Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked. It's Thursday today, so what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what! Welcome to Week 112 of #ThursThreads, the challenge that ties tales together. Want to keep up each week? You're welcome to join the FB #ThursThreads group where we'll do events and make announcements. Need the rules? Read on.
Here's how it works:
- The prompt is a line from the previous week's winning tale.
- The prompt can appear ANYWHERE in your story and is included in your word count.
Rules to the Game:
- This is a Flash Fiction challenge, which means your story must be a minimum of 100 words, maximum of 250.
- Incorporate the prompt anywhere into your story (included in your word count).
- Post your story in the comments section of this post
- Include your word count (or be excluded from judging)
- Include your Twitter handle or email (so we know how to find you)
- The challenge is open 7 AM to 7 PM Pacific Time
- The winner will be announced on Friday, depending on how early the judge gets up.
How it benefits you:
- You get a nifty cool badge to display on your blog or site (because we're all about promotion - you know you are!)
- You get instant recognition of your writing prowess on this blog!
- Your writing colleagues shall announce and proclaim your greatness on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus
Our Judge for Week 112:
Cat lover, research aficionado, and erotic romance author, Marla Monroe.
And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.
The Prompt:
“Just like you.”
All stories written herein are the property (both intellectual and physical) of the authors. Now, away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThreads. Good luck!
Word count: 200 words
ReplyDeleteTwitter handle: @chattmor
Email: Lizzie.bella@aol.com
Prompt: Just Like You.
“It was never a matter of not loving you. Loving you was the easy part,” Charlie said, as he stepped over her body. She looked peaceful and quiet.
“I wanted to keep you safe and just love you, but no …” he said walking over to the queen size bed. He pulled and struggled with the pink rose pedal bed sheet. Some of the red blotches covered the pedals making it look as if it was bleached in blood.
“You would not listen. You wanted time apart. ” he spat and tugged harder at the corner of the bed where the sheet remained stuck, as if it knew its new purpose and struggled to avoid it. The sheet finally popped and he covered her semi-nude body.
“You look like you had a big date. Well, I know it was not with me.” Charlie lifted her lifeless body and took her downstairs to the garage and into the trunk of her vehicle.
“It did not have to end this way, precious.” Before he closed the trunk he covered her again with a long plastic tarp.
“I told you about Amelia, she would not listen either, and ended up just like you.”
Love this! Gives me goosebumps :-)
DeleteOhmygosh, this is soooo creepy good!
DeleteGreat flash fiction Lizzie!!!!!!!!!! :D
DeleteGlenna looked ready to bolt.
ReplyDeleteHe extended his right hand until it was under her field of vision and wiggled his fingers to get her attention in just the way she had taught him months ago.
She shook herself and shifted a little, but didn’t meet his eyes. “What? Sorry.” The words were spoken, but accompanied by miniature versions of the American Sign Language signs.
You okay? he asked.
“Nervous.”
Unbuckling himself from the seat, he turned to face her as fully as he could before clicking her seat belt fastener likewise. Then he covered her hands in his for a moment. Her fingers were icy and tense. I love you, he signed quickly. They will love you, too.
She inhaled slowly before touching him with her gaze. “I will feel different. Weird. You have all these brothers and sisters and I don’t know how to—“ She broke off, her hands making random motions he didn’t understand. Either they were her version of “um” or he didn’t have the vocabulary yet.
They’re only men and women, he reminded her. Just like you.
Kiss me? she signed.
Relaxing somewhere in his chest, he gathered her against him and did precisely that. Her hand pressed the sign for I love you over his heart.
“I love you, too,” he whispered against her cheek so she could feel the words. “Always,” he added, signing it between their bodies.
She pushed out a loud breath. “Okay. I’m ready.”
Good. Let’s go.
