He sat there everyday, against the wall that showcased his life’s work, his passion, his art.
He would smile back politely at the passers by who would shower him with praises and flowery words.
He smiled at how their actions failed to respect their words, as the number of paintings on the wall greatly outnumbered the money notes in his wallet…
Prompt:
I followed my professor to the last stop of our tour, the purpose of which was to educate us about our history.
He stood with his back to the ginormous horse-head statues and cleared his throat, indicating the need for silence.
“We come to the end of our trip around the country, at the statues that pay homage to beginning of our country, the reason we breathe free air, our two horse lords that aided us in the freedom struggle.”
I raised my hand and fired a quick question at the professor – “Sir, if we are indeed paying homage to something so significant, why did we only put up their heads, should we not have constructed the entire body of our lords?”
My question left the professor scratching his bald head, pondering over the answer and my classmates with a funny, if not fun end to the boring tour…
Word Count: 150
Prompts:
Sunday Photo Fiction – November 11, 2018
Pssst..Why not try your hand at my challenge: The Wacky Weekend Challenge
It will be fun! 🙂
“Is the order for table number ten ready?”
I turned the blaze of the cooking flame down and grasped the pan in my left hand. With my right hand, I expertly arranged the lines of spaghetti on the plate. Reuben walked up to me and winked.
“You know, she’s looking quite fine in her black dress today.”
I peeked outside through the kitchen door window. There she was again, sitting in perfect poise, making my heart beat harder. Reuben whispered.
“Tell her, man!”
I put the final touch on the dish with the red sauce.
“A red heart, sweet!”
Word Count: 99
Prompts:
Pensitivity 101 has tagged me to continue this story! 🙂
And I gladly shall! 😀
Find the previous chapters here:
Now the story continues:
Eric nodded. He did not quite understand how these things worked, just like his mother had said. However, he knew that little Tuesday would be safer with them. He blew a flying kiss to Tuesday, and ran off towards the village. He had to remove all the notices.
He returned in the evening. He knocked on the door. He heard his mother’s voice coming from inside.
“Password?”
“Mom, it’s me.”
“You know the password, Eric.”
Eric sighed. When he was a little kid, Eric had been fond of making makeshift tents inside the house. He would let his mom enter the tent only if she used a password he had made up. Eric spoke towards the door.
“Olopolo!”
Mother opened the door to let Eric inside. To his shock, Eric saw an assortment of weapons laid out on his dining table. Bows, knives, swords, axes, it was a complete arsenal. He looked at his mother with questioning eyes.
“Mother? What is all this?”
Mother placed her hands on Eric’s shoulders.
“Child, you should know. Tuesday is no ordinary baby. Men will come to take her away. Evil men. We need to keep her safe.”
“But, mom what about the oath you took? And what do you mean by Tuesday not being an ordinary baby.”
Mother ruffled Eric’s hair.
“See Eric,….”
(To be continued…)
I tag Jo Hawk to take this story forward! 🙂
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“So, what can you see in this ink blot, Dennis?”
Dr. Cutberth watched intently, as Dennis stared at the Rorschach Test. Dennis stuttered.
“M..m..moons. I can see different moons.”
Dr. Cutberth scribbled on his notepad. He noticed Dennis’ piloerection. That was never a good sign.
“Okay, Dennis. Now, I want you to come up to the window and look at the sky. Tell me what you see.”
Dennis did as he was told.
“Doctor, I can see the clouds and the stars. And..and the moon.”
Dr. Cutberth found that quite curious. It was a no-moon night. There was no moon out there. He seated the shuddering Dennis down and offered him a cup of hot chocolate. Dennis clutched it in his hands and sipped on it.
“One last question, Dennis. These blackouts you mentioned. When did they start?”
“Around two months ago. I think I had around four of these blackouts. I just can’t recall anything about them.”
The doctor scribbled some more on his notepad. Dennis looked at the doctor with scared eyes.
“Am I going mad, doctor? Am I sick? Can you treat me?”
The doctor placed a comforting hand on Dennis’ shoulder and handed him a prescription note.
“Don’t worry Dennis. It will be taken care of. I have prescribed some Ag pellets for you. Just hand the slip to my assistant, Miss Blossom, outside. She will take care of it.”
Dennis shook the doctor’s hand.
“Thank You, doctor.”
The doctor smiled and shut the door of his room, as Dennis left. He quickly made a call on his phone.
