Tag: #FFFC

#FFFC, Fiction, Photo Challenge, Photo Prompt, Prompt, Writing

Melissa’s Fandango Flash Fiction Challenge #274

Tessa

Melissa’s Rules:

Hello! Welcome to Melissa’s Fandango Flash Fiction Challenge. Each week I will post an image I grab off the internet and challenge bloggers to write a flash fiction piece or a poem inspired by the image. There are no style or word limits.

The image below is from Bao Menglong on Unsplash.

The image depicts a monkey sitting on a rock. We see brown, earthen floor and branches, trees, and plants in the background. The monkey holds an ear of corn, mostly peeled, but with some of the husk remaining. The monkey gazes at the corn intently. We see that his tongue sticks out, and he has bits of corn around his mouth.

If this week’s image inspires you and you wish to participate, please write your post and use the tag #FFFC. Please create a pingback to this post and/or manually add your link in the comments. I hope it will generate some great posts. Don’t forget to stop back and read/comment on the posts of others. Thank you for participating!

**********

Meet John, a father whose smile is as constant as the sun, and his 10-year-old son, Toby, a bundle of perpetual curiosity. “What thrilling escapade do you have in mind today, Toby?” John’s voice was laced with excitement, mirroring the anticipation in Toby’s eyes.

“Dad, can we please go to the zoo today?” Toby’s eyes sparkled with anticipation. “I’m so excited to see the monkeys!”

“I guess we can go there for the afternoon. Clean up your room first. Then we’ll have lunch before we leave. Eating there would be too expensive, but I promise, if you behave, I will buy you a delicious ice cream treat. How does that sound?”

“Oh, cool, Dad, I will behave. I want chocolate with chocolate jimmies.”

As the clock struck noon, they stepped into the zoo, a vibrant world of colors and sounds. Toby, map in hand, immediately set his sights on the monkey cages. Nestled in the heart of the zoo, they were a tantalizing promise, a reward for their journey through the other exhibits.

They approached the monkey cages, and Toby was delighted that one of them was sitting out on the rock eating an ear of corn. Most of the other monkeys were inside, out of the heat. You could see some of them swinging in the trees that were in their cage. “Can we have our ice cream now, Dad?” Toby was more inclined to want ice cream now that he had seen the monkeys. He wasn’t interested in the rest of the animals. It looks like John would get a break and leave right after their treat.

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses

New Author’s Website – http://www.tessadeanauthor.com

Author – Old Writing –  http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com

About my life –  http://www.tessacandoit.wordpress.com

#FFFC, Fiction, Photo Challenge, Photo Prompt, Prompt, Writing

Melissa’s Fandango Flash Fiction Challenge #273

Tessa

Melissa’s Rules:

Hello! Welcome to Melissa’s Fandango Flash Fiction Challenge. Each week I will post an image I grab off the internet and challenge bloggers to write a flash fiction piece or a poem inspired by the image. There are no style or word limits.

The image below is from Erik Mclean on Pexels.

The image depicts a low-angle capture of Fogo Island Inn. We see a rectangular part of a structure, held up by stilts. We see blue sky all around. For more images like this one, click here. For information about this (outrageously overpriced inn) click here.

If this week’s image inspires you and you wish to participate, please write your post and use the tag #FFFC. Please create a pingback to this post and/or manually add your link in the comments. I hope it will generate some great posts. Don’t forget to stop back and read/comment on the posts of others. Thank you for participating!

**********

My piece:

Anniversary

By Tessa Dean June 2024

Tammy and Randy reminisced about their honeymoon on an island in the North Atlantic Ocean. The blue skies and the water surrounding the island made their stay delightful. They were planning to go back again for their first anniversary. 

As they made their plans, things started to go wrong, and it began to look like they would have to postpone the trip for this year. First, Randy got laid off from his job of 10 years. He was devastated when the company head told him they had to let him go as they were about to close the company down due to a loss of financial backing. He was filled with anxiety about how he would tell Tammy that he had lost his job. She was just returning to work after having their first child. Finances were already tight enough with her out of work for almost a year and having a new baby to support. 

