Showing posts with label short story. Show all posts
Showing posts with label short story. Show all posts

Friday, February 8, 2019

The Demise of a Rabbit - Feb 2019 UYW

Today’s post is a writing challenge. This is how it works: participating bloggers picked 4 – 6 words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once and all the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That’s the challenge, here’s a fun twist; no one who’s participating knows who got their words and in what direction the writer will take them. Until now.

At the end of this post you’ll find links to the other blogs featuring this challenge. Check them all out, see what words they got and how they used them. 

Sue looked at Ted and said "This is a tried and true old fashioned remedy. The old guy at the hardware store swears it will work."
Ted looked kind of skeptical. It was a unique that was for sure but Ted still wasn't sure this would work. It was a sensational idea if you thought about it long enough. The only bump he could think of was Jasper. What if he got into this concoction and it killed him. Shaking his head he walked away, that was something he did not want to think about.
Old Jasper, good ol' boy, man...Ted had gotten him right after college. Geez, that meant he was what...Ted stopped and glanced over at the dog sleeping on his bed by the bay window. Wow, he must every bit of fourteen years old. Sure couldn't tell it when he was after that dadgum rabbit.
Ted walked into his office and happened upon a book in the floor, laying open. He picked it up. "Farmers Almanac, hmm where did this come from?"
There was a tap at the window. He glanced up and screamed, like a girl I might add.
Sue came running into the study, "what, what is it?" she yelled coming into the room.
There stood Ted, still as a rock, eyes glazed over, mouth hanging open. He was staring towards the window. Sue turned and looked, she saw it, that damned rabbit again. HOW he was on the window sill she did not know nor care. She took off for the kitchen, she was determined to finish this concoction and watch that hair ball choke on it if it was the last thing she ever did.
Ted sat down behind his desk sometime later. Scratching his head he wondered just how the rabbit had gotten on the window sill and was he the one who put the book on the floor? Opening the almanac to the page ear marked he read, "
It was high lighted...how the? He looked around and there it was. A highlighter on the floor.
So the rabbit knew about the concoction, but did he know she also put diphacinone in it.

Leaning back in his chair Ted thought, this is one smart rabbit, what if we didn't get rid of it. What if it is some super species, an alien, or what if animals really can communicate and he is trying to tell us something.

"TED!" oh dear lord he almost fell backwards in his chair hitting the floor, startled to say the least he looked up. "yes dear, what can I do for you?"
Sue said, "well for starters you can tell me why I called you three times without any acknowledgment and why you are just sitting there doing nothing?! Aren't you supposed to be on a conference call right now?"

Oh crap...

Thanks to Jules for providing the words this month, I hope I did them justice. Now be sure to go and visit each of the others. See ya next month!!

Links to the other “Use Your Words” posts:
Baking In A Tornado                               https://www.bakinginatornado.com
Wandering Web Designer                        https://wanderingwebdesigner.com/blog
Cognitive Script                                      https://cognitivescript.blogspot.com
Southern Belle Charm                             https://www.southernbellecharm.com    
The Bergham Chronicles *Jules*              https://berghamchronicles.blogspot.com/
On the Border                                        https://dlt-lifeontheranch.blogspot.com/
Climaxed                                               https://climaxedtheblog.blogspot.com 
Part-time Working Hockey Mom               https://thethreegerbers.blogspot.ch    
Follow me home                                    https://followmehome.shellybean.com             
Your words are:
tried and true ~ sensational ~ upon ~ unique ~ bump

Friday, February 1, 2019

From Rabbits to Squirrels - Feb 2019 SSS

You're back! Oh how wonderful, grab a chair, a cup of tea/coffee and prop up those tootsies. Today is Secret Subject Swap. This week 8 brave bloggers picked a secret subject for someone else and were assigned a secret subject to interpret in their own style. Now we are all simultaneously divulging our topics and submitting our posts. 
I hope you enjoy and please be sure to stop by the others, the links are below.

Here are links to all the sites now featuring Secret Subject Swap posts.  

