#mondaymixer – “Sssivil Sssuit” (UPDATE Over Achiever Award)

19/08/2013 Doctor Mike Reddy 2 Comments

UPDATE
I got an Over Achiever Award for this.

#mondaymixer is an interesting flash fiction compo, requiring exactly 150 words and at least one thing, verb and adjective, chosen from three of each. Today’s list is:

Things:
1) slurry
2) schism
3) peculation
Verbs:
1) garner
2) posit
3) swank
Adjectives:
1) mawkish
2) draconian
3) sportive

Overachievers, those who use at least five can receive a special prize. It struck me how many S sounds there were in this week’s list. And that got me going with lisps (lithps?), and snakes, and theft, which lead naturally to who would be the first lawyer. I decided (in the interests of not being disqualified) that I would write the above words as is, rather than substituting the ‘s’ for a ‘th’ or a ‘sss’; if you can imagine a lithp in thome of the thpeech, I’d appreciate it. Here is my entry:

“Sssivil Sssuit”
by Dr. Mike Reddy (@doctormikereddy)
[150 words, overachiever award]

“Sssir, your swanking has causssed a schism.”

“A what? A ‘thicthm’?”

“Do not play gamesss. I’m as sportive as the next sssnake, but I posit that you play the fool to garner approval from the Judge, while leaving sserpentkind in the slurry of his wrath! The peculation of applesss from the Tree of Knowledge is entirely yourss, Sssir, desspite the guardianship of ssaid Forbidden Fruit entrussted to you. A theft that you attempted to pin on my clientss, Eve and Ssserpent, for no other reason than the irrational ssleight of the perssseived losss of a rib.”

“Hey, I’m a guy. Ribs are important! Especially at Barbecues!”

“Your Worship, I would like to request a draconian resstraining order againsst this mawkish Man, preventing him from coming 300 cubits of the property Eden’sss Garden. Furthermore, I would sseek costsss and damagesss to a fig tree at sssaid property resssulting from thisss action.”

Fiction Writing

#satsuntails – “2012 and all that” #flashfiction (UPDATE Runner Up)

17/08/2013 Doctor Mike Reddy Leave a comment

UPDATE
I got runner up this week.

Given I won last time I’m quite keen on the #satsuntails flash fiction compo, which uses a phrase and an image as prompt.

This week’s stories need to be 150 words and embrace the idea of “doubtful vibrations” and the following image:

Researching the phrase came up with this yahoo answers question about the World ending in 2012! So, that’s what I went with.
Here’s my entry, but please check it out in its original location (to read other entries) too:

“2012 and all that”
by Dr. Mike Reddy (@doctormikereddy)
[150 words]

“Have the dream again?”

“Yes. The Globe will end. If only I knew what the symbols were.”

“Shape them in the gravel again.”

“2. 0. 1. 2.”

“2012 and the Globe will be destroyed? The gravel. The plant. Everything?”

“I don’t know how, but I always see the flat face with two eyes together.”

“But the flat faces always precursor the mana from Guppy.”

“This flat face is different. Spiky scales. Not like the mana bringers.”

“Spiky scales?”

“Yes, and the eyes are thin like fins, not like a mouth.”

“Let’s consult the Oracle. The red glow may tell us what to do.”

“The Ora… Oh Guppy! Come here. Do you see that?”

“The red glow. It’s like your shapes. The 2s, the 0 and the 1 are there.”

***

“Damn! Poor fish. When did the cat get in?”

“Judging from the broken clock, just after 8pm. Yep. 12 minutes past.”

Fiction Writing

#trifextra – “Statues Feel”

16/08/2013 Doctor Mike Reddy 14 Comments

The Friday trifecta writing challenge this week is to write a nice happy 33 word story, inspired by the prompt below:

Image Source

Here is my offering:

“Statues Feel”
by Dr. Mike Reddy (@doctormikereddy)
[33 words]

Statues breathe slower than flesh, and move slower still. Too much to see that passes by, unless you take time. Flesh miss our feelings, which take seasons. Winter’s frowns cancel out Summer smiles.

Fiction Writing

#FlashFridayFic – “On Looking a Gift Horse in the Mouth” #flashfiction

16/08/2013 Doctor Mike Reddy Leave a comment

The latest Friday Fiction #37 asked for a 100 word story, based upon the following image:

Here is my story if you don’t want to see the original version:

“On Looking a Gift Horse in the Mouth”
by Dr. Mike Reddy (@doctormikereddy)
[100 words]

“Master, I swear the boy is Sherpa reborn.”

“The racehorse… that died last year?”

“Your favourite mount, yes! That old witch said he’d come back!”

It was obvious the hand was expecting me to be angry, but I’d my own suspicions about Glynn. Something just not right about the boy. I motioned him to continue with the horsewhip.

