Friday Fictioneers, Father and Son. #flashfiction

PHOTO PROMPT © Alicia Jamtaas

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“Oh, look! An overgrown house!” Billy called.

“Look closer, son,” Dad replied.

“Hmm.” Billy stopped. “It looks small. Was it a
doghouse?”

Dad sat down on his heels. “That’s what they say.”

“Where’s the house for the people?” Billy asked.

“It burned to the ground. Miraculously, the dog’s house didn’t.”

“So, the family didn’t live?” Billy asked.

Dad shook his head.

“And the dog? Maybe he was in the doghouse,” Billy inquired.

“They never found the dog,” Dad answered.

“I think he ran off. I hope he found a new family.” Suddenly, a
bark made Billy jump.  “Let’s go now.”

(c) 2021, by Pamela Schloesser Canepa

 

 

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April. #RDP #shortreads

(C) by 2019 Pamela Schloesser Canepa

The wind was howling and we needed to take a break from our cliff hike.  Mike spotted a cave ahead in the distance.  “Let’s stop there,” he suggested.

The height was already making my breath come in short spurts; the wind made me feel like I’d be toppled over any minute, but with one foot in front of the other, we made it to the cave.

“Further in, so the wind won’t blow dust at us,” Mike said.

It sounded reasonable to me.  Further into the cave, I saw a huge blanket on the ground.  Mike and I look at each other warily.

In my peripheral vision, I spotted something moving.

“Stop right there!”  Mike wielded a pistol.

“Really, Mike?”  I was disgusted.

“You wouldn’t be so judgmental if it was a bear,” he argued.

The moving object was much too thin to be a bear.  As it came closer, I could see it was human in shape, with its hands up.

“No harm here, it’s just me,” the small form said.  A small form with the voice of a man.  He seemed taller as he slowly came closer.

Unthreatened, Mike put his pistol away.

“Do you live here?”  I asked.

“Oh, no.  I was camping with my girl.  She wondered off; I’ve been looking for her, well, until the wind picked up.”

“Shouldn’t there be a search party?”

“Not anymore.  It’s just me now.  I’ve been at this for a few weeks.  Haven’t gone home since I last saw her.”

“When exactly was that?”

“The end of April,” the man replied.

“Did you know it’s September now?”  I asked.

“September?”  He chuckled.  “That’s not funny.”  His face grew worried and withdrawn.

“When the wind dies down, we’ll take you into town for a coffee and steak, my treat,” Mike offered, probably feeling badly for having been so defensive.

The man just nodded, eyes wide open as saucers. Exiting the cave, he sang softy:

“April came and went. 

Its beauty fleeting, its energy spent. 

But my love is all but gone.

And all I have left is this sad song.”

MIke and I exchanged nervous glances, wondering what we’d gotten ourselves into.  I patted the man on the back.  “That’s Mike, and I’m April,” I said.

 

***Thank you to the Ragtag Community.  Visit them for other takes on the prompt and to join the daily writing inspiration at Ragtag Community on WordPress

**Both the poem and story are written by yours truly.  Thanks for stopping by.  Your comments are also much appreciated!

Counter Clockwise. #FFfAW

This week’s photo prompt is provided by Enisa.

Counter Clockwise, (c) Pamela Schloesser Canepa

I’d always been amazed by that watch he said he received from his grandfather.  It looked as good as new, and his grandfather had been long gone.

“They didn’t make that sort of gadgetry back in your Grandpa’s day,”  I teased.

He just shrugged, explaining very little.  His grandmother, whom I’d met, told cryptic stories about the grandpa.  He was from elsewhere and therefore unaccepted by her parents. She wasn’t surprised.  “They were narrow-minded,” she sniffed disdainfully.

Of course, Nadine was far from narrow-minded.  They’d never tell me where his grandfather was from.

Once, while on vacation in France, the watch started acting up, moving counter-clockwise really fast.

“You should take that for repair,” I suggested.

He shook his head no, and held his arm out the window.  Unclasping the watch, he let it drop to the street only to be pummeled to pieces by a passing delivery truck.

