Friday 21 October 2016

100 Words: Beachcombing in Hidden Cove

Each item tells a story- for each item collected, something fantastical happened.  Such was the magic of summer visits to Hidden Cove. 

I picked up a lot more but I only kept the pieces that pair with a memory.

I remember the first and last times, especially.

When I saw a Merperson conversing with a Merlungh, its scaly-legged freshwater cousin, I stared hard, then smiled for hours; my Grandparents understanding when they saw my bemused face. 

When I had to destroy the secret tunnel and hide the cove forever, though.  Then I wept.  By then I had seen too much.


Written for Friday Fictioneers from the following picture prompt:

PHOTO PROMPT © Claire Fuller 
PHOTO PROMPT © Claire Fuller
 

100 Words: Colin; The Grouchy Cat?

“Colin’s a grouch, a mopey cat, pay him no mind,” I told them as Colin stood sulking by the door after I’d evicted him from his favourite armchair, his eyes staring accusingly through his grumpy face.

He didn’t get the reaction he wanted, though, as we cooed at his expression, “Aw, how sweet you are, Mr Grouchy!” our friend told him.

Colin glared up at her, turned and departed through the catflap as we laughed.

**

“Why do they talk down to me like that, like I’m a kitten, and always think I’m grumpy when I’m not? 

“Well, I am now.”


Written for the 100 Word Challenge on Thin Spiral Notebook; the prompt was the word, Grouch.

On Wednesday, when I wrote this, I wrote more of an "evil" cat ending.  Yesterday I decided that was a bit cliched and I wrote this ending this evening.  I found this one much harder and think the original may have been a bit better still.  

What do you think?

100 Words: Untitled

“Colin’s just a grouch, a mopey cat, pay him no mind,” I told them as Colin stood sulking by the door after I’d evicted him from his favourite armchair, his eyes staring accusingly through his grumpy face.

He didn’t get the reaction he wanted, though, as we cooed at his expression, “Aw, how sweet you are, Mr Grouchy!” our friend told him.

Colin glared up at her, turned and departed through the catflap as we laughed.

**

“These humans will one day pay for their insolence,” Colin thought as he found the warm spot outside the kitchen, “Pay very dearly indeed.”

Wednesday 19 October 2016

Return to Birmingham, 4th May 2016

I got lost the moment I arrived.  The new station was not as I remembered.  The dark and dingy shopping centre that had covered it was now a light and airy, bright windowed affair.

And I didn’t know the way out.  I felt lost in a way I never have before in a place that should have been familiar.  

So much has changed.  As 3 year veterans, I remember us pouring scorn when Selfridges appeared to herald this future.  Now I feel somewhat bereft.


Back then, from the train, you could see a Victorian, columnated building that was isolated in a sea of concrete emptiness.  I used to wonder what the building had been and what it was now, if anything.

I found out today, I went up close because that area is now mostly developed; and was my destination.

The building is still unused, though a plaque, almost as old as me and looking as dated as the building, informed me that it had more of a past here than me; and, it later transpired, more of a future too.


If I was an idiot, I would feel sick; I would claw at the history books and try to bring back the Birmingham that I knew.  My nostalgia would cloud my mind and dim my view.

As it is I smile at this new place and I put the old, dusty tapestry back in the attic, where it belongs, before returning to the living room.


Written for entry in The Bridport Prize, 2016.

Tuesday 18 October 2016

250 Words: 20.8.5.14 17.6.13.4.8.3.21.6.15.4.22.19.6’7.8 9.1.15.15.23.3.1.13

2.14.14.20.18.23.16.10 13.8.10 23.2.19.8.1 12.13.23.17 18.22.20.7 22.17.16 25.4.7.10.17.8, 20.8.5.19 16.11.2.13.24.11.13 3.21.1.18.10.1 11.12.8.25.19.6.16 9.12.19.2.13 4.25.10 17.1.8.14 2.16.13.5 3.5.22.13.18.2; 16.3.19.6 3.22.14.7 22.20.11.7.6.15 10.22.13.22.9.18.3.16 1.16.20.12.26.4 13.16.17.26.3.16.4.  23.20.15 24.19.3.23.8 9.21.6.20.9 15.13.16.26.12 26.1.22.25.16.12.26.3 11.24.14.12 2.23.10.16.23.15.21.9 24.25.20.23.14.10.24.6; 19.16.19 1.22.13.24.9.23.1 7.26.25.1 13.11.26.25.20 14.15.23.8.5.18.5.14. 

