Gassing in the limo

Chris Hall51 Comments

Kalina O. on Unsplash

previously

They all piled into the limo; the two gargoyles bagged the back, Francis was happy to lounge on the third row, and Joan and Scatty sat in the middle; the red head woman was clutching her big bag, and The Old One sat almost at the front: now they were ready to go.

‘How long will this take?’ asked Scatty, ‘will we need a hotel, perhaps?’– ‘honestly, don’t be silly,’ said the nearer gargoyle, ‘I estimate it’ll take six hours,’ while looking around at the chauffeur.

But before the chauffeur could speak, The Old One said: ‘I know who you are,’ as everyone turned to look at him; meanwhile the other gargoyle said: ‘well, we thought he was an actor, right from the start.’

The chauffeur glided to a stop, then turned around taking his shades off; ‘I have been an actor for many years, and yes, I’m not able to do it anymore, I’m not dead, nor a vampire, no, I’m an immortal, but never mind that.’

The Old One almost shouted: ‘you’ve been in many, many Dracula films haven’t you – and rather raunchy back in the day, but my favourite film (two actually) was the Doctor – you were Doctor Who.’

‘Oh yes,’ as he smiled back, ‘I remember that machine… the TARDIS, great wasn’t it,’ then The Old One added, ‘I had a bit part, I was an extra in that, I was a Dalek, no speaking part but I was very hostile and menacing… oh, happy days!’

next episode

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

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

Di of Pensitivity 101 – Thursday’s Three Things Challenge: HOTEL, HOSTILE, HONEST

Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge
Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt: MACHINE

More #SixSentenceStories

There it going again

Chris Hall43 Comments

Echo… echo… echo… There it goes again. She stopped and looked around. But nothing. She walked on, her thick boots keeping her warm, she had been in the mountains for some time, hoping that she might see a rare bird or too, but it was really something even more interesting… a mysterious legend, and maybe she’d find it. She was always earnest about everything… and there it goes again: echo, echo. She opened her bag, setting her equipment out, she wanted to get a shot.

an enigma, she thought
and I’m going to find it
since it’s a yeti

~~~~~~~~~~~

Image credit: Dmitrii Shirnin @ Unsplash

For the visually challenged reader, this image shows a young woman, dressed warmly, standing on a snow-clad elevated piece of land, looking skyward. The sun is shining brightly and she looks ready to venture out with a bag on her shoulder.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #270 photo prompt.

Plus, Di’s Pensitivity101 – ECHO, EARNEST, ENIGMA

What do you see # 270- 4th Jan, 2025
Three Things Challenge #M931

Let’s go to the fair

Chris Hall48 Comments

thank you, Misky

previously

Scatty had been waving a flyer about the fair, while running around from bedroom to bedroom, ‘come on, it’s only in the next town and we’re able to get there very easily – come on, a lovely fair – there will be all sorts of things… who’s in?’

‘What a wonderful idea,’ said The Old One, ‘I wear such style, of course, boot and suit required, don’t you think?’ as he began to hum.

Joan was also up for this, ‘I do hope they have dodgems and I’m great at playing catapult… come on, Francis, you’ll come, won’t you?’ as she looked down, but he was still reading, while lying on the chaise-longue.

He craned over to see the flyer, ‘give it to me,’ as he slowly sat up, ‘see the date… it was last week – it’s already gone,’ Joan and Scatty stared at it, ‘daft, both of you,’ said Francis.

‘Just as well,’ said the red-head woman, who had been packing everything into her big bag, plus a small suitcase which contained various goodies, ‘time to go back to Paris, anyone else?’

The two gargoyles had been busy using their phones, since it seemed that everyone would like to go back to Paris: they shouted, ‘the limousine would be arriving shortly – the car, the man and the dark shades… and here it is,’ the two of them said to each other, ‘he looks very familiar… isn’t he an actor?’ – ‘but I thought he was dead, still nothing new there!’

next episode

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

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

Di of Pensitivity 101 – Thursday’s Three Things Challenge: ABLE, ACTOR, AFT

Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge
Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt: STYLE

More #SixSentenceStories

Sun rises again

Chris Hall43 Comments

he’s Sun, rising his head
breathing blissfully
as he looks out and around

he begins to stride out
over oceans, mountains and lakes
turning from east to west

later, it’s evening
now it’s her turn
and she’s Selene

forever… perhaps

~~~~~~~~~~~

Image credit: Ompragash Viswanathan @ Unsplash

For the visually challenged reader, this image shows the sun rising over the horizon lending its golden glow to the water.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #269 photo prompt.

