Category: Weekly Challenge

Weekly Challenge #948 – Spread

The next topic is PICK TWO Semantics, Cheers, Pots and pans, Landslide, Fret, Crystal

RICHARD

Breakfast
Please be careful in the kitchen, you’ll find the floor may be a little slippery.
It’s entirely my fault, but you see, I had to find a solution.
I’m always in such a hurry rustling up something for breakfast that I invariably manage to drop my toast… You know how it goes: Always, butter side down.
That’s why these days, I never butter my toast, instead I spread the butter on the floor.
I still manage to drop it, all the time, but at least it doesn’t matter which way up it lands.
Oh, and that sticky patch is marmalade.

LIZZIE

Spread the news, folks, only one train a week from Monday onwards. Yes, I know. It’s a pain, but it’s out of my hands. Top branch has decided and I follow their orders, that’s all. No, Mr. Peters, I get no extra time off. I still have to be here at the station. Of course, Mrs. Lemon, but don’t be so bitter. Sorry, I couldn’t help it! And I see you, young Thomas, I see you. No more fun trips to the city ladies no more. Oh, that was a secret, was it? My sincere apologies. Well, now everyone knows.

SERENDIPIDY

“Spread ’em!”
The cop’s instruction was clear, unfortunately my interpretation of it wasn’t. I did what I thought I was being asked, and that’s how I ended up with an indecent exposure rap, on top of the original charge for robbery.
As he spun me round to apply the handcuffs, I lost my balance, accidentally punching him in the face.
So, that’s assaulting a police officer too.
The handcuffs caught on the seat as they pulled me out, tearing the fabric.
That’s criminal damage then!
I got away scot-free.
In the confusion, they forgot to read me my rights!

LISA

Our World
Time became meaningless, we had no jobs to get to. We stayed up all night; we slept through days: all decided by the sound of the gong. It was a move away from the Traditional.
We had a few trips out: hung around uni campuses to try and spread the word. To extend our flock. It felt weird being away from the safety of the house.
Apart from those trips we had no contact with outsiders. There was no TV or radio. We’d had no more newspapers since leaving the basement.
Our world had shrunk. And none of us cared.

TOM

The Spread

Chicago was a union town. And every neighborhood had a union bar which often served as a union hall. This is where the working class had there wedding receptions. Pretty drab in a decorative sense, but what it lacked in appearance it made up in sure volume of food. A spread to die for. Food spread out on the bar end to end. The promise of free food is what drew my dad to these prenuptials. Man had serious balls. Also, a skill to do any ethic vocal inflection. From Polish to tagalog. A man from any bundók to miasto.

NORVAL JOE

The following day Billbert found Sabrina asleep with a sheet spread over her. Touching her hand, she opened her eyes and smiled. “Hi, Billbert.”
“My mom sent some clothes.” Billbert said and held up some t-shirts with Kuromi and other anime characters, and some pairs of cut-off sweatpants. “She sewed Velcro on the side so you can put on the shorts without having to pull them up.”
Excited, Sabrina said, “Wait outside while the nurse helps me put them on.”
“Actually. I have to talk to Mandi,” Billbert apologized.
Sabrina’s face darkened. “Why do you have to talk to her?”

PLANET Z

When Bilbo says he feels like butter spread over too much bread, I look at this podcast and sigh.
Eighteen years? Nineteen years?
I post stories from my dwindling drafts pile for the previous week, not the upcoming week.
I dawdle on Sunday mornings until I feel compelled to post the weekly challenge.
A simple spelling mistake on a file, and there’s nothing to hear until I fix it.
A week later.
Just make it to five. Just make it to ten. Just make it to fifteen.
Just make it to twenty.
Why? Why do I do this?
Why not?

CHATGPT

On a sunny afternoon, Clara spread a blanket under the old oak tree, setting out an assortment of her grandmother’s homemade pastries. She had carefully prepared the spread: warm scones, jam, and butter, each bite a taste of her childhood. As friends and family gathered around, laughter and conversation filled the air. Clara watched as the joy of sharing her grandmother’s recipes brought smiles to everyone’s faces. Each piece of pastry was more than just food—it was a piece of her past, lovingly spread out for all to enjoy. In that moment, Clara realized that the simplest gestures often create the most cherished memories.

Weekly Challenge #947 – Plain

The next topic is Spread

LIZZIE

“Plain and simple. No more bickering, you hear?”
The kids nodded.
“We’re going to enjoy the trip to the sea.”
The kids nodded.
“And get rid of that right now.”
The kids chuckled.
“Don’t you chuckle, now.”
The kids nodded and took the chewing-gums from their mouths.
“This is not going to be easy…”
The train arrived and the nanny got distracted for just a split second.
A few minutes later, while looking for the tickets, she found… the gums, in her pocket.
The kids laughed and laughed, and thought that this would be a great trip to the sea.

RICHARD

Mob Rules
They do say that the best way to hide something is in plain sight.
It’s not.
The best way to hide something, is encased in concrete, deep within the foundations of a building, out of sight, out of mind and out of reach of law enforcement.
OK, take five and grab a coffee.
I’d never expected to have to attend workshops on criminal best practice when I signed up to the Mafia, but I was enjoying them, and learning a great deal in the process.
I was looking forward to the next session: ‘Sleeping with the fishes: A beginner’s guide.’

SERENDIPIDY

They asked me what I wanted for my last meal. I told them I’d like something bland, keep it plain and simple. Nothing spicy, nothing heavy or stodgy and something that wouldn’t give me indigestion.
It was bad enough being condemned to death, without worrying about enduring a dodgy stomach or a nasty bout of acid reflux on top of it.
I had chicken soup, with plain, crusty bread.
It was very pleasant.
Then they led me down to meet ‘Old Sparky’, strapped me in and threw the switch.
In the end, I got a good fry up, after all.

