FLASH FICTION FOR THE PURPOSEFUL PRACTITIONER: WEEK #33

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The Best-Laid Schemes

Not all hot air balloons fly.

Some drift and others float. Ours died and the pilot, together with his crew, is desperately resuscitating it. The envelope rises and falls to the rhythm of our bored breathes as the crew members blow, ironically, cold air into it with the fan before they turn on the propane burners. Another crew member is circling the balloon like a patrol soldier – not knowing what to look for but pretending to look busy to avoid a scolding from his commanding officer.

The weather looks good; the prognosis does not.

“Oh, how can this happen?” my wife cries and stamps her feet. “We should be up there hours ago, enjoying the sight!”

“M’am, I’m sorry but we are trying our best -” the pilot starts.

“Well, your best is not enough! Try harder!” my wife yells back.

I shake my head in resignation. I could have told him it is pointless to explain; she is used to getting her way.

She turns to me. “This is so unfair!”

I nod. It is very unfair indeed, God. I was looking forward to going up there in the balloon and pushing her off.

(196 words)

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I have no idea where this story comes from. I started with the sentence “Not all hot air balloons fly.” without an idea what I want to write next. I thought about going all philosophical but decided against it halfway. Before I knew it, this darkly humorous story completed itself in front of me and I wondered “Why not?”

I would have probably made a very good murderer if people leave me alone long enough…

If you are interested, the prompt is linked below,

Flash Fiction for the Purposeful Practitioner is a weekly writing challenge designed for both the flash fiction newbie and the more experienced writer. It is the desire of this challenge to allow writers the opportunity to clear the cobwebs from a more tedious and involved project. Becoming a part of a new and growing writer’s community might be just what the doctor ordered to rejuvenate your writing juices.

The challenge for Flash Fiction for the Purposeful Practitioner will open early Wednesday morning.

Allow the prompt to take you anywhere you want to go! (Limit your stories to 200 words.)

The Six Easy Guidelines

1. A photo prompt topic is to be used as your ‘muse’. They will arrive promptly at midnight each Wednesday morning.
2. Include the photo prompt and its credits with your story on your blog.
3. All stories are to be crafted and honed to under 200 words in length.
4. Each flash fiction piece should have a clear beginning, middle, and end. No serial stories. It is harder to stay abreast of a serial story. (Please keep content PG-13.)
5. Once you have your post complete, create a pingback to this post if you are on WordPress. If that is not an option for you, add your post’s link in the comments section.

Prompt: FLASH FICTION FOR THE PURPOSEFUL PRACTITIONER: WEEK #33

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100 Word Wednesday: Week 127

Image by KAL VISUALS

“It’s interesting how things turn out,” she continued. “You killed me and now, I came back as your guide to the next world.”

“So a revenge, is that it?” I challenged, my voice unrepentant. “Making sure I’ll dead?”

Her eyes rolled. “Men!” Staring straight into my eyes, she continued. “That choice is yours alone, as a prisoner of your own body or to cross over the ocean.”

Silence reigned.

She glanced at the sparkler in her hands and smiled. “Remember your last words to me? Now let me repeat them back at you. Your time is running out.”

(98 words)

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I love the idea of karma, although we do not see it in real life action. But wouldn’t it be a shocking, at your death bed, to see someone you killed giving you an impossible choice?

As you may have suspected, I’m a vengeful kind of person. LOL

If you are interested, the prompt is linked below.

How to participate? A few guidelines as we begin….

1. Simply check my feed, or search the reader, for the 100WW or tag #100WW, post each Wednesday. I’ll also be posting on my Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook Feeds.
2. Write your submission on your blog, Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook Feed and ping back to the weekly blog post. Feel free to use the image provided or your own. Please do credit the artist whose image we use — Links provided.
   
3. I have not enabled automatic pingbacks due to a plethora of spam messages attempting to link up. Do feel free to also continue posting your links and I will enable your pingbacks as I check my blog. Thank you for understanding!!
4. I’ll provide a Weekly Summary, or Windup, of posts on or by Tuesday; take the opportunity to read and comment on your fellow bloggers posts {keeping in mind to give each other grace and space}. I try to read them all and post your submission in the Weekly Windup.
5. Have fun! I enjoy reading your challenge submissions!

Prompt: 100 Word Wednesday: Week 127

Three Line Tales, Week 177

She discovered the mutilated bodies of her husband and her best friend at home on her birthday – they were killed in a break-in gone wrong.

Walking out of the police station after she gave her statement, she paused in the middle of the road as grief overcame her.

She heard the squealing sounds of the tyres but before she could react, she was sailing five metres into the air upon impact: her death was expected; her husband and best friend’s deaths were an accident.

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If you are interested, the prompt is linked below.

You’ll find full guidelines on the TLT page – here’s the tl;dr:

• Write three lines inspired by the photo prompt (& give them a title if possible).
• Link back to this post (& check the link shows up under the weekly post).
• Tag your post with 3LineTales (so everyone can find you in the Reader).
• Read and comment on other TLT participants’ lines.
• Have fun.

Prompt: Three Line Tales, Week 177

Twittering Tales #137 – 21 May 2019

Photo by paulsbarlow7@pixabay.com

Unwanted Attention

Jenny desired spotlight so she staged a break-in, the broken glass door as evidence; the neighbours only wondered who the man in Jenny’s house was.

He looked right at home though.

If only the second floor’s window was broken too, everyone would see a corpse skewered to the walls.

(278 characters)

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Hmm…I’m not sure if this is horrifying enough. I’m still trying to get the hang of 280 characters story – I could barely keep a story to 100 words, much less 280 characters!

If you are interested, the prompt is linked below.

About the challenge: Each Tuesday I will provide a photo prompt. Your mission, if you choose to accept the challenge, is to tell a story in 280 characters or less. When you write your tale, be sure to let me know in the comments with a link to your tale. This is important as I have noticed that some of the ping backs have not been working. If you would prefer to post your tale in the comments (some people have very specific blog themes but still want to participate), I am happy to post a link to your site when I post your tale in the Round Up.

Prompt: Twittering Tales #137 – 21 May 2019