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This Train Don’t Stop Here Anymore – Friday Fictioneers

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It’s Wednesday – just barely, a mere hour left! Busy morning, loooong shift (where I wrote most of this… Shhhh. don’t tell my boss!) and finally, after applying the right amount of spit and polish, I finally can share. Thank you, always, to Rochelle, for hosting this bunch of riff-raff. And this week, thank you to Sandra Crook for the use of her lovely photo!

Looking for inspiration, I Googled “train” songs and landed on this Elton John one and the idea was born.

Click me to ride this train!

This Train Don’t Stop Here Anymore

“I used to be the main express.

All steam and whistles heading west.”

There was a time when they stopped, wanting to get closer to her exuberant youthful beauty.

Today, she barely garners a second glance, her charms less dazzling perhaps.

A more subtle type of lovely only to be noticed by those willing to slow down long enough to see it.

“You don’t need to hear it
But I’m dried-up and sick to death of love”

Was this true? Was she truly fed up? Or worse, had she given up?

She needed to find a new song to sing!

Kintsukuroi – Friday Fictioneers

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Good Wed… oh dear… it’s past midnight!  So, good Thursday, my friends.  Today’s Friday Fictioneers had me stumped somewhat.  Well, I knew where I wanted to go but the words eluded me.  Nothing like taking a step back and letting it swirl around, hoping to make it somewhat coherent…

Thank you, always, to Rochelle for keeping us wanting to come back week after week.  And this week, thank you to Sandra Crook for this wonderful photo.

Do join in by clicking on the blue frog below and adding your own interpretation.  It’s fun!

 

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Kintsukuroi

He stood there, stunned, chunks of his heart strewn about like shells tossed back from the ocean.

He bent down, determined to pick up the pieces, when a wave of anger overtook him.  He balled up his fist, prepared to slam it down and destroy what was left.

He felt two hands wrap themselves around his fist, stopping further destruction.  Surprised, he looked up and found her there.  Her intense gaze kept him prisoner as did her hands.

“Kintsukuroi,” she said.

“What?”

“It’s not over.  What seems permanently broken, is not.  Let me be the gold that makes you shine.

**********

I don’t usually on these posts, but Hey Rosetta has a lovely song that just fit…

 

Layers – Friday Fictioneers

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Take 2.  I dunno what happened.  I’d like to blame the WordPress Gremlins for taking my post (which I kinda really liked) and tossing it in the dumpster.  Actually, I will totally blame them.  My post disappeared and  I have attempted to rewrite it.  It is amazing how once you have written it once, you cannot rewrite it exactly the same.  No. I do not write on another forum and copy and paste it here.  I’m a do it once in the right place kinda girl.  So… for those of you who read the first one, I apologise for not responding to your comments.  I was going to do that when I got home and found out my post no longer existed!  I do thank any of you who take the time to reread and re-comment!

Thank you to Rochelle for hosting this party weekly and thank you this week to Sandra Crook for allowing us to use this wonderful image!

Do join in on the fun by clicking on the blue frog below!

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Layers

Layers.  I can’t help but think of Shrek trying to explain to Donkey that ogres have layers just as onions do.  Donkey tried to convince Shrek to use cake instead, but onions are way more complex. They may look drab and ordinary on the outside but cut them to see what they are made of and they cry.  Their tears burn your eyes, Their flesh bites your tongue.  However, if you cook them gently, adding just a bit of salt and oil, they transform into something tender and sweet.

Time, patience, a little care and love is all it takes.

 

One With the Stones – Friday Fictioneers

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Good Wednesday to you.  Has “THE” storm started in your area yet?  They keep annoucing a doozie in so many regions.  I dunno.  It sure doesn’t feel or look like it’ll be that bad. Though it has started to snow here…  Let us all hope “They” have erred in their predictions.  Less of course, not more!!  While you wait and see how this whole scenario turns out, how about you read up on some 100-word stories created by Rochelle‘s rowdy gang of miscreants?  Better yet, why don’t you join us.  We’re mostly harmless…  This week’s photo from Sandra Crook – where does it take you?

