Fandango’s Flash Fiction Challenge #47

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Clear blue skies greeted our family of four, as they piled into the family car and began their journey to their holiday spot. The drive was long and when they reached the bridge connecting their town on one side to another town on the other side, the traffic was horrid. Everyone was honking but nothing was moving.

There it was, our family was stuck on the bridge. The mother was shouting over the radio and their two-year-old boy’s crying, while their ten-year-old daughter was complaining about everything, from how hot the car was to how she wanted to be with her friends instead of going on a holiday trip. The father stared moodily out the window, wishing for something – anything – to end this nightmare.

The sky became darker without warning and everyone, out of curiosity, looked out the window. What looked like a dark cloud was fast approaching the bridge. Against the wind.

Everyone started screaming.

A giant foot had appeared of nowhere toward the bridge!

The father knew he should run but out of morbid fascination, stayed where he was and stared while the mother was screaming and shaking him. The giant foot landed precisely where their car was, flattening countless other cars and destroying the bridge at the same time. Then the giant foot lifted and came down on the same spot. Again, and again.

And again…

“No,” the mother narrowed her eyes at her son. He showed her his toy cars and pieces of his Lego. “I’m not going to buy you new toy cars and Lego. I don’t know what you were thinking but I saw you stomping on them!”

The little boy scrunched up his face, about to cry. Perhaps he should have thought through his story more thoroughly…

Thus, the tragedy ends!

(300 words)

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If you are interested, the prompt is linked below.

Welcome to “Fandango’s Flash Fiction Challenge.” Each week I will be posting a photo I grab off the internet and challenge bloggers to write a relatively short flash fiction piece inspired by the photo. While there are no definitive style or word limits, I suggest trying to keep your posts to under 300 words.

For the visually challenged writer, the image shows a two lane bridge spanning two mountains along a coastal road high above a deep gorge or inlet.

I hope this week’s image will generate some great posts. If it inspires you and you wish to participate, please write your post, use the tag #FFFC, and link back to this post.

Thanks to all of you who have participated in these challenges so far. Your posts have been very creative. Please take a few minutes to read the other responses to this photo challenge.

Prompt: Fandango’s Flash Fiction Challenge #47

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Fandango’s Flash Fiction Challenge #26

Joe Roberts at DeviantArt.com

When the two old roommates saw their Uber coasting toward them, they got up to flag it down.

“Ugh, I’m glad we quit drinking. Otherwise we’ll be puking all over the cab,” @n+h0ny started.

“So what if we didn’t quit drinking? This is the latest Uber cab that has automated cleaning services, complete with refreshing and cleansing abilities. It wouldn’t have mattered even if we puked,” N:9e1 replied. “It will simply clean up everything and we even have time for a smoke before we reach our place.”

“But I do miss the taste of beer and alcohol. And the smokes, of course,” @n+h0ny said wistfully as they loaded themselves into cab.

“Well, you gain some, you lose some. I mean, we could be dead 500 years ago,” N:9e1 countered. “Uploading our consciousness into this latest GT-2000 models and living to see all this – ” he waved at their surroundings. “worth it!”

“Yes, worth it!” @n+h0ny agreed and they laughed as the driverless Uber beamed to their private planet two galaxies away in less than 7 minutes.

(177 words)

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Hmm, I must say, this is my first time trying my hand at a sci-fi genre. It’s not as easy as it looks, and I did not even go into details. I don’t know how sci-fi writers, or fantasy writers, craft a completely alien yet recognisable world. Salute.

If you are interested, the prompt is linked below.

Welcome to “Fandango’s Flash Fiction Challenge.” Each week I will be posting a photo I grab off the internet and challenge bloggers to write a relatively short flash fiction piece inspired by the photo. While there are no definitive style or word limits, I suggest trying to keep your posts to under 300 words.

Prompt: Fandango’s Flash Fiction Challenge #26

Carrot Ranch – August 8: Flash Fiction Challenge

Photo by SplitShire on Pexels.com

Poisoned Apple

He could scarcely believe it. Months of effort – of planning, of sleepless nights – wiped out in matters of seconds.

Oh, how can the apple be poisoned so?

Known for its immunity, most viruses are unable to affect it. Yet, he could deny the truth no longer.

His MacBook Pro is not responding to any of the commands.

Well, every cloud has its silver lining. Or at least he hopes the iCloud has, that the documents have been backed up to the online server.

Then he realises, he has forgotten to switch on the Wi-Fi.

Poisoned Apple indeed.

(99 words)

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Well, this happened to me once. I wasn’t using MacBook Pro but rather, some other brand (NEC or Sony Vaio, I forgot which one until I made the switch to MacBook Pro). Google didn’t have a range of services like it does now and auto-saving a copy online was a foreign concept. At least to me.

The whole thing died and my heart along with it. Everything I had on the computer was the only copy. Thank goodness I know of a friend who knows of a friend who knows of a computer whiz. He did some tech mojo and I managed to salvage most of what I had, albeit not the latest updated copy.

But hey, at least I managed to get some things back!

And I never trust technology again. I have different copies of the same document saved in various places.

Talk about paranoia.

If you are interested, the prompt is linked below.