“‘Tain’t natural for him to stand and walk so young. Like a foal.”

“Hmmm”

“When you spared the crone, she said she’d see you right. She knew you loved him and plumb brought Sherpa back.”

“It’s true, he really gets my goat!”

Fiction Writing

#Trifecta – “Chalk and Walk” #flashfiction

15/08/2013 Doctor Mike Reddy 7 Comments

This post was written for the Trifecta Writing Challenge, which was to write between 33 and 333 words including the word “grasp”, using the definition ‘to lay hold of with the mind – comprehend’ …

“Chalk and Walk”
by Dr. Mike Reddy (@doctormikereddy)
[330 words]

“… and if we recall the coefficient of Ro Lambda is substituted, the equation simplifies.” Professor Heidenheim started to erase the leftmost of the three blackboards that had all become filled with formulas. A collective groan from the slower note takers showed their progress had not been fast enough to capture the equations that had just been wiped out.

“Professor, could you clarify the part were you reduce the wave form? Please?” I had hoped to buy my fellow students some time, but had genuinely been unable to grasp that part. Most of my colleagues just wrote madly, like rabbits in the headlights of a car, not even trying to understand any of it during the lecture. I suspected some didn’t even try afterwards.

To my horror the Professor contemplated the middle board, then proceeded to wipe that out too. Looks of hate were flicked my way from sections of the auditorium. Heidenheim then reproduced verbatim the incomprehensible wall of mathematics he had just performed. He turned round, a genuine grin on his face, like this repetition would be sufficient to raise the curtain of ignorance. It was still just a wall of chalk that might as well have been hieroglyphics. It was too much. I snapped.

“Could you… er… wait for a moment?” I asked politely, then jumped up on the long shelf in front of my seat, which served the row as somewhere to write notes. Passing out sideways was impossible. The room was one of the old fashioned theatres students had to shuffle into sideways. So, I neatly jumped from row to row amidst curses from those in front of me. Finally, I jumped down in front of the startled lecturer walked past him and left the auditorium.

Once outside I screamed loudly in frustration, took a breath, then walked back in to a sea of laughter from a cohort who shared my confusion. They cheered as I hopped back to my seat.

“Sorry. Please carry on Professor.”

Uncategorized

#ThursThreads – “Down Town in the Valleys” #flashfiction

15/08/2013 Doctor Mike Reddy Leave a comment

#ThursThreads is an odd flash fiction compo, because a line chosen from the previous winner is chosen as the prompt for the next competition. This week, the phrase “In and out with a swipe of alcohol.” is it.

Here is my entry, if you don’t want to see the original piece:

“Down Town in the Valleys”
by Dr. Mike Reddy (@doctormikereddy)
[250 words]

It was a typical Saturday night in a post-Industrial Welsh town. Some twoccing. Drive to some more trusting neighbourhood. Choose an Offy that didn’t look too secure. Park this week’s joyfully donated vehicle in a quiet side street. Then in and out with a quick swipe of alcohol – whatever was nearest the shop door – and run like Hell back to the car. Then a safe spot to get plastered. Random!

Cigarettes were usually harder to steal, because they were often behind the counter. So. we’d send Billy the Kid – so called because he had a ‘butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth’ face – in to buy some fags first, and to suss out the place. There was a risk he’d get IDed, but he was too lard brained to really get that. Twp ‘ead.

So, Billy had come back with a few packs of Marlboros, and Rizzlas and Golden Virginia for Tony, who liked to roll his own ‘special blend’. We’d had the all clear. Mostly cider, which was shit but it was accessible and a few large bottles would be sufficient for our needs. We’d rolled the place speedily – something of a record in fact – and legged it. Even when the car stalled we hadn’t panicked. Tony’s special blend kept us too mellow for that. Then we were off, screaming through the streets and into the secluded hills.

We laughed our skulls hollow. What a storming night! Only I started thinking did we really have to do it again?

—
fin

Author’s notes for those not familiar with UK colloquialisms:

twoccing is derived from Taking Without Concent (TWOC)
Offy = Off Licence or Liquor Store, usually selling tobacco products as well
Random is the word for cool/wicked/bad/etc
Twp = Welsh for stupid
‘joyfully donated’ is a play on joyriding, a euphemism for the stealing of cars by young people.

Fiction Writing

#VisDare – Indifferent “More Rain” #flashfiction

15/08/2013 Doctor Mike Reddy 4 Comments

Every week #VisDare posts a picture challenge. This week the theme is “Indifference” and the photo prompt is:

Photo Source

Here is my story:

“More Rain”
by Dr. Mike Reddy (@doctormikereddy)
[150 words]

The three sisters manifested without a single mortal noticing, as only the Apportioners could. Even the fashion photographer, Gundlach, who had just been shooting an uncharacteristic landscape of the flooded square, was pleasantly surprised later by the unexpectedly iconic foreground that appeared in the developing fluid.

