Temptation

May 29, 2020May 29, 2020Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Life and love, Muse and Flow, Reflections, Writing Tags: CCC, Creative writing, Decisions, Flash Fiction, Hard work, Heat, Just because, Micro-fiction, Photo Fiction, Photo prompt, Stone Mason, Temptation, Writing Challenge 28 Comments

The sun beat on his nape and his shirt stuck to his body, too wet to do any good in absorbing the sweat that trickled maddeningly down the center of his back and soaked the waistband of his pants.

His arms ached. Granite did not easily yield.

The soft ripples of the water mocked him, parading a breeze he did not feel. The pillar blocked what small air movement could be had. To add insult to injury, the hot stone reflected the stifling heat back at him. The path was an oven.

A dragonfly skimming the river caught his eye and he paused, mallet in mid-air and chisel in position, muscles bunching under the folds of his damp sleeves.

What if? he pondered.

He shook the thought out of his mind. Let the mallet land.

Who knew what lurked under the surface of seemingly inviting water. Better hot than drowned.

For Crispina’s Crimson’s Creative Challenge

The Visitor

May 22, 2020Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Life and love, Muse and Flow, Reflections, Writing Tags: Adversity, caregiving, CCC, Flash Fiction, Illness, Micro-fiction, Migration, Patience, Photo Fiction, Photo prompt, Predictability, Rhythm 7 Comments

“He should be here soon,” Ernest’s inert body belied the excitement in his eyes.

“It might not be today,” Gertrude noted. She knew he had to hold on to hope, but she could not bear to see him wade across another disappointment.

There have been far too many of late. And more coming.

“Oh, it will,” Ernest insisted.

Gertrude nodded. When he got something firmly into his head, there was little use in trying to dissuade him. Nor much to gain from it, really.

She wheeled him to a sunny spot out of the wind, arranged the blanket over his lap, and brought herself a stool. The both of them could use fresh air as well as what vitamin D they’d manage making.

They sat. She dozed off.

His cry woke her. Joy. Not pain.

“He’s here!”

Merlin, he’d called him. The osprey rested twice-yearly, mid-migration, on their chimney stack.

For Crispina’s Crimson’s Creative Challenge

No Line

May 15, 2020Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Funnies, Life and love, Muse and Flow, Things Kids Say, Writing Tags: Amusement Park, CCC, Creative writing, Family, Flash Fiction, Funny, Micro-fiction, Oops, Photo prompt, Plans, Ride, Writing Challenge 6 Comments

“There’s no line!” Margo pulled Adina’s hand with one of hers and pointed with the other. “Let’s hurry!”

Adina followed Margo’s finger, shielding her eyes from the sun. It’s been a long day already and they’d only gotten in a little over an hour ago. The drive. The stops. The lines for the tickets. The lines for the entrance. The lines for the bathroom. The lines to the lines …

Her eyes met the target.

What was that!?

A contraption rose ahead, metal-barred and plastic-sheathed, crisscrossed with steps and zigzagged horrors.

“Come on!” Margo danced on the balls of her feet, ecstatic.

Adina felt the hotdog that she didn’t even eat yet threaten a revisit.

No way she was going up that thing. Nope. Ain’t gonna happen.

“Must be a reason no one’s there,” she tried.

“Yeah! Because it is ‘by reservation.’ Aren’t you glad I called ahead and made one?”

For Crispina’s Crimson’s Creative Challenge

Of Moods And Bangs

May 7, 2020May 7, 2020Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Funnies, Life and love, Muse and Flow, Reflections, Writing Tags: Allegory, CCC, Cows, Creative writing, Flash Fiction, Just for fun, Micro-fiction, Mismatch, Mood, Photo prompt, Relationships, Writing prompt 15 Comments

“Are you guarding the entrance?”

There was no response.

He didn’t really expect one. Not when she was in a mood.

She was going to just lie there by the narrow path between the wooden pallets that served as makeshift bridge and entrance, and stare at it as if the others would miraculously manifest by the force of her willpower alone.

“I think there’s a new herd coming from the east,” he noted.

No movement. He didn’t think she’d fall for it. Still, was worth a try. One never knew.

For his part, he did not grace her with a turn of his head. She did not deserve a sway of his magnificent woolly bangs, the pride of Farmer Jones, the envy of his peers, the feller of many a heifer.

He stood his ground. She guarded hers.

The flies buzzed.

It was going to be a very long afternoon.

For Cristina’s Crimson’s Creative Challenge

Home Sweet Home

April 30, 2020Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Life and love, Muse and Flow, Reflections, Writing Tags: CCC, Cottage, Countryside, Creative writing, Flash Fiction, Going home, grandparents, Homecoming, Micro-fiction, Photo prompt, Restoration, Siblings 8 Comments

cob-cottage CrispinaKemp

They stopped the car down the lane and walked the last few hundred yards, wanting to see the cottage unveiled.

“Grandma would be proud,” Tilly sighed. The roof had bowed in and the walls had extensive water damage the last time they’d seen the place.

“Not about the fence, she wouldn’t.”

Tilly grinned. Her brother never could let an opportunity to find fault go unheeded. And … the fence did need propping. “A stray dog or deer knocked it. Surely it’ll be easy to mend.”

“Hmm.”

Tilly looped her arm in her brother’s. The cottage finally looked the way she remembered, the way Grandma had maintained it all the years she’d lived there and until she had to go into care.

Once more it was going to be home sweet home.

“Let’s get the car, and my things,” Tilly said. “We’ll be bringing Grandma along, in spirit, if not in form.”

