The Return of Sin: A Drabble

Today’s drabble celebrates(?) the Pope’s retirement…

Gerald looked out the window, the Wall on the other side of the street looming large and forbidding. He never paid it much attention, but the night before he had read about the history of the religion gene and a world full of war, judgment and old men telling everyone else what to do.

He couldn’t sleep for the nightmares.

His mother told him not to be silly. Those whose faulty DNA made them believe in a vengeful God were safely shut away.

As he stared, nightmare became reality. The Wall bulged, then exploded.

Religion was on the loose again.

 

Tech Troubles: A Drabble

When it comes to problems with technology, the phrase “if you can’t beat’em, join’em” works rather well…

When most people said that techonology hated them, they meant it figuratively. In Jill’s case it was literal. Her changeling presence made it act all contrary.

Spellcasting nanotech stolen from a unverisity lab to convert her magic into something technology wouldn’t reject was the easy part. Inserting the chips into the pads of her fingers was another.

The things fought her, making her hands slippery with blood, but despite some queasiness, she won.

She tested her built-in adaptors on her roommate’s laptop. The IT whined at her, but Jill knew her cyborg basics. She’d watched TV.

Resistence was futile.

 

The Queen of the Martyrs: A Drabble

My mother knows from suffering in silence. She said nothing when Saint Sebastian showed up one night dripping blood from where the arrows pierced his skin, merely inviting him in for a drink. He came back the next night, Joan of Arc in tow.

Now, dead saints fill the house to the brim showing off whatever gruesome wound made them into such spectacular victims. Gah!

And my mother only sighs as she pours coffee and tea refills or makes another batch of homemade cookies.

I’m thinking of blowing the whole place to smithereens, but that’d only make matters worse, right?

And you think your mother is bad…

 

The Perils of A Late Night Commute: A Drabble

The headlights of another car whipped past Kevin, too fast and too close. His heart in his throat, he swerved then pulled back straight. The car, however, ground to a halt in deep gravel.

He got out and froze, gaping at the unearthly tree trunks glowing in the headlights.

“What the-?”

The scritch of claws on metal switched on his flight or fight response. He chose flight, preferring darkness to the owners of those claws.

Laughter.

The screech of burning rubber.

“Hey!”

Something tripped him and he landed face first on the side of the road, no car in sight.

Today’s story comes from the question – what would happen if will o’the wisps decided that car jacking was more profitable than drowning travellers?

 

Overdue Vacation: A Drabble

We booked our summer holidays yesterday, so in honor of that, I offer you a story about taking a long needed break.

A Vacation

“The building won’t fall down without you here, Kit.”

Kit gave her coworker a weak laugh of disbelief.

“I don’t get days off.”

“Of course you do. I can help, even. Let me take that load off your back.”

“You sure?”

“Totally.”

Before her coworker could rescind her offer, Kit transferred over her local godlet status, freeing her finally from the constant responsibility of caring for the building’s etheral and spiritual well being.

With a glance at her now gasping colleague, she skipped out of the room.

“I won’t be long. No more than a decade or two. I promise.”

 

First Love: A Drabble

Over on the Merry Go Round Blog Tour this month, contributors are talking about firsts. I thought I’d talk about some of my first attemps at crafting a story, but decided not to rehash the past.

Instead, I’d like to offer you a different kind of first – my first drabble, a one hundred word story complete with a beginning, middle and end.

And in honor of St Valentine’s Day, yesterday, I give you a love story.

First Love

When Jim’s alarm went off at six, Cheryl was gone, having taken everything with her, even other people’s memories of her. He wasn’t surprised, only confused why she let him keep his memories of their affair.

Her baby-laden reappearance seven months later answered that.

“Is it mine?”

She shook her head.

“You want me to love it?”

“Yes, she’ll need to be loved.”

He nodded and invited them in. In return for the baby, Cheryl reclaimed his memories of her.

She offered the apology of “It’ll be safer this way,” but Jim was already absorbed in his daughter’s blue eyes.

Today’s post was inspired by the “firsts” prompt in the Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour, an ongoing tour where you, the reader, travel around the world from author’s blog to author’s blog. We have all sorts of writers at all stages in their writing career, so there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

If you want to get to know nearly twenty other writers and find out what theyhave to say, check out the rest of the tour!

• Yesterday’s First: D. Jordan Redhawk
• Up next: Lazette Gifford

 

Playing with Contradictions

I’ve been working on expanding a short story that’s more character study than plot-driven tale. It’s set in the same world and as my first indie-published short story Kitchen Ambitions.

The two main characters, a brother and sister, are both intense with strong beliefs, but apart from that, they are polar opposites. The sister is gruff but caring and the brother pleasant but selfish. She stresses a lot more than she needs to and he has a confidence that scares me. In real life, neither character would be someone I’d like to have a friend, but in fiction, their flaws makes my job a whole lot easier. There’s not much to say about someone who is balanced, together and able to think about others as well as themselves. Flawed people are so much more interesting in the world of writing.

Writing is all about contradictions. While the sister can sometimes (well, often) appear bitchy and confrontational, she’s a good person at heart and wants to make the world a better place. Her brother, on the other hand, is accomodating and pleasant, and while he also wants to make the world a better place, he wants to do it in his way. Unfortunately for those around him (but fortunately for me as a writer), this means that at some point he’s going to try to take over the world. And with the power he has, he’s going to be pretty much unstoppable.

This is why I love writing. I get to plan the end of the world without having to worry about going to jail or spilling any real blood.