Flash Fiction Round 3

[Prof. Tarma Amelia Black]

Book Club brings again the delightful brain-boggling and word counting activity -- Flash Fiction.

Way back in 2018, when Sky Alton presented Flash Fiction as an activity, she wrote, "flash fictions are stories that pride themselves on being short, really short. Providing it has a beginning, middle and an end, even a sentence can tell a story. A typical example is this one by Augusto Monterroso:

When he woke up, the Dinosaur was still there.

"

Basically, each week we'll give you three random items. You create a tiny story of 30 to 50 words with them.

Again, from our previous posts, "Your story can be funny, serious or completely random: from a simple 'this is how the day started' to finding out that the butler really did do it - in a galaxy far, far away! Write about anything you like -- but you need to include all 3 items and have a beginning, middle and end in your story."

You must use the words (or a variant of the words, change of tense, make plural, etc.) provided for that week (no going back and using previous ones). Remember to keep the HOL rules in mind when creating your stories. Also, remember to put the number of words used after your story! (Make sure you have 30 - 50 words; you can do it!)

You’ll earn 15 beans per story!

Note: there are several word counters available online - The Word Counter, Word Counter, WORDCounter - so you can check out the number of words in your creation.

Have fun! We look forward to reading your stories.

[Prof. Tarma Amelia Black]

Our first prompt is a repeat of a favorite of mine (yes, I'm into dinosaurs) ....

Write me a story with these!

rug, mittens, velociraptor
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Emily Spencer had responded with:

I watched in awe as the velociraptor ran around in circles on my rug. Suddenly, it darted under my bed with a loud screech. Before I could say anything, out it popped again, dragging my lost mittens behind it.

"Ummm..thanks?!"

I assume the returned screech meant

"You're welcome." (48 words)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Now it's your turn!

[Prof. Sindor Aloyarc]

My brother loves tricking people into believing outrageous untruths, receiving special glee from toying with how gullible I am. He once convinced me the mittens I got for my last birthday —the ones I sat with on the rug at school for show and tell— were made of velociraptor hide! (50 words)

[Chantel Poole]

She flung open her door, kicked the rug, let out yet another scream on par with the sound a velociraptor would make, and then glared at me.

She was dressed to go outside: a jacket, boots, and even mittens. Apparently, she still did not want to take a nap. (49 words)

[Prof. Tarma Amelia Black]

Lovely stories. Beans are sent!

Our next set of prompt words are: midnight, snow, blue

I waited and waited all day, and the promised snow never appeared. Then, a little after midnight, stepping out onto the dark blue shadows of the porch, I noticed floating from the sky some puffy white flakes. I smiled and lifted my coffee mug in thanks. (46 words)

[Kat Montana]

Being buried in snow helps us become one with our gods at the end of our mortal lives. Yes, there is pain at first. My body goes numb; lips turned blue. I am approaching the transition. Midnight strikes, my eyes close, and I prepare to meet Skaði. (47 Words)

[Prof. Sindor Aloyarc]

A cobalt blue train, soundless and nearly invisible through the winter midnight, slinked passed Salma’s spying nest.

Fuqara’s suspicions were confirmed. Snow specters of the sultan’s militia would arrive at her village within a day for the annual sweep, spreading new hallucinations and delusion.

Everyone needed to escape by sunrise. (50 words)

[Silvana Mandeville]

It was midnight, I was getting ready to sleep when a notification came from my phone. I took the blue phone on my nightstand and opened the message I just received. I smiled watching a video of my cousins ​​playing in snow fights.

[49 words]

[Prof. Tarma Amelia Black]

Oh, those were eerie .... nicely done! Beans are sent!

Next are: sand, glittering, sleep

He took a handful of sand, scooping it up from the dune, and tossed it into the air. The grains, glittering like midnight stars in the brilliant sky, reminded me of Morpheus and his bag filled with 'sleep'. (38 words)

[Prof. Sindor Aloyarc]

Dark, glittering eyes dart hungrily to the towering hour glass.

