Friday Fictioneers 8-4-2021

PHOTO PROMPT© Jennifer Pendergast

“Poor Harold.”

“Who’s Harold?” the children asked.

“The giant who lived across the lake.”

“Was he a real giant?”

“All one hundred and ten feet of him.”

“What happened to him?”

“He was crossing the lake one winter day, early in the morning, when he fell into a hole.”

“How big of a hole?”

“One hundred and ten feet deep hole!”

“What happened?”

“Before he could climb out, the lake froze and all that was left on the surface were his eyes.”

“Ohhhhhh!”

“Could he still blink?”

The speaker looked at the children. Kid’s asked the darndest things.

Friday Fictioneers 7-9-2021

PHOTO PROMPT © Sandra Crook

He remembered the tree from when it was alive, two branching trunks – perfect for climbing! Shade in summer and stark angles against a winter sky. Pink cotton-ball flowers like fourth of July sparklers. Climbing to the top, tree swaying in the wind. Strong trunks and branches which never broke no matter how carelessly he climbed.

He remembered the day he’d come home from college to find nothing but a stump. She’d hated the tree when he climbed to the tippy-top though he’d never been hurt beyond skinned knees and elbows.

He sat on the stump, remembering.

Friday Fictioneers 7-2-2021

PHOTO PROMPT © Russell Gayer

“It’s a deathtrap.”

“No, think of it with a shiny new coat of paint.”

“Still a deathtrap.”

“No, it will be the perfect van for going cross country.”

“I’m not going anywhere in that.”

“Just wait, you’ll see.”

“I see a deathtrap.”

“Think of it with a whole new interior.”

“Deathtrap.”

“Think positive for a moment.”

“Still a deathtrap.”

Six months later, Cassy sat on the hood, watching the sun set over the Pacific Ocean after driving alone from Richmond, Virginia to California. She raised her glass, tapped it against the hood and said, “Here’s to a perfect friendship.”

Friday Fictioneers 6-25-2021

PHOTO PROMPT © Brenda Cox

“You can’t blame this one on me,” Chris said with a cock of his head.

“Oh, I can.”

“Not legitimately.”

“True, but I’ll find a way,” Jay promised.

“What am I, the Big Bad Wolf? I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your trees down?”

“Watch out Little Red Riding Hood!”

“Humpht.”

“What big eyes you have!”

“What a big heart I have.”

“What a big nose you have.”

“Now you’re just being silly. I’ve a perfect nose.”

Thank goodness no one at the outdoor tables had been hurt in the collapse.

Friday Fictioneers 6-18-2021

PHOTO PROMPT ©  Alicia Jamtaas

“Nobody lives there.”

“The Little People do.”

“Why would they live in a Big Person house?”

“They drove out the Big People.”

“You are so full of it.”

“You don’t believe me, go look inside.”

“I’m not looking inside.”

“Chicken.”

“Damn right. I bet there are snakes in there.”

“No snakes.”

“Then you look.”

“I don’t need to look.”

“Are you sure? No snakes?”

“I promise.”

“Come with me and I will.”

“Okay.”

They snuck up on the building, circling around to the far side where a wood door hung partially open. Peeked inside……

“Surprise!” shouted all her friends.

Friday Fictioneers 6-11-2021

PHOTO PROMPT © Dale Rogerson

“That’s just…..”

“Big.”

“And orange.”

“And…..”

They both fell silent.

“Let’s see if it is open.”

“Really?”

“Sure? Why not?”

“It’s just so…. Orange.”

Kerry started towards the ordering window. “That’s why I love America. Such wacky things you guys have here.”

“Huh. Unlike Wales, I guess.”

“Definitely unlike Wales,” Kerry laughed.

Reaching the window, he said, “I’d like a Big Orange Burger.”  He looked at Jay. “You?”

Jay wasn’t sure he wanted a Big Orange Burger, but he was used to America’s fast food. Kerry was still fascinated by the scope and variety.

“Come on, where else are you going to get a Big Orange Burger?”

“Nowhere, hopefully,” Jay responded, then, “Sure, why not, make it two.”

Friday Fictioneers 6-4-2021

PHOTO PROMPTPHOTO PROMPT Liz Young © Liz Young

“This,” Jay said matter-of-factly, “has to take the cake.”

“What? The wall jumped me.”

“Well, there you go, but it looks like you jumped the wall.”

“Twist everything around as always.”

“Look, Chris, you have a habit of destroying cars. Luckily, you haven’t destroyed yourself right along with them.” Truth was, he knew, Chris was trying to destroy himself. Pushing the limits, driving fast, but this didn’t look like his normal attempts. This looked like an accident.

“It was an accident,” Chris said.

“I know, but, boy, you have a way with cars.”

They both laughed. Anytime they could laugh was a good day.

Friday Fictioneers 5-28-2021

PHOTO PROMPT © Miles Rost

“Don’t jump, Harold!”

Harold flipped red wings.

Spencer swung his way up, shooting out a sticky strand of web which wrapped around Harold.

“Oh, for creatures sake,” Harold said, attempting to flick his glued-down wings, “Spencer!”

The spider turned around. “What?”

“I wasn’t going to jump. I was going to fly!”

“Thank goodness, I saved you!”

“What? I have wings, Spencer. I’m a flying bug!”

“What? Oh…I forgot.”

He always forgot.

Spencer looked so ashamed, however, Harold relented – as always. “It’s all right. Just get this sticky web off me.”

Friday Fictioneers 5-7-2021

PHOTO PROMPT © Ted Strutz

“How’s that for moving houses?” Van asked.

He shrugged. It wasn’t a house, it was a trailer. Extra wide maybe, but still a trailer.

“I can’t wait to stand on our front porch,” Emmy said with a clap of hands.

It wasn’t a porch…. it was a extended door.

“Yeah.”

“What? Honey aren’t you excited?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, you could act like it!”

Well, he could, but what was he excited about? Not a trailer no matter how pretty inside. Not a bolted together house….

Walking away was what he was excited about and he did.

Friday Fictioneers 4-30-2021

PHOTO PROMPT © Dale Rogerson

They sat amid the devastation, oblivious. If not oblivious, at least resigned. The flood waters lay flat, motionless. Behind them, well, there used to be a house.

“Funny,” the first said, “how these daman chairs are bout the only thing to survive.”

“Yeah, funny,” agreed the second, dead-pan.

“Indestructible less you sit in them wrong.”

“Ah huh.”

“Think FEMA will get their tails in gear this time?”

“Nope.”

“You’re right. Probably not. Still……” And he was silent for a long moment. “There is always tomorrow.”