Categotry Archives: Friday Fictioneers
Wild and Crazy Guy
“Hey, check it out!” Martin, who normally wore old jeans, hiking boots, and a baseball cap entered the room in a red-smeared lab coat. “I’m a wild and crazy guy!” “You? Crazy?” Matt, the guy known for arguing with traffic lights and trying to blow up an armory with a truckload of manure, sneered at Martin. “Hey! I can be crazy.” Martin lifted his chin. “Is that blood?” Toby, who may or may not have been responsible for the body […]
Intrepid
The doctors insisted on treatment after treatment, but Betsy had never felt there was anything wrong with her leg. It was simply the way she was born. Her mother wanted to try an new, experimental operation to permanently install a prosthesis. She refused. The result of their argument? Betsy took up ballet to prove a point and ended up with a career. The Challenge: Write a story in 100 words or less The Challenger (Hub): Rochelle Wisoff-Fields The Photo Credit: […]
Down Time
It had only been a day since Bruce’s rock band, Maliprop, got kicked out of Gene’s house. Already Bruce missed the place. No more sitting on the floor with everyone dreaming up lyrics. No more ice cream or free meals. No more sage advice from weird old folks. Even if they had another place to practice, all the fun was gone. He hadn’t broken anything or threatened anyone and still…. Sometime he wanted to scream. Not. My. Fault! Worst part? […]
For the Long Haul
Mario was tired of his neighbors. He’d moved to Venice several months ago. All their talk of flooding and how to do things annoyed him. They told him he’d never make it as a ferryman. He’d been a truck driver for years and years. Did they really think he didn’t know how to pack a load? Yes, his boat was more tricky, but he could handle it. Or so he thought until he tried to corner too sharp, took on […]
Rumble
Matt got off the train in LA. The vaulting stone work in the station creeped him out. People moved through it as if perfectly safe with tons of rock over head. Idiots! Lunatics! Any minute now the ceiling could come tumbling down and all would be lost! The hair on the back of his neck lifted. He ran for the exit, but stopped long enough to shout. “Run! The building is falling!” “Crazy.” The people nearest shook their heads. Everyone […]
Buried Treasure
Alicia leaned on the fence while she watched Farmer John dig a hole in his garden. “That’s an awfully deep hole. Are you planting a tree? Maybe starting an orchard?” She thought that would be nice. “Nope.” “What then? Looking for buried treasure?” She grinned at her little joke. “Yep.” “Really?” She stepped on the lower rail to get a better look. “Gold doubloons? How did you know it was there?” “Time capsule.” He picked up a box and dropped […]
The Argument
“I don’t want it,” Daughter said. She tried to hand back a cut-glass candy dish that used to be her great grandmothers. “Just take it. It’s much better than anything else you have.” Mother looked around the humble apartment with disdain. “I don’t want anything from you. You were never there when I needed you. Now you want to make me drop out of college and take over your store. Get out!” Mother slammed the door. Daughter threw the dish. […]
Country Folk
Ted was two thirds the way in to town when he ran into Sally. “Nice shoes,” she called from the fence. “Oh. These?” He glanced down at his Doc Martins with duct tape wrapped around the toes. “They’re just….” “No need to explain. I live far enough out of town to have to jury rig stuff too. Let me know if you need more tape to hold them together.” With a smile and a wave she headed into her field. […]
Lookout
Sally and Alicia went hiking in the hills even though Alicia really wanted to go shopping in the city. Only neither one of them had money and hiking is free. “Why do you like it so much here, Sally? It’s so dry!” Alicia eyed a dead tree. “What are you talking about? It’s not like there’s nothing but dirt. Look at all this green!” Sally walked right past the tree without even glancing at it. “Hey, come look out from […]
Out With the Old
First day of high school Alicia, Sally, and Liam sat on the swings at the park. All three had their arms wrapped around the thick iron chains, leaning forward and kicking their feet but not actually swinging. “It’s all different now,” Alicia complained. “Yeah. They took out the slide and jungle gym and put in that plastic stuff.” Liam grumbled. “Yeah. Now they got the good stuff, but won’t let us play. Oh, here comes the cop now.” “Hey,” he […]
Penny Wise
The children’s museum had a special donations area. It held a big, metal collection box at children’s waist height that was shaped like the inside of a tornado. Kids would put a coin in their choice of slots, then watch it roll around and around, down to the covered collection at the bottom. Done right, the coins might flip, or jump on the way down. Nancy thought it was a wonderful way to raise funds until her son stripped all […]
Spring Cleaning
The first day of Spring, Ruth had the patio cleared of all the debris. A week later she had the old, wrought iron table brought out from a garage. Two chairs turned up in the attic. Two were in a storage unit. She found the last two in the basement. It all needed a good coat of paint. By the time she was done, it was nearly Summer. She looked over her hard work with pleasure. “Now, all I need […]
Gorilla Art
On a narrow mountain road in Bolivia Ted pulled a paint pot and brush from his backpack. “You even have supplies with you now?” Anita, who financed the trip, set her much lighter pack on the ground. “You never know when there will be a chance for a social statement.” He began painting fingernails onto a keep-hands-off road sign. “That’s a palm, not the back of a hand,” she observed. “It’ll mess with people’s minds.” “Are you trying to make […]
During the Eclipse of the Moon
Ted and Martin both hunched over cameras set up on tripods. Ted clicked a shot, checked the results, and swore. “Still blurry! I barely even touched it this time. What am I doing wrong?” “The earth moved,” Martin mumbled as he made his own attempt. “No, really. That’s why mine in on a fast setting.” “What? Are you saying the earth is spinning faster than my camera can work?” “Hey look!” Martin tipped the ipad he had slaved to the […]
Either Or
Family Tree A party conducted itself with perfect gentility in the sprawling “old heap” while Edgar sat in the graveled parking lot piling stones. He tried to ignore the voices in his head. They sounded exactly like his parents. “What should we do with him?” “An institution?” “His autism isn’t profound. Surely we can….” “What? Keep him hidden? Too late for that.” By the time the first guests came out, the Edgar’s pile of precariously balanced stones stood shoulder high. […]
