The Tour #CCC

They built the stone walls to keep everyone in and hundreds of years later, the walls were still standing.

Giving my afternoon tour, I explained the hard and deadly life the prisoners faced, ‘if the lack of food and water, the riots, the guards, or the exhausting labour didn’t kill you, disease would!’

‘Wouldn’t they get medicine?’ a boy spoke.

‘Oh, no. Medicine was very different in the eighteen hundreds and nobody cared about criminals,’ I replied, ‘now, let’s go and see the isolation cells.’

Turning, I heard the boy speaking in a low voice, ‘mummy, I don’t want to be a prisoner anymore. Can I be a firefighter instead?’

 

(Inspired by; https://crispinakemp.com/2020/02/12/crimsons-creative-challenge-66/ with thanks).

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Winter Trip #FFftPP

The snow had been falling for the last week, it came as no surprise to Joy. She was a winter baby, born on Christmas day. As a child she had hated that, at first double presents had been great but then she had had to wait a whole year to get more whilst it felt like her friends got two separate days of presents.

An adult now, she didn’t mind because if she wanted something she could just buy it and actually when people asked what she wanted she struggled to say. This year though, she had been clear on what gifts should be under her tree and that included the reason for her drive out today.

It was a long one, an almost six hours round trip but God it was going to be so worth it. Joy caught herself smiling in the car’s rear view mirror, she couldn’t contain her excitement. Glancing down into the passenger seat, her smile just grew even though it felt like this was a dream.

The golden retriever puppy was curled up a sleep in the basket Joy had brought with her. For as long as she could remember, Joy had wanted a dog and now her Christmas wish had come true.

 

(Inspired by; https://flashfictionforthepracticalpractitioner.wordpress.com/2019/12/11/flash-fiction-for-the-purposeful-practitioner-50/ with thanks).

Post It Note Short

Remember to pack umbrella for trip. Weather’s not looking great. Feels more like autumn instead of spring. Will summer ever come?

No Man’s Path #FridayFictioneers

It had been a silly idea to come this way in the car. There wasn’t even a road! But dad had insisted he knew a short cut around the mountain. Rounding the bend though there was a small sign off to the side. There was a red circle with a line through it and underneath was a figure with a large black hand. It could only have meant stop. I tried to tell him this and so did mum, but he just carried on.

Hours later, we had to be rescued off the mountain top. Dad claimed it had been a successful adventure though!

(Inspired by; https://rochellewisoff.com/2018/03/21/23-march-2018/ with thanks).

Postcard #40

Dear Lola,

Merry Christmas! I handmade this present for you. I know it’s not much and not fancy, but it was the best I could do all the way out here! It’s actually filled many evenings by the fire as the snow falls against the windows. It’s all natural things I’ve found whilst working, even the paint I mixed myself!

Hopefully, I’ll be home next year and we can celebrate as a family should.

All my love,

David.

Dino

The children of class B-2 were stood in front of the T-Rex skeleton in awe when it suddenly came to life, snatched up Billy Bale and ate him. The screams that rose were earth shattering and everybody started fleeing. The teacher standing aghast, caught Billy as he slid out from the bones.

(Inspired by; http://sachablack.co.uk/2017/08/02/writespiration-126-52-weeks-in-52-words-week-31/ with thanks.)

Hunger

Brian was so hungry, he could eat anything. Clutching the steering wheel, he drove down the dark motorway whilst licking his lips. At the moment, he was stuck out here with just the shadows of the trees and the glow of a farm house light in the distance. Soon though, he knew there’d be a rest stop and he could get something to eat.

He tapped the steering wheel and tried to listen to the soft music coming from the radio to distracted himself. His mind popped with images of beef burgers, fries, huge slabs of cooked meats and piles of crisp vegetables. Brian’s stomach groaned and he felt that if he didn’t eat soon he’d go mad.

His headlights flashed over a sign and he breathed a sigh of relief. There was a service stop a few miles away.

