It just was’t in the cards.
~kat
This week’s Six Word Story Challenge comes from Kirst at KirstWrites. The prompt word is Game.
Category Archives: Flash Fiction
Twittering Tales #103 – 25 September 2018
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.
Twitterting Tales #102 – The Roundup
Photo by Skitterphotos at Pexels.com
Starting us off..
Smart Girls
“This is exactly how I found them Doctor. I don’t know what to think! Should I be worried that my sweet daughter has mangled her Barbie dolls?”
“Have you asked her?”
“I did. She told me she hated Barbie. Who hates Barbie?”
“Smart little girls, Mrs. Jones. I hope you’re listening.”
~kat
(278 Characters)
By Michael from Morpethroad:
The kids are quiet today playing in the girl’s room with the neighbours.
I like these dreamy afternoons watching the game, undisturbed.
The quiet gets to me.
Investigating I find the room empty save for the pile of broken dolls.
One face looks horribly familiar.
It blinks at me.
(274 characters)
By Deepa at Sync with Deep:
Playtime
Dragged hair, dressed and undressed, pinched her cheeks and poked tummy to make her cry and hurl her across the room.
The devilish dolls enjoyed their playtime with the mortal baby.
(151 characters)
By Willow at WillowDot21:
The Group.
“Is this a statement?” Asked dr Haldon, “has someone got a point to make. If so be big enough to put your name to it” The therapy group shifted uneasily. No one spoke there was no eye contact. “Speak up this is a good sign, own your feelings!” Silence, but a tiny glimmer of hope.
(280 Characters)
By Reena at ReInventions:
We are back from a less-than-exhilarating shopping stint. I fix up coffee to soothe our jagged nerves, and hear unusual sounds from the next room.
“This is the beginning of a plus-sized revolution.” Maggie smiles, “I am launching a new business, and this is a promo for the same.”
(279 characters)
By Amritha at Igniting Hope:
Kintsugi
09.03.2018
Location-Mattel factory
On Barbie’s birthday, Sara witnessed a terrible sight-numerous imperfect disassembled dolls,
“When you re-design them, a new Barbie would come to life. Its an art!” said the worker.
That day she learnt a lesson – to appreciate imperfections.
(275 characters)
By Piyali at Piyali’s Blogs:
Realization
Tears streamed down her face as she cut up the doll into pieces
She’d wasted her teens attaining those ridiculous proportions
No one has legs that go on forever, she realized
Unlike the plastic Barbie,she was made of flesh-n-bones
Thus, more real & beautiful with her delicious curves
280 Characters
By The Dark Netizen:
Mrinal tossed aside yet another barbie.
Mother noticed the new addition to the pile of broken barbies. She snarled.
“Again? This makes four.”
Mrinal huffed.
“Bad girl. No dinner for you.”
Mrinal bawled.
“No fair. Tina called me ugly.”
“Child, you have to stop using voodoo for revenge.”
Character Count: 280
By Kristian at Tales from the Mind of Kristian:
Murder in Toytown
As the police in Toy Town uncovered another mutilated body from under Ken’s patio, it became ever clearer he was a dangerous killer.
The chief turned to one of his men “Put out an APB for a tall brown-haired male, Caucasian, plastic, goes by the name of Kenneth Sean Carson.”
[274 Characters]
By Fandango at This, That, and the Other:
“Oh, baby, what happened to your Barbies?” Jenn’s mother asked when she saw all of her daughter’s dolls broken apart.
“I hate them!” Jenn yelled in anger.
“But I thought you loved your Barbies.”
“Look at them, Ma,” Jenn said. “They’re beautiful, but I don’t look anything like them.”
(280 characters)
By Amir at Bacchanalia:
Life in Plastic, it’s fantastic
On this day we remember the victims of Barbie Genocide Day. The day that Ugly Supremacists decapitated and dismembered the body of all elegant, slender people and the universe became excruciatingly ugly ever since.
By The Indie She:
Broken Barbies
She loved her Barbies with their blonde hair and flouncy dresses. The world was all pink and lovely.
As she stepped out into the wide world, all she saw was grey. The beauty was the beast and blessed with a ubiquitous plastic presence. Her Barbies were of yore were no more.
273 Characters
By Hayley at The Story Files:
To the Bullies
May stopped in her daughter’s bedroom doorway and asked, “why are you breaking all your dolls?’
Jenny looked up at her mum from the Barbie she was dismantling on the floor, ‘because, this is what I want to do to the bullies.’
