Selfless #Flash4Storms

 

Night is soft, quiet, speaking in layered moonlight.

Listen.

She whispers through trees, between branches.

Do not be afraid. You are not alone…

Beautiful darkness soothes us even though she knows it is her that we fear.

 

 

Written for the hurricane relief flash fiction challenge over at Lemon Shark. I’ve just raised the first $1. 🙂 See? That was easy. Hope you join in.

#Flash4Storms

#LemonSharkCharity

 

One Line Challenge

 

I’m a bit bogged down in the blog hop department but couldn’t turn down this nomination by Phoenix Grey for the “One Liner Challenge”. It’s…you guessed it: One Line. I add it to this silly story that has circled the blogosphere and had countless writers adding their lines. How does a warm, sunny day at the beach turn into a man locked in a room with a vampire? It’s ridiculous and kind of hilarious. My line is at the bottom of the post in italics.

Chapter 1…THE BEACH
It was a warm sunny day and sea was an almost transparent shade of blue. I lay there, watching the waves lap on the shore, a drink in hand, a tear rolling down my cheek. I stand up yelling at that boy who threw this load of sand into my eyes and my drink when he jumped over me. I then grabbed my water gun, running fast after him, I was laughing, he was jumping over people to escape. He turned to look at me, but didn’t see the two children in front of him carrying two delicious looking ice cream cones. As he barreled into the children, knocking the ice-cream from their grasp, I caught one of the scoops of pistachio and hurled it at his head as I fell laughing to the ground! And what luck, his mouth was open and he gulped down the scoop, spitting nuts rapid-fire style like a rabid squirrel! And wouldn’t you know it, a squirrel leaped from a nearby tree, performing a flying maneuver worthy of the best traveling circus family, catching the nuts in his mouth in mid-air!! It was all too fantastical and I wondered for a moment if I’d forgotten to take my medication earlier…or perhaps I took too much! I opened my eyes with a jolt, peeled my face from the sticky plastic beach lounger, and rubbed my eyes-sun and too many mojitos make for ridiculous dreams! Unaware to her, the man behind the one way mirror furiously scribbled down notes and couldn’t help but marvel at how his creation truly believed IT was a real human being and he hadn’t even begun stage 2984DU which everyone with his intellect knows is when the real fun starts! Professor James Loxet knew he had just one more test to carry out before the implant of the 2984DU chip, Just one more social situation, the dinner party. The thought of going to this party, surrounded by so many people, just made James cringe to his core, he hated crowds of people! Yet, at the nagging of his close friends, James, picked himself up from the beach and headed home to change for the party. Despite his nagging headache and the gnaw of anxiety in his gut, James found a sort of peace in the ritual of dressing. The party was a very formal affair, so James decided to put on his best black tuxedo. He stood before a mirror, fidgeting at the tight-fit of his white shirt and tie, trying to feel comfortable. The minute he walked through the rotating doors, he was greeted by Brenda, a horrid woman with a snaggletooth and unibrow who spoke through her nose and mocked his work, calling him Mr. Latex. The back of his psyche buzzing,“Mr Latex will read your entrails!” hisses toward her. His thought was interrupted as his eyes landed on Robin, mesmerizing in strapless long black dress with hair tied high on her head, flashing her glowing skin. Mrs. Robin, he clenched his teeth as he reminded himself of her new status.Just as he was imagining how different his life could have been if he had married her, Robin felt his eyes trailing the length of her body and gave him a cold, hard look before turning her back to him. James would not let her go so easily, no matter her status; he rushed behind her, pressed himself against her back as one hand gripped her wrist and the other pressed firmly on her stomach. The pain of a stiletto heel shot through him, and as he released his grip on her, Robin spun round,and James doubled over in agony as her knee made contact with his balls. Why oh why, after previously ripping the very expensive fitted sheet his mother had bought him for Christmas, had he let her persuade him to wear those stilettos in bed again? He slowly straightened himself and quickly did a scan around the room to see who may have witnessed what had just happened…good, no one, it seemed, and sauntered over to the bar, in his ‘no, I wasn’t just kneed in the balls’ kinda way. Behind the bar stood the lovely Karen, whose eyes looked on James with pity. “May I have a bag of ice?” he asked looking down at the floor. “I saw what happened James. You need more than ice. Meet me in the upstairs bedroom and I will take care of you.”

Karen slipped out from behind the bar as James walked away. She watched him head up the stairs, and then followed him up. The bedroom door was open. She closed it, fastening them both in the room. His eyes widened at the sight of her teeth. Long. Sharp. Pointed. A vampire?

 

“I know what you’re thinking, but vampires don’t get cavities,” Karen opened her mouth and pointed to three fillings in her molars then to her sharp canines, “these are just something all werewolves are born with.”

 

Beaton shall be my victim. Bwahaha! I mean, he’ll continue the story or get turned into a werewolf. Which, actually, he might not mind.