‘Soon, soon, soon,’ he told himself.

He sped up, taking the car over the speed limit, but out here in the middle of nowhere, close to midnight no one would see. He clutched the wheel tighter, so his knuckles turned white and even though his eyes were fixed on the road, he was no longer seeing clearly. He had to eat. He could feel the urge consuming him and riding over everything else.

The turn off came up and he yanked the car over violently. The wheels squealed then settled as he slowed down. Brian went through the parking lot and pulled up close by the door. He got out, locked the car and hurried inside. Warm lights and the pleasant smell of food filled the air.

He went to the first food place and got a burger, fries and a coke. Sitting down, he tried to contain the drool that was filling his mouth, but as he unwrapped the burger and bite into it, he felt wetness on his face. Brian moaned with pleasure into the bread and meat. He swallowed then finished the thing in two bites.

Not even bothering to wipe his mouth or fingers, he wolfed down the fries. They were gone in a few moments and he was left with the taste of salt and potato on his tongue. He picked up his drink, took off the lid and gulped that down like a man starved of water in a desert.

Brian sat back and wiped his hands and face. He felt better and the urge was slowly fading. He shut his eyes and for a few moments just sat there, patting his stomach. Then the hungry rose again, demanding more meat.

He got up, abandoning his tray and walked quickly to another fast food place. There he ordered a chicken burger, more fries, sides and a large coke. Sitting down again, he began eating. The urge was so great, it was the only thing he could think of. The burger tasted good, even better then the first and the fries were crispy, just how he liked them. He finished eating and drowned his mouth in the fizzy drink.

He burped loudly and threw his head back. The hungry began to fade again. He rested, but it only lasted for a few minutes. Getting up, he stumbled into the small shop and picked up random packets of sweets and snacks. He went to the till and dumped it all on. He swayed drunkenly and waved off the shop assistant’s questions. He paid with his card, grabbed as much as he could carry and went back to his table.

There he stuffed himself full of sweets, chocolate and savory snacks. It all felt so good and couldn’t get enough of it. He had to have more!

He looked up, deciding were to go next and saw that people were staring at him. All the employees of the service building and a handful of other late night travelers were watching him closely. He noticed some of them whispering to each other then turning away as they saw him watching them.

For a few moments, Brian came back to himself, what’s happening here? What am I doing? Then the hungry crashed in again. He hurried up and into the shop once more. This time not even caring what he eat, he tore items off the shelves and began opening things.

‘Wait! You can’t do that! Stop! You need to pay!’

Voices were shouting all around him, but he ignored them and carried on. His mouth was full of so much and he wanted to cramp everything in at once.

‘He’s gone mad! Someone phone the police!’

Hands grabbed him and Brian swung to hit them away. A fist crunched into his nose and he tasted blood. He spit out the mouthful of mixed food he had and reached for the hand that had hit him. Wrapping his hands around that strong arm, he brought the skin to his mouth and bit down.

Screams filled his ears, blocking everything else out, but all Brian could sense was the taste of flesh and blood in his mouth. It felt so good and finally he was satisfied.

Polar bear

Zoe pressed her face against the cold glass and stared into the water. She could see air bubbles floating through the too blue water and a swirl of movement on the surface above. Clutching, Barley, her favourite teddy bear and strongly aware of her parents with her baby brother, Alex, standing behind her, she awaited eagerly.

A crackle of static over a nearby loud speaker caused her to jump. Zoe looked up as a boisterous female voice began speaking through the hiss of white noise. The voice welcomed them all to the Arctic Zone and to the Polar Bears, then carried on reeling off a speech that Zoe could only half understand. She let the voice slip into the background noise that was all around her and carried on staring through the window before her.

The water suddenly seemed to cave in on itself and Zoe gasped loudly, drawing the attention of her parents. They carried on watching as the water divided apart and a dead fish dropped into view quickly being chased by a large white bear. Zoe, squeezing Barley tighter, stepped back and her heels catch her daddy’s feet. She felt his large hands press down on her shoulders reassuringly, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the polar bear.