By Melanie at Sparks from a Combustable Mind:
Manufacturing
“Do you know the difference between male and female?!” The supervisor asked huffily. Ericka cringed. She hadn’t meant to put the Barbie heads on the Ken bodies and vice versa. And then for him to start dismantling them like that – it looked like “In Cold Blood”. Without the gore.
By Lorraine at Lorraine’s Frilly Freudian Slip:
Deconstruction
“What is THAT?” Dad asked about the various doll parts lying on the counter.
“Assembling my Woman’s Studies project: ‘deconstructing the feminine ideal’,” I replied
“Barbie is the feminine ideal?,” he asked.
“Yep, just look at Mom.” I answered. “Now who does she remind you of?”
(280)
By Jan at Strange Goings On in the Shed:
Piglet, avert your eyes, what a terrible massacre.
Why Pooh, what’s happened?
Dr Frankenstein, that’s what happened. Wasn’t content with tampering with the laws of nature, now to sink this low.
Pooh, even he can’t revivify this relic. Where is he now?
In rehab, making little progress
(280 characters)
By The UniversalUnionist at Broadsides:
Had an accident at work? Been involved in a crash? Need a personal injury lawyer? Trip Crash or Fall, we’ll get you back on your feet, a fully professional service and we won’t charge you an arm and a leg.
By Anurag at Jagahdilmein:
Growing Up
“Mommy NOOOOOOOOO….” my daughter cried out as I gathered all her dolls and threw them into the bin.
I shouted at her angrily, “You’re 5 years old now, it’s high time you stopped playing with these stupid Barbies, and start practicing with Voodoo dolls like normal witches.”
277 Characters
By Peter at Peter’s Pondering:
Smart Girls Part 2
I was not convinced by the doctor’s comments, so I asked for a second opinion. A lovely lady offered her services pro bono.
“Don’t worry Mrs Jones,” she said. “Have you checked the liquor cabinet? I think all young girls lose their heads some times. She just got a little legless!”
(277 characters)
By Hridi at Inked Beliefs:
I was tired of people
telling me how Barbies are
flawless in their physique
defining every woman out there,
giving illogical beauty standards
only to increase insecurities among us.
So today, I collected
a dozen barbie dolls,
Breaking them apart into bits
until it satisfied me.
~278 characters
By Indhu at Always:
Journey Begins
“Join your Barbies, baby”, said Sara.
Little Naina looked in the direction of the sound and smiled. As she walked towards her toy basket, she bumped onto the chair.
“It’s okay. Turn left to get closer to your toy basket” said Sara as she helped her blind princess.
<264 characters>
Well, I don’t know what I was worried about. When presented with this weird photo prompt, you all hit it out of the park! Well done! I want to say welcome to several new tweeters this week. So glad you joined us. I hope you’ll be back! And to our regulars…yes, after over 100 challenges, you are now regulars if you’ve been around for more than a few tales…thank you for coming back again and again. As long as you do, I’ll keep doing what I do,..so…without further ado, I present to you today’s photo challenge by PDPhotos at Pixabay.com. This is (or at least was) a real thing/place/bizarre attraction. I’m not going to say too much. I don’t want to get in the way of your creativity with too many facts. I’ll fill you in at the roundup. At any rate. Tell me what you think happened here. In 280 characters or less, or 140 characters (old school Twitter) if you’re up for a challenge! No pressure. Have fun! I’ll see you at the roundup next week. Happy tweeting! 🙂
Twittering Tales 103 – 25 September 2018
Photo by PDPhotos @ Pixabay.com
The Shoe Tree
She lost her greening when lightning singed her, tip to root. But life still flickered in her core where tiny creatures nested and cicadas laid their eggs.
One day someone tossed his shoes over her bare limbs. More followed. She was useful again. Life has a way of surprising us.
~kat
279 Characters
The Circus – A Six Word Story
The Circus
It came, then vanished into sawdust.
~kat
A Six Word Story for this week’s prompt word: Circus. Read this and others at Wonderwall’s challenge page in the comments. (voting is on Thursday 😉)
Thank you to all who voted! I proudly display my first place banner! ❤️
Twittering Tales #102 – Broken Barbies – 18 September 2018
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.
Twitterting Tales #101 – The Roundup
Starting us off:
The Best Kind of People
“They were the nicest people. Kept to themselves. Friendly enough. What do you suppose happened over there officer?”
