Category Archives: Flash Fiction

February 7, 2017

Twittering Tales #16 – 7 February 2017

About the challenge: Each Tuesday I will provide a prompt photo, and your mission is to tell a story based on that prompt in 140 characters or less.

If you accept the challenge, 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 us a new prompt. Have Fun!

Here is the roundup of last week’s creative twittering tales based on the photo below. If I missed your story, please let me know so I can add it to the line-up.

Photo from Pexels.com

Gayl from her blog of Words, Photos and Art started us off with three wistful tales bring us full circle.

Leaving Home
With a lump in his throat he took one last look.
Saying goodbye was hard. Determined, he turned away.
He’d do his best and make them proud.
(137 characters)

The Big City
Big city awaits
Scary for this country boy
A new place and job

Her letters charmed him
For the first time they would meet
Would they hit it off?
(139 characters)

Coming Back Home
Would anyone recognize him? 16 years had passed!
Still, it was home. At least his mom would welcome him with a hug.
He was nervous but happy.
(139 characters)

Pat from BlackCatAlley wrote about rites of passage.

Look left at what’s left behind.
Right holds no purchase yet
A shadowed place of regret
Black ashes fill your mouth
Rite of passage will out.
(character count: 138)

Michael at Morpethroad wrote a tale that really tugged at the old heartstrings with a cliffhanger! Grab a tissue.

Will he be there?
What will I do if he’s not?
I’ve nowhere to go.
He said he’d be there.
I can’t turn around now.
Please be there.
I love you.
(136 Characters)

Kathryn at AnotherFoodieBlogger gave us a cautionary tale about what happens when one does not pay attention. I have to admit she got me. I completely misread the ending!

With his Beats on full blast, he didn’t hear the “assume crash position” command in the final minute before touchdown. All survived but one.

Lady Lee Manila penned a tale of pondering and acceptance in her twitter poem.

Endured the pain
Summer came
Was there a flicker of hope?
Did I overcome the storm?
When the flame died down
I had to accept

No place like home
(137 Characters)

Di at Pensivity101 wrote about the high price of overcoming a phobia.

She wondered if it was worth it.
Ten thousand bucks to look out of a window.
That was the cost of addressing her flying anxiety.
(126 characters)

Joy at Poetry Joy shared three poetic tales tucked into a lovely essay about home.

He feels a tug to look back
calling him homeward
His eyes realize how vast
the universe can be
He aches to stay as he
breaks the cord to leave
(139 characters)

A window seat is a way
to see more clearly, get
a fresh perspective, because
home is anywhere at all
No more or less than
a place to lay his head
(140 characters)

“Are you ready for this?

He nods, gulps back tears, turns to take another look outside, where home shrinks small while he faces new horizons.
(140 characters)

Peter at Peter’s Ponderings wrote a chilling, dark tale that I’m guessing did not have a happy ending!

For maximum casualties from the full load of fuel, the bomb would explode as the plane reached 100 feet.

Just time for one final prayer!
(136 characters)

Willow at WillowDot21 took us on a whirlwind tale of regret that ended in relief! Whew!

Had he done wrong?Too late now!It had seemed an innocent request. Panicking he open the bag, it was just a scarf the label said.Love to Mum.
{139 Characters}

Sonali at Howling with the Wolf was moved by the gray tones in this week’s prompt, giving us a sad tale.

Weren’t your friends supposed to be on this trip?
She smiled forlornly.

“They couldn’t make it.”

Abandonment was a bitter pill to digest.
(137 characters)

Lorraine at her FrillyFreudianSlip took a whimsical look at the mind of a worry-wart.

did I water the fichus?
did I turn off the stove?
did I unplug the heater?
did I lock the door?
did I leave my keys in the door?
did I . . .
(136 Characters)

Nicola from SometimesStellarStoryteller gave us a futuristic view of a world unraveled by a political ideology. I do hope it’s not a premonition!

I often rode the train to gaze on history, aching for a return to the life replayed here in grayscale, before Trump cremated the surface.
(137 Characters)

Newcomer this week, Paul at LifeAt17 took us on a liberating journey of letting go and hope for the future.

