It wasn’t the ghost or the Hal-like computer that annoyed him but the ‘Alcohol Banned’ notice – this was one bad nightmare. He must have left the holoset controls open for the kids to break again. As a punishment, he’d switch them off and play on-line with his real children.
Random Word: Annoyed
‘It wer his tea-chest. I wanted bad.’
‘But I put it to you that you then cut his gizzards out.’
‘Me thirst wer awful and he said drink rum.’
Random Word: Chest
Hospitals in suburbia with neat gardens and coffee morning nurses disgusted him. Liam so wanted the guts and pus of street medicine. Where to heal gave a life some meaning. Here he just re-fitted bodies long after any reason for living had died. Making a funeral, a long rehearsed prayer.
Random Word: Suburbia
Bank holiday weekend…and its raining.
Len rattled the garden gate. To beat Roy, he needed his prize seeds. Roy, who'd read Machiavelli, heard the rattle, and sprinkled the decoys.
Random Word: Haggard
The autumn leaves
changed colours
but you were spring
with its hopes
not a misty regret
of winter
shivering
by a log fire
alone
Looking back
I still dream
although summer
with gentle walks
along green riverbanks
picking wild flowers
never came
but you gave our child
her own seasons
as I wait
for you
Random Word: Autumn Leaves
El's well business made him rich but his son baulked at the gold thrown at the crazy boat builder. Once the rain stopped, he’d pull the job.
Random Word: Impecunious
The reporter pressed, ‘Do you believe in God.’
He thought, on the walk to the fish at Ballystockart, I got awful thirsty but at an auld stone house, a dark weather-beaten man offered me water. I drank and then the silence came and held me.
But answered, ‘Only in music.’
Random Word: The Blues
If you want to listen, click on below
‘Sire, the Vampires will forgo the blood fee for sea access.’
The Duke distracted with bosoms, said,‘So be it.’
‘Sire, what of the Harvest ships,’
The Duke weary of responsibility dismissed him.
The Minister’s solution was a personal sea voyage with a letter that offered the Duke as blood fee.
Random Word: Harvest
These are the Twitter (#vss) stories that caught my eye mainly over the past 7 days. Click on the image or name if you want to visit the story site. Or on the date stamp to go direct to the story.
Every time he overheard someone saying "I could never live without my...", he would steal it to see if they were lying to themselves. #vss
Jeff Provine
JeffProvine
It just didn't seem right, dumping a body in the middle of gods nowhere but then why should I care? Its not like we were friends.
Maryanne Carman
soulkyrie
Extremely tired of her husband’s snoring, she dropped a bit of long lasting glue on his lips and then gently closed them. #vss
Kathy
kjmonson
Albert never went back to that clothing store again. The shirt did not, in fact, flatter his chest. #vss
Twenty Limes
20Limes
They did not march in wearing jackboots. They came quietly in Gucci loafers. But they were the same men with the same agenda.
William Brazill
InstantFiction
Slow this year as just finishing my creative writing course but it should start to pick up
Current Read: Cloudstreet by Tim Winton
140 Characters: A Style Guide for the Short Form by Dom Sagolla
Arthur and George by Julian Barnes
A Question of Upbringing by Anthony Powell
Britain Since 1918: The Strange Career Of British Democracy by David Marquand
How Do You Want Me? by Ruby Wax
I'm a Stranger Here Myself by Bill Bryson
The Commissariat of Enlightenment by Ken Kalfus
The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler
The Other Side of the Dale by Gervase Phinn
The Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett
Tickling the English by Dara O Briain
It was the merry month of May
along a lonely country lane
that he did spy
her breasts so soft
She smiled, he thought,
so rushed across,
his weapon to hand,
least it be wanted.
So did not see the scythe
Until she sliced,
he screamed,
and woke,
he hoped.
Random Word: Attention
Al finally admitted his gambling problem when the plane engine caught fire and he texted his bookie for the best long odds on surviving.
Random Word: Croupier
Epistolary biography with strong depiction of her comedy roots. Puzzling thankful account of Lenny( Marriage ends months later-hmm.) But powerful accounts of two fathers tragic deaths – her own and a boyfriend’s. Also interesting was reading the sheer haphazardness of her career start and the direction it could have gone.
: Good - read it again and loan it out or give to friends when shelves full.
‘I’m sorry but it’s too representational.’ The cloud scene had bothered him all morning. ‘I wanted authenticity.’
The artist glared, and then went to the Director’s car, which he smashed through the wall, creating a sky view. Staggering out, he said, ‘I’m calling it Cloudburst, is that bloody authentic enough.’
Random Word: Director
If you want to listen, click on below
Al was on holiday and bored so an old man shouting in real time, 'Christ was the saviour,' was an earthsave. He cast Pel, his best cyber friend, 'It was like he talked Martian.'
Pel, in his second year of Solar Languages, laughed and said, 'No, he's talking archaic Amerikon.
Visit Mr.Knowitall to post your own Friday Flash 55 word story or poem! 
I watched him wake up - the anger in the cover thrown back, and the stabbing hand trying to find spectacles - before he even spoke.
‘You again?’
‘Your family are waiting for you.‘
‘Baloney, they’re a bunch of losers.’
I rested my scythe on the bed and sat down. The morning ritual had begun.
Random word: awake
I picked a poppy once,
a different red
and knew death
is what breaks
so many men
because it can't be fixed
or talked away.
So I won’t be brave,
for a victory
but for the smell of a rose
she once brought me
as it droops
in the water.
