Flash Fiction Fridays, #12

5 words picked by a random word generator, 100 words or fewer story.  We have: market, leech, kiss, injury, ipad. Please send in one of your own, due by midnight, Monday, New York time. Winner gets a critique of the first chapter of their WIP or poem.

     “Are those earbuds or do you have leeches hanging from your ipad again?”

     “Slimy little vampire bastards are everywhere. I went tarantula hunting in the jungle. Selling them in the market. Beer money.”

     “They really got you. It’s like you’re covered in love bites.”

     “Kiss this. Nothing like a work-related injury to make a girl feel pretty.”

     “How many letters in your advanced degrees did it take to spell ‘slacker entomologist?’”

     “Dating the local talent by the hour is making you bitter.”

     “Ever notice ‘beer’ and ‘love’ have the same letter count?”

     “Secret to happiness, baby. Secret to happiness.”

Flash Fiction Fridays, #11

5 words picked by a random word generator, 100 words or fewer story.  We have:  navel, trophy, conductor, mime, finger. Please send in one of your own, due by midnight, Monday, New York time. Winner gets a critique of the first chapter of their WIP or poem.

     “Give the mime the finger. Speak his language.”

     “Act this out, buddy.” A stubby finger sailed into the air.

     “Damn street performers. Everybody’s an artist nowadays. Junkies with busted two-string guitars are conductors, any kid with a crayon’s Picasso.”

     “I know. What’s in the bag?”

     “That’s my trophy for best navel in a pose-off. I won best spray-tan lines too.”

     “Sweet. I won best use of makeup to hide juice tracks.”

     “Wanna go lift?”

     “Sure. Let’s bench some writer clowns too. What a piece of work.”

     “Is a man...hey, move it, Shakespeare. Real artists coming through.”

Flash Fiction Fridays, #10--St. Patrick's Flash

5 words picked in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, 100 words or fewer story.  We have:  green, clover, leprechaun, gold, snakes. Bonus words:  shillelagh, shoemaker. Please send in one of your own, due by midnight, Monday, New York time. Winner gets a critique of the first chapter of their WIP or poem.

“Look up! Is that the Shoemaker-Shillelagh comet?”

“Have you been smoking clover again? There’s nothing there.” 

“Gold streaks--writhing like pythons in the sky!”

“Sky snakes? Um, no. I also didn’t see some homicidal baby with a bow and quiver, a manic bunny employed by the chocolate lobby, or a bad-tempered jackass o’ lantern with dental issues.” 

“My girlfriend says...”

“Don’t get me started on that imaginary chick with wings you claim you met at the Green rally when you lost your tooth fighting.”

“Chill, San-Man, ol’ St. Dick, give a leprechaun a break. Ride the Rainbow...”

Flash Fiction Fridays, #9

5 words picked by a random word generator, 100 words or fewer story.  We have:  creature, horn, copier, heretic, beggar. Please send in one of your own, due by midnight, Monday, New York time. Winner gets a critique of the first chapter of their WIP or poem.

     “The copier of the Pearl manuscript was murdered!” 

     “What foul creature would kill a defenseless monk?” asked a novice.

     “Defenseless?” the abbot snickered. “With all the powdered horn he slipped in his beer, he was armed like a jousting knight. The way he kept defrocking himself we should have done the same, but he was our best copyist. ”

     Geoffrey nodded. “Nothing but whores, heretics, and honey wine. Nuns will cry in their cells tonight. A certain staff isn’t going on pilgrimage anymore.”

     The abbot sighed. “Always thinking with your quill. For a truly scandalous tale, there’s this woman in Bath...” 

Flash Fiction Fridays, #8

5 words picked by a random word generator, 100 words or fewer story.  We have:  saucer, revenge, sunset, shirt, locust. Please send in one of your own, due by midnight, Monday, New York time. Winner gets a critique of the first chapter of their WIP or poem.

     “They’re like locusts. No respect for normal people."
     “Did you see them at the sunset sale at Zegna? One head-butted me over a shirt.”

     “Typical. You’ll get your revenge when winter comes. With their stick insect bodies, they have no resistance to cold.”

     “I heard one of them wants to be ambassador to Great Britain, like the Council will ever allow that.”

     “Ha. Wintour’s going to be the first one dragged back to the Mother Ship when the flying saucers return.”

     “Damn Alien Cultural Exchange Program. Fashionistas, freaking Stilettoheads. I’d thought the Beansniffers from Planet Barista were bad...”