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.
Photo by markusspiske at Pixabay.com
Starting us off…
Stranded
“He’s just standing there. Should we call the police?”
“It won’t do any good. The bridge is washed out.”
“Well it’s just creepy.”
“Wait! Where is…? I don’t see him!”
“Did you lock the door?”
“Looking for someone?” said a deep voice from behind.
“Oh my god, Joe. Don’t ever…Joe?!”
280 Characters
From Reena at ReInventions:
Passing Thoughts
“The water we consume is centuries old, and has been recycled millions of times,” blares the radio in the car.
Shades of green trees make me think if they will outlive me, with the help of these raindrops. It feels good to be driving through eternity.
(250 characters)
From Radhika at Radhika’s Reflection
Connecting Back
With no electricity, flooded roads and strong gales, the storm had left the town battered. Forced to stay indoors, with no connectivity, Frank was home alone with his family. Like the rain, endless conversations, games, stories flowed. He felt connected to his family after ages!
Letter count 279
From Rashmi at My Pen:
Dark Mornings
Laura eight year old blind girl have been experiencing darkness in her life since she was born. A day has come its raining on her birthday everyone is cherishing this moment but she has to see the rain through glass windows in her balcony. She still smiles and prayers almighty for giving her ability and senses to explore rain drops through her hands. She is glad to explore inner beauty of her vision through almighty but not eyes which concentrate on materialistic world.
From Julie at Julie’s Armchair Travels:
No Play Today
“Is it going to stop raining soon? I want to go out and play.” I asked, holding my ball.
“Soon, darling. Just be patient.” Mom said, not looking up from her book.
I looked back out the window. Rain poured from the sky by the bucket full.
(241 Characters)
From Michael at Morpethroad:
The future looked a blur as if deliberately hidden, disguised to keep me guessing.
Every possibility remained
It was not as if hope was lost.
Searching for it was going to an effort
more than I imagined.
I wiped the condensation from the glass
But opaque is opaque, for a reason.
(274 characters)
From Willow at WillowDot21:
Rain on the window.
Just another day she thought as she watched the rain on the window. Another coffee she decided. Why not there was no rush, no point trying to get out. It never worked he always found her and brought her back.
People out there in the rain living their lives. Unaware of her plight.
(279 Characters)
From Deepa at Sync With Deep:
It’s Just Hair
I curled and fluffed my long hair. It was my unique identity.
I am getting ready for my second round chemotherapy and my hair is beginning to fall out.
When I am going through tough times on my own why do I care who stays in my life?
What is hair in the bigger picture of survival?
(278 characters)
From The Dark Netizen: (be sure to check out the link for more to this tale)
Raindrops
He sat by the window, staring aimlessly at the raindrops hitting the glass.
An empty bottle of rum lay by his side. His fingers clutched his heavy gun, waiting to pull the trigger at the slightest alarm. He was knocked out of his stupor by the ringing phone.
“Perseus, Code Red.”
Character Count: 279
From Fandango at This, That, and the Other:
It’s Over
Marcus woke to the sound of raindrops on the window pane. He turned over and woke up his wife. “Honey, it’s raining,” he said.
She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and looked at the window. As the tears started falling from her eyes, she sobbed, “Thank God the drought is over.”
(275 characters)
From Anthony at Dear Daughter:
Through the Glass!
“Please tell me you see him man.”
“Quit playing man. It’s Halloween.”
“Look hard through the water on the window.’
“Bro is that a clown?”
“Would you like a balloon.” I hear in a deep voice.
We turn around slowly…..POP!!!
I shoot up in my bed “ahh only a nightmare.”
Character Count 260
From Shreya at The Midnight Sun:
Melt
“Run for your life!” cackling shouts and thunder echoed through the air.
Broomsticks were hidden away.
The people prayed for the clouds to burst.
The sky broke, heavy raindrops watched the deaf witches melt away.
All this, of course, is ancient history.
They have umbrellas now.
273 characters.
From Jan at Strange Goings On in the Shed:
The water elementals watched the weeping woman standing on the parched grass. Her grief was deep as the oceans and as endless.
