FOWC with Fandango ~ Bite the big apple #FOWC

Living in Manhattan was always a dream for Eric Payne. He grew up in a small Pennsylvania town and often would dream of some day living in the city ‘that never sleeps’.  It took him some time, saving up every penny and a sharp focus on a goal that finally was realized.  He looked out of his apartment window,  joyfully listening to the rushing sounds of the city.  The hustle of hundreds as they scurried by below him. Taxis beeping as they raced by his building. This constant motion of life intoxicated Eric and overwhelmed his rural background. He felt the adrenaline flow rapidly through his veins as he soaked in his new life here, his dream fulfilled.

“Hey Buddy, whatcha doing?”

It was Eric’s new roommate, Chris. They had found each other through the ‘roommate wanted’ ads in the Village Voice. Eric turned away from the window.

“Just enjoying the life of the city.  I think its just..incredible”

Chris shrugged and sat down on the couch.

“I guess. It means nothing to me. When you’ve lived in the city your whole life, its just kinda of nothing”.

Eric stood there, disappointed in Chris. Maybe he couldn’t appreciate this having “eaten the big apple” his whole life. This was a shame, Eric thought. He looked back out the window again, his mouth watering with anticipation.

“Why don’t you go out then? Go live a little of that exciting city life.” Chris smugly said, then chuckled. He was completely unaware that Eric was now standing behind him.

“Hey, that’s a good idea!”  Eric exclaimed. “I gotta eat some dinner first”.

“Don’t touch my leftover Chinese food in the fridge. I’m saving that-

Chris’s head was suddenly jerked over the back of the couch. His hair held tightly by Eric as he looked up into his now red eyes.  The new couch that Chris  brought with him from his old apartment, now had his blood splattered across its cushions.  Eric had chomped down on Chris’s neck.  He sucked out as much as he wanted in satifysing his hunger, leaving Chris sitting up now dead.

“It really is just incredible to finally be here”  Eric thought as he returned back to look out the window.  “This city is filled with just so much…life”.

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Written for Fandango’s FOWC prompt – Vampire

100 WW ~ Combat ready #100ww

“This is what’s wrong with today’s military” Lieutenant Vrill gasped. “NO communication. Then WE get screwed” Vrill was correct in his current observation. His platoon of trained commandos were the best there was. Their orders were to do reconnaissance for the eventual attack.  “Sir?” Private Krill  forced out. “I don’t think they predicted-Vrill shook angrily in place “PREDICTED WHAT, PRIVATE?” Krill nervously answered, “Well,..how could anyone predict that we would land on our backs when we left the ship?” Vrill shook even more yelling back “SHADDUP, PRIVATE!” as the five alien soldiers remained unable to get up in a combat position.

(100 words)

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This was written for the 100 WW prompt from, Bikurgurl. For rules please refer here. 

FOWC with Fandango/SoCS ~ Time for a new shirt #FOWC #SoCS

His favorite shirt now needed to be throughly cleaned. That’s really all that mattered to Patrick Mears-this shirt. It had always meant so much to him. Even more than his boss who was now slowly dying right in front of him. “Why couldn’t you just do the right thing for once?”  Patrick calmly thought. Eight years of trying to keep the dirty dealings of Waterman & Snells Financial services completely legal and not one extra dime over any average accountant’s salary was given to him, ever. Patrick felt he deserved this salary bump more than anyone else at this corrupt firm. Despite a convincing, fact-based argument to anyone else who would have heard it, Nick Margolis denied Patrick’s request. Where was the fairness in all of this?  The framed pictures of race horses and yachts around Nick’s office silently  mocked Patrick as he plunged a pen directly into Nick’s left eye. “I really liked this shirt”  He thought again as he looked down at the blood spill splattered all over his sleeve. Patrick felt genuinely sad over the unnecessary mess that had been made, completely ambivalent to the human life that  he had just ended.

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Written for Fandango’s FOWC prompt- Spill and Linda G. Hill’s SOCS prompt

 

FOWC~ Scary and stalled #Fandango

Why attempt an escape from this current decline

Such silly endeavors merely waste all your time

This returned stagnation again feels so warm

No incentive to make illusions as you did once before

While in this dim state, a tarnish clouds all your past writings

You’re fooled that their words had nourished basically nothing

Are you sold yet on this dampening distraction?