What do you see # 269- 30th December, 2024

My Year of Books

Chris Hall43 Comments

My Goodreads Reviews – click next to them

Dark Butterflies: Poetry and short stories of mental health by Jude Itakali
Poetry Treasures 3: Passions by Kaye Lynne Booth and Robbie Cheadle
Beneath the Deep Wave (One with Nature Book 2) by Andrew McDowell
Simple Pleasures: Haiku from the Place Just Right by Elizabeth Gauffreau
Misty the Cat… Unleased by Dave Astor

The Korpes File Series – Short Stories: Vol 1 by J. I. Rogers
Some Day I’ll Fly Away by Linda Dutton
Broken Ties (Realms of the Mist, #2) by Jude Itakali
Natural Selection (Dawn of Humanity #3) by Jacqui Murray

The Moons of Autumn by Colleen M. Chesebro & Jules Paige
The Enchantress by Michael Scott
Neema the Misfit Giraffe by Robbie Cheadle & Michael Cheadle
Creative Gems: Volume 3 by Andrea Benko
Fascinating Facts about Famous Fiction Authors by Dave Astor

A little nod for us in WP, since we like to write, read, post and blog!

Jude Itakali – Tales Told Different – https://judeitakali.wordpress.com/
Kaye Lynne Booth – Writing to be Read – https://writingtoberead.com/
Robbie Cheadle – https://roberta-writes.com/ and https://www.robbiecheadle.co.za/
Andrew McDowell – https://andrewmcdowellauthor.com/
Elizabeth Gauffreau – Fiction Writer in Poet’s Clothing – https://lizgauffreau.com/
Dave Astor on Literature – https://daveastoronliterature.com/
Jacqui Murray – https://worddreams.wordpress.com/
Colleen M. Chesebro – Tanka Tuesday  – https://tankatuesday.com/
Jules Paige – Jules Pens Some Gems – https://julesinflashyfiction.wordpress.com/
Darnell Cureton – Fictionista – https://darnellcureton.com/

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

Are we playing?

Chris Hall50 Comments

© Ayr/Gray

previously

The four vampires – Joan, Francis, Scatty and the Old One, the two gargoyles plus the red-head woman had been having a whale of a time for several weeks in that wonderful chateau, although some of them were becoming rather restless.

Georges, the manager, was also becoming a little fraught; he had been walking around the market earlier, where he happened to look up and who did he see, these two gargoyles were watching the game of boules just behind the high wall next to the chateau: I admit this crowd are more than weird, they are completely loopy but what can I do? (he thought).

Francis were still very happy reading all those beautiful books in the library, but he was not alone; Joan had read ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ by Charles Dickens and it was the second time too, but this time she felt it was less interesting and she read it half-heartedly now; instead she was looking out from the window, daydreaming about something else.

The Old One had been wondering what to do next – another movie or maybe Joan, or even the red head woman, could play Scrabble with me.

But the red-head woman had other plans.

Scatty had joined the two gargoyles on the tall wall; she watched the game for a bit, ‘boules, I can watch or not, not my favourite though, but look at this… admission is just 10 euros, shall we go?’ – the two gargoyles started to grin, ‘why not?’

next episode

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

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

Posted for The Unicorn Challenge, a magical challenge hosted by Jenne Gray and C E Ayr, where they provide a photo and we, in turn, provide up to 250 words.

Di of Pensitivity 101 – Thursday’s Three Things Challenge: ALONE, HALF-HEARTED, DAYDREAM

Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge
Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt: ADMISSION

