Category Archives: Fiction

Blogflash: Day Fifteen: Books

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Photograph by Lisa Shambrook (please do not use without permission)

Day Fifteen: Books
Flood Part Eleven

“Hold on! Hold on tight!”
“I am!”
The boat swayed violently and the squealing wind screamed across the fierce, churning waves.
“Go down below!”
The wind whipped words away. “…not leaving…”
“Then hold on to me…don’t you dare let go!”
Sea-spray soaked the deck and words had to be shouted to be heard above the crash of the ocean.
“I’m expecting a sea-serpent or the Kraken to rise out of this squall!”
“What was that sweetheart?”
“I’m waiting for a Leviathan or the Kraken!”
“Sorry dear, your literary references are going way over my head…much like this storm!”

(98 Words)

Back to Day Fourteen

Blogflash: Day Fourteen: Children

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Photograph by Lisa Shambrook (please do not use without permission)

Day Fourteen: Children
Flood Part Ten

“What are you doing down here? Thought I’d lost you!”
“Yeah right…this boat is soooo big!”
“What you looking at? Oh…”
“At least they didn’t take these.”
Album pages slowly turned in the dim corner of the cabin and a framed photograph was held in shaking hands. Tears dripped and splashed onto the inset glass, soft sobs echoed and a heavy sniff, poorly disguised as a sigh, reverberated in the claustrophobic room.
A cloak of grief encompassed the reluctant sailors.
“Do you think we’ve lost them?”
A kiss on a wet cheek was all that could fill the wordless moment.

(100 Words)

Blogflash: Day Thirteen: Forest

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Photograph by Lisa Shambrook (please do not use without permission)

Day Thirteen: Forest
Flood Part Nine

“How long does it take to drift anywhere?”
“How long does it take to drown a planet?”
“Do you know what I miss most?”
“Steak and chips?”
“Ha ha, that’s a man’s answer! You fed up with fish eh? No, I miss trees…”
“Hmmm, that worries me.”
“It does? Why?”
“Look around…no trees, the only vegetation is seaweed. What does that mean for the world? I meant it when I said the planet’s been drowned. No trees, no oxygen, no life.”
On the tranquil ocean only the light splash of rippling waves against the hull broke the imposing silence.

(99 Words)

Blogflash: Day Twelve: Celebration

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Photograph by Lisa Shambrook (please do not use without permission)

Day Twelve: Celebration
Flood Part Eight

“I’m scared.”
“I know.”
“It’s just got really scary, when we saw the other boat I thought we’d be safe, you know…other people…”
“I know.”
“…but they weren’t, they didn’t want to help…they just…”
“I know, it wasn’t what we expected.”
“Not at all! And look at me, I’m shivering!”
“It’s foggy and cold, zip up your jacket.”
“And that makes me more scared; we can’t see anything out there…”
“Please don’t cry…”
Fog coiled around the gently rocking boat.
“Come back here darling, don’t leave me!”
“I’m not, but look; I hid some of the food…chocolate?”

(97 Words)

Blogflash: Day Eleven: Greed

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Photograph by Lisa Shambrook (please do not use without permission)
Day Eleven: Greed

Flood Part Seven

“Come now sweetheart, stop crying…it could’ve been worse…”
“I don’t see how!”
“I’m okay, you’re okay…”
“What’s your definition of ‘okay’? Look at these bruises and you’ve got a horrible cut on your head and I can’t get you to hospital to see if…”
“I’m fine!  Bruises will go, at least we’re still here.”
“But with no food, no fuel and they took tools too! That wasn’t land you saw in the distance…”
“Civilian pirates and no scruples. That’s what the world is now. Dog-eat-dog.”
“…and we’re the little dog.”
“Come on, please…don’t cry, please don’t cry…”

(97 Words)

Blogflash: Day Ten: Success

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Photograph by Lisa Shambrook (please do not use without permission)
Day Ten: Success
Flood: Part Six
“No really, I can see something…”
“Where? All I can see is mist…”
“Over there…I told you we needed a dove!”
“A dove dear?”
“To send out and check for land.”
The wind whistled across the stern and the engine’s soft hum groaned, and coughed and spluttered then was gone.
“That’s that then.”
“We knew the fuel wouldn’t last…”
“Then let’s hope that’s land.”
The boat rocked, silently.
“Do we drop anchor or drift? Or lick your finger and stick it in the air?”
“I’m checking the wind…and that is definitely land…I’m positive! Oh for a dove!”
(97 Words)

Blogflash: Day Nine: Journey

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Photograph by Lisa Shambrook (please do not use without permission)
Day Nine: Journey
Flood: Part Five

“So, how’re you doing down there in the baby boat?”
“Just fine…reclining like a mermaid and dragging my hand through the water. Just keep me attached, don’t let me drift away…”
“There’s only you and me on this boat, only you and me on this whole damned ocean, I’m not letting you go anywhere!” Rippling waves lapped at the sides of the rowing boat and salty tears dripped from the taut, thick rope between both vessels. A light breeze fluttered across the deck. “Couldn’t, wouldn’t do this on my own, we started this journey together and we’ll end it the same.”

(101 Words)

Back to Day Eight…

Blogflash: Day Eight: Relaxing

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Photograph by Bekah Shambrook (Please do not use without permission)

Day Eight: Relaxing
Flood Part Four:

“I’m so bored.”
“Why don’t you go beneath deck and relax? You do look tired dear.”
“There’s nothing to do and the last time I sat watching the damned ocean I was in a deck chair…and we’re running out of supplies…”
“Our supplies are fine dear. Didn’t you take a look at the stuff we picked up the other day?”
“Oh, the box with the parachute? Yes, I s’pose we’ll last a bit longer…and the parachute does mean we’re not out here alone…”
“There you go then, go down below and take a nap. I’m going to catch some rays…”

(100 Words)

Back to Day Seven…

We’ll be following this couple for a few more days…

Blogflash: Day Seven: Sunset

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Photograph by Lisa Shambrook (Please do not use without permission)

Day Seven: Sunset
Flood Part Three:

“I’m finding it hard to recall the last sunset we saw on land…”
“Cwtch in closer sweetheart, wasn’t that long ago.”
“Tell me, mmm you’re warm…and it’s getting so cold.”
Beams of sunlight threw a path across the endless expanse of ocean.
“I like being on watch this time of night… It was that evening on the beach, before we lost the beaches and panic set in.”
“Don’t go there, not tonight.”
“Okay, the beach was still clear of debris, just that branch, remember? We watched the sun turn orange then red…then it disappeared into the sea.”
“Just like we have…”

(101 Words)

Click here for part two and here for Part One

Click here for Terri Long’s blogflash2012 Day Seven Sunset entries

Blogflash: Day Six: Reading

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Photograph by Lisa Shambrook (Please do not use without permission)
Reading

Rowan grinned and curled up tight in her favourite chair as written words infiltrated her mind. She grasped the book in one hand and gently stroked the corners of the remaining pages in unconscious repetition. She was lost, lost in a world of elves and orcs and dragons, and love and fear and valour.
How Rowan wished she was there, swinging a sword and fluttering wings on her back, throwing herself into the adventure and feeling her spirit soar with just a pinch of fairy dust. And as she embraced herself in her blanket of words…in a way, she was!

(100 Words)