Sustenance - Published in Sirens Call eZine

Issue #15 of the eZine from Sirens Call Publications has just been released, with the theme 'Crypto'. And my little tale is in there, along with one from my friend Laura James.

You will find my piece 'Sustenance' on Page 11.

As always with this ezine, the stories are not for the faint-hearted, and the good thing  is that it is free to download, so no excuse, go and read it now!

Visual Dare - Expectant

Again it's been a while since I have written anything for a Visual Dare prompt, time just seems to be slipping through my fingers. But I wanted to give this one a go. Black and white photos don't often inspire me, but there's something about this one that spoke to me. Hope you like it.

Agatha hoped for leftovers - there was a time when she would’ve expected them, being the town elder, but those times were past. She watched the fight through her fading eyesight. It was just a scrawny chicken; the poor thing had wandered into the neighbourhood looking for food too.

Things had gotten worse since the military had moved out. They couldn’t keep control with their own strength failing. When soldiers couldn’t get food either you knew things were bad. 

Agatha tutted, lifting a scrawny finger up to scratch Jack’s chin. He was perched on her shoulder as usual. Many had eyed her cat, but they weren’t going to have him. They’d die together if it came to that.

She shuffled back into the house, pushing the heavy door behind her and locking it fast. Night was coming, time to get it shuttered up before the scavengers arrived.

55 Word Challenge - Invasion

For this week's 55 Word Challenge, I'm going for the overachiever, because all the photos spoke to me.

 

The skies had been busy today, so many aircraft; so many people trying to get out. The news had shown the fights at the docks over boats - they had been brutal. I turned on the tap; there was still running water; there was still time. I wasn’t going anywhere yet. Let them come.

54 Words

Friday Night - MWBB

Last weeks Mid-Week Blues-Buster didn't bring a big crowd again, and I didn't mind the song - it brought back an 80's feel, but it didn't inspire a lot I felt. Probably the reason I didn't get place, other than the winner's piece absolutely superb! (read it here) I did like the characters I wrote about though, brought back a younger time when I used to go out clubbing. Enjoy! 

The prompt song this week was:

The Break Up Song - by Greg Kihn Band 

 

Steve liked drama, it was his life blood. If he couldn’t make a scene and get everyone’s attention, what was the point? It didn’t have to be bad drama, it could be good drama too – he didn’t care as long as everyone was looking.

But she’d stolen his limelight and he wasn’t impressed. It was his night; Friday’s were always his night, everyone knew that. While he stood there at the edge of the dancefloor he expected his ring of sycophants to be focused on him, but they weren’t, they were looking at her. He didn’t like it. Not one bit.

Everyone knew Chelsea liked to dance, she always had, and Steve had to relent to the fact that she had a body worth watching, but he didn’t like her doing this to him. He put it down to her being upset over his rejection of her the other week, when she’d sidled up to him and wanted him to take her home. He wasn’t stupid, he wasn’t going to get involved with that – no way. Her rep didn’t match his. Everyone knew what she was like; she got about WAY too much. He couldn’t be seen to be with her.

But there she was, showing off all her assets, and all the boys were loving it. He had to find a way to work this to his advantage. He had to find a way to win back their attention, maybe even get them giving him a pat on the back.

He thought about joining her up there on the podium, but he might end up embarrassing himself and he couldn’t risk that, so what was he left with?  He eyed the other lads in the club, maybe there was someone he could pick a fight with, bring the attention back to him – maybe even bring Chelsea running to him.  He liked the idea, but there was no one in tonight he felt the urge to go to that much trouble over.

Then the music changed and the lights dimmed, and he smiled. He saw her climb down off the podium and head straight for him. He didn’t have to do anything. And they all watched her too – exactly what he wanted.

She stood there looking at him, slightly out of breath. He could see a sheen of perspiration on her face.

“Well, how about it Steve? Will you dance with me?” She shouted over the music.

He hesitated, giving the anticipation a chance to build, get those close by hanging for his response. His words would have to be good; he had to impress.

He let out a laugh and sneered at her. “I don’t think so Chelsea, I ain’t desperate enough for your used piece of meat.”

He smiled round at the others, enjoying the mix of winces and laughs they displayed. But then it came, something he hadn’t been expecting, that wasn’t part of his plan. She slapped him.

It was hard too, everyone heard the crack. His head whipped to the side so fast he knew his neck was gonna hurt later. He could feel the handprint where she’d struck him grow hot too.

He spun back, his eyes filled with rage at the humiliation this was causing him, but she wasn’t finished. She spat at him too and stormed off.

As he wiped it off with the cuff of his sleeve he could see the partially hidden sniggers, the hands raised to lips to cover the smiles. She’s ruined his Friday night. 

 

Daily Picspiration - Interdimensioning Part 5 - Greeting

I was inspired by the photo to continue with my Daily Picspiration serial. I had to find a way of working it in, it was just asking to be written about. I am really not sure where I am going to go from here, but I would like to find an ending to this, if for no other reason than there is so much more to write about!

You can read 'InterDimensioning Part 5 - Greeting' here.

National Flash Fiction Day - My Flash Flood Journal entry - Matilda

Today is National Flash Fiction Day and there have been many preparations leading up to it. I did submit to the Eating My Word: 2014 National Flash Fiction Day Anthology but unfortunately my piece didn't make it in.

And if I had more time on my hands today I would also be writing for The Write In - a mass flash fiction writing event, where you write something on the day from one of the prompts provided and it goes up on the blog the same day. 

But I did make it in to the Flash Flood Journal, an international flash-fiction journal created by you and edited by a team of volunteer editors on behalf of National Flash-Fiction Day. Every 10 minutes a new piece of Flash is put on the Flash Flood Journal for the full 24 hours of Flash Fiction day.

My entry 'Matilda' went up in the early hours of the morning. I wrote this piece some time ago and am over the moon to find a place for it. It is very dark, and I think funny. You can read it here.

There are some awesome piece in a variety of genres, some worth checking out are:

Meg McNulty's - Curiosity
Susi Holliday's - Cox
Catherine Connolly's - Sampling Spirits
A.J Walker's - Race
Al Kratz -  The Great Communicator

Five Sentence Fiction - Fenced

This week's Five Sentence Fiction photo prompt couldn't be missed. Fences offer so much and this one with a hole - oh my! A story had to be written I hope you enjoy it!

He was so relieved when he found the chink in the fence; he was beginning to think he’d never find his way off this island – although he knew that was what they wanted. 

He spotted a small sail boat out in the water, the first sign of civilisation he’d seen in months, and tried to call out but his throat was too hoarse from all the screaming he’d had to do already today.

He judged how fast they were moving and whether he might be able to swim out to it, while ignoring the thoughts in the back of his mind that said he was in no physical condition to do such a thing.

But he had to get out to them, he had to, it was the only way to calm his raging mind that had not stopped since all this happened.

He had tried to calm it everyday, but without live flesh it was never going to be possible; he needed it to be pulsating to satiate him, and stop the pressure that kept building up and making him scream everyday.