Well done to last week's Prediction winner Michael Solender for No Abdication, and runners-up Aidan Fritz for The Shaking of the Ossuary and Chris Allinotte's U.D.D.D.
Anthology Latest
Did I mention I've finally collated all the entries from the first year's Prediction? The anthology will come out at around 60,000 words if everyone agrees to be included. What a prolific bunch of talented writers you are! I've got the spreadsheet of dates/words/authors/entries on the go now so (I know I've said this before, but dammit - life gets so busy sometimes) don't be surprised if you hear from me individually soon.
Words for 8th July 2011
Tasty words this week...
- Crust
- Ace
- Incision
For new contributors, you can use the root of these words in any form; noun, verb, adjective, adverb. For example crusty, incisor, but you must use all three.
Rules
Winner will be announced next Thursday or Friday. If you can, please tweet about your entry, using the #fridayflash hashtag, and blog if you feel like it.
What magic do you hold up your sleeve? Prepare to reveal yourselves...
_________________________________________
Trying again - Google is weird this morning...
ReplyDeleteComing Up Trump
With one latex clad finger, Milton pried apart the flesh of the corpse's right arm. The incision, which ran from elbow to wrist, was already crusting over. He nodded grimly.
"This is another 'Gambler' vic."
Blackwood snapped a photo.
"The cuts don't match."
Milton fumbled a pair of sunglasses out of his breast pocket. Blackwood groaned.
"Well..." Milton started.
"Don't. I know what you're doing. Stop it," said Blackwood.
His partner ignored him and put the shades on, then whipped them off dramatically.
"It's disrespectful."
"There's an ..."
"This isn't fucking TV, Al."
"...Ace in the hole."
"I hate you."
Congrats Michael, Aidan, and Chris, and to you Lily. Your Friday Prediction Anthology is going to be excellent. Some of the finest writers on the web have taken part in it.
ReplyDeleteNice early entry, Chris. Your dialogue is an Ace on this one - very naturally funny, and that's not easy.
Chris, stunning start! I just got here to check out the new words to find you came up with that... Brilliant!
ReplyDeleteRupture
ReplyDeleteThe doctor administered the ACE; a fast acting enzyme that would trigger vasoconstriction in his victim. He bit his lower lip and counted to a hundred. Soon the patient’s blood vessels would constrict, increasing blood pressure to bursting point.
“Scalpel,” he demanded.
With the steady hands of a surgeon he made the first incision.
Crimson fluid surged from his victim’s life seam, coating the doctor’s face. He allowed himself a groan of pleasure before making the next cut.
When every vein had been opened, his patient empty, the blood-encrusted practitioner peeled off his plastic gloves.
“Clean this up please, Nurse.”
oh Steven, that's so gory it's not true but so good I love it!
ReplyDeleteOK, here goes,,,
ReplyDeleteEscort Duty
‘This is ace!’ Club, food, drinks, entertainment, everything was ‘ace’. I was getting paid to escort this – person but nowhere near enough to put up with that all evening. His drink, an ace concoction, had crusted in the glass which repelled me
‘You’re ace!’ he told me, grabbing my breast with a sweaty hand. I shook it off.
‘Not now.’
‘Oh, later...’ smirking around the Danish he snared from a tray.
Not later either. He didn’t know each of his tyres had a neat incision in them.
He was walking home that night.
I was taking a taxi.
Grr - Google...
ReplyDeleteSteven - nice take on "Ace"! And quite literally one of the more creative "bloodbaths" I've read recently
Antonia - this is loads of fun - you've given us ample description to really picture the boorish asshat and the too-smart-for-this "escort". The image of her shaking a hand off her breast gave me a smile too. (Blame it on a Friday type of mood!) -- CA
Cheers for the comments, guys.
ReplyDeleteChris - Love that one! Made me laugh out loud at work this morning, and I don't even watch CSI!
Antonia - I do like a good revenge story :p And this is an especially satisfying tale. Love the pause before 'person'. I can almost see the look of disgust on her face.
@Chris - LOL! Too cute. Thanks for the friday smile!
ReplyDelete@Steve - umm... ewwww! And... DOUBLE EWWWW!
@Antonia - Brilliantly written, so much came across in such a limited space. Loved it. Chris already said everything there is to say about this piece.
