About the challenge: Each Tuesday I will provide a photo prompt. Your mission, if you choose to accept the challenge, is to tell a story in 280 characters or less. When you write your tale, be sure to let me know in the comments with a link to your tale.

A final note: if you need help tracking the number of characters in your story, there is a nifty online tool that will count for you at charactercountonline.com .

I will do a roundup each Tuesday, along with providing a new prompt. And if for some reason I missed your entry in the Roundup, as I have occasionally done, please let me know. I want to be sure to include your tale.

Finally, have fun!

And REMEMBER…you have 280 characters (spaces and punctuation included), to tell your tale…and a week to do it. I can’t wait to see what you create this week.

Twittering Tale #77 – The Roundup

Photo by An Min at Pexels.com

Starting us off…
Maybe Next Time
“She’s a lovely girl; smart, polite, well-mannered. Mr. and Mrs. Harding, shall I fetch her?”
“Anna Harding,” Anna mused, straightening her dress, smiling.
“Emily dear,” Miss Sedgewick called, “please come down.”
Anna sighed, “maybe next time,” as she watched Emily skip happily by.
(279 Characters)

From Reena at ReInventions:
All the Difference
I chose to take the stairs, while others exerted with all might to accelerate elevators.
I stand tall, fit and agile, and look down at the tubs of sloth.
But, they succeeded nevertheless….
And it has made all the difference in life.
(229 characters)

From Michael at Morpethroad:
I dropped it and down it went, where it landed, no one knows.
I think it missed the grey-haired man, and I’m certain Mrs Smith avoided it hitting one of her two heads.
She’s a funny old stick.
She and her fluff ball dog, always out walking.
Maybe it will bounce back up?
Do you think? 
(279 characters)

From Radhika at Radhika’sReflection:
The Wait!
Every evening I wait by the stairs for mom and dad to return from office, in vain! I never get to see them, as they come home very late from work, well past my bed time. My housekeeper takes care of me then.  You know, my parents are very special! They are the weekend parents!
Letter count: 277

From Fandango at This, That, and the Other:
The Abandoned
When she heard the front door of the building open, she ran out to the banister and looked down toward the ground floor. She felt sure that this would be the night that he would return home.
He loved her and despite what her mother told her, she knew he’d never really abandon her.
(280 characters)

From Aditi at ElysianAndCynosure:
Overlooking Good Times
My younger self would always be dying to be my age but now I have stopped dreaming about growing up for good. This building of age is wicked, I now look upon my younger self from a floor above, wanting to replay. As I reflect back, even my younger self is gazing down with regret.
280 Characters

From Jane at Jane Dougherty Writes:
Visitor
The little girl watched the funny light on the stairs. It was back again. She’d told her parents but they just smiled at her imagination. Now it was gliding all the way to the top and she didn’t think it was pleased.
(216 characters)

From Willow at WillowDot21:
Children should be seen but not heard.
Lilley was lonely. It was nanny’s day off, there were guests downstairs so the servants were too busy to play. Silently she climbed the banisters. Lifting up her dress so as not to snag it. Without a sound she hurtled down the winding rail slap bang into the wall and oblivion.
(278 Characters)

From Kathryn at Another Foodie Blogger:
Sarah was learning about gravity in school. She’d had fun dropping items from her room off the railing, counting the seconds. The bird feather took FOR-EVER. Her favorite stuffed bunny bounced on its ears and made her laugh. She wondered if her baby brother would bounce. “SARAH!”

From Deepika at DeepikasRamblings:
Mrs Lynda, the head of the orphanage, quipped, Anita would go to her new home. Her new parents would be coming soon to complete the adoption formalities.
Little Anita, anxiously waited, looking at the stairway entrance, with bated breath, to meet her new parents for the first time.
280 characters

From Isabel at Isabel Caves:
There was always two of us. Two of us to share, two of us to compare, two of us to pick favourites with.
Until I pushed Addie down the stairs.
Then there was only one of us.
(172 characters)

From Hayley at The Story Files:
On The Stairs
Loud voices had woken Mary up. She crept out of bed and downstairs. There was a light below, coming out of an open door.
‘We need to go now! They are coming!’ Father shouted.
Loud knocking on the front door made Mary jump.
It was too late.

From Jan at Strange Goings on in the Shed:
Sangfroid
Sangfroid, a true description of the Chosen One’s nature.
This child’s angelic looks belied a warrior’s instinct.
She was the vampire’s nightmare, a sword of annihilation.
They were coming, the dark horde flooding through the basement,
Flowing up the stairs.
Their end was coming.
(279 characters)

From Francine at Woman Walks Dog:
The Grown Ups
There’s someone downstairs  I can hear them come in. Nana said to stay up here. Mama went away to get better Nana said. Daddy is all quiet – where did she go ? I was hiding behind the door,  heard Daddy say ” Mama hasn’t got long for this world.” Don’t know what that means. I want her back, I miss her so much.       

From Kirst at Kirst Writes:
She couldn’t make out the words, but the tension in their voices told her to stay hidden. Uncle Stephen would only shout at Mummy about her new party dress. Always complaining, he was. She strained her ears to listen, and her heart lurched as below, her mother began to cry.
(276 characters)

From anuragbakhshi at Jadahdilmein:
Asthma Attack
I craned my neck and looked down the stairwell.
Father was wheezing because of his asthma as he climbed up the 16 flights. The lift was out of order, courtesy my friend, the electrician. Now, I just waited for father to use his inhaler, and the chalk powder would set me free.
276 characters.

This was an interesting round-up. This little girl peering down a stairwell made us laugh, cry, remember, and in a few, filled us with terror. Well done everyone. I’m picking another character photo prompt this week. It reminds me of my love of “people watching”. I like to make up stories in my head about the strangers I see. Everyone has a story. What is this person’s story. (Photo by harutmovsisyan at Pixabay.com)

Twittering Tales #78 – 3 April 2018

Photo by harutmovsisyan at Pixabay.com

He hated working late. Worst day ever! At least it would be easy to find his car, except…

“What the hell?” His heart raced. He retraced his steps. “Shit!”

He tapped the speed dial on his phone.

“Hey, it’s me. Come get me outa this hell-hole.”

“On my way. Bad day?”

“Don’t ask!”

(278 Characters)

~kat