Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked. It's Thursday today so get your flash ready to celebrate and write a #flashfiction thread! Welcome to Week 139 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 8 PM Mountain 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 139:
Sci-fi adventurist, Typo Sniper, and #flashfiction Master, Cara Michaels.
And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.
The Prompt:
“This isn’t your first rodeo.”
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!
Jessica loved rodeos. The horses. The bulls. The contests. As she walked through the gate, with her ticket, the man collecting them looked her over good, “This isn’t your first rodeo…”
ReplyDelete“No, it’s not,” she gave him a smile.
She sat in the stands, and watched, and waited, hoping for something special to happen.
On that day, she was not disappointed. It happened during the bull rides. A rider, thrown from the bull. The bull got him good. A big hoof planted on his right knee. “Yes!” Jessica leaped to her feet, her video recorder in hand, and zoomed in on the fallen rider. She recorded his fall from grace. The look of agony and fear on his face. The impossible angle at his knee, his lower leg jutting sideways, sticking out.
She had another scene to add to her collection.
“For you, Sis. For you.”
Wrath stood in the shadow of the bull, “It was a cowboy who killed your sister.” He pushed the bull, “Go stomp him more!” He laughed as the bull went wild, and Jessica recorded it all. “If enough of them get torn up, your sister will finally rest in peace.”
Jessica smiled. “For you, Sis. For you.” She hoped he’d never walk without a cane. “Cowboys will pay for what they did.” She hoped there’d be more to record as the day went on. “Let them all bleed, God. All of them. It’s what they deserve.”
Wrath laughed, and laughed.
246 Words
@LurchMunster
“Crap, Dalton, When are you going to learn to keep your fucking dick zipped up?”
ReplyDelete“It’s not like that, LT.” Dalton leaned around the other man to peer into the hut. He couldn’t see much before the other man pushed him back.
“We have to get her off this island. Are you sure she didn’t see anything? Besides your cock?”
“Dammit, sir. I was just taking her down the keys to the marina. I swear. She had car trouble. Then the storm blew up. The inflatable capsized and she went under. By the time I located her, I figured she was already dead. Was I just supposed to leave her there floating face down in the ocean?”
“Yes.”
Dalton stared at him, his mouth gaping. He finally snapped his jaw shut. “Fuck that, sir. We aren’t murderers.”
“This isn’t your first rodeo. Has it occurred to you she might be a plant? Think, man. With the big head, not the little one.”
His fists curled at his sides. “Dammit, Lieutenant, I am not a cunt hound. Sure, I like to fuck, but not every girl is a candidate for my bunk. I swear I was just trying to help her out.”
“Too bad your past history belies that, sailor.”
Lieutenant Carter pivoted and stormed off. Dalton dug his toe in the sand and didn’t look up when Duke walked up. “You gonna ream me out, too, Chief?”
“Nope. You did the right thing.”
“What about the mission?”
“She won’t remember.”
****
250 words
@SilverJames_
The smell of copper permeates the air. Running over pavement covered in glass and blood, I throw my bag down next to what used to be a red four door car. As soon as I have clearance, I snap a collar around the woman’s neck. I rummage in her purse and find her cell phone and ID. Those will come in handy later when we have to call her family.
ReplyDeleteAnother paramedic runs a backboard over. A chopper lands near by, stirring up dirt and debris. With the woman secure, we lift the backboard and run for the helicopter.
I glance over at Sara, the newest paramedic to our squad. We lock the backboard in place in the chopper and run back to the accident scene.
“This isn’t your first rodeo, is it?” she asks.
“Nope. Why? Can’t handle a little blood?”
She scoffs as we grab our bags and run to the next a black mangled truck.
“I got this.”
Sara climbs in, working a collar around the neck of a young man. I cut the seatbelt away and start an IV. My radio vibrates with the chatter of dozens of paramedics as we get victims triaged.
We climb into an ambulance and start working on the young man. Sirens wail as we pull out, heading south in the northbound lanes. ““Good job out there. You’re gonna do okay.”
She smiles. “This wasn’t my first rode, either.”
@Aightball
238 words
Eric and Callum stood in the shadows outside the dilapidated house waiting for the target to join them. Eric and Callum had seeded the house earlier today with things to frighten Thomas and make him run screaming from the house. Callum had even ‘borrowed’ a camera. To their surprise Thomas appeared in the building; Callum and Eric rushed in camera in hand. Inside the house, wispy vapour like trails flung themselves at them enveloping them in cold. Callum and Eric were startled as things like pics of wood and other parts of the house began to fling themselves at them. Chairs moved with no human participation. Eric ran out in fear as Callum stood rooted in terror as the camera lifted from his hands and went flowing through the air in unseen hands. Then he saw Thomas standing in the shadows holding it.
ReplyDelete“What’s a matter, Callum? This isn’t your first rodeo.”
“Thomas, good joke.” Callum said relieved.
“So all those things you planted they were a joke?” Thomas asked chillingly and Callum cringed.
“Of course, you’re our friend.”
“What about that kid Tommy, three years ago...the one that died?”
