Category: Stories, poems and other short pieces

The Jade Camel #4

Chris Hall73 Comments

Previously

A gust of gritty air greeted Joey the moment he stepped outside, his keen eye falling on the bright blue ink of a bank note tumbling among the accumulating detritus scudding across the path. He scurried over, the front door slamming behind him, and fished a fiver from heap of kinked crimson leaves and dented dull-hued wrappers – a brand new five pound note! what were the chances of that? – his luck was surely changing.

Driving the note deep inside his back pocket, Joey headed towards the bus-stop with a spring in his step, sure of success in trading his new-found prize, and with none of the normal sinking feeling which frequently dogged his steps.

Joey’s fingers curled around the smooth curves of the jade camel nestled within his parka pocket as the bus lurched around the corner, offering him a panoramic view of the river Mersey from his privileged perch on the front seat of the top deck.

A huge four-funnelled cruise liner was entering Liverpool Bay, Joey wondered what it would be like to sail on such a vessel; he squinted to read the lettering on the curving bow: RMS Redemption.

Joey’s grip tightened on the camel.

next episode

Written in response to two challenges:

Di of Pensitivity 101’s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge: INK, KINK, SINK
Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge’s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt: REDEMPTION

More #SixSentenceStories here!

Photo credit: illustration from a book somewhere on my bookshelves which I cannot presently locate 😉

List Maker’s Lament

Chris Hall96 Comments
The image shows a chalk board with a caption, “Before I die” on the top. Below are slots where people can write their opinions.

She’d always been a great Maker of Lists:
(her memory was awful)
to do lists,
shopping lists,
books to read,
movies to see,
places to go,
even lists of lists!

She’d always said:
‘if I put it on the list, it will happen’.
And usually it did.

But now, on this, her birthday,
another milestone passed (largely unmarked),
it dawned on her.

Perhaps now, not everything on her great List of Lists
could be achieved (especially the books).

Future plans might have to be
a little less ambitious.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Image credit: Google images
The image shows a chalk board with a caption, “Before I die” on the top. Below are slots where people can write their opinions.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #120 photo prompt

The Jade Camel #3

Chris Hall73 Comments

Previously

Ceridwen shivered as she closed the door, Joey was a nice lad, a bit rough around the edges but he had a good heart – and he had Cullen’s approval; she smiled at her feline companion, she’d had him since he was barely weaned, having seen him cowering in the bushes all alone and mewing piteously, she’d known immediately that his little soul had been reaching out to hers.

She drew her cardigan around her narrow shoulders, armour against the unexpected feeling of foreboding that had accompanied Joey’s passage across the landing.

The feeling persisted as she fed Cullen, and as she nibbled on her own frugal supper; she glanced ceiling-wards where she could hear Joey moving about, the feeling was one she couldn’t quite describe, almost a vibration in the air, something she hadn’t experienced since that young woman had brought the strange little amulet to her.

The nagging feeling accompanied her through her dreams, faint glimpses of things that made no sense.

In the morning, sipping her herbal tea, she heard Joey’s rapid footsteps on the stairs; moments later the front door slammed. It was immediately apparent: what had been troubling her had left the building along with Joey.

next episode

Written in response to two challenges:

Di of Pensitivity 101’s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge: BEEN, SEEN, WEAN
Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge’s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt: SCRIBE

More #SixSentenceStories here!

Photo credit: illustration from a book somewhere on my bookshelves which I cannot presently locate 😉

Like catching falling leaves

Chris Hall87 Comments
The image shows three young men standing by the roadside and laughing at a shared joke.

Oh, did we savour
time’s sweetest moments?
Fleeting memories
of shared jokes
of youthful conquests
of time gleefully misspent.

We should’ve savoured
life’s honeyed passage.
Fading recollections
of vows exchanged
of time well-spent
of dreams almost fulfilled.

Oh, we should relish
our happy golden years!
Savouring remembrances
like catching falling leaves
precious memorials
to time now past.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Image credit: Jed Villigo @ Unsplash
The image shows three young men standing by the roadside and laughing at a shared joke.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #119 photo prompt

The Jade Camel #2

Chris Hall64 Comments

Previously

Arriving at his flat, one of many in a long street of dilapidated Georgian buildings, a grey cat wearing a velvet collar twined around Joey’s legs: ‘Alright Cullen, mate!’ he grinned down at the feline as he unlocked the door. The cat bounded up the stairs and stopped outside Flat 4 where it mewed expectantly; Ceridwen’s face appeared, her smile turning to a puzzled frown as Joey passed her door.

Inside his attic flat, Joey shed his parka and dropped onto the worn couch; shoving the crumpled quilt aside, he ripped open a grease-sodden packet of chips, laced with lurid-looking sauce and wolfed down a few mouthfuls, before leaning forward to switch on the TV; the flicker of the grainy monochrome picture the room’s only illumination as he devoured his supper.

Retrieving the prize that the river had given up earlier, Joey held it in the palm of his hand – a crouching camel, carved from greenish-brown stone – surely a find of great antiquity. His fingers tingled and his heartbeat quickened, a smile lit up Joey’s face; he felt energised, optimistic!

Joey stared at the camel, its mouth was slightly open; the little carving seemed to be grinning back at him.

next episode

Written in response to two challenges:

Di of Pensitivity 101’s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge: QUICKEN, QUIT, QUILT
Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge’s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt: WEAR

Read more #SixSentenceStories here!

