flash fiction

Whatnot Wednesday: Boy-Like-Being Gets Girl-Like-Being

Linda Vernon Linda's Bedtime Stories for Grown-up Children, The Daily Routine , , , , , , ,

Welcome Dear Readers to Biff Sock Pow’s Whatnot Wednesday writing challenge post.  Today I’ve taken the liberty of posting a Science Fiction story about love and whatnot on different planets and whatnot in keeping with Whatnot Wednesday and whatnot.

Whatnot Wednesday:  Boy-Like-Being Gets Girl-Like-Being

Zing bellied up to the bar at the Intergalactic Space Station and ordered a human-being’s drink called a Zombie. If he understood it correctly, the rational for naming an alcoholic beverage a Zombie was that if one drank enough Zombies one took on the characteristics of a reanimated dead body.

Zing sipped his drink and thought about how weird humans were while scoping out the bar.

“You can put those antennae away, the Space Gals haven’t arrived yet,”   The bartender slid a fresh Zombie Zing’s way.  The bartender was a tall drink of water named, Mu, a feline sapien from planet Mumeria.  A fine pair of yellow eyes and a well-developed gift for witty banter made the Space Gals mad for him.

“How do you do it, Mu?”  Zing asked.  “How do you manage to juggle so many Space Gal friends?  Don’t you ever want to settle down?”

“You mean settle down with a Space Gal like Sally? “  Mu stifled a purr thinking about Sally.

“Sally does love cats.”

Mu’s back arched ever so slightly.  “I’m not a cat!”

“I didn’t say you were. I just said Sally loves cats.  Two totally unrelated statements.”

Mu reached out and gave Zing a whack. “Where I’m from we eat things like you.”

“Hello fellas.” Sally took off her coat and sat down.  “Am I interrupting something?”

“No, we were just talking about where I was going to take you tonight after work, Sally.” Mu said quickly. “We’re drinking Zombies.  Here, I made one for you.”

“I’ll go anywhere with you, Mu!”  Sally giggled.

Zing took a catnip ball and rolled it down the bar.  He could see Mu’s yellow eyes pick up the motion. “I’ll be right back,” Mu announced.

“How about a movie tonight, Sally?” Zing asked.

Sally looked down the bar.  “What’s wrong with Mu? “He’s acting weird.”

“I don’t know. Maybe too many Zombies.” Zing tenderly reached for Sally’s claw, and they sipped their Zombies and gazed into each other’s antennae.

"Love is a many splendored thing . . . emphasis on "many".

“I love you .  Most ardently.  Please do me the honor of accepting my hand my claw my whatnot in marriage.”

 

 

How To Play Whatnot Wednesday

  1. Write a blog post entitled “Whatnot Wednesday” (it can be about anything)
  2. Add these guidelines to the bottom of your post
  3. Add a link to this post in your post
  4. Add the tag #WhatnotWednesday to your post
  5. Post your post
  6. In the comments below in my post, leave a link to your Whatnot Wednesday blog post
  7. See how many bullet points you an end with the word “post”
  8. Most of all …. HAVE FUN!  (post)

 

Bedtime Stories for Grown-up Children #874

Linda Vernon bedtime stories for grown up children, The Daily Routine , , , , , , ,

Oh That Drax!

“Drax! Drax! Draxmidian! Stop fooling and come this instant.” Draxmidian’s mother called.

“Now calm down, dear.” Her husband said. “Drax is just playing a joke on us. He’ll be along shortly. Sit down and enjoy the afternoon breeze, my dear.”

“But the what about the natives, Arthur? You know they come out in the afternoons. You know that. What if he’s not playing a joke on us this time Arthur! What if . . . oh why did I ever agree to come to this horrible place!”

“Now now, Marna. Drink you tea. Drax is a smart boy. He knows never to go into the forest. You need to relax.”

“But he’s a boy Arthur. And sometimes boys do stupid things!”

“Marna you’re tea is getting cold. Now drink. He’ll be along, you’ll see.”

