Category Archives: Flash Fiction

March 20, 2018

Twittering Tale #76 – 20 March 2017

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.co m .

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 #75 – The Roundup

Photo by Couleur at Pixabay.com

Starting us off…

Yeah, yeah, I know I was supposed to get the princess to kiss me to break the curse, yadda, yadda, yadda. But, can I be honest? She was a real bitch. You know the type. High maintenance with a pitchy voice that sounded like a fly on a duck turd. Bein’ green ain’t so bad.
(271 Characters)

From Fandango at This, That, and the Other:
The Frog and the Fly
“Ribbit,” croaked the frog on the ledge of the pond.
“Excuse me?” asked a large fly.
“Ribbit,” repeated the frog.
“You’re just a big, ugly, dumb frog,” said the fly.
The frog’s tongue suddenly shot out from its mouth and caught the fly.
“Mmm, mmm good” croaked the frog as he ate it.
(278 characters)

From Reena at ReInventions:
Frog in the Well
It had taken tremendous effort to reach here. The kids were talking about some experiment, and formulating a strategy to catch him. He jumped back, fearing loss of freedom and life.
Another voice echoed in the depth,
“Frogs in the well… they have no interest in the world outside…”
(279 characters)

From Hayley at The Story Files:
Frogs Return
There were a few ways you could tell the season was changing; warmer weather and green plant shoots, but for me I knew spring was here when the loud croaking and pop splashing of the frogs in my pond started waking me up each morning.

From Sandi at Humble, but Humorous:
Unlikely Source
This is the Fountain of youth everyone speaks of?
Murky disgusting water? What now?
oh, there’s a sign, “Must catch the frog.”
And do what with it? Okay.
Wow, that sucker jumps HIGH!
Where did it go? Ew, it disappeared into the green murk.
Oh, mannnn.
248 characters

From Michael at Morpethroad:
Forlorn the frog sat by the pond wanting to contemplate his navel.
Forlorn the frog wondered what the fuss was all about.
Forlorn the frog wanted to be a man again.
Forlorn the frog knew he needed to improve his outlook.
Forlorn the frog tried, unsuccessfully, to break into a smile.
(279 characters)

From What If We All Cared:
Staying on task . . my strong point . . I am always checking various tangent options/looking into perpendicular trails. . my adventure is always way more fun . I learn and grow while off-task . . and eventually get all the on-task stuff done . . just with a “little” more flare!

From Joem18b at Does Writing Excuse Watching?:
Head Shot
take a good look, buddy. frogs are going extinct, in case you haven’t heard. why? nobody knows for sure but maybe it’s because there aren’t enough princesses around anymore. all due respect to meghan markle but her attire choices on Suits had me scratching my head the whole time.

From D. Avery at ShiftNShake:
Equanimity
granite ingrained; riveted
haunches launching; soon.
(61 characters)

From Elsie (aka Kiwinana) at Ramblings of a Writer:
The Frog
You are a lucky frog living in a well you have a quick get-a-way from the Kingfisher, no way would he go down that hole in the ground.
Living in a pond the Kingfisher would follow you through the water until you were caught or maybe get your back leg as you swam.
261 Characters

From Jane at Jane Dougherty Writes:
Backwards
I used to be a polar bear but the Fundamentalists told me the theory of evolution was a lie and made me go back to being a frog. I’ll get my own back though—they don’t believe in climate change either. Ha ha!
208 Characters

From Francine at Woman Walking Dog:
Frog’s Eye View
See me a common Frog and a Free Frogs Fighter ! Why ? I’ve heard rumours, awful stories from my frog friends. French Restaurants, frogs who disappeared. No frog knew why. I heard a rumour that…. our legs were eaten. Beyond imagining so I joined the FFF’s.
Our Mission : Ponds for All, Free From Fear !

Photo by adege at Pixabay.com

43 Comments | tags: 280 Characters, Challenge, Flash Fiction, TT, Twitter Tales, twittering tales | posted in Challenges and Writing Prompts, Flash Fiction, Random Thoughts and Musings, Twitter Tales

March 13, 2018

Twittering Tale #75 – 13 March 2018

By Kat Myrman

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.co m .

