depression

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Friday Fictioneers 12-18-2017

PHOTO PROMPT by Sandra Cook

“And he said, ‘Let there be light,’ and it was so.”

“Working again, huh?”

“I thought I’d try this new concept. Stars-that-need-no-sky.”

“How about egos of epic proportions?”

“Please, this is nothing. Now, the sun, that was heroic. The moon exceptional and stars…what can I say about the stars?”

“And then you had to go ruin it with humans.”

“It wasn’t my best effort. I’ll fix them. Sometime.”

“How?”

“Well, by… I’ll think of something.”

“Why don’t you make so many of those star-doodles, they’ll never see above them. If they can’t look beyond, they’ll have to learn to fix themselves.”

“That might just work….”

 

 

 

 

 

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Friday Fictioneers 12-6-2017

PHOTO PROMPT  © Dale Rogerson

A Father’s Love

It’d been years since he’d been inside a school and the ice outside mirrored the cold inside his heart. He’d ruled school, yet lived against a backdrop of emptiness and fear and alienation. He hadn’t known it then, but it was true.

“This is a very serious issue.”

“I understand, however, I seriously doubt Sammy intentionally pointed his pencil at the student’s eye. Five year olds aren’t normally weapon-wielding maniacs.”

“We have to take ever incident seriously.”

“I understand. As do I.”

Taking his son by the hand, they walked out of the principal’s office.

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Friday Fictioneers 11-25-2017

PHOTO PROMPT ©Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
 

Michael stood in the doorway, staring in at the wreck beyond. What the….?

“Danielle!”

A petite face peered around the door. “Yes?”

His eyes took in the mess again, then turned to her.  “Didn’t I ask you to clean your room?”

“Yes?”

“And it’s not cleaned…. why?”

“I forgot.”

He closed his eyes, just for a second. “Have you remembered now?”

She pursed her lips,  shrugged.  “Maybe.” And disappeared back behind the door.

He walked away.  Daughters…. god’s way of saying you’ve lost all control of your life.

God bless, them.

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Friday Fictioneers 11-19-2017

 PHOTO PROMPT © J Hardy Carroll

She ran towards the building, screaming.

A fireman caught her around the waist. “You can’t go closer, lady, it’s too dangerous.

“But, my baby!”

“Your baby is in there?”

“Yes.”

“Where?”

She pointed to a window just above the raging fire.  That floor, too, would soon be engulfed in flames.

He ran towards the building, Half hour later, he walked back, a bundle in his arms.

“Oh thank you!”

He deposited the wiggling bundle into her arms. A little brown head poked from the bundle, licked her nose.

He just smiled and walked away, vanishing into the smoke

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Friday Fictioneers 11-11-2017

PHOTO PROMPT ©Marie Gail Stratford

 

 

“Have fun,” he said, handing over his credit card.

“I want to buy you something!”

“With my credit card?”

“For being a smart-ass, yes.”

She pulled him up and down and around, picking out this and that, things he didn’t need, but the joy on her face was worth the spent money.

“I’ll need a fashion show,” she declared at the exit, his arms filled with bags. “Briefs first.”

“Briefs first, we won’t get to the rest for a while.”

She smiled mischievously.  “I know.”

Where were all the damn taxis?

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Friday Fictioneers 11-4-2017

PHOTO PROMPT © Sarah Ann Hall

 

“They’re all ugly.”

“Shussh.”

“Shussh?”

“The auctioneer might hear you.”

“So what? Not like it’s a news flash.”

She slapped his arm. “I want that one.”

“The big-ass ugly yellow one?”

She hit him again. “And the red one.”

“Really.”

“And the two blue ones… and oh…. that cute little multi-blue one right there.”

“Really?”

The lot was taken to the front.

“Buy them all.”

“Really?”

She glared.

He raised his hand. “Ten….ah…” Glanced over.  “Twe…..ah….. thirty!”

Taking his free hand, she smiled.

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Friday Fictioneers 10-20-2017

PHOTO PROMPT © Sandra Crook

Jay looked at the house behind the huge oak.

“My grandparents’,” Chris said. “Gramps and I built the wall.” Smiling.

‘”You did the top?”

“How’d you guess?”

Jay snorted.

“It’s gonna be hell selling this place.”

“Can’t your brothers….”

Chris gave him that look.

“Ah…okay. Gotcha.”

Chris hopped the wall. He’d spent many happy times here. Cook-outs. Water fights. Catching lightning bugs. Sparklers. Days before the fame, the wild life, the depression ruling his life. Happy, happy days.

Jay touched his arm.

“Come on,” Chris grinned. “Just gotta get something and then we’re gone.”

Time enough tomorrow for the sorrow.

 

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Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers 8-4-2017

This week’s photo prompt is provided by TJ Paris. 

Guide for Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers

1. A prompt photo will be provided each Monday pm to be used as a base to your story. Please include photo prompt with your story.

2. Linking for this challenge begins on Monday pm and runs to the following Monday pm.

3. Please credit photo to photographer.

4. The story word limit is 100 – 150 words (+ – 25 words). Please try to stay within this limit.

5. Please indicate the number of words in your story at the end.

 

 

Sunshine glittered off shimmering waters,  reflecting in his sunglasses; beach silent but for the soft whisper of waves. Back in the cottage, his phone would be ringing, but he didn’t want to talk. He didn’t want to even be in the same universe as anybody he knew.

“You know,” he said to the salt and the sand, “I’m not crazy.”

The salt and the sand didn’t answer, nor had he expected them to. That would be crazy.

A seagull flew overhead, silent.

Water lapped his toes.

He could almost hear the ringing. Ringing. Ringing.

“I don’t need any help.”

Which was true, but not honest.

How could such a beautiful world be so ugly inside?

He imagined diving into the crystal water and swimming away forever.

A seagull flew overhead, screaming.

Slowly, he turned and headed back towards the cottage, footsteps trailing behind in the sand.

Ringing. Ringing. Ringing.

“Hello?”

(150)

 

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Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers 2-24-2017

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This week’s photo prompt is provided by Dawn Miller.

1. A prompt photo will be provided each Tuesday to be used as a base to your story. Please include photo prompt with your story.

2. Linking for this challenge begins on Tuesday and runs to the following Monday evening.

3. Please credit photo to photographer.

4. The story word limit is 100 – 150 words (+ – 25 words). Please stay within this limit.

Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers

Bustle, bustle, bustle. Airports the world over were all the same. Crowds of people hurrying this way and that, afraid of missing their flight, afraid of becoming lost, afraid of being left behind.

Dante slumped down in the seat beside Jay, dropping his carry-on at their feet. They could have taken the jet with the rest of the band, but both men had wanted to be alone. Alone together as it turned out.

“You think he’ll be okay?” the Italian asked. Neither needed to ask whom ‘he’ was. Chris. Always Chris.

Jay shrugged.  “Maybe. Maybe not.”

“You’re a font of happiness today, Jay-jay.”

The saxophonist shrugged. “He’ll be all right. Now at least. It’s on tour I worry about.”

“You’ll keep him together,” Dante stated. “We all will.”

They would all hold him together. Nobody left behind. What else were friends for?