“Finally, I am venturing forth into a new journey away from the shackles of past, away from toxic people and situations sucking me dry.”
(108 Characters)

Irena at Books and Hot Tea wrote about starting over and new beginnings.

Window introduces me to my new home. Leaving was hard, though I had nothing to leave. Arriving is harder, with everything to win or lose.
(137 Characters)

Leara, another newbie to the challenge, of LearaWritesAndTakesPics also told us a tale about new beginnings.

The Tracks
Watching the past pass away with its lights and shadows, I leave it all behind. I leave them all behind. Down these tracks, a new life waits.
(141 Characters)

The Bag Lady carried the new beginnings theme home with a tale of leaving.

Joanne looked out and silently said goodbye to her past. She had to look only forward now. A new life, new job, new destination, success.
(137 Characters)

And starting you all off, here is my tale about going back home…

Home
It had been years. Everything had changed, new buildings and faces. But one thing remained. Home was there, smaller than he remembered.
(135 Characters)

_________________________________________

I just have to say, YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME! What a great group of twitter tales this week! I love that each one is unique. Even if the theme is similar, it is so interesting to hear your unique voices adding to the narrative. And Bravo y’all. You are masters of brevity, telling your stories, one and all, in 140 characters or less!

Are you ready for this week’s prompt photo? Here you go. Have FUN! 🙂

Photo from Pexels.com

Morty

Morty roamed the halls of Shady Grove growling at anyone who got too close. But it was well-known if he liked you, your days were numbered.
(139 Characters)

-kat – 7 February 2017

56 Comments | tags: 140 characters, Challenge, Flash Fiction, twittering tales | posted in Challenges and Writing Prompts, Flash Fiction, Twitter Tales

January 31, 2017

Twittering Tales #15 – 31 January 2017

By Kat Myrman

About the challenge: Each Tuesday I will provide a prompt photo, and your mission is to tell a story based on that prompt in 140 characters or less.

I will do a roundup each Tuesday, along with providing us a new prompt. Have Fun!

Here is the roundup of last week’s creative twittering tales based on the photo below. If I missed your story, please let me know so I can add it to the line up.

Photo from Pexels.com

From Michael at Morpethroad a sassy sheep tale:

You lookin’ at me?
you ain’t pulling no wool over my eyes
This is the face of a thousand fleeces.
You better believe it.
So read my lips.
Baa!
(137 Words)

From Di at Pensitivity101 a true tale:

Hello? Where’s my dinner.
You’re not my usual driver.
Come to think of it, maybe this isn’t the right van.
(104 characters)

From Nicola Auckland at Sometimes Stellar Storyteller – New here, with two tales to tell!

#1
“What is it?”
“I don’t know”
“Poke it”
“I did”
“And?”
“And nothing”
“Can we eat it?”
“It’s blue. No food is blue. Don’t touch it….Bob?”
(128 Characters)

#2
“Stay very still. It might not see us.”
“It’s looking at me.”
“Is the beast from Blefuscu?”
“I know not, pass me an egg and we shall test it.”
(139 Characters)

From Lorraine’s Frilly Freudian Slip a cautionary guess what’s for dinner tale:

Dolly is invited to the McGregor’s for supper. Unfortunately, she doesn’t know what the recipe for haggis contains.
(109 characters)

From Joy at Poetry Joy who had two tales to tell:

1-
Thick swirled tight curls
encase this woolly jumper,
this white night-leaper through
my head, as I finally seek a
decent sleep within this bed
(140 characters)

2-
Feeling sheepish?” she smirked.

“Just a bit”, he huffed and puffed beneath weighty flank of sheep, ‘I didn’t expect her to sit on my chest!”
(140 characters)

From Pat at Black Cat Alley, “asheep” on the job:

Hey you!
Little Bo Peep.
What kind of shepherdess are you? Asleep on the job.
Damn it to fleece that Ba-dooray doesn’t work on humans.
(133 Characters)

From Kathryn at Another Foodie Blogger and other-worldly tale:

The aliens were very small beings and chose a most unfortunate landing area. Imagine their surprise when they opened the space capsule top!
(139 Characters)

Peter from Peter’s Ponderings joined us for the first time this week with a tale about a nightmarish flight:

The gas is fast escaping and it smells awful!

