I Can’t See a Damn Thing in This Fog

Daily Post Prompt:    Foggy

Funnyjunk

Crystal pulled her glasses off for the third time and cleaned them. She tried lens wipes, spray, Windex, and soap and water; which left the worst film ever.

Her husband, Roger, watched impatiently from the comfort of his recliner. “What are you doing? The movie’s about to come on, and you’ve been fooling with those damn glasses for twenty minutes.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “What the hell does it look like I’m doing? I’m cleaning them.”

“Looks to me like you’re rubbing a damn hole in the lens and eww.” His face wrinkled in disgust, “After everything else you’ve tried; you think your spit’s gonna do the trick?”

“I’m telling you, I can’t see! They’re all foggy and blurry. My eyes were just fine this morning.” Her shoulders drooped. “I give up; something’s wrong, Roger, I know it.” Her hands dropped to her lap. “I bet it’s a brain tumor, like moms.”

“Jesus H. Christ, Crystal; you don’t have a brain tumor.”

“I have been having more headaches lately,” she said.

Roger pushed the electric recliners up button. “Hand me the damn things, let me have a look, and stop sniffling. We’ll figure it out together.”

Crystal handed him a lens cloth and her glasses. “I could see fine this morning.”

Roger ignored the whiny, pitiful sound coming from his wife of forty years and studied the glasses. The lens sparkled, then he spotted the numbers on the temple of the glasses. He pulled himself, grunting from his favorite chair and shuffled to the other side of the house, muttering under his breath. A few minutes later, he returned. “Here, that should do it,” he said, extending the glasses to his wife.

Crystal put them on and broke out in a grin. “I can see! You fixed them!” She reached for his hand, but he’d already pushed the down button on his recliner and was moving out of reach.

She settled back on the sofa, ready for the movie, and started giggling. “And I thought it was a brain tumor.”

“More like dementia if you ask me,” Roger said, picking up the remote control.

“Well, how in the world did you fix them?”

“I didn’t; you had my reading glasses.” Roger turned up the volume loud enough for the neighbors to hear. “Now, hush, we’ve already missed the half of the movie.”

 

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Join the conversation. Talk to me or tell me your story. I’m all ears.

Birds of Prey


PHOTO PROMPT © Roger Bultot

Rochelle Wisoff Fields Friday Fictioneers

PHOTO PROMPT © Roger Bultot

 

“Mommy, I’m scared. Where’s Kyle?” Her pouty lips trembled.

Her mother squeezed her daughter’s hand. “I don’t know.”

Kyle’s little sister sniffled. “I tried to find him, honest.”

“I know you did, sweetheart.”

“He’s better at hide-n-seek than I am.” Tears rolled down the child’s cheeks. “I want to go home.”

“Me too.” The woman knelt beside her daughter and pointed. “See all the birds?”

“Uh-huh.”

“They can see for miles.” Her breath caught – a bird of prey circled nearby.

The child’s eyes widened. “Are they looking for Kyle too?”

Kyle’s mother uttered a silent prayer for her son. “Maybe.”

 

I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story and look for me on Facebook at SheilaMGood,  PinterestBloglovinTwitter@sheilamgood, and Contently.

Letting Go

Thanks to Rochelle Wisoff-Fields for another Friday Fictioneers Prompt.

PHOTO PROMPT © Marie Gail Stratford

PHOTO PROMPT © Marie Gail Stratford

Looking out the window, all I saw were tall buildings and people. My heart fluttered with fear. I wanted to pack her up and take her home. This sprawling metropolis overwhelmed this small town mom. A person could get lost here.

Her excitement vibrated off the walls of the room. Where she saw adventure, I saw reruns of Dateline and posters of missing loved ones. These were her dreams. The fear all mine.

I wrapped my arms around my daughter. It was time to let go. “I’m so proud of you. You’re gonna love it here.”

I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story and look for me on Facebook at SheilaMGood,  PinterestBloglovinTwitter@sheilamgood, and Contently.

 

Get the Nitty-Gritty on Flash Fiction

newspaper

Lets talk about flash fiction. Having dipped my toe into this market a few years ago, I love it. Writing flash fiction challenges me to write leaner, encourages my muse, and gives me the break I need from the in-depth work of my novel.

Although, definitions vary from market to market, the terms flash fiction, short-shorts or micro-fiction are often used interchangeably. However, all specify word counts,  ranging from 300 – 1000 words.

In short (no pun intended), flash fiction are compete stories, driven by tight, lean writing and  limited by the number of words. The number varies on the market and genre, but  range  between 300 – 1000 words. Stories less than 300 are most often referred to as micro fiction.

One of the best articles I’ve ever read on this subject is  Suzanne Vincent’s article, Managing Story Length from Slushpile Avalanche. You can also,  check it out Becky Tuch’s post, Flash Fiction: What’s it all About? As the founding editor of The Review Review, she went to the experts to find out what they had to say about this growing genre. Interested in dipping your toe?

My top five favorite sites for flash fiction.

  1. Flash Fiction Online
  2. Flash Fiction Chronicles
  3. NANO Fiction
  4. Everyday Fiction
  5. Vestal Review

The Markets:

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Markets catering to flash fiction here. Besides doing a search on Duotrope, you can find markets accepting flash fiction by going to these links.

  1. Flash Fiction Markets
  2. The Review Review
  3. Flash Fiction World

Practice makes Perfect. Check out these sites to flex your flash fiction muscles.

  1. The Daily Post
  2. NANO Fiction
  3. Flash Fiction 365

Want a more succinct challenge?

  1. Julia’s Place for 100 word prompts
  2. Lillie McFerrin Writes– Five Sentence Fiction
  3. 100 Word Story