“How do you know about that?” Callum asked.
Thomas smiled a terrible smile and Callum watched he became see-through.
“Thomas?”
“I prefer Tommy.”
Callum ran then stumbling out the front door. A few days later Callum and Eric was investigated in the mysterious disappearance of Tommy Brown three years previous; a mysterious video posted the key to their arrest.
250 words
@SweetSheil
"The tribunal made their decision. We'll see what they have to say."
ReplyDeleteMack's gut contracted a little, but he tilted his head and smiled non-chalantly. "I'm sure it'll be fine. This isn't your first rodeo."
Bethany coughed her laugh. "You know how ironic that statement is given where we are? Can you imagine Warrick or Yarren in a Stetson and vest with a bandanna around their necks as they twirl a lariat over their heads?" She shook her head with a grin. "Gives a whole new meaning to horseman."
Mack matched her grin with a chuckle. "They'd make great cowboys and wranglers, though, wouldn't they?"
"Yeah, they wouldn't need a mount to chase after the steers, but cattle wrestling could be a bitch."
Mack snorted. "How do you know so much of rodeos when you live in the east?"
"One of the girls I went to school with was a rodeo queen and she showed me all the videos of her performing." Bethany shook her head with a whimsical smile. "She could really ride. She made the jockeys from my father's racing stable look like perched amateurs. Because of her I bought my first Western saddle and made my father buy me some of those sparkly western shirts."
"I bet he was thrilled about that."
Bethany shook her head before she braided her hair. "Oh, he was so happy about it, he made me go to a whole summer's worth of campaign parties. Not sure the shirts were worth it."
250 ineligible #WIP500 words
@SiobhanMuir
He swept his tongue past her lips and Kira responded. Ben had always made her feel small and feminine. Not to mention, it’d been twelve months since she’d enjoyed his touch. His taste exploded on her tongue, as familiar to her as her morning coffee and every bit as addictive.
ReplyDeleteHer nipples hardened. The ache in her core echoed in the points. Ben pressed his advantage, stealing her breath with forceful kisses. He wedged his knee between her legs and ground his thigh against her clit.
Through the open door, she heard her upstairs neighbor’s heavy tread. Ben seemed undeterred by noise. He slid his hand to the back of her neck, caressing her shoulder with his lips. He worked the neckline of her dress past her bra with his chin.
“Love the dress,” he muttered. “It’s soft.” When he lifted his head, his blue eyes gleamed. His lips twisted with amusement. “And stretchy. But not as soft as you.” He buried his face between her breasts.
This felt so right. Being with Ben was as easy as breathing.
He circled his hips, pressing the rigid column of flesh into her cleft.
“Ben,” she gasped. “Stop.” His teeth captured a nipple.
Without warning, he snapped his head up. At that moment, she felt his cock jerk. A spot of heat seeped through his pants.
“Oh, Ben. This isn’t your first rodeo.” She grinned.
He scowled. “Kira, it’s been three hundred and sixty-nine damn days. There’s more where that came from.”
@EdenConnor
250 words
Suzi looked up the flights to America. She had no idea what she would find when she got there. "Fancy owning a ranch" she mumbled aloud still in slight disbelief. She had read all the books. Her strange vegetarian cousin had tried to persuade her not to go for 'they all have rodeo's and eat way too much meat'. Suzi however had made an executive decision.
ReplyDeleteThree days it took her to plan and ship her belongings across the pond. She would be traveling light herself. Taking a last glance at the flat she'd now only see on paper , she shivered before slamming the door behind her. She left the keys with Mike who would be in charge of maintenance in her absence and went to board her plane.
At last she arrived in California. The weather was completely different. After a while Suzi began to make friends and one day she did find herself at a rodeo. With no clue as to what was occurring she did her best to blend in. That's until she bumped into the tall, distinguished Jay who lived nearby.
"Hey cutie" Jay drawled. Blushing Suzi muttered hey.
"This isn't your first rodeo now is it? "
"Er yes actually" Suzi couldn't stop staring or believe her luck. This man was a dream!
" well now , you stick by me and I'll show you how it's done"
Suzi smiled knowingly and begun to enjoy her first rodeo.
(244)
(@llindorfan)
Shiloh saw the crowd form too late. They were surrounded. All she could do was look to Michael hoping he'd find a route of escape, but he shook his head and gave her a worrisome look.
ReplyDelete"Shiloh..." Hannah was trembling and her sister stepped to her side, her hand on her weapon.
"These people mean you no harm," the itinerant preacher said, but that was no reassurance.
Sorin, still exhausted from her ordeal, stood between them and the crowd and cast a ward rendering them invisible.
"You constantly amaze me," Sorin told her when they were safely away.
"I have to go back for Ejan," Sorin said.
"This isn't your first rodeo, is it?" the itinerant preacher said.
"There are no rodeos anymore," Shiloh said. "There's no more Earth."
Cate Derham
@cate_derham
129 Words
#ThursThreads is now CLOSED. Thanks to everyone who wrote this week and I hope to see you next week. :)
ReplyDelete