Click on the Frog to read more stories and add your own!

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One With the Stones

Breathing in the salty air, Lily slowly wandered the grounds.  It felt so good to finally be strong enough to walk outside, without a chaperone.  She made her way to one of the benches, sat sideways, one leg bent in a v, arm crooked around the back of the bench and gazed quizzically at the stone garden.

“Do you like them?”  She nearly jumped out of her skin, not having heard me approach.  I was right behind her.

“They are quite odd.”

“They were created with people like you when they were well enough.”

“What do you mean by, ‘with’?”

 

 

Damaged But Still Standing – Friday Fictioneers

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Good Wednesday, my Readers!  ‘Tis that time of the week where we get our lovely email from the even lovlier Rochelle, where, once we’ve read hers (well in MY case, anyway), we take our copy of the photo she chose – quite the one from Sandra Crook this week! – add it to our own blog and try to come up with something no one else thought of; something original; something outside of the box… you get the picture.  Hyuck, hyuck, hyuck!

Anyway, ’nuff foolin’ around.  If y’all wanna play, click on the cute blue frog and add your link… Just remember.  MAX 100 words, not counting the title…

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Word count:  Was gonna do 87, bulked it up to 100 (hope it wasn’t overkill)

Damaged But Still Standing

The woman sat at the window seat of the more than run-down diner, one of only three customers who had braved entering the premises.  She marvelled that the bloody thing was still standing, never mind open to the public.  Wondered how it could be possible.  And how could it be open to the public?  And how could anyone even work there?  How could a building with holes going right through it, cracked all over and falling apart not only stand and survive, but actually function?

She looked out the grimy window, her vision blurred.  Actually, she could more than understand.

 

 

 

Lost – Friday Fictioneers

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Hello my Readers!  Welcome to Friday Fictioneers on a Thursday.  Couldn’t get my story onto paper, so to speak yesterday and had to rush off to work.  It ended up being a very long day so there was nothing happening in my brain last night, that’s for sure.  A little note to ya’all:  I’ll be a little slow in reading your fabulous stories as I’m back to working full-time, doing crazy hours.  I will do my best till I find a new rhythm!

Before I leave you with my submission, I wish to thank Rochelle for being the best cat-herder ever in keeping this motley crew in line week after week.  Thank you to Sandra Crook for a most lovely photo this week.  For those of you who would like to join our club, please click on Rochelle’s name for the dos and don’ts.  If you are not quite yet ready to add your two cents’ worth but would like to read more stories, please click on the blue frog!

Lost

It definitely looked beautiful from the outside.  But let’s face it, appearances are not always what they seem.  What looked fabulous to the outsider could contain a reality far from fabulous.  I needed to change my inner truth.  My nerves were beyond frayed at this point.  Hopefully not beyond repair.  I needed to get away and reclaim myself, find peace.  Peace.  What the hell was that?  I don’t know when I lost it.   Did I ever have it?  Maybe all this time I had been blind to my truth.

Welcome to our Asylum, Ma’am.  We are here to help you.

Thoughts Become Things – Friday Fictioneers

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First Friday Fictioneers of the Year!  Yes, folks, it is Wednesday so, confusing for our Newbies, it means we get our photo for our story, which most of us try to post before Friday.  Just to confuse.  This wonderful photo that made me scratch my head was provided by Sandra Crook, wonderful author and photographer.  Rochelle, from Addicted to Purple, our ever-diligent facilitator, writer, author, wonderful person, sure knows how to pick ’em!  I’m no longer indicating my word count because, frankly, I always make sure it stands at exactly 100! 😉  As for the genre… well… let us not give too many hints, eh?

Click on the frog if you wish to add your own interpretation or just to read others’ stories.

  • Did a little tweaking to clarify this was an exchange between father and daugter…

sandra-crook

Thoughts Become Things

What is that incessant grinding sound?