The bear opened his large black mouth and snatched the fish up before it could hit the floor of the tank. With larger than life legs and paws, the bear stretched and swim back up. He’s ice white fur moved like a mermaid’s hair with a life of its’ own. His paws swirled the water around him and he disappeared back up.

Zoe rushed back to the window, tucking Barley into her elbow as she pressed both her hands to the glass. She looked up and saw the belly of the polar bear almost above her. She heard him break the surface of the water and even felt a little splash of wetness on her face. Zoe sank down to the little ledge jutting out and put her head all the way up. Her view was distorted by the turbulent water, but she could make out the polar bear getting out and scrambling onto the fake iceberg land.

The water took a long time to settle and the voice over the loud speaker was still going on. Zoe bite her lip and wondered if the polar bear would return. She wanted to ask her parents, but was too worried that she’d miss seeing him again if she did so. Hugging Barley in both hands, she watched the hypnotic dancing of the air bubbles.

When the water began surging again, Zoe held her breath. She saw a paw then the rest of the polar bear. He seemed to be swimming towards her. A tremble of fear shot through her and she felt frozen to the ledge. The bear was getting closer and closer. She could see his shiny black nose and eyes, which seemed to be watching her.

Zoe twisted Barley in her hands and let out a small squeak of fear. She felt a brush of warm air from behind her and her daddy’s soft voice in her ear. She felt his hand on back and he was whispering to her not to be afraid. The polar bear wasn’t going to eat her, he was looking for more fish. Zoe’s lips quivered, but she couldn’t speak nor take her eyes off the mighty white bear.

Another dead fish dropped into view behind him and Zoe thought her daddy was right. The bear would go for the fish, he just needed to turn around. Still holding that breath, she waited. However the bear didn’t turn, but dropped to the floor and actually walked the few steps towards the window.

Zoe felt the urge to scramble away, but her body had turned to jelly. Instead, she focused her attention on not crying and repeating her daddy’s words. Her mommy’s voice excitedly called them to turn for a photo. Zoe give a little shake of her head then became aware of her mom using the camera anyway. She felt her daddy trying to turn her around, but she wasn’t sure she could.

Finally, she turned her head, painfully aware of the polar bear pressing his face and paws to the window and gave a ghost of a smile to her mommy and the camera. Photo taken, she snapped her eyes back to the glass and met those of the bear. A scream shot to her throat, but she swallowed it as her Daddy hushed her with calming words. Zoe bit her lip and tasted the bitterness of blood. She raised Barley to her face and hide behind him. From the corner of her eye, she saw her daddy signalling her mommy over and her leaving Alex in the push chair to join them.

Her mommy scared her why she was so scared? The bear couldn’t hurt her, he couldn’t get through the glass. Zoe, sucking on her lip, mumbled something that her parents missed. Her daddy tried to wrap her into a hug, but she wouldn’t move. Her mommy rubbed her arms and tried to comfort her. Zoe pressed Barley into her face and chocked on the sob.

Her daddy won the battle of moving her and swept her up into a hug. She moved Barley out of the way and pressed into his shoulder. Zoe took breaths and felt herself getting calm again. Slowly, she pulled her head up and looked over to the window. The polar bear had gone leaving a swirl of water in his wake.

Obsession

As Harry entered the abandoned church, he readied his camera to take some more photos. He did a quick walk through before he started clicking away. The church, like the rest of the buildings in the deserted town, was still in okay condition. Though, if it hadn’t have been for the sign above the door he never would have guessed that this empty oblong shape was a church.

Harry examined the photos and noticed a door far to his left. Going over and thinking nothing about it, he opened the door. He shone his torch inside and raised the camera in his other hand. Getting ready to take a photo, what he saw before him sunk in fully.

There was a sleeping bag on the floor with a scattered pile of adult magazines on top of it. All four walls were covered in graffiti scrawled words that wrapped around torn out pages and women’s underwear.