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 Tales #74 – The Round Up

Photo by Dan Gold at Unsplash.com

Starting us off:
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“Nope! The sign says ‘Stay on the Trail’.”
“Awe, come on. I’m dying to see what’s past that ridge.”
“Nope.”
“Well, you’re missing out. Hey (haha), if I’m not back in ten minutes call the ranger. Later, loser!”
“Hello…is this the Park Ranger?”
(277 Character)

From Lorraine at Lorraine’s Frilly Freudian Slip:
Last Laugh
Tried not to giggle as them trendy eco-tourist hikers neared. Always making jokes about us locals. See how well they took a joke – Removed park ranger’s detour sign. Stay on the trail, alright, folks Right into that flooded creek bed. Laughson them — Hear them hollering already.
(278 characters)

From Jane at Jane Dougherty Writes:
Picnic Baskets
He pushed through the undergrowth and peered at the sign.
Must be this way, he thought, his stomach rumbling.
He hurried along the trail, thinking about lunch waiting at the end of it.
The trouble with signposts is that everyone can read them. Including bears.
(258 Characters)

From Fandango at This, That, and the Other:
The Nonconformist
“I’m not a color within the lines kind of a guy,” Don said. “You know, Frank, that rules are meant to be broken, right? It’ll be fine.”
“But it says to stay….”
Don interrupted Frank. “If you’re scared, you can stay here,” and he headed off of the trail.
He never saw the bear trap.

From Hayley at The Story Files:
Trail
I peered through the Halloween Maze’s boarder and saw the deep woods beyond. A small scream rose in the distance followed by laughter. I was so bored, this place was for babies. I wanted a real scare! Ignoring the sign, I forced my way out and I’m still regretting it to this day.

From Joem18b at Does Writing Excuse Watching:
as kids we took quicksand seriously. we lived on the edge of a swamp and in the movies bad guys were always being swallowed up. course we didn’t have many paths to stay on. turned out, though, it was a burnt-out hollow in a sawmill sawdust hill that claimed one of us.
268 characters

From Michael at Morpethroad:
Lost. The wife on my case saying, “Told you to stay on the track.”
The lure of the gingerbread house was far too great.
The witches caught us and dispatched the wife.
So it wasn’t all bad.
As for me, I’m their slave, drudgery personified.
(234 characters)

From Willow at WillowDot21:
Why would politeness make any difference. They never listen. They all go their own sweet way giving us the finger as they do.
We need to do something to keep them to the path. Those flowers are last of their kind, if they get trampled that’s it. How about. KEEP OUT MINES!
(273 Characters)

From Reena at ReInventions:
Forbidden
Daily advice from Mom – Don’t write on the walls. All I could think about was how I would adorn the walls with my art.
So many accidents have taken place at this spot, because the signage becomes a temptation to attempt the forbidden. The irresistible taste of the forbidden fruit…
(280 characters)

From Elsie (aka Kiwinana) at Ramblings of a Writer:
Lost Trail
Having walked for some time we came across a sign, wondering where we had gone wrong as there was no track ahead except for a drop of some twenty meters down a bank.
Wondering what that meant we turn round and walked back the way we had come.
Strange sign at the end of the trail.
278 Characters

From Isabel at Poetry, Fiction & Photography:
Please stay on the trail. There are things in those woods you don’t want to meet.
There was a young girl who wandered from the trail. All we found was her little red riding hood.
So please stay on the trail. The sign’s not there for the good of our health, but yours.
(265 characters)

From BroadsidesDotMe:
I wanted to roam, without any particular purpose to my journey, to ramble, indifferent to any particular objective, meander aimlessly about, but no. the straight and narrow police had got here before me.

From Jannat at Be Happy:
The awesome threesome went for day hiking. The park rangers instructed them to stay on the trails. But compelled by the habits, they went for shortcut and got into trouble.
(176 characters)

From D.Avery at ShiftNShake:
They knew to go through this forest only in daylight, to stay on the trail, but fallen trees forced them off. Branches scratched them, grabbed them, held them; remembered stories stirred their fears. Night noises, screeches and rustlings, rose as darkness fell, hope sinking fast.
280 Characters

From Leena at Soul Connection:
(Conversation Order:- Chameleons, Caterpillars, Reptiles, Squirrels, Ants with King Of The Jungle On Serious Concern.)
Humans Wander Carrlessly
R Dey Rly Intlgnt?
Selfsh.Only Folow Rules In Der Territory
Yes,Yes,Ys.Dey Dnt Value Our Lyf
Ltz Plce Sgnboard Lyk Dem,May b Dey Start Wlkg On Trail n V Wl B Sfe
Lets Try.

