Tag Archives: Photo Prompt

Twittering Tale #40 – 11 July 2017

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About the challenge: Each Tuesday I will provide a prompt, and your mission, if you choose to play along, 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!

Twittering Tale #39 – The Round Up

 

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Photo by Ottavio at Pixabay.com

From Michael at Morpethroad:
I’ve bits not functioning as designed
I’m falling apart
grey and decrepit.
Once I could run for buses,
No more.
I sit watch and await,
a miracle.

(140 Characters)

From Kathryn at AnotherFoodieBlogger:
The bridge was in a lot better shape when I hid the stash under it two years ago, but we really need the money. Just two more ste… SPLASH!

From Through My Heart’s Web at Soul Connection:
Two Strangers..
You Sure We Can Walk On This?
You Follow Me.
Why You Stopped?
To Kill You
Leave Me
Are You Scared
Let Me Go

From Lady Lee at Lady Lee Manila:
In the journey of life
Who says it is smooth sailing?
Rough roads and broken bridges
Stepping stones or barriers?
Shall we take the challenge?

From Reena at ReInventions:
“I admire optimism. It takes courage to build it, and then allow gaps”, said the sarcastic boss. He did not know the trap was laid for him.
(139 characters)

From Di at Pensitivity101:
“What the hell’s got into you?
Last week you had me climbing pylons. Now you want me to cross this?
Sibling rivalry sucks. Forget it!”
(132 characters)

From Jane at Jane Dougherty Writes:
Hefty foxhounds scrabble at the broken boards, baying as the whipper in calls them off. Fox on the far bank flicks his brush and disappears.

From Vaidehi at Young Mind:
Little feet walking on the bridge.Bags on shoulders and lives on risk.To some getting educated has a huge cost to give.It is worth it?

From Weena at Teleporting Weena:
Rotted wood and rusty wire
Explosion proves Devil’s a liar
No escaping Demon’s pyre
Now situation classified dire

From Irena at Books and Hot Tea:
Not real, they said.
But when she ran, shadows followed.
Then path became a broken bridge.
Abyss underneath, not as scary as her illusions.
(138 characters)

From Willow at WillowDot21:
Broken that’s what they called her, no longer intact. She knew when she found the bridge and felt safe. A few more steps, then peace
{140 Characters}

From Sight11 at Journey:
Standing to support
It is now standing alone
Broken and shattered
It falls..
Ready to be embraced
By its enemy standing below..

From Sandi at Flip Flops Every Day:
Get to the other side?
Got to build damn thing ourselves
obviously attempt was made by another
Yeah, but not successfully
ended in their demise

From Riya at AestheticGraphy:
My life hasn’t always been what I wished it to be
Wrong situations
But I know this
A dash of hope and huge leap in faith is all i need.
Character Limit: 139

From Peter at Peter’s Pondering:
They’d met at the bridge all those years ago. She thought love would last forever. Now the bridge was broken, just like all his promises!
(138 characters)

From Sangbad at Thoughts of Words…a quote and a tale:
In the darkness of pessimistic lies the optimistic. Dig Out & Discover a New You…
Sangbad

Those are gaps, Dad…no, honey, look like this they are optimistic portal…see the shade there, it’s where the belief in yourself lies…
[140 Characters]

From Kitty at Kitty’s Verses:
Five..Four..Three..Two..One..Come out of your hiding place between the rocks, short fins.I can see you from up here, grunted amphy, the frog.
Exactly 140 characters.

From Edwin at Edwin’s Journal:
“Mommy, I’m really scared.”
“Don’t worry dear; you won’t fall. Think that we are crossing a dimension filled with adventurous realities.”

From Francine at Woman Walks Dog:
Magic herb down there growing in the ravine, the weird woman says. Makes you ever-so happy.
I’ll keep watch up here, you go down OK.  Careful the bridge is cracking      oh    no !

And…starting us off…here’s my little tale:
“Where’s Sophie?! Oh god!”
“It won’t hold you Sue. See if she’ll come back to you.”
“Come to mommy Sophie. Come…”
“Sophie…no!”

“Got her!”

