09 Feb 2018
by Ritu
in #CarrotRanch, Fiction, Thoughts Opinions & Memories
Tags: #CarrotRanch, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Charli Mills, Fireweed, Flash Fiction, London, World War 2
Charli’s prompt this week:
February 8, 2018, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story that includes fireweed. You can use it as the plant, a flower, a metaphor or as the name of someone or something. Go where the prompt leads. Burn bright when you write.
“It’s hard to believe the carnage that happened here a short while ago.” Olivia looked around at the bombsite where once her home had stood.
Across the whole area, pretty purple flowers grew, giving the destroyed street a hazy filter.
“That rosebay willowherb has just taken over. It’ll take an age to clear it up too, before we can even think of rebuilding…” Janet sighed.
“Fireweed… that’s what they call that, across the Atlantic, where I’m from.” Chuck, the GI who had befriended them at the dance the night previously, said. “It sure loves a bit of burned ground!”
I’m not great at researching pieces, often just going where my mind takes me with prompts, but with this one, I had to do a little reading first, as I didn’t know much about fireweed, and other than cracking a joke about fire and wee… my imagination was coming up with nothing! Apparently, fireweed was rife where the bombs had razed parts of London to the ground, during World War 2.
https://carrotranch.com/2018/02/08/february-8-flash-fiction-challenge/
02 Feb 2018
by Ritu
in #CarrotRanch, Fiction, Thoughts Opinions & Memories
Tags: #CarrotRanch, Black & white, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Charli Mills, Flash Fiction, Suspicion
Charli’s prompt this week:
February 1, 2018, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story that features something black and white. It could be a nun in a zebra monster truck, a rigid way of thinking, a bird in a tuxedo — be imaginative and go where the prompt leads.
I just had to ask. It was eating me up inside. The lies… the excuses…
“I saw you. With her.”
“Who? Janine? My father’s carer? And?”
“You weren’t at work the other day. Yet you told me you would be late back.”
“So? I had an appointment with Dad’s doctor. I went in late. Had to make up time.”
“Your eyes have been constantly on your phone recently.”
“I’m answering messages. From the carer. Dad’s going downhill…”
“Oh…”
“Yeah… Oh… What did you think? I’d been cheating?”
Pete rolled his eyes.
“Life’s not always black and white, you know.”
https://carrotranch.com/2018/02/02/february-1-flash-fiction-challenge/
26 Jan 2018
by Ritu
in #CarrotRanch, Fiction, Thoughts Opinions & Memories
Tags: #CarrotRanch, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Charli Mills, Choices, Flash Fiction, The Edge, Therapist
Charli’s prompt this week:
January 25, 2018, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story that goes to the edge. Consider what the edge might be and how it informs the story. Go where the prompt leads.
“It feels like I’m standing on a knife edge, and I don’t know which way to fall…” Lucy carried on.
“On one side there is familiarity, there are constraints, there’s suspicion, there is the happiness of being part of ‘us’.
On the other, a different way of living, emptiness, the possibility of freedom, not being judged, there’s just me.”
Dr Jones looked at his patient, surprised by the depth of her words. As her therapist, it was his job to listen, and guide her… but did he want to be the one to push her one way or another?
https://carrotranch.com/2018/01/25/january-25-flash-fiction-challenge/
19 Jan 2018
by Ritu
in #CarrotRanch, Fiction, Thoughts Opinions & Memories
Tags: #CarrotRanch, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Boots, Charli Mills, Drag Queen, Flash Fiction, pizza, Platforms
Charli’s prompt this week:
January 18, 2018, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story that includes boots. Whose boots are they, where do they go and what is their significance? Go where the prompt leads.
Hmmm… here’s where my mind went…
Big Boots
I watched him in awe, as he tossed the dough from side to side, stretching it expertly, before allowing it to come to rest on the large wooden spatula.
A thin layer of tomato sauce, Mama’s special recipe, and a sprinkling of mozzarella, before a sprig of basil was added, then off it went to bake.
And he was leaving.
Mama was devastated.
Antonio was off to travel the world, leaving the family pizzeria in my hands, and I’d never been anywhere near as good as him at making pizza.
He was leaving big boots for me to fill.
Then my mind continued to wander (wearing those boots)…
Platforms
Never criticise a neighbour before walking a mile in his moccasins.
That’s what the proverb said.
Looking at the height of the heels on my neighbour’s boots, and the shiny patent leather, stretching all the way up to mid-thigh, I thought I’d rather not walk a metre, let along a mile.
Who am I to judge, anyway?
If Peter wants to spend his days being an accountant, trussed up in a suit and tie, and the evenings dressed up as Petra the pole-dancing drag queen, that’s his (or should it be her?) choice!
I’ll just stick to my trainers…
https://carrotranch.com/2018/01/19/january-18-flash-fiction-challenge/
12 Jan 2018
by Ritu
in #CarrotRanch, Fiction, Thoughts Opinions & Memories
Tags: #CarrotRanch, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Charli Mills, Flash Fiction, Wet Ink
Charli’s prompt this week:
January 11, 2018, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about wet ink. It can be artistic, writerly or something completely off-the-wall. Go where the prompt leads.
Hmmm… here’s where my mind went…
Inked
It was the bane of my life at school, being left-handed…
The most annoying thing?
Writing with an ink pen.
Now, if only I could write from right to left, like the Arabic community, I’d be fine, but no, we need to write from left to right, meaning my hand would smear the still wet ink across the page, as I wrote my essays.
I’d get told off, have to redo my work, and each inked page would look the same, despite my taking extra care holding my pen.
As I said… the bane of my life being left-handed…
Dedicated to my Lil Princess who is left-handed and
https://carrotranch.com/2018/01/12/january-11-flash-fiction-challenge/
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