Unwanted
ReplyDeleteTo dance beneath the first full moon of spring set her path. His upward thrusts, precise as a surgeon's incision, ended it.
Spent, he patted her head with near gentleness. Satisfied laughter echoed back to where she lay damaged.
Her purity shredded, stolen by this monstrous man. No longer virgin white, blood - her blood!- stained the crusty snow.
Her body shook with grief tinted laughter, she didn't have to bear this defilement. A hidden ace, death would be release.
Her cry of desperate madness erupted into the night. The spark of life she felt shattered her chance of escape.
G'Morning!
ReplyDeleteChris, I love this pair of Aces, Milton and Blackwood. Can't get enough of 'em. A perfectly gruesome first paragraph that had me cringing followed by a generous helping of comedic disrespect. Loved it.
Steven, more gore for breakfast. I'm reminded of the dentist from Little Shop of Horrors, your doctor's pleasure at the cutting and the explosive sprays of the red stuff is so well-articulated. I want to know more about how/why he got there. Please.
Antonia, I'm bemused that the escort is more revolted by her date's vocabulary than the expected romp. I believe I would be too. (Revolted, that is. Not an escort). I can here the derision in " - person", very effective. As already said, great revenge.
Amber, greetings to you! Feel free to comment on others' work as it comes in. Unwanted is beautifully poetic. You've cleverly 'thrust' us right into the assault and we immediately feel the girl has been tricked. I was chilled by the pat on the head; such a casual move. That she is denied even death is cruel, but life will go on - for she is better than her defiler. Well-crafted, Amber. I like this very much.
thanks for comments, guys! The story came full blown, as they do, after several failed attempts. I quite liked it. (I knew an escort once, she was SO intelligent it was untrue, I drew heavily on her.)
ReplyDeleteAmber, love this poetic piece which says far more than is actually there on the screen. Hope you decide to participate in the challenge often, would like to see more of your writing.
Congrats Michael, Aiden and Chris.
ReplyDeleteDying Away
The saliva crust cracked against her lips as she moved her mouth, like a dry, bloodless incision. Her languid eyes rolled back, weakened, yet no sound came from her.
The heat brought the flies, crowding like a swarming fog around hundreds of people whose footprints parched the rusty land in search of food and water.
The sky remained cloudless, the sun burned.
The ace-like shape of her birthmark had darkened and shrivelled on her earthen skin. Ten weeks old; Addie’s chest rose and sank with shallow breaths.
The flies crawled over her.
It was only a matter of time now.
Thank you so much Lily and Antonia. I'm normally prolific with my word count and Unwanted was my first attempt with flash fiction. Each word over the 100 mark was agony.
ReplyDeleteI'll comment when I can, my life is ruled by four evil monkeys the law requires me to call children. From what I've read, the other entries spark my interest.
Bone Mate
ReplyDeleteSweat glistened on my bone mate, the drops exposed beneath her crusted bikini, byproducts of our engine's fuel. Her leer answered my glance. I could not risk the captain's ire. I understood why the code prohibited women and boys.
She didn't work in bone, but incised alien skulls into our slaves' flesh. Her power transfixed them, but left their screams as jubilant offerings to The Ossuary. Better than her predecessor, she brought the sacrifices within an ace of death.
Once prepared, I fed the skull-engine's maw, her fingers lingering. Her hand caressed my own bone. To hell with the captain.
Chris: lovely interplay between Milton and Blackwood.
ReplyDeleteRupture: this flash evoked the same pleasure it did for the doctor... I think it channeled my inner monster.
Antonia: You capture the vibes of this fraternity-like party well. She's a nice girl, good thing she knows an ace when she meets one and how to handle herself.
Amber: horrific scene, this has that sense of power where she's unwanted, ruined, going mad, but not mad enough to suicide and therefore leaves a sense of hope in her strength.
AJ: starvation is a difficult death, this captures the ugliness and hopelessness, particularly with the matter-of-fact way the last line is delivered.
Ah a free moment. Fair warning, I'm not used to giving comments so please forgive if I'm horrible.
ReplyDeleteChris - I'm not into CSI and I had to read it more than once to truly get it. The more I read it, the more I liked it. Little things in the descriptions and dialogue really tickled my fancy. I don't know about others, but I felt for Blackwood having to put up with Milton.