= = =
Word count = 247
@sandyquill
Only Human
ReplyDeleteJust like you
I am human
Though my nerve endings
May be hung out
Like strings touched easily
And trigger emotions
Easier than most
Yes, I feel deeply
And try to hide
The pain and joys
That show
For my over-exuberance
Puzzles some
And offends others
So I hide in shadows
Away from sight
Watching and waiting
For my fears to subside
The world to change
But somehow it stays
The same
As the world spins
Time marches on
I believe
I’ve learned to hide
My pain inside
But still it comes
Bursting through
Showing boldly
On my face
And in the writings
That I do.
108 words
@SweetSheil
Each woke to a new day and started their routines. At first, none noticed that the world they knew when they fell asleep the night before had changed. The feelings each experienced were similar when they discovered the people they knew and loved were no longer there—when they discovered the great responsibility bestowed on them.
ReplyDeleteHe parked the car and walked the short distance to the coffee shop. The windows were dark. He looked at his watch, 6:00 AM. The sign on the door read, CLOSED. Strange, he thought and returned to his car. He would have to drink the bitter coffee at work. Abandoned cars randomly littered the streets as he made his way across town. The annoying security guard was not at the front desk to shriek, ‘Good Morning!’ when he entered. He began working, anticipating the normal flow of employees to start funneling into the building. 8:00 AM and he was still the only one there. He explored the building and found no one. In the break room, a TV, showing an anchor desk with empty chairs, caught his eye. He flipped through the channels and stopped at a news channel from India. A woman sat in a chair, crying. She looked up, as though she knew he watched her.
“There has to be someone else out there,” she said, tears streaking her face. “I am just like you, alone. Please contact me.” She held up a sheet of paper with different forms of contact.
144,000
@ChuckWesJ
250 Words
Wow..You hooked me. Nice!
Delete"Major McMacken."
ReplyDeleteMack paused as Coolidge ran up, his face a slick mask of obsequious charm.
"Please, Major. We need your help. I need your help to find my fiancee." Coolidge added a veneer of concerned lover to his face. "She's been missing two days now and we're desperate to find her."
"I hear that, Mr. Coolidge. But I'm not going to send my people in blind. If it's need-to-know, and I don't, then you don't need us. Contact the normal authorities to find your fiancee."
"We can't." Coolidge glanced around to be sure no one else overheard. Mack damn near rolled his eyes at the man's furtive motions. "Please come back into the office. I'll explain everything."
"No, Mr. Coolidge. That won't be necessary. We're done here."
"Please, Major, I beg you. Bethany isn't here... in this world."
Mack raised eyebrows. "We got multiple worlds now, Mr. Coolidge?"
Again, the smarmy man glanced around. "Come back to the office."
Despite Mack's better judgment, his curiosity prodded him to follow the wealthy weasel back to Stanton's office. Coolidge knocked and Stanton let him in, a satisfied smile curling his thin lips.
"I see you've come to your senses, Major."
"No, sir, I've come for explanations. If there really isn't one, then I'll be on my way. See, just like you, I have places to be and people to kill."
The Senator gave him a flat look. "I've killed no one in my career, Major."
"That remains to be seen, Senator."
250 ineligible #WIP500 words
@SiobhanMuir
Very ominous. And what a great word: "obsequious."
Delete“You know, this is just like you to do something without thinking first!”
ReplyDeleteBrad’s voice rose to that high pitch Neil could barely stomach. Like wool over dry skin it made him shudder and he didn’t know how much more he could take.
Brad on the other hand had a flair for arguing. If it wasn’t the ever increasing tone of his voice, it was the wild hand gestures and expressive body language that made Neil think Brad enjoyed fighting. The expletives would come near the end, when Brad was ready to close the curtain on his little drama and begin with the making up. Neil hoped that would be soon.
“What?” Neil turned back to unloading the bag of groceries. “I only invited him because he put me on the spot.”
“But he’s your ex! And a real shitty one, too.”
Expletive number one. Thank god the end was near.
“You don’t even care do you?” Brad asked.
Neil refused to turn around and play into his game. He held his tongue.
“You know I can’t stand him, but that doesn’t seem to make any difference to you.” Brad’s shoes echoed on the kitchen tile behind Neil. The scrape of the barstool told him he had sat down. “Do you ever consider my feelings?”