Photo credit: illustration from a book somewhere on my bookshelves which I cannot presently locate 😉

Dying Embers

Chris Hall82 Comments
The image shows a pair of spectacles to which a pair of rose-coloured clip-on attachment is affixed. You can see a view of skyline near a shore through these colored clip-ons.

She sits alone, staring into the crimson flames, a glass of ruby wine in her hand, the half-empty bottle on the wooden floor beside her. Muddy rivers run down her cheeks from red-rimmed eyes. She takes another sip and puts the glass down. Carefully. She rips off the pretty new blouse which he’d failed to notice – his eyes were elsewhere all night – flings it into the fire where the fabric curls like dead leaves; buttons pop in the heat. More wine sloshes in the glass.

betrayal revealed
in long lingering glances
scales drop from her eyes
sorrow seeps into her heart
dying embers fill the grate
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Image credit: Tathanhtaun @ Pexabay
The image shows a pair of spectacles to which a pair of rose-colored clip-on attachment is affixed. You can see a view of skyline near a shore through these colored clip-ons.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #118 photo prompt

The Jade Camel #1

Chris Hall75 Comments

Joey hunkered down in the corner of the heavily-graffitied bus shelter, trying to evade the spiny tentacles of the stiffening breeze blowing off the river Mersey and up the eponymous street that led from Otterspool Promenade onto the busy pavement-cracked main road.

Jealousy coiled its long yellow fingers around him, clutching at the frayed edges of his grungy army-surplus parka as he watched the rich folk in their fancy cars hurtling past him on their way back to the city, while a dull summer sun slipped slowly into the west, raising an ironic eyebrow and casting a rose-tinted light over the poverty-stricken suburbs and abandoned factories of the urban fringe.

Now fumbling his pockets for his last fag, Joey’s grubby nail-bitten fingers fell upon his latest treasure; a smile twitched about his lips, smoothing his habitual scowl and suggesting the possibility of a less desolate future for its twenty-something wearer. His latest jaunt down to the low-tide river, grubbing about among the detritus lodged in the sludgy mudflats, had yielded his best find yet.

He gripped the object tightly, a glimmer of hope kindling; he’d be popping around to visit Phil ‘The Fence’ tomorrow.

Perhaps, finally he’d hit the jackpot.

next episode

Written in response to two challenges:

Di of Pensitivity 101’s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge: JACKPOT, JAUNT, JEALOUSY
Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge’s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt: SHELTER

MORE SIXES HERE!

Photo credit: illustration from a book somewhere on my bookshelves which I cannot presently locate 😉

He will conquer

Chris Hall73 Comments
The image shows a person standing on top of a rock, his feet straddling two projections. In the background, you can see the skyline and down below some houses.

solo traveller
striding through life’s long journey
youthful confidence
casts trepidation aside
to reach the ultimate goal

he seizes the day
glorying in his triumph
all demons vanquished

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Image credit: Suliman Sallehi @ Pexels
The image shows a person standing on top of a rock, his feet straddling two projections. In the background, you can see the skyline and down below some houses.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #117 photo prompt

Do you believe in faeries? ~ finale

Chris Hall66 Comments
Illustration from the Rose Fyleman Fairy Book

Previously

The True Owl-King beckoned his rescuers to follow; he flung open the front doors so forcefully that they hit the pink palace walls with a crash, causing the creatures on the emerald lawn to flap and fluster in a flurry of fluorescent wings.

The Owl-King’s gentle brown eyes found Florigia’s and he inclined his head, his gaze fell upon Lobelia and he grinned, then stepping onto the lawn, he prodded the glaucous insulation that encased the fallen Captain Stinger with a wary wingtip.

‘Your crafty and clever charms saved us all, elegant ladies,’ he beamed; he opened his wings to encompass the entire company: ‘let there be feasting and fun, let there be singing and stories,’ he swung around to face the palace doors where a collection of pastel-uniformed retainers had appeared, ‘bring honey cakes and nectar juice!’

‘I still don’t understand,’ mumbled Mr Eyre through a mouthful of cake as Bryony tilted the travelling-bracelet against the inside case of his pocket-watch; its message now read: Prophesy fulfilled, time’s up!

Greta squeezed Bethany’s shoulder: ‘you were the golden-haired child after all.’

The bracelet started to vibrate; pocketing his watch, Mr Eyre hastily grabbed the girls’ hands; moments later they vanished.

This concludes our little tale. I think we can safely assume that Mr Eyre, Bryony and Bethany returned as if they’d never been away, just in time for breakfast…

Written in response to two challenges:

Di of Pensitivity 101’s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge: CRAFT, COUSIN, CRASH
Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge’s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt: JUICE

Bryony, Bethany and Mr Eyre first appeared in my historical fantasy fiction novel, Following the Green Rabbit. They’ve been begging to go on another adventure and now they’ve got their wish!
The novel is now also available as an audiobook – free on Audible with a 30 day trial.

MORE STORIES HERE!

Afterwards

Chris Hall72 Comments
You can see a young person’s silhouette against a pink sky. You can see a subdued sun in the sky and birds flying in circle.

emerging at last
from an underground cocoon
pale sun still shrouded
yet emerald shoots glisten
birds are calling to the dawn

post-apocalypse
nature is undefeated
what will man do now?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Image credit: LuizClas@ Pexels
The image shows a young person’s silhouette against a pink sky. There is a subdued sun in the sky and birds flying in circle.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #116 photo prompt