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Hello #5MinuteFictionistas! Are you ready for this?
First of all, welcome to Future; Nostalgic and many thanks to Leah Petersen for inviting me to be part of the #5MinuteFiction blog tour, I'm thrilled.
For anyone who hasn't participated before, I'd just like to run through the rules, and then I'll introduce our guest judge for this week. First, the rules...
The Rules
The contest starts at 6:30pm GMT (1:30pm EST) and I'll ammend this post at that point to include this week's prompt. You will then have five minutes (hence the name #5MinuteFiction. Good, eh?) to write a piece of prose in any style or genre. Your piece must reference this week's prompt.
Post your piece in the comments on this post by 6:45pm GMT (1:45pm EST); the extra time is to take account of the vagaries of the internet. I'll round out the contest with a comment at the end then hand the judging over to our guest judge for the week, more about them later. Our guest judge will nominate five finalists and I'll add a poll to this post at 8:00pm GMT (3:00pm EST) and you can all vote. You do not need to have taken part in the contest to vote.
The poll will run until just before 2:00pm GMT (9:00am EST) on Wednesday, 6th April, when I'll close the poll and announce the winner here at Future;Nostalgic.
This week's prompt is: Trap
(Note: The prompt is the word. The picture is for inspiration.
Thanks to Future; Nostalgic's Skiing Correspondent for the photo.)
Thanks to Future; Nostalgic's Skiing Correspondent for the photo.)
Our guest judge this week is my good friend and fellow northern writer, Julie Lewthwaite, who writes as Julie Morrigan. Julie has recently published her first e-book, a short story anthology entitled Gone Bad, which is available on Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com, and over at Smashwords. Gone Bad is an excellent collection of dark tales of human nature, here's the Smashwords description:
Tales about bad people doing bad things. This short story collection features a rare cast of characters: flawed, foul-mouthed, misguided and downtrodden, all of whom might be said to have, in one way or another, ‘gone bad’. This is strong stuff, no holds barred and no punches pulled. You wouldn’t want to be sharing the last bus home with these people!
I must confess to not having published a review of Gone Bad yet as I'm reading it through laced fingers from behind a cushion! It really is a great anthology, and I heartily recommend it.
Right then, just a couple of things before I sign off...
In the interests of ease, it's probably better to just type your submission directly into the comments box at the end of this post. Don't forget to save a copy before you hit Send, just in case Blogger eats your entry. Any problems, drop me a line through my Contact Me page and I'll do my best to assist.
Don't forget to add your Twitter handle to your entry if you have one, and a link to your blog if you'd like to.
And finally, there is no prize for this contest, so just do it for fun and enjoy yourself!
Right then, see you back here at 6:30pm GMT (1:30pm EST) for the fun and games!
16 comments:
“There’s no way out.” Eric looked over to me, terror in his eyes.
“Back door?” I gulped. It couldn’t end like this!
“Blocked. And the front is too obvious.” My mind raced. There had to be some way.
“Side exits?”
“In full view.” Eric turned to face forward again, a look of resignation on his face.
“So that’s it then. We’re trapped.”
We sunk down in our seats a little lower, trying to tune out the cringe inducing singing of Eric’s girlfriend. Heaven love the girl, but whoever told her that she could sing was playing a cruel joke. And we had no way of escaping the performance.
“It’s a trap!” Jimmy said, in his best Admiral Ackbar voice.
Donna rolled her eyes, as only a teenaged girl can do, and kept walking past the rows of Star Wars memorabilia. “You are such a geek, I swear. Can’t we go to the mall just once without you embarrassing me?”
“Hey, it’s my birthday, and mom said you had to be nice to me. I want a Han shot first t-shirt, and a remote control AT-AT. And a slurpy.”
“I’m not loaning you any money to buy them.”
“Hey, you still owe me a present!”
“We’re here, aren’t we? I’m allowing you to be seen with me in public. Happy birthday.”
He glowered at his older sister. “I want a slurpy, and a burger.”
That got him another epic eye-roll. “Fine, let’s just get this over with.”
Jimmy cheered and ran to the next booth. “Your girl cooties can’t withstand a little brother of that magnitude!”
Donna sighed, another thing she was good at. “I am socially dead. Just wait till my birthday, I’ll get you back, squirt.”
Bah.... Twitter name is @slytherin_pixie
Addegan looked at meager forces below. They could well not survive the week it would take to get back into friendlier territory, much less the month march to the nearest fort.
"It's a trap, sir," his Second, Kajer said.
"I know. I just know that there's much we can do about it. We haven't the time or stores to go around."
"Then through."
"Yes."
Addegan marched at the head of the column. the men were warned, and they could easily see know that the ambush lay just ahead with enemy forces to both sides of the valley.
"For the King!" shouted Addegan, his beloow echoed by his men. Swords drawn, spears out, they charged they desperately charged enemy in a hopeless cause.