Neil took a deep breath. This was going nowhere fast.
“I want to break up,” Brad said, forcing the last word out.
Neil whirled around, the air suddenly dashed from his lungs. No…
248 Words
Hunter Frost
@HunterFrostMM
"Wool over dry skin" --- ewww
DeleteWow... great story...loved the imagery--
Deletewow...great story, love the imagery... I could definitely feel sense the dry skin and the wool touching it...
Delete~~~~~
ReplyDeleteNot the same parents.
Not the same DNA.
Not even born on the same continent.
But, hell, you two are made of the exact same awesome. Peas. Pods.
All we know is that you have finally found each other now—family restored, lineage indisputable, calm pervasive.
Because soul mates aren’t always of the romantic kind—they can also be the ones you meet up with, time after time.
Life after life.
One time a father, the next time a son.
The next again, a trusted friend.
True friendship will find a way. Every single time.
For someone just like you.
~~~~~
Word count: 100 on the nose
Twitter handle: @AnnaLund2011
Ma and Pa sat in a sunbeam, the hardwood floor uncomfortable under their bony bottoms.
ReplyDelete"Why do you look like a penguin?"
Ma idly licked her paw, smoothing it over her right ear. She regarded Pa narrowed eyes, shaking her head. She licked her paw and smoothed it over her ear again.
"I suppose I look this way because my parents looked this way. Just like you. You've asked me this before, now shoo."
She flapped her paw as if shaking sand from it. Pa turned and walked down the hall in search of the too-tall human that seemed to love him just a bit too much sometimes. Ma was irritating lately and he chalked it up to her age. Nudging the office door open, he looked in, his eyes widening.
The too-tall human was sitting on the floor, tears streaming down his face. He hugged his knees to his chest. Pa walked forward, nuzzling his owners hand, yowling when he was swept into a crushing embrace.
"Don't cry, human," he said. He licked the salty tears, trying not to cringe. "I’m here."
Ma came in and shook her head. "This is most undignified. Why is he crying this time?"
"Be nice. He's nice to us. Try to make him happy."
Turning on their motors, both started to purr.
@Aightball
219 words
I wish I could be
ReplyDeletejust like you
and roll out of bed
with every hair in place
a gleaming smile
to greet the new day
I wish everything
I touched turned gold
easily completed
and error free
and loved by all
I wish my clothes fit
as well as yours
and everything I ate
simply vanished
and didn’t stay to
bulge and pucker
I wish I had your
strength and confidence
and could go to sleep
not worrying about
the bills or will
somebody break in
or will I die in my sleep
Most of all
I wish I could understand
why you want to be
just like me.
Leigh Ellwood
@LeighEllwood
110 words, btw.
DeleteSade fisted her hands on her hips. Sinjen waited for her chin to thrust out in stubborn profile. Her green bottle-glass eyes glittered before they narrowed. He stilled, as patient as any predator.
ReplyDelete“Why should I?” She pivoted on her heel, pacing away from him. Sade paused at the window, staring out across the midnight waves of Lake Superior.
“Because it’s important to him, Sade.”
Her shoulders stiffened and he fought the urge to cross to her, to touch her, rub away the fear roiling beneath her angry surface.
“Why do you care? You don’t even like Caleb.”
“That is not true, Sade. Why does this upset you?”
“It…” Her nervous fingers uncurled and plucked at her trousers. “He won’t be mine anymore.”
Ah, and there was the truth of it. Now he approached and slipped his arms around her rigid body, pulling her back against him. “He’s not leaving you, love.” He turned her in his arms, kissed her forehead and held her close again. “You need to learn to share.”
“Just like you?”
Sinjen threw back his head, laughing. “I don’t share. You’d do well to remember that.”
“Is that a threat?”
“Yes.”
Sade worked her arms up between them and leaned back. Then she thumped him with a fist. “Neanderthal.”
“Indeed.” She glared at the frothy pile of satin and lace huddling on his bed. “To stand with your brother’s bride is an honor, Sade.”