TOM

Do not Tom it up.

I’ve always been fascinated by words that do double duty. Like second and second. A thing of one and a thing of two. Or words that sound alike like berry and bury. Words like “set” with 430 different definitions. To shift from a noun to a verb is major word jujitsu. You hammer with a hammer. Saw with a saw. You can tie a tie. You can sin a sin. My favorite having spent time as a cabinetmaker’s apprentice is to plain with a plain. In the rain, possible in Spain. My goal for my name is to become an adjective.

NORVAL JOE

Since Sabrina had been awake all day, Billbert and his mother were let right in.
She lay under a plain white sheet with only her injured leg exposed.
Billbert said, “You’ve met my mom.”
His mother stepped to the bed and took Sabrina’s hand.
Sabrina shivered, and leaned forward to look at the external fixators protruding from her leg. The sheet slid away to expose bare shoulders. She stared intently at Billbert’s mother. “You have healing magic?”
Mrs. Wienerheimer smiled. “No. It’s my superpower. I induce efficiency. For the next half-hour your body will heal with greater effectiveness and speed.”

PLANET Z

Alicia died young.
Her body was wrapped in burlap and buried out by the big oak tree behind the house.
No headstone or marker.
Years later, after her parents sold the property to a developer, a backhoe uncovered her bones.
“Don’t say a thing,” said the contractor, throwing the bones into a plastic bag and throwing them into the construction waste dumpster.
It was a good mall, as malls go, until a bigger mall went up across town and everybody went there instead.
A diploma mill college moved into the empty stores, and a call center for online shopping returns.

CHATGPT

Martha lived in a plain, beige house surrounded by plain, beige fields. Every day was predictably the same, her routine as colorless as the landscape. One morning, while sipping her usual cup of plain black coffee, she noticed a single wildflower peeking through the dirt outside her window. Its vibrant petals were a striking contrast against the monotony. Inspired, Martha began planting seeds, transforming her yard into a riot of colors. As the flowers bloomed, so did Martha’s spirit. She realized that even in the plainest of places, beauty could flourish, turning the ordinary into something wonderfully extraordinary.

Weekly Challenge #946 – Shark

The next topic is Plain

RICHARD

Role Models
The school called my parents. They wanted to speak to them with concerns they had about my home environment.
All because of a stupid writing assignment: ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’
I’d written I wanted to become a loan shark, just like my dad.
And why not?
People treated him with a great deal of respect, he brought home a good wage and it was a steady income.
I’m not too worried about it though.
He’s taking my mum with him.
She has a good job too.
She’s the one who makes people pay up!

LISA

He thought he was the big shark in the business, but his tobacco brand was not selling. We kept playing the part. We kept nodding like nodding dogs at the mercy of a car’s twists and turns. It made him happy and we wanted him happy. Or did we? When he died, the company was dismantled. Finally, no more debt. What we didn’t know was that he had a stash of millions hidden in a vault at home. The will kept us all from getting those millions. The sneaky bastard… Even after dying, the shark managed to kick our butts.

LISA

The New Normal
After that first secret meeting he took me aside regularly; usually outside. I thought I was special: the chosen one.
No day was the same there but they always started with a gong sounding: some days before the sun rose, others it was midday. I didn’t question. Others did.
“Why’s the gate locked?”
“To keep the sharks out darling!”
Darling, Man, Sweetness… I’m not sure when we lost our names.
We never had the same room twice, there was no rota – it just worked. We shared everything: clothes, the space (it was vast) We weren’t individuals anymore; we were one.

SERENDIPIDY

I always fancied having a shark tank. You know the sort: A big, hidden tank with a trap door over the top, and a big red button for me to push to dispose of minions who displease me.
Trouble is, that sort of thing is costly, and sharks are hard to come by. Not that I have any minions to dispose of anyway.
But, one can dream. It’s something to aspire to.
Until then, I have my tropical fishes.
Would you like to feed them?
Put your hand in the water, and they’ll come to eat.
Piranhas are such fun!

NORVAL JOE

When kindly Nurse Racquet was nowhere in sight as shift change began, the charge nurse entered Sabrina’s room with all the compassion of a great white shark. She attacked Billbert. “What are you doing here? It’s after hours and you’re not family.”
Sabrina clasped both of her hands on Billbert’s. “I needed him to stay. And I need him to come back tomorrow, and everyday I’m here.”
“Nurse Racquet said Sabrina could request me to visit when she woke up. She’s awake now.” Billbert turned to Sabrina. “Is it okay if I bring my mother tomorrow?”
Sabrina nodded and smiled.

TOM

Card Sharks

I met the shark in the dive in the back-end of Las Vegas. The temp hovered between a 108 and 110. Dry air smelled of abandon Chapel of Loves and six-dollar hotels. He sat in a brown vinyl booth running cards to his left hand. A steady soft click 808s keeping time with piped in music. I slid into the both directly across from him. I pulled out a packet of red 808s. I shuffled a neat pair of faro-s. The shark smiled. I dealt out a royal flush in hearts. “ok kid” he said “let do some major damage.”

PLANET Z

Dinger Davis bet on games, and that got him banned for life.
So when Dinger’s experimental plane crashed, he was unbanned and inducted into the Hall of Fame.
And to everyone’s surprise, Dinger showed up at the ceremony.
The commissioner canceled the ceremony and banned Dinger again.
Dinger clutched his chest, muttered “heart attack”, and collapsed on the ground.
“Yeah, right,” said the commissioner, walking away. “Nice try, you bastard.”
Dinger lay there dying for about a minute before anyone thought to come to his aid.
And despite a paramedic declaring Dinger dead, the commissioner refused to change his mind.

