for The Sunday Muse

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I like nothing more than venturing out on a moonlit night with my friend. He is not just any friend, he’s my best friend, my shadow! 

We walk along a track and he follows me. I turn right, he’s beside me. Right again, then he’s in front of me. I chase him. The faster I run the faster he goes!

As we cross a slatted bridge, he comes and goes and comes and goes! It’s so funny!

Entering a street, we stop by a wall and we bow to each and shake hands!

Then we cross the road and begin walking back again.  Ooh, he’s on the road now, I’m worried in case he gets run over!

Oh … he’s gone … disappeared! 

The moon’s still shining, what’s happened? Look, there’s a storm drain. He must have slipped through the grating and fallen into the stinky cesspit below!

 

Suddenly, I’m awake. It was all just a dream, thank goodness.

I turn on the bedside light and there he is, back again. My best friend, my shadow! 

But what’s that smell? It reeks of sewage in here.

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for Sammi’s Weekend Writing Prompt where the given word is Bibliopole.

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His wife’s body was hidden beneath the books. No one suspected the humble book-seller. 

Eventually, guilt prevailed.

He broke cover and admitted to killing Page thereby starting a new chapter in his life serving a prison sentence.

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39 words including the title

for Six Sentence Stories where the given word is Eternal

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“Hallelujah brothers and sisters, Joyful Jolene and Joyous Georgie-pie are here to en’ertain and inspire ya-all, hallelujah!”

Look at them all, happy-clappy, happy-go-lucky, happy little hearts!

“Hallelujah brothers and sisters, give generously, adding to this pot of gold guarantees you a key to the land of eternal happiness”

As they rightly say, ignorance is bliss, and the ability to perform mass hypnosis is a valuable gift that J and G-pie use to their financial advantage.

“Hallelujah” shouts Joyful Jolene as she counts their spoils at the end of another profitable day.

‘Hallelujah”, yells Georgie-pie as they continue their journey across their land of milk and honey, “brothers and sisters. we’re on our way!”.

Thanks to Denise at GirlieOnTheEdge for hosting! 

for Friday Fictioneers

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Phillipa’s really clumsy. Pip the Trip we call her. You never know what she’ll have bruised, bandaged, or plastered next! 

Her latest mishap resulted in a damaged ankle; the latest additions to her accident accessory collection, a boot and crutches.

She’s ungainly on two legs, but four, two of which have minds of their own proved somewhat challenging!

Yesterday, a stray football landed at her feet. She kicked it with her boot, and it soared out of sight!

She landed on her derrière but it was worth it just to see the look on the player’s faces!

Well done Pip!

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Thanks to Rochelle for hosting and to Starsinclayjars for the photo. 

 

Prod Miss Froggie gently to join in the fun!

for Wordless Wednesday and bloghops various.

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I took these pictures a few years ago at the less attractive part of  Newhaven International Ferry Terminal!

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Add your link to join in the fun!

A short story for Sadje’s What Do You See? photo prompt..

I prefer not to reuse stories, but now and again one deserves another outing! This is a reworking of a tale I posted back in 2017.

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Sister Claire lived alone and really missed having someone to talk to. 

She was walking past a pet shop when she saw a parrot in the window. It looked at her and cocked its head to one side.  

She knew she had to have it. What she didn’t know was that it already spoke a few words.

Imagine her embarrassment when people came to her door and heard it screech  ‘Hello gorgeous, fancy a good time?’ 

She decided to discuss this problem with her priest as he too had a parrot. His, however, was a deeply religious bird that only said prayers. 

The priest suggested that the two parrots should meet, and perhaps his bird might have a positive influence over hers.

A meeting was set up and she took her parrot to the vicarage.  As expected the holy bird was muttering in a prayer-like way and playing with its rosary beads. 

As soon as the lady’s parrot saw the priest’s, true to form it shrieked ‘Hello gorgeous, fancy a good time?’ 

The priest looked horrified, but his parrot actually smiled!

He went up to it and said ‘What are you grinning at?’

His parrot looked him in the eye and said ‘My prayers have  just been answered!’

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Image credit; Pavel Danilyuk@ Pexels

for The Sunday Muse.

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My friend Rosey loves flowers, she grows them too on a little plot in her parent’s garden. ‘Rosey by name, rosey by nature’ she says whenever the subject comes up. It usually earns a polite laugh!

We were invited to an Open Garden event a while back.  

“That’s a funny name for a road”, she said as we entered the street where it was being held, “Corpse  Close!  I bet it’s a dead end!”

“Very funny Rosey,” I said, “but it’s Copse Close, it has some trees at the end”.

She often misreads or misunderstands words.  I’m pretty sure she does it deliberately sometimes, but then again…!

Talking of ‘dead ends’, she met an elderly neighbour in the supermarket the other day. He was looking very glum. “Rosey dear,” he said gripping her hand, “I’ve lost my dear Gladys”. 

“Don’t worry”, said Rosey,“ she’s probably in the cake aisle, you know how much she likes buns!” I wonder if she’ll be invited to the funeral.

On a similar note, someone mentioned to her that he’d had a coughing fit.  She asked if he meant he’d been to the funeral parlour to be measured for a wooden box!

Where was I? Oh yes, we visited this lovely garden, The first thing Rosey did was to sniff a lily, right up close. Not only did she emit the loudest sneeze I’ve ever heard, but she spent the rest of the day with a bright orange nose!

We stopped at a pub on the way home and enjoyed a glass or two of rosé.  

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Thanks so much, Carrie, for hosting and providing the photo prompt.

To read loads more stories about My Friend Rosey, just click HERE!

for Sammi’s Weekend Writing Prompt where the given word is Thalassic.

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The beach is always busy in Summer.

In June, there’s a pirate festival, in July a boat race, August a fishing gala

In September a group of musicians perform a waterside concert. It always starts with Handel’s Water Music. Thalassic Band, they call themselves.

It’s a lovely stretch of water.

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 * I wonder if anyone will spot the pun. I really stretched it this time!

For Six Sentence Stories where the given word is Play

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Hi Pete, I hear you’ve joined the amdrammers!

I have Paul, I’m participating in their next production and playing Pedro, a part previously performed by Brad Pitt.

A leading role Pete, are you up to it?

I’m practising Paul, it requires precision and preciseness as the part employs a peculiar parlance punctuated with pronunciation potholes.

What’s with the palliteration Pete?

Well, Paul, apparently it’s an excellent way for a thespian to exercise their jaw, their lips and their tongue, I’m going to skip the Q’s and have a crack at my R’s next – ooh, that sounds rude!

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Thanks to Denise at GirlieOnTheEdge for hosting.

for Friday Fictioneers

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I was on the edge of my seat, inches from my television. I’d never watched a movie like it, I felt as if I was there, looking on. 

A girl was sitting on a bed prodding her phone when suddenly the lights went out. She switched on the torch and a shadow appeared on her wall. 

But not her shadow. 

‘Look behind you’, I yelled as a vile creature crept up behind her. No…no…no…

No, suddenly my power went off!.

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I was in darkness but for a trickle of moonlight. A shadow appeared on my wall. 

But not my shadow…..

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Thanks to Rochelle for hosting and to Dale for the picture.

 

Prod Froggie to see what others have come up with!