Showing posts with label flash fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flash fiction. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Flash Fiction - Frances and Larry

1,000 words, take an event from my life and rewrite it as fiction.  Here's my dear friend Frances and love her life - Larry.

Bust a Move


It was too early to ask for the dance, he knew it but walked up to the girls anyway.



They didn’t acknowledge him at first, talking to each other deeply about something that involved looking over at the bar then back to each other.  When they realized he was waiting for them to acknowledge him, they both sat down in their beers.

“Would you like to dance,” Larry asked, hoping inside that one of them would say yes.  He wasn’t going to be picky that night, all he needed was a warm body so he could show off the great moves he learned on Let’s Dance.

Frances looked over to Kelly, who shrunk in her seat.  Kelly, was having mobility issues, something in her right hip was limiting to only The Bump.  A appointment with the chiropractor was due for a hipness check.

Kelly looked him up and down, thin, flexible, eager.  “You go,” Kelly said to Frances, “He looks your type.”

Frances looked over to Larry, “I don’t know.  I really don’t want to up stage anyone like I did before.”

They both looked over to see the poor young man drowning his sorrows in a shot after his attempt at dancing with Frances.  No one at the ski resort knew her, it was in the lowlands that she gained the title “Master of the Dance.”  Starting at a young age with The Hustle, Frances was known around town as one that could spin any move.  She could pop when most would hop, swirl when others could only twirl, and tweak what ever came her way until her partner would drop in surrender or exhaustion.

Kelly smiled at her friend, “Just tone it down a bit lady, he may survive.”

Frances walked out onto the dance floor with Larry, both eyeing each other like wolves ready to devour.  “He’s got some nice thin hips, he’s in decent shape, maybe he can keep up with me,” Frances thought as she rolled her hips to soften her stance.

“She’s got some cordination.  I don’t really need her, but I always look desperate dancing with myself,” Larry figured as he looked over to the band and put his hand up in the air.

The first song was pulled straight from the 80’s, Toto’s “Africa” one with an easy beat, not too many crazy twists and turns, so the most basic of dancer could not keep up.  They both looked each other and circled the dance floor like wrestlers getting ready to rumble.

Frances laid down the first line, leting her hip flexors go, the side swipe of her hips caused several guys seated at a table in front of the fire to look her way.  Larry stopped and stared at this woman in front of him and thought, “Oh you want to play that way,now don’t you?”

Larry returned her fire with his hands over his head, his back thoroughly stretched out from yoga that morning letting him show her there are many different ways to show off his assets, the tight blue jeans clinging, black leather vest slight open showing the 6 chest hairs.  The rapid fire of his pelvis caused Frances to stop in her tracks and look at him.  With a slow smiled she moved up close to him, letting him smell her Love’s Baby Soft perfume only to disappear with with a quick dart and twist.  Larry moved with her, picturing the dance mat under his feet, Miley Cyrus on the television, his mind seeing the next light before his foot even stepped there.  Frances, sweating slightly, enjoying their joust, pulled out the shimmy shake, causing several at the bar to completely miss their shot ski.  The tight ski pants, straining against her assets, held on as she moved close to the band, Larry right with her.  They got to the front of the dance floor, as Larry grabbed her around the waist, ducked her under the red lights of the band.  The lead singer came to the part in the song, “AAAFFFFRRIIICCCCAAA,” as Larry came in for the kill.  Frances could smell machine oil on him, wondering if it was part of his job or he just used it to lubricate parts for dancing.

“You’re quite good,” she said as he face came close.

“And you are too, my lady,” Larry replied, taking in a long whiff of Love’s Baby Soft.

“I’m sensing a few Let’s Dance moves here,” Frances said.

He dipped her lower, “Just a few.”

“Then follow me,” Frances said as he moved in for a kiss but she was gone before he reached her, leaving only Love’s Baby Soft in her wake. 

She went over to the side of the dance floor, her body twisting and turning as more eyes went from the party at hand to the dance floor.  Larry followed like a puppy, his eyes never leaving her assets but his rhythm shown in how effortlessly he slid right in behind her.  She showed him a move, and he followed--the yin in her yang as they told a story with their hands, bodies and eyes.

When the song stopped, both stood by themselves in the middle of the dance floor, the bar silent.  The slow clapping started by the poor guy with the shot at the bar, “Well done friend, well done,” he said as he clapped.  It went around the room, as Frances bowed then walked back to her seat next to Kelly.

“Damn,” Kelly said as she took a sip of her beer.

Larry thought he had found his soul mate, he walked back over to their table breathless.  His future wife sat there, the love of his life.  They could trip the light fantastic as they faded into the sunset.

“Would you like to dance,” he asked.

“I don’t know how to,” Frances replied going back to her friend and her beer.

“Another lonely night,” started the second round by the band.

Friday, February 8, 2013

My story in 3 Hiakus

Flash Fiction Challenge - can you tell a story in 3 Haikus?  Here's my attempt:

Title - Love In The Middle


Two youngsters find love
Over a lonely lunch tray
While another longs

Obsession with her
He uses lies and tactics
To drive them apart

But love still happens
Inside middle school walls
Because first love lasts

Friday, January 18, 2013

Flash Fiction - Seemed like a good idea at the time

A prompt that included - A Weird Western, A Heist, and A Rare Bottle of Whiskey.  Here ya go.