"As long as we're going to die," thought Addegan, "we die on the offensive..."
The white lace tablecloth fluttered in the slight breeze that fanned Esther's hair. Everything looked immaculate; the china sparkled, the napkins were spotless and the vase of pink tea roses released their intoxicating aroma into the spring day.
"Let's see. Scones, jam, clotted cream, petit-fours, fruit cake, apple tarts... I think that's everything," she said aloud.
"Do you think the Minister is going to really propose to her?" asked Poppy.
"He should, he's been coming regularly for over two months. People are beginning to talk. And everyone said Olive would be the jewel of the manse if Reverend Bluett would JUST make his mind up."
"But he always gets so tongue tied when he comes over," said Poppy, shaking her head.
"Ah! That's only because we're there. When he comes over, you fein a bad headache, and then I'll come and look in on you. That should give them plenty of time."
"Will it work you think?"
"If it doesn't, I'm putting Father's Whiskey in the coffee," said Esther darkly.
“Does this dress make me look fat?”
David stopped, brush mid-stroke on his hair. With an infinitesimal sigh he turned to his wife who stood in the doorway to the closet. Her curvaceous figure was squeezed into a dress that had to be two sizes too small. Her bulges rippled and jiggled beneath the fabric that strained to cover her.
In her face was a look of fragile longing, hopefulness that she might please him. But her eyes gave her away. There was a glint of satisfaction, of knowing what he was thinking. This was a trap.
“I always liked the purple dress. You look great in purple.” He answered and turned back to the mirror.
“You didn’t answer.” Her voice had lost the wistfulness of the first question.
“I did.”
“Not the question I asked.” His eyes met hers in the mirror. Her face had hardened into the angry lines he knew so well and he hung his head. They would be late again.
Joshua gaped at his father.
"But, My Lord--"
"I have made my decision!" the king bellowed.
Joshua fought to keep his hands from clenching into fists. "But they're coming! Surely you must see this."
"You spread your lies in order to disrupt my court and I won't have it. Get out of here before I lose my patience and have you put in chains. Monsters indeed." The king scoffed even as he waved an angry dismissal.
Josh turned and left the room, Thomas at his heels. He may as well have been in the dungeons. He was no less trapped here in the opulence of the court than he would be down there. Because they were coming.
He barely slept that night. Finally, giving up, he tossed aside the covers and dressed hastily. He slid into the hallway for the familiar comfort of a sunrise on the tower and his friend's calm assurances.
The stench was heavy in the halls, the walls, painted with oozing gore and the last dregs of life.
He rushed to the king's bedroom, knowing what he would find and praying that he was wrong.
The body was all but unrecognizable but for the burn mark on the palm where his father had snatching a burning branch from Joshua's hand all those years ago.
There was nothing to do but mourn, not only the man, but the trust that, missing these past years, might have saved his father's life.
@LeahPetersen
The police detective stood over the body that was sprawled on the floor at his feet. There was blood everywhere, so much blood. And the way her body'd been flayed open like that was clearly the work of the same guy. No doubt about it.
"You wanna call it?" The police officer asked.
"Yeah, no question. It's the work of the same guy." The detective said. "We've got to catch him soon, or the chief's gonna have us for breakfast."
This was the fourth body to be found in as many days. Usually a serial killer took a break in between kills. Not this guy. If you counted the hours he was actually ramping up. Not good. Not good at all.
The two detectives stood on the edge of the room, careful to touch nothing and stand still on the small patch of dry wood floor available amidst the blood. The forensics team was still five minutes away.
There was a creaking sound above them. The two officers looked up and stared, the brains not comprehending what their eyes were clearly seeing.
The creature crouched on the ceiling like a fly. It was looking down at them with a curious look on its leathery purple-skinned face. It was covered in orange fur that seemed to sparkle in the harsh light from the single bulb in the corner of the room.
There was a snick as it opened its blade-like claws, a single drop of blood dripped to the floor. Its face spread wide in a grisly smile. The two detectives had nowhere to go, the door behind them was shut and opened inward.
The creature had them trapped.
@corinneoflynn
Lily was never one for swimming – the chlorine seeped under her eyelids, burning and stinging. She imagined that it got trapped there, singeing away the top layer of her eyeball . . . that explained why that fuzzy white ring surrounded everything when she got out of the pool.
Still, the air closed in around her, a heavy fur coat and about as welcome. She’d just renewed her PETA membership the other day, so the very idea of draping herself in dead animal made her stomach feel as though live snakes danced the rumba. In double time. The cool water called to her, telling her not to worry about the chemicals drilling into her brain through her ocular cavity. She just wanted the sweat to stop drip-dropping down into her butt crack.
“I bet you can’t get to this before I do!” Jimmy, his legs long and gangly, called to her from across the pool. His bathing suit bothered her, and she couldn’t look at him – his . . . stuff . . . stood out against the wet fabric. She didn’t want to see that.