“Another one. There is a sudden alarming rise in the population of werewolves. Let’s see what Helsing has to say about this…”
Word Count: 281
Prompts:
Sunday Writing Prompt “Rorschach Test 3”
Word of the Day Challenge “Blossom”
Image Credit: https://www.setaswall.com/black-moon-wallpapers/black-moon-wallpaper-07-1024×768/
‘Cause of Death: His Green Faeries’
Read more about The Green Fairy
This story was in response to J.I. Rogers’ Six-Word Story Challenge – “Faeries”
If you liked this story, do check out Jump and Bloodlust
Your thoughts on my stories or on The Green Fairy are most welcome! 🙂
“That rabid cur attacked me!”
The old man explained to the crowd that had gathered, brandishing his tattered clothes. His sullen face, was covered in sweat. The throng of people had encircled the old man, observing the consequences of his actions. A black mongrel lay motionless not two feet away from the old man. The body of the canine lay littered with cuts and bruises. The gut-wrenching howling of the dog had gathered the crowd to the location. Those who had arrived early had seen the creature breathing its last. The crowd had looked at the old man with accusing eyes. He wiped the sweat off his face and dropped the crowbar he was holding. Dashes of red were visible on the crowbar where it lay at the old man’s feet. He dusted his tattered clothes and rubbed his hands together. He addressed the staring crowd.
“The dog attacked me for no reason. I did what I had to do.”
The old man did not offer any more explanation and pushed his way through the crowd. Everyone continued staring at him until he had disappeared from view. No one uttered a word. The dog’s state left everyone aghast.
~ ~ ~
“That rabid cur attacked me!”
The young woman explained to the police officer sitting behind the desk, her face convoluted in disgust. The police officer continued taking notes. He was dutifully lodging her complaint. She had told her story.
“I was returning home, late night yesterday. My friends dropped me on the main road. It was only a couple of streets away from my house. As I was walking home, I saw an old man approaching me. He came right at me and grabbed on to me. He was trying to have his way with me. I was in no state to offer much resistance. He would have raped me right there, had it not been for a dog. From out of nowhere, this black mongrel had attacked the old man. He let me go and ran off in the opposite direction. The dog chased him and I managed to get home. Officer, you need to arrest this man.”
The police officer looked up at the young woman.
“And we will madam, we assure you.”
Image Credit: http://mjex.co/black-dog-art/black-dog-art-black-dog-by-black-and-white-dog-artwork/
Written for today’s Daily Prompt: Cur
Do let me know your thoughts on this story in the comments. 🙂
If you liked this story, you may want to check out:
Bad things can happen at any time. However, the worst things tend to happen while alone. My story is of such a time of solitude.
Imagine an empty street, in the wee dark hours. Walking alone, not a soul in sight. Your heartbeats keeping pace with your swift footsteps. Nervously looking around, hoping that no horrors hide in the shadows. Then you see it – A moving silhouette. You brush it off as a figment of your imagination. Sadly, it is not. You realize too late. The knife is deep inside you when you see the face – My face.
“So Mr. Khurana, what did you see in your dream?”
Vishnu Khurana was sitting in a plush recliner. Sitting directly in front of him, in an equally comfortable recliner was Dr. Bose. The décor of the clinic created a relaxing environment. Vishnu sat staring at the ceiling with his shoulders hunched and arms resting on his laps. He looked troubled.
“Doctor, is this really helping? The weird dreams just don’t stop.”
Dr. Bose adjusted his thin frame glasses and uncrossed his legs.
“Mr. Khurana, we have been seeing each other just for a week now. She requested me to talk to you and help you in dealing with your nightmares.”
Vishnu suddenly stood up.
“I have told you, they are not nightmares.”
“Yes, yes. These not-so-pleasant dreams, we will deal with them. Please have a seat and tell me about the one you had yesterday night. Was it vague again?”
Vishnu sat back into the recliner.
“Doctor, the dreams are never vague. Just this particular character..”
“..the lady?”
“Yeah, the lady. The rest of the things I see in my dream are crystal-clear. So, the dream began with me lying on a charpoy in the middle of nowhere. I just lay there gazing at the cloudless blue sky. There were no birds, no sun even. Just a constant shade of blue.”
“Do continue.”
“After that, I got up from the charpoy and a motorcycle appeared from nowhere. It just apparated right in front of me.”
“That happens in dreams. It is quite normal. Go on.”
“I got on the bike and began going down the road.”
“Which road?”