She shuddered and gulped. “But…why does it have to be so…pink!”
****
249 words
@SilverJames_
The father wondered how to fix the hurt in his daughter’s eyes. She thought they didn’t love her now.
ReplyDelete“Daddy, am I adopted?”
“Yes, Mommy and I wanted a child. I even thought I wanted a little boy.”
“A boy? But I’m not a boy.”
“No, you’re not. When I picked you up out of your crib you’re tiny little fingers, grabbed my finger and held tight.”
“Then what happened Daddy?” asked the little girl.
“My heart filled with such love that I knew you were the one. That we needed a little girl in our lives just like you.”
“And then what happened?”
“Your mother and I moved heaven and earth to adopt you and bring you home with us.”
“So I became your little girl?”
“Yes, you became our Marvielle.”
“And my name means miracle because you and mommy said I was your miracle.”
“After having three stillborn babies go back to God you were our miracle chosen to be big sister to Lourdes.”
“So when Lourdes comes home, you’ll still love me? Even though she was born from mommy?”
“Marvielle, I love you, mommy loves you. We have enough love in us for both of you. Now don’t tell your sister but you’ll always have the biggest part of my heart.”
“I love you too, daddy. “I promise to be the best big sister ever. Can we get Mommy and Lourdes, now?”
“Yes, sweetheart. We can bring them home now,”the father proclaimed smiling.
247 words
@SweetSheil
Beautiful and heart-wrenching. A great tale :-)
DeleteBeautiful, a fantastic tale :-)
DeleteI seem to have a knack for falling on my ass. Tonight, apparently, was no different as I found myself tripping on the carpet of the bar I'd tracked my loser brother to. Flailing, I landed with a hard thump - not on the floor, but against the chest of a tall, gorgeous stranger.
ReplyDelete"I've got you. Don't worry. I won't let you fall." His voice a surprisingly sweet low drawl.
I looked up into beautiful hazel eyes as he leaned down to kiss my palm. Sharp tingles shot up my arm and straight to my pussy. For a moment, the chaos of my life disappeared, and I felt safe and warm wrapped up in his solid arms.
But I didn't belong here. The more comfortable I became with his hands on my body, with my hand on his chest, the quicker I should run away from him, grab my fuck up of a brother and get the hell out of this trendoid den of iniquity. But his strong hand on my back and the sweet kiss of my hand had somehow rendered me stupid...and a little horny, truth be told. Mr. Classy Businessman definitely had my teeny tiny panties in a twist.
Just when I was about to shake free from his cobra spell, he brushed a kiss on my cheek and whispered, "I've been waiting my whole life for someone just like you to fall into my arms."
-------
247 words
@kaseylanewrites
Great language. Hmmm from sexy to the fucked-up brother!
DeleteYay! Kasey came to play! :-) Great piece. I wouldn't mind falling into the arms of Mr. Classy Businessman...
ReplyDelete"Muma, can I go knock for Jack?" Suzi gave an exsarspareted smile and said "no, they can only just have arrived home!" Suzi carried on checking her marking with a smile. Life was surely never dull around here!
ReplyDeleteShe had the home to run efficiently, difficult enough as she kept up with all little Freddie's experiments and a ton of marking! She was proud of him for sure but oh boy did he tire her out quickly! Staring out of the window watching Freddie play on his 'castle' Suzi's thoughts drifted back to the conversation she'd had with her father over coffee.
They'd been sitting with their coffee for a while when Freddie had come up with another gem. Suzi as usual had felt like squirming, at times she guilt ridden perceived he did it deliberately, while her father laughed. “Just like you. ” and Suzi had taken a double step back in her seat at that “yes, He's just like you. You were inquisitive and impetuous like your Freddie.”
Snapping back to current reality, Suzi made her own impetuous decision. She put aside her marking and grabbed her jumper and shoes before joining Freddie on his castle. It was far too nice a day to miss spending time with her precious child. In future she would choose how he was just like her!
