Tag: FOWC with Fandango

Short Story

DADDY GOES TO THE MALL

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

Denise @ GirlieOnTheEdge
has once again challenged us
to write a Six Sentence Story,
incorporating the word “limit”.
This is my response.
πŸŽ…πŸΌ

β€œNow listen up, kids, because Daddy’s had just about enough of this nonsense; I’m at the end of my rope and very close to losing it right here in front of Cinnabon, you hear me?

Every year it’s the same thing with you kids; Timmy, Sally .… I need you guys to get a grip because people are starting to stare, mall security is checking me out and the big guy in the red suit is becoming impatient.

Try to remember what we talked about last night when I read you a bedtime story, how you gotta behave because Santa is watching all the time and he knows when you’re being naughty (like now) or when you’re being nice; if you want Santa Claus to come to our house this year and bring you Christmas presents, you better shape up this minute and stop crying or else you’re gonna get a big fat lump of coal in your stocking!

Sally, I know you want Mommy right now but the last time I saw her she was ducking into Ye Olde Candle Shoppe and she hasn’t come out yet …. as if we really need more goddamn candles that smell like fruit cake and reindeer balls …. it ain’t normal, I’m telling you; look, we’re next in line to see Santa so everybody settle down, stop crying and when we’re all done we’ll go down to the food court and get ice cream at Baskin Robbins, ok?

Hold on a second, kids, cos one of the elves is putting up a sign and I wanna see what it says; whoa, whoa, whoa …. wait up there, pal …. what’s with the sign?

Ok, change of plans, kids …. Santa’s taking a lunch break and won’t be back till 3:00 so we’re gonna go hunt down Mommy in the friggin’ candle store and then we’re gonna go home where Daddy can watch Sunday football and have a couple of cold ones and Mommy can bring you back to the mall tomorrow while I’m at the office; Timmy, Sally …. for fuck’s sake …. that’s enough now cos Daddy’s good and pissed and has reached his limit …. so stop with the damn crying or I’ll really give you something to cry about!”

NAR Β© 2023

Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt!
FOWC with Fandango β€” Grip
Weekly Prompts Colour Challenge – Red!
FOWC with Fandango β€” Normal

This is Bob Rivers & Twisted Christmas with β€œI Am Santa Claus”

It’s Birthday Thursday today
at The Rhythm Section.
Stop by and see who’s
celebrating a birthday!
No fuss, no muss;
just wall-to-wall-music!
https://rhythmsection.blog/

Short Story

PILLOW TALK

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

It’s Six Sentence Story time with Denise at GirlieOnTheEdge. Yeah, it is.

“Other” is a word that rhymes with mother, which also happens to rhyme with smother, which begs the question: β€œAm I a dreadful person for wanting to smother my mother ?”

Mother wasn’t a bad person; there was no physical abuse  – just a major lack of tenderness which can leave greater, more permanent scars …. a perfectionist who found it very difficult to show warmth or affection, even to her children; I don’t remember her saying β€œI love you”, tickling me till I squealed or reading bedtime stories; what I do remember is proudly showing her a drawing I made in school with the inscription β€œSkyscrapers scrape the sky while butterflies flutter by”…. something my teacher called β€œhighly imaginative and showing great vision” but mother said it was foolishness because butterflies can’t fly that high.

As a teenager I was forbidden to shave my legs but did anyway and not wanting my secret revealed, I wore jeans all the time, even to the beach in the middle of summer which also covered-up the fact that I used a self-tanner which turned my skin orange; mother watched as I scrubbed myself raw in the tub using a mixture of water and bleach β€“ a humiliating experience –  but it was at that time she discovered my shaved legs, causing her to explode like a slow gas leak and, of course, I was grounded but it was worth it. 

Many days after arriving home from school I would find the contents of my dresser drawers dumped on my bed, simply because mother didn’t approve of how my clothes were folded; if I wanted to sleep that night, I’d have to put all my things away (or push them to the floor, which I often did) and I’d get hell the next day but it was a trip seeing her bulging veins and bugged-out eyes.

Years later when I had kids, mother would pop in unannounced and examine my house like the β€œWhite-Glove Lady” checking for dust; if my oven didn’t meet her standards, she would clean it (which, now that I have 20/20 hindsight, was a blessing in disguise because I ended up with a clean oven) and then she would depart as quickly as she arrived, leaving me with a spotless house but never once sitting down for coffee and a piece of pie or stopping to play with my children. 

Lately I’ve been having a recurring dream about smothering mother with a pillow and when I wake up, I’m smiling; I guess my earlier question bears repeating: β€œDoes that make me a dreadful person?”

