Day: September 19, 2017

FFfAW — The Deed

Fandango23 Comments

IMG_2644The new moon was in the sky, making it a particularly dark night. That was a good thing. In Ivan’s line of work, the cover of darkness was a blessing.

He sat patiently, nursing a latte at a table in the back corner of the outdoor café across the street from the hotel. Sitting patiently and waiting was a large part of his job, so he was used to it.

He peered through a small pair of binoculars, alert to all movements outside the hotel’s lobby. He had already affixed the silencer to the barrel of his weapon, which he held on his lap. Ivan was totally ready to do the deed when the time arrived.

When he saw his target exiting from the hotel, Ivan stood up, stealthily ran across the street, and shot the man in the face before darting into an alleyway next to the hotel.

The president will be pleased, Ivan thought. One less hypercritical investigative journalist publishing fake news.

(164 words)

Written for this week’s Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers prompt from Priceless Joy. Photo credit: Pamela S. Canepa.

To Boldly Go, Tentatively Speaking

Fandango10 Comments

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I hate when this happens. Just two days ago I wrote a post in which I used the word “tentative.” Well, actually the word I used was “tentatively,” but I think that word works better as as adverb than as an adjective anyway.

Then today, just two days later, WordPress comes out with a one-word prompt for the word — you guessed it — “tentative.”

For some strange reason, the word “tentative” made me think of the original Star Trek TV show. Let me explain.

Tentative means unsure; uncertain; not definite or positive; hesitant. The antithesis of tentative is bold. Bold means not hesitating or fearful in the face of actual or possible danger or rebuff; courageous and daring

You remember the introduction from the beginning of Star Trek, right? It ends with the line, “To boldly go where no man has gone before.”

Well, can you imagine if, instead of “To boldly go where no man has gone before” the line read “To tentatively go where no man has gone before”?

One small word could have changed the future course of human events!

Twittering Tales — The Right Path

Fandango12 Comments

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Did you say to take the left or right path at the fork? I’m cold, the sun is setting, and it’s gonna start snowing again. Text me, dammit.

(138 characters)

Written for this week’s Twittering Tales prompt from Kat Myrman. Photo credit: keywest3 at Pixabay.

Day 19 — Dog Days

Fandango10 Comments

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Day 19: Did you have any pets in your childhood home? If so, please tell me about them. If you have a photograph of any of your childhood pets, please share.

Our first dog was a black cocker spaniel named Inky. I barely remember Inky and I think he may have gotten run over on the street in front of our house.

Then we somehow had two dogs, Duke and Duchess. They were both some sort of mixed breeds, similar in appearance but Duke was the smaller of the two. Again, for some reason I can’t remember what became of them. I’m drawing a total blank.

When I went off to college, my mother got a pair of Shih Tzu puppies. I hated those dogs. They were high-strung, yappy little monsters. Whenever I came home to visit my parents, one of the two of them (I couldn’t tell them apart) would alway piss on my sneakers. Nasty critters.

This post was written for Suzanne McClendon’s September Challenge, which is comprised of 30 questions (one for each day of this month) regarding your background and history.