NICE! Everyone. Your imaginations really spanned a reach of possibilities. Just as I had imagined, some of you were quite retrospective in your takes. Those are always so interesting. And then there was a host of fun tales where more than a few ended up in the drink. There were adventurers and critters and sibling rivals. Bravo! I loved every single character of your 140 character tales. Thank you again and again for joining me each week to have a go at the challenge. I’m hearing that tweeting is still all the rage these days. We are on the cutting edge no doubt. 😉

On to this week’s challenge. I found this interesting closeup of a vinyl record. You know, these are making a comeback. I remember when cassettes evolved into 8 tracks and then CDs came out. It was the CDs that blew us away. The sound was so crisp and clear. Of course, now we have digital. Nary a blip of noise to adulterate the pure sound of a recording. But there is something special about the scratchy background drone and skipping pops of a vinyl record. The sound of the needle when it first touches the surface; that dull, crescendoing popping noise. It is mesmerizing, almost magical.

Your challenge this week is to write something about this scene. Is it a noir mystery…or a romantic interlude…or a nostalgic memory…or a philosophical reflection? I know you all will come up with something special. Can’t wait to see you all next week at the Round-up.

Twittering Tale #40 – 11 July 2017

recordplay

photo from pixabay.com

Scratch-pop…scratch-pop…scratch-pop
She couldn’t bring herself to right the needle. Was she depressed? Maybe. Monotony helped her sleep.

~kat
(139 Characters)


Dreamer’s 


‘midst these gilded halls
lovers danced to strings and lutes
their dreams frail as dust

those who dream dance on
promenades of hopeful bliss
though the music ends

~kat

For TJ’s Household Haiku Challenge inspired by the photo by our host above and the prompt words: Dream & Dance.


Only the Purest of Hearts

Photo by © Eric Wicklund


Once upon a time, an enchanted tree in an ancient forest was known for granting wishes to those with pure, true hearts.

A scoundrel heard the legend and devised a scheme to fool the old tree into granting his evil desires. He spied a kind old man and overtook him, ripping out his heart, tossing it, still beating, into a satchel. As he approached the tree, it noticed the old man’s pure heart.

“Hello kind sir,” the tree said, “I sense your heart is true. What is your wish?”

“Oh great tree,” the scoundrel replied, “thank you for finding favor with me, a lowly servant. My wish…my wish…”

But before he could utter another word the old tree heaved, unsettling the ground beneath his feet. “What have you done?! Imposter! For your evil deed you shall suffer darkness forevermore!” The old tree’s roots burst through the dust, ensnaring the scoundrel, dragging him into the cold earth.

The tree took pity on the old man. He dispatched the faerie folk to restore to him his heart, granting him a long, happy life. The man continued to bestow kindness, even to strangers, because that is what those with the truest hearts do.

~kat

A 200 Word Tale for Sunday’s Photo Fiction Challenge based on the photo above. This one was quite the challenge and a great lesson in the art of brevity. Truth be told, the first draft of this yarn was over 500 words! Challenges like this help one to become a better writer. You should have a go of it. Click HERE for the details.


The Lagger

Photo by © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

There was one in every tour group. The “laggers”, he called them. They were the most lucrative marks, Mortie had found, willing to surrender everything of value. After years of working the streets, he was something of a legend.

He and his partner waited in the shadows until the others turned the corner. It would be a textbook block and bump. Easy.

Mortie approached the woman, feigning distress.

She didn’t respond. Instead, Officer Jillian Reed flashed a badge and pistol, “Stop! You’re under arrest!”

In seconds they were surrounded.

“Jillie?” Mortie cried.

“Busted, Uncle Mort. It’s high time you retired.”

~kat
(100 Words)

For Rochelle Wisoff-Fields Friday Fictioneers 100 Word Story Challenge based on her own photo pictured above.


Forever Bound

For Sacha’s “In 52 Words” challenge. This week’s prompt to tell the story of why the room pictured here is empty. But here’s the thing, it is not empty. At least not for Lara…

Photo from Pinterest


Lara was forever bound to this place, condemned, inhabitable, its walls blistering from having witnessed unspeakable atrocities.

The sight of her gray, lifeless eyes, limbs tied with rope to a four-poster, haunted those who found her there.

In life, she had always loved this room. Some souls find heaven in hell’s corridors.

~kat
(52 Words, No More, No Less)