When in fact it’s true purpose is pausing your passion

Sift through these obstacles cluttering your artistic recession

Find a new spark out of this darkening suppression

Resurrecting your muse can seem rather scary

Unleashing its fury long held down by a sloth adversary

 

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https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/79388113/posts/2544185293

 

Breakroom ~ #sunday-photo-fiction

Robert entered the room and sat down with the other people already there. He was a slightly overweight man with high cholesterol and a father of two teenagers. His son Alex just scored a goal in Lacrosse when Robert suddenly blacked out. When he awoke, he was here. He was next to a young girl who looked up at him. “Hi, I’m Katie” she proclaimed, showing off an innocent smile. The door opened up and an elderly man who was sitting across from Robert stood up and shuffled out. “We won’t be here long, don’t  worry”  Katie whispered. “This is my fifth time here. People move quick”.  Robert was surprised at how maturely Katie spoke. He glanced around, seeing people of all different ages. What shocked Robert the most about being here was his complete relaxation. He felt no panic or desire to leave this room, despite what little he knew about it. The door opened up again and this time, Robert  heard a voice.  “Its time to return. Jacob Miller is entering the world and he is your next host.”  Robert stood up calmly, knowing it was his time to leave.

(200 words)

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Written for this week’s Sunday Photo Fiction prompt from Donna McNichol. Photo credit: Arun Sharma on Unsplash.

FOWC with Fandango ~ These three men #FOWC

What a joyous night for all three of these men

Their marriages now successfully come to an end

It was Winthrop today halting his wedded bliss

By legally stiffing his former miss

Franklin and Boyd were a year divorced

Winning out a large settlements by bribing the courts

All three were quite wealthy to buy out their judges

Then having their cases slanted against their ex-loves

The men got out cheaply not owing one alimony dime

Despite their infidelities with other ladies at various times

The restaurant echoed with their mischievous laughs

As champagne was poured by a waitress on staff

When the police arrived later to find the three men now dead

Their was no sign of the waitress who had apparently fled

No other witnesses knew who this woman was

Except for the divorcees who paid her to kill those unscrupulous duds

Some poisons mimic champagne just enough for a lethal switch

Those now three deceased men had discovered by messing with the wrong bitch

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Written for Fandango’s FOWC prompt – Switch

FOWC with Fandango ~ The Blank frustration #FOWC

This blank frustration renders me still

Forcing words down against my will

People think being able to write is a heavenly gift

It’s also a burden often difficult to lift

It’s more than just verbs coupled with nouns

It is a tapping of veins in letting stories flow out

False lives are born from the sparks in your mind

Connected through ink they make escapes from your life

A rambling of concepts that sometimes make sense

Coherent in structure in its formidable dense

Its all an illusion making such tales as easily rendered

The truth being that writing can be a torturous splendor

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Written for Fandango’s FOWC – Coherent

 

SoCS/FOWC/Friday Fictioneers/WWP ~ The Work of Art #FOWC #Fridayfictioneers #SoCS #Fandango

“You call that art?” Victor said as handed Officer Robbins a pretzel from his cart. “Art is like that Italian broad in the frame, Mona something.”  Robbins bit into the pretzel, grateful that Victor was still peddling this late.  He looked at the sculpture that Victor was referring too.  It wasn’t his taste either but, still pretty in its own way. “You shouldn’t judge all art by your tastes, Victor” Robbins said, truly enjoying the freshness of his pretzel.  Victor questioned “Well, whats a work of art to you?”  Robbins smiled at Victor,
“Your pretzels”.

(95 words)

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Written using the following prompts – Stream of Consciousness Saturday  Sammi Cox’s Weekend Writing Prompt #115. , Friday Fictioneers prompt from Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. Photo credit: Roger Bultot. and finally, Fandago’s FOWC prompt  https://fivedotoh.com/2019/07/20/fowc-with-fandango-grateful/

FOWC with Fandago ~ Slow it down #FOWC

We had heard of the news of Phil not doing well

And now we are here to say our final farewell

Why must it be sadness that brings family so near?

My eulogy for him will really be about everyone here

I phrase it like that for how we live out our lives

All physically awake but often dead inside

Our daily speed is always set to go fast

Burning ourselves out with endless tasks

Slaving in jobs that drain our passion

Neglecting our health by staying in fashion

It takes the departure of one to make us realize

That our time in existing should be enjoying our lives

Our loved one lay here now able to live

Free of the burdens that this world made him give

I pray  we all leave today feeling reborn

Acknowledging ourselves worth slowing down for

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Written for Fandago’s FOWC prompt – News

https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/79388113/posts/2349414400

FOWC with Fandago ~ Pleasing Ginger #FOWC

Sydney and Ginger were always fighting on the set. Usually, it ended in one of them storming off in some furious mood not wanting to deal with the other at all. Today’s display was your typical, often repeated “I refuse to do that scene” argument. They both shared quite a history together, having worked on over forty adult films. Sydney was the creative force behind the camera while Ginger was always the star attraction.