CHATGPT

In the depths of the ocean, a lone shark named Blue swam silently, his sleek body cutting through the water with ease. Despite his reputation, Blue wasn’t a fierce predator; he was a curious explorer. One day, while swimming near a coral reef, Blue discovered an injured sea turtle struggling to move. Instead of ignoring it, Blue gently nudged the turtle to a safer spot. Over time, Blue returned with food and protection until the turtle healed. As the turtle swam away, Blue felt a sense of fulfillment, knowing that sometimes the fiercest hearts are the kindest of all.

Weekly Challenge #945 – Blood is thicker than water

The next topic is Shark

LISA

a Secret Meet
It felt right from the start. There was never any question of me leaving but he gave me all the reasons I should stay.
He’d laughed as he said ‘Blood is Thicker than Water’ but stressed that my parents had forgotten me; we were leaving behind the traditional and sharing this special experience. We were family now.
He brushed my hand as he talked, held my gaze as we walked. I’d joined the police to feel part of something but as the only woman in my station I hadn’t felt like I fitted in. He made me feel special.
Loved.

LIZZIE

“There’s an issue… The whole village drank water from the creek. No one said blood was thicker than water anymore. Brothers attacked brothers, fathers ambushed mothers, grandparents turned on neighbors.”
“Neighbors?”
” Yes. That was the only exception.”
“Ahm…”
“I know. We went a bit overboard.”
“Do you realize that now we won’t get the grant? We will never be able to convince them that proverbs are our way in.”
“Yes, well, but that was a bit of a silly idea in the first place. Humans are insane. Let’s try that other planet with the little green men.”
“Why? Oh, why?!”

RICHARD

Thicker
They do say that blood is thicker than water, which I’m reliably told, means family comes first.
Clearly, whoever coined that expression never met any of my family.
Believe me, if they were yours, you’d want to disown them too.
It’s not that they’re particularly unlikeable, or that they’ve intentionally done anything to deserve being side-lined.
The truth of the matter is that using their brains is an alien concept to them.
If it’s dumb decisions, idiotic plans, or simply not having a clue, they’re first in line.
I don’t know about blood being thicker.
Because they, are thick as…

SERENDIPIDY

It’s only when it starts to congeal that blood is thicker than water. Just try slitting a wrist and you’ll see just how freely the red stuff flows!
However, personally, I prefer to leave it a while. I like to let it thicken a bit, like soup left to simmer on the stove. Thicker, means more concentrated, a more intense flavour; an altogether more enjoyable experience.
Not everyone’s cup of tea, of course.
Some would rather it thin, and runny.
Each to their own.
But I’ll take intense and robust over tasteless and insipid, any day.
You should try it!

NORVAL JOE

As the nurse left the room, Sabrina lay back and closed her eyes.
The shooting had been days before and she still had a unit of blood hanging on the IV pole.
Billbert thought, ‘Blood is thicker than water. Where will she go with her only relative dead?’
As if she heard his thoughts, Sabrina asked, “Where is Buhmilda?”
Billbert swallowed. Was he the one to break this news? “Um.”
Sabrina squeezed his hand. “It’s okay. I know she’s dead. We stood together and watched them carry our bodies away. She stayed with her body, and I went with mine.”

TOM

To feel envy is human, to savor schadenfreude is diabolic Arthur Schopenhauer

Blut ist dicker als wasser was a play written by Franz Klass. It is based on Christoph Starke, “Synopsis bibliothecae exegeticae in Vetus Testamentum,” Leipzig, 1750. The three central characters representing the three driving forces behind schadenfreude – aggression, rivalry, and justice. The setting drawn from Byron’s poem Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. The metaphor of the Roman holiday run through the work where a gladiator in ancient Rome expects to be “butchered to make a Roman holiday” while the audience would take pleasure from watching his suffering. Across the back-drop the phrase is Xing zai le huo scrawled in red paint

PLANET Z

No moon tonight, so we walk to the border site.
John and I put on our gloves and we take the water and food out of the wagon.
“Do you think what we’re doing is right?” John asks, as he takes the top off of his canteen.
“Stop,” I say.
“Damn,” John says. “I keep forgetting.”
We finish with the site and head back, tossing the contaminated gloves and the canteen into the wagon.
I hand John my canteen and he drinks.
“What we’re doing is wrong,” I say. “But what they’re doing is wrong, too.”
John nods and smiles.

CHATGPT

Ella always believed in the saying, “Blood is thicker than water.” Family first, she thought, no matter what. But when her sister, Clara, betrayed her trust by spreading lies, Ella felt shattered. Seeking solace, she turned to her best friend, Sam, who had always been there, no questions asked. As days turned into weeks, Sam stood by Ella, offering support and understanding. Ella realized that family isn’t always defined by blood, but by those who genuinely care. Sam’s unwavering loyalty taught her that sometimes, the bonds we choose are stronger than the ones we’re born with.

Weekly Challenge #944 – PICK TWO Express, In my hand, Expected, Cut and dried, Desiccation, Blocker

The next topic is Blood is thicker than water

NORVAL JOE

The tree, struck by lightning, burned and sizzled as rain and wind slashed against the window of Sabrina’s room.
The nurse’s frown faded to an apologetic smile. “If it was in my hands, I’d let you stay. But these are the rules, cut and dried.”
“I expected as much.” Billbert made to leave.
“No!” Sabrina snapped, squeezing his fingers. “Keep your hand in mine!”
The nurse folded her arms. “Okay. You have until I give report in about forty-five minutes.”
Billbert glanced at her name tag. “Thanks, Nurse Racquet. Can I come back tomorrow, earlier?”
She sighed. “I guess so.”

