It's a Conspiracy!

My most recent Flash Fiction entry:

#ThursThreads - www.siobhanmuir.blogspot.com 

I was given a prompt to use the line “They take this seriously” in the piece, and a limit of 250 words.  This is also a snippet of "Under the Granite Lies", which is one of my paranormal works in progress. I was glad to be able to incorprate the prompt line. 

               Right before we got to the door I grabbed his arm.  “Aaron, I just, well…please remember that I never wanted you to have to know the things that you are about to find out."

             “Whatever I find out, I promise it won’t change the way I feel about you, Lauren,” he said. 

I clasped his hand as we walked through the house and down the hall toward the basement steps where the meeting room was.  “I can’t believe I’m walking through Camp David,” he murmured as we passed framed photos of past Presidents on the wall.

I knocked on the door, waited for it to buzz, and then pushed it open.  The room was empty, so we slid into two chairs in the back row.    

A few moments later, the door on the other side of the room opened and Dad came in. 

Aaron stood and saluted him, “Mr. President.”

“Please, it’s just Gerald here.”  He shook Aaron’s hand and patted his shoulder.

I imagined all the things Aaron might be thinking.  I was sure his mind was whirling with every possible scenario except the right one.    

The door opened again, and Victor came in, carrying a cardboard box.  He was followed by two guards, one whom we had seen earlier on the path to the garden.  They looked human enough, unless one was to accidently touch their icy cold skin.  

Victor wore a Coca-Cola logo t-shit.

“They take this seriously?” Aaron whispered.

“Oh yes.  Very.”  I assured him.

(photo of Camp David in winter, taken from Wikipedia.)

 

Even Old Dogs...

My most recent Flash Fiction entry:

#ThursThreads - www.siobhanmuir.blogspot.com 

I was given a prompt to use the line “She was pregnant” in the piece, and a limit of 250 words.  This is what I came up with (249 words):

Cassie bent over to pick up the deposit her old, black Schnauzer, Jake, had left on the sidewalk.  She let out a small murmur of disgust when she felt the heat reach her fingertips through the thin plastic. 

Jake perked his ears as if he were noticing something interesting behind her. 

“Cassie?” 

She whirled around, doggie bag dangling in hand to see Thomas Shea’s magnificence striding toward her in even step with his miniature Yorkie, Jezebel, who had belonged to his late mother.    

“Hi Tom,” Cassie managed after swallowing hard. 

The dogs greeted each other affectionately, and Jake immediately set to sniffing Jezebel’s backside.

“Jake, stop it,” Cassie urged him away, not wanting a repeat performance of the mounting demonstration that he had somehow managed the last time she was lost in conversation with Thomas.  “It’s ok; I think he’s too old for anything to work anymore.”  

“Well, Cassie, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.  It appears that you and I are going to be spending some time together soon.”

“Oh?” She inquired.

“It seems, well, the vet told me she was pregnant.”  He nodded down at Jezebel who seemed to be smiling, if dogs could smile.

Cassie stared at him wide eyed.  “I don’t understand.  How could this have happened?  Jake was only on her for a minute!”

“Do you need me to give you a personal demonstration?”  He laughed, his blue eyes twinkling.  “Apparently you can, in fact, teach an old dog new tricks.”

I got positive feedback from the contest host in the form of a comment: 

“Bwahahahaha! I love it, Kay! :D”  -  Siobhan Muir

And, that made my day!  ;-)

Flash Fiction

Ok, so what is it?  Flash Fiction is a short snippet of writing meant to get your brain working.  You are given a prompt, either a picture, word, phrase or combination of these and sent to your thinking spot.  Usually there is a word limit (sometimes specific), and a time limit.  Flash Fiction works to help power through the creative process, and you might be lucky and win something. 

Here is a list of Flash Fiction sites that run contests each week that I have browsed. 
#MenageMonday - www.caramichaels.com
#TuesdayTales - www.glitterword.wordpress.com
#ThursThreads - www.siobhanmuir.blogspot.com
#FridayPictureShow - www.jendauthor.com

My entries this week:

#TuesdayTales I was given the word "exoteric" that was meant to be used in the piece, a limit of 100 words, and this photograph:

“That’s perfect, keep still,” Louise called to her subjects while snapping photos with her Pentax.  She had no idea that one of her models was the same Mark Davids who had broken her heart in high school.  So far he hadn’t seemed to recognize her, and she was glad of it.  No need to revisit that embarrassing fiasco.

“Ok, that was perfect.  Thank you guys,” she said, busying herself with rewinding the film, happy with the exoteric composition she had managed to arrange.

“Louise?” Mark asked, walking toward her.

She felt her knees start to buckle.  “Yes.”

“I knew it.”

#FridayPictureShow I was given a limit of 100 words, and this photograph:

Louise unrolled the soft blue suede cloth to reveal a collection of antique scissors that belonged to her great-great grandmother.  The chubby, greedy hands of the pawn dealer caressed them in a way that made her a little queasy.

“These are great, but they are showing their age.  I’ll give you $350 for the lot,” he said.

“$450,” she replied firmly. 

“$400?”

“Done.”

She wasn’t quite ecstatic about the deal, but she had to take it.  These days she had been selling everything she could in order to buy food for herself and her son since unemployment ran out.

Well, I haven't won yet, but it's been really fun and I plan to continue entering. 

Happy Writing!