dark echo bounded
heart’s contradictions constrained
lives bound together
TLT: The Flying Banana
Photo Prompt – © Wolf Shram
Each weekend they’d piled into the backseat, little ones on older siblings laps, ready for an adventure. It had been part of their family: the Flying Banana, the greatest car in the world. Which was why, despite being told it was only good for the scrapheap, the rusting wreck continued to sit in their garage – some day the banana would fly again.
This post is for Sonya’s Three Line Tales.
For anyone who’s curious, the name ‘Flying Banana’ was the nickname my grandad gave his bright yellow car, back when my mum was young. When I was little we had a car we called Brown Cow, which all six of us kids would sit in the back of. It was a bit of a shock to us when the rear seat-belt law was introduced!
CB&W: Two Different Things
“Silly Little Bear,
what are you doing in there?”
◊
Mummy Bear
smiles at her cheeky boy.
◊
“I’m playing hide and seek
of course.”
◊
Laughing,
Little Bear runs away.
◊
“You’ll never find me,”
he says.
This post is for Cee’s Black and White Challenge. This week’s theme is two different things or the number two.
The photos are yet more that I took in Cornwall this summer – this time at Wheal Martyn, an old china clay mine that has now been turned into a museum. The bears were scattered all around the site, providing visiting children with a game of find-the-bear as they explored the different areas.
I couldn’t resist joining in!
FFfAW: Susceptible
Photo prompt – Joy Pixley
Susceptible
Willow spotted the pair long before they reached her. The man was perfect, open minded and curious. The woman was more… problematic. She exuded confidence, carrying a fixed world-view that prevented any tampering to her thoughts.
But the man was too good to ignore.
“Come,” she whispered into his mind. “This way.”
He stopped, his vacant gaze turning towards the doorway where Willow glowed enticingly. The woman continued on, unaware of her companion’s distraction.
“Follow me.”
The woman’s frantic voice drifted from below as Willow led him steadily higher, but it was distant, unable to infringe on the enthrallment entwining his thoughts. Soon they’d reach the portal. Soon she’d be able to return home.
“Come closer.” She ignored the approaching footfalls. “Quickly.”
“James!” The woman pounded into sight. Cursing, she dragged him away from the banister onto which he’d climbed. “What the hell are you doing?”
Willow’s hopes disintegrated along with her hold on the man’s mind.
“I… I don’t know,” he said.
The shaken pair retreated. The portal continued to drift in mid-air, demanding blood.
Word Count: 175
To read the other entries, click the little blue frog.
This post is for Priceless Joy’s Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers Challenge. This week’s prompt was provided by Joy Pixley. Thank you, Joy
Wordless Wednesday: Sea View
Every Wednesday all across the internet bloggers post a photograph with no words to explain it. Here is mine.
Share Your World – 2016 Week 38
Are you a hugger or a non-hugger?
I’m generally a non-hugger. I’ve been described as reacting like Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory when being hugged. I like my personal space, and don’t really like it being infringed upon.
Having said that, my nephew and I have always had a very huggy relationship, so with him I’d say I was a hugger.
What is your least favorite Candy?
In Britain candy is a very particular type of sweet, and I can’t say I dislike any of it! To widen it out into meaning any type of sweet, which I believe is the American meaning of the word, I’d have to say anything containing liquorice. Yuck! Or anniseed. That’s almost as bad.
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “fun”?
Slides and screaming kids. I’ve spent years working in a play area (called The Fun Factory!) so that’s definitely the first thing to come into my head. For something that I personally find fun: board and card games. Unfortunately most of my friends nowadays aren’t really fans of either, meaning that I don’t get to enjoy the social side of them. I mostly play them on my tablet instead. It’s not quite as much fun as playing with a group of friends, but I make do.
List of Favorite Smells: What smells do you love? Whether it’s vanilla scented candles or the smell of coffee in the morning or the smell of a fresh spring rain…make a list of all the things you love for a little aromatherapy.
Freshly mown grass. I love that smell – especially in the early summer when you haven’t smelt it for months.
Baking cakes and biscuits, and all of the associated spices.Yummy.
Sugarbeet. This last one is slightly odd as it’s a smell that only people who grew up near a sugarbeet factory can really appreciate. Most people who visit Newark during sugarbeet season say “what’s that horrrible smell!” I take a deep breath and reply, “Mmm, sugarbeet.”
Newark Sugarbeet Factory Copyright Trevor Rickard and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons License
Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?
I’m grateful for the extra income from all the hours I worked in the play area last week. I think the manager forgot for a while that I’m supposed to be part time nowadays (as I also hire out privately as a kid’s entertainer) because ten days straight of 9AM until 6PM / 7PM is not what I’m supposed to work! In the week coming up I’m looking forward to actually having some time off, so I can get back to my writing / photography / painting / etc.
This post is for Cee’s Share Your World Challenge. I haven’t taken part in this for a while, but this week’s questions appealed. Plus I’m actually still at work so I needed something quick that I could sort out from here! I hope you enjoyed a glimpse into my more mundane world.🙂
Macro Monday: Fragile Threads
fragile threads glimmer
strands of hopeful creation
gossamer dreaming
CB&W: Isolated Subject
poised mid-air
avoiding the squabble
of voracious opportunists
swooping with raucous cries
patiently he awaits his
chance to dive
This post is for Cee’s Black and White Challenge. This week’s theme is isolated subjects. The picture is another one that I took on holiday in Cornwall earlier this year – this time on the beach near St Michael’s Mount.
FFfAW: Captivated
Captivated
Raedan’s hands clenched around the gift box as he listened to the announcement. Lady Seleste had chosen her suitor.
And it wasn’t him.
Everyone else faded into insignificance as she glided across the hall. With each tilt of her head, each flash of a smile, she set his senses reeling. She’d captivated him from the first. Now he had one final chance…
“A gift, my lady.” He knelt as she passed.
He didn’t see her companion until a masculine hand intercepted the box and flipped it open. His protest died in his throat as he looked into a familiar face. He wanted to flee – knew he should flee – but his body refused to obey.
“So this is the man who thinks to own me?” Seleste’s disgust burned.
“Indeed.” The treacherous wizard at her side lifted the gem he’d enchanted for Raedan free. “This stone was intended to control you.” He pinned the delicate confection into her hair. “Instead it will control him. My wedding gift to you, my love.”
Unable to do otherwise, Raedan followed in their wake.
Word Count: 175
To read the other entries, click the little blue frog.
This post is for Priceless Joy’s Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers. This week’s photo prompt was provided by Jade M. Wong. Thank you Jade!
WPC: On the Edge
poised before
an expansive ocean of
stilted maturity
presenting youthful enthusiasm
whilst all outdated dictates
constraining adulthood
are deposited
abandoned
on the shoreline far below
a life of graft replaced by
a fun-filled existence
happiness
becoming the prime objective
These pictures (which were taken at Tintagel, in Cornwall, UK) were nearly posted a few days ago for the Weekly Photo Challenge (this week’s theme is edge). Unfortunately I couldn’t think of any words to go with them at the time, so they were replaced with the sundial. I came up with the poem last night, however, so decided I may as well make use of them!
Both of the above pictures were actually cropped out of this one, that shows the rugged edge the people were standing on in all its dramatic grandeur:
