"The View" by Thomas M. McDade (art by Allen Forrest): https://thestoryshack.com/flash-fiction/drama/thomas-mcdade-the-view #flashfiction #WritingCommunity
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Flash Fiction Friday – The Fatherhood War
June 13, 2023, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about fathers in general or a specific father. You can use different names — Papa, Daddy, Fabio. What is significant about a father? Write a homage, rant, comedy, tragedy, or anything in between. Go where the prompt leads! See ‘June 13: Story Challenge in 99-words‘ for more details.
The Fatherhood War – by Hugh W. Roberts
In a whirlwind of chaos, a father attempted to conquer the art of nappy changing.
Armed with wipes and a nappy that seemed to defy logic, he engaged in an epic battle against a giggling, wiggling baby. Hilariously mismatched socks were his battle armour, and a superhero cape decked his shoulders.
As he bravely dodged tiny feet, the father’s face turned into comical distortions. With a triumphant cry, he emerged victorious, the nappy expertly secured.
But, alas, victory was short-lived, for a naughty giggle signalled an incoming surprise attack. In the war of fatherhood, laughter was the ultimate weapon.
Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch.
Flash Fiction Friday***
Enjoyed this piece of flash fiction? Then you’ll love ‘Glimpses.’
GlimpsesGlimpses
28 short stories and pieces of flash fiction take the reader on a rollercoaster of twists and turns.
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***
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#carrotRanch #family #fathers #fiction #flashFiction #shortStories #shortStory #theCarrotRanch #writingChallenge
Flash Fiction Friday – What Lays Beneath
June 20, 2023, prompt: Write a story about grains of sand in 99 words (no more, no less). Where are these grains, and what importance do they hold? How many ways can you think of using sand? Who interacts with the sand and why? Go where the prompt leads! See June 20: Story Challenge in 99-words for more details.
What Lays Beneath – by Hugh W. Roberts
On the secluded beach, grains of sand held a horrifying secret.
As twilight embraced the shoreline, their malevolence awakened. Slightly serrated edges transformed into razor-sharp teeth, hungry for flesh.
Unseen to the unsuspecting visitors, they slithered beneath the surface.
With a sinister intelligence, they devised a plan. Swiftly, they surged, entangling ankles in a web of gritty terror. Screams of agony filled the air as victims got dragged below, devoured by the insatiable maw of the sand.
Panic swept the beach, but the grains, now stained red, revelled in their newfound power, forever cursed to prey upon the unwary.
Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch.
Flash Fiction Friday***
Enjoyed this piece of flash fiction? Then you’ll love ‘More Glimpses.’
***
32 short stories and flash fiction pieces take readers to the edge of their imagination.
More Glimpses
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#beach #carrotRanch #fiction #flashFiction #holidays #horror #horrorStories #shortStories #shortStory #theCarrotRanch #writingChallenge
Flash Fiction Friday – Not Everything Changes
March 13, 2023, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about a place where children once played. It can be a field, a playground, or any place that attracted children to play. But now it is empty. Abandoned. Go where the prompt leads! Click here for details.
Not Everything Changes- by Hugh W. Roberts
The sun shone brightly on the grassy field where children once played, hunting for colourful Easter eggs.
Years later, the area was overgrown, and the old baskets and eggs were long gone.
But something magical was happening. From the earth, tiny sprouts emerged, turning into flowers of every colour, filling the air with sweet fragrances.
The grown children returned to the field and marvelled at the wondrous sight. They remembered the joy of those long-ago Easter egg hunts and the laughter of their childhood friends.
The field may have changed, but the memories and the spirit of Easter remained.
Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch.
***
Enjoyed this piece of flash fiction? Then you’ll love ‘More Glimpses.’
***
32 short stories and flash fiction pieces take readers to the edge of their imagination.
More Glimpses
Paperback – £4.99
Kindle – £0.99
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#carrotRanch #easter #fiction #flashFiction #shortStories #shortStory #theCarrotRanch #writingChallenge
Flash Fiction Friday – Love And Hate
March 20, 2023, prompt: Write a story about shots fired in 99 words (no more, no less). Where is this story taking place? Is there urgency or surprise? Who is there? What happens next? Go where the prompt leads! Click here for details.
Love And Hate – by Hugh W. Roberts
I met Hans on the battlefield. Our eyes locked across the chaos of war as shots rang out. At that moment, nothing else existed.
Drawn to each other like moths to a flame, we became united by the realisation that life was too short to waste on hate.