Yes, there are rules. And they are as follows:

1. Write one line in an ongoing story
2. Pass the challenge onto the next victim/nominee
3. Link back to your nominator
4. Link back to Rich at Shine On: Wafflemethis who created the challenge
5. Copy and paste all the previous story and add your line in italics
6. If you decide you don’t want to take part, please contact Rich at Waffles so he can send it elsewhere and keep his story going

Five Photos, Five Stories (Day 5)

 

Growth

Fresh, new beginning

Promised life. While apathy

Crushed all that was left

 

 

My final post for the Five Photos, Five Stories challenge. This is my Day 5 photo, “Spring Equinox Sprout”, with its accompanying haiku. Here’s a peek at 1-4:

Day 1 “Anxiety”
Day 2 “Radiant”
Day 3 “Fragile”
Day 4 “Summer”

Thanks again, Norah. This was a fun week of photos and poems.

 

The “rules” of the Five Photos, Five Stories Challenge are:

1) Post a photo each day for five consecutive days.
2) Attach a story to the photo. It can be fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or a short paragraph. It’s entirely up to the individual.
3) Nominate another blogger to carry on the challenge. Your nominee is free to accept or decline the invitation. Just have fun.

 

Five Photos, Five Stories (Day 4)

 

Summer

Wisps of sun-bleached hair

Brush my cheek. She lives in light,

I dwell in shadow

 

 

This post is part of a Five Photos, Five Stories challenge. This is my Day 4 photo, “Asteraceae”, with its accompanying haiku.

Day 1 “Anxiety”
Day 2 “Radiant”
Day 3 “Fragile”

Thanks to Norah, for nominating me and allowing me to play with words and pictures while I get back on my feet. I’m excited to nominate ReeDaBee to take on this challenge–can’t wait to see what she does with it.

 

The “rules” of the Five Photos, Five Stories Challenge are:

1) Post a photo each day for five consecutive days.
2) Attach a story to the photo. It can be fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or a short paragraph. It’s entirely up to the individual.
3) Nominate another blogger to carry on the challenge. Your nominee is free to accept or decline the invitation. Just have fun.

 

Five Photos, Five Stories (Day 3)

 

Fragile

Search her vacant eyes

Slight movement, recognition

Hope flutters away

 

 

This post is part of a Five Photos, Five Stories challenge. This is my Day 3 photo, “Flutter”, with its accompanying haiku.

Day 1 “Anxiety”
Day 2 “Radiant”

Thanks to Norah, for nominating me and allowing me to play with words and pictures while I get back on my feet. I nominate Georgia Bell to take on this fun photo challenge. I hope she plays along. I might have to bribe her with wine. And scotch. But her writing is worth it.

 

The “rules” of the Five Photos, Five Stories Challenge are:

1) Post a photo each day for five consecutive days.
2) Attach a story to the photo. It can be fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or a short paragraph. It’s entirely up to the individual.
3) Nominate another blogger to carry on the challenge. Your nominee is free to accept or decline the invitation. Just have fun.

 

Five Photos, Five Stories (Day 2)

 

 

Radiant

Music glides like clouds

His tiny hands move with grace

Over ivory keys

 

 

This post is part of a Five Photos, Five Stories challenge. This is my Day 2 photo, “Painted Sky”, with its accompanying haiku. Here’s my Day 1 Post, “Anxiety”. Thanks to Norah, for nominating me and allowing me to play with words and pictures while I get back on my feet. I nominate Dana Schwartz to take on this fun photo challenge. Will she pick up the gauntlet? If so, it will be a treat. Her writing is beautiful and I’d love to see where she takes this challenge. Will we see some fiction?

 

The “rules” of the Five Photos, Five Stories Challenge are:

1) Post a photo each day for five consecutive days.
2) Attach a story to the photo. It can be fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or a short paragraph. It’s entirely up to the individual.
3) Nominate another blogger to carry on the challenge. Your nominee is free to accept or decline the invitation. Just have fun.

 

Five Photos, Five Stories (Day 1)

 

 

Anxiety

My mind spins, eyes close,

Heart beats. Wrong. Too fast. Can’t breathe.

Look up. Perspective.

 

 

I’ve been nominated by the lovely Norah Colvin in a Five Photos, Five Stories (in five days) challenge. And I accept. So here is my Day 1 photo, “Look Up”, with its accompanying haiku. Thanks, Norah, for giving me a wonderful way to use my creativity while I get back on my feet. I nominate AJ Prince to take on this fun photo challenge. I might have to send Dracula after her to, um, motivate her but that’s okay. He owes me a favor and she won’t mind.

 

The “rules” of the Five Photos, Five Stories Challenge are:

1) Post a photo each day for five consecutive days.
2) Attach a story to the photo. It can be fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or a short paragraph. It’s entirely up to the individual.
3) Nominate another blogger to carry on the challenge. Your nominee is free to accept or decline the invitation. Just have fun.