He threw a weighted ball into the water. It sank in slow motion, each centimeter descending like a purple moon at dawn.
He jumped in, which saved her from having to look at his junk, but the challenge was issued. Chlorine and possible brain damage be damned.
She followed after him, mimicking his path. Her red hair waved around her, skimming across her back. She felt it twist, the water pulling it away from her as she chased him to the bottom.
The purple ball rested in his palm. Jimmy was far from smart, but in that moment he looked like an oracle inspecting a watery crystal ball. And he kind of looked cute. Lily blinked.
The glowing outlined around Jimmy confirmed it – the choline had done its job. Her brain was riddled with holes like Swiss cheese.
@nicolewolverton
I hope I didn't miss it!
***
Jeff hesitated before walking across the grass to the front door. He couldn’t help but have a bad feeling. Rick and Clara never invited him to their parties. They liked him and all, especially during game night, as he was the GM for their Heroic Fantasy Role Playing game. But, for the most part, Rick and Clara weren’t all that geeky, and the one time Jeff had been invited to a party of theirs, he embarrassed them and scared a few party goers by quoting the whole Star Wars argument from Clerks.
Jeff sighed. He didn’t really blame them for not inviting them back. He liked them too, but they weren’t really his closest friends. That was Sarah, his sister, who was just as geeky as he was. But, Sarah left for school two weeks ago, and Jeff was feeling a little lonely lately. He sort of assumed that was why Rick invited him at work the other day. He felt sorry for his skinny, geeky friend. But, the truth was, Jeff was just lonely enough to take the sympathy offered and go.
When he rung the door bell, Rick answered. He smiled, gave Jeff a big hug and shoved the skinny young man into the room. There weren’t that many other people there, just a few other co-workers from Jeff and Rick’s company. He waved to them awkwardly, but they all smiled back and waved. But then, Rick started steering Jeff through the living room and towards their study.
“What’s going on?” Jeff asked.
“You’ll see,” Rick said. “I’ve a special surprise for you in here.”
Oh, no, Jeff though. It was all a trick. They brought him here to hook him up with some new girl in the office, he just knew it! It was a trap! He started pushing against Rick.
“Now, now, none of that,” Rick said.
Then, he got to the study and opened the door. Inside, Jeff saw a girl about his age, with straight brown hair that covered one side of her face, thick glasses, a shy smile, freckles, and a tee-shirt that had Rock-Paper-Scisors-Lizard-Spock from Big Bang Theory on it.
Maybe this wasn’t such a bad trap to fall into, Jeff thought as Rick started to do the introductions.
@blanchardauthor
Trapped
Darkness covers
no air
flashing stars in my eyes
not in the sky
breath leaving
gone
...
She set it on the floor, right next to the fridge.
A bear trap. Primed and ready to snap.
She turned out the lights.
She got into bed, said, "Good night," and waited. Waited.
Maybe tonight would be the last night he drank her beer in the middle of the night. Maybe next time he'll buy his own beer.
Can you carry a six pack while on crutches.
She figured they'd soon find out.
@thatneilguy
Leah rushed around the apartment, grabbing this, stashing it quickly into her duffle, and repeating the vicious cycle with that. She glanced at the clock, worrying over nothing. Carter wouldn't be back home until five or so, and it was nine in the morning.
She sighed, feeling three parts terrible and one part convinced that leaving Carter was the best thing to do. Carter wouldn't understand it now, but in time, he'd thank Leah.
Yeah. Carter would thank for her this someday.
After all, he's already made it clear after dinner last night. You could almost say this was his idea.
Leah practically scratched the tear from her face as she shoved all her cosmetics into anotgher bag she grabbed from her closet. When she thought of last night, and how wonderful it should have been. How things went much differently than they should have.
She made the best dinner she'd prepared in her life, just for Carter. Big news always goes better with roast...isn't that what her mother used to say?
Well, her mother should have mentioned how one could choke on it. Leah was in complete shock when she tried easing dinner talk over to children. Carter's words still haunt her:
"Children? Oh no, love. I'd never want them, and would resent any one who dared to trap me with such things. No woman of mine is going to be pregnant."
Which is why Leah must leave. No need proving Carter a liar. She should just leave now...whith her dignity still in tact...
Break her own heart. But, at least Carter could still carry on.
Right folks, that's yer lot! The contest is now closed and I'm handing it all over to Julie to pick the finalists. Make sure to check back here at 8:00pm GMT (3:00pm EST) for the poll.
oops, forgot twitter addy!
@techtigger
http://techtigger.wordpress.com
-Angie
I forgot to add my twitter info, too. Something about not reading all the instructions.
@D_PaulAngel
http://d-paulangel.blogspot.com
PS- Humorously enough the capcha word is, "thypo" :-)
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