“There was just one road. It also came into existent right after I got on the bike.”
The doctor scribbled something in his notebook.
“Very well, go on.”
“As I was riding down the road, all I could see was barren land all around me. It was arid, as if it had been devoid of water for decades.”
Dr. Bose nodded, indicating that Vishnu should continue.
“Suddenly, I reached a city. There were buildings and shops and parked vehicle, but no people. It was an empty city.”
“There was not a single person present?”
“None. No living thing at all.”
Dr. Bose nodded and made more notes. Vishnu reached for the glass of water kept on the adjacent table. He took a large gulp and placed the glass back in its position.
“Then I continued riding and reached the bazaar. I could tell because it had different shops there. In fact, all establishments over there were shops other than one. That one was a temple.”
“A temple. Alright, go on Mr. Khurana.”
“I get off the bike and step inside the temple. Again, there is no one there – complete darkness. However, a few feet away I can see a luggage bag. I could see it because it was glowing. So, I walked towards it, picked it up and walked out.”
“You did not check what was in the bag?”
“No, doctor I did not. I just walked out and got on to the bike. Then I sped off.”
“Okay, Mr. Khurana. Please continue.”
“I took the same road and returned to the same charpoy, from where I had started my dream. And then I saw her – The lady. I handed the luggage bag over to her, she walked off, and I woke up with the feeling that something was wrong. Like every night.”
“In your previous visits, you had said you could not see her clearly. How do you know it was the same lady?”
“I know, because I could feel it, doctor. She felt familiar. This time, I could see her a bit more clearly. I could make out that she was wearing a short red dress.”
“What about her face? Get a look at that?”
“No, doctor. The rest of her, including her face was still vague.”
Dr. Bose clicked his pen, indicating the session was over.
“Well, we seem to be making progress, Mr. Khurana. These troublesome dreams will stop soon. I am increasing the dosage of your medicines for now. Don’t forget to take them twice every day.”
The doctor handed over a medicine bottle to Vishnu who pocketed it. The two got up from their spots and began walking towards the door of the clinic.
“Thank you, doctor. I hope these dreams stop occurring.”
“I hope so too, Mr. Khurana. We will make that happen. Have a nice day.”
“Goodbye, doctor.”
Dr. Bose closed the door behind Vishnu. He walked to the window and watched as Vishnu got into his car and drove away. After he had gone out of sight, Dr. Bose fished out his phone and placed a call. A sultry voice answered the call.
“Hi, doctor. How did it go?”
“It is not going as well as planned. He remembers a great deal of his night activities.”
“Does he remember it all?”
“No, it is just a vague representation. He sees an empty city instead of a room full of people he has killed and other such things.”
“Then it is okay, the drug is working. He has no idea what he is up to every night.”
“Yes, it is working. Besides, I gave your husband a stronger dosage of the drug. Just in case.”
“Very well, doctor. Our plan seems to be going in order.”
“By the way, were you wearing red yesterday night when you collected the bag of drugs from him?”
“That was good doctor! How did you know?”
“Just a vague guess.”
Image courtesy: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/49/66/59/4966594ee5b2349c0eb802f05b90dda3.jpg
Ahumai hastened towards The City. His team had discovered an unknown, the first discovery in over a decade. It was big news. His team mates – Dalila and Jidlaph followed him, trying to keep up. They were Ahumai’s blood-sworn and were tasked with watching his back. It had been a long mission and they were tired. However, they knew that even though they were out of dangerous waters, they could not afford to ease up. Enemies could be lurking behind any coral, waiting to ambush them. Ahumai was not making their task any easier. He had abandoned all vigilance and was making a straight dash to The City, and who could blame him? The mission had been an astounding success. Clutched in his hands was a safety packet and within it resided the unknown. They had given up trying to slow him down and instead focused on surveying their surroundings to the best of their ability, without losing sight of his swishing emerald tail.
The three blood-sworn belonged to the Selachii Kingdom, one of the many Sea-folk kingdoms. The City was the capital of Selachii Kingdom, and the birthplace of the three. After a swift and arduous swim through the azure waters of Selachii, the trio finally gazed upon The City. It was city of pale golden colour, masterfully architected with a slew of magnificent minarets towering over each other. A crystal-clear purifier dome separated the city limits from the outer Azure waters. It was truly a sight to beholden, and no matter how many times Ahumai saw it, he always fell in love with its pristine beauty. The three made their way to the city entrance, swimming alongside shoals of persimmon coloured fish. The guards positioned at the entrance saluted the three as they entered. Ahumai was used to salutes because he was the younger Selachii prince, but he had never liked them. However, today for a change he acknowledged the salutes whole-heartedly. For the first time, he felt as if he had earned them. He had after all discovered an unknown.
