Taking the Forest Path (flash fiction)

February 11, 2021 ~ joanne the geek ~ 10 Comments

Taking the Forest Path

There were several paths to grandma’s house, but only one went through the forest. She had been told never go that way. It wasn’t safe, her mother had said, but being told that only made her more curious. What could be there that was dangerous?

It was on that particular day when her mother had done some baking and she had loaded up her basket with baked goods for her grandma, that she found herself walking down that forest path. Being curious, foolhardy, and headstrong could be a heady combination, after all.

She found it was a decent path and the trees and bushes helped provide shelter from the sun. After she had gone some way, she heard laughter and voices talking. She crept silently forwards and saw a small cottage off the path. It was there she spied her mother in the arms of a man she didn’t know.

Joanne Fisher

Word count: 150

This was written with the photo prompt provided by Crimson’s Creative Challenge #118.

Please donate! 🙂

©️2021 Joanne Fisher

Space Junk? (flash fiction)

February 9, 2021 ~ joanne the geek ~ 3 Comments

Space Junk?

Jyx piloted her salvage ship into the largest spaceship graveyard she had ever seen. She had found it by chance while exploring this unknown system. There must have been a huge space battle which had left many destroyed starships orbiting a long dead world. She couldn’t believe her luck. She was certain no other salvager had been here, and untold riches awaited. All of a sudden her display showed something was powering up. As she watched, an ancient gargantuan star cruiser emerged from the detritus.

“They’re still alive!” Jyx exclaimed as the cruiser approached her ship.

Joanne Fisher

Word Count: 96

This was written with the prompt gargantuan provided by Sammi Cox’s Weekend Writing Prompt #195.

Please donate! 🙂

©️2021 Joanne Fisher

Waking Up (flash fiction)

February 6, 2021 ~ joanne the geek ~ 17 Comments

Waking Up

They cut through the hedge of thorns and found a castle full of sleeping figures. They walked up the stairs. There the Princess lay on her bed sleeping soundly. The figure closed in, kissing her on the lips. The spell broken, the Princess abruptly woke up and saw them standing over her.

“I thought a prince was meant to wake me.” She said wide-eyed.

“My brother is away, so I thought I would take care of this.”

“I’ve never been kissed by another girl before.” The Princess stated.

“Is it okay?” The Princess pulled her closer. They kissed again.

Joanne Fisher

This was written with the prompt of using a substitution (bonus points for a fairy tale) provided by Carrot Ranch’s February 4 Flash Fiction Challenge.

Sleeping Beauty is a problematic tale for some, but this was the first thought I had when I saw the prompt. I hope I made it a bit better…

Please donate! 🙂

©️2021 Joanne Fisher

On the Way to the Terminal (flash fiction)

February 4, 2021 ~ joanne the geek ~ 4 Comments

On the Way to the Terminal

“See I told you we were going the right way.”

“How far is 500 yards? Why aren’t they using metres?”

“It’s about 450 metres I think. I don’t know, maybe it’s an old sign. Anyway we’ve got to hurry. We would have had more time if you hadn’t spent so long talking to your friends.”

“They’re your friends too.”

“I don’t feel like I’m part of your little clique at times. They always ignore me, even if I say something.”

‘You’ve got a quiet voice, maybe they don’t understand what you’re saying.”

“Maybe.”

“They like you, they’re just not into vampire movies. It’s all you seem to talk about at times, you little freak.”

“It’s an interest. I thought they might want to watch something different for a change.”

“Anyway, what’s this terminal lead to?’

“What do you mean?”

“Are we catching a bus, boat, or plane?”

“You don’t know?”

“No idea.”

Joanne Fisher

Word count: 150

This was written with the photo prompt provided by Crimson’s Creative Challenge #117.

Please donate! 🙂

©️2021 Joanne Fisher

Beguiling (flash fiction)

January 31, 2021 ~ joanne the geek ~ 10 Comments

Beguiling

“Why did you sit at my table?” Jenna asked her.

“You looked interesting, so I thought I would try to beguile you.” Dani replied.

“Beguile me?”

“Yeah, like you know, charm you.”

“How do you know I swing that way?” Dani shrugged.

“I don’t, but working that out is the fun part.”

Joanne Fisher

Word count: 51 + prompt

This was written with the prompt beguile provided by Sammi Cox’s Weekend Writing Prompt #194.