But we parted on different sides as my commander shouted to fall back.
Many years later, when the world was at peace, I never thought we would reunite and our love would be as strong as that day in 1915.
For Hans and I, shots fired had led to love found.
***
Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch.
***
Enjoyed this piece of flash fiction? Then you’ll love ‘Glimpses.’
***
Glimpses
28 short stories and pieces of flash fiction take the reader on a rollercoaster of twists and turns.
Paperback – £4.99
Kindle – £0.99
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Copyright @ 2024 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.
#carrotRanch #fiction #flashFiction #lgbt #lgbtFiction #loveStory #shortStories #shortStory #war #writingChallenge
Flash Fiction Friday – The Sky That Loves Me
March 27 2023, prompt: Write a story about something impossibly blue in 99 words (no more, no less). You can go with the sky or any other object. What impact does the colour have on the setting or characters? Does it lead to action or create a pause? Go where the prompt leads! See March 27: Story Challenge in 99-words for more details.
The Sky That Loves Me- by Hugh W. Roberts
The sky above was a deep, impossibly blue. The kind of blue that makes you feel like you could reach up and touch it. The type of blue that makes you want to sing.
And then I started to sing. I sang about the impossibly blue sky. I sang about the hope that it gave me. I sang about the love that I felt for the world around me.
And as I sang, the sky seemed to get even bluer. The world seemed to get even brighter. It was then that I decided today was not my suicide day.
Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch.
***
Enjoyed this piece of flash fiction? Then you’ll love ‘More Glimpses.’
***
32 short stories and flash fiction pieces take readers to the edge of their imagination.
More Glimpses
Paperback – £4.99
Kindle – £0.99
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#carrotRanch #fiction #flashFiction #mentalHealth #shortStories #shortStory #theCarrotRanch #writingChallenge
Flash Fiction Friday – Space Barks
April 3, 2023, prompt: Write a story about a dog in the desert in 99 words (no more, no less). Why is the dog there? Who else is involved? Is there a deeper metaphor you can make of the desert? Go where the prompt leads! Click here for details.
Space Barks – by Hugh W. Roberts
Lassie roamed the barren wastelands of a far-off desert planet. She was no ordinary dog. The genetically engineered work to withstand the planet’s harsh conditions and assist in the search for a rare mineral was crucial to the survival of all humanity.
With her advanced sensors and augmented strength, she scoured the dunes, her nose forever twitching as she detected the faintest traces of the mineral.
Triumphantly barking again, she dug up a cache of the precious substance.
Now, the humans could survive, knowing their trusty dog companion had saved the day and helped them beat the virus again.
***
Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch.
***
Enjoyed this piece of flash fiction? Then you’ll love ‘Glimpses.’
***
Glimpses
28 short stories and pieces of flash fiction take the reader on a rollercoaster of twists and turns.
Paperback – £4.99
Kindle – £0.99
Follow Hugh on his social media platforms by clicking the buttons below.
Copyright @ 2024 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.
#carrotRanch #dogs #fiction #flashFiction #loveStory #sciFi #scienceFiction #shortStories #shortStory #writingChallenge
Flash Fiction Friday – The House That Nobody Visits
April 10, 2023, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about “the old lady and the Beast.” What does age have to say about the story? Who is the beast, and why? Go where the prompt leads! See April 10: Story Challenge in 99-words for more details.
The House That Nobody Visits – by Hugh W. Roberts
Nobody ever went near the old ladies’ and beasts’ house.
Tears of sadness fell every day. Not even rays of warm sun coming through the windows helped.
When the front doorbell chimed one Saturday afternoon, panic set in.
“Who could it be?”
“I don’t know. Nobody ever comes here because of me.”
“Should we answer?”
“Why not?”
The face of a young female met their faces.
“I’m not afraid,” she said, pushing past them. “It’s time I proved the village folk wrong.”
As the old lady fed on the young flesh, the beast knew why nobody had visited him.
Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch.
***
Enjoyed this piece of flash fiction? Then you’ll love ‘More Glimpses.’
***
32 short stories and flash fiction pieces take readers to the edge of their imagination.
More Glimpses
Paperback – £4.99
Kindle – £0.99
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#carrotRanch #fiction #flashFiction #horror #horrorStories #shortStories #shortStory #theCarrotRanch #writingChallenge
Flash Fiction Friday – Mirror, Mirror
April 17, 2023, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story of something/someone dark-eyed. What could be a dark-eyed situation? Or is it a dark-eyed beauty? A dark-eyed junco? Maybe it’s a futuristic piece of technology. Go where the prompt leads! Check April 17: Story Challenge in 99-words for more details.