Seemed like a good idea at the time.


The two women stood in the middle of the sheriff’s office, hands in cuffs, standing so close that their shoulders touched - a show of support for each other.  One was dressed in her fancy clothes, velvet skirt, light blouse, small black jacket, her long black hair was pulled back in a long braid.  While one was feminine, the other was the opposite - legs in leather chaps, a pair of jeans, black leather vest and a well worn cowboy hat on her head.  Kelly had an empty gun holster around her waist, while the gun from the pocket of Beth's skirt sat on the desk.  Best friends since childhood, known for the trouble that followed them.

Sheriff Livingstone was not enjoying things one bit, “Now tell me one more time why you two were out walking alone on a road that Nigel Chauncery's wagon disappeared on the night before?”

Beth took a deep breath, “We were just catching some great mountain air, Sheriff."

Kelly smiled sweetly at him, “Right, What's wrong with taking a nice long walk to clear the mind.”

Sheriff Livingstone sighed deeply, “Ladies, I know for a fact that in a few minutes Nigel Chauncery is going to walk through that door demanding that I throw you two in jail for robbery.  He’s been over at the saloon yelling about it ever since his wagon went missing.  So you better get your story straight before he gets here."

"Well, there's a slight problem with the wagon," Kelly added.

"Problem?  Other than you two were walking back into town without it," the Sheriff asked.

“It never went missing, it's just a big misunderstanding,” Beth replied.

“That’s not the story I am getting from Nigel. I’m going to have to throw you in jail.”

Beth looked at Kelly who looked at the floor, “Can you uncuff us first Sheriff?  It may be a little easier if we do not look like criminals.”

Sheriff looked at them, then pulled a key from his belt.  “Now that’s the first good idea you ladies have come up with today.”

He un-cuffed them and as he was putting them back on his belt, the door to his office slammed open as Nigel Chauncery and two of his men came storming into the room.

“Sheriff, I want these two thrown in jail for thievery!”

“Now Nigel, take a step back…”

“Where is the wagon!  I want to see that wagon!” he walked over to the women, “What did you do with my wagon?”

Beth smiled at her boyfriend, how in the world did she think that skinny face was handsome?  “What wagon?"

Nigel’s eyes narrowed as he looked at her, “What wagon, my wagon!  The one that I use every day to go to Spielertown.  That wagon.”

"But it's your wagon."

"Precisely, it is my wagon, not your wagon - so where is it."

"Well, if it is your wagon, then why would I have it?"  Beth looked innocent.

"Because you stole it, that's why you have it," he screamed.

"I'm getting confused, who's wagon are we talking about," one of Nigel's men asked.

"MINE!  MY WAGON!  ONE THAT I OWN!  THAT THESE TWO STOLE," Nigel spit out.

"Well, if I have it then where is it," Kelly asked.

"I don't know where it is, that's why you're going to jail, you have it, I want it, it's mine, now give it back," he looked like a small child having a temper tantrum."

"We don't have it," Beth said.

"I know that.  Where did you put it," Nigel asked.

“We were planning on borrowing the wagon , but the wagon was borrowed from us by some very nice men.  They  told us they’d return it by sundown.”

Nigel looked like he would explode, “And who were these guys?”

Kelly smiled at him, “We’d never met them before, they said they were friends of yours Tom and Gerald Blackman.”

Nigel ran his hands through his hair, then looked at them.  “Did they say where they were taking it?”

Beth shrugged, “they said something about an auction?”

Nigel paced, “They are going to cost me a lot of money.”

The Sheriff looked at him, “Why, what will they auction?”

Nigel looked at them, “There’s high stakes poker game in Spielertown this weekend, only big players.  They were coming for the auction of Devil's Dare.”

“Devil's Dare, what’s that”  Kelly asked.

“It’s a blend of whiskey, very rare, they only make 8 bottles a year.  I was able to buy one, and it was part of the game.  It was my buy in.”

Kelly looked over at Beth, who’s mouth was in a silent O as her hand slowly came up to cover it.

One of Nigel's men coughed, “Boss, if we leave now, we can make Spielertown before the game and get the bottle from the Blackmans, we can get it back from them before the game.”

Nigel looked at him, “Great idea.  Guys, let’s get moving.”

They left the office, ran over to their horses and rode out of town, a large cloud of dust following them.


The Sheriff turned to the ladies, "You ladies are amazing.  You took that wagon, dumped it with the Blackmans and kept the bottle of whiskey for yourselves.  Genius.  Now where do you think we should sell it?  Head over to Goldverton?  or just keep going until the next big city?"

“Well…”  Kelly looked over at Beth.

“Hmmm,” Beth agreed.

“What?”  The Sheriff asked.

“That could be a problem,” Kelly said quietly.

“Just a wee small problem,” Beth added.

“Ladies, what kind of problem,” the Sheriff asked hands moving to his hips.

“The whiskey,” Kelly said quietly.

“Yes, that’s just a small problem,” Beth added.

“And what might that problem be,” the Sheriff asked.

“We kind of drank it last night,” Kelly said.

“Seemed like a good idea at the time,” Beth muttered.

“Oh hell.”