The breath caught in his throat and his finger slipped of the shutter button. In all his years of urban exploring Harry had never seen anything like this before. With a quick glance behind him, he shuffled further into the room and inspected the walls more closely.

It seemed everything had been written in the same hand and recorded the story of each piece of underwear. Some were declared to have been found or stolen, with a place and date added in. Other items though… He couldn’t help but read the story of the pink thong. Though he tried hard not to let his eyes drift to the next line, but he was too drawn in.

Not sure what else to do, he took a few different photos of the room and then some closer shots of the wall. I’ll have to phone the police, Harry thought, I don’t know what I’ll tell them though.

A soft whistling caught his attention. Harry hurried from the room as quietly as he could and shut the door behind him. Moving away, he walked into the middle of the room and took a photo of the doorway. He could hear footsteps too now and he was strongly aware that he was no longer alone.

Keeping his eyes on the door, he watched a very tall and skinny man step into the church. The man stopped, spotting Harry instantly.

‘I’m sorry,’ Harry said politely, ‘I’m just taking a few photos. Abandon buildings fascinate me. I didn’t mean to intrude. I didn’t know anyone was here.’

‘Have you been here long?’ the man asked with a slight edge to his words.

‘No, no. Just a few minutes. Do you…are you staying here?’ Harry enquired as he eyed up the man’s hiking rucksack.

The man nodded.

‘Ah, okay. I’ll leave then. So sorry,’ Harry gushed out and made to leave.

‘You didn’t…?’ the man began.

Harry stopped his eyes from shooting over to the door and fixed a frown on his face.

‘Touch anything?’ came the conclusion.

‘No. I try to avoid doing so. I like things just as they were left or has nature made it,’ Harry explained, ‘I’ll go then.’

Harry moved forward, clicking off his torch and letting his camera settle around his neck. He came a few steps away from the man and stopped as he was blocking the doorway. Harry felt small sweat drops on his head and the tension rising. He wet his lips and thought of something to say.

‘You got any smokes?’ the man asked.

Harry shook his head fast, ‘No. I don’t smoke. Sorry. I’ve not got much money on me either. I just came down for the afternoon,’ Harry added as he began to rummage in his pockets.

The man eyed him up and Harry tried to put his face and clothes into his memory bank. The man was a lot younger then he seemed, late twenties. He had feather black hair and a long sad looking face. He was wearing dirty leather boots, jeans and a grey t-shirt.

Harry pulled out his wallet and offered the man five dollars.

‘Where are you from?’ the man asked.

‘England,’ Harry responded, ‘but I have American cousins. I’m over here visiting them and doing some…sightseeing and this.’

The man took the note and tucked it away.

‘It was nice to meet you. Sorry to intrude, again.’

This time the man stepped to the side and Harry was able to walk through the door. Out in the fresh air again, he hurried back to his car. Getting in and locking the doors, he was about to look though his photos once again, when he felt eyes upon him. Glancing up he saw the man watching him from the church’s doorway.

Placing the camera down, Harry smiled and waved before starting the engine up. Driving away from Cuervo, Harry pondered what to do. He was still wondering as he entered Santa Rosa and found a restaurant to stop in. I’ll have to report it, he officially decided. He got out, used the rest room and ordered some food.

He sipped some black coffee as he waited and looked out of the window. He had brought his camera in with him and he decided that he would look through the photos again. Ignoring the noise of the bar ‘n’ grill, he looked though the last few photos he had taken and the need to do something grew stronger.

When the waitress came back around with his food, he asked her if there was a phone he could use. Luckily, there was a public one oddly located next to an old jukebox. After he had finished, he phoned and tried not to make a big deal out of it. He met the police in the carpark and showed them the photos.

Interested, they got him to drive them back to Cuervo. He parked up and stayed in the car as they went in. Minutes later, they came to get him and he went into the building with them. The room at the back was empty, but for a few loose photos of pinup girls.