Well done everyone. I think after reading your tales I might be convinced to follow the rules…maybe. 😉 I do like a good adventure off the beaten path…but I digress. In honor of St. Paddy’s Day (my Irish roots come by way of my paternal Grandmother, Florence O’Malley), I found a nice photo of a little green fellow. Hee hee…well…he’s not exactly a leprechaun, but he could be a prince in disguise, or just an ordinary frog doing what ordinary frogs do…whatever that is. Do you know? I’m sure there’s a story in that, somewhere. Have fun! See you and next week’s roundup! 🙂

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig ort!

Twittering Tale #75 – 13 March 2018

Photo by Couleur at Pixabay.com

~kat
(271 Characters)

49 Comments | tags: Challenge, Flash Fiction, TT, twitter, twittering tales | posted in Challenges and Writing Prompts, Flash Fiction, Random Thoughts and Musings, Twitter Tales

March 6, 2018

Twittering Tales #74 – “Please Stay on the Trail” – 6 March 2018

By Kat Myrman

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.co m .

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 Tales #73 – The Round Up

photo by MabelAmbe at Pixabay.com

Starting us off…

Paw Paw got tired o’ waitin’. He took to buildin’ his own wall. Make ‘merika great. Give ol’ Mr. Trump a head start. We never woulda guessed they’d of impeached the greatest president this country’s eva’ seen. But that’s what they done. Paw Paw pretty much gave up after that.
(277 Characters)

From Reena at ReInventions:
Frauds We Pull
“Boundaries with permeability baffle me. What was the intent behind it?”
“There is no intent, just imagination. It is an invitation to transgressors, minus the responsibility for consequences.”
“It holds good for all frauds – perpetrated on institutions – and/or the self.”
(271 characters)

From Fandango at This, That, and the Other:
The Footbridge
“That’s all that’s left?” Henry said to his brother Ben. “I knew it was a bad storm, but I didn’t think it would take almost the whole footbridge out.”
“I guess we better get started rebuilding it, huh?” Ben said.
“Nah,” said Henry. “We’re big enough we can just jump the stream.”
(278 characters)

From Jane at Jane Dougherty Writes:
False Impressions
Townies thought the irrigation ditch was a river. Thought the old piece of cattle pen was a bridge. Thought Bellhope Boxster the Hereford bull was a cow…
155 characters

From John at BroadsidesDotMe:
My bridge, my dulcet bridge. This was my final civil project, submitted for my doctorate in Civil Engineering. It was described by my professor as the finest example he had ever seen of organic engineering and that I was clearly destined to work in as yet unexplored fields of engineering.

From Francine at Woman Walks Dog :
The Cosy Creatures Film Set
Director : ‘Ok – The Three Bill Goats Gruff Take 13 Come on you’re supposed to be Fairy Tale Goats, just trot over the bridge, trip trap trop. Time here is money, Take 13 and record
Wow ! they’ve vanished, no trace of them not even a hoof print. How is this possible ?
What about the contract ?’

From Kathryn at Just Another Foodie Blogger:
The Bridge
“What’s the fence fer, Stu?”
“Dang Red, it’s a bridge! Daisy was askeert of crossing onna skinny plank, so ah gav’er some hand rails.”
“Why’nt ya use all dat wood ta build a wider bridge?”
Red has smarts but he didn’t hafta bop me upside da head like that.
(259 characters)

From Willow at WillowDot21:
Trit Trot
Every blooming day sometimes twice. That damn Billy Goat Gruff comes Trit trot over my bridge. Can’t a troll get any rest.
Well this troll has had it up to here.So I have got some dynamite and, hang on here he comes.Trit trot over the rickety bridge, BANG! Yes result now sleep.
(278 Characters)

From Michael at Morpethroad:
Twas a grand old crossing. Proudly it stood in all seasons.
As age does weary us so too with crossings. Splintering, weathering, all took a toll.
I knew how it felt when bits started to fall off.
Now it leans as do I.
It’s just a matter of time I’ve them say.
Til the morrow then.
(275 characters)

From Joem18b at Does Writing Excuse Watching:
can i paint it?
what color?
i thought red.
no you can’t paint it red. we’d be the laughingstock. you paint a barn red.
all right, purple then.
what’s wrong with you? listen to me. paint it white. we do things right around here.
222 words