~149 words

 

Challenge- Write a flash fiction story of 100-150 words or less in response to a photo prompt.  Visit the FFfAW blog for more information and other stories:  Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers, May 7th prompt

Thank you for your readership and your comments!

Weekend Coffee Share, The Bucket List

Welcome to the #WeekendCoffeeShare, hosted by Allison at eclecticali.wordpress.com. I’m departing from the usual catch-me-up conversation, and I’d like you to just dream with me. It was Holy Week this week and I attended a somber Maundy Thursday service, then had a diagnostic appointment and a funeral memorial to attend Friday for my neighbor who was only 63. Everything turned out fine at the appointment, though, and the memorial was heartwarming. Still, it gets a person thinking about their own mortality. I have added to my bucket list, and likely will keep doing so. Even if I never get to these, I have gotten to some! So, sit with me, sip your favorite latte, tea, or other appropriate social drink, and lets dream as if we’ll live forever!

*Some I have done. Okay, very few. 🙂

• go whitewater rafting*
• go hang gliding over a mountain
• see the Grand Canyon*
• go sky diving
• publish a book *
• Do a book signing for a published book!*
• learn to fly a small two seater plane, and do so!
• visit the bookstore in SF where Kerouac hung out!
• take a trip to Italy
• witness the sun rising in 52 different cities:Done-Jax, St. Augustine, R. Iceland, Vegas, Brunswick GA, Middletown RI, Nassau, The Bahamas
• visit Ireland or London
• try beer yoga
• try goat yoga
• try helium beer with my best friend from high school. Wait, they say it doesn’t exist? Maybe it will by the time I get to it. LOL!
• Visit Madeira
• Visit Cape Horn and witness where the Pacific Ocean meets the Atlantic Ocean.
• Learn French!
• New Orleans, Joan of Arc parade

Do you have similar dreams? I’ve decided it is okay if I only get to some of them, and my excitement over Cape Horn led me to purchase a book about two people who sailed around it. I can’t believe I still haven’t tried goat yoga! I’m getting so close. This is the year!

Dream with me, my friend!

Swindled. #FFfAW #amwriting

Photo credit, J.S. Brand

“Swindled.”  By Pamela Schloesser Canepa, (c) 2018

“I’m telling you, he’s got the ring!”  Kaitlynn’s face grew more flushed as she spoke.

“So that’s why you’ve plunged in after him!  Wait, the $500,000 ring from the Count?”

“Yes!  Why else would I be standing here soaked?”

“I hope Vende can’t see you.  He expects you to go back to the yacht, you know.”

Kaitlynn bristled.  “I have no intention.  I’d just hate to lose the product of all my hard work.”

“Yeah, your schmoozing,” Henry laughed, trying to hide his jealousy.  Not only had she been more successful this time, she’d practically given herself to this “Count.”  It seemed both of them may be going a little too far these days.

“Come ‘ere, you bugger!” Kaitlynn went in further, just as the bird flew off.  “Argg! He’s probably got the thing down his digestive tract now!  That arse!”

“Kaitlynn,” Henry breathed deeply.  “I think we should reconsider our goals.”

Wading back, Kaitlynn sighed, partly in agreement, and partly out of frustration.  “Yeah.  Okay.”

**165 words

Want to submit your own flash fiction or read some of the other responses to the photo?  Visit  https://flashfictionforaspiringwriters.wordpress.com/2018/01/01/fffaw-challenge-week-of-january-2-2018/

Guidelines: 1. A prompt photo will be provided each Monday pm to be used as a base to your story. Please include photo prompt with your story.     2. Linking for this challenge begins on Monday pm and runs to the following Monday pm.

3. Please credit photo to photographer.

4. The story word limit is 100 – 150 words (+ – 25 words). Please try and stay within this limit.

5. Please indicate the number of words in your story at the end of your story. (It doesn’t count into the amount of words).

6. This is a flash fiction challenge (stories in 100-175 words or less) and each story should have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Therefore, no serial (continuation) stories. They become too complicated for our readers.

