Daily Picspiration - Passing the Crown

My Daily Picspiration went up on Sunday. This is a follow on to the last one, 'Birth Right', and it came out quite easily. I'm not sure if I will continue it yet, but I do like how this story and characters are coming. Enjoy.

Posted on November 23rd, you can read 'Passing the Crown' here.

Horror Bites - Trapped

This Horror Bites photo prompt seemed very 'obvious' and I struggled with coming up with something original - although all the others who have participated so far have managed some quite unique, and very scary. In the end this is what I came up with. Hope it works.

 

 

Melissa woke up to pitch black. She tried to sit up, but bashed her head on something. She thought maybe she’d collapsed on the bottom bunk of her son’s bed, then remembered he’d left home last year and they hadn’t had bunk beds since he was ten.

She waited for her eyes to adjust, but they didn’t; there was no light. She reached her hands up and struck something solid just a few inches above her. She reached out to the sides and the same thing happened.

She felt panic rise in her chest, trying to recall the last thing she remembered. It was hard; her mind felt fuzzy, unclear, there was a lot of resistance, like a hangover.

There’d been a delivery of furniture at the garden centre. She’d been moving one of the combi garden bench-boxes out onto the display. Russell had been there. She remembered because he always gave her the creeps. His smile was disturbing and he was always watching, waiting for her to notice him. She shuddered even now in the box.

Melissa pushed up hard, but there was no movement. Her panic increased. She scratched at the sides, but it was hard plastic, confirming her suspicions that she was inside one of the combi boxes.

She started shouting and bashing harder, but she knew no one would hear her. It had been after closing on Sunday when she’d been setting up the display; the garden centre wasn’t open on Monday’s. She had no idea how long she’d been in here already, but she started to feel breathless. Whether it was panic or lack of air in the box she wasn’t sure. 

She felt her mind swoon. She was losing consciousness. An image popped into her head of her limp arm hanging out of the box while her raw fingers dripped blood onto the concrete floor. “If only,” she mumbled. It could be months before they found her. 

323 Words

Thursday Threads entry - 'Trading'

It has been a long time, a little over a year, since I have entered a piece for the Thursday Threads flash fiction contest, hosted by Siobhan Muir, so I was completely surprised to find that it yielded an Honourable Mention!

It is a word prompt, and these days I tend to be drawn to more visual inspiration. But I always check and have a read, and with this one the story appeared immediately.



Trading

Padrov pulled the car into the secluded parking lot, and spotted the battered brown Datsun straight away. He thought they’d drive something better than that with what they made.

He parked on the opposite side, wanting to keep his distance, and glanced in the rear view mirror at the round, terrified eyes looking back at him. He felt the sweat on his palms prickle.

Then he glanced at the woman squashed into the footwell behind the passenger seat, and she glanced back, her hands never leaving the knees of the two little boys.

Padrov killed the engine and waited. Someone got out of the Datsun. When they turned to face him, Padrov’s fear turned to rage. He knew this man. He was a teacher. His stomach churned at the thought of how many children he’d come into contact with.

Padrov breathed, opening his door slowly, and resisted the urge to scratch the wire under his shirt.

When they had both moved forward, the man jerked his head at the two small faces in the back of Padrov’s car.

“I’d like to see what I’m buying.”

“Not yet. Show me the money first.” Padrov was firm.

The man took out a buddle of notes and fanned them.

Padrov nodded. “Good, you have enough.”

With the key words triggered, sirens blared and blue lights lit up the car park, not giving the man time to turn round. Padrov didn’t say any more, only spat as his feet at he was taken away. 

Daily Picspiration - Birth Right

My Daily Picspiration went up on Sunday. It took me a while to know where I wanted this to go. I had the opening, but I struggled to see past it. Now I can't decide if I want to go further with this. We will see what the next round of pictures bring. It is also a different subject matter, or type of story for me - although I quite like that. I hope you enjoy.

Posted on November 9th, you can read 'Birth Right' here.



 

Passing Souls - Published in Sirens Call eZine

Issue #17 of the eZine from Sirens Call Publications has just been released, with the theme 'Trick or Treat' for Halloween. And my little tale is in there, along with one from my friend Laura James.

You will find my piece 'Passing Souls' on Page 46.

As always with this ezine, the stories are not for the faint-hearted, and the good thing is that it is free to download, so no excuse, go and read it now!