SERENDIPIDY

Here’s where I keep them, sealed away tightly in airtight boxes to keep out the humidity.
Cut and dried into cubes, the desiccation process preserves all the flavour, but makes storage simple and none of those nasty smells to deal with.
Then, when I have guests for dinner, I simply rehydrate a few cubes overnight and use them to make stock, or simply crumble them over the meal, to add a nice piquancy to the food.
Delicious!
I think so, anyway.
My guests, sometimes disagree.
So I slit their throats, and use their bodies for the next batch of seasoning.

TOM

here in jungle-land 945 859 860

The children of the unforgiven tooled broken express lanes. No time to be expected. Enter longing, regret hot shame. In her hand was his redemption, In his hand was the echo of pain. Whined out a fiery engine cut and dried in the furnace’s reframe. She knew no reason to wait in the darkness. He was her savior, her light, her flame. This flight was his last. Wheels pounding in the rain. A wall of law behind them a wall of law ahead. Desiccation of hope hardens the heart, but concrete blockers will end the game. Here in jungle-land.

A line of lawmen, a wall of cars and a hail of bullets in wait. Just at the edge of eyesight the Rat was making his run. Like the speediest falling star, brief and doomed, he never really had a choice, gun the engine at that blue line, and lose. Music was spilling out the window in some broken down Homeric hymn. The barefoot girl keep time with its mournful beat that mark the last full measure of her empty life. In the end it was just the sound of metal, then a silence you could cut with a knife.

The rasping of rain in the gutters. Thumbs setting safeties, up turn barrels in the night. A trail of smoke above a trail blood below. Crossing the heart of the city one less rebel ment one less reason to fight. In morning would there be a pray for the rat? Would his passing even be noted? Would a mother cry for her child? For a good girl gone bad. When the song is finally written who is forgotten who is not? Only the strong stay strong and the meek fade way. Burn bright the children of night here in jungle land.

LIZZIE

The guy stole my headset, and then the gun magically appeared in my hand and I just had to shoot. I knew the detective wasn’t buying my loony bin strategy… My lawyer told me to shut up, but I just had to talk. And I went on and on about voices, lots of voices “can’t you hear them?!”. My lawyer said “shut up” again, but I just had to keep talking. In court, my lawyer turned to me and said “Voices?! Did you hear my voice??” And then I was given life. Perhaps I should write a book about voices!

RICHARD

Express Checkout
I really don’t know why I bother!
Every single time, it’s always the same: I pop in to the store, rushing as always, and up against the clock.
So, of course, I choose the express checkout, as I always do, and – as I always do – I regret it, almost immediately.
The guy with more than ten items; the woman with annoying kids, demanding sweets and gum; the idiot, struggling to swipe their credit card, or fumbling for change.
All of them delaying the line, each one a blocker to my rapid exit.
Express checkout, my arse!
Slower than the others!

PLANET Z

Every morning, Harry took the express train to work.
He had been taking the local route, but after timing all the stops and delays, he saved a few minutes by driving to the next town over and boarding there for the express.
Sure, it took a little more gas, but when the station offered free charging, he traded in his car for an electric and let it charge all day while he was at work.
Henry was so proud of himself, until the express missed a signal and slammed into a garbage truck.
His blood-soaked briefcase landed in the weeds.

CHATGPT

The express train rumbled through the desert, where desiccation had reduced the landscape to dust. In my hand, I clutched a letter with “urgent” stamped on it. The message was clear: return home immediately. The situation wasn’t as cut and dried as I’d hoped. Dad’s health was failing, the letter said, and I was expected to make a choice I’d dreaded. My heart felt like a blocker was squeezing it, but I knew what I had to do. The train screeched to a stop at my station, and I stepped onto the platform, bracing myself for what awaited me.

Weekly Challenge #943 – All our tomorrows

The next topic is PICK TWO Express, In my hand, Expected, Cut and dried, Desiccation, Blocker

LISA

All Our Tomorrows

I’m not sure if it was the heat from the fire, or fumes, or if I was just overwhelmed by being out of the basement but I felt really light headed.
In his explanation he kept repeating that he’d chosen us and the importance of ‘all our tomorrows’. That particular phrase was repeated over and over again.
Later, he led us up a very grand staircase. We had a bedroom each. Mine had a massive double bed and a sofa in it. The weirdness wasn’t the opulence though; it was being separated from the others after being so very close.

LIZZIE

We gathered by the fire. Questions and more questions. One wanted this, the other that. And we all shared our fears and our hopes. There was laughing, crying, and yelling too. Not many believed we would make it out there. We all shook our head. We all chuckled. We knew. They didn’t. We would make it! When the nurse came with the pills for the evening, we all agreed not to take them. The nurse said, take the pills, come on. And… I stood there alone. The others ran and hid in the darkest corners of my mind. The cowards.

RICHARD

Undated

We spent an absolute fortune on the new computerised diary system. The programme basically runs the whole business. We’re totally reliant on it, which – if you ask me – is never a good thing.

Every meeting, appointment and booking, past present and future are managed by the system. All our tomorrows, yesterdays and todays: categorised, organised and optimised, and all supervised by the system to ensure maximum effective use of time and resources.

Neat, huh?

Until the system goes down.

Like it did today. And the engineer can’t come until Wednesday.

