IN STORAGE - a story in 100 words

IN STORAGE

My family sold everything to send me abroad, where the agent promised I would earn good wages, a hundred times more than was possible at home.

The lorry driver packed us into crates like chickens, where we took turns breathing through the air-hole, but when we felt the sea beneath us we were happy. We heard English voices as a fork-lift moved our crates, then others were placed around us, more above us, we heard metal shutters closing, then silence.

My phone is dying, so this is my final message.

Tell my family I’m sorry.

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J Hardy Carroll's photo might be of a simple storage facility, but to me it looks sinister. Whenever I see images of those enormous ships with containers stacked high on deck, I wonder how many poor deluded souls are hidden inside one. I am inflicted with too much imagination! Thanks as ever to Rochelle for hosting Friday Fictioneers on her blog  https://rochellewisoff.com/

REHEARSAL - a story in 100 words

I'm not sure what this building is - a synagogue without the Star of David, perhaps? A church or Masonic temple? For the sake of my story I imagined it as a decommisioned whatever-it-is, and being put to use as a rehearsal hall for actors.I spent many years watching my first husband on stage and those memories linger!

So, with apologies to Roger Bultot, who took the photo, and to anyone else who thinks I ought to know, here's my story.
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REHEARSALS

The alien clung to the beam, watching as the creatures made the same moves and said the same words repeatedly, while others scuttled round changing the colours on canvas walls. Hunger gnawed but there were always too many of them. It waited patiently.

The next day one plump specimen was on stage alone and the alien saw its chance, but when it dropped beside it the creature whipped out a sword, cried, “Have have at ye, ye varmint!” and pinned the alien to the stage. 

After a dramatic pause a shaky voice called from the darkness, “Darling, you were wonderful!”

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KITCHEN SINK DRAMA - a story in 100 words

KITCHEN SINK DRAMA

“I really don’t understand why you did it, after all these years.”

“That’s just it – years of the same irritating little things are like Chinese water torture, drip-drip-dripping until you could scream. At breakfast, for example, leaving the lid off the marmalade, toast crumbs in the butter...”

“I agree that’s annoying, but...”

“Dirty socks on the floor, changing channels without asking...”

“My Jim does that too, but even so...”

“He promised to fix the tap months ago. I was making pastry with that drip getting louder and louder – it was just his bad luck I was holding the rolling pin.”

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I assure you this is fiction - honest! Aren't we writers lucky we can take our frustrations out in words? 

Thanks to Ronda del Boccio for the photo and to Rochelle for hosting Friday Fictioneers on her blog. https://rochellewisoff.com/     You can read what others made of the prompt by following the frog from there, after you've commented on my story first, naturally!

SHOPPING - a hundred word story

SHOPPING

Joan managed their pensions with an iron fist but, as she divided bargain mince into plastic boxes, Andrew ventured, “I’d love a steak sometimes.”

“I’d love a Caribbean holiday,” Joan snapped, slamming the freezer door. “Now where’s my purse?”

“How should I know? I’m not allowed to touch money.” Andrew sipped his coffee and watched her search her handbag and her pockets without success. “Did you open that window?” he asked.

“Yes – it’s stuffy in here.”

As the net curtains wafted in the breeze, Joan slumped into her chair – stolen! - even mince would be off the menu next week.
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I must admit that Joan has an element of me in her makeup, as I too buy food when it's on offer and freeze it in batches. So far - touch wood - I have not had my purse stolen!


This week has been a busy one so far, with various appointments already and more to come. As I have picked up a cold - I blame my granddaughter - I shall be driving to those under the influence of medication! The sore throat did not stop me from carving a pumpkin to display on my doorstep tomorrow. That's a home-grown Scotch bonnet chilli beside it  :) Happy Hallowe'en!

The photo that prompted this week's rash of stories in Friday Fictioneers was taken by Fatima Deria and posted by Rochelle on  https://rochellewisoff.com/

FIFTY-ODD YEARS AGO - 100 words prompted by a photograph

FIFTY-ODD YEARS AGO

Back then The Pill was only available to married women, and I wasn’t married, so my first visit to the ante-natal clinic was fraught with embarrassment. When the nurse said I would miscarry unless I had hormone injections, and suggested it might solve my problem, I was reduced to tears. My boyfriend and I wanted this baby, I told her.

I was injected so often my backside resembled a pincushion, and despite the stress our baby flourished.

We had four children in all, with injections each time, and they are worth every blunt needle.

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Fact this week instead of fiction - once I spotted that pincushion I couldn't think of a different story. Those children have given me five grandchildren now, and I consider myself very fortunate to have all of them.

Thanks to Rochelle for hosting Friday Fictioneers and to Jean L Hays for the photograph.

THE BIG MATCH - a 100 word story

THE BIG MATCH

“Tell me again how we got into this?” Michael said.

“You know the Boss can never resist a challenge.”

“But for Heaven’s sake – seven-a-side football?”

“We’ll beat them,” Gabe said confidently and led his team onto the field.

With such high stakes it was a hard-fought game but, despite the other team’s dirty tricks, Peter refereed impartially, and the scores were even until the final minute.

Then Uriel fired a shot that flew into the corner of the opposition’s net, the whistle blew, and the crowd went wild, throwing their haloes in the air – the Archangels had triumphed again.

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Just a bit of fun this week - light relief from the final chapter of a rewrite of Rock Fall, Book 3 in my Living Rock series. Now would be a good time to read the first two books, A Volcanic Race and Wolf Pack, both of which are available on Amazon.

Thands to Rochelle for the above photo and for hosting Friday Fictioneers. You can read what other writers have been inspired to write by following the Blue Frog trail from her blog at  https://rochellewisoff.com/

RELATIVES - a hundred word story

RELATIVES

All the other kids in our neighbourhood had hordes of relatives. Christmas, weddings, christenings and even funerals were raucous affairs that often spilled into the street, sometimes ending in fisticuffs.

Once I asked Mum where our family was, but she yelled, “We have no-one but ourselves,” and then hugged me. She sounded so sad that I never asked again.

After her funeral I drank a large whiskey before I tackled her bedroom. One drawer was crammed with photographs – her parents, perhaps, uncles, aunties and cousins. My family.

 I searched every face but not one was brown like me.

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Families are strange creatures - a tower of strength for some, a pain in the butt for others. Some people, like me, have such a ream of cousins that they can't keep track, others can count their family members on one hand. And there are always secrets, some small, some so enormous that they remain hidden - until after the funeral.

Thanks to Ted Strutz for this week's Friday Fictioneers photo prompt, and to Rochelle for hosting this bunch of diverse writers on her blog.  https://rochellewisoff.com/