I really think we’ve been fleeced.

Why the hell did I agree to this airsheep flight anyway?
(136 characters)

Irena from Books and Hot Tea wrote about a “rude awakening”:

Hazy-eyed, he awoke to see a sheep looking down on him. He never truly looked into its eyes before. He saw wisdom now. Emotion. Rebellion.
(138 characters)

And finally, I started the round off with two tales. I really love this photo!

I woke up in a field, the sun blocked by two beady eyes, hot green breath on my face. The last thing I remember? An eerie light in my room.
(139 Characters)

So consumed in passion were they, that they didn’t notice the herd of sheep who seemed very interested in the mating ritual of humans.
(134 Characters)

________________________________________________________________

Here is your new prompt photo. Tell me what you see and I will see you next Tuesday at the Round-up! Have a great week! 🙂

Twittering Tales #15 – 31 January 2017

Photo from Pexels.com

Home

It had been years. Everything had changed, new buildings and faces. But one thing remained. Home was there, smaller than he remembered.
(135 Characters)

~kat – 31 January 2017

48 Comments | tags: 140 characters, Challenge, twittering tales | posted in Challenges and Writing Prompts, Flash Fiction, Random Thoughts and Musings, Twitter Tales

January 24, 2017

Lost and Found – a Three Line Tale

By Kat Myrman

Lost and Found

They had searched frantically for hours when a member of the team found Emily’s teddy bear hanging vicariously over the murky water from the railing of the shuttered bridge.

The authorities kept her mother far from the site, offering her coffee in an attempt to protect her from the awful truth, while the sergeant called for the aquatic search team.

As onlookers gathered to watch, the mother, clinging to her baby girl’s teddy bear at the perimeter of the horrible spectacle was jolted from her sobbing by a gentle tug on her coat sleeve, “Mommy, you found my Boo Bears…I been lookin’ eberwheres for him.”

kat – 24 January 2017

For Sonya’s Three Line Tale Challenge based on the photo above by Sean Tan via Unsplash.

17 Comments | tags: 3linetales, Challenge, Flash Fiction, Three Line Tales | posted in 3 Line Tales, Flash Fiction

January 23, 2017

Twittering Tales #14 – 24 January 2017

By Kat Myrman

About the challenge: Each Tuesday I will provide a prompt photo, and your mission is to tell a story based on that prompt in 140 characters or less.

I will do a roundup each Tuesday, along with providing us a new prompt. Have Fun!

_________________________________________________________________
Here is the roundup of last week’s creative twittering tales based on this photo:

Michael at Morpethroad started us off with a dare! I must admit, I took the bait!

Anything else?
Butter?
Check!
Flour?
Check!
Beakthwistle powder?
One kilo?
Yes.
Mangle towjamer?
Left handed?
Yes.
All set?
Wanna watch?
Yes please.
Good.
(140 characters)

Mick from Mick’s Blog jumped in with an entire collection of tales in the form of Haiku and Tanka poems.

Twittering Tales
……………
tanka tales twitters
fiction but one is so true
no to badger culls
………….

TALE ONE
sat across the table
eyes piercing my broken heart
pen at the ready
where did you hide the body
interrogation had begun
(Characters 115)

TALE TWO
two cells an ipad
technology apparent
note pad pen in hand
o the days of writing words
old school reporter transcribes
(Characters 114)

TALE THREE
animosity
bad feelings were electric
unsympathetic
organised badger culling
no not if I have my way
(Characters 122)

TALE FOUR
man and his girlfriend
marriage plans on the table
notes necessary
then promises forgotten
both left failing to agree
(Characters 113)

Kathryn from anotherfoodieblogger penned this tale…;)

A pen? A paper calendar diary? That’s what iPads are for! I’m sorry baby, this just isn’t going to work out for us, I do everything online.
(139 Characters)

A friend of Michael, Pensitivity101 (name please…did I see Di somewhere?) joined us this week with a Race to the finish in her very succinct Twitter Tale. Good one. Thanks for joining us.

