Author: Keith's Ramblings

for Wordless Wednesday

Bexhill beach at low tide.

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for Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers 

It used to be our field. Now it’s a building site, new houses apparently. I played there with my parents. Played hide-and-seek, flew a kite. The funfair used to come. Roundabouts, chairoplanes. I won a goldfish once! And the circus came with clowns, acrobats and a lion in a cage. Years later I played footie there with my mates. I had my first kiss there and my first…well, you know!

Then I got in with a bad crowd. We did things we shouldn’t, horrid things. One night we had a fight with the other lot, a terrible fight. Things got out badly out of hand. That night we buried…something, in the rough ground in the corner.

The builders stopped work this morning. They found something, or what’s left of it after all these years. The Police are there, crawling all over the site like a flock of yellow ants.

Grrrr. Why am I telling you this? How stupid. Mention anything to a soul and you’ll regret it. Keep it zipped. OK? You’ve been warned.

Wordcount 175

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FFfAW is hosted by Priceless Joy. This week’s photo is by Yinglan.

for Sunday Photo Fiction

It was nice of him to offer me a lift on his yacht. I’d always wanted to visit the uninhabited island across the bay. Off we went, bobbing up and down. He shouted ‘duck’. I looked to port and starboard, but couldn’t see one. It was then the boom swung round, bonked me on the head and knocked me overboard. He didn’t notice and just kept going.

Anyway, I swam ashore and had a nice time wandering around the island. I paddled in a stream, picked a daisy, drew my name in the sand, picked another daisy then got bored. Then it occurred to me – I was marooned. What now?

This kind of thing must have happened before because some thoughtful soul had left a blackboard and chalk on the rocks. I wrote HELP on it and hoped someone would see it.

Somebody did. A pretty girl landed her paraglider alongside me. She told me to jump on her back, so needless to say I did. Then she ran along the shore until we shot into the sky. Weeeee! I stretched out my arms like aeroplane wings. Bad move. I did a free fall down into the briny.

I suppose I could get to like this island.

Sunday Photo Fiction is hosted by Susan and the photo is courtesy of  Fandango.

for Skywatch Friday

.For Friday Fictioneers

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‘She collects seashells, paints them pretty colours and makes necklaces with them. At the centre of each piece, two joined shells conceal a folded scrap of paper. On it, a secret message.

She walks along the sand offering them to sun-worshippers for just a few pence. She says they’re made by mermaids. ‘They’ll keep you safe so long as the message remains unread’ she says.

I bought one out of curiosity. I prised open the shells and cut my finger in the process. Badly. I bent down to retrieve the message from the floor and banged my head on the table. Hard.

‘You were warned’ it said.

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Friday Fictioneers is hosted by Rochelle. This week’s picture is by Priya Bajpal

For Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers

Laying on the grass, I watched as the clouds played hide-and-seek with the sun. A girl’s voice sang in the distance. A pretty voice.

There’s another world

Above the clouds

…she sang.

A world where nothing hides the sun

A world where time has not begun.

I put my penny whistle to my lips and started playing a merry tune.

An unspoilt world

Untouched by man

…she sang.

A world which knows not needless strife

Untainted by the needs of life.

A colourful ball came to rest beside me. A child ran to retrieve it. ‘Sorry mister’ he giggled. I smiled

Above the clouds

There’s perfect peace

…she sang.

It’s miles above our troubled land

Unspoilt by greed and human hand.

Two squawking gulls fought over a scrap of bread. I flapped my hand then they flew away.

There’s another world

Above the clouds

…she sang

An unspoilt world untouched by man

A world where nothing hides the sun.

Suddenly it became darker. I opened my eyes and above me saw a grey cloud. I waited for the pretty voice to continue, but it didn’t  She’d gone. I put my penny whistle to my lips and played a sorrowful tune.

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FFfAW is hosted by Priceless Joy. Our picture prompt is from Jodi McKinney

For Sunday Photo Fiction

Crouching in a deep hollow, Captain Billy and his men had a perfect view of the trail. Soon their foe would pass the bunker. The atmosphere was tense, their nerves on edge. An arsenal of carefully picked weapons was close at hand. After days of practice and preparation, they were ready for anything. Breathe deeply lads, breathe deeply.

The attack came suddenly. The enemy advanced at speed bombarding them with missiles; a shower of soggy sprouts, rotten cabbage and turkey bones.

They retaliated with a cascade of mouldy mince pies, leftover pudding and sticky trifle. The food fight was in full flow but it was not going well for Captain Billy’s battalion.

Twenty minutes later, energy sapped, they emerged from the ditch with their hands held high, plastered in the rotting remains of  Christmas fare. The loser’s punishment was to clean up the battlefield and return the spent weaponry to the garbage bins from whence it came.

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Word count 152

Sunday Photo Fiction is hosted by Susan Spaulding. The photo is courtesy of C E Ayr

Ouch ouch ouch… my new cactus pricked my finger and now it hurts to type. Ouch.  It was a Christmas pressie from my friend Rosey and it’s huge. Let’s try a different finger. Drvc##byyuuv07yh#. Perhaps not.

Christmas will soon be but a memory, chased away by the approaching New Year. How poetic! I call these in-between days Twixtmas!

What the hell was that bang? Hang on. Oh, a balloon just broke free and landed on that blasted cactus. Where was I?

Oh yes, 2018. It’s been…erm…err…mmmm. What exciting things happened? I bought some new shoes. Brownish. Nice. I had another birthday. Oh, found a tenner on the pavement. A good omen I thought. ‘This time next year Rosey, we’ll be millionaires!’ I yelled! (If you’re not a Brit you’re probably wondering why on earth I wrote that!) At least it paid for a couple of beers.

What else? Oh yes, almost forgot –  I got married! Yeah! Actually, I didn’t, just winding you up. Not even wishful thinking. Thrice bitten, frice shy!

2019 will be the year I do… something. I’ll plant that cactus in Rosey’s allotment for a start! Yes, it’s gonna be great. I hope. Happy New Year my friends!

Sunday Photo Fiction is hosted by Susan Spaulding. This week’s photo is by Joy Pixley

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Doomton used to be a lively place. Shops, pubs, clubs, a church. But not now. There’s more life in the graveyard.

Butcher Bill’s down there. Died from eating contaminated meat along with several customers. Landlord Len from The Flying Fox got bashed on the head by a flying bar stool one night and called time for good. As for Naughty Ned the youth club leader, less said the better. When Father Fred got fed up with preaching to empty pews, he called it a day.

They’re flattening the place next week and building a new estate with a shop, pub, club and a church. Best of luck with that.

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Better late than never! Thanks, Rochelle for hosting Friday Fictioneers and to Randy Mazie for the photo.

It’s cold tonight, freezing cold and the snow is swirling all around us. My friends and I are going door to door singing carols.  Some folk fling open their doors and join in the singing, others hand us mince pies and mulled wine. Some ignore us!

Right now we are heading for a door. A special door. It’s the door I’ve been looking forward to visiting all evening.

Gather around. One two three – The holly and the ivy, when they are both full grown….

The door is opening, and guess who is facing me now?

…and I’m here tonight to bid you Season’s Greetings!

Thank you for taking the time to drop into my blog throughout this year and thank you for all the comments you left. Thank you also for entertaining me with your writing, thank you thank you thank you!

Now it’s your turn to join in with the singing. One two three – We wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year!