Category: Stories, poems and other short pieces

You’ve written a book?

Chris Hall29 Comments

Photo Prompt © Lily

Well it’s not published quite yet, but I’m sure it will. Shall I read some to you, and you can listen? And maybe you might make some comments?

See, I’ve printed all of this out, and it’s in my binder here. I will open it at the start.

I’m quite pleased about the very beginning. It flows rather nicely since the main protagonist, well, she’s pretty feisty and she has some large and heavy keys, and that’s the crux of the whole story, even at the first paragraph.

Oh, you’re going out? Not ready to listen to what I’ve written?

~~~~~

Thanks to Rochelle for hosting Friday Fictioneers
Genre:  Book Excerpt
Word Count: 100

24 April 2026

She’s famous

Chris Hall42 Comments

I will drink coffee
and you will drink lovely tea
but she drinks wine, gosh
that is rather radical
yes indeed, what a woman

“Don’t look at me in that tone of voice.”

let’s slide closer to her
look, she talks fast and loudly
very funny though
she’s so, so dry, isn’t she
and we know her name, don’t we

― Dorothy Parker

~~~

Image credit: Andes Beltran @Unsplash

This image shows someone holding three cups and the cups are made in the image of a woman’s face. The expression on the three cups are slightly different from each other.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #337 photo prompt.

What do you see # 337- 20 April, 2026

Still life, is it?

Chris Hall44 Comments

Photo Prompt © Ted Strutz

But is it art?
What do you mean?
Well, it’s not really real.
Sorry?
It has been generated with software.

It’s not surreal, no. It’s very realistic.
Now that I understand. I could munch some fruit in there.
That bit of banana is beautiful, isn’t it?
And that mug of coffee looks hot.

That old photo looks interesting too.
I like the way that artist is working outside.
It’s called en plein air
Ooh, impressive.

You know there is a market for buying crypto-art?
You don’t say?
Yep, it’s called Non Fungible Tokens.
Well, all I can say is… blimey!

~~~

Thanks to Rochelle for hosting Friday Fictioneers
Genre:  Fiction
Word Count: 100

17 April 2026

Chicago!

Chris Hall62 Comments

Chicago, Chicago! What a wonderful city. We know it’s called the Windy City, but from here in this lovely hotel it seems blissful. Such a gorgeous view. We can see for miles and miles. All those striking skyscrapers. What a joy!
So we crane our heads at those views to see the river. The river? No, we mean that huge lake. Ah yes, Lake Michigan. That’s the one.

Okay, so what are we going to do now?
Well, we’ve dropped our stuff in this very nice room.
I’m saying, food.
We could go to get a couple of Chicago-style hot dogs… Downtown Dogs?
Or let’s push our boats out, what about ‘Girl and The Goat’. It’s a very good restaurant, apparently.
Now you’re talking!

so let’s leave them there
since we know some good new facts
anyone else to go?

~~~~~~

Image credit: Alessandro Guarino @Unsplash

This image shows the view from inside a hotel room out of the window. High rise buildings present a calm scene. According to the photographer it is; Nobu hotel-Chicago; the city never asks to be let in. The bed is made and the room seems unoccupied.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #336 photo prompt.

What do you see # 336- 13 April, 2026

Seascape

Chris Hall63 Comments

Photo Prompt © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

Another small boat around here? I keep seeing them.
It’s rather grey today, although that’s pretty normal.
Not hot, not too chilly.
It’s called ‘in the middle’.

I have been trying to get the right light, since it is important to me.
That little boat seems to be tacking back and forward. That’s clever.

It’s a granite grey sea, and a slate grey sky, plus a charcoal grey on the beach.
But just a pop of colour from that sailing boat would be good.
Ah, some ultramarine blue, a little crimson red, and a tiny bit of cadmium yellow.
Perfect!

~~~

Thanks to Rochelle for hosting Friday Fictioneers
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Word Count: 100

10 April 2026

Love letter

Chris Hall43 Comments

I jumped up quickly,
this is what I ought to write;
not a ‘Dear John,’ no!
Oh, this must be eloquent,
but will he think about me?

He’s such a nice guy,
always helpful and useful.
We are both good friends,
but could we be more than pals?
He’ll begin… ‘We’re soul mates.’