7. Add your story to the InLinkz Link-up (Blue Froggy button). Please let me know if you need link-up instructions.

8. Please keep stories below R rating.

9. Please respect the diversity of our readers and writers in regard to race, religion, and life style choice when writing your stories.

Thank you for reading my Flash fiction response!  Your comments are appreciated!

 

 

 

Two Boys and a Boat. #amwriting #fridayfictioneers

Photo credit, Roger Bultot

(c) 2017 Pamela Schloesser Canepa

They had left while it was still dark, two sixteen-year-old boys taking off with Dad’s car AND his canoe.  It was their first boating excursion alone.

Reaching the water’s edge, Billy halted.  “The tide is too low.”

“You didn’t check the reports?”  Roma asked.

“No.”  Billy felt bad.

Roma, ever the adventurer,  said, “We’ll go through the brush to where the water’s deeper!”

Billy recalled being in there before, getting stung by bramble, and finding a dead bird.

“But….” He saw Roma’s hopeful face.  “Well, the road less traveled…”

“Yes!”  Roma smiled.

*100 words*

This was written as part of the Friday Fictioneers challenge hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields (more details HERE). The idea is to write a short story of 100 words based on the provided photo prompt.

To read stories of 100 words based on this week’s prompt, visit HERE.

Seeking Solitude for the End of the World? Friday Fictioneers. #amwriting

PHOTO PROMPT © Danny Bowman

The end of the road is really not an end.  I embarked on this journey to find a final home in solitude.  Society was in shambles; natural disasters were abundant.

I packed necessities and a super strong tent.  Two flat tires later (I learned to change them myself), I had to rely on a friendly old native Arizona man when I ran out of gas. Darn cars,  I should’ve just walked.  Would I survive?

Now, I find a young fellow encamped over the hill, painting whatever he sees.

We will either be great friends, or I’m on the road again.

~The End~  (In a somewhat open ending…)

*A 100 word story.

**Friday Fictioneers is hosted by Rochelle at https://rochellewisoff.com/ and restarts every Friday with a new photo prompt.  Flash fiction stories are to be 100 words or less, with a beginning, middle, and an end.  Proper credit must be given to the owner of the photo.  Add your own by clicking the Inlinks button at the Sept. 1 post at rochellewisoff.com.  Thanks for visiting my blog!

 

 

W is for Wander. #AtoZChallenge

Photo taken in 2016.

Oh to wander

down a long winding path

on a windy day,

with unweighted debris tossed about.

 

Oh to wander,

where we’ll briefly lose our way

I miss these wonders.

My wandering warrior wants out.

 

*I’ve joined the April A to Z Blogger’s Challenge!  Each day this month, I will write something based on the next letter in the alphabet.  It’s been fun so far, yet it has really given me a chance to pause for reflection as well.

Want to know more about the A-Z blog challenge?  Visit http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com

 

F is for Flash fiction. #AtoZChallenge #fffaw

Photo credit: Yarnspinnerr

“I shall dominate!  I am King of the Jungle!  Watch me swing fearlessly from branch to branch!”

“Just hurry up, Rory.  It should be my turn now!”

“I feel so free up here!  Look at it, Joe!”

“I am.  Now hurry up, and make sure you don’t land to the left.  Looks like a long drop!”

“I’ll bet you didn’t think my arms could hold out this long.  You’ll never last as long as me.  Did you check your watch?  I’m gonna time you when you get up here.  I’m gonna-”

**Crack**

“Ahhhhh!  Rory!  Help!”

**Crash**

“Ah, man, Joe, you didn’t!”

“Help, Rory!  Get an ambulance!  I think I broke my leg!”

~Pride cometh before the fall.~

Find out about this Flash Fiction challenge at https://flashfictionforaspiringwriters.wordpress.com/2017/04/03/fffaw-challenge-week-of-april-4-2017/     A photo prompt is added every week.  Writers follow certain guidelines: Please include the photo prompt with your story and credit it to the photographer.  The story word limit is 100 – 150 words (+ – 25 words). Please try and stay within this limit.  Pingback to the challenge post in your story’s post.  Add your link to the InLinks button. See more at the website above!