A week of exceptionally rich offerings – much thanks to each and every one of you. Hopefully words from the titles of my to-be-read pile will be as inspirational:
Words for the coming week: delirious tackle unfortunate
Entries by midnight Thursday May 23rd, new words Friday 24th
Usual rules:
100 words maximum (excluding title) of flash fiction or poetry using all three
words 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.
An Acquired Taste
ReplyDeleteAn unfortunate man loved the flavour of fairies. He'd climb the highest tree in the forest with his rod and tackle. As the moon rose he would sit amongst the branches dangling his line. When a fae got pierced by the sharp hook he would reel it in and pop it into his mouth. No sooner had he crunched its brittle bones than the sweet juices would drive him to delirious spasms, causing him to drop like a stone to his juddering death. The curse of his curse his eternal resurrection each dawn, with the same burning hunger.
Clever use of the prompt words, David , and such an intriguing tale too.
DeleteI'll say it again, David, your imagination is staggeringly marvelous.
DeleteNot that the cruelty in this lulled my expectations, but I wasn't anticipating that wicked ending!
ReplyDeleteThresholds new [22]
ReplyDeleteIt was unfortunate that my nervousness at having unintentionally prompted Raven to anger: an anger which, unless I quickly reassured him, he’d more likely expend in tackling his innocent cousins to reveal a truth they could not tell than in further questioning me, caused a sudden dizzy sweating that felt uncomfortably close to delirium. Nevertheless, I was intensely curious as to whether – and if so, how? - these men I’d never knowingly met before had learnt a secret I’d long held close to my heart. Then, as I swayed Raven, alerted by their faces, returned his attention to me.
As always, an entertaining chapter in the threshold story . I am also as curious about how, and what , these cousins know about Ravens companion.
DeleteOne must be extremely careful to keep emotions in check when Raven is around.
DeleteYou get what you pay for
ReplyDeleteUnable to meet the exorbitant fee needed to keep my reoccurring delirium at bay, i scoured the seedier side of the city for the best herbalist my handful of coins could afford.
Unfortunately the best i could find was in the back-of-the-counter of a rundown medicine shop.
The voluptuous woman in the glittery, skin-clinging, evening gown was the most erotic herbalist I had ever seen; her use of the vernacular was less so.
'Come in, Dearie, either slap yer arse on seat, flop yer tackle out, or just drop 'em and bend over. Your choice, cost's the same.'
You get what you pay for
ReplyDeleteUnable to meet the exorbitant fee needed to keep my reoccurring delirium at bay, I scoured the seedier side of the city for the best herbalist my handful of coins could afford.
Unfortunately the best I could find was in a back-of-the-counter room of a rundown medicine shop.
The voluptuous woman in the glittery, skin-clinging, evening gown was the most erotic herbalist I had ever seen; her use of the vernacular was less so.
‘Come in dearie, either slap yer arse on a seat, flop yer tackle out, or just drop ‘em and bend over. Your choice, cost’s the same.’
The site seems to be glitchy again i have tried several times and can post comments but not my entry . :-(
ReplyDeleteTerrie's emailed post:
DeleteYou get what you pay for
Unable to meet the exorbitant fee needed to keep my reoccurring delirium at bay, I scoured the seedier side of the city for the best herbalist my handful of coins could afford.
Unfortunately the best I could find was in a back-of-the-counter room of a rundown medicine shop.
The voluptuous woman in the glittery, skin-clinging, evening gown was the most erotic herbalist I had ever seen; her use of the vernacular was less so.
‘Come in dearie, either slap yer arse on a seat, flop yer tackle out, or just drop ‘em and bend over. Your choice, cost’s the same.’
And what an excellently atmospheric post it is - so many words to wallow in,
DeleteI loved the contrast you created between the seedy side of the city and the voluptuous herbalist.
DeleteLAST MAN STANDING
ReplyDeleteFaces white with fear, a score of naked, unarmed enemy soldiers stood nervously on an elevated platform. Below, a crowd delirious with frenzied hysteria, roiled about like turbulent waves on a tumultuous sea.
A horn harshly sounded, and the men lunged clumsily forward, engaging in a confusion of flailing limbs. They clashed, they grappled, they struggled, and in the end only one man would be standing. The unfortunate others would have been driven from the platform to quench the crowd’s lust for blood.
On a throne high above the crowd, Vlad the Impaler smiled. He would feast on the winner.
I'm hugely impressed with the vividness of 'a crowd delirious with frenzied hysteria, roiled about like turbulent waves on a tumultuous sea'.
ReplyDelete