Mirror, Mirror – by Hugh W. Roberts
As a child, I was always captivated by the abandoned house on the hill.
Driven by curiosity, I entered and found a room with a cracked mirror. It caught my reflection, but my eyes were pitch black, devoid of colour.
My heart pounded as I stumbled back and left.
Since then, I’ve been different. My mind has taken on dark themes, and nightmares plague me.
Desperate to find my old self, I returned to the house. When I looked at my reflection in the mirror, I saw my old self screaming to get out.
I’d never left that house.
***
Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch.
***
Enjoyed this piece of flash fiction? Then you’ll love ‘Glimpses.’
***
Glimpses
28 short stories and pieces of flash fiction take the reader on a rollercoaster of twists and turns.
Paperback – £4.99
Kindle – £0.99
Follow Hugh on his social media platforms by clicking the buttons below.
Copyright @ 2024 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.
#carrotRanch #fiction #flashFiction #horror #horrorStories #shortStories #shortStory #writingChallenge
Flash Fiction Friday – Where There Is Hope
April 24, 2023, prompt: Write a story about the colour of hope in 99 words (no more, no less). Who needs hope, and why? How can you use colour to shape the story? Pick a colour, any colour. Go where the prompt leads! See April 24: Story Challenge in 99-words for more details.
Where There Is Hope – by Hugh W. Roberts
As the Pride Parade approached, the city streets were awash with every rainbow colour. But for Tim, a young, closeted bisexual man, only one colour truly embodied the spirit of hope – Green. It was the colour of his first love’s eyes and the hope he carried for a world that accepted and celebrated all identities.
As he watched the march, he knew he was not alone. Many diversities watched the parade while waving rainbow flags. Together, they would fight for a future where every colour of love was accepted.
Hope always won over the hatred for being different.
Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch.
***
Enjoyed this piece of flash fiction? Then you’ll love ‘More Glimpses.’
***
32 short stories and flash fiction pieces take readers to the edge of their imagination.
More Glimpses
Paperback – £4.99
Kindle – £0.99
Follow Hugh on his social media platforms by clicking the buttons below.
Copyright @ 2024 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.
#carrotRanch #fiction #flashFiction #lgbt #lgbtFiction #lgbtqi #shortStories #shortStory #theCarrotRanch #writingChallenge
Flash Fiction Friday – In Heaven And Hell
May 1, 2023, prompt: Write a story about high water in 99 words (no more, no less). Hell can be involved or not. Is high water a new drink? A crisis in nature or the basement? Get in the flow. Go where the prompt leads! Check May 1: Story Challenge in 99-words for more details.
In Heaven And Hell – by Hugh W. Roberts
Amid the chaos of the rising floodwaters, Anne and Fiona found themselves stranded on a rooftop.
They’d been strangers before, but now they clung to each other for survival.
As the water crept closer, they discussed their lives and dreams, finding unexpected commonalities. They shared stories of heartbreak and triumph. It wasn’t long before they silently fell in love with each other.
They spent the night on the rooftop, holding each other tightly as the water raged below.
When the rescue boats arrived, they stepped into a new world, hand in hand, ready to face whatever came their way.
***
Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch.
***
Enjoyed this piece of flash fiction? Then you’ll love ‘Glimpses.’
***
Glimpses
28 short stories and pieces of flash fiction take the reader on a rollercoaster of twists and turns.
Paperback – £4.99
Kindle – £0.99
Follow Hugh on his social media platforms by clicking the buttons below.
Copyright @ 2024 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.
#carrotRanch #fiction #flashFiction #lgbt #lgbtFiction #shortStories #shortStory #writingChallenge
Flash Fiction Friday – Year Of The Rabbit
January 9, 2023, prompt: Write a story that includes rabbits in 99 words (no more, no less). Is it a family? A strange planet? Some crazy bunny person’s pets? Who are they, and what are they doing? Go where the prompt leads! Click here for details.
Year Of The Rabbit – by Hugh W. Roberts
As she carefully avoided stepping into any blood on the blood-splattered, white-tiled floor, she thought she’d ask the question again.
“So nobody was here at the time of the murder?”
“Not according to the CCTV footage from outside the room. The murder occurred six to eight hours ago, and nobody came in or out until Professor Doebuck discovered the body.