Please donate! 🙂

©️2021 Joanne Fisher

The Plantlife (flash fiction)

January 30, 2021 ~ joanne the geek ~ 4 Comments

The Plantlife

“This is probably my final communication. At the moment I am trapped in a cave and my survival prospects seem to be virtually zero at this point.

My team landed on the planet Aldis 4 and found a planet teeming with plant species, but with no other higher forms of life. As far as we could tell there were no mammals, reptiles, or even bird life like we find on Earth. The only other lifeforms we could find were an abundance of insects. It was Perkins, our botanist, that speculated the entire planet seemed to form a single entity and the static we were getting on our instruments was a stream of consciousness that was being emitted beyond our range of hearing by the plant life.

When we decided to take some samples, that’s when things went terribly wrong. In a short space of time my team were either throttled or dismembered by extremely quick and powerful vines that seemed to come out of nowhere. I managed to escape into a nearby small cave which I immediately blocked up with rocks so the creeping vines couldn’t reach me.

I’m now running out of supplies and the air seems to be getting thin. Either I die from hunger and starvation, or I go out there and let the plants quickly end my life. If you receive this message, and you come to this planet, whatever you do: DON’T PICK THE FLOWERS!”

Joanne Fisher

Inspired by a prompt I got wrong, so I expanded it.

Please donate! 🙂

©️2021 Joanne Fisher

Crossing That Bridge (flash fiction)

January 28, 2021 ~ joanne the geek ~ 2 Comments

Crossing That Bridge

Now it was getting dark, Anastasia could try to cross the bridge. She had remained hidden for most of the day by the riverbank hoping her captors wouldn’t find her. No doubt they had agents nearby searching for her frantically. If she had crossed during daylight, they probably would have seen her and taken her back to that room.

The last few days she had been tied to a chair, but found her captor’s knots weren’t as tight as they should have been. She eventually untied one and slipped through the ropes, then quietly opened a window and quickly limped away. When she got to the river she hid among some bushes.

If she could make it to the other side, there would be a good chance she could escape them. “Well here goes nothing”, she said to herself as she stood up. Then she heard a car behind her…

Joanne Fisher

Word count: 150

This was written with the photo prompt provided by Crimson’s Creative Challenge #116.

Please donate! 🙂

Going Home (flash fiction)

January 26, 2021 ~ joanne the geek ~ 4 Comments

Going Home

Kaylee was beginning to see the world clearly again, not just in the dull grey colours that had clouded her vision. She didn’t know how long she had been here, but it had been some time since she had been found in the warm bath with her wrists cut open. They had stitched her up and sent her here.

Today the doctor said he was pleased with the progress she’d made. She hoped she would eventually get out of here and return home. She knew now this would happen, that she would be whole again, that she would survive.

Joanne Fisher

This was written with the prompt to write a story that rephrases “light at the end of the tunnel” provided by the Carrot Ranch January 21 Flash Fiction Challenge. This is my second one.

Please donate! 🙂

Where Am I? (flash fiction)

January 23, 2021 ~ joanne the geek ~ 12 Comments

Where Am I?

Helena was lost. It was only a small forest, and yet she had no idea where she was. At the top of a hill she looked around. All she could see was endless forest in every direction. She felt confused.

When darkness fell, she saw a single light and made for that. To her surprise she came to an inn. When she walked in, there were strange creatures looking at her inquisitively.

“You lost miss?” asked the innkeeper.

“Yes.”

“Somehow you crossed a gate into Faerie. In the morning I’ll send someone with you to help get you home.”

Joanne Fisher

This was written with the prompt to write a story that rephrases “‘the light at the end of a tunnel” provided by the Carrot Ranch January 21 Flash Fiction Challenge.

Please donate! 🙂

Caught (flash fiction)

January 21, 2021 ~ joanne the geek ~ 9 Comments

Caught

Thinking he was alone, Kyle dressed up in his sister’s clothes. Looking in the mirror, he wondered if he was really a girl. Just then Hannah unexpectedly walked through the doorway.

“What are you doing in my room freak?” she asked. In a panic he ran to his own bedroom. A short time later Hannah knocked on his door. “Can I have my dress back? That one doesn’t fit you anyway. Here are some of my older ones that would be more your size. Just don’t go in my room again.”

She left Kyle a box full of clothes.

Joanne Fisher

This was written with the prompt dressing up provided by the Carrot Ranch January 14 Flash Fiction Challenge.

This is the second one I’ve done on the prompt, though the first one I wrote. LGBT issues are not often as crowd pleasing as other subjects…

Please donate! 🙂