#Fridayfictioneers: Priorities

On December 16, 2015December 16, 2015 By Luther M. SilerIn Stories8 Comments

(NOTE: I didn’t do this last week. Why? I took the picture. Knowing the context screwed up my ability to make stuff up about it. 🙂 )

Eve watched the fog roll in over the lake and sighed. There was much to do before nightfall: secure the windows and doors, repour the salt at the threshold, and the garlic at the corners of the lot was probably rotten by now. She’d have to make sure they had enough candles, too; electric light drew more attention than fire. One might find a weak spot.

There was laundry, too, and the carpets needed vacuuming. At least the dishes were finished.

“Jim, can you take the trash out?” she asked, knowing the answer.

“In a minute, babe. The game’s on.”

Word Count: 99

Friday Fictioneers is a weekly blog hop hosted by Rochelle. She posts a photo prompt then challenges readers to write a 100 word story inspired by the prompt. It’s a fun challenge. Give it a try! Check here for the info then write your story and post it, link up and enjoy the other stories!

#Fridayfictioneers: The City of Lights

On December 3, 2015 By Luther M. SilerIn Stories9 Comments

“Too easy.”

“This is the place. Through there. The City of Lights has a back door.”

“It practically says TRAP on the front. It’s too easy.”

“Fine. You stay out here. Dark’s coming.”

Kchik yanked at the handle. The door screeched open, rust flaking off the hinges, breaking off dry stalks of dead grass. The dark inside was absolute.

“You don’t enter the City of Lights by sneaking through the dark, Kchik. It’s wrong.”

He never hesitated. “I won’t forget, Faa. Take care of the girls.”

Kchik entered the dark. The door fell closed. Faa waited.

It never reopened.

Word Count: 99

#Fridayfictioneers: Stonesrage Rock

On November 25, 2015 By Luther M. SilerIn Stories9 Comments

“It’s closer,” the old man said. “Every year, an inch or two. The road splits. They fix it. But every year, it comes for us.”

“You’re looney, old man,” I said. “That’s a chunk of rock. It’s pretty, that’s all. It’s not coming.”

He smiled, his one good eye staring balefully at me. “The titans. The ancient ones of the earth, the galevhdür, they wait. And they watch. And when they come, they are inexorable. We anger the earth, child, at our peril. And it comes for us.”

I walked away to his mocking laughter.

“You’ll see, lad. You’ll see.”

Word Count: 100

#Fridayfictioneers: Distrust

On November 19, 2015November 19, 2015 By Luther M. SilerIn Stories6 Comments

There was just one shoe, abandoned, halfway in the gutter. I picked it up, looked at it.

It was a nice shoe. I didn’t know much about shoes but the leather felt soft and expensive and it looked carefully assembled. I wondered if it’d been made by a cobbler. I’d never met a cobbler, but I liked the word. I liked eating cobbler, too, but not the human kind.

I looked at the underside of the shoe.

LEFT, it said, in thick black marker writing.

It was a right shoe.

I put it back down and left it there.

Word Count: 99

#FridayFictioneers: The Vigil

On November 11, 2015 By Luther M. SilerIn Stories11 Comments

So, turns out this is actually posted Wednesday. I feel like if I write it on Wednesday it’ll get a little more attention, plus the weekends are starting to get a little bit hashtag-heavy, so we’ll do this on the day it launches for a bit.

“It’s been a year,” the girl in white said. She picked at a scab on her knee.

“That’s right,” the woman in white answered. “Tomorrow, we learn.”

“Do we really have to stay up all night?”

“He was your father,” the woman answered. “For your father, we wait all night.”

“And if he rises?”

“If he rises with gladness, we welcome him. If he does not rise, we leave him.”

“And if he rises without gladness?”

“Then we shall see,” she answered. The ceremonial knife dug at her back. She would have to decide swiftly who it was for.

(100 words)

#Fridayfictioneers: Please Do Not Touch

On November 6, 2015November 5, 2015 By Luther M. SilerIn Stories8 Comments

wired — PHOTO PROMPT – © Connie Gayer …(Mrs. Russell)

“Don’t touch it. It could be live.”

“Live? Live how? What’s it attached to?”

We looked around. There was nothing electrical for miles in any direction. Millions of them, if you didn’t count our ship. And this cut, half-buried wire definitely didn’t run to our ship.

“I’m gonna pull on it,” Tyreena said.

“Are you nuts? It could–”

“Could what?” she interrupted. “This rock’s lifeless. And someone’s, what, running power to the bathrooms? It fell off our ship. Had to. I’m pulling.”

A moment later, a flash and a sizzle, and the population of Galeb-IV was one fewer.

Word Count: 99

Miami (#FridayFictioneers)

On October 30, 2015 By Luther M. SilerIn Stories8 Comments

“There.”

“What is it?”

“Desk chair, maybe. Plastic shell. The metal might still be good.”

The scavvies pulled the chair out of the muck and tore it apart, discarding foam and fabric and setting plastic and metal aside. There were whoops and hollers from both of them– the ball bearings in the wheels were intact, and a tension spring. Sealed, so the salt hadn’t gotten them yet.

“What was this? Business district?”

“Maybe. Cheap chair; maybe from a house, before the Atlantic swallowed it.”

“Think there’s more?”

“We’ll look for another ten. Haven’t seen a sea snake yet. I’m getting nervous.”

WORD COUNT: 100.

Flight (#FridayFictioneers)

On October 23, 2015October 23, 2015 By Luther M. SilerIn Stories11 Comments

“This ain’t gonna work,” VJ grumped.

“Shuddup,” I said. “He’s not gonna find us.”

“You were just on your phone,” VJ said. “Bam. Signal everywhere. Tied straight to you. You turn off the GPS yet?”

“Dunno how,” I said.

“Just turn the damn thing off.”

I did. I’d ditch the electronics a town over, switch to burners. No updates anywhere. Radio silence. It’d be okay. Until I needed money, and used a card.

“You ever robbed anybody?” I asked. At least stolen money was clean.

“Just the once,” VJ said. “I’ll let you know if we get away with it.”

Word Count: 100