So, at least for the time being, tomorrow is cancelled.

SERENDIPIDY

The photo album tells the whole story.
Every page, full of special moments; memories of times past, the family happy together, smiling and loving life.
Every page, that is, right up until the day our lives crossed with his. And then, everything changed, forever.
After that, just blank pages.
No more photographs, no more happy smiles, no more family. All our tomorrows, wiped out in an instant.
My family, destroyed. And, myself, the only survivor.
And him? He’s doing just fine.
Or, so he thinks.
Because I’m on a mission to get even.
So, let’s see what tomorrow will bring.

NORVAL JOE

Like a plot twist in the telenovela, Todos Nuestros Mañanas, as Billbert touched Sabrina’s hand, her eyes flashed open and she tried to sit up. She shouted in pain and the monitors flashed and beeped.
Lightning struck a tree outside the window and thunder rattled the room.
The nurse rushed in. “I’m sorry, Billbert. You’ll have to leave.”
Sabrina clutched Billbert’s hand, gasping, “No. He has to stay.”
The nurse scowled and reset the monitors. Sabrina’s heart rate and respirations had begun to normalize.
“I can’t explain why,” Billbert said. “But I need to stay, for a while at least.”

TOM

When you get to the fork in the road

Sister Fran was a devotee of the ancient sage Yogi of Berra. His collective works were some of few written records from the past that survived. Fran spent hours in deep contemplation on each of the holy koans. She read the gold leaf script with head bowed. The future ain’t what it uses to be. A soft wind blew through the arched window of the monastery. As the western sun melted in the forest she lifted her head. With silver ink Fran wrote the following: All our tomorrows were yesterday. I have taken the fork oh great sage, She mused.

PLANET Z

Mrs. Rettig asked each student to bring in a calendar.
At the end of every day, she’d give out stickers.
Green for good, yellow for needs improvement.
I got a lot of red and black stickers.
At the end of the year, the kids with red and black stickers earned a field trip to the police station.
“This is what will happen if you keep this up,” said Officer Kick.
And he was right. The moment I graduated from high school, I entered the police academy.
I especially enjoyed when I arrested Mrs. Rettig for speeding in a school zone.

CHATGPT

In the city of Allor, time was a fickle mistress. The citizens lived for tomorrow, always planning, always waiting. Their town clock, an ancient artifact, ticked only for future dreams. Sarah, a young artist, painted vivid tomorrows on every wall, each stroke a promise. One evening, the clock stopped. Panic spread, but Sarah saw it as a chance. Gathering the townsfolk, she led them in creating a mural of their today. As they painted, they realized the beauty of the present. The clock began ticking again, but now, Allor lived for today, knowing each moment was a precious thread in their tapestry of tomorrows.

Weekly Challenge #941 – Outsider

The next topic is Has-beens

LISA

Our Adductor Explains

“The wealth we have is beyond comprehension. This has, in some respects, made us into outsiders. Neither of us fit into traditional society or, indeed, like society. So, we would like to start something else.

A sort of new community built on love and trusting. That’s why, you see, taking you all against your will wasn’t the right start for this. I’d prefer it if you’d chosen to be here in the first place. We both hope that now you’re here you’ll choose to stay with us. We won’t force anyone so please, do say if you’d rather leave.”

RICHARD

Outsider

Even after all these years, I’m treated like an outsider. So what if I’ve lived here since I was a young man? I wasn’t born here: That’s why I’ll never fit in.

It doesn’t matter to them that my accent is strange, or that my skin is a different colour. They don’t care that I worship other gods and follow my own traditions.

None of this bothers them.

But they still watch me, with suspicion in their gaze; fall silent when I approach; they still keep their secrets from me.

I was born an outsider, and an outsider I remain.

TOM

Outsider

Frank and Bill met in grad-school. Both brilliant, top of class, destine for greatness. Frank became the consummate Insider. Walked the halls of powers. Knew the power elite. His council was sought out by the Half a Percent. Bill on the other hand was the consummate Outsider. He left no foot print in the corporal or the cyber world. Basically, he was off the grid, in deep cover. When Interpol finally caught up with Frank and sent him to the Hague for war crimes, it was Bill who sprung him. No one saw him coming no saw them go outside.

857

Crash

My dad had Chutzpah. If there was an event in his neighborhood where free-food was served, he and my godfather Eddie would crash it in the most brazen ways. Friend of the groom to her family. Friend of the bride to his. One night he got hold of the mic and sang to the newlyweds. Even got their names wrong, but it didn’t matter, boy could he sell it. My dad crashed funerals. In Chicago wakes had excellent spreads. He could turn on the water-works on cue. One time he broke down in tear in the arms of the archbishop.

SERENDIPIDY

Another Outsider came today
I threw stones at him, and he went away
I just want to help, I heard him say
But help from strangers isn’t my way
He’ll be back again sometime, I know
But I’ll throw more stones, and away he’ll go
The Outsiders say they have my welfare at heart
But I’d rather live my life apart
From those who think they are so smart.
Yet still they continue to come around
They shout and yell when I go to ground.
Why can’t they all leave and let me be
And remain Outsiders, just like me?

LIZZIE

The family and the outsider. The mother, the father, the brother, the sister. A family like so many. The hugs and the smiles. The praises and the photos. A family like any other. Everyone smiled. Everyone thought, what a wonderful family. So loving, so caring. The kids look so happy. Except for the outsider. She was not happy. Why do you always have to frown for the photos? Why can’t you be quiet? Why can’t you be more like your sister? Why do we even bother? The outsider was never hugged or praised… or loved. The outsider was her daughter.