Clotho, the youngest, sighed. “I do so hate the mid 20th century. So little made by hand. So many machines.”

“Oh, I quite like their naive sense of accuracy. Such a belief that they’re in control.” her elder, Lachesis, disagreed, before bending over her charts.

Atropos, the oldest, said nothing. So much rebuilding in the last fourteen years. She loved Berlin, especially von der Mark’s tomb, for which she’d granted Schadow more thread.

“Ah, we’re HERE.” Lachesis folded her charts. “This way.”

Clotho followed, unconsciously twisting some thread. “Who is it again that needs our personal attention?”

“It’s complicated.”

Atropos silently tested her shears.

Fiction Writing

Mid-Week Blues-Buster #MWBB – “Waiting” #flashfiction

15/08/2013 Doctor Mike Reddy Leave a comment

Mid-Week Blues-Buster is a “music prompted flash fiction challenge.”

Here is my entry this week, if you don’t want to see the original submission:

Title: “Waiting”
[358 words]

“I CAN see,” the old man said, suddenly answering my unasked question. “Well… enough to get by anyway.” he chuckled quietly to himself.

“Is that right, Granddad?” I spat out the last bit, annoyed the old codger had heard me approaching the bench. I had hoped for an easy mark. Danny was waiting. And it did not pay to keep Danny waiting.

“Got any cash, Granddad? I’m in a hurry.”

“Yes, a little… No, I’m not.”

“Huh?”

“And I wouldn’t be if I were you. In a hurry. I know where that road is heading.”

“Wha…? Look, just give me your money Gra…”

“I’m not your Granddad, boy. But sure, you can have the money. It’s yours anyway.”
He took out his wallet efficiently, like he had expected to be mugged, and handed it over.
“See you pay it back now… When the time comes…”

I took it. Given how easily he had rolled over, I gave myself the luxury of checking his wad. Result! There must have been a few thousand quid, along with a slip of paper marked ‘I O Me. Watch out for the shit.’, which I screwed up and dropped to the floor. I handed him back the purse. No need to be rude, as he was being so cooperative.

“Thanks Gra…”

“It’s Stephen… Steve.”

“Hey, same as me!” I thought to myself. Not really smart introducing yourself aloud to your victim. At least the old man wouldn’t be able to pick me out of a line up. His glasses were as thick as milk bottles.

I turned to leave. Danny was waiting. And that is when I trod on the dog shit. “How the hell…” I started to wipe my boot on the grass. The old guy on the park bench wheezed a laugh behind me.

“I never was good with warnings.” he sniggered. “Danny… is waiting. You should have enough. If you’re as stupid as I was, I’ll still be here when you get back. If I’m not… well… then we’ll both be in the…” He pointed uncannily at my foot, then waved me away.

I ran. Danny was waiting, after all.

Fiction Writing

#FiveSentenceFiction – Fabric “Coming Undone”

15/08/2013 Doctor Mike Reddy 8 Comments

Lillie McFerrin hosts a Five Sentence Fiction competition on her blog. This week’s theme is Fabric. This is great. My brother works in the Fashion Industry, mostly with models – not as glamorous as you may think, he tells me. They’re all mad! – so this one is for him.

Here is my entry, which is a bit “far out” for the theme, but trust me:

The needle entered the skin with no accompanying hesitation; she’d clearly done this before. Several previously hidden needle marks would be exposed until she pulled it together and covered them up.

The needle’s precious cargo was the only thing she could rely on now to keep up appearances. Her reputation was hanging by a trembling thread, and she’d nearly lost it.

How embarrasing would it have been to pop a button on a new leather jacket during a photo shoot!

Fiction Writing

#55wordchallenge – “Spirit of the Forest” #flashfiction (UPDATE Honourable Mention)

15/08/2013 Doctor Mike Reddy Leave a comment

UPDATE
I got an Honourable Mention for this!

In Lisa’s own words “the 55 Word Challenge is a contest to write a story in 55 words or less.” Each week writers pick one of three images as inspiration.

Here’s my entry if you would rather not see the original version:

“Spirit of the Forest”
by Dr. Mike Reddy (@doctormikereddy) [55 words]

Naomi was bloody mad. Furious in fact. And wet. Very very wet.

“It’ll be good for you!” her agent had promised. “Get your name and face in the public eye again.”

Naomi had grudgingly agreed. Perfume adverts were certainly memorable. “Spirit of the Forest” they called the stuff. More creosote and dog pee, she thought.