~~~~

Somonka – write this Japanese form consisting of 2 Tanka (syllable count of 5/7/5/7/7 without rhyme) written as love letters. Although traditionally a collaborative form, one author can write both. Make this love letters to yourself taking two different points of view.
Thanks, Val

~~~

Image credit: Alexander Mass @Unsplash

This image shows  a woman in a night gown, sitting in front of a writing table and writing something on a sheet of paper. There is a window behind her showing that it’s day time and the bed is unmade.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #335 photo prompt.

What do you see # 335- 6 April, 2026
Looking to Scavenge the Month

Drum roll…

Chris Hall51 Comments

Photo Prompt © Roger Bultot

Can you reach up?
Ahh, not quite.

Don’t worry, I’ll get a chair.
Do you want to pass that down?

Got it?
Yep.

Good. I’m down.
Let’s look at what’s in it.

It’s such a pretty patina.
Pretty old too.

Let’s lift the lid between us.
It’s tight, isn’t it?

Do you think it’s a big drum?
Seems so.

Here it is.
Oh!

Not a drum.
What unearth is it?

Let’s take it out.
Ooh, carefully.

Here, on the table.
That’s it.

It’s a musical box, with a winder.
I’ll do it.

What? Trump????
No. Don’t be silly. It’s Trumpton!

~~~

P.S. – Trumpton is a British stop-motion children’s television series from the producers of Camberwick Green.

~~~

Thanks to Rochelle for hosting Friday Fictioneers
Genre: Fiction
Word Count: 100

3 April 2026

Calm sailing

Chris Hall55 Comments

She was calm,
and in the distance,
all seemed fine.

Evening tide
was quite beautiful,
just mellow.

But not true,
there was no-one there,
all had died.

She sailed on,
like Mary Celeste
and others.

And soon she
disappeared again,
and that was it.

~~~~~

Image credit: Rafael Garcin @Unsplash

This image shows a sail ship on the sea. In the background we see that the sky is yellow and orange, indicating that the sun is setting.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #334 photo prompt.

What do you see # 334- 30 March, 2026

The Old Rectory

Chris Hall26 Comments

The two boys braked, then wheeled around and stopped.
They peered at the sign.
‘This looks interesting.’
‘Do you think there is a castle down there?’ as he read what it said.
‘Could be.’
‘Well, it doesn’t say that we are not allowed to go along that drive, does it?’

So they started to bike while looking around the long winding road. It was pretty overgrown, and there seemed no-one around.
But then, what a vista!
The two of them stopped… dead.

‘What is it?’
‘Certainly not an old castle.’

They dropped their bikes, then walked around the imposing round building.
Just then, a large door opened from the inside, and a man appeared, and smiled. ‘Do come in, you’ll like this, I’m sure.’ He pointed up.
The two of them looked up. For a moment they said nothing, but then they both said: ‘Wow, a wonderful observatory – how cool!’

~~~

150 words

Crimson’s Creative Challenge #079

Lace but tatty, sadly

Chris Hall73 Comments

Photo Prompt © Sandra Crook

That tatty lace was once so pretty. It covered those tall windows, and the light would shine brightly in the early evening.
The sun still smiles, but there’s no-one to see it here in this house.

Then the house was a home.

The walls and the doors were painted in rich and bold colours.
The garden was glorious with many exotic flowers, bushes and vegetables. And beyond, those magnificent trees would often seem to sing.

But that was a long time ago.

Would you see a ghost sometimes?
Would you hear a strange knock in the night?
Maybe? Maybe not.

~~~~~

Thanks to Rochelle for hosting Friday Fictioneers
Genre: Historical Fiction
Word Count: 100

27 March 2026