As soon he entered the city premises, he spotted his older brother approaching. It was difficult to miss his muscular frame. It was even more difficult to miss his bright acid green tail. Ahumai was gleaming with joy when his brother was close enough to look at the safety packet.
“Ahumai, is that an unknown?”
“It sure is, Pachu’a. The first one found in so many years.”
“Very good. Take it directly to the Science Center. I want to know if it can be used as a weapon against our enemies.”
Ahumai hated this about his brother. He was only concerned with warfare. If something did not aid in increasing his own power, it was of no interest to him. He had no inclination towards history at all. In contrast to his older brother, Ahumai loved knowledge. Even the discovery of simple trivial knowledge excited him, and this was an unknown. He was eager to know what stories it held. However, he could not say all this to his sibling. Ahumai nodded.
“Yes, I will take it to the science center.”
Pachu’a placed his burly right arm on Ahumai’s shoulder.
“Good. We need to strengthen ourselves as much as we can, little brother. Our enemies are many and we need all the advantages we can get.”
Ahumai bowed his head. His companions followed suit and kept their heads bowed until the heir to the Selachii Kingdom had passed them. Ahumai turned to face Dalila and Jidlaph.
“Well, as my brother told us, we are going to the Science Center. But, after we meet Grandpa. I want him to see it before the other scientists.”
Dalila shook her head.
“I knew this was coming. You always have to undermine your brother in some way.”
Jidlaph grunted in agreement.
“Come on, it is not about that. At least, not this time. Grandpa always has something interesting to share. I want to know what he thinks before the other war-hungry scientists look at the unknown we found. Are you both coming?”
Jidlaph shrugged his shoulders. Dalila opened her mouth to argue and closed it after a split second. She realized Ahumai was not going to change his mind. She beckoned Ahumai to lead the way. Ahumai smiled to himself.
Making their way through the busy streets of The City, the trio reached Grandpa’s house. The house was ancient, which was quite visible to any onlooker. Before Ahumai could place his palm on the door to let Grandpa know he had visitors, the door slid open. The trio heard Grandpa’s gruff voice.
“Come on in, kids. This house may be old, but I assure you the technology on which it runs is cutting edge.”
The three blood-sworn entered. They swam past the meeting area and into Grandpa’s study. Ahumai held up the safety packet as soon as he saw Grandpa. Grandpa’s jaw dropped.
“My dear boy! Is that an unknown? Did you really find one?”
The trio chimed in unison.
“Yes, Grandpa!”
“Where did you find it?”
“We were scouting the brooding caverns. Found it in a small unclaimed chest.”
“That was mighty lucky. Well then, let us see it. Quickly now.”
Ahumai opened the lock on the safety packet and removed the unknown. It looked like a covering of some kind much like the gauntlets worn by Selachii soldiers, but they were flatter in shape and their material unlike any that had been encountered before. Each side of the unknown was marked by similar markings.
“Have you ever seen this mark, Grandpa?”
“No, I have not. Maybe it is an ancient language.”
Ahumai nodded. To his eyes, the markings looked like the outline made by his thumb and his index finger, when he stuck them both out. Maybe, they communicated with their fingers. Ahumai observed that Grandpa looked pleased.
“Grandpa, what are you thinking? You seem happy.”
“You see, child, I have been working on a theory for many years now. This might be the first proof supporting this theory.”
“What theory is that?”
“I believe that many millions of years ago, the world was not entirely submerged in water. In those times, our ancestors lived on land. They probably had limbs that aided them in moving around on land. This unknown may be a gauntlet of sorts for their lower limbs. And then after some time, due to some reason, the entire world flooded.”
The three blood-sworn gaped at Grandpa. He burst out laughing.
“Kids, it is just a theory. I know it sounds absurd – areas without water and our ancestors living in such areas.”
*The names used in the story, are all connected to water in some way.
Ahumai : A meadow of waters
Dalila: Water bearer
Jidlaph: He that distills water
Pachu’a: Feathered water snake
**Those who found the description of the markings confusing, this is what I intended to convey :
If you like stories related to the Sea you may want to give the Sea of Blood series a read!
