FOWC with Fandango – Tales from the mind of Kristian

An encounter of a certain kind – Spin the Yarn Challenge.

two alien inside car wallpaper — Photo by Miriam Espacio on Pexels.com

I was never one who believed in conspiracy theories or ghosts or other fantastical things. My mother always used to say “He’s got his head screwed on right, no flights of fancy from him”.

I never believed in those tales about Aliens coming to earth and living amongst us. I remember watching a documentary about how an Alien race had come to earth and taught three separate civilizations the same amazing innovations of farming, irrigation and monument building, namely the Mayans, the Han and the Egyptians. The programme was quite convincing, stating that how could three civilizations separated by thousands of miles, each develop similar methods of agriculture and tool use? The step pyramids in Meso America compared with early Pyramids from Egypt. Convincing, yet I failed to believe.

My scepticism came to an abrupt end last weekend. The almost full moon had shone brightly in the garden as I went out to my chicken run to make sure my girls were OK.

I have a habit of checking on them before I go to bed. I’m sure the neighbours think I’m absolutely mad when they hear me saying “Good night girls, sleep tight” to my hens.

This time, as I glanced up at the moon, I saw something shoot across the sky. I blinked, thinking it might have been an aeroplane. I caught a glimpse of it again. It was a circular shape with flashing lights that passed across the sky then suddenly stopped and hovered overhead. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Was it some trickery caused by a cloud? I ran inside to get my digital camera but before I got to the end of the path a bright light surrounded me and seem to trap me in its beam. I have very little memory of what happened next. I’m sure I was probed with a surgical implement or two and recall a bulbous-headed figure with huge red eyes staring at me as I lay on a bench. It is all rather hazy until I woke up, lying in my chicken run, with one of my hens sitting next to me, pecking gently at the collar of my pyjama top.

I know we are not alone in the universe now, somewhere out there is an alien with my DNA in a test tube.

***

“How Credible or Creative do you find my tale – please score me out of 10.”

This story was written for Rory, A Guy Called Bloke’s Spin the Yarn Challenge:

Spin The Yarn – Say What?? Get Outa Here!

I have also included the following word prompts:

https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2019/04/19/rdp-friday-tool/

FOWC with Fandango — Trickery

https://onedailyprompt.wordpress.com/2019/04/19/your-daily-word-prompt-implement-april-19-2019/

https://wordofthedaychallenge.wordpress.com/2019/04/19/moon/

Life’s Compromise – A multiple Word prompt poem.

man sitting on edge facing sunset — Photo by Abhiram Prakash on Pexels.com

https://wordofthedaychallenge.wordpress.com/2019/04/18/reminiscent/

https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2019/04/18/rdp-thursday-compromise/

https://onedailyprompt.wordpress.com/2019/04/18/your-daily-word-prompt-sunshine-april-18-2019/

FOWC with Fandango — Prone

I’m prone to reminisce

about bygone days spent

in rapturous bliss

as sunshine bathed

my youthful face

Those days are gone,

That time, that place.

And now the truth

Appears before my eyes,

Life is just one big compromise.

Copyright: Kristian Fogarty 18/April/2019

50 Word Thursday – Yearning for Solidity.

This poem was written for the 50 Word Thursday Challenge, this week hosted by Teresa, The Haunted Wordsmith. see her post here:

https://thehauntedwordsmith.wordpress.com/2019/04/17/50-word-thursday-16/

Here is the picture:

and here are the words:

and ne’er was a creature so true and so loyal
Dav Pilkey, God Bless the Gargoyles

Yearning for Solidity

It sits atop its castle walls,
lingering smiles on granite lips.
Bare and prone to whatever falls,
from pigeon’s droppings to rain drop drips.

Baked by summer’s sunshine rays
it never complains or makes demands
Without compromise or need of praise
enjoying the view that it commands.

It’s solid truth; accepted fact
That patience is a virtuous act,
and ne’er was a creature so true and loyal
as the silent, stately granite gargoyle.

I wish I could return to my youth,
Before I made a mistake and wed,
That flawed creature, a male, forsooth,
And married a noble gargoyle instead.

[100 Words]

copyright: Kristian Fogarty 18/April/2019

I have also included the following word prompts:

https://wordofthedaychallenge.wordpress.com/2019/04/17/lingering/

FOWC with Fandango — Prone

https://onedailyprompt.wordpress.com/2019/04/18/your-daily-word-prompt-sunshine-april-18-2019/

https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2019/04/18/rdp-thursday-compromise/

A Song Challenge from Laura Venturini

Laura Venturini tagged me in this fun Song themed game, check out her post here:

Weekly Song Challenge-Round 9

Rules:
Copy rules and add to your own post, pinging back to this post.
Post music videos for your answers to the musical questions.
Tag two people to participate!
Easy!

1. Post a music video of a song by an artist popular in the 80s.

Hall and Oates – I Can’t go for that.

2. Post a music video of a song that makes you wanna shake your groove thang!

Bee Gees – You Should Be Dancing.

I used to dance just like that when I was in my Prime. 😉

3. Post a music video of an acoustic version of a popular song.

Gerry and the Pacemakers – Ferry Cross the Mersey (Well he’s playing the acoustic guitar, so hopefully that counts).