Color drains from the goblin’s face while you imagine him fruitlessly trying to calculate the remaining grains of sand.

“Sleep,” you sooth, mimicking grandfather’s lull. For once, you almost believe there’s still hope for your own humanity.

Then, it’s done. (50 words)

[Prof. Tarma Amelia Black]

Beans are sent!

Our last words for February are: Quidditch, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff

The Quidditch game was scheduled for today. The Hufflepuff Badgers were going to be playing the Ravenclaw Eagles. Doughnuts, coffee and hot chocolate were planned for the post game celebration. Everyone is invited! (33 words)

[Kat Montana]

I'm not really invested in the Quidditch games here. My time in the house of Ravenclaw is spent reading or solving mysteries. However, I might need to look into this sport after hearing that a Hufflepuff player accidently killed all the other players in last night's match. How curious. (49 words)

[Katherine Laurier]

I cheered for the Quidditch team members of Ravenclaw proudly from the sidelines as they chased the different balls zooming through the sky. Bling. What was that over there? Well, the Hufflepuff Seeker went flying after it! And in a second, 100 points went to the Badgers! Ooh, good game! [50 words]

[Prof. Sindor Aloyarc]

She was Ravenclaw, he’d been a Hufflepuff. No soul ever brushed so close to hers.

“Perhaps never will,” she whispered, pushing too-long bangs from her misty lashes, refocusing attention.

Quidditch was different now.

“—You okay?”

So normal these days, forgetting conversation.

“Sorry,” she said.

A brief pause, then, “Cedric?”

“…Yeah.” (50 words)

[Prof. Sky Alton]

Beans have been sent out!

Sorry our first March prompt is a little late - I ran into some trouble with anti-gravity mist. I'll be posting the next one on Saturday to keep things on track but feel free to post for this prompt up until next Monday (the 13th) so you have the full week.

And without further ado (because that was a lot of ado), our words are....
puzzle, microscope, book

For example:
The book was no bigger than her thumbnail but beautifully crafted, with a title picked out in gold. She’d need a microscope to be able to read it though.
She burned to know who had made it and how. Perhaps the answer to the puzzle lay inside those miniscule pages. (50 words)

[Prof. Sindor Aloyarc]

He cries such meaning into the microphone. Listening is absorbing an entire book.

Always a puzzle, that boy who loves so hard, then takes too much.

“What’cha think of the song?” He slides into the booth later, ordering his usual ‘cola with chocolate’ float.

“Ethereal,” you inside-joke laugh into fries. (50 words)

edit: thank you to the Book Club staff for pointing out my error in using an incorrect word. I was offered a chance to correct it in time, but felt the memory of it was too good to change, so I'll accept a dock in beans to that end! <3

[Prof. Tarma Amelia Black]

puzzle, microscope, book


"It's a puzzle to me" she said, tilting her head and peering at the book. "Why are the words all written so funny? Some of them you need to look at in a mirror and some of them you need a microscope! How did they ever make it?" (48 words)

[Katherine Laurier]

He’s been acting colder lately. More silent, more distant, more… focused on something. He’s been such a confusing puzzle that even under a microscope you couldn’t find out what his deal was. He’s like a book whose pages were glued together purposely. I wonder what he’s up to… (48 words)

[Prof. Sky Alton]

Beans are on their way!

Our words for this week are…

Web, swan, crown

For Example:
“This is incredible,” he whispered, holding his torch a little higher to illuminate the room.
She peered at the mosaic they’d found, a web of gleaming tiles. Suddenly, the meaning of the pattern leapt out at her. A swan, flying over a crown.
“We need to run, now.” (48 words)

Remember you can still complete the previous prompt for beans as well until 23:59 on Monday as it was posted late!

[Katherine Laurier]

She wore a long dress, a masquerade mask, a swan crown, and heels, every part of her outfit black. Upon entering the house, she noticed spider web decorations, bats, pumpkins, and orange lights. She could hear the people chatting already. This was going to be a fun party. (48 words)