Short Story – Land of Images

The Last Hope – Friday Fictioneers 15 April 2018

PHOTO PROMPT © Yarnspinnerr

The Last Hope

“This must be it.”
“Can’t be… the place is crawling!”
“Well, we’ve hobbled back and forth… it’s the only place matching the description.”
“God! Why did we ever come here?”
“An act of pure stupidity!”
“Desperation more like!”
“What choice did we have?”
“Hmmm?”
Finding a doorway we cautiously entered the dilapidated building.
The smell of incense greeted us.
A glow emanated from a side room and a feeling of optimism coursed through me.
As we edged inside… he met our gaze… warmth and love poured from his eyes.
My friend turned to me…
“Worth the journey?”
“Yes,” I beamed.

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The Mysteries of Art – Friday Fictioneers 6 April 2018

PHOTO PROMPT © Dale Rogerson

The Mysteries of Art

Leaning lazily against the open door frame Liza took a strong deep drag on her cigarette… paused… looked up… and slowly, breathed out the smoke as she gazed quizzically upward toward her work of art.

What planet was I on?!

Where did that idea come from?

My memory’s a blank.

Don’t remember smoking anything unusual?

You hear stories about people being whisked away on space ships, though I’m somewhat sceptical.

But then I suppose, we’re all only limited by our beliefs.

She took another deep long draw…

Dazzling bright light engulfed her.

The sculpture crashed to the ground.

“That shouldn’t’ve happened!”

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Snow Story – Friday Fictioneers 16 February 2018

PHOTO PROMPT © Dale Rogerson

Snow Story

“Shriek! Squeal!! Look! Mum!!”

“It’s snowed!” Sadie’s excited high pitched voice was soaked up and dampened by the effect of the snow as she danced on the spot under the porch.

“I want to be the first to make footprints!” she squealed, dashing back indoors to grab her wellies.

It rarely snowed where she lived and she’d prayed for weeks on end for a snowfall before winter disappeared again.

Unbeknownst to her, Garby loved snow too and was equally intent on investigating the white stuff.

As she opened the door, Garby came charging out, his paws christening the snow!

“Garby!!”

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The Vessel and The Water – Friday Fictioneers 10 February 2018

PHOTO PROMPT © JS Brand

The Vessel and The Water

“What can I do?! She won’t listen!”

“Ok, imagine … calm day, still water…

…along comes a vessel, moving through the water…

…creating ripples, sometimes waves.

Do you fight to flatten the waves, get rid of them?”

“Of course not! I’m going to move to calmer water!”

“So why not do the same with Issie?”

“It’s not that simple!”

“But it is… we’re all like both the vessel and the water…

…wherever we go we create waves, meeting others creating their waves.

If the turbulence is too much…

…go sail in a direction that feels happier.

“That simple, eh?!”

“Yes.”

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Essence of Life – Friday Fictioneers 2 February 2018

PHOTO PROMPT © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

Essence of Life

It’s autumn, the smell of wood smoke permeates the air. Oh how I love this time of year.

The tail end of the earth’s energy feels like a rush, a speeding up. The urgency to prepare for winter courses through my veins.

Excitement is building.

We have bottled fruit, tinctured herbs, gathered nuts, frozen vegetables and buried the tubers, away from harsh frosts and hungry foragers.

Now the last of the chores is almost complete.

Chop wood.

This year we have had to say goodbye to our ancient apple tree.

I shall cherish your essence as you keep me warm.

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The Visit – Friday Fictioneers 26 January 2018

PHOTO PROMPT © Sandra Crook

The Visit

The college’s field study group was ready and eager for their monthly mission. This time they were headed for the hills and a village on the brink of desolation but for the few inhabitants whose hapless enthusiasm for restoration had earned them the label Kooks Gang.

“Hey, that looks so weird. The building looks old and dead and that car looks so out of place, new and fresh.”

“Yea, this really is a creepy place.”

“Ok team, listen up! For this month’s project, we’re here to study contrast, in this case, the contrasting effects of the old and the new.”

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Fair Grounds and Friendship – Friday Fictioneers 19 January 2018

PHOTO PROMPT © J Hardy Carroll

Fair Grounds and Friendship

“No way! I am not going on that!”

“You agreed!”

“I most certainly did not!”

“Yes, you did. You don’t renege on a bet.“

“Remember, what we agreed? If you won, we’d have afternoon tea by the river. If I won, we’d visit the travelling fair and sit under one of those nice umbrellas. You lost.”

“And you said we’d sit under a nice umbrella. You didn’t say anything about it moving. And anyway, that’s not a proper umbrella.”

“Don’t split hairs!”

“Split hairs?! I think you’ve shredded them!”

“Come on, let’s not fight, it could be fun.”

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The Web of Life – Friday Fictioneers 12 January 2018

The web of Life

“Wow, spy that web. Beautiful.”

“We’re all connected you know…”

“…It’s impossible for us not to be…”

“…We just think we’re not connected.”

“What makes you think that?”

“I sense it.”

“Right? That’s a great help!”

“Just because we don’t visually see anything in the space between objects doesn’t mean it’s empty.”

“Take wi-fi for instance, you cannot see the waves transmitting, but you know they exist because your portable devices wouldn’t work without them.”

“Well, we’re the same. Portable antennae, each emitting our own frequencies.

“Creating our web, each of us the centre of our own world?”

“Yes, exactly.”

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Dream Dreamer – Friday Fictioneers 5 January 2018

Dream Dreamer

Drifting back to consciousness, opening her eyes,
fear shot through her being.
Where the hell am I?
Must be dreaming.
Blinking rapidly to erase the vision, she re-opened her eyes…
…No! Still the same!
Reaching out with trepidation, she touched the white net-like objects,
her hand slipping right through them.
“Weird” she whimpered.
Feels familiar… yet foreign.
Why?
Always asking why! How about I just sit here, watch a while.
Somehow she felt connected to the fibres.
This is too Star Trek for comfort.
Neurons! They’re my neuron pathways!
“Mum!” “Wake up!”
Startled, opening her eyes.
“Must’ve been lucid dreaming.”

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Wheel Legacy – Friday Fictioneers 29 December 2017

Wheel Legacy

“Wheels! What d’ya think?”
“Hmmm? Different.”
“It’s that alright!”
“He left this for me…
…with a note – he’d a great sense of humour.”

For Ellie
Wheel always remember
Times that we spent
In deep contemplation
Of so much dissent
Around we would go
Full circle sometimes
Always the same answer
Want peace?
Quiet the mind.
There’s always a circle
A beginning and an end
Forever they’re fused
So nothing to mend
There’s always some movement
Nothing stands still
Just embrace any contrast
No need for strong will.
Be the axle my friend and just observe the wheel.

“When’s his funeral?”

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