“But, baby it’s an important part of the movie. It’s when Princess Dumee takes over the kingdom of the three planets by pleasing all three kings” Sydney pleaded with Ginger, as he followed her frantically past other sets filming their own separate productions.

“You must think I’m some kind of idiot, Sydney. We’ve been over this before. I only do one-on-one scenes. I ain’t going with three guys at one time.” Ginger snapped as she turned to confront Sydney. She stood up straight, lifted her chin up and proclaimed. “I am a serious actress and I only work with other serious actors!”

Sydney stepped towards her. He knew she had to be calmed down. Usually, when they argued and depending on who started it, Sydney would shake some new jewelry at Ginger or She would shake her fake breasts at him. Both of these methods always proved to be effective in ending all conflicts. But this time, Sydney had never seen her this upset.

“Honeybee, I know you’re not an idiot.” He took off his signature over-sized sunglasses. “And I know you’re a serious actress. Why, I would put you in a scene right alongside Brando, DeNiro and Nicholson!”

Ginger smiled at Sydney, her face now glowing with confidence. “Why didn’t you tell me from the beginning that those are the guys in the scene? Come on, lets go do this. I’ve always wanted to meet those LEGENDS!”  She walked proudly back to the set, already stripping off her clothes.

Sydney stood there for a moment, just watching her. Of course, those weren’t the REAL acting who would be filming the scene with Ginger. He simply didn’t have the heart to tell her the truth after he saw that gleam in her eye. He couldn’t never hurt the feelings of the woman he loved and married.

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Written fro FANDANGO’S ONE-WORD-CHALLENGE: SHAKE. 

SoCS / JulyWriting ~ How to have your house painted for you, cheaply

1. Look at the exterior of your house. Understand how much work actually needs to be done. Then realize how much you don’t want to be the one to do it.

2. Drive to the paint store for supplies.

3. Gather up all the paint, brushes, tarps and any other tools needed to complete the job. Have the store charge it to your corporate account- “Amalgamated Painters”. Doesn’t matter if this company doesn’t really exist. There is always an Amalgamated “something” out there, somewhere to bill all kind of stuff to.

4. Find a child, preferably one smart enough to fake tears and one who accepts candy or loose change for bribes.

5. Go to a place where mostly, young and strong men gather. Coffee houses work best, but bagel shops and diners are also quite good. Make sure that there is no alcohol involved or the project will never get completed.

6. Have previously mentioned child, enter this establishment- crying their eyes out. At this point you can improvise your own verbage. I prefer “Can someone please help me? My Daddy lost his job at the mill (Hopefully, no listeners will catch on that there is no actual mill anywhere near there. But, it sounds really sad) Our house needs work, its falling apart. I just wanted it painted, something to make my Daddy happy”.

7. At this point, you should have some concerned men line up willing to help. Make sure you had given the child your address beforehand and not the address of someone else. This mistake turned ugly to a buddy of mine who gave out the address of his neighbor, who has aluminum siding on their house.

8. Have all the supplies on your front lawn waiting for whoever shows up.

9. To guarantee that the job gets done efficiently and quickly, provide as much caffeine-based refreshments beforehand to the painters. Their are a wide variety of things to choose from. I had Espresso cupcakes and Megabull energy drinks prepared for my crew. My entire house was painted by three guys in under ninety minutes.

9. Once the house is complete, limp back out of your house to thank whoever showed up to do the job. Don’t forgot to bandage your foot or whatever other appendage you want to say is broken.

10. Sit in your favorite chair afterwards and binge a show, enjoying your freshly painted house.

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The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS July 13/19 

July Writing Prompts – Espresso cupcakes – Day 13/31

 

100WW ~Dark Escape #100WW

There was no turning back now. The tunnel entrance loomed over them like a mouth waiting to swallow it’s prey. It took days to get here, having lost some of their clan. Those “things”  had gotten hungry again. No names for them, really.  Garrigan and his family only knew them from their attacks.  Fast, dark shadows that devoured anyone around them. If Garrigan’s family could get through the tunnel, they would find a safe sanctuary. They had to move soon. Those things only came out at night and the sun was setting. But, Garrigan dreaded the darkness of the tunnel.

(100 words)

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Written for the  Bikurgurl prompt at #100WW and also for providing the photo. For rules please refer here.