Ready…………
Get set………..
GO!
Pen’n’pad versus ipad.
(60 characters)

Willow at Willowdot21 gave us a tale of intrigue through the eyes of a mad barista! 🙂

Always an espresso and a glass of water. Two phones, a tablet and a notebook. What were they doing? It was driving Tom the barista mad!
(139 Characters)

Our friend The Bag Lady, says she got carried away and just kept writing. I don’t have space for the entire story but do pay her blog a visit and read her fabulous bit of flash fiction based on the prompt photo. The Cocktail Party.

Sonali at Howling with the Wolf took us to the classroom or more precisely cramming with a friend with her tale…

“No mobiles or tablets! Let’s have a look at your French Grammar!”

There was no stricter teacher than a best friend one day before the exam.

(138 characters)

Gayl at her blog GaylWright gave us three different tales to think about. Two stories and a Haiku. My my, you all are really getting into twittering! 🙂

First story:

“Why do YOU always get to write and have the espresso?”
“Hush, let me think. Drink your water.”
“That’s it, I’m leaving!”

“Wait! I’m sorry.”

(137 characters)
Second story:
“Another work day.
We talk, make our lists.
Where’s the fun?”“Just checking off one more thing.
Our new assignment is exciting!
You’ll love it!”

(140 characters)

Haiku:
Drinks untouched again
Minds dwell on recent events
Can’t write fast enough

Do you remember
Last time we were together
There were three of us

(140 characters including title)

And Irena at Books and Hot Tea gave us some good advice…get it in writing (Im paraphrasing of course):

“Are you really writing down what I’ve just said?!”
“Of course! If I forget it I’ll never be able to use it in my novel.”

(120 characters)

A really nice collection of twitter tales everyone! There were so many fun twists. Almost forgot…this is my try at the prompt:

Acting paranoid he whispered, “No one believes me. But I swear I saw ’em, plain as day!”

“Just start from the beginning,” she assured him.

(138 characters)
_________________________________________________________________

I hope you all are enjoying this as much as I am. Without further ado, let me present this week’s photo prompt. From Pexels (another royalty free photo site). I actually had this one picked out before I found the one we used for last week. I can’t wait to see the stories you all come up with!

Twittering Tales #14 – 24 January 2017

Abduction

I woke up in a field, the sun blocked by two beady eyes, hot green breath on my face. The last thing I remember? An eerie light in my room.
(139 Characters)

Oh I can’t resist! I love this photo. Here’s another!

So consumed in passion were they, that they didn’t notice the herd of sheep who seemed very interested in the mating ritual of humans.
(134 Characters)

kat – 24 January 2017

Your Turn…Go! 🙂

26 Comments | tags: 140 characters, Challenge, twittering tales | posted in Challenges and Writing Prompts, Flash Fiction, Humor, Random Thoughts and Musings, Twitter Tales

January 12, 2017

An Introverted Soirée

By Kat Myrman

photo by Annie Spratt via Unsplash

Though she hated dinner parties and hosting guests, hated people in general, for that matter, Florrie had a brilliant idea.

She set the table with her most luxurious china, silverware, crystal and cloth linens, snickering with glee as she added the final touch; a host of prickly, obnoxious, highly pollinated compositae forming an island across the middle of the table and protruding from several vases.

When her dinner guests arrived and took their assigned seats around the table, each one was eventually forced to excuse themselves, stricken with sneezing and coughing fits, until there was no one left but Florrie, who was quite pleased with her brilliant self for having pulled off her favorite type of affair, a party for one!

kat ~ 12 January 2017

A Three Line Tale for Sonya’s weekly challenge. Having bad seasonal allergies, I took one look at the”floral” arrangements and knew I would never make it through a dinner at this table!!! 😊

20 Comments | tags: 3linetales, Challenge, Flash Fiction, threelinetales | posted in 3 Line Tales, Flash Fiction, Humor