Baking In A Tornado                           https://www.BakingInATornado.com
Never Ever Give Up Hope             https://batteredhope.blogspot.com
Wandering Web Designer              https://wanderingwebdesigner.com/blog
Cognitive Script                           https://cognitivescript.blogspot.com
Southern Belle Charm                 https://www.southernbellecharm.com   
The Bergham Chronicles               https://berghamchronicles.blogspot.com/
Climaxed                                         https://climaxedtheblog.blogspot.com   
Part-time Working Hockey Mom        https://thethreegerbers.blogspot.ch      

Ted was outside yelling like a fool. What in the hell is he yelling at now? thought Sue. She walked closer to the window and cracked it open.
"You stupid little rodent! I have told you over and over that THIS is the bird food! YOUR food is over there!" he was pointing wildly at a corn cob tied to a limb. The squirrel was none to impressed with this behavior. He cocked his head from one side to the other, then sprang forward, grabbed a mouthful of bird feed and he was off and running.
Ted was running too! "YOU damned fuzzy tailed little mongrel, if I get my hands on you... his voice trailed off. There in the path going into the trees behind his house, was IT. That dadgum rabbit!! OMG he thought Sue had killed that thing. He looked over his shoulder toward the house, shoot, she was standing at the window watching him. Probably thought he had lost his mind.
Sue leaned closer, what was he looking at? Wait...no, oh it better not be! THAT RABBIT?!
Running out the back door, down the steps and picking up speed she crossed the lawn in two seconds flat. The rabbit, ears up, turned and disappeared in to the bushes.
"WHERE IS HE, WHERE IS HE?!" Sue was screaming.
Ted looked at her and said "who" in a timid voice.
"WHAT?!!! DID YOU ASK ME WHO? TED you know damned well who. That filthy varmint, that son of a...." she stopped, she saw her neighbors peering over the fence. Oh crap.
"Hey Ted, Sue, everything okay over there?" asked Bob the old nosy retired neighbor that moved in last year.
Changing too a sweet voice Sue replied "Oh sorry Bob just some rodent issues, a wild rabbit that has been wreaking havoc for a while now. Nothing to worry about." She turned and headed toward the house.
Bob and Mary looked at each other, shrugged and head back to their deck chairs. Just as they sat down, they heard those fools neighbors again.
"I'm not yelling at you I'm yelling at the birds, telling them to peck the crap out of that squirrel next time he shows his beady little face here around the feeder again." Ted was yelling but was bringing his voice down as he saw Sue getting red faced, he knew he needed to calm down. These damned animals were making them both crazy.
Sue was already inside, stirring her coffee when she heard a scratching sound. She turned slowly and Jasper was looking right into the eyes of that squirrel who was NOW sitting on the counter eating one of her walnuts!
AARRGGHH she screamed and the squirrel jumped out the window, Jasper nearly catching him by the tail was now howling at the door to get out.
Bob and Mary sitting outside enjoying a sunny afternoon Tom Collins was again interrupted by those fools next door. Sighing they got up and went inside.

Are you wondering what rabbit? Here you can find two other short stories featuring the rabbit, Jasper and the fools next door.

Your “Secret Subject” is:
You hear your neighbor having a loud, aggressive verbal fight with a squirrel that steals from all the neighborhood bird feeders. Tell us a story about the dialogue from the neighbor's perspective or tell us one from yours.
It was submitted by: https://climaxedtheblog.blogspot.com  THANK YOU Jenniy

Friday, May 11, 2018

Brunch at the cafe - UYW - MAY

Today’s post is a writing challenge. This is how it works: participating bloggers picked 4 – 6 words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once and all the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That’s the challenge, here’s a fun twist; no one who’s participating knows who got their words and in what direction the writer will take them. Until now.

At the end of this post you’ll find links to the other blogs featuring this challenge. Check them all out, see what words they got and how they used them. 

