VERA'S VASE

VERA’S VASE

When Great-aunt Vera had her stroke we raced to see her. 

Propped up in bed, impossibly small, she gripped my hand. “I’ll be dead by Sunday.”

I choked on a sob but she shushed me.

“I’ve left you everything on one condition – you must smash that vase.” She patted my cheek. “It was always there when I visited but I know you loathe it.”

We laughed and promised.

After her funeral we positioned the camera against the night sky, drank champagne from Vera’s vase and then dropped it.

Shards exploded with light and in death the vase was beautiful.

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That was another piece of Flash Fiction for Friday Fictioneers prompted by a photograph on this blog - https://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/  Follow the Blue Frog trail on her blog to read more stories.

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.

CHOICES - a 100-word story

CHOICES                                                           

                                                                

“Marry me, Hanna,” Yakob begged daily, “And we will make many beautiful babies.”

Yakob had dark, expressive eyes, but he was only a fisherman, whose hut crouched on the beach with its roof weighted by rocks. Aaron was ugly, but he would inherit his family’s bar.

“Build me a house first,” Hanna said, “And I’ll think about it.”

Then a storm spread Yakob’s hut all along the beach, and Hanna searched frantically through the debris until she found him.

Now their daughters take tourists on fishing trips and their sons run a beach bar where Yakob’s hut once stood. 
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Thanks again to http://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/ for the photo that prompted this story.
Follow the blue frog link on her blog to read many other interpretations of the image.
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Our Tenerife apartment is for sale - click on the page on the right to look at the photographs. We plan to return to England before our grandchildren are too much older!

GOD - 100 word fiction

GOD

After the Apocalypse, scavengers roamed the city streets and country ways, sniffing out every last body, and cockroaches feasted on putrefaction.

Finally all machines – even computers – died from lack of fuel, and the only sounds were the buzzing of insects, the cries of birds and animals, and the rustle of plants reclaiming the land.

When the air was sweet again, the God of Rebirth unlocked the underground chambers, and as the Chosen Few stood blinking in the sunlight He spoke sternly.

“I am God. This is my world and your last chance to live peaceably. Don’t screw it up.”

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Thanks again to http://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/ for the photo prompt for this week's flash fiction. Follow the links to read some of the other offerings from Friday Fictioneers.

MEETING THE FAMILY - 100 word fiction

Another story in 100 words prompted by a photograph posted by Rochelle http://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/

MEETING THE FAMILY

We emerged from the tunnel to see mountain on one side and a precipitous drop on the other, but Raul said, “We’ve arrived,” and drove over the edge onto a narrow shelf cut into the rock.

“My ancestors fought the Conquistadores from here,” Raul said proudly.

The house clung to the cliff, chickens pecked, and a stream glistened to the sea through terraces where oranges glowed like suns. A distant figure waved a hoe and began climbing impossibly steep steps.

“Grandfather began this house,” Raul said, “We will live at the top when you marry me.”

“Is that a proposal?”

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Meanwhile, if anyone is interested in buying an apartment that is a little easier to access, please look at the page at the top of my blog.

A DECENT JOB - Fiction in 100 words

A DECENT JOB

“He’ll go to school and get a decent job.”

Mama said those words as often as she said her prayers, and eventually Papa gave in, but he was never the same. I’d only been working in that office a year when he died.

Mama wanted to sell the farm and move to town, saying I would never get a wife to live out in the wilds, but the day I brought a sick animal to work so I could dose it regularly was the day Josefina agreed to marry me.

Now Mama is trying to stop her grandson milking the goats.

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Friday fictioneers is a group of writers who post 100-word stories prompted by a photograph on Rochelle's blog  http://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/

Follow the link on her blog to read the others.

TABLE SALE

TABLE SALE

You wanna buy a lamp?

Hang on – I know you! You got the makings of a spliff on you?

Paul? No – he’s gone. He was a weird one - everything had its own special place and you’d better not move it. He was a pain to live with, but I put up with it until the business of the lamps. He found fault with each one I got, so I cracked him over the head with the last one.

No, I can’t remember which one – does it matter?

Each one’s a quid whether it’s a murder weapon or not.

Friday Fictioneers is contributed to by writers from all round the world. We write 100-word stories prompted by a photograph posted on this site

http://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/

Friday Fiction - THE LESSON

Friday Fictioneers is contributed to by writers from all round the world. We write 100-word stories prompted by a photograph posted on this site

http://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/

This week’s stories are on here  http://new.inlinkz.com/luwpview.php?id=360789

so do check them out.

Here's this week's picture and my story - I hope you enjoy it!

THE LESSON

“By the light – tap, step, twirl, kick – of the silvery moon . . . ”

Felice, wearing only a towel, pirouetted in front of the mirror practising her routine, and the man on the fire-escape paused, mesmerised.

The Boss hadn’t told him she was gorgeous – just that she must be taught a lesson. He adjusted his crotch - this one would be a pleasure.

Felice caught the movement in the mirror but, like a true professional, didn’t miss a beat.

“I love to spoon – tap, step, twirl, kick!”

The towel drifted down like an autumn leaf over the felled attacker.

100 words

INCENTIVES

I was talking to my ten-year-old grandson yesterday and asked him how he was getting on with the book he had told me about a fortnight earlier.
"I'm halfway through it," he said.
"That's a bit slow," I said, "Aren't you enjoying it?"
"Oh yes, it's good, but I've got five books on the go at the moment."

FIVE? One of my ambitions has always been to have my children and grandchildren read my books - if he reads that voraciously I had better write a lot faster!

His seven-year-old brother sent me an email the same day to say that he liked the dragon story I had sent him and could he have more.
A good review is wonderful wherever it comes from!

 I am writing Remus and Greg in serial form, and if you would like to read it, go to my short story page.

Oh yes - and a Happy New Year to all my family, friends and followers.

 

FRIDAY FICTION - FIELD TRIP

FRIDAY FICTIONEERS is an online group of writers from around the world who write 100-words stories once a week prompted by a photo posted on Rochelle's blog http://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/

This week's other stories are on here http://new.inlinkz.com/luwpview.php?id=346493  so do pop along and read some of them.

This is this week's photo prompt and my story.

FIELD TRIP

They caught me unawares – it’s difficult to breathe in that polluted atmosphere and I was concentrating on collecting my specimens quickly so I could leave.

I wasn’t doing any harm, although the way they treat their environment, a bit more damage wouldn’t make much difference.

When that bullet hit my shield it reverberated through my body and I started running. They nearly caught me once but I upped the charge in my shield, reached the ship and gave the command.

As we lifted off, one specimen made a strange noise.

I must ask the scientists what ‘mum’ signifies.

PUBLISHED AT LAST!

This is the first time I have been published so you will forgive me for being excited and blowing my own trumpet! A new online magazine called Running Out Of Ink publishes eight short stories a month, and in December's issue is one of mine.
Here is the link - I hope it works!

http://www.runningoutofink.com/current_issue.html