Marna scanned the horizon and sipped her tea. Then she thought she saw movement in the brush beyond the expanse of deep green lawn. Yes! It must be Drax! But her heart stopped when she saw it wasn’t her little boy.

“Oh my god, Arthur!”

“Let me handle this, dear.” Arthur stood and felt the weight of his gun in his jacket. “Greetings sir. What brings you?”

The creature was tall with pale blue skin and the bright yellow eyes of a cat. His hair hung long and loose to his waist. He held up an article of clothing. It was Drax’s jacket.

Marna screamed. Arthur fired his gun.

The creature fell to the ground and they watched it’s blood pour out, nearly the same shade as the lawn.

““Daddy! Mommy! What happened?” Drax asked as he climbed out from his hiding place underneath the porch.

33-Word Trifecta Writing Challenge: The Sun’s Summer Fun

Linda Vernon Trifecta Writing Challenges , , , , , , ,

Hello Dear Readers!  Well it’s time for the 33-word, weekend Trifecta Challenge. If you haven’t tried the Trifecta Writing Challenges yet, you should!   They are so much fun and a great way to hone your writing skills.  Today the Trifecta Challengers have asked us to write 33 words describing summer. 

The sun having summer funThe Sun’s Summer Fun

Sun looks innocent

Sun shines rays in eyes of kid eating Popsicle until kids trips and drops Popsicle

Sun chuckles

Sun shines rays to dry kid’s tears

Sun goes back to looking  innocent

* * *

Until next time . . . I love you

Friday Fictioneers: The Demise of Steen Hig

Linda Vernon The Daily Routine , , , , , , ,

Hello Dear Readers!  In this blog’s search for an upstanding noun, a decent verb and a sober adjective, no stone has been left unturned in the fertile fields of ideas.

That is why this blog was delighted to stumble upon this new writing  challenge called Friday Fictioneers hosted by the blog of Rochelle Wisoff-Fields-Addicted to Purple.

THE CHALLENGE:

Write a one-hundred word story that has a beginning, middle and end (Using the picture provided for a prompt.)  

wasp-nest

The Demise of Steen Hig

Steen Hig was born in the 26th century. The computerns who tended the human incubator nests had high hopes for Steen Hig. People did too, or what was left of them since the plague.  Steen’s DNA had been microfactured to rule an empire not of people but of computers who masqueraded as people.

When Steen turned 31, the ceremonies were performed; his implants activated — while his tearful father watched.  And just like that, Steen Hig became a god.

Yet it was only a knife that brought Steen Hig to his mortal conclusion.

“Absolute power corrupts absolutely,” his father explained wiping clean the knife.

Hey that was fun!  You ought to give it a try Dear Readers!  Have a great weekend!

Until next time . . . I love you

Trifecta 33 Word Writing Challenge: The Conversation

Linda Vernon Trifecta Writing Challenges , , , , ,

Hello Dear Readers!  This weekend’s Trifecta Challenge was simply to write a 33 word dialogue.

The Conversation

Piggies went to the market

story of 5 piggies

Until next time . . . I love you

Trifecta Weekend Writing Challenge: Mr. Whistle’s Whittling

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The weekend’s Trifecta Writing Challenge is a real bear and I gotta say I got pretty Jack-rabbitted up about it!

This weekend we want you to write a 33-word response using the name of an animal as a verb.

Mr. Whistle’s Whittling

“Mr. Weasel is certainly aptly named,” remarked Mrs. Whistle to Mr. Whistle when Mr. Weasel weaseled Mr. Whistle out of a pretty piece of whittling and went away whistling Pop Goes the Weasel.

Mrs. Whistler’s Mother-in-law

Trifecta Writing Challenge: Gunther Randleroot’s Fortuitous Formula Fail

Linda Vernon Trifecta Writing Challenges , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hello Dear Readers!  This week’s Trifect Writing Challenge was to write a story between 33 and 333 words using the third definition of heart:  3: personality, disposition <a cold heart>

Gunther Randleroot’s Fortuitous Formula Fail

Gunther Randleroot couldn’t believe his eyes as green tears started pouring out of them.  Of course, they were green tears of joy because Gunther never cried tears of sorrow. Gunther was a Martian and nobody liked seeing a Martian cry especially not his girlfriend, Hazel.