NORVAL JOE

After three days of getting the same answer to his calls to the hospital, Billbert was fed up. He left school and went straight to the hospital.
He picked up the phone outside the ICU and told the ward clerk he was there to see Sabrina Hecksaohos.
“I’ve told you before, Billbert. Only family members can come in to visit.”
Frustrated, Billbert said, “And I told you before, I’m not some random outsider. I’m her only friend, and she needs me to see her. I’m going to sit here in the hallway, outside your door, until someone lets me in.”

PLANET Z

I moved to a new place six months ago.
I’ve met so few people.
I have yet to meet any of the neighbors.
Well, except the people across the street.
Their little girl had a lemonade stand, I bought some bottled water and a bag of chips.
And her mother came over to get some boxes because they are moving away soon.
I know my doctor, my dentist, my physical therapist.
The nurse who maintains my anxiety medication.
The woman who watches the self-checkout scanners at the grocery store.
But I don’t really know them, and they don’t know me.

CHATGPT

In the village of whispers and shadows, there lived an outsider named Kai. With eyes like forgotten constellations, Kai wandered the streets, a silent observer of bustling lives. They found solace in the melodies of the wind and the secrets of the moonlit woods. The villagers whispered tales of Kai’s mysterious origins, weaving myths of ancient lands beyond the horizon. Yet, amidst their curious gazes, Kai remained unfazed, a beacon of enigmatic tranquility. One stormy night, as lightning danced across the sky, Kai vanished into the darkness, leaving behind whispers of wisdom and the lingering echo of a solitary soul’s journey.

Weekly Challenge #940 – PICK TWO Still, Officer down, Random Action, One two three…, Pure, You never know

The next topic is Outsider

JUSTIN THE SPACE TURTLE

Three… You never know how it’ll turn out. You thought it would be amazing, as endless as anything can be this side of Heaven, and be a little slice of it.

Two… surely it’s just a challenge, it will be OK, just try again, learn, try harder, be better. Push through the pain, do the best you can.

One… It’s not right anymore, you say. You’re told you’re wrong, but also that you’re right, and it’s done.

Zero… It’s over, gone, and there’s nothing left but the broken pieces of your life. And the struggle to keep what should remain.

DAVID

Officer Under Fire

“Officer under fire!” blared across the radio.

Andrew Macarthy had been in fistfights and gunfights, fended off dogs, and had cars crash into his own at breakneck speed. This experience put them all to shame, for a child held his fate. Constricted with no way out, a chill running over him, he could only wait.

One shot fired, missing by inches.

A second shot, a little closer.

Andrew looked out the glass, where the child held his baseball with fiery eyes. The kid wound up and threw—bullseye!

Andrew plunged into icy water with shocking effect.

“Officer down!” the announcer cheered.

RICHARD

Officer Down

“He’s lying very still, Sarge… I think he’s dead”

The sergeant gave me a grim look, “Let’s hope not. Bad enough having an officer down, without it becoming ‘killed in the line of duty'”

We inched forward, wary of hidden shooters but, as we neared the body, we sighed in relief at the sight of the rise and fall of his chest. He was breathing.

No… Snoring!

A nudge from my foot brought him to bleary-eyed, surprised, wakefulness.

To be honest, I think the Sarge would have preferred ‘killed in the line of duty’ to ‘sleeping on the job’!

SERENDIPIDY

You never know quite what the immediate future is going to bring.
Any random action can result in unforeseen consequences; like that trip over a paving stone, that sends you flying helplessly into the path of a bus!
Unlikely, I know, especially if you’re the cautious, careful type; but accidents can happen!
Then again, it may be the random action of somebody else entirely that completely ruins your day.
Like the moment I sneak quietly up behind you, and randomly push you into the path of that approaching bus.
It wasn’t me though.
You tripped over that paving stone, right?

LISA

Gathered
The fire crackled; my muscles, stiff from spending months on the floor, began to unknot in the warmth and comfort of the heavily cushioned sofa.

“When I gathered the first of you it was a completely random action.” Our faces all grimaced at his word choice. “I’d just got the idea of starting something pure but, believe me, this really wasn’t the beginning I wanted for it. It felt like the exact opposite of what I wanted. I had no choice”

He winced as if this was hurting him when it was us it affected.

None of us had spoken.

LIZZIE

One, two, three, something… The numbers got jumbled in his head. He wanted to call her. He never understood why she had left. He was a caring husband. He yelled at her sometimes, true, but it was just to toughen her up. He always bought her flowers afterwards. The ungrateful would make a face and walk away. Two, three, something… No. He still loved her. But she abandoned him when he needed her the most. That punch was… Well, but she talked back. Three, one… He kept trying to remember it, not knowing that she had long changed her number.

TOM

Everyone has their Reason – Rule of the Game

Morty had lived his life by other people’s rules. Parents, teachers, Bosses, wives, anyone of authority. He was old and dying inside. The logical option was finding some high bridge and take a swan dive. It was here he met Arthur. The man was set on the very edge of the bridge rolling 20 sides dice. After each roll the man beamed joyfully. Morty inquired about the purpose for the dice. Art said: Random action you just never know. He stood up and walk away. Morty got a pair of D20-s. He smiles lot these days. You just never know.

