The Hiding Place: A Monday Motivations

Behind the fireplace in the drawing room, once you’d moved the book case slightly to the side, lay her safe space, her sanctuary; a place where the rest of the world just didn’t exist.

It served her those nights when her siblings were squabbling, when her mother had been drinking, or when her father was crying; those times when the world seemed so wrong and made no modicum of sense.

Recently, though, she had found need for it more frequently, as though things were slowly breaking apart, and her once sturdy sanctuary walls were now permeated more easily… the outside world was getting harder ignore.

*****

Two prompts in one day! Aren’t you lucky?

Like with this mornings Writespiration post, it’s been awhile since I’ve took part in one of  Esther’s  Monday Motivations; so long, in fact, that I didn’t realise we were now using Photo Prompts too! I really need to stay better up to date. My last post was At The End: A Monday Motivations

The themes here was: Hiding Place!

If you want to see my previous entries,  you can read Creation, The Musician or Gold & Misery!

The Switch: #Writespiration #12

The Switch pulsated; bright, rainbow light breaking into the pitch black room.

Everything about it was as exciting as it was mysterious.

Still, some part of her resonated with it, as though her life had lead her to this moment, and, deep down she somehow knew that it had to be pressed.

*****

This prompt brought out a nervous twitch in me, as I’m still lamenting not buying the Nintendo Switch… May can’t come soon enough! Still, it was nice to partake in another wonderful challenge posed by Sacha, in which we had to write a 52 word piece using only the prompt of “The Switch”.

I’ve been a bit lax in my entries of prompts recently, my last entry was The Juice Thief: Writespiration #5 which was… well, a fair amount of time ago!

 

The Juice Thief: Writespiration #5

 

The odds were stacked against him.

He knew the patterns, the signs, and, when it was time, he spread his wings and fell; dive-bombing downward.

Moments later, the stall owner returned to find his jug was no longer full of his famous grape juice, but full of a wobbly, hiccuping pigeon instead.

*****

Seems today is the day for humorous stories? I started this one yesterday, had the idea, but not the execution. Still, I’m happy with it and it made me smile imaging it as I wrote. Another wonderful challenge posed by Sacha, in which we had to write a 52 word piece using only the prompt: Time, Stack, Juice, Pigeon.

The Trooper: A 3LT

He looked at himself in the mirror beside the easel and sighed; his visor steaming up in front of his eyes.

Maybe he wasn’t cut out to be a painter? Maybe there was a reason he’d been designed as a Stormtrooper™ and that was all he was meant to be?

“Fuck it!” he shouted, splattering paint against the blank canvas, “I won’t have my decisions made for me!”

*****

I may have just finished listening to John Scalzi’s Redshirts (Narrated by Wil Wheaton) so that may have been having an impact on how I saw this picture… Once again, a big thanks to Sonya and to her prompt. I always enjoy these but I seem to have lost the rhythm recently and keep missing the prompts… Glad to catch this one though!

The Musician: A Monday Motivations Flash Fiction

Beyond those crimson curtain the fans shouted and screamed, calling for an encore to the encore, but he smiled, content with his performance and made his way to his car; shedding his costume like a second skin.

Front of house, he waited patiently, engine on, and watched as the streams of boisterous teenagers left the show; all of them deep in conversation, reliving each moment of their night.

“Dad!” She screamed, as she jumped into the back of the car “You’ll never believe what he did this time!”

****

Like the last time I took part in Esther Newton’s Monday Motivations I was instantly hit with an idea. I tried, as I normally do, to stick to three lines, and whilst I succeeded this one was a bit more challenging than any other I’ve written recently. There was so much more I wanted to say; so much more I wanted to convey… Hopefully the message comes across.

The themes were: Secrets, Fame, Music.

A big thank you for Esther for running these Monday Motivations! Looking forward to the next ones too. If you want to see my previous entries, there is either Creation or Gold & Misery!

Century: Writespiration #4

He blinked.

“How long have I been asleep?” he asked, his voice croaking and previously unused.

“Exactly one century” answered a voice with practiced calm.

He took a moment to process the news.

“Then, my friends… my family… they’re all…”

He was met with a solemn nod.

Tears broke his eyes.

*****

Many thanks to Sacha for running this challenging over on her weekly Writespiration. The prompt this time was 100 to celebrate 100 Writespirations; a pretty awesome achievement! You’ll also find my entry for last week on there, or you can find it at The Lost Things: Writespiration #3, along with many other wonderful 52-Word-Works!

The Lost Things: Writespiration #3

She’d fallen from the log and onto the mossy mound; spilling spores into clouds all around her. Suddenly, as though fragments of the undergrowth came to life, leaf-masked creatures surrounded her fallen form. They began to examine her curiously; stick think appendages poking and prodding. This was who she’d been looking for.

*****

52 Words. Exactly. That’s what Sacha is challenging us to over on her weekly Writespiration. I’ve missed the first two weeks (not sure how?!), but I’m making my first entry with this! The prompt was Lost Things. For some reason, my mind went to a Forst, and the Lost Things living there… and then I started thinking of these guys pictured above!