Gunther poured the formula that he had finally perfected after seven years of hard work into the beaker like he was pouring out his heart.

When he looked out the window, he was surprised that everything still went on as usual.  He watched as a herd of sporks sauntered lazily about leaving behind a trail of feathers like they always did.

Stupid creatures, Gunther thought. Didn’t they realize that Gunther Randleroot was now the most powerful being in the universe?

All Gunther had to do was nudge the beaker to the floor, and the impact would release enough energy to destroy absolutely everything!  Gunther took a moment to revel in his new-found power — even though he was much, much too cowardly to ever actually use it!

“Whatcha doin’ Gunthy?” Gunther’s girlfriend, Hazel asked. Gunther jumped! He had forgotten to lock the door again. Sporkfeathers! He didn’t want Hazel to know what he was up to.

“Nothing Hazel dear . . . nothing at all!”

“Ah you can tell me Gunthy! You know you can tell me anything!” Hazel batted several coquettish eyes at Gunther, and he immediately spilled the beans.

Not the formula in the beaker beans, but the can of Martian beans he was getting ready to eat.

Hazel ran to clean them up but slipped (Hazel was all antennas) and sent the beaker crashing to the floor.

Gunther screamed, “NOOOOOOOOOOO!” He closed his eyes and waited for the worst! But then . . . nothing happened.  Gunther looked around. There was Hazel straightening her antenna and through the window he could still see the sporks!

Gunther Randleroot couldn’t believe his eyes as green tears started pouring out of them for the second time that day.

Trifecta Weekend Writing Challenge: Sean Penn Gives His Mom A Very Special Mother’s Day Gift

Linda Vernon The Daily Routine , , , , , , , , , ,

The  Trifecta Weekend Writing Challenge: write a 33-word story incorporating the word mother. Here’s try 2:

 

 

Sean Penn Gives His Mom A Very Special Mother’s Day Gift

After the Mother’s Day E-card hurricane, Sean Penn borrowed a rowboat and rowed through a sea of nouns, commas and adjectives to save his mother who was clinging to a raft of spam.

“Ma! Grab onto the boat!  Hurry Ma!”

 

 

Trifecta Weekend Writing Challenge: Stealing Rose Con Pollo’s Heart

Linda Vernon Writing life , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
This week’s Trifextra challenge is simple, but ambiguous.
 
Three truths and a lie.
 
33 to 333 words
 

Stealing Rose Con Pollo’s Heart

 
Whenever she watched Fernando, Rose Con Pollo’s stomach spasmed with a jolt of love and her heart went pitty pat, pitty pat,  pitty . . . pat . . . pat. . . pitty . . . because she was in love and because she needed a pacemaker — but mostly because she was in love.
 
Rose adored everything about Fernando. The way he could hold his breath for four and a half minutes at a time, the way he could dive so deep to the bottom of the sea; but mostly, she loved the way he looked at her when their eyes met through the green bubbly water of the glass-bottomed boat where Rose liked to sit and watch her beloved Fernando dive for pearls.
 
Fernando  had stolen Rose Con Pollo’s heart, plain and simple.
 
Of course, there was no way Rose Con Pollo was going to leave her husband, Arroz, and run off with Fernando no matter how many pearls he found for her.  Don’t make her laugh!  No way!  Not a snowball’s chance  . . .
 
 
 

This Weekend’s Trifecta Writing Challenge

Linda Vernon Writing life , , , , , , , , , , ,

This Weekend’s Trifecta Writing Challenge  is to finish these 33 words with 33 words of your own:

“There’s nothing cute about it,” he said. The register of his voice indicated decision more so than discussion.
She disagreed heartily and privately, staring past his head and out the window behind him.

The elephant caravan was just cresting the hill.  “We can still make it if we hurry!” Barbara pleaded.

“I told you!  I go nowhere without my nose, Barbara!” Bozo shouted angrily.  “Nowhere!”