“Caught Up” – Flash Fiction – Friday Fictioneers

It’s been a busy time, getting back into teaching the last few months and getting the house ready for our baby!  28 weeks and counting…  I haven’t been nearly as diligent about my blog as I’d like, but I’m back to Friday Fictioneers this week, a weekly prompt provided by Rochell Wisoff-Fields on her blog, Addicted to Purple.  You get an image and up to 100 words to tell a story.  Click on the blue frog below to read other stories and to add your own.  If you have time, check out my previous post about Three Line Thursday’s new Light Lines anthology, released this week!

Image copyright Ted Strutz

Caught Up

(98 words)

I watch all the air riders, strung out into the sky carelessly and spinning.  I shudder.  I’ve had enough of that feeling.

I’m here to get control.  After today, I won’t be a puppet in someone else’s grip.

“Juliet?” a male voice said behind me.

“Yes,” I say, though that isn’t my real name.  “Romeo says he needs the friar.”

Baseball cap pulled down, he pulls a thick envelope from his jacket.  I hand him a different one from my purse, taking his.  We split.

Romeo.  I’ll kill him for involving me in this.  Unless I die first.

“Attention” -Friday Fictioneers & Belated “Love in Four Words” challenge

This is my contribution to Rochelle’s weekly Friday Fictioneers challenge.  Check out her blog and click the InLinkz frog below to read other stories based on the same prompt!

(Photo Prompt – copyright Marie Gail Stratford)

Attention

(99 words)

Daniela ordered the crystal on a whim.  The jewelry store was failing; anything might help.

When it came, Daniela gasped.  Huge, garish—she hated it.  Still, it was costly, so she put it in the window.

The first to stop was a girl, pointing and tugging her father’s hand.  He asked its price.

“Not for sale,” Daniela said.

He bought a charm bracelet.

The second was a woman who said, “Keep that, and you never know who might come.  Be prepared.”

The third came in a cloud of smoke.  When he left, the crystal was gone.  So was Daniela.

Also, I want to give a shout-out to Erin J. Bernard, who was kind enough to nominate me for a Liebster award recently.  She is a great writer and photographer–take a look at her blog!  Thanks, Erin!

Millie Thom, another talented writer whom I’m sure you’ve read in these flash fiction challenges, asked me to take on a prompt she accepted–to describe “love” in four words, ten times.  This is the description of the challenge Millie posted:

“hashtaglovebooks decided to do something interesting this Valentine’s. A challenge or tag where you write ten “what is love in four words” sentences about what you love and what you believe is love. Then state one of your favorite love quotes from a book, a movie or a famous person and then tag ten other bloggers to do the challenge as well.”

Feel free to write your own version.  Check out Millie’s description here.  Mine is below.  Thanks, Millie!

Love in four words…

remembering shared moments fondly

holding hands bringing comfort

cradling vulnerabilities, bolstering strength

standing together under stress

dreaming new lives up

reevaluating, changing, revising ourselves

telling truths and listening

weaving old into new

feeding familiar passion’s flames

blueberry pancakes with syrup

“Playing Fair” – Flash Fiction – Friday Fictioneers

Here’s my contribution to this week’s Friday Fictioneers prompt run by Rochelle here.  This picture (copyright Melanie Greenwood) made me wish I was a kid who could play there!  Visit Rochelle’s website weekly to check out her work and participate in her writing challenge, writing a story in 100 words or fewer based on the photo prompt provided.  Click on the InLinkz frog below to read other wonderful stories based on the same prompt, or to add your own.  Also, be sure to check out the Micro Bookends 1.17 results, posted later today.  : )

Playing Fair

From the balcony, Sophie saw her son in the center of the hedge maze.  Christopher hugged his knees and moved his head slightly, as if speaking and listening.

Later, making lunch, Sophie asked, “What were you playing, bud?”

Christopher shrugged.

“Who were you talking to in the maze?”

“Max.”

“Max?”

“A boy.  He lived here before.”

“In this house?”

Christopher nodded.  “But he fell off the balcony.  He stays outside now.”

Sophie froze.  “Does he scare you?  Is he nice?”

Christopher grimaced.  “We play hide-and-seek, but he disappears.  That’s cheating.”

Sophie cleared her throat.  “You’re right.”

This prompt reminded me of another maze-related piece of writing I worked on about trying to write when feeling blocked.