Let's be fancy and go have "brunch at the cafe" my buddy said. Sure why not, we had nothing else to do. So the five of us walked down to the corner cafe. It was very busy and thankfully one table left. Six chairs but one was broken which was no big deal since there was only five of us. I moved it aside. Then...
She sauntered in, looking as fine as a macaroon. Delicious, delicate but you could tell there were layers of mystery inside. Standing next to the fountain, she glanced around and only one chair was open, the broken chair. The thought hit me, ditch your buddies, no reason to be united with them on such a fine day. So I did just that. I walked over and said hi, offered her a tour of our lovely town under the night stars and crescent moon glow. She gave me a smile that would melt your Popsicle, reaching her delicate hand to caress my cheek. "Aww aren't you sweet." as her eyes lit up. I thought this is the one. Then he was there, standing next to her, the heat of their bodies standing so close was like opening a red hot furnace. I slowly backed away and went back to my buddies.
My buddy punched me in the arm just as I lifted my cherry cream soda making me slosh some on my sleeve. "HEY MAN look what you did!" He pointed. I turned and there she stood. She leaned down and ever so slowly whispered in my ear "this should make them green with envy" and she kissed my cheek, slowly, seductively. She stood, caressed my chin and said "see ya around lover boy" and off they went.
My heart was racing, they were slapping my back, atta boy! and cheers all around. Reaching up to touch the spot her lips had pressed against I felt like the luckiest man alive.
WOW what a doll!

Links to the other “Use Your Words” posts:
Baking In A Tornado                      https://www.bakinginatornado.com
On the Border                               https://dlt-lifeontheranch.blogspot.com/
The Bergham Chronicles                        https://berghamchronicles.blogspot.com 
Southern Belle Charm                        http://www.southernbellecharm.com 
The Blogging 911                            http://theblogging911.com/blog  
Part-Time Working Hockey Mom      https://thethreegerbers.blogspot.ch/  
My Brand of Crazy                       https://sarahsbrandcrazy.blogspot.com/    
Climaxed                                    https://climaxedtheblog.blogspot.com              

Your words are:
Macaron ~ fountain ~ broken chair ~ united ~ ditch ~ crescent
It was submitted by: https://thethreegerbers.blogspot.ch/             

Friday, December 15, 2017

Lost At The Zoo - UYW

It's that time, Use Your Words, a creative writing challenge where we are given 4-6 random words or phrases two weeks prior to posting. Then we write a story, true or fiction, poem or essays. Each blogger/author has their own style and interpretation of the words. At the end of this post you will find links to the others. Be sure to visit. These ladies are very talented.
It was a rainy February morning. The sun was no where to be found, the rain it seemed had set in the day possibly the whole week.
Zoo staff members were sent to disperse rain gear to those who were out feeding the animals.
Here I stood, cheek to cheek with an ostrich. She was such an obstinate bird. Glaring at me, daring me to make her move. Fine I thought, stupid bird, stand in the rain. But I knew that if I didn't get her in it would be midnight before I was home.
I loved my work here but sometimes I thought maybe I needed my head examined. The work conditions are horrible. Outside in any and all weather. Dirty, smelly, at times pure gross work enviroment, especially if I drew the short stick and had to muck the stalls of the elephants. Eww or deal with these big birds. No one understands how hard of a job it really is. I hear "ooh you work at the zoo? How exciting, all those beautiful animals" blah blah blah
Really people, those of us who are low on the totem pole, well, we much stalls, cut up thousands of pounds of raw meat, vegetables and fruit. Move hundreds of pounds of hay and straw several times a day. It is hard work. Rewarding yes but still hard.
Oh shoot, what was that sound? DAMN the gate! I ran over and sure enough, it was shut tight. Great now I'm locked in. I reached in my pocket just as Gertrude hit my arm with her head. Stupid bird! I yelled but she stomped her feet and ran off into the bush.
Great, now I had to go find her in this enormous enclosure but first I had to get my phone, call the zookeeper and tell him that I was locked in.
I glanced down, wait, where was my phone?! I looked around, kicked some straw out of the way, nothing.
Oh dear sweet mother of pearl, if Gertrude had my phone...
Off I trudged through the thick, following the sound of phone, I had an alarm set and it was going off. Good thing, that meant Gertrude had not swallowed my phone.
The enclosure is huge, it not only houses the ostriches but other non threatening mammals. Well, non threatening to each other, to me that could be a different story. I HAD to find my phone and get the heck out.
Over the trees I could see that the outside flood lights were on at the gate, that meant closing time was at hand. Damn it, I had to get out of here.