Swirls of mist curled close to the grass. Sven walked through the viscous atmosphere, expecting it to whip upward, grasping as his legs. Instead, the dense cloud barely parted and reformed in his wake.
ReplyDeleteIn the distance, he made out the willowy shapes of trees. Odd yellowed beams of light from the nearby highway reflected and drowned.
She told him he would find one of his answers out here. All he saw was nature. The cloying thickness of it stuck in his throat. He tasted the air, could chew it up and swallow it for substance.
At the thought of food, his stomach rumbled. He pulled his cell from his back pocket. No reception, of course, but it told the time, 11:11 p.m. An odd quacking echoed, bouncing off the fog. He turned, searching out the direction of the pound. He didn’t need to end up face first in the algae-scum-covered water.
Another fear struck. Which was the way back? Damn Madeline, and her bizarre scavenger hunt. Why didn’t she answer his questions about why he’d been chosen?
Didn’t everybody wonder why am I here, and where did I come from?
He stumbled, falling to his knees on the soggy ground. With a groan, he sat down, resting his head in his palms, trying to remember the esoteric bullshit she’d given him.
Realization dawned, and unlike a movie … the mist did not clear.
“All you can be is who you are. Just like you.”
Louisa Bacio
@LouisaBacio
245 words
Oh Sven. I was right there with him in that muck. Nice imagery.
DeleteIt was Sunday morning. Time to go to church.
ReplyDeleteI staggered out of bed. “Work, legs! Work!” I staggered into the bathroom, stripped, turned on the shower, and staggered in. The water was fucking cold! “Jesus!” I turned the hot all the way up. “Fuck!” as I felt my skin boiling away. I stepped out of the water, and stuck a hand under it while I adjusted it.
“I hate fucking Sundays!” I soaped up and rinsed, then washed my balding head. Then I turned the water off. “You’re fucking out of time!”
I got out, dried off, then shaved as I stood in front of the mirror, . Standing there, starkers, I wondered about those guys that shave their nuts. The thought of even using an electric razor down there terrified me. “Maybe the use Nair or something?”
I got dressed. Even put on a tie. Had to tie that bitch three times. I got it tied, looked in the mirror, “Fuck!” and started over.
I hopped in the car and floored it, stopping at Hardee’s for a giant Coke, and a sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit. I ate as I flew down the highway, screaming, “Fucking idiot!” every time I had to change lanes to get around some slow ass bastard.
Of course I got there on time. And once there, everything was perfect. And after the service, all the old bitches said to me, “I wish my boy was just like you.”
Fuck yeah!
246 Words
@LurchMunster
“I want you. Gods above, I want you.” With more effort than she knew, I stepped back. “I’ve said all I can, Key.”
ReplyDelete“Isn’t it just like you to whisper sweet nothings and walk away?” She rubbed a hand over her lips, and I hoped, just this once, she didn’t mean to antagonize me.
She did anyway, but maybe—
“Oh, now you don’t want your space?” I wrapped my hands around her hips and tugged her tight against me. Every muscle stood at the ready, desperate for her permission. Once, I might have claimed her, but the rules had changed. She’d modernized in the eons since I’d loved her. “Just say the word, love, and I will strip you bare and taste every bit of you. Head to toe. Not one centimeter spared.”
“And then what?” Her words came in breathy gasps. She wasn’t unaffected, not by any stretch of the imagination.
“I’m not walking away, Key.” One deep breath embedded the scent of her in my memories. “No one is taking you from me again.”
“You can’t promise me that.”
“I can. One word from you gives me hope that no one can take you from me.” I stroked my fingertips up and down her sensitive ribs.
“Eros.”
I couldn’t hold out. I needed her. I had to have her.
“The word is ‘yes’ by the way.” I skimmed my teeth along the sweet column of her throat. “In case you’d forgotten.”
“Yes.” Her breathy moan destroyed my control.
@caramichaels
250 #WIP500 words
#ThursThreads is now CLOSED. Thanks to everyone who wrote this week and I hope to see you next week. :)
ReplyDelete