From Elsa aka Kiwinana at Ramblings of a Writer:
Wooden Fence
Please tell me, what good is a wooden fence in the middle of a stream?
You can get under, over, and around it.
Maybe it was swept downstream in a flood, that’s not a good answer, it would be laying down not standing up.
Your thoughts, please.
239 Characters

From Aditi at elysianandcynosure:
Florette
White Cane tapping, grass crunching.
No leaves rustling, no wings flapping.
Autumn.
Water strokes the walls narrowing.
I start walking lest I fall tumbling.
In the ditch, wet and cold.
I open my arms wide, feeling the breeze
entwining as it glides, petrichor scented breeze,
mid fingers.

From Sandi at Humble, but Humorous:
Little Help from my Friends
I thought the BIG 8 YEAR OLD was goin’ fishin’ to catch us dinner? Whatchya’ doin’?”
“Helpin’ the beavers.”
“How so?”
“This is MY side of the fence and that’s THEIR side. Now they know where to form the dam, keeping fish on one side, so I catch ’em!”
250 characters

From Lorraine at Lorraine’s Frilly Freudian Slip:
Dynamite
Fences make good neighbours; mend fences; sit on the fence. In this world, she sighed, there were no good fences or analogies. She set the charges and timer. This would be the first fence she would blow to hell. Next stop, just outside San Diego.
(247)
Be sure to check out the link Lorraine referenced with her tale…the little film is fabulous!
Norman McLaren’s wonderful animation, (in fact, search him out on YouTube — a man well ahead of his time): Neighbours.

From Jannat at Be Happy:
Being in a state of agitation
Going through the turbulent phases of her life
Jay dreamt of a broken down bridge, a lake, and a fence
Which symbolizes obstacles and tumult, except of a lake whose clearness and stillness suggests the deep self that lies beneath the emotional self.
(276 characters)

From Leena at Soul Connection:
For Some Age is Just a Number
Sunny Day,Cool Blue Watr Ths Plce Xcts Me Since Childhd.I Wnt To Run Til I Fl Breathless
Hold On Hold On.1st Crs Brkn Brdge.B4 Running Rmbr We R 70Yr Old Kids n Nw Thr’s No One Insgt If V Need Medical Hlp
Oh Yes.Thn Ltz Avd Brdge n Wlk In Wtr?
Ok
Woo..Cm On
Wait U Rascal.Hold My Hand.

Another fabulous round! Thanks for sharing your creativity with us all! This week, an interesting little nature photo, with a sign. “Please stay on the trail.” Hmmmm…I wonder why? I’m curious to know what you think. Have fun. See you at the roundup!

Twittering Tales #74 – “Please Stay on the Trail” – 6 March 2018

Photo by Dan Gold at Unsplash.com

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“Nope! The sign says ‘Stay on the Trail’.”
“Awe, come on. I’m dying to see what’s past that ridge.”
“Nope.”
“Well, you’re missing out. Hey (haha), if I’m not back in ten minutes call the ranger. Later, loser!”

“Hello…is this the Park Ranger?”
(277 Character)

~kat

47 Comments | tags: 280 Characters, Challenge, Flash Fiction, photo challenge, TT, TwitteringTales | posted in Challenges and Writing Prompts, Flash Fiction, Random Thoughts and Musings, Twitter Tales

February 27, 2018

Twittering Tales #73 – 27 February 2018

By Kat Myrman

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.co m .

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 Tales #72 “Hopewell” – The Roundup

Photo prompt by Leigh Heasley at Pexels.com

Starting us off…

He tapped the steering wheel absentmindedly. She leaned against the door, face pressed against the glass, when a stone column caught her eye, “Hopewell”.
“More like hopeless,” she thought.
He broke the silence, “We could adopt…”
“Really?” she slid over, leaning into him.
(276 Characters)

From Michael at Morpethroa d:
Hopewell’s creaking door, the butler’s crossed eyes, his hideous hump and a habit of standing too close were all signs to beware of.
The chill as you settled in bed, the ghostly screams in the night,
The rattling of chains, Cousin Boris’ slimy handshake ensured a sleepless night.
(278 characters)