NAR Β© 2023

Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt!
FOWC with Fandango β€” Explode

This is John Lennon & Yoko Ono with The Plastic Ono Band singing “Mother”:

Flash

THE MESSAGE

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

General Agricola was restless; for three nights he did not sleep. The Caledonians were plotting, of this he was certain. They were a pompous lot, thinking they could defeat his legions.

There was fire in his belly and he was determined to prove himself irreplaceable to the emperor, Vespasian.

Agricola summoned his first officer, Acilius. β€œI require the services of the scribe, Tertius. Depart immediately and bring him to me.”

Acilius did as commanded. The wizened scribe, Tertius, sat at the foot of Agricola, his calamus at the ready. He began the most crucial message of his life.

NAR Β© 2023
98 Words

Weekend Writing Prompt #337 – Scribe
FOWC with Fandango β€” Belly
FOWC with Fandango β€” Pompous
Officer
FOWC with Fandango β€” Restless
Wizened

This is Civil War doing “Rome Is Falling”

Short Story

I LOVE IT WHEN YOU SCREAM

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

β€œAre you coming or not?” Carl demanded as he took a few steps further into the haunted house at the Springwood Halloween Fair.

Sharon stood there fiddling with the drawstring of her hoodie. She chewed on her bottom lip, her eyes wide and brimming with tears.

β€œI’m really scared of these places, Carl. I mean, they terrify me. I don’t want to do this.” And the tears came.

This was nothing new to Carl; Sharon hid behind her hands when she tried to watch β€œThe Walking Dead” with him in the comfort of their own living room. He rolled his eyes, tired of Sharon’s childish fears of creatures that don’t exist.

β€œLook, babe, as I told you a dozen times already, everybody knows this is the best haunted house in the county” Carl replied in his usual condescending tone. β€œMy friends at work said it was awesome and even Hal brought is girlfriend Darleen who’s afraid of her own shadow and she thought it was fabulous. I promise, it’s gonna be a blast.”

Sharon could hear screams coming from inside the haunted house but everyone came out laughing and quickly lined up to go in again.

β€œOK, I’ll do it but you have to promise to take me to see the Taylor Swift concert on the big IMAX screen next week.”

Carl happily agreed knowing there was no way in hell he was going to sit through a Taylor Swift concert. Laughing, he grabbed Sharon’s hand and pulled her into the haunted house.

β€œDon’t let go of my hand, Carl!” Sharon cried out.

β€œSharon, just chill out. Why can’t you get it through your head that it’s all fake, it’s just for show and none of these characters are real? I promise I won’t let go of your hand. Now stop being a drama queen and try to have some harmless fun, ok?” Carl could really be a nasty SOB.

The inside of the haunted house was complete sensory overload; there was constant screaming as zombies, vampires, witches, skeletons, ghosts and hideous slasher movie characters jumped out of doorways, flew into windows, dropped down from the ceiling and popped up through the floor.

The place was madness and Sharon was getting claustrophobic. The only thing that kept her from running out in a panic was the familiar feel of Carl’s hand in hers. She couldn’t see an inch in front of her and there was something popping out at every turn. It was horrifying for Sharon.

Before Sharon knew what was happening, the grotesque image of Freddy Krueger suddenly appeared from behind a wall of smoke and menacingly brandished his deadly bladed glove; Sharon couldn’t take it any longer. She screamed out for Carl and pushed her way through the crowd, grateful that he was still with her.

Once outside, Sharon gulped in the fresh air and blasted Carl. β€œThat was the worst experience of my life! It was terrifying and you tricked me. How could you?? I’m not kidding, Carl. I’m really pissed! Carl!!  Are you even listening to me, dammit?”

And when Sharon turned to face Carl, she discovered she had been holding on to his severed arm. The next morning Carl’s body was found in the woods behind the haunted house. He had been sliced to pieces. They say karma’s a bitch.

At least Carl was true to Sharon about one thing that night; he never let go of her hand.

NAR Β© 2023

Fandango’s Story Starter #120

Fandango’s Story Starter #120
Weekly Prompts Weekend Challenge – Why?

This is “Freddy Krueger Sings A Song” (Scary Horror Halloween Parody)

Flash

AN ENIGMA

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬
Photo Prompt Β© Lisa Fox

Did you ever get the feeling you were being watched?

The forecast for snow turned out to be highly exaggerated as there was barely a coating; much had already melted away.

I’d hiked these woods many times; I was comfortable here and felt safe among the deer and wild birds. Today was different; I couldn’t shake that feeling of being watched.

I scanned the area and that’s when I saw him. You’ll see him, too. Look in the upper left section of the photo. There, hiding behind the grey rock is the face of Edgar Allan Poe.

He’s watching you.

NAR Β© 2023
100 Words

27 October2023
FOWC with Fandango β€” Hike

Here are The Police performing “Every Breath You Take”