“Inspector. Hop to it! Bring the forensics out here now, please,” yelled her boss.
Nobody noticed the unlocked door to the cage containing a new rabbit breed as they left the animal-testing laboratory.
The case, now closed, remains unsolved.
***
Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch.
***
Enjoyed this piece of flash fiction? Then you’ll love ‘Glimpses.’
***
Glimpses
28 short stories and pieces of flash fiction take the reader on a rollercoaster of twists and turns.
Paperback – £4.99
Kindle – £0.99
Follow Hugh on his social media platforms by clicking the buttons below.
Copyright @ 2024 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.
#animals #carrotRanch #fiction #flashFiction #murder #pets #shortStories #shortStory #writingChallenge
Flash Fiction Friday – Shadow Talk
January 16, 2023, prompt: Write a story about a lady shadow in 99 words (no more, no less). Who is this person, and why do they lurk in the shadows. What is the tone and setting for your story? Go where the prompt leads! Click here for details.
Shadow Talk – by Hugh W. Roberts
I followed the lady’s shadow on her journey. She took me around the house and waited for me when I fell behind.
If rooms were dark, I’d flick on the light to see her. She talked to me on our journey and reassured me that everything would be okay.
When I heard the key in the front door, she had to leave, but another shadow took her place.
As I quickly took off my mother’s dress, pearl necklace and high-heeled shoes, my father’s voice called out.
“Are you ready, William? Time for you to hit the under-elevens football pitch.”
Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch.
***
Enjoyed this piece of flash fiction? Then you’ll love ‘More Glimpses.’
***
32 short stories and flash fiction pieces take the reader to the edge of their imagination.
More Glimpses
Paperback – £4.99
Kindle – £0.99
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Copyright @ 2024 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.
#carrotRanch #fiction #flashFiction #lgbt #lgbtFiction #shortStories #shortStory #theCarrotRanch #writingChallenge
Flash Fiction Friday – Futures
January 23, 2023, prompt: Write an optimistic story in 99 words (no more, no less). Feel free to explore optimism in all its forms, from a positive mindset to toxic positivity. Is it a heartfelt story or a devious one? So much wiggle room for the optimistic writer. Go where the prompt leads! Click here for details.
Futures – by Hugh W. Roberts
Jackie was optimistic that she’d see at least one more Christmas. She wasn’t going to allow a dodgy heart to beat her.
When her mother’s last days arrived, they celebrated Christmas in February. Her mother’s wish was to celebrate Christmas optimistically before she departed this world.
Everyone was shocked when Jackie’s heart finally gave up in April when Jackie joined her mother on the next adventure.
In December, Jackie’s husband celebrated Christmas with his new wife. While her optimism for never getting caught for what would be a triple murder gathered momentum, she knew she had the best sanguinity.
***
Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch.
***
Enjoyed this piece of flash fiction? Then you’ll love ‘Glimpses.’
***
Glimpses
28 short stories and pieces of flash fiction take the reader on a rollercoaster of twists and turns.
Paperback – £4.99
Kindle – £0.99
Follow Hugh on his social media platforms by clicking the buttons below.
Copyright @ 2024 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.
#carrotRanch #fiction #flashFiction #murder #shortStories #shortStory #writingChallenge
Flash Fiction Friday – The Bread Plate
January 30, 2023, prompt: Write a story about the dishes in 99 words (no more, no less). It can be an every-single-day activity, a precious collection, or any other interpretation of dishes as objects or activities. Who is stuck with the dishes and why? Go where the prompt leads! Click here for details.
The Bread Plate – by Hugh W. Roberts
While daydreaming, admiring the dishes on the table, Madeline watched the dapper servers rush by holding trays of plates covered with metal domes. Nobody would miss a small bread plate if she secretly hid one in her purse, would they?
She’d add a dinner service like this, without the name, to her upcoming wedding gift list.
An unexpected rattling of the dishes, cutlery and glasses made as they shuddered broke her daydream.
“What’s causing everything to clatter, Madeline?” asked her mother.
“I don’t know, Ma-ma,” Madeline replied, wondering if the word ‘Titanic’ would easily rub off her bread plate.
Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch.
***
Enjoyed this piece of flash fiction? Then you’ll love ‘More Glimpses.’
***
32 short stories and flash fiction pieces take the reader to the edge of their imagination.
More Glimpses
Paperback – £4.99
Kindle – £0.99
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Copyright @ 2024 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.