From Willow at WillowDot2 1:
Another morning in the gray soulless house. She crept out of the door into cold gray air. Her case was light as she carried it down the drive so as not to wake those in the house
Out of the gray gates for the last time! Today the first day of her life in colour.Farewell Hopewell.
(280 Characters)

From Reena at ReInvention s:
Get Well Soon messages indicate you are unwell. But Hope well?
“Jim, better check the map again. I have a hunch we are heading for trouble.”
(139 characters)

From Fandango at This, That, and the Othe r:
“Hopewell?” Dan said as they passed the ivy-covered stone post on the road to the hospice. “I see no hope and nothing well about any of this.”
“Don’t worry, son,” Alex said. “My time is just about up and I hear the drugs they give at this place will make my passing quite pleasant.
(280 characters)

From Rules640 at Life at 1 7:
“Before you is a little place,
Go there and you will enjoy your stay
But if you wanna leave,
If you wanna go back to your place,
You should know you won’t be allowed.”
“Read this before you enter” the guard had told her. Days after being stuck inside she wished she had read it before.
280 characters

From Jane at Jane Dougherty Write s:
Just terrible bad luck, the inquest said, that she had wandered in during the few seconds the security barrier was down.
The coroner ordered the establishment to clean off the ivy from the plaque that indicated ‘Hopewell Psychiatric Hospital.”
244 Characters

From Hayley at The Story File s:
All that was left of the old manor house was the front gate post with the name plaque on. The driveway led to nothing and nature was running wild. What happened no one knew for sure, there were too many secrets that the dead now kept.

From Jan at Strange Goings on in the She d:
She stared at the name intently, it filled her with dread of the darkest kind. Her soul curled at the edges, repelled by the prospect of revisiting old nightmares. Ana was the last of the bloodline and had to break the Curse. They warned her not to return, too late she was back.
(279 characters)

From Lorraine at My Frilly Freudian Sli p:
Hopewell. They’d all hoped well. Her parents, the doctors.
The wail of approaching fire engines over-powered screams from inside the institution.
She smiled as she walked past the gate. She had hoped well enough.
[211 characters]

From Leena at Soul Connectio n:
She:-Silent Plce.Bird Chrpng,Sound Of Dry Leaves Crushng n..
He:-N Spirits Roamng(Laughng)
Very Funny
HOPEWELL
Wht?
Its Wrttn Here.C On Pillar
She Clckd Pic n Draggd Him 4wrd
Its Gng To B Dark n V R Alone
No
(Teasng)U Mean V R Nt Alone?
Ahaa Haa.Shut Up
As Dey Crsd Pillar,Spirit Follwd Dem.

From Joy at Poetry Jo y, 3 Tales:
Obscured
Almost obscured by leaves
this sign breathes renewed
hope into her sad soul
signalling a new beginning
where joy and optimism
overcomes pain
(139 characters)

We hop
She squirms higher in her seat because, at age 5, she can barely read. But she sees “hop we” as indicator of her family being happier here.
(139 characters)

Secrets lurk within
Hedged in by dense
undergrowth, accessed
by dusty driveway
a house stands proud
looks inviting but is
far from it, for deep
secrets lurk within
(140 characters)

From Peter at Peter’s Ponderin g:
For a school founded in 2001 it sure was a strange old gate post.
Mo had chosen this particular High School for the sports, and he was looking forward to joining the athletics team.
He was a little wary though because to be accepted he knew he must first find the other gate post!
(280 characters)

From BroadsideDotM e, a bit of history on Hopewell?
“Hopewell”, the little known public school where the teenage Adolf Hitler spent a year learning English. The school was so proud of its connection with “Mien Kampf” that to this day the gateway has but a single, well lets not be vulgar about this, a single roundel upon the gatepost. It would be prudent not to mention the school song.

From Radhika at RadhikasReflectio n:
Uma slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a screeching halt. The place looked very familiar. Recollection came in a flash. Her husband, in her previous birth, had brutally murdered her a few months after the wedding. She recognized the old man walking out. She knew what to do…
Letter count 280

Very creative takes this week. There was something mysterious about this ivy covered entrance with its name…Hopewell…Hope Well. You all took a few twists in the road on this one. Excellent tales! This week, I had a little fun with the photo…sorry, couldn’t resist. But I think there might be a few more stories hidden here. A ditch, a broken down bridge, a fence in the distance, a lake in the background. Something happened in this place. The question is, what? Have fun fellow tweeters. See you next week at the Roundup!