19.10.19.6.13.8.22.2.21.3 10.22.22.4.10.5 8.5.7.1.5 15.16.15.20.6.15.20.6.8 10.2.5 22.19.17 21.23.20.9.26.8.10.24.12 5.6.11.25.26.5.24.20 19.16.17 4.7.14.11.7.24.7.21.15 11.25.22.2 3.14.23.26.24.12.2 18.10.16.7.25.11 18.15.17.11.17- 22.18.7 9.8.6.19.7 9.6.14 18.4.10.1.19.11 11.14.15.23.19! 

12.26.23.6.18, 11.22.22.1 26.17.18 4.2 24.26.9.9.10.19.18, 5.2.5 10.11.22.21.6 3.24.23.22.19 2.6 4.8.6.6 7.2.2 8.9.16.3.19.15 5.20.5.22.24.8 (13.26.16.1 26.14.12.15.18.20 12.3.12.21.3 13.18.15.11.4.13 24.20 3.26.11.11.3.22.12).  4.7 23.15.4.18.25.14.3 15.12.17 1.12.13.7.12.14 12.7.2 25.8.14.25.12.4 12.13.12.17.3.12.17.3.16 8.22.15.8.18 19.15.13.14.26.9 25.10.8.9.19 17.22.2.26.17.15.3.13.6 19.2.3.9.21.22.12… 9.20.9 2.14.14.22.14.13.17 2.15.20.8.8 10.26.17.20.20.17.9.22.2.19 2.15.5.10 4.5.6.1.20.15.13 25.18.16 8.22.19.15 22.4.16.8.11 8.23.1.19.20…

“20.13.2’1.15 7.18.16.17.7 12.19.20.9.16 3.14.2 12.14.11.18.11.7.1.15.8 5.15 11.24.20.22.13.2.8.7.16,” 17.14.8 11.25.26.5.2.10.10, “13.6.21’20.16 25.6.7.22.12 23.11.8.2.1, 5.24.16 6.25.21.13.14.11, 13.6.1.10.6 17.6.25.7.”

**

12.7.16 2.16.13.17 2.17.24.15.19.14.6.17.26.15.7.4.17.18 3.6.13.22.6 20.24.16.7 5.7 1.16.3.17.16.14.5.11 1.10.5.3.9.23.15.  8.19.16.25.17 10.7.2 10.9.16.16.17 1.10.13.2 17.5.2.2 12.14.18.19.12 5.12.23.16.25.5.16.15.1 25.17.25.14.17.4.18 19.10.13 25.26.10.13 7.16.5.23.23.20, 6.3.5 9.18.24.17.7.7 19.4.9 23.2.25.25.2.22.14.5.13.2 15.10.5 3.15.13.16.18.5.8.5.14.4.7 9.12.6.22.21.11.2 2.3.1.18.23.16.2.10 8.25.5 10.15.5.6.4.10.17.9.6.19.2.3.13.6.8 12.17.10.1.10.12.3.14.1.2.14.  22.2.17.1 18.6.3.15 26.2.5.18.15 10.7.7 2.3.10.1.14.13.19 3.5.20.17.21.21.18 14.2.25.19 5.2.2.26.9 23.16.11 15.12.25.4, 5.19.16.3 1.3.6.19.10 6.3.4 23.16.6.7.20.21.22.17.17.6.7; 15.24.1.20 11.8.9 20.13.16.2 20.3.9.2.18.14 22.10.7.9 22.16.10.18.


23.18.15 5.19.3.23.3 3.26.13.14 10.6.10.1.14.12 10.1.2 5.6.16.14 16.9.20.4.5.16.25.14.16.14 7.4.18 23.6.9.4.22.21.15 7.3 12.24.13.14.12.  9.10.15.17 1.26.17.15 2.20.3 7.19.17.20.16.13.7.5.24.9.8.6 11.3.9 12.1.24.13 3.7.25.14 23.21.10.21.10.21.22.6.25.8 17.8.8, 20.5.3.4.14 17.13.11.3.18.6.7.12.5.13 17.6.25.9 21.8.24.14 1.17.21.24.20.13.2.  19.4.17 24.2.20.6 1.15.12.9 3.21.9.9.17.23.21.18 2.16.9.2.16 21.13.19.10.2.6 17.5.24.24.9.22.19 10.12.16.17.13 18.15.2.15.1. 

12.3.24.16.15.16 24.10.21.9.5 7.20 3.15.4.5.23.8.5.5.12.17 18.5.21.2 20.3 26.5.1.12 16.13.15 16.13.2.9.9.2.1.6 12.23.11 3.9.8.9:

From.5 the.10 boy.8 at.8 B2.3; a.18 nothing.17, a.8 pawn.18; who.19 seeks.12 you.3 to.8 be.3; my.12 Ada.7, my.15 Queen.