Adding to their financial woes was the necessity of paying for childcare for their newborn. With no family to rely on, they had to consider professional help, which was a significant expense. The thought of Tammy’s income being almost entirely consumed by this cost was disheartening. Yet, they couldn’t solely rely on Randy’s unemployment benefits, which were meager at best. Their savings were also depleted due to the recent birth and the high cost of living in their area.

Reflecting on their honeymoon, Randy couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sadness. The thought of canceling their second stay was a bitter pill to swallow. The cost of that island vacation was already a stretch, and now, even a week at the seashore seemed like a luxury they couldn’t afford. The timing of his job loss couldn’t have been worse, and it was hard not to feel a sense of injustice. Yet, amidst the disappointment, a glimmer of hope remained, a shared belief that they would overcome this hurdle together.

When he arrived home, he found Tammy had just arrived with bags of new clothes for their trip. He hated to have to tell her that she had to return them and that they weren’t going anywhere for their anniversary. As he took a breath and was about to speak, Tammy shouted, “I got a promotion and a raise. I also got a bonus for the year, which will pay for our trip to the island.” Her excitement was contagious, and Randy couldn’t help but feel a surge of love and admiration for his wife.

Randy was speechless. He really had no idea what to say. He was still thinking about breaking the news to her, but she was so happy he hated to say a word. Maybe her news will be enough to cover his bad news, and they could still go on the trip. The sudden turn of events left him feeling a mix of relief and guilt, unsure of how to process the conflicting emotions.

When Tammy finally stopped chattering on about her good news, Randy said, “Hey Tam, I hate to break it to you, but I got laid off today. They lost their financial backing and can’t continue. I don’t have a job, and finding a new one in my field will take some time. I think we have to postpone our trip.” His voice was filled with a mix of resignation and hope, as he braced himself for Tammy’s reaction.

“Oh, Randy, I am sorry to hear that, but we can still go on the trip. My bonus is $5000.00, and that should cover the trip. My raise with your unemployment should keep us at approximately our current pay rate. I want to go still, please.” Her words were filled with determination and a hint of optimism, which gave Randy a glimmer of hope in their challenging situation.

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses

New Author’s Website – http://www.tessadeanauthor.com

Author – Old Writing –  http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com

About my life –  http://www.tessacandoit.wordpress.com

#FFFC, Fiction, Photo Challenge, Photo Prompt, Prompt, Writing

Melissa’s Fandango Flash Fiction Challenge #272

Tessa

Melissa’s Rules:

Hello! Welcome to Melissa’s Fandango Flash Fiction Challenge. Each week I will post an image I grab off the internet and challenge bloggers to write a flash fiction piece or a poem inspired by the image. There are no style or word limits.

The image below is from Frankie Hatton on Pexels.

The image depicts a mixed media mural of a raccoon on the side of a building in Lisbon, Portugal. The artist, Arturo Bordalo II (not pictured) uses paint to create the bulk of the mural, and he includes materials such as tires for eyes, car bumpers for parts of the body, pieces of garbage bins for the whiskers and paws. In front of the building we see part of a sidewalk and parking lot. We see blue sky overhead. Read more here and here.

If this week’s image inspires you and you wish to participate, please write your post and use the tag #FFFC. Please create a pingback to this post and/or manually add your link in the comments. I hope it will generate some great posts. Don’t forget to stop back and read/comment on the posts of others. Thank you for participating!

**********

My piece:

The Artwork

By Tessa Dean June 2024

The crowd watched as the artist continued to work on his masterpiece. In an area where people tend to destroy things, an artist takes the time to create something lovely to look at. He used ordinary junk to make the art stand out in 3D. The picture was slowly coming to life as he continued into the evening. At the rate he was going, and with sunset approaching, he would have to finish it tomorrow. He wouldn’t rush his work. Tomorrow was soon enough, he said to the crowd, urging him to finish. I will not rush for anybody. I want this to be a real work of art and bring loveliness to an ugly area.

