Pages

28.1.15

CUTTING THE LAWN - a 100 word story

Back in Tenerife after a lovely two weeks in England with family, especially the new arrival Millie. She was a teeny 4lb 13ozs - that's just over 2kilos - but three weeks later she has already gained weight. She is the prettiest baby you ever saw and a delight to us all. Now all we need is for Millie's cousin to be born in Canada, which should happen this week, and we can relax for a while!

I have written absolutely nothing for three weeks, so the Friday Fictioneers' weekly challenge hosted by  https://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/  is a great way to dip my toe back in the water.


CUTTING THE LAWN   
                                         
“Get your idle bum off that sofa and cut the grass!”

Terry glared, but he plugged the lawn-mower into the old kitchen socket and soon the sound of the machine filled the afternoon.

Sandra was making tea when the power blew.
Terry stormed into the kitchen and flipped the trip-switch back on. “Where’s the toolbox? I ran over the cable.”
“Unplug the mower before you fix it.”
“I know what I’m doing, woman.”

Sandra stood motionless, holding the teapot and breathing slowly to calm herself.

When she heard the scream she waited several long seconds before she pulled out the plug.




9.1.15

SEARCHING - A 100 word story

This post is being done in a mad rush on Friday morning - I have to be at the airport in half an hour to catch a flight to England, where my daughter has just given birth to a beautiful baby girl after eleven years of trying. Here she is at an hour old.

Thanks to http://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/  for the photo that prompted the story, which I also wrote in a mad rush over my morning cuppa!

SEARCHING 

Frank  searched for years.
Every vacation he covered hundreds of miles - along freeways, up and down innumerable side roads, stopping in each town and city, enquiring at every gas station, always with the same question.
“Have you seen this girl?”

Marjorie took their remaining children and left, so Frank quit his job to join a trucking company.
He asked other drivers, questioned every cafe owner, showed her photograph everywhere.
“Do you know her?”

He was despairing until he saw the road-sign with the faded cards stuck on it.
Her name and a town.
“Dad. Forgive me. Here I am.”


5.1.15

A WINNING STORY!


HAPPY NEW YEAR!! 
And to mark the occasion I won a small competition on a writers' forum with this 200 word story, prompted by the word GLITTER. I make no apology for the fact that my background theme is again Christmas - in Tenerife the festival isn't over until after tomorrow - EL DIA DE LOS REYES - Kings' Day. 
So - Felices Reyes to everyone, and may 2015 bring peace and prosperity to us all.


WINGS                                     

At the cry of a newborn the villagers rejoiced – a new life was always worth celebrating but on Christmas Eve it was a double blessing. They clustered round as his father held him up.
“What will you call him?” a woman asked.
“Jesús, naturally,” Josef answered.
           
An hour later a dog barked and was instantly silenced, but it had been tied up deliberately far from the village and had done its job before it died.
Josef woke his children with his hand over their mouths. “Run and hide in the caves,” he ordered and they slid silently away, Maria close behind them carrying her baby.

The villagers cowered deep in the caves while rebels burned everything and then rampaged through the forest, slashing wildly with glittering machetes. Maria’s children clung to her skirts and Jesús whimpered.
The rebel leader stopped, listening.
The villagers watched in horror as Maria, with tears pouring down her face, held her hand over her baby’s mouth.

“They have gone,” the lookout reported eventually but the cave remained silent – Maria’s baby lay limp in her arms.

Then the air moved as if wafted by angel wings, the tiny chest heaved, and Jesús lived again.