Let’em fail

My poor babies…I ache to scoop’em and tuck’em safely under my wings.  I even take a step forward. But I back away  remembering  mother’s mantra:

” Let’em fail”.

“Let’em fail, until they learn how to succeed. They all will in their own time.”, mother had said.

I stay away  unable to watch them floundering. One of my babies succeeds  first, way before the others. I want to check who it is. I even bend down to sniff his scent. But I don’t , recalling my mother’s second mantra: “Keep count of ’em , not the score”

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The below video would explain my story.

—end —

This  100 word story was written in response to a 100 word photo challenge  posted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields each week. PHOTO PROMPT ©  Luther Siler

Click on the ‘blue frog’  below to read other amazing takes on the same photo prompt:

 

Repeat customers

Sita tentatively steps through the door.

“I was told…I can change my past here?…for free?”, her eyes hold question-marks.

“You are at the right place ,Honey”, Mia assures her.  “Let me tell you how this works. You pick your life’s major cross-road.  You choose a different path. You arrive at whatever place that path would have taken you today. Any questions? No? “.

Sita’s eager choice launches an avalanche of new memories coming to rest at a door, which looks vaguely familiar.

Sita tentatively steps through the door.

—

Mia hides her sigh behind a smile and welcomes Sita, again.

—-end —

For the concrit subgroup : I wasn’t sure if the last line was necessary . what do you think? Also how did the tenses work?

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This  100 word story was written in response to a 100 word photo challenge  posted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields each week. PHOTO PROMPT © Roger Bultot

Click on the ‘blue frog’  below to read other amazing takes on the same photo prompt:

Relax

“So, what are you going to do after dinner?”

“Nothing. Maybe relax with a book”

” What ?! There is so much to do. We have only 7 days left before our 2 day vacation”

“I just booked the hotel. We are all set. What else is there to do?”

“Well here’s a list for you…while I work on my list”

1. Hold mail
2. pack bags
3. call dog-sitter
4. buy sunscreen
5. book a shuttle to airport
6. inform neighbourhood watch
7. empty fridge
8. set up timer lights
9. blah blah

 

“Got it…So , what are we going to do at the beach?”

“Nothing. Maybe relax with a book”

 

—-end —-

Anyone else feel that preparing for a short vacation away from home – to do “nothing” –  is sometimes not really worth the stress and effort and cost?

Happy thanksgiving to those in the US – whatever the origins of this holiday, I’m thankful for a day off.

This  100 word story was written in response to a 100 word photo challenge  posted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields each week. PHOTO PROMPT © Sandra Crook

Click on the ‘blue frog’  below to read other amazing takes on the same photo prompt:

A lost sole

Dear Ex,

We went through so much together;

You and me.

Through Hell; Through Heaven;

And everything in between.

All together,

As soul mates.

 

 

We were going places.

You and me.

Until you thought we were not made for each other.

That you were way better than me.

You said that I was a ‘nothing’ without you by my side:

Useless. Trash. You were right.

 

The last time I saw you, you said you had a lot more places to go.

You said I was holding you back.

Yesterday, I heard that you were found in a gutter…

—-end —

This less than 100 word story/letter was written in response to a 100 word photo challenge  posted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields each week.

Click on the ‘blue frog’  below to read other amazing takes on the same photo prompt:

God’s salesman

“There’s a 2 sq.ft hole in our church floor. School needs expansion…” , the secretary lists the Church’s needs eyeing the once-upon-a-time snake-oil salesman turned Reverend.

“That unused cemetery acre, Mrs.McGrave’s plot? Can’t we use that? Surely she will understand the needs of poor children…”

“She hates children”

“I’ll talk to her”.

—

After service, the Reverend walks up to the frail old Mrs.McGrave. “How lovely to see you my dear….”

— A few months later —

A new 2 sq.ft plaque , covering the once-upon-a-time hole on the church floor reads: “Herein rests Emma McGrave….”

Outside the construction crews were busy building the McGrave wing.

— end —

This 99 word story  is written in response to the 100 word photo challenge  posted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields each week.  This week’s photo prompt – © J Hardy Carroll

Click on the ‘blue frog’  below to read other amazing takes on the same photo prompt:

Basic needs

The leader waits for the restless crowd to quieten:

“We evolved, to look like twigs , to remain hidden from our  predators. Our cover was eventually exposed.

We evolved again , to look like leaves.  We thrived . But trees are now extinct.”

