January 7, 2016

Mr. Bones

By Kat Myrman
photo-20160104141846369

Photo Credit: Pixabay.com

“It’s just part time,” Dennie reminded herself. If all went according to plan, the money she earned would one day pay for culinary school.

The anatomy lab creeped her out the most. The students got wind of her aversion to Mr. Bones and often posed him in odd positions. This evening was no different.

Dennie flipped on every light in the anatomy wing and headed toward the lab. As she pushed the mop and bucket through the doorway, there he stood, leaning over a frying pan with what looked like some type of organ…a liver perhaps…clutching a spatula in his boney hand.

After the initial shock, Dennie burst into fits of laughter. Those students had gotten her good this time! How did they know her dream was to be a chef one day?

Warmed by the fact that even in their joking, the students cared about her, Dennie never dreaded cleaning the anatomy lab after that night. She would tell Mr. Bones about her latest recipes. He was a pretty good listener.

kat – 7 January 2016
(174 Words)

This story was prompted by the photo above, provided by my friend P.J. at her blog, Flash Fiction for the Aspiring Writer (FFfAW). If you would like to read other stories based on this prompt, or enter your own story, click HERE.

34 Comments   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Challenges and Writing Prompts, Flash Fiction, Under 300 Words

January 7, 2016

Zoe

By Kat Myrman
zoe

Zoe – Photo by MCB – 2015 (Zoe is my grand-daughter <3)

in luminescent innocence
she dances on her chubby toes
humming a tune she just made up
punctuated by sweet giggles

tumbling into a slump of joy
in luminescent innocence
wide-eyed wondering why’s and what’s
to feed her curiosity

i could watch her hours on end
play pretending teatime for two
in luminescent innocence
how she captures fully, my heart

on this plane for only three years
how did we manage without her
cute curly top with attitude
in luminescent innocence

kat ~ 7 January 2016

A new poetry form to practice. This one called a Quatern. A Quatern is a sixteen line French form composed of four quatrains. It is similar to the Kyrielle and the Retourne. It has a refrain that is in a different place in each quatrain. The first line of stanza one is the second line of stanza two, third line of stanza three, and fourth line of stanza four. A quatern has eight syllables per line. It does not have to be iambic or follow a set rhyme scheme.

line 1
line 2
line 3
line 4

line 5
line 6 (line 1)
line 7
line 8

line 9
line 10
line 11 (line 1)
line 12

line 13
line 14
line 15
line 16 (line 1)

Thank you to Jane Dougherty for this inspiring and beautiful poetry style and challenge. I do hope I did it justice. If you would like to read other Quaterns or try writing one yourself, please visit Jane’s blog by clicking HERE.

25 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Challenges and Writing Prompts, Poetry, Quatern

January 7, 2016

Echoes of my Neighborhood Thursday

By Kat Myrman
drpeppersign

Dr. Pepper Sign in Roanoke, Virginia – Photo by Kat Myrman – 2015

This is a new challenge from my friend Jacqueline “A Cooking Pot and Twisted Tales”. She invites us to take a photo on Thursdays from our corner of the world to share with everyone. It’s a way for us all to enjoy different places remotely. I am submitting this photo for my first entry. It was taken last summer, but I love the humor in it. One of our city’s landmarks is a huge neon Dr. Pepper bottle cap that sits atop a building downtown. For a short season, the bottle cap was visited by a trio of life-sized superhero statues. It made for a very entertaining ride through town!

If you would like to see photos from other exotic, whimsical places or join the fun by posting a photo yourself, click HERE for more info.

 

12 Comments   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Challenges and Writing Prompts, Digital Art & Photos

January 6, 2016

The Election

By Kat Myrman
137-01-january-3rd-2016

Photo Credit: A Mixed Bag 2016

No one suspected that something so conspicuously displayed had the potential to raze an entire city. Malcolm placed it right on the mantle. To his guests it looked like a decorative light, with flashing arcs of green and blue and purple.

It was a night to celebrate the landslide election that promised freedom from the oppressive cruelty once wielded by the now deposed regime. Their hero, a visionary, would soon take the reigns and move the city into a bright and hopeful future. Malcolm smiled as he watched his guests enjoying themselves. They deserved to be happy.

He almost forgot about the capsule. It had been his Plan B. Malcolm, you see, despite his charm and fortune, was also slightly mad. If they had lost the election, there was no reason for anyone to live. He would ensure it.

As he glanced at the mantle, the color drained from his face. The capsule was gone! A quick scan of the room revealed his worse nightmare. There on the floor a child sat shaking the cylinder, giggling as it changed colors…green, blue, purple…RED! NOT RED!

Malcolm raced toward the child shouting, “Please! put it …”

kat ~ 6 January 2016
(195 Words)

This story was prompted by the unusual photo you see above. It is definitely not a doomsday device, but according to our host, at Sunday Photo Fiction, it is a fancy speaker for his computer. If you would like to read other stories inspired by this photo or enter your own story, click HERE.

28 Comments   |  tags: , , | posted in Challenges and Writing Prompts, Flash Fiction, Random Thoughts and Musings, Under 300 Words

January 6, 2016

What Matters Most

By Kat Myrman
melanie-greenwood.jpg

Photo Credit: Melanie Greenwood

Private hanger?! Chartered flight!? Sandra couldn’t believe Michael had such means. But that didn’t matter to her. Their relationship had begun quite innocently. It started with a common “like” on a friend of a friend’s social media page. For the next year there were chats and phone conversations. A lovely friendship developed, and more. They both felt it.

As Sandra gazed out the window on the approach to the island, her heart skipped a beat. It was not the sight of the lavish estate that touched her so. There, at the end of the runway Michael was waiting.

kat ~ 6 January 2016
(98 Words/Genre: Romantic Fiction)

Thanks once again to Rochelle Wiseoff-Fields for another round of Flash Fiction inspirations. The photo for this story was provided by Melanie Greenwood. If you would like to read other stories or enter your own story, click HERE.

27 Comments   |  tags: , , , , | posted in 100 and Under, Challenges and Writing Prompts, Flash Fiction