More #SixSentenceStories

Train coming home

Chris Hall52 Comments

she’s young
she’s pretty
and it’s almost Christmas she’s waiting
on the train
but soon she’ll be home

there will be packages and presents
she will be thrilled
and soon
she will be brimming over
but only when
she’ll get off from the train

~~~~~~~~~

Image credit: unsplash?

For the visually challenged reader, this image shows a young girl looking out the window of a train carriage. She is wearing headphones over her ears. The girl is around 5-6 years old.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #268 photo prompt.

What do you see # 268- 23 December, 2024
Three Things Challenge #M917

Our Little Lockets (Tales from the SSC&B)

Chris Hall39 Comments

At Full Moon, the Moon’s face is fully lit up—give or take a tiny bit.
©Steffen Thorsen/timeanddate.com

previously

‘Do we remember what we did… that beautiful day, and night, when we saw the Harvest Moon,’ said the Raconteuse, – while Mimi said, ‘of course, it was us and Jenne,’ as she clapped her hands, – then the Bartender said, ‘later we came home where we found our silver boxes and our little lockets.’

Mimi held up her locket, while the Bartender held out her hand, ’I made it into a ring, nice, isn’t it?’, as the Raconteuse gently opened the small box; but then the Bartender froze for a moment, as Ms Storme lunged at the box, ‘give me a look, won’t you?’

‘Wait, just a moment,’ said the Raconteuse, ‘there’s no locket, but here’s a letter from Jenne – she says she’s gone to pastures new, also Mr C. E. Ayr, and the two of them do the Unicorn Challenge, jolly good,’ – ‘I would agree,’ said the tall, thin man, who winked.

He continued to pose a question, while the Gatekeeper looked on, and Hūnga barked; ‘my idea is that Ms Storme should take over the reins, what do you think?’

Everyone seemed to be happy with that, so that was that; Ms Storme and the tall, thin man suddenly needed to be elsewhere; while the Gatekeeper and Hūnga, will be elsewhere too, and later they will look up, since there’ll be a tiny nick over the moon.

‘And as for me,’ said the Raconteuse, ‘I’m going to dip into this book, in fact, it was partly written by me.’

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

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

Di of Pensitivity 101 – Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge: POSE, FROZE, CLAP

Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge
Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt: DIP

More #SixSentenceStories

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

So very happy to be included in this wonderful poetry anthology.
🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

Devised by Colleen M. Chesebro and Robbie Cheadle
Amazon.com LINK
Amazon.UK.com LINK

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

The Silver Locket
authored by Chris Hall
writing as Holly Atkins

Order on Amazon: paperback and ebook

But it’s open

Chris Hall49 Comments

the stone wall is high
there’s a forest beyond
and there’s a doorway

almost always closed
but this time it is open
shall we go in… yes?

we must be careful
is there anyone around?
but no, there’s no-one

the double-doors clang
we’re trapped…

~~~~~~~~

Image credit: Ani Adigyozalyan

For the visually challenged reader, this image shows a stone doorway in a wall. Through this doorway, we can see trees of a forest.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #267 photo prompt.

What do you see # 267- 16, December, 2024

A Silver Box (Tales from the SSC&B)

Chris Hall38 Comments

Christopher Bill on Unsplash

previously

‘Are you going to open that?’ said Tom – as the red-headed writer, aka the Raconteuse, nodded her head; she was about to gently rip the parcel but then she heard the wonderful car, as the three of them turned to look at the street.

‘Looks like she’s back,’ grinned Mimi, ‘we can always adapt, but it is so much better when our Bartender is here,’ as they watched the beautiful car glide around the corner, ‘and look who also is there – it’s the Gatekeeper and lovely Hūnga.’

The tall, thin man and Ms Storme appeared from the Manager’s office, both of them looking rather smug, but Tom muttered to himself – she’s hardly an angel, but he said, ‘how nice to see you, my dear,’ as he smiled radiantly, using his best actor voice.

But now there was much merriment since Hūnga bustled in, closely followed by the Bartender and the Gatekeeper, while Mimi said, ‘it’s certainly busy now… drinks everyone?’

A little later, the Raconteuse began to open her parcel, ‘okay, I’m doing it,’ – while everyone crowded around, even Hūnga… ‘so, it’s a box, small oblong and clearly silver,’ she looked up, ‘ah, I know this… and you?’ staring at Mimi and the Bartender.

‘Do we still have those?’ – ‘well, mine is on my dressing table,’ said Mimi, – ‘mine is in my bathroom,’ said the Bartender, – ‘and mine, my original one, is still here in my big bag, so the fourth one has been given back… mm.

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

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

Di of Pensitivity 101 – Thursday’s Three Things Challenge: ACTOR, ANGEL, ADAPT

Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge
Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt: EVEN

More #SixSentenceStories