Dissenting voices rise- “so are our predators” .

“Are you forgetting the one predator left?”

The sobering truth sinks in. The leader has their attention. He pulls out a cable wire.

“If we evolved to look like this, we can thrive. Our predator would dig delicately around us, leave us alone,  because they live in mortal fear of losing …………. internet connection.”

—– End —-

This 100 word story  is written in response to the 100 word photo challenge  posted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields each week.  This week’s photo was provided by Mrs. Connie Russell.

Click on the ‘blue frog’  below to read other amazing takes on the same photo prompt:

Shadows

I lit a fire in the hearth,

To replace your warmth.

I lit the world up with lamps,

To make up for your absence.

It works.

Most of the time.

But  neither lamps nor fire.

play with my shadows like you do, Sire.

——–  end ———-

Note:  “shadows” here represents the metaphysical one we are all supposed to carry according to Jungian psychology:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_%28psychology%29

—-  end note —

This 42 word ” story” is written in response to the 100 word photo challenge  posted by Rochelle Wisoff-Field each week.  This week’s photo was provided by Rochelle herself.

Click on the ‘blue frog’  below to read other amazing takes on the same photo prompt:

1st or 9th ?

Finish the story begins with:  “Now this is living the life of Riley.”

Content. Without a care in the world. With no worry about tomorrow. Pop some kittens when the urge hits and go on napping.

No need to run the kittens around to football for measly college scholarships. No need to stand on the sidelines  worrying about concussions  or ruptured spleens…like humans.  Why worry when you can drop another litter of 4 or 5 to replace that one lost?

No decision to mull around on whether to push kitty to do the ACT or the new SAT. No need to worry about college essays,  college admissions, grades, drugs, rape-culture.

Most importantly no need to keep with the achievements of the kitten’s next door. No pressure.

And if this life get screwed up ….there’s 8 more to go. Although this could be the 9th …. in that case there’s nothing to be done anyway …so why stress?

If you have a choice : Live like Riley

Note: Riley is the cat sleeping upside down contentedly.

——— end ——-

The about 150 word  story above was in response to ‘Monday’s finish the story’ flash fiction challenge. This unique flash fiction challenge  provides  a new photo each week, and the first sentence of a story. The challenge is to finish the story using 100-150 words, not including the sentence provided. Details are available here:

Mondays Finish the Story – Oct. 12th, 2015

For other interesting takes on the same prompt click the blue frog below:

Gurgle, Gurgle….

They said the view at the top was amazing. You could see Russia …. they said.

This “they”…you know who I’m talking about right ? …’they’ say so many things. But we need to listen to that inner voice… inside our own gut…granted the inner voice doesn’t speak sentences and fancy words like this ‘they’…it just gurgles sometimes…It’s a language of just one monosyllable -one sound – for all situations…..but it is never to be ignored.

“Come on , it’s just $5″….’they’ said. I ended up with $30 of dry-cleaning expenses because I ignored that ‘gurgle’.

——– end—————-

This 100 word story  is written in response to the 100 word photo challenge  posted by Rochelle Wisoff-Field each week.  This week’s photo was provided by Ted Strutz.

Click on the ‘blue frog’  below to read other amazing takes on the same photo prompt:

The lone witness

Finish the story begins with:  “Few knew about the castle hidden inside the island.”,  the shrivelled old man continued, “and those few are dead now. Only I remain…the lone witness to the grandeur that once existed.

You will see snakes slithering all over now and will never once imagine that here once children ran around …the air filled with their laughter. Few knew about it …and those few are dead now. Only I remain…the lone witness to the laughter that once existed.

You will see that the weeds and creepers and never once imagine that here stood a beautiful garden with bountiful fruits and fragrant flowers. Few knew about it …and those few are dead now. Only I remain…the lone witness to that sweet fragrance….. ”

As the old man counted all the coins and notes ,deposited in his tattered-hat by wide-eyed tourists , he wondered why no one questioned how a seventy year old may have witnessed what happened 150 years ago.

—–

“Dad, why did you give him money..his story was soooo fake”

“He looked hungry son”

——– end ————

The about 150 word  story above was in response to ‘Monday’s finish the story’ flash fiction challenge. This unique flash fiction challenge  provides  a new photo each week, and the first sentence of a story. The challenge is to finish the story using 100-150 words, not including the sentence provided. Details are available here:

Mondays Finish the Story – October 5th, 2015

For other interesting takes on the same prompt click the blue frog below: