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 art or a joke?” She admired his work like a connoisseur.
“Is there a difference?”
The Challenge: Write a story in 100 words or less
The Challenger (Hub): Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
The Photo Credit: Björn RudbergBreadcrumbs: If you leave a link in my comments to the post where you rose to the challenge, then I will be sure to comment. If it’s hard to find you, I’ll assume you don’t want a visit
word count 95
Suzie’s House 524 : Clean and Clear
“Well? Well?! What do your think?” Drew could hardly contain himself as he put the last glass down among a forest of glasses on the kitchen table.
In the course of half an hour he’d swallowed a dozen different concoctions. He’d done some weird yoga things too and some other stuff that Sonoma said would set him off if he wasn’t a hundred percent yet.
If he’d had a melt down, he’d totally missed it. He’d been watching the clock, too. Unlike so many times in the past year, there weren’t any big gaps.
Shuffle
In my youth “shuffle” was something people down on their luck did. To my kids it means something else entirely.
Please ignore the stupid, salacious cover image which has diddly squat to do with the video.
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 camera so Ted could see. “I caught a bird!”
Ted changed his settings.
The Challenge: Write a story in 100 words or less
The Challenger (Hub): Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
The Photo Credit: Ted StrutzBreadcrumbs: If you leave a link in my comments to the post where you rose to the challenge, then I will be sure to comment. If it’s hard to find you, I’ll assume you don’t want a visit
Suzie’s House 523 : Shoes
“How much longer are they going to be here?” Miranda glared into the hall through which the old couple had exited minutes before.
“As long as it takes.” Suzie pulled a roll of cookie dough out of the refrigerator and started slicing.
“Takes for what? To worm they way into the house as permanent honorary members?”
Suzie didn’t bother to respond, which only made Miranda all the more insecure. She knew she wasn’t exactly being generous, but she felt like this old couple was taking her own tentative place in the household.
Dimmuborgir
We stopped at Dimmuborgir – an area with some interesting volcanic rock – where we did some hiking.
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.
The Challenge: Write a story in 100 words or less
The Challenger (Hub): Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
The Photo Credit: Sandra CrookBreadcrumbs: If you leave a link in my comments to the post where you rose to the challenge, then I will be sure to comment. If it’s hard to find you, I’ll assume you don’t want a visit
EXTRA
This one is strictly for those who have been reading my Fictioneers posts long enough and consistently enough to recognize the ongoing characters. It’s over 100 words. I don’t really expect you to bother with it.
One Artiste to Another
“Crud. Anita, come look at this. What is that crazy friend of yours doing in my garden?” Anita’s father pointed out the window of his elegantly appointed mansion to the garden far below.
“Don’t look at me. He’s not my friend.” Anita shrugged, though secretly she approved of the bit of stacking-stones performance art. The crude, naturalistic results of boulder on boulder gave an appealing whimsy to the otherwise too-strict household. “He came with Matt.”
Her father winced, but he didn’t go into the usual diatribe about her choice of companions. Or lifestyle. “Do something,” he growled. “Tell Matt to make him stop.”
“Yes, Sir.” As she turned away, she grinned, knowing what Matt would probably do.
Suzie’s House 522 : Another Degree of Separation
Drew eyed the thick, green brew in a teacup with some misgivings. Although Sonoma did her best to make the stuff taste good, she didn’t always succeed. Since he’d never been a fan of slimy food, he suspected this was going to be particularly vile.
“Just hold your nose and down it as fast as you can. But don’t throw up! You are not allowed to throw up.” Sonoma returned his glare with stubborn insistence.
I’d Rather Be…
1. Sleeping. I got up at 4 am and couldn’t get back to bed. I’m tired.
2. Done with taxes! Yeah, wishful thinking. It’s only begun.
3. Much further along in processing photos. I hope to be back to Iceland next Thursday.
4. Lighter weight. I’m back on the weight loss program. So far? two pounds less. Only fifty or sixty to go.
5. Anywhere but the doctor’s office.
6. Smarter.
7. With a good memory
8. And a kind heart.
9. Warm! I’ve had enough Winter now.
10. More active.
11. Free of cat hairs. It gets everywhere.
12. Snorkeling. Think they’ll let me do it at the pool?
13. Hanging out with you.
Boxed In
Box springs. Jenny ran her fingers over the crisp, white sheets, feeling every dent and furrow. The monitor beeping next to her was also a kind of box. The white-walled room another. The nurse’s station in the hallway also squared off.
“Malignant,” The doctor had said with painful compassion. “But you’re a fighter. A boxer, right? You’ll be fine.”
Yeah, she’d been a fighter, but when she was in the boxing ring, she wasn’t alone.
The Challenge: Write a story in 100 words or less
The Challenger (Hub): Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
The Photo Credit: J Hardy CarrollBreadcrumbs: If you leave a link in my comments to the post where you rose to the challenge, then I will be sure to comment. If it’s hard to find you, I’ll assume you don’t want a visit
Lake Myvatn Area
The area is known for it’s diverse bird populations – ducks to ptarmigans (of which I didn’t notice any). The pseudocrater field is formed by steam explosions from lava flowing over wet earth at Skutustadir. Ok, that’s enough of that.
I was going to go all educational with this one and talk about the nasty chemicals these fumaroles put out and the geological details and all. Instead I’ll just say a few things. First, it makes me think of Yellowstone. Only a lot smaller. Yellowstone in a teacup.
Second, one of the people in our group used to work with the kind of chemicals this place puts out. He pointed out that they were all remarkably deadly. Luckily we all made it out just fine, but I suspect I wasn’t the only one holding her breath.
Third, they said it would be badly buggy with tiny, vicious midges. Some of us wisely brought scarfs and such that could go over our hats. I meant to. I really did. From Mosques to midges, I’m finding a chiffon scarf is basic travel gear.
True Love
“My love for you is like this flower.” Alicia held it up Liam like an Olympic torch to the flaming bowl.
“It’s a dandelion.” He backed off a step, almost tripping over the back step of
Sally’s house.
Alicia advanced on him. “It survives the hottest days of Summer or the depths of Winter. It will not die, but ever, eternally, longingly continue. All it needs is the water of your returned affection.”
“You already know I love Sally.”
“But”
“No buts.” Sally came out the back door. She leaned forward and blew.
Dandelion fluff scattered all over the yard.
The Challenge: Write a story in 100 words or less
The Challenger (Hub): Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
The Photo Credit: Marie Gail StratfordBreadcrumbs: If you leave a link in my comments to the post where you rose to the challenge, then I will be sure to comment. If it’s hard to find you, I’ll assume you don’t want a visit