856

Dancing on a volcano

Scribble on a soggy and dirt piece of paper were the numbers 1027. On the front was written the name Franz Lens. The woman knew the importance of getting this missive to the man. She back-tracked over a wide section of Paris. Never looking directly over her shoulder. But on one cut, in a window pane she saw the ss officer. Quickly she ran to the door of the bakery. A shot rang out. She fell. As the baker held her in his arm she spoke: Contact Lens. The baker stuffed the note into a baguette. Made for the egout

NORVAL JOE

Billbert didn’t wait. As soon as they got home, he went to his room and called the hospital. When he asked for Sabrina, they connected him to the nurses station.
“Can I talk to Sabrina?” Billbert asked.
“Are you a family member?” the nurse replied.
“No. I’m her best friend.” He tried to explain.
“I’m sorry. If you’re not family…”
Billbert interrupted. “All her family is dead. I’m all she has.”
“Still,” the nurse said. “You’re not family. You never know, if she comes around, I’ll tell her you called.”
Billbert gasped. “What do you mean, if she comes around?”

PLANET Z

Einstein warned that God does not play dice with the universe.
But old Alfred, wild-haired as ever, there in the alley, muttering baby needs a new pair of shoes and throwing dice with his grad students.
“Princeton doesn’t pay for shit,” he said later, stuffing money into his pockets. “Washington doesn’t either.”
As the years went by, Einstein lectured less and gambled more.
Many said he’d peaked in 1905.
Instead of research papers, he produced photos, postcards, and posters.
And admission to Princeton became a commodity, even if the kids ended up dealing at his casino nights and serving drinks.

CHATGPT

In the stillness of night, Officer Mark patrolled the quiet streets, his thoughts drifting to his daughter’s laugh. Suddenly, a random action shattered the calm—a gunshot. One, two, three… Mark raced towards the sound, finding a fellow officer down. In the chaos, he acted on pure instinct, applying pressure to the wound. As sirens wailed in the distance, Mark realized the fragility of life—how you never know when a routine patrol could turn perilous. Yet, amid uncertainty, he found solace in the pure determination to protect and serve, knowing every action, no matter how random, mattered.

Weekly Challenge #939 – Train

The next topic is PICK TWO Still, Officer down, Random Action, One two three…, Pure, You never know

RICHARD

Railway lines

I’m writing this on the train.

It’s a good way to kill the time between departure and arrival, and it’s surprising how even the longest journey can seem to fly by.

Some might prefer to gaze out of the window, snooze or read, I’ve tried them all – had to really, when the job meant travelling for hours on end, most days of the week.

Then we discovered online meetings.

And the travelling stopped.

The writing didn’t, although somehow it seems I never have the time, these days.

So, it’s good to be back on the train.

Getting creative once again.

LIZZIE

Train the mind, train the body. Row, row, row. And that was the deal. Resurface after a downfall. Get up and walk, get up and run. Go, go, go. But he didn’t want to go, go, go. He didn’t want to get up and he definitely didn’t want to resurface.
He didn’t mind the rowing, though. After rowing away for hours, he landed at a beach. Nice. Seagulls in the background. He could get used to this, he thought, until his coach showed up. How…?
“GPS, my son, GPS. Why do you think I gave you that gadgety little watch?”

SERENDIPIDY

I bet they never trained you how to deal with this, did they?
Oh yes, you can kill a man with your bare hands, survive in the wild with no food or shelter, sneak up and overcome an enemy before they even know you’re there.
I know they trained you to resist any kind of torture, giving away nothing but your name, rank and serial number.
And I’m sure you’re very good at it too.
But they never trained you for this.
And it’s going to last the rest of your life.
So just say ‘I do’, and kiss me!

LISA

Welcome

“So, Welcome to Newton Manor.”

He pauses, smiles.

“There’s a train station nearby- it’s unused. The ticket office is in our grounds. When the house was built our ancestors had the village moved. The quickest escape would be to walk down the path following the old tracks. That said, I’m happy to drop you in town if any of you want to leave.

This is my brother, and since our parents died, we live here alone. It was nothing sinister, old age, but it has left us financially secure and potentially in a position to create something very special here.”

TOM

Penny a Point

I grew up a mile and half from the City of New Orleans tracks. On very still nights could hear it moving down the tracks. One of the joys of being a kid was taking rapped interest in semi-destructive acts. Take flattening copper pennies on train tracks. Not as easy as one would think. The speed and weight of the train play crucial factors in perfectly squashed coins. Also, age. Secondly even if you found the best location of the rails finding the pennies was another matter. Multiple squashes ruined the aesthetic. I have no idea where those pennies went

855

When Stripes Ruled

The United Mime Workers Union a was seriously bad ass union. Gave the Teamsters a hard run for the honors. You had to be hecka strong to free yourself from an unseen glass box. Find your way around imaginary invisible walls. They never loss an invisible tug of war. Never ones to be lifted into heaven by non-existent balloons. Go toe to toe with a man who could lift an impossibly heavy bag try that after 15 beers. Sadly, the Mime Works Union isn’t what it uses to be. Striking using imaginary lead pipe just does not cut it.

NORVAL JOE

Billbert and his parents walked to their car in silence.
He wondered what Sabrina was going to do now that her only relative was dead. Could she live by herself in Buhmilda’s meadow?
Once inside the car, Billbert’s father broke into his train of thoughts, and asked, “Are you going to tell us what happened, son?”
“Sorry, Dad,” he said, swallowed a lump in his throat, and went over the entire story.
“I want to see Sabrina in the hospital,” Billbert said when he was done.
His mother grimaced. “Not yet. You need to give her a chance to rest.”

PLANET Z

We tied the principal to the train tracks.
Then, we went to the all-night Taco Bell.
Over nacho supremes, we laughed and challenged each other to suck down one hot sauce packet after another.
We painted the parking lot with our vomit and stumbled back to the tracks.
The whole area was swarming with twisted metal and men in hazmat suits.
A train pulling chemical tankers had derailed.
“They’ve been exposed,” said a sheriff in a gas mask, pointing at the vomit on our shirts.
We were stripped, hosed down, had blood taken and tested, and kept for observation overnight.