They felt her sorrow and pain, searched for the cause. There it was, a shard of ice piercing her Soul. Free me it cried. So they wept, teardrops of rain.
(279 characters)
From Lorraine at Lorraine’s Frilly Freudian Slip:
The abandoned house always hid her lonely sorrows until rain rivuletting* down her empty windows, would mask her tears.
(120 characters)
From Amritha at Igniting Hope:
Dear Rain
Thank you! I am smiling looking at my clean window. Looking beyond the clean window, I can see how you have managed to pool all the haphazard raindrops together with a non-synchronising-sound-worth-listening-to for the task. I am now going to sleep to your lullaby at peace.
[274 characters]
From Peter at Peter’s Pondering:
I do love a seaside holiday.
So do I, but not the West coast of Ireland!
You must agree there’s some fantastic scenery?
I would, if I could see it!
It’s getting lighter over there.
That’s just wishful thinking.
Oh, come on. Be more positive.
Two more pints of guinness please landlord!
(278 characters)
From Sascha at Microcosm Explored:
Fragmentation
I love how the rain fragments the view, distorting reality, creating a Picasso landscape.
I love how you look in that rainy landscape, disjointed, asymmetrical, especially now that I understand why you “work late.”
From Piyali at Solitary Soul with a Chaotic Mind:
Rain and the Mundane
The slow rhythmic pitter-patter against the windowpanes
Clear water droplets trickle down, leaving shimmering traces of diamantes
And here I am, locked in a stuffy cubicle,
Frantically typing the same old rubbish
While the view outside invites
Asking me to leave everything and run
279 Characters
From Anurag at Jagahdilmein:
Off Season Blues
I’d built such a lovely place, but new arrivals were drying up. Maybe it was time to shut shop.
Suddenly, there was a loud knock. I almost ran to the door, opened it with a flourish, and said, “Welcome to the Hotel California.”
279 characters
From Indhu at Always:
The Soul
Through the rain water running down her car window, she saw the silhouette of HIM. Her heart skipped a beat, for she still felt the same way when she first met him.
She lowered the window with all hopes that he will turn around.
But, will he believe her story of reincarnation?
<275 characters>
From Tena at Jottings and Writings:
There had been a time when Jenny would have loved to be out in the rain traipsing about. Now she looked out her window and heaved a heavy sigh. The rain wasn’t looking to let up anytime soon and the errands weren’t going to run themselves.
(240 CHARACTERS)
From Hayley at The Story Files:
He only came when it rained, coming off the moors to seek shelter. I would sat in the library’s window box, reading by gas lamps. I would try to ignore the sounds of him moving around. I had nothing else to say to him nor him to me. We were ghosts to each other.
Thanks to everyone who joined the challenge this week. It’s amazing what will sprout up with a little rain. 😉 This week, one of my own photographs. This was taken on my iphone during my morning walk with the new puppy. (yep…you can call me crazy! She’s a rescue though. Dropped off at a kill shelter (those two words don’t make sense together, do they?) covered in mange, motor oil and with 3 puppies in tow…a mom at only about a year of age herself. I couldn’t say no when the rescue group called.) At any rate, I was walking Gabby (that’s her name, short for Gabrielle) and I happened to notice one of the neighbor’s back yards. I has such a nice fairy tale feel to it. Almost Alice and Wonderland-ish…(yes, I’m making up words again. Shhh, don’t tell my partner…she hates that!)
For this week’s challenge, if you like, you could write a fairy tale…or a memory…or, who am I kidding…you don’t need my ideas…you have plenty of your own and they’re usually pretty great. So I guess all that needs to be said is “keep those characters in check, have fun, and I’ll see you at next week’s roundup.
Twittering Tale #76 – The Secret Garden – 7 August 2018
Photo by Kat Myrman 2018
The Tea Garden
We sipped tea here, from porcelain cups with pink roses, and ate cranberry scones, letting the crumbs drop for squirrels who darted in when we weren’t looking. I come everyday at 2:47 pm hoping to see her. Just yesterday she walked straight through me. It’s why I’ll never leave.
~kat
279 Characters
like mercury colliding... 