I will challenge:

https://crushedcaramel.wordpress.com/2019/04/15/where-we-imagined-ourselves/

https://lifelessonsaroundthedinnertable.wordpress.com/2019/04/15/soulful-sunday-10-dreams-and-smiles/

No pressure, only if you’d like to take part.

FOWC with Fandango — Prime

https://wordofthedaychallenge.wordpress.com/2019/04/16/ferry/

50 Word Thursday – A Wonderful World

I was used to travelling in the East. I had spent more of my life away from England than I had there. England held no sense of wonder for me. It was afternoon tea and Cricket, civilised and boring. I preferred to explore the far flung areas of the world.

On this particular trip, I was in Penang enjoying walking through the markets selling all manner of exotic spices. One stall selling small items carved from sandalwood was doing a roaring trade, an elderly man sat behind the display carving more objects rapidly trying to keep up with demand, such was the turnover.

That was when I first heard of the House of Wonder. I knew it for what it truly was, a trap for gullible tourists who would end up with their throats slit and their belongings sold on. I knew enough to keep away from it.

For reasons of my own, I had decided to remain in Penang for a while, I had found congenial company amongst a few of the natives and was in no hurry to move on.

I was not the only Englishman staying there. I had struck up a friendship with a fellow named Carstairs. We used to play cards, drink whisky and chat.

One day I saw Carstairs at the market talking to a fellow near the Wonder House.

I heard him ask ““Ah! The Wonder House! Can any enter?” and the man nodded.

I cried out “Wait!”.

Carstairs was never seen again.

[250 words]

This story was written for the 50 Word Thursday challenge, click on the link below.

https://talesfromthemindofkristian.wordpress.com/2019/04/10/50-word-thursday-15/

It is not too late to take part in this challenge, it finishes Wednesday and a new one will be posted on Thursday.

This story also contains the following word prompts:

https://wordofthedaychallenge.wordpress.com/2019/04/15/world/

FOWC with Fandango — Turnover

https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2019/04/15/rdp-monday-wait/

A Double Haiku – Naughtiness.

I can’t recall when,

I had seen a more naughty

April Fool’s Day prank.

To Modify that

picture of the President,

to make him look smart!

https://swimmersweek.wordpress.com/2019/04/14/april/

https://onedailyprompt.wordpress.com/2019/04/14/your-daily-word-prompt-modify-april-14-2019/

FOWC with Fandango — Recall

https://wordofthedaychallenge.wordpress.com/2019/04/14/naughty/

https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2019/04/14/rdp-sunday-picture/

Do you recall? – A recap of some of my recent posts.

Cheers

You may recall that about a month ago I wrote a recap post to give an overall picture of my short stories and poems.

Click on the link below to see this earlier post:

https://talesfromthemindofkristian.wordpress.com/2019/03/17/deja-vu-a-recap-of-some-of-my-recent-posts/

I didn’t want to do a similar post every week, because that would soon get monotonous, but I thought it was time to put together another recap post for some of my stories and poems that I’ve written in April.

Poems:

https://talesfromthemindofkristian.wordpress.com/2019/04/01/a-foolish-murder-mystery-a-poem-written-for-the-genre-challenge/

https://talesfromthemindofkristian.wordpress.com/2019/04/01/kreative-kue-bonfire-of-broken-dreams/

https://talesfromthemindofkristian.wordpress.com/2019/04/01/a-purrformance-a-poem-for-kiras-sunday-scribbles/

https://talesfromthemindofkristian.wordpress.com/2019/04/04/what-do-you-see-a-daredevil-in-flight/

https://talesfromthemindofkristian.wordpress.com/2019/04/05/the-ballad-of-ted-and-flo-a-raunchier-genre-challenge/

https://talesfromthemindofkristian.wordpress.com/2019/04/07/star-envy-a-haiku/

https://talesfromthemindofkristian.wordpress.com/2019/04/08/earths-last-day-a-poem-for-kiras-sunday-scribbles/

https://talesfromthemindofkristian.wordpress.com/2019/04/10/mysterious-ways-a-short-poem/

https://talesfromthemindofkristian.wordpress.com/2019/04/11/dreaming-of-fairies/

https://talesfromthemindofkristian.wordpress.com/2019/04/11/what-do-you-see-a-sensible-ideology/

Short Stories:

https://talesfromthemindofkristian.wordpress.com/2019/04/02/genre-challenge-a-lonely-existence/

https://talesfromthemindofkristian.wordpress.com/2019/04/03/genre-challenge-penitent-hostage/

https://talesfromthemindofkristian.wordpress.com/2019/04/03/i-caught-a-fish-it-was-this-big-a-story-for-rory-a-guy-called-bloke/

https://talesfromthemindofkristian.wordpress.com/2019/04/12/a-pantomime-joke/

I always considered myself to be more of a story writer, with Poetry just being an occasional aside. Seeing as how the number of poems I have recently in the last two weeks compared to the number of stories, I think I’ll have to modify my view slightly….

Enjoy your Sunday 🙂

https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2019/04/14/rdp-sunday-picture/

FOWC with Fandango — Recall

https://onedailyprompt.wordpress.com/2019/04/14/your-daily-word-prompt-modