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. Wait….WHAT?! YES! You read that correctly. Recently, the sages at Twitter announced that they were doubling the character limit. So, of course, I am passing this gift on to you! 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 now have 280 characters (spaces and punctuation included), to tell your tales. I can’t wait to see what you do this week.

Twittering Tale #61 – The Roundup

Starting us off….

“Doctor in Rags”
I r’member first time I met Doc. He had this wild hair and raggedy clothes. My mom was real sick an we couldn’t afford no fancy doctor, but the neighbors said, “We’ll call Doc. He’ll fix her up.” He didn’t look like no doctor, but he did what they said. Mom called him her angel.
(280 Characters)

From Reena at ReInventions:
The old bookshop was closing down. Odorless devices had replaced the familiar, much-loved smell of books. Sydney had bought these as a gift for Will Hobbs. Theirs was an all-of-a-kind family uptown, where hearts were strangely warmed by books, a few degrees towards the far north.
(280 characters)

From Michael at Morpethroad:
He smuggled her book home in amongst many he cared little for.
She had promised him a good read. A few surprises even.
On page 61 he saw his name.
Arch-villain, a sleaze well and truly.
Hiding his embarrassment he went to dinner.
No news he said to his assembled family.
A quiet day.

From Radhika at Radhika’s Reflection:
The Swiss family Robinson traveled Far North on vacation. Visiting the “Maze” at The Monster of Hollows declared the eeriest place, was on their list. Braving their fears, they went on. “Called to Die”  read the spooky signage. Clutching the Holy Bible in his pocket, he prayed!
Letter count: 276

From Lady Lee at Lady Lee Manila:
Adelina needs a heart strangely warmed so she went to look for the doctor in rags in far north. Like going to the maze of all of a kind, it’s quite hard to find him. In the wilderness, as she put some flowers for the temple, she called to die.
(245 characters)

From Fandango at This, That, and the Other:
Every month at this time, Kay carried an armload of books to Donna, who had been housebound since the accident. Donna’s only pleasure in life was reading the books Kay brought her each month, and she was so disappointed when Kay told her that her family would soon be moving away.
(280 characters)

From Anju Raj at My Life..My Thoughts..!:
Princess Adelina and The Moffats with Holy Bible left For The Temple. The Monster in the Hollows, the mean guard of The Maze at the Far North awoke. It ate The Middle Moffat. Little Colonel’s Chum, the Doctor in Rags tricked it by giving A Heart Strangely Warmed. Voyage resumed.
(279 Characters)

From Sandi at Flip Flops Every Day:
So you want to take a journey, but can’t afford travel expenses?
This can be achieved without ever leaving your home or even getting dressed!
140 characters

From Di at Pensitivity101:
“Some are sequels”, Pam gaily announced. “They should keep you occupied while you’re laid up and off school”.
Gira looked up with dismay.
‘I am not auditioning for the Bookworm Reunion! This is classic Homework from Hell!’
‘Yeah, Teacher thought you’d see it that way.’
267 characters

From Bob at Bob Fairfield:
I will never understand how the boys in my school’s minds work. They don’t realise we do like a bit of courtesy some times. The least one could have done was to offer to carry my books for me.
193 Characters

From Lane at Lane Burke – Poet, Traveller, Person of Letters: (The prompt brought this poem to mind for Lane)
Something to touch:
The shell of a woman.
Brand new; shiny.
Who knows what waits beneath?

Paraphrased, coverless, her naked
Pages flutter open to passages caressed
Without reservation!

He, unmoved, skims the surface.
Then reaches for
The shell
Of a woman.

From Ron at Read for Fun:
Hobbes lived in a maze far north to avoid monsters living in the hollows. The middle Moffat in a family of Moffats, his heart was strangely warmed by books. Called to die, he left books to a doctor in rags. They were sold by the pound to buy clothes for the temple residents.
(275 characters)

From Deepika at Deepika’s Ramblings:
In the ‘Far North” was ‘The Maze‘. The ‘All of a kind family‘, of the ‘Maffots‘, headed there, as they believed they were ‘Called to Die’, by the ‘Monster in the hollows’. Those who survived should head straight ‘For the Temple‘. So was the belief of ‘The Moffats‘.
265 characters

From Jannat at Be Happy:
Who knows about life and its unpredictability
Who knows what lies ahead
Who knows what life will bring
Who knows where life will take you
Who knows what it’s like to be dead
Every soul is bound to taste death but Hank experienced it too early in his life when he was called to die…
(278 characters)

From Jan at Strange Goings on in the Head:
They call me Illuminated One, a title I eschew.
I exist For The Temple and Greater Mystery within.
My sanctum lies deep within The Maze, a place shrouded in heart’s longing and infinitesimal light.
Seek me Pilgrim, be not afraid.
My wings shall enfold you, regenerate and resurrect.
(279 characters)

From Ana at Timeless Classics: (A throwback to last week’s photo…)
Magnificent
I wonder
What any of these
Little creatures would do
If someone tied them
Into harness
Shoved a
Piece of iron
In their
Mouths
Whipped them till they
Ran while
Steering them by their heads
And made them stand
Stand
Stand
Beautifully
For the camera?

From Kathryn at Another Foodie Blogger:
Time was ticking, and I was getting no closer to unraveling the mystery of the pile of books dropped at my doorstep a few hours ago. The clues to finding the girl were in the books, and one hour left to unlock the code or she would die. Then inspiration hit.. she would live!
275 characters

From Peter at Peter’s Pondering:
Charlotte and Dai were in the Maze. Quite why they were in the middle, and sofar North, she had no idea.
She was one of 5 daughters from the Lower East side of New York, from an ‘all of a kind family.’
“Be careful,” she called to Dai, “there may be a monster in the hollows!”
(277 characters)

From Francine at Woman Walks Dog:
Panning for Gold
I was a doctor in town gained debts soon in rags so came here to pan for gold.
Full of hope ok in summer a heart strangely warmed by the sun in the sky
But winter here awful found nothing just a glint in a stream  – no gold no food a doctor in rags.
Bears in the wood hungry like me its no good –  gotta go North or be eaten.

From Leena at Soul Connection:
At Far North Btfl Adelina Frm The Swiss Fmly Used 2Read Lots Of Books As If She Was Searchng Ans In Novels For The Maze Of Prblms.Ngbr Al Of A Kind Fmly Rcmnded Doctor In Rags.1 Ngt they Heard Weird Sound.Mre Al Of A Kind Fmly Rushd 2wrds Her Hme N Saw The Monster In The Hollows.

I am so pleased that some of you went ALL IN and included several of the book titles in your tales. And then there were a few heartwarming tales about the girl carrying the books. Well done everyone!

This week…another interesting photo. You have 280 characters of course, but you don’t need to use them all. This one can be as few at a dozen or so. One word even. What is the message in this bottle? Possibilities are endless. Who sent it? Who was it meant for? Who found it?

Your challenge is to write a story about this rare beach find…or simply pen the message inside…or both. Have fun with this one. Take your time. You have a whole week until next week’s roundup. See you then!

Photo from the Commons at Pixabay

The Message:

milk
bread
red wine
brussel sprouts
toilet paper
soap
peanut butter
eggs
coffee
sugar
toothpaste
floss
spaghetti
tomato sauce
cheese
soup
strawberries

~kat 🙂

(135 Characters)