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses

New Author’s Website – http://www.tessadeanauthor.com

Author – Old Writing –  http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com

About my life –  http://www.tessacandoit.wordpress.com

#FFFC, Fiction, Photo Prompt, Prompt, Writing

Melissa’s Fandango Flash Fiction Challenge #271

Tessa

Melissa’s Rules:

Hello! Welcome to Melissa’s Fandango Flash Fiction Challenge. Each week I will post an image I grab off the internet and challenge bloggers to write a flash fiction piece or a poem inspired by the image. There are no style or word limits.

The image below is from Molnár Tamás Photography™ on Pexels.

The image depicts a lemur sitting on a rope in front of large trees. The photo is taken during the day, and we see blue sky in the background.

If this week’s image inspires you and you wish to participate, please write your post and use the tag #FFFC. Please create a pingback to this post and/or manually add your link in the comments. I hope it will generate some great posts. Don’t forget to stop back and read/comment on the posts of others. Thank you for participating!

**********

My piece:

Lemurs

By Tessa Dean June 2024

The lemur cage at the local zoo had many trees, so the lemurs could spend time in the trees if they wanted to, out of sight of the humans who visited them. 

Charlie and his son Jerry hung out at the lemur compound, hoping to see the lemurs come out of hiding so they could see them. The lemurs weren’t cooperating today, so Charlie told his son that they would come back later and see if they had come out of hiding yet. They could see the pictures of the lemurs currently in the cage, but seeing them in real life was so much more interesting.

As the day at the zoo was drawing to a close, Charlie decided to give the lemur compound one last try. To his utter surprise, a lemur had ventured out of its tree sanctuary and was now basking in the open, much to the delight of Charlie and Jerry.

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses

New Author’s Website – http://www.tessadeanauthor.com

Author – Old Writing –  http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com

About my life –  http://www.tessacandoit.wordpress.com

#FFFC, #FOWC, #threethingschallenge, Fiction, Photo Challenge, Photo Prompt, Prompt, Writing

FOWC with Fandango — Telephone Plus The Three Things Challenge and Melissa’s Flash Fiction Challenge

Tessa

Fandango’s Rules For the One Word Challenge

FOWC

Welcome to Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (aka, FOWC). I will be posting each day’s word just after midnight Pacific Time (U.S.). Today’s word is TELEPHONE.

I am also using the Three Things Challenge for today #M707.

Your three words today are:
HUNTER
STALK
GUARD

**********

I also used Melissa’s Flash Fiction Challenge #270.

The image is from Jonathon Pinet at Unsplash.

The image depicts a sleek, black crow, perched on brown rocks. The rocks overlook a body of water. Across, on the other side of the water, we can make out the coastline. It appears there are trees and some buildings. The sky is bright blue with puffy white clouds.

**********

Roger picked up his mobile telephone and quickly called his brother Randy. Randy was also a hunter, and Roger wanted to tell him about a new place he found that was well-populated with deer. He figured they were being hunted as he noticed the crows circling the area looking for carrion and found several well-picked-over carcasses. Roger stood guard, stalking the deer in the area while he waited for Roger to arrive with his hunting rifle. Both brothers used deer meat for venison and didn’t just kill for the fun of it. Judging by the amount of carcasses in the area, many hunters just hunted for the thrill of the kill. They left the carcass where it fell.

***********

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses

New Author’s Website – http://www.tessadeanauthor.com

Author – Old Writing –  http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com

About my life –  http://www.tessacandoit.wordpress.com

#FFFC, Fiction, Haiku, Photo Prompt, Prompt, Writing

Melissa’s Fandango Flash Fiction Challenge #269

Tessa

Melissa’s Rules:

Hello! Welcome to Melissa’s Fandango Flash Fiction Challenge. Each week I will post an image I grab off the internet and challenge bloggers to write a flash fiction piece or a poem inspired by the image. There are no style or word limits.