It’s me, thinking!  Got such great thoughts you can hear me think!

You are so ridiculous!

No, seriously, my brain is going non-stop:  things to do, people to see, places to visit… anything but stay here on this dead-end farm.

There is nothing dead-end here, my dear.  We provide necessary food to our neighbours.  We are worthy.

Maybe, but it is so boring to me.  I’m dying here.  Same thing, every day.  Same people, every day. All old, nothing new.

He looked at her, eyes filled with sadness.  He’d have to let his daughter go.

 

Standing Out – Friday Fictioneers

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Apologies ahead of time for this week’s submission.  I am sick like a dog:  At worst, food poisoning, at best, stomach flu. Either way, the results are the same.  In between bedrest and attempts at not getting dehydrated, this is the best I could come up with!

Thank you always to Rochelle for hosting this shindig and this week, thank you to Sandra Crook for supplying this lovely photo.

Should you want to join in, click on Rochelle’s name for all the deets and should you simply want to read other stories, click on the blue frog! 

sandra-crook

Word Count: 100

Genre:  Fiction

Standing Out

It never failed.  Every time the trio got together, two were dressed in black or variations of grey and one was all colourful.  She couldn’t help herself and she didn’t do it to stand out.  She was the flower amidst the greys of the world!

Over the years she noticed that in group pictures, there she was, standing out again:  pink, yellow, orange, bright blue. Why was that?  Did she subconsciously do it?  It’s not like she didn’t have dark colours in her closet.

That said, there was not a gathering was she not invited to.  Apparently colour is good.

 

Self-Sufficient – Friday Fictioneers

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Friday Fictioneers is here once again.  Rochelle has decided to take a summer break and will be sharing re-runs, which for me, who’s only been around for a bit over a year, are all new.  This weeks submission was suggested by Sandra Crook (love the choice) with photo supplied by Piya Singh.

Click on the frog to read more stories or better yet, to add your own!

©Piya Singh

Genre:  Fiction

Word Count:  100

Self-Sufficient

He’d always preferred the woods over the city.  Oh, he’d done his time in the hustle and bustle of the city.  He’d even held his own, to be sure.  Honestly, it was not where he was happiest.  Give him a cabin in the woods, an axe and his rifle – he’d make do.  Cut his own wood to keep him warm and cook his food.  Shoot whatever game he could find.  Plant a garden to provide his vegetables.  Totally self-sufficient. Could manage on his own.

Trouble with this scenario? He was no Thoreau. He loved people too much and was so lonely.

 

Breaking Infinity – Friday Fictioneers

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So… I couldn’t get my thoughts in line for Wednesday so here I am on a Thursday evening, presenting my Friday Fictioneers story.  Funny how you can come up with a title and an idea and then once your fingers hit the keyboard, they go off in a totally different direction.  Had to change my title as it no longer applied.  I think that was the hardest part!  Oh well… Welcome to the craziness that is Friday Fictioneers, as always, hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields of Addicted to Purple, author, artist, sound-bite fiction expert…  And this week’s photo is none other than our Sandra Crook, another fabulous and published author.  I feel that by surrounding myself with all these talented people, they will rub off on me…

To read their stories and many others, or, to add one of your own, please click on the blue frog below!

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©Sandra Crook

Genre:  Fiction (maybe)

Word Count:  100

Breaking Infinity

Chaos has returned to this house

Again

Will. It. Never. End?

Crisis over

All are speaking to each other in a quasi-civil manner

Then, just as things start to really run smoothly

The glass has tipped and it all starts over again

How long has this been going on? she wonders

Have I been caught in some never-ending loop?

As she feels herself being sucked in once more

She stops

She takes a deep breath

She crouches down into a small ball.

And with every ounce of strength she can find

She jumps up, fists raised, and shatters the glass

*************************

As I was writing this, I was inspired by an animation my goddaughter, Kellie Kiakas, did in College.  Thought I would share it with you!

Bound from Kellie Kiakas on Vimeo.