to make me wish for mist to mask my embarrassment while he gently stroked. When done he said, ‘I’ve whisky enough to deaden the pain while we go.’

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  5. This Raven is a cad of biblical proportions!

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  6. Isn't it strange that one small word can make a reader rethink their view of someone. In this episode, for me, it is the word skirt. Your heroine is so feisty and capable i have always envisaged her in trousers - especially so due to the amount of travelling she does . Cleverly evoked imagery too 'quietly-standing horse' .

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    1. Yes, I was surprised by 'skirt' (very clearly, a long, wrap-round one, heavy jersey-type material, mushroom in colour trimmed with a narrow chocolate brown frill!) Chosen in the hope of providing a less bulky, seam-rubbing ride.

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