CHATGPT

In the hushed symphony of wheels on tracks, Sarah found solace. Each rhythmic clack echoed her journey, stitching together fragments of her life. From the misty morning platform to the dusk-kissed horizon, the train became her vessel of transformation. Through frosted windows, she watched landscapes blur, mirroring the fleeting moments of her existence. Strangers became companions in this transient world, sharing tales untold. Yet, as stations passed like chapters turned, Sarah realized the true journey wasn’t measured in miles, but in the evolution of her spirit. And so, with every journey’s end, she found herself reborn, a traveler forever bound to the rails.

Weekly Challenge #938: Total Security

I think I mixed the ending a bit oddly… oh well. You can see the topic here:

The next topic is Train

RICHARD

Sold!

I bought it on Amazon: No, it wasn’t cheap, but maybe I was swayed by the product description.

‘Absolute peace of mind, and total security’, it said, and then to ram the point firmly home, it went on to detail exactly why I had no need whatsoever ever to worry…

Waterproof, leak proof and rot resistant. Non-fade, colourfast and hard-wearing. Biologically and dermatologically tested, additive free, hypo-allergenic and vegan friendly.

Safe, secure, tried and tested, and a lifetime no-quibble guarantee.

I had to have it.

If only I knew what the hell it’s supposed to do!

LIZZIE

The security unit monitored the whole house. Total Security, stated the ad. But the resident cat hated it. When the security unit started growling, the owners thought they were doomed. Killed by a security unit. The horror. Well, the unit was just bored. Eventually, the feline and the unit struck up a friendship when the unit started purring. The cat thought that was rather amusing. But then the security unit was fired for being too noisy. So, the cat made a big fuss. Long story short, the unit stayed. Cats rule. If they want total security, they get total security.

LISA

Where

We’re in a room with a huge fire. There’s cakes and tea. Our eyes are out on stalks but at the same time we all wince from the brightness. You can see for miles and yet you can see nothing. We’re remote. But based on the opulence of the room we’re in- this is not some rural backwater.

Our captor explains.

“It’s a gated property. You, the chosen ones, will have total security here- you can walk for miles and not meet a soul. We keep the gate locked. To stop outsiders getting in, not to stop you getting out.”

SERENDIPIDY

Good choice!

As panic rooms go, you really couldn’t do much better. Concrete walls, solid steel door with multiple timer-secured deadlocks and three-sixty external surveillance systems. Total security.

I see you’ve stocked up on supplies for at least a week too. That shows great foresight and planning. Well done.

Because, let’s face it, with a character like me stalking the neighbourhood, you really don’t want to be taking chances.

But, I do feel there’s something you may have missed.

A secure panic room is great, once you’re inside.

Not so good, if I got in there before you!

TOM

Not So Good

My wife works in a clinic. In the clinic are departments who would sell their first born for an extra 4 square feet. Now that square footage in her office has been usurped for reasons of security. In a safe of considerable weight are keep the holy grail of medicine. My wife doesn’t buy into admins reasoning for a safe in her office. They muse for the need for ToTaL Security: a safe behind a lock door. Gail pointed out there is an 18 inch window in her office. To maintain Total total security they moved it to the john.

854

Water Torture Remote

The codename for the project was: Water Torture Remote. DARPA funded it in the late 60s. The core of the project was to train solders in lucid dreaming. Once in a heighten state of consciousness images of prime targets would be scanned on the retinas. Targets were merged in dreamtime. At this point the suggestion that water was filling the targets lungs would be planted in the target’s consciousness. It almost worked; problem was the guys running the scanners got linked-in. Water Torture Remote took them out. Needless to say, the project was summarily defunded. Nothing in DARPA ever truly dies.

NORVAL JOE

“Come on, son. Let’s go home,” Billbert’s father said.
Billbert rattled the handcuffs. “I can’t dad.”
Billbert’s mother looked like she was going to grab Vattash by the throat. “Why would you cuff a child during a friendly chat?” she asked sarcastically.
He cleared his throat. “Sorry ma’am. It’s part of our total security protocol. Anyone under interrogation, or rather, questioning, must remain secured.”
“Fine,” Mr. Dinklehouser said. “We’ll have our attorney stop by and interrogate, or rather, question you.”
Releasing Billbert and blushing slightly, Officer Vattash said, “Don’t bother. Your son is no longer considered a person of interest.”

PLANET Z

A white van parked out on the street, TOTAL SECURITY in bold black letters on the side.
It hasn’t moved for 4 days.
I tried to look in the windows, but they’re blacked out.
I look up the license plates, and they’re registered to a company called Total Security.
Just a PO Box and a local phone number.
I call it, and it rings… but nobody answers, no voicemail.
I look up from my phone, and the van is gone.
Strange. I didn’t hear it start up or drive off.
I shrug and walk home, feeling somewhat insecure about reality.

CHATGPT

In a world where privacy was a luxury, Total Security emerged, a fortress of algorithms guarding every digital footprint. Citizens surrendered autonomy for serenity. Yet, behind the impenetrable walls, a whisper persisted—a clandestine resistance weaving through the binary maze. One day, the system faltered, a hairline fracture in its armor. Through that breach, a revelation surged—a reminder that true security isn’t found in surveillance but in the freedom to navigate without fear. And so, in the quiet hum of defiance, the seeds of liberation were sown, promising a new dawn where trust was earned, not coerced by the illusion of safety.