For Crispina’s Crimson’s Creative Challenge

Totally Tina

April 24, 2020April 24, 2020Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Life and love, Muse and Flow, Reflections, Writing Tags: Best friends, CCC, Creative writing, delight, Fairies, Flash Fiction, Great houses, Just for fun, Micro-fiction, Perfect fit, Photo prompt 10 Comments

bluebell-yawning-tree CrispinaKemp

“Oh, but this will do! This will absolutely and completely do!”

Mattie grinned at her friend’s delight. If there was one thing you could count on when it came to Tina, it was exuberance. Roiling and contagious rivers of it. “I’m so glad,” she chuckled. “The Bluebells ensured this had your name on it.”

Tina walked around, unable to stand still and barely able to contain herself. Her voice jingled in the crisp spring air. “We’ll just need a ladder, of course. Marco could make one for me. And a bit of rain awning. I’ll ask Sheri to sew one. I’m sure she has some spare water-proof material that her magical fingers can persuade to cooperate.”

The tiny figure twirled, skirts flying in the sunlight. “Oh, Mattie, you are the best best best friend anyone could ask for. I can’t wait to move in! This is the perfect fairy house!”

For Crispina’s Crimson’s Creative Challenge

Not Ready To Launch

April 17, 2020April 17, 2020Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Funnies, Life and love, Muse and Flow, Reflections, Writing Tags: Be prepared, Boating, CCC, Change of plans, Flash Fiction, Just for fun, Launch, Micro-fiction, Photo prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing prompt 14 Comments

Photo: Crispina Kemp

It was going to take some training, but he was going to have his crew ready in time for the summer. Earlier, if the weather decided to cooperate.

Sure, there were issues of sea-worthiness in both prospective staff and designated vehicle, but he’d made up his mind and would not be blown off course. There were rivers to cross, lakes to traverse, seafaring and fishing to consider.

To be on the safe side, he collected piles of floaters. Not the glass “witch balls” his grandfather had left in the attic, but the highly visible red plastic ones.

“This way if you drown,” he told the kids, “it’ll ensure the Coastguard can find you before the toothy fish do.”

“After such an introduction,” his wife noted, knitting needles clicking in time with her rocking chair, “what did you expect? Of course they chose to train with Cousin Bob, the bush pilot.”

For Crispina’s Crimson’s Creative Challenge

Toppers

April 10, 2020Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Life and love, Muse and Flow, Trauma and Development, Writing Tags: Adversity, CCC, Finding a way, Flash Fiction, Inequality, Ingenuity, Making do, Micro-fiction, Photo prompt, Survival, Tenacity, Writing prompt 10 Comments

tall-frames CrispinaKemp

It wasn’t an easy thing for a Bottom-Feeder to achieve Topper status. Most born to the Lower Gradients remained in the dank shadows of the towers, foraging for what could be found.

But Bronson never took the easy route. Not in birth, where his footling position had almost killed his mama and had left him only one usable hand. Not in growing, when he was often the last to be fed and the first to be beaten. Not in young adulthood, when he decided that wit and perseverance would have to do what his physique could not.

He lurked. He flattered. He kept abreast of Toppers’ visits to the LG’s for the vices, and used his nonthreatening appearance to offer guidance, and sometimes, services.

When Lorena’s ankle broke on twisted pavement, he lent a shoulder, led her home, and stayed. Life was better at the Tops, even as a pet.

For Crispina’s Crimson’s Creative Challenge

The Hidden

April 3, 2020April 4, 2020Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Life and love, Muse and Flow, Reflections, Trauma and Development, Writing Tags: Adversity, CCC, Flash Fiction, Hiding, Historical fiction, History, Micro-fiction, Never Again, Persecution, Photo prompt, War, Writing Challenge 13 Comments

Photo: Crispina Kemp

It had been their favorite place to play as children. Filled with old tools and lopsided shelves. A leaky roof that hindered the rain from soaking them when the weather turned and they had misjudged the time.

She never would have thought that the shed would become a shelter from a lot worse than the rain. And without end. For there was no place to return.

There will be no welcome in the farmstead. Not anymore.

No warm soup waiting. No blanket. No fire to steam wet clothes as fingers thawed. Instead of comfort, they’d likely send the dogs.

She still could not quite understand how quickly times had changed. How she’d gone from part-of to pariah.

Was she the same? How could she be, when the patch she was made to wear now defined her?

A jew, she was their plague. How long would the shed conceal her?

For Crispina’s Crimson’s Creative Challenge

Scale Things Down

March 26, 2020Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Muse and Flow, Reflections, Writing Tags: Ambiguity, CCC, Creative writing, Flash Fiction, Just because, Micro-fiction, Misunderstandings, Photo prompt, Science Fiction, Writing Challenge 14 Comments

Photo: Crispina Kemp

“We’re gonna have to scale things down,” The Earl noted.

“Yep,” Monterey scratched the stubble that sprouted, stubborn, on his chest. He was going to refuse the grooming nonsense next time.

“Got the shrink?”

Monterey nodded. He’d put up with the thumping for the last bit of journey. Annoying though it was, the noise did save him the trouble of going into the back compartment to check whether the cargo was still alive.

“Have him at it, then.” The Earl turned and strode back into his cab.

Monterey waited till The Earl disappeared from view before bending to rummage through the vehicle’s boot. He plucked the squirming figure out of its perforated container and held the furious man between finger and thumb.

“You’re a shrink,” he rumbled, pointing another hand at the air-ship’s anchor and chains. “These are too big. Can’t have’em stay this way. So you best shrink this.”

For Crispina’s Crimson’s Creative Challenge