Steven - WTF?! I love your "doctor". Seriously, this type of writing is right up my alley. To me it begs the question, who in their right mind would work for him? He's oddly polite at the end, is it because his itch had been scratched?
Antonia - I agree with Chris. As much as the client talks, he's saying nothing. I can almost see the smile on the escorts face at the thought of the taxi.
AJ - You're the reason I found the Friday Prediction. Reading this, gave me an image of a woman and I felt for her. The phrase rusty land stuck with me in a good way. Her age was a punch in the stomach. I had to start over. The whole story made my chest tight.
Aidan - Thank you for your comments. I have a
feeling that Bone Mate is a continuation of another story. I feel a bit lost, but I did enjoy what I read. I could feel the stress of their work, and why they'd want to find forbidden ways to relax.
I'm back. Ish. Same person different account.
ReplyDeleteThe point is, now I'm back, I'm hopefully going to be able to contribute. Depends how my brain reacts to prose..
Glad you could join Lily's Friday Prediction gang, MuckieDuckie. Look forward to reading your stories
ReplyDeleteI'm new Pixie, but I'll love to read what you have to offer.
ReplyDeleteAJ, I already posted Unwanted before I realized I already had an account. So Amber Taitague = MuckieDuckie.
Missed y'all last week, so I'm posting early.
ReplyDeleteKim
Out with the trash
As he waited for Death he picked at a crusty scab, formed atop the oozing pus. Even the rats wouldn’t come near; they soon learned that they were fodder for a starving man. His remaining teeth, matching incisors, would pierce their neck, meeting just behind the spine, and with a quick twist their sustaining blood would quench him. But now they stayed out of reach, waiting their turn. Life had dealt him the Ace of Spades, he had lost everything, and now the dark mist rolled along the alley, grey tendrils searching amongst the trash. By dawn he was gone.
Flash
ReplyDeleteThe incision was clean and clinical, slicing through the velvety outer crust to create a portal to the imagination.
The Rhechévah’s tendrils quivered as it slid through the threshold, floating into a complete darkness as black as the ace of spades. She hung there in the vast nothingness, all direction meaningless as she waited to give birth.
And then lights. Such lights. Thoughts coruscating from the Rhechévah, pulses of energy charging out into the nothing, flying from her body, seeding in the fertile consciousness she swam in.
His mind sparked as ink spilled onto paper.
“The incision was clean.... “
Chris - *snigger* :-)
ReplyDeleteSteven - Grissly, very, very, good and grissly
Antonia - I can picture people just like 'ace' who irritate everyone, well written!
Amber - welcome and what a great piece to start with. Her purity shredded - so much conveyed in those three words.
AJ - wow. Very powerful. Actually have a lump in my throat.
Aidan - intriguing. Want to know more about the slaves and their preparation for sacrifice.
Kim - such a visual style of writing. What else happens down the dark alleys at night?
I started writing something completely different then this kind of took over.
ReplyDeleteToxic Girlfriend 1993
My head is tangled in a toxic space where you define what goes, you’re the kind of girl that cuts off your face but only to spite your nose.
When you gatecrashed your way into my life, you were like an incision to my heart.
I went from a life so promising, straight to the end with no middle part.
Your desires are set to suffocate; you’re a covering like a septic crust.
You’re not dealing with a full deck love, your aces are missing, and if this were blackjack I’d be bust.
Chris - Disrespectful, ha!
ReplyDeleteSteven - All that gore - and just for fun.
Antonia - Ace slimeball deserves to walk, payback!
Amber - 'Precise as a surgeon's incision' - that's cold.
AJ - heart-rending, topical
Aidan - gotta be more to this story!
Phil - fertile consciousness - your Rhechevah is dark and powerful
William - Real poetry, it rhymes! Great story, great humour - 'not dealing with a full deck' great line.
Amber this is so strong in so few words. The end just gives such depth to her as a character - well done.
ReplyDeleteAJ Another real-life horror, told with your stunning clarity. Horrifying and wrenching.
Aidan I'm loving the bizarro flight of the Ossuary. Keep this going.
Kim Part of me thinks, from the imagery, that this might be a vampire - which is cool, but I also think this is just a really unfortunate man forgotten by society - which is impressive on another level altogether
Phil - an elegant name for the muse, and a neat use of "the loop."