“Why don’t you tell me ma’am.”
“Oh I have no idea. I could tell you stories now. But I don’t want to keep you.”
“Go ahead ma’am. I’ve got all night.”
~kat
(269 Characters)
By Reena at ReInventions:
“Is there a pattern to the arrangement of titles?”
“That is my challenge tonight. Rearrange titles to let new stories emerge. They are waiting inside me for long, outside the pages of authors’ perspectives.”
“That’s just partial freedom. Why does one need prompts or challenges?”
(277 words)
By Deepa at Sync With Deep:
My Companion
‘You are going to miss out on a beautiful nature and life if you don’t travel,’ Ian said.
I smiled at him as I recollected the places I visited through my companion – my books.
(176 characters)
By Ron at Read4Fun:
Dad knew I was at the library and would be home by six. Ever since the neighborhood attacks, he has been a worry wart. I should have known he would come to pick me up. I shouldn’t have worn this shirt. Maybe he won’t see me before I get to the bathroom and wash off the tattoo.
<277 characters>
The Books
“So many books? You must love reading.”
Not really.
“Then why borrow so many?”
They are for my best friend.
“Oh! She loves reading?”
No. She can’t read.
“Ah! You teaching her?”
Nope. Reading to her.
“Young man, if you could teach her, that would help her more.”
I can’t. She’s blind….
Character Count: 278
By Amritha at Igniting Hope:
Maggie and Me
She went around the library and collected as many books as she could.
“Did you find the book you were looking for?”
“No”, she replied in negation.
“What next?”, I asked
Its time to write my own book, she announced.
A ‘best-selling author’ in making, I thought to myself!
(267 characters)
By Schwetha at Face the Music:
The Wonder
The indigenous men believed Mowgli was a cursed child. Despite being raised in the jungle-sleeping under the trees, swimming with the whales and climbing mountains, he yearned for an urban life. The city-bred humans were not considered to be the best kind of people on the move.
By Fandango at This, That, and the Other:
They’re Books
“Books,” he said. “At least two dozen. A variety. Fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, mystery, romance, self-help, inspirational, male authors, female authors.”
“Okay,” she said. “May I ask what they’re for?”
“What do you think they’re for, young lady? They’re books. You read them.”
(276 characters)
By Kristian at Tales from the Mind of Kristian:
The Weight of Knowledge
It was clear that they were dealing with a particularly sick minded killer.
To crush a librarian to death under a pile of her own books was horrific.
It would have been a kinder, quicker death if they’d used more hardbacks and fewer paperbacks.
[242 characters]
By Radhika at Radhika’s Reflection:
Books – My World
Friends envied my collection of books which ran into thousands. Innumerable authors writing across various genres kept me busy all day long.
Books became my world since that fateful accident, that left me confined to bed for life. Maybe I was the Cursed child!
Letter count : 262
By Piyali at Piyali’s Blogs:
A New Name
I am afraid we can’t publish it under your real name.
Why?
Books by female authors in this genre rarely sell.
Joanne was a single parent, struggling to support her child. All she ever wanted was to publish her book
She choked back her tears and scribbled down a pen name-J K Rowling
By Willow at WillowDot21:
The snow had fallen for days now. The whole town was cut off. Those stuck in the library were warm and well entertained. Micheal was helping Gabriel search for his talc and Azriel. St Peter had told the Big Man it was a Code White. Satan was warming himself by the fire, happy.
(277 Characters)
By Hayley at The Story Files:
Stocking Up
September payday arrived, Kim had worked overtime to have enough money for her shopping spree. At the till, she watched the cashier cashing up everything.
‘That’s a lot of books!’ the cashier said, counting eighteen total.
‘It’s my winter stock pile,’ Kim replied, grinning.
By Peter at Peter’s Pondering:
I could always recognise her by the tattoo on her arm, a beautiful rose, and by her shiny black hair.
I always greeted her with a cheery “hello”.
I longed to see her face, but she always seemed to hide behind a pile of books.
I determined to peek behind those books.
I wish I hadn’t!
(279 characters)
By Deb at Twenty Four:
Few could comprehend it, fewer knew the truth.
She had strolled into the library and borrowed the maximum number of books allowed and in the dark of the night she had set them alight. Tears staining her face.
Was it a protest? A cry for help? A plea for justice?
No one knew.
