Through the Rough

This week’s 99-word flash fiction challenge on Charli’s Carrot Ranch, will be presented to Sue Vincent as part of a celebration event for Sue and her writing. 

Sue is a much-loved member of the blogging and writing community. At the moment she is facing a battle with her health and all the writers at Carrot Ranch are coming together to support Sue through their stories. You can read about Sue HERE!

The prompt for this flash is; In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about life as a river of consciousness.

Through the Rough

As a young girl, under the watchful eyes of my father, I paddled with the minnow in the shallow part of Dundragon River. The safe part, where the water flowed gently across a million pebbles.

As years passed, I ventured further up the river. Deeper, muddier waters, where I learned to trust my own judgement in the absence of my protector. Tread carefully or be swallowed.

Keep my head above the water and prepare for the inevitable ripples. When the dam breaks, keep swimming, knowing that those watchful eyes will guide me across the rough, to gentle waters again.

 

 

George is my Friend

We judge people all the time. We decide who we want in our lives and who we want as our friends. Of course we do! The people in our lives are important to us. They help us along. They have be compatible with us. It’s not always easy to find these special people.

We meet people in so many different ways. Through those we already know, our friends and family, through work or just by chance. We silently check them out. We look them up and down, listen to their views, work out whether we like them or not. Did we click? Will we be friends? Rivals maybe?

Do you rush into relationships with people or do you sit back and let the universe decide?

I have always given people the benefit of the doubt down through the years. It hasn’t always worked in my favour though. But I do believe that the unfavourable souls I’ve encountered have helped me to appreciate the more harmonious people in my life. These days I’m more inclined to let the universe decide for me. It’s easier!

However, I still can’t stop talking to strangers, but I do keep my distance—physically and mentally.

For Charli’s 99 word flash fiction challenge this week, she prompts us with Avocado Toast. (I almost did a bold thing and feigned a sickie) But I slapped my own butt and got out my favourite fat pen and picked my own brains.

 

George is my Friend 

I often passed him by; the man sitting at the lake in a black shabby coat, and tattered old cap. Today I stopped.

‘I’m George. I’m 79 today,’ he smiled. He told me about himself. He offered to share his special birthday picnic with me. I declined, as I watched his dirty hands lifting the lid of his lunchbox.

‘Actually…yes please,’ I blurted.

He cut his avocado in half. He handed me my share, and a tiny wooden spoon.  

‘A birthday toast to you George.’

When we bumped our avocado halves together, I knew I’d made a new friend.

Regret

Time is precious. I think we value it more as we get older. When I was young I lived for the present and could only see what was happening in the ‘here and now’. I wanted to stay in bed late at the weekends, especially if I’d been out the night before. I can’t do that now. Those early morning hours are my favourite time of the day.

Some might say it’s a good thing; live in the present, be mindful, don’t worry about the past and let the future take care of itself. But like everything, it’s getting the balance right.

Time is so easily lost. We don’t always realise until later that we wasted our time on things that were of no benefit to us or those around us. Sometimes we waste time on people who don’t appreciate us. We often let people steal our time too. Sometimes we regret not having spent enough time with those we love, especially those who love and respect us back. It’s with experience and wisdom that we learn to recognise the difference.

Charli’s 99 word flash fiction challenge this week is about lost time. In 99 words, no more, no less, write about lost time. We are Holistic gets this week’s flash fiction post… Tasheenga’s blog, is okay with that. (Very hard to keep them both happy)

Regret

Rose opened the shabby old shoebox.
‘All my favourite things,’ she said softly with her hand on her heart. ‘You kept them.’
She rummaged through the box and lifted out a brown rubber watch.
Laughing she said, ‘Matt gave me this when we were eight.’
Nancy dabbed her eyes with her hanky. ‘I’m so sorry Rose…and ashamed. I’ve missed so much.’
‘We all have Mam. I’m sorry too, for staying away.’  
The doorbell rang. ‘Are you ready?’ Rose asked.
Nancy nodded. Yes, she was at last ready to welcome her son-in-law Matt, and to finally meet her twenty-eight-year-old grandson.

Image by vargazs from Pixabay

If you you like creative writing but don’t have much spare time, these flash fiction challenges are fun to do.  They exercise your mind – and your writing muscles. It’s quite therapeutic too. Check it out over on Carrot Ranch. Thank you for reading!

Don’t Blame the Hound.

Today’s post is for Grammy’s Grid. WEDNESDAY WRITING PROMPT LINKUP – ANIMAL 75 WORDS.

The tame stag runs, exhausted, falls down

Will he live or will he die?

One man may laugh, another will cry

Fox hunted, ravaged and savaged

Blood spills for human thrills

A frightened hare, thrown to his death

Trampled on, broken, as he takes his last breath

One goal, power and control

All for the sake of human delights

No concern for animal rights

Don’t blame the hound

Man is the animal on the ground

Image credit Pixabay

Fear V Love

This short story will be linked up at the BOTTLE – 65 WORDS WRITING PROMPT LINKUP, open March 10 to 20.

Saying goodbye was hard for Alex. But it was the biggest decision he ever made. Twelve years of drowning his sorrows in bottles of raw whiskey helped no one, least of all himself.

He could never manage to let it go, but it was different this time. He had something better to replace his fear of living without alcohol. Love. Goodbye bottle, hello Baby Sophie.

Image by InspiredImages from Pixabay