William "Septic crust". What an image. What a poem!
Antonia ~ What a perfect description of an utter scum-bag. I certainly got the impression that the escort was out of his league by any normal means.
ReplyDeleteAmber ~ Wow… I was actually touched by this piece. The imagery conveyed the emotion so well. A fantastic piece.
AJ ~ Utterly heart breaking and so reminiscent of all the footage we’ve seen from the arid lands of Africa over the years. Maybe it affected me more because of those memories, but it certainly left a lump in my throat.
Aidan ~ This certainly feels like part of a large world that we’re just glimpsing into. I’d love to know more! Nice work.
Scratchypen ~ I wonder how this starving predator of rats got into this state? I can imagine him sat there, the rats waiting in the shadows…
Phil ~ I loved this! The Rhechevah as interdimensional creature seeding inspiration is a great idea and one I’d love to see expanded on. Is it good or evil? Does it inspire for a purpose? So many questions!!
William ~ I love the line “…cuts off your face but only to spite your nose.”. I’ve known toxic girlfriends like this, whether my own or stealing away friends for a time. All very true!
Paul/CA.
And here is my own humble contribution...
ReplyDelete><><><><><><><><><><
“Wha’ ya got, boy?” Zeke asked, wiping up the last of the stew with a slice of crusty bread.
“Pair’a jacks an’ a pair’a deuces,” William replied, nervously licking his lips as he shifted his gazed between the cards and the twisted old man.
Zeke threw back his head gave a barking laugh, spraying lumps of half-chewed bread and meat into the fire. “Four aces!” he cried, gleefully climbing to his feet and drawing his knife.
“Don’t fret, son, I’ll make th’ incision real quick,” the old butcher leered as he advanced, the flickering light shining on the blade’s edge.
Found this place via Crimson Archer, and thought I'd like to have a go. My first attempt...
ReplyDeleteI knelt by the side of the old beat up car, wiping a crust of ice from the keyhole fumbling for a moment with freezing hands to unlock the door. Sliding in to the drivers seat I nervously peered above the steering wheel. The street, empty and dark peered back. Springing open the glove box, cascading papers joined the assorted empty wrappers and half drunk soda bottles on the floor. Half frozen fingers found the package, an incisive report on the case, including photographs. It would be my ace in the hole.
Crimson Archer - Flinching already! Which pound of flesh is the boy gonna lose? Love the setting.
ReplyDeleteKallandra - Private Eye? Loner fighting a lost cause? There is so much more to tell ... I'm waiting for the face to appear in the driver's mirror!
Kallandra, want to know more more and then more, what happened next?
ReplyDeleteCrimson Archer, oh I do love the user names, I never could come up with anything clever for me, so I hide behind the slight change to my hero's name instead. Great piece, beautifully described, with gore.
William, wow!
Kim, nice one
Aidan (having trouble here, I just bought a teddy named Aidan, he's dark and small and somewhat sad looking) really liked this.
AJ, cutting through the nonsense of 'media' to show us the true picture of starvation. Before I read this tonight I donated to one of the charities working in Africa right now. Having read this, I wish I could go and donate more but it isn't possible. Heartbreak.
Phil, oh yes, more please
Chris I loved it made me smile big time.
ReplyDeleteSteven This painted such a picture in my head, then the surprise of an accomplice.
Antonia Excellent insight into the world of an Escort
Amber This has such impact, you communicated the solitude and aloneness that a defilement must bring
AJ I had a tear when I read this, you've given a voice to the voiceless.
Aidan This can run, I'm intrigued
Scratchy Pen Kim, I loved this piece, death embodied as a dark mist brilliant.
Phil An incredibly intelligent idea delivered brilliantly, you've gotta expand this ides
Crimson Archer Agreat job of throwing us into their game, this has legs.
KallandraLooking forward to the next installment. Where's she going next
Beautiful entries - I'll be commenting again tomorrow night.
ReplyDeleteAJ, how terribly current Dying Away is. A truly distressing portrayal of the atrocity that is causing children - and adults - to die of hunger and thirst. When the National Lottery is paying out £160million plus, yet people are dying so horribly for want of water and nourishment something MUST be done. Well done for bringing attention to the plight, Ally, and in such an articulate way.