20.6.17.5.6.11.3 1.11 8.16.16.22.5 9.24.21.2 26.19.22.3 1.10.16.9.25.20, 16.3.19.20 2.3.10.1.3.14.13.11 14.9.4 19.12.21.7.12.2.15, 21.18.5.4 6.14.5.5 2.11.6.4.10.24.17. 

**

3.2.17.19.2 10.8.17.4.9.2.17.10.21.20.13, 23.11.8.13 13.8.25.10.21.8.14 1.19.18.8.9.22.9.8.17 15.10.11 14.15.19.25.11.18.12.20, “4.15.5.19.14 7.3.1.19.3.2.19.6 24.9.7 21.9.10.20.9 15.6.15.2.9.4 13.19.15.6?”



Written for entry in The Bridport Prize, 2016.

Wednesday 12 October 2016

100 Words: Not enough light

I went to investigate with an oil lamp that cast a flickering halo of light- all the snapping, shuffling and animal whining occurring beyond its limit, leading me ever further on; away.

I thought I was saving a dying creature, my ears guiding as I watched the aura of light that alerted me to the dangers immediately ahead and causing me to lose track of where I was so that, when I heard my daughter call, I could only run blindly back until I flooded the hut with light and found her missing.


That is when I became a monster.



Written for Friday Fictioneers from the following picture prompt:

PHOTO PROMPT © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields 
 PHOTO PROMPT © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields


Since exchanging some tweets a couple of years ago now, myself and some fellow Librarians have been writing and producing a podcast set in a strange University Library; well, Librarynth.  

The first episode is available to listen to now on Soundcloud.  there you will find Mrs Strangeways, Lara the Lost Library Assistant and Eddie Roam the reindeer that provide wifi, among others..


100 Words: Aftereffects

Their brains lightly smooshed, they walked along talking quickly, such was their eagerness to continue getting to know one another; a fluency forged online having been found as smoothly in real life.

The only question was how quickly would they move?

Walking at arm’s length, each wondered if they should reach out and take a hand.  And, if they did, would a kiss goodbye, or, goodness gracious, if that was OK, an invitation home occur?

“No,” something, or someone, under the smooshing said, “You’ve had too much wine to decide; and all the time in the world.  Just hold hands.”


Written for the 100 Word Challenge on Thin Spiral Notebook; the prompt was the word, Wine.

Since exchanging some tweets a couple of years ago now, myself and some fellow Librarians have been writing and producing a podcast set in a strange University Library; well, Librarynth.  

The first episode is available to listen to now on Soundcloud.  there you will find Mrs Strangeways, Lara the Lost Library Assistant and Eddie Roam the reindeer that provide wifi, among others..

100 Words: Aftereffects

Their brains lightly smooshed, they walked along talking quickly, such was their eagerness to continue getting to know one another; a fluency forged online having been found as smoothly in real life.

The only question was how quickly would they move?

Walking at arm’s length, each wondered if they should reach out and take a hand.  And, if they did, would a kiss goodbye, or, goodness gracious, if that was OK, an invitation home occur?

“No,” something, or someone, under the smooshing said, “You’ve had too much wine to decide; and all the time in the world.  Just hold hands.”


Written for the 100 Word Challenge on Thin Spiral Notebook; the prompt was the word, Wine.

Since exchanging some tweets a couple of years ago now, myself and some fellow Librarians have been writing and producing a podcast set in a strange University Library; well, Librarynth.  

The first episode is available to listen to now on Soundcloud.  there you will find Mrs Strangeways, Lara the Lost Library Assistant and Eddie Roam the reindeer that provide wifi, among others..

Wednesday 5 October 2016

100 Words: Clan

My Nan turned to me, a glint in her eye that I only ever saw at weddings accompanied by a mischievous, cheeky smile, and said, “Do you think there’ll be a punch-up?”

With our clan, it wasn’t possible, nor was it probable.  It was flipping inevitable. 

What I didn’t know then was that Nan always started them. 

About a month before.

The only person with everyone’s ear, she started the rumours in good time to let them bed down and breathe in a little truth. 

Once the foundations were laid, the only questions were: How many, How ferocious, How soon?


Written for the 100 Word Challenge on Thin Spiral Notebook; the prompt was the word, Clan.

100 Words: Everything Is Going To Be Alright (Peace)

There I could believe it.  A place of peace and tranquility; alone and apart.

Somewhere it was easy to forget the zombie hoards, escaped animals and humans who had gone full psychopath.

A place where it seemed there was still law and order.


We had managed almost two years of visits before we lost that space.  A miracle, really, when you thought about it.  Especially given the lion incident.


The psychos kept it for only a week before the zombies took over.


Bill hands me a pill and I know everything will be alright, that peace will return to us.  



Written for Friday Fictioneers from the following picture prompt:

PHOTO PROMPT © CEAyr
PHOTO PROMPT © CEAyr