August 8, 2019, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about a poisoned apple. Let’s explore dark myth. Deconstruct the original or invent something new. Negotiate the shadows, shed light, but go where the prompt leads you!

Respond by August 13, 2019. Use the comment section below to share, read, and be social. You may leave a link, pingback, or story in the comments. If you want to be published in the weekly collection, please use the form. Rules & Guidelines.

Prompt: Carrot Ranch – August 8: Flash Fiction Challenge

Fandango’s Flash Fiction Challenge #25

jplenio at pixabay.com

Crouching Beauty, Hidden Danger

What is most beautiful is to be avoided.

He enjoys jogging this stretch of road, especially when scattered sun rays filter through the trees. And the scenery is beautiful, littered with shrubs and random bursts of fauna and flora along the edge of the road. He always feels that the weight of the world drops from his shoulders and he jogs without a care in the world.

But it is not the beauty that is dangerous.

As his feet continue the steady pounding against the concrete ground, he feels something brushes against his leg. He continues jogging; he is used to brushing or grazing himself against the knee level shrubs or ankle level flora and pays no attention. But then, he feels the weirdest sensation along the length of his leg.

What is dangerous is hidden under the beauty.

After another few moments, he can no longer ignore the itch running up and down his legs. He stops and looks down to inspect the sensation; the most peculiar sight greets him – a single strand of spider web, slowly but surely weaving itself onto his leg. He frowns before he remembers his aged grandmother’s words.

So guard well against the hidden dangers.

“To you, it is nothing more than a web. But to a spider, it is home. And the wrath of having one’s home destroyed for no apparent reason is not to be underestimated.” But it is too late – where the man is looking down at his leg, there is only gigantic cocoon in his place. Soon, even the cocoon will be gone.

Don’t do harm to others; don’t forget to guard against others.

(276 words)

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I saw a fantastic photo, I write a fantastic story. I could not resist that this story, especially when I tend to brush against something when I go jogging. And being the anal person I am, I always ignore what I brush against until I’m done with my jog. By then, it’s too late – I’ll usually end up with a bruise.

As usual, I could not resist but add in a Mandarin adage to end the story. And as usual, I probably did not do justice to the translation. The Mandarin adage is teaching young children not to purposefully harm any people or animals. But in the second line of the couplet, it also warns children not to be too trustful of everyone either as there are people who would use knowledge of you against you.

If you are interested, the prompt is linked below.

Welcome to “Fandango’s Flash Fiction Challenge.” Each week I will be posting a photo I grab off the internet and challenge bloggers to write a relatively short flash fiction piece inspired by the photo. While there are no definitive style or word limits, I suggest trying to keep your posts to under 300 words.

If this picture inspires you and you wish to participate, please write your post, use the tag #FFFC, and link back to this post.

Prompt: Fandango’s Flash Fiction Challenge #25

July 25: Flash Fiction Challenge

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Lost and Found

For one day, he wished he could hear that familiar voice again.

The voice he knew so well, the deep baritone which aged into higher pitch over the years. By the time he married, his father’s voice had thinned out.

Death robbed him of his father’s voice; fire robbed him a second time as it swallowed everything.

He stood in front of what was left behind, himself and his wife included.

“Oh boy, what happened?” that laughing voice sounded out.

He thought he was seven again; his wife had saved the audio recording of his father’s voice.

He cried.

(99 words)

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Sometimes, the simplest things in life are capable of making you cry.

If you are interested, the prompt is linked below.

July 25, 2019, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story that includes the phrase “for one day.” The words single out a special occurrence. What is the emotion and vibe, where does it take place and why? Go where the prompt leads!

Respond by July 30, 2019. Use the comment section below to share, read, and be social. You may leave a link, pingback, or story in the comments. If you want to be published in the weekly collection, please use the form.  Rules & Guidelines.

Prompt: July 25: Flash Fiction Challenge

June 27: Flash Fiction Challenge

Photo by Steve Johnson on Pexels.com

Perfect Paint Product

I looked at the botched paint job. I could have hired professionals but I insisted on doing it myself. I started scrapping away at the paint and started sobbing.

“What are you doing, son?”

“That was a lousy paint job and I just want to repaint it!”

He frowned as he processed my blubbering. “You want to repaint the entire wall because of that small mistake? Besides, the table goes there and it will cover up that section.”

“I want a perfect job! I just can’t let it go!”

He stared at me for a moment. “Can’t? Or won’t?”

(99 words)

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I’m always a bit of a perfectionist, to the point of obsession when I would rather not start on a project for fear of not doing a fantastic job. I would not say I have outgrown that tendency but I think I am starting to cope with it better.

I would backslide every now and then, especially in my work when I’m preparing teaching materials for my class. That gives me unnecessary stress as I become overly hard on myself and I would just break down.

I really need to learn not to be a perfectionist and let things go at times…

If you are interested, the prompt is linked below.

June 27, 2019, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story that involves paint. It can be fresh, peeling or in need of a coat. What is being painted and why? Go where the prompt leads!

Respond by July 3, 2019. Use the comment section below to share, read, and be social. You may leave a link, pingback, or story in the comments. If you want to be published in the weekly collection, please use the form.  Rules & Guidelines.

Prompt: June 27: Flash Fiction Challenge