To celebrate the 61st anniversary of our getting together, my husband has booked a night away, in the vicinity of Middleham, where Richard III grew up – joyously wide, windy and high-sky beautiful Yorkshire countryside,with the occasional sight of racehorses - so as I’m not sure when we’ll be back, here are next week’s works: corner forbid, smother
Entries by midnight Thursday April 11th, new words Friday April 12th
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 Facebook or whichever.
The Secret Armadillo Soldier (SAS) Diaries - entry 267
ReplyDeleteThe small ‘Dillo looked at Sarg, ‘gave me an idea about ‘ow t’ keep them beggars outta here tho.’
Sarg’s ears twitched. ‘Go on.’
‘Where the lintel fell ‘ud make a good corner of defence. We kin stack a bit more soil and rock on this side, leavin’ a nice airy gap so air whiffles through then, if it’s not forbidden, we could stack some of the bodies up against it in a thick wall so the stench ‘ud smother any activity on our side .
Doubt if they’d wanna dig through that if they venture in the place.'
Well, with Sarg lacking a better solution, I'm betting he'll adopt the 'small Dillo's plan. Wonderfully graphic, Terrie.
Delete
DeleteSounds like a plan!
UPON CLOSER EXAMINATION
ReplyDeletePer habit I had recently embraced, I quietly entered the room and slowly approached the bed where Ellen lay. I smiled upon thinking how stylish and elegant she was. She, long ago, had cornered the market on looking exceptionally beautiful, a standing she had yet to relinquish.
But as I leaned over to kiss her, something horrible seized my senses. Her skin had turned gray and an unsettling odor threatened to smother me.
God forbid! lit up my mind upon realizing this was bound to happen one day or another.
After all, she’d been dead for over a week now.
I'm thinking time he got his comeuppance.
DeleteClever use of the prompt words, Jim, and a ,skillfully horrid last line that keeps a reader wanting to know more.
DeleteThresholds new [16]
ReplyDeleteOne hand still gripping my shoulder, ensuring my balance secure, Raven studied my tear-stained face. He tried to smother his amusement but one corner of his mouth turned upwards, ‘I thought you’d forbidden yourself to ever let me see you cry.’
‘To let you think you’d ever made me cry! This time it was the horse –‘
Incredulity overdone, ‘She bit you on your bum?’
‘No! I’m just out of practice. ‘
‘Too sore to carry on? We’ve a room booked at a spa –‘
‘Wonderful –‘
‘Only thirty miles to go.’
I so enjoy the dialogue between these two characters - not only does it keep each of them on their toes , it keeps the reader engaged and wanting more of their story.
DeleteThis, Sandra, is a fine example of how dialogue can perfectly carry a story.
DeleteLittle Miss Perfect
ReplyDeleteThere was a darkened corner of the house where he would take his failures to smother them before dragging their corpses to the furnace.
She’d go there when he was out to ponder what her fate might have been had she not turned out so perfect, with all her limbs and orifices in the correct place.
She knew that if he found out he would forbid her this indulgence. So she'd lie about her day, feigning ignorance about the dark purpose of the dark corner. In doing so discovered that the art deception was an integral part of her perfection.
I believe this scoundrel may take pride in his failures. Nice, David.
DeleteThis was an enjoyable read, David. Broodingly atmospheric and horridly sinister.
ReplyDelete