ReplyDeleteAidan, multiple meanings and creaking machinery throughout. I just love that title. "... drops exposed beneath her crusted bikini" is a gruesome line - fab! This series is turnng out to be wild.
Kim, rodents and death, fallen teeth and weeping scabs. Disgusting - I love it! You've captured the desperation of the MC/victim as he waits for Death to take him really well. A fine write.
Phil, such a vision! I was completely enthralled by the Rhechévah and felt her pulsing lights fill my soul as she birthed them. Does she live in my consciousness as well as yours now...? Wonderful.
William, "...you’re the kind of girl that cuts off your face but only to spite your nose" is absolutely inspired. This is a brilliant poem, caustic and packed with regret - and relief. I enjoyed it so much I keep re-reading it.
Crimson Archer (Paul), Deliverance/Texas Chainsaw trailer-trash horror - totally yummy. This is the kind of thing that gives even me nightmares and you managed to get right under my skin with it. An excellent read.
Kallanda, welcome to The Feardom Kallandra. Apologies for the tardy greeting. This is a captivating piece of noir that comes across as a teasing vignette from a far bigger picture. I want to know so much more. A great first attempt!
Suppose I ought to write something myself now!
St Force
ReplyDeleteThe Flaming Ace
Mike made an incision with his knife in the crust of his pie. The flaming ace wasn’t known for their pies but Mike didn’t come for them. He came to tease the waitresses. He watched as a blond bent over to pick up a fallen spoon for a table of cheering yobs. He cheered with them. “Bend over girl!” Bang! One of the boys fell with a bullet in his head. Bang! Bang! Bang! Three more friends followed him. The wolf whistling manger was next. Then she turned the gun on Mike. “ Fucking Creep!” she shouted. “Oh my…” Bang!
Will I get away with that first line I wonder?
Bizarro retaliation from Mr Jack! See, now I'm hungry - and I've had my dinner already. Really enjoyed how the story was ostensibly about Mike but that he was the ultimate victim, very clever.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the welcome and comments :)
ReplyDeleteWilliam - loved this. Got a sense of The Streets and sure many can relate to this type of relationship!
ReplyDeleteCA - so glad you decided to follow me here after the fun we had with 'Who?'. I had a similar idea to this but couldn't make it work. You've done it so much better than I ever could have!
Kallandra - welcome. I think like everyone else, dying to know more about this. Lovely gritty noir feel to it.
St Force - wow, didn't see that coming. Enjoyed this and liked the complete blind side.
Kim: the way the man is relegated to eating rats gives a great sense of despair to this and really captures the sense of abandonment.
ReplyDeletePhil: fun meta-flash, I like the way this captures ideas abstractly but with a touch of the vivid; especially the incision into this otherworld.
William: I like where this takes me. It's filled with that hate/loss of the end of the relationship, but touches on some resonating ideas. Particularly the beginning-end missing the middle and the deck absent aces.
... more later ...
Sneaking in with less than 30 minutes to go...
ReplyDeleteLove, Ill-Dignified
“It’s upside down, Shirl.”
“It still means love, right? Husband – babies?”
Pattie picked up the Ace of Cups; she hated to break her friend’s heart.
“Yes,” she sighed, putting the tarot away. “It still means love.”
***
“You should have told me, Pats. You knew.”
Shirley slipped her hands beneath the hospital bed sheet to scratch at the stab wounds; tiny, calculated lacerations described an upturned goblet on her belly. She pulled at the wide incision at her groin, making the barely crusted gash seep.
“He would have married me, Pattie.”
“He stole your unborn child, Shirl.”
“Shit, Pats. Love sucks.”
So that's that then. All closed up, and hatches battened down. No more entries please!
ReplyDeleteCrimson: some times the cards play against you, I liked the nervousness you captured in the turn of the cards.
ReplyDeleteKallandra: Welcome, I can see the car and the papers falling all over the place; hope the report comes in handy.
St Force: intriguing, evidently his line earned him his just dessert. I like how the waitress turns the tables.
Lily: clever flash, this rocks with the way it thoroughly wraps in tarot, seeing the future and the horrid turn. "He stole your unborn child" is a delightfully gruesome dialogue line.
Antonia, I can try sad-looking, but dark and small will be difficult.