Random Word: Grief
If you want to listen, click on below
When she walked in, it wasn’t the laughter at him, in her pink thong that hurt but the look of disgust, when he asked, ‘Any other colours?’
Random Word: Risible
This is a 50-word story where E = Evil baffled! written for the ABC Wednesday meme that is hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt
As soon as Miss Jenkins saw the sweetshop door open, and heard from nowhere the wailing woman music, she knew it was trouble. That song always heralded a struggle with Evil.
Lucifer, took off his glasses, stopped, and looked round cautiously, he’d only popped in for a quarter of humbugs
The slayer
Random Word: Dog Person
If you want to listen, click on below
Listen!
These are the Twitter (#vss) stories that caught my eye mainly over the past 7 days. Click on the image or name if you want to visit the story site. Or on the date stamp to go direct to the story.
She'd always admired fine craftsmen, like old-school tailors and luthiers. That's why she preferred knives; guns felt like a chain store.
murderballads
murderballads
She wanted to talk about things that mattered. He was hesitant but horny. I'm all ears, he said. She paused and said, That might be problem.
Arjun Basu
arjunbasu
She tore the last chapters from his books and seeded his cereal with kitty litter. He would never call her merely passive aggressive again.
TT
3tdoanVSS
It helped ease her heartbreak when she thought that if her life was made a movie years from now, he'd be credited as "man in red car". #vss
WJ Shaib
wjshaib
you’re in the sun
and I’m in the rain
you’re got good shit
and I’m in dogshit
yet once it wer me
so it’s fair
but soon
so soon
you’ll need me umbrella
Random Word: Summer Holiday
Behind the observation-glass, Frau Schmidt ticked the awakening time as correct. The game could begin.
Random Word: Get a room already
If you want to listen, click on below
Handing over the pint, Rob had said, ‘’Do you trust me?’ I nodded, we went way back. ‘ I’m jumping off the roof, join me.’ Seeing my face, he smiled and leaned over to whisper, ‘ The Hitchhikers guide was right except for timing.’
‘And boy, has it been fun.’
Random Word:Xanadu
If you want to listen, click on below
‘I bet you say that to all the girls,’ Lil said. But kissed him anyway, for at night he could be anyone she liked. And frequently, he was.
Image Maker: Ann and Eddie
Monsoon wetness so no balloons today**
**Bristol hosts one of the biggest Balloon Festival in the world – it’s main rival is the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. These balloons were about five minutes from passing over our roof, which drove Rosie, our Westie, barking mad – for hours.
Visit Mr.Knowitall to post your own Friday Flash 55 word story or poem!
The stench of heaving men hung heavy. Serious metal weights crunched. Ray, looked around, he was the only white guy in the gym.
‘We’re having breakfast here? But you said, “Come and eat at Dairy Queens?” ’
Otis, now down to a black leather pouch, said. ‘Nope, I said, “Come and meet other Dairy Queens”.’
Random Word: Permeate
Footnote: If you went eh? Dairy Queens are fast-food restaurants in the US South. It’s also American gay slang . Apologies to Americans for my southern accents!
If you want to listen, click on below
On a day of monsoon rain, I look out and see a car dashed with paint. Annoyed, we wait to see, if it’s at least, a neighbour we don’t like.
Random Word:Perfidious
Image Maker: Marcel Booth
When Dr Hare was behind, due to the internet wannbe experts, he lied to those who prayed, to get his plans agreed quickly. Then it was leaked that patient mortality was too high. He was defended by colleagues but sacked by politicians. So perhaps prayers were heard…the second time.
Random Word: Pray
If you want to listen, click on below
These are the five Twitter (#vss) stories that caught my eye mainly over the past 7 days. Click on the image or name if you want to visit the story site. Or on the date stamp to go direct to the story.
Their neighbor rings the bell and asks if they might spare a cup of sugar, and this is oddest thing they think has ever happened to them.
Ben White
midnightstories
I suppose we could go out tonight, have dinner, catch a movie. But that would only make life interesting. What would we do after that? #vss
Sairah Saddal
DisjointWisdom
John’s PhD had stalled. He couldn’t prove the existence of infinity in a number system. It was time to start again. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6…. #vss
Darren Jones
darrenmjones
Dan didn't know anyone in his neighborhood. He left his house at night. Returned at night. The neighbors doubted if he was more than myth.Twenty Limes
20Limes
"Spend more time on me," she said. So he killed her and spent the rest of his life tending flowers on her grave. At least he listened.
Two Thick Thumbs
twothickthumbs
Abd-ul-Rahim sat, slipped the package behind him, and then span the wheelchair towards the gaudy sound of the Carousel. From the Helter-skelter, a man spoke into a walkie-talkie and pointed. But avoiding the running men, he jumped up, package in hand, and said, ‘Alā'-ad-dīn, tonight, “This is your Life.” ‘
Random Word: Neon
If you want to listen, click on below
OMG, I was his first follower. So yes, he has tweeted me on Twitter. TC may do this to thousands but I’m special. I helped him get a million followers. How? I post about the fun in my life, all my friends say they love it - when they text.
Random Word: Popinjay
Image Maker: Ted Szukalski
If you want to listen, click on below
She pointed a finger at him and screamed before turning to the angry mob outside his cab. He knew it was a dream. Who refuses a tip?
Random Word: Asperse
Sir, excuse me, do you mind making less noise. A library is for study. So please get off the floor. Sorry, I can’t hear you. Heart? What do you mean by heart? Is this a silly candid camera stunt. Speak up, I should have known, your people always cause trouble.
Random Word:Queen Regnant
If you want to listen, click on below