The image below is from eberhard grossgasteiger on Unsplash.

The image depicts two pieces of wood formed into a crucifix, rising from a pile of rocks at their base. The rocks and the cross are atop a grassy mountain. We see fog-covered mountains in the distance, underneath a cloud-filled blue sky, with sunlight shining through and tinging the clouds with shades of mauve and peach.

If this week’s image inspires you and you wish to participate, please write your post and use the tag #FFFC. Please create a pingback to this post and/or manually add your link in the comments. I hope it will generate some great posts. Don’t forget to stop back and read/comment on the posts of others. Thank you for participating!

**********

My piece:

The Crucifix

By Tessa Dean May 2024

the crucifix rose

from a pile of rocks and grass

shades of mauve and peach

**********

sunlight shining through

atop a grassy summit

fog-covered mountains

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses

New Author’s Website – http://www.tessadeanauthor.wordpress.com

Author – Old Writing –  http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com

About my life –  http://www.tessacandoit.wordpress.com

#FFFC, Fiction, Prompt, Writing

Melissa’s Fandango Flash Fiction Challenge #268

Tessa

Melissa’s Rules:

Hello! Welcome to Melissa’s Fandango Flash Fiction Challenge. Each week I will post an image I grab off the internet and challenge bloggers to write a flash fiction piece or a poem inspired by the image. There are no style or word limits.

The image below is from Grace Ho on Unsplash.

The image depicts a swing ride in colors of bright yellow, blue, and red. There are people in many of the swings, riding the ride. Behind the swing ride, we see a white Ferris wheel with blue bucket seats. The background is blue sky with a few clouds.

If this week’s image inspires you and you wish to participate, please write your post and use the tag #FFFC. Please create a pingback to this post and/or manually add your link in the comments. I hope it will generate some great posts. Don’t forget to stop back and read/comment on the posts of others. Thank you for participating!

**********

My piece:

Ferris Wheel

By Tessa Dean May 2024

The traffic was backed up to the highway from the amusement park, and the cars were at a dead stop. We came early to hopefully avoid the traffic jams, but obviously, everyone else had the same idea. We hadn’t moved for at least half an hour or so. We watched the large blue Ferris Wheel in the distance and saw it move, load, and unload. We knew the park was open, so why weren’t we moving?

The kids were getting restless in the back seat of the minivan, their complaints becoming more frequent. We assured them we would arrive soon, but their constant whining only added to our frustration. 

I wasn’t looking forward to this. As an adult, it had become harder for me to ride the rides at these places, and so we were mainly here for the children. I remember the days when I couldn’t wait to go on the roller coaster, which was my favorite ride. Now, I could only manage the Ferris Wheel and the carousel. 

Finally, the car ahead of us moved one space up. At this rate, we would be in line for half an hour or more. We moved up one space and warned the kids that if they didn’t shut up, we were turning around and going home. 

Just then, the line began to move. We pulled into the park and headed for the parking space that the attendant showed us. We unloaded the kids, put the baby in the stroller, and headed toward the park entrance. 

The lines were long, and we knew we would be standing in lines most of the day. We headed to the roller coaster for the older kids. We told them they were to meet us at noon for lunch at the food court, and then we took the younger children to the children’s park. 

We found a ride with the shortest line and waited for our turn. They would probably get to ride a few rides before our lunch break. After lunch we would head to the Ferris Wheel and the Carousel. By that time, the younger kids would be tired and ready to go, which would cause a fight since the older kids wouldn’t want to leave that early. We couldn’t blame them, but we had to consider the younger ones too. We would bring the older ones back one day by themselves so they could ride everything late into the night.

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses

New Author’s Website – http://www.tessadeanauthor.wordpress.com

Author – Old Writing –  http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com

About my life –  http://www.tessacandoit.wordpress.com