YES! There was Gertrude. Standing by a tree, I think that's her. Yes it was, now where was my phone Would I be lucky enough to find it laying at her feet or would she have dropped it somewhere by now.
She ran off, fine, then I hear a laugh. Who is laughing? Ugh...these stupid birds, there sat Jebu on a limb laughing at me I was sure of it. I said "what's so funny Jebu?" and he flew away.
Then I knew what was so funny. Mickey had my phone and was pushing away on it's buttons. Damn it, that lemar is such a pain. I called him, he held the phone up for me to see and took off. Great just what I needed, to chase yet another animal around in the rain. Thankfully it had slackened off but seriously I had no rain gear and was soaked to the bone.
Over the loud speaker I hear " we have a lost child in the zoo, all visitors have exited the park. We need all hands on deck"
OMG a lost child??? How in the heck? WHY would everyone leave? Damn it I needed to get out of here so I could help.
Heading back towards the gate, I gave up on retrieving my phone, I was tired, wet and pissed at myself.
Just as I enter the clearing I heard Bill "SUE, SUE are you in here?" YES YES BILL I'm here!! and I took off running towards the gate. He was giving me that look, you know, the look your mother gives you when she has caught you in a mess. "Hi Bill, I know I know, but I heard the announcement, can we just get out of here and go find the child?"
He looked at me and laughed. What the Sam hill is so funny I thought? He said "Sue, you were lost, not a child, do you think we would make an announcement like that over the intercom? Come on now, you've been here long enough to know better and speaking of knowing better. What is going on with you? Do you have some man who has you so enamored you ain't thinking right?" He laughed, put his arm around my shoulder and said "damn you're soaked".
No shit Sherlock. But I kept that to myself. "yes, yes Bill I am".
"Okay I'll tell ya what, we'll discuss this tomorrow. For now, go home, dry off and get some rest."
I was very thankful. Nodded and headed toward the employee clubhouse to fetch my purse and keys.
What a day! I drove to the closest fast food joint, grabbed some food and home I went. After eating and a long soak in the tub I hit the hay. I do not remember a thing. I slept through the night. I did however have some strange dreams. Dancing cheek to cheek at midnight in the rain with an ostrich. LOL

Your words are:
cheek ~ disperse ~ ostrich ~ midnight ~ rain
They were submitted by: http://theblogging911.com/blog

Links to the other “Use Your Words” posts:
Baking In A Tornado
The Blogging 911                           http://theblogging911.com/blog
On the Border                               https://dlt-lifeontheranch.blogspot.com/
The Bergham Chronicles                  https://berghamchronicles.blogspot.com    
Southern Belle Charm         http://www.southernbellecarm.com                                        Bookworm in the Kitchen                  http://www.bookwormkitchen.com/
Part-Time Working Hockey Mom
Climaxed                                          https://climaxedtheblog.blogspot.com          

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

The Meaning of the End

Welcome to the December 2017 group poetry post. Each month we choose a topic or theme, each blogger then creates their own interpretation of that in poetry or free form style.
This month, Endings is the chosen theme.
I racked my brain trying to come up with something that might even remotely resemble poetry. Alas, I  came up empty handed. I kept finding myself writing short stories, essays, and paragraphs that rambled on and on.
If you scroll to the bottom of this post you'll find links to real poetry created by my talented friends.
Thanks for stopping by!

E - ending, final, completion
N - nothing stays the same
D - destined to change
I - inspiring us forward
N - new life after the old
G - giver of closure
S - sending us into a new tomorrow



Other links:
Karen over at Baking In A Tornado
http://www.bakinginatornado.com/2017/12/from-end-to-beginning-december-poetry.html

Jules over at The Bergham Chronicles
https://berghamchronicles.blogspot.com/2017/12/la-fin-poetrycollaboration.html

Lydia over at Cluttered Genius
http://www.clutteredgenius.com/?p=9324

Jenn over at Sparkly Poetic Weirdo
https://sparklyjenn.blogspot.com/2017/12/endings.html

Diane over at On The Border
https://dlt-lifeontheranch.blogspot.com/2017/12/an-ending.html