(275 characters)
By Anurag at jagahdilmein:
The Disappointment
Harry saw the lone dog-eared book in his son’s hands, and said in a disappointed tone, “Albus, look at yourself, and look at Hermione & Ron’s daughter, Rose. She’s got such a huge stack of books from the library. Why can’t you learn from her and try stealing a few more books?”
277 characters.
By the Universal Unionist:
You ordered pizzas, I bought you books. You wanted spicy, fruity, cheesy, something to share, something hot, it’s all in this lot. You can keep them in the fridge, the oven or the pot, you’ll get a bit hungry, but your soul and your mind, will be nourished, a lot.
By hridrayanka at Incandescent Spirit:
Reader
A girl of eight sits next to me in the library that I visit every fortnight.
Yesterday, she whispered “What do you do, sitting idle?”
I said, “I read people and try finding their stories, by the books they read.”
“And what do you do sitting next to me all day?”
“I read you.”
~279 characters
By Indhu at Always:
Reminiscence
Raj helped her unload the books on the table. She looked at him and smiled. It was a mixture of blush and pride.
They chose each other’s favorite and slipped into different worlds.
“Happy 25th!” their son’s message flashed on phone.
“Re-living our first date night 😉” replied Raj.
<277 characters>
By Kalpana at Gemini in the Sky:
Books
“why are you hiding behind the books?”
“I have no face , no identity.”
“Why?”
” I dive into the pages, swim with the words and get into the skin of the characters. I lose myself”
“But you have to surface to reality.”
“That’s the toughest part. I loathe it.”
(252 characters)
Thank you to everyone who participated last week. I was impressed by the different takes on the prompt. Clearly we all have a love of words and books. Be sure to visit your fellow twitterers.
I almost decided to scratch the photo below. I had selected it before I prepared the links to your tales from last week. And I wondered as I revisited it…is this photo too weird? It is weird. And maybe a bit disturbing. So, against my own trepidation, I am going for it. No telling what stories you all may come up with. That’s the best part. The anticipation and the excitement I feel as I click on your link and read what you’ve written. It makes my week. Really. So go wild with it. Have fun. And I’ll see you at the Roundup! 🙂
Twittering Tales #102 – Broken Barbies – 18 September 2018
Photo by Skitterphotos at Pexels.com
Smart Girls
“This is exactly how I found them Doctor. I don’t know what to think! Should I be worried that my sweet daughter has mangled her Barbie dolls?”
“Have you asked her?”
“I did. She told me she hated Barbie. Who hates Barbie?”
“Smart little girls, Mrs. Jones. I hope you’re listening.”
~kat
(278 Characters)
Suburbia
From Free Photos at Pixabay.com
“Did you hear about the new neighbors?”
“New neighbors? No! What did you hear?”
“Well…I heard that their name, Smith, is an alias. It seems they’re in the witness protection program. The guy was a key witness for the Bombino crime bust.”
“I heard about that trial. Cold blooded killers, they were. Money launderers too, but that case happened in New York. What makes you think the Smiths are from there?”
“Well, my Aunt Mabel’s husband’s coworker is friends with the prosecutor’s custodian and he heard that the key witness and his family were given new identities and moved to an old established neighborhood in Pennsylvania. A husband, his wife and two kids, a boy and a girl, school-aged. That description sure fits the Smiths. Husband, wife, two kids, except two boys, but hey, Aunt Mabel might have gotten that part wrong.”
“Certainly sounds like them. I hope they don’t bring criminals here!”
“I thought of that. Contacted the neighborhood association. There’s a special meeting tonight. You’re coming aren’t you?!”
“You bet I am.”
Meanwhile at the Smith’s house….
“So honey, have you met any of the neighbors?”
“Not yet. I saw a few of them at the park. I waved, but they looked away like they didn’t see me. Weird.”
“Give it time. My boss told me this was the best neighborhood to raise kids. Excellent schools. You remember it was a condition of my promotion and relocation. He knows how important you guys are to me.”
“I know. I hate moving. Hey, I overheard them talking about an association meeting tonight. We should go.”
“Great idea! Give me a minute to change and we’ll head over to the community center!”
“Perfect! Maybe it won’t be so awkward if we’re together.”
“You’re gonna love it here honey. You’ll see.”
~kat
Oh to be a fly in the wall at that community center when the Smiths arrive! I will let your imaginations finish this story, dear reader. 😉 This is a short 300 Word Story for Mind Love Misery’s Menageries Sunday Writing Prompt: Truth and Lies.
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