#carrotRanch #fiction #flashFiction #shortStories #shortStory #theCarrotRanch #titanic #writingChallenge
Flash Fiction Friday – Natural Ways
February 6, 2023, prompt: Write a story as a love letter to nature in 99 words (no more, no less). You could reach back to more pastoral times of writing or enter into the future. Who is writing the letter — an ant or an aunt? Is it a lifetime of love or aeons? Go where the prompt leads! Click here for details.
Natural Ways – by Hugh W. Roberts
Written in blood, the script of the love letter was unsteady.
Addressed to ‘Nature, my one true love,’ the writer spoke of a deep, abiding affection, a need to be near the earth and its creatures.
As the police read on, chills ran down their spines. The writer spoke of desires to be one with nature, to shed their human skin and live as wild things do. It was clear the author was unstable. The authorities feared the worst.
Searching the woods, they found a campsite, abandoned but for a single, chilling clue: a neatly arranged pile of bones.
***
Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch.
Click here to view last week’s entries.
***
Enjoyed this piece of flash fiction? Then you’ll love ‘Glimpses.’
***
Glimpses
28 short stories and pieces of flash fiction take the reader on a rollercoaster of twists and turns.
Paperback – £4.99
Kindle – £0.99
Follow Hugh on his social media platforms by clicking the buttons below.
Copyright @ 2024 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.
#carrotRanch #fiction #flashFiction #love #nature #shortStories #shortStory #writingChallenge
Flash Fiction Friday – All It Took
February 13, 2023, prompt: Write a story about a smear of jam in 99 words (no more, no less). Is it across a slice of toast, a white shirt, or something unexpected? The jam could be the focus or detail that ads a twist. Who are the characters with the jam, and where are they situated in space and time? Go where the prompt leads!
All It Took – by Hugh W. Roberts
AI recommended the jam and put it on her shopping list.
Two days later, she spread a smear of the sticky jam on her toast and took little notice of the tiny handprint on the side of the jar.
Spitting out the toast’s remains, she drank a glass of water to eliminate the awful taste of the jam.
Moments later, she felt a strange sensation in her mouth, looked down and saw something moving in the jam.
In the instant before she craved human flesh, she knew the smear on the jar wasn’t a handprint; it was a warning.
Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch.
***
Enjoyed this piece of flash fiction? Then you’ll love ‘More Glimpses.’
***
32 short stories and flash fiction pieces take the reader to the edge of their imagination.
More Glimpses
Paperback – £4.99
Kindle – £0.99
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#carrotRanch #fiction #flashFiction #food #horror #shortStories #shortStory #theCarrotRanch #writingChallenge
Flash Fiction Friday – The Field
February 27, 2023, prompt: Write a story about a golden onion in 99 words (no more, no less). Any golden onion. One planted or harvested. An onion chopped for a meal. How can you use an onion as a prop in a character’s hand? Go where the prompt leads! Click here for details.
The Field – by Hugh W. Roberts
Laying in a dark field, the skin of a giant golden onion shimmered in the moonlight, hoping to tempt passersby to touch it.
Townsfolk spoke of a curse cast by a vengeful, vindictive spirit on the onion. They avoided the field, warning their children never to venture in.
Travellers thought the shimmer was gold. Some failed in their temptation to go into the field. Those that touched the onion disappeared without a trace.
Some nights, the air was filled with the scent of onion, reminding the townsfolk that the cursed golden onion was waiting to claim its next victim.
***
Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch.
***
Enjoyed this piece of flash fiction? Then you’ll love ‘Glimpses.’
***
Glimpses
28 short stories and pieces of flash fiction take the reader on a rollercoaster of twists and turns.
Paperback – £4.99
Kindle – £0.99
Follow Hugh on his social media platforms by clicking the buttons below.
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#carrotRanch #fiction #flashFiction #food #shortStories #shortStory #writingChallenge
"The Urinal" by Douglas James Troxell (art by Cara Lynch): https://thestoryshack.com/flash-fiction/comedy/douglas-james-troxell-the-urinal #flashfiction #WritingCommunity
It's the year 2237 and Johan Armes, the secretary to the President of Titan Station VI, is trying to prepare briefing booklets for the meeting with the Ragalian delegation. The Ragalians abhor technology unless absolutely necessary, even going so far as to use vacuum tubes for transporting goods on their starships instead of teleporters. One supposes they have to do something with their failed rail gun technology.
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