It Shouldn’t Have Happened

The Sunday Flash Factory 5 to 50/55 challenge prompt words in bold.

A piñata swayed in the gentle breeze. A drunk clasping an empty bottle of vodka tottered through the neighborhood that had lost its jobs and its identity. The factory no longer oozed life, a life layered with people of all ages and races. It wouldn’t have happened if everyone hadn’t forgotten the meaning of compromise.

Sunday Niblets--bite-sized stories of 50-55 words

There are Dribbles and Drabbles of exactly 50 and 100 words, respectively. I’m starting a new form I call Niblets. These are stories of at least 50 words and no more than 55.

The skinny: Use the five words listed below to write a Niblet and add it as a comment to this post. Any genre is acceptable. Please keep stories no more than R-rated. Each week I’ll select my favorite stories for possible inclusion in an anthology of these bite-sized tales. 

Here’s today’s list of randomly selected words.

interior
print
soldier
contagious
bolero


** Thanks to Richard Osgood of the Flash Factory and his Sunday 5-50/55 whose idea I stole borrowed upon for this effort.

Sunday Niblets--bite-sized stories of 50-55 words

There are Dribbles and Drabbles of exactly 50 and 100 words, respectively. I’m starting a new form I call Niblets. These are stories of at least 50 words and no more than 55.

The skinny: Use the five words listed below to write a Niblet and add it as a comment to this post. Any genre is acceptable. Please keep stories no more than R-rated. Each week I’ll select my favorites for possible inclusion in an anthology of these bite-sized tales.

Here’s today’s list of randomly selected words.

little

gorge

simian

nobody

vincible (the opposite of invincible)

** Thanks to Richard Osgood of the Flash Factory and his Sunday 5-50/55 whose idea I stole borrowed upon for this effort.

A Thanksgiving Feast

Unemployed, homeless, vincible, Jack Little hunched over the plate like a simian warrior and gorged himself on his first real meal in two days. Nobody paid any attention to him, even though he was the biggest man in the room. He didn’t mind. He was grateful to be around his friends to give thanks.

Another Twofer (50-55 words stories)

Again, I couldn’t decide which story to post, so I used both.

We met at Chicago Pizza. She ordered a slice with chicken and pineapple. Sounded awful, but I took it in stride. Said I hadn’t seen her around. She replied she had to move after being falsely implicated in a murder. Perverse, I said. Then I felt the gun in my back as we stepped outside. (55)

***

Some call him The Chicken because of his long neck, skinny legs, and look-at-me stride. Said he came from Chicago. I call him perverse ever since he was implicated in vandalizing the school. The sheriff can’t prove it, but sometimes you know all you need to by how a person looks and where they’re from. (55)

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Okay, you know the drill. Write a story of 50-55 words using the bold words and post it in the comments section. Fingers ready. . .write!

Two for One

The Sunday Flash Factory 5 to 50/55 challenge prompt words in bold.

#1 (55 words)

Coyote leaned against the wall and tapped the tambourine against his thigh. Hopeful aromas from the bakery across the street penetrated the frozen air. He glanced at the hat. Two more dollars, and he could get a bagel and some coffee. It wasn't like this yesterday, not until Mistress Sandy changed the meaning of life.

#2 (50 words)

The coyote stood where buildings used to be and howled. Stones propelled by frozen winds tumbled past sounding like plaintive tambourines appealing for alms. He sniffed the air, the bakery aromas replaced by smoke and gasoline. He ambled away but felt he wouldn't be safe for long anywhere he went.

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Now it's your turn to write a story of exactly 50 or 55 words using the bold words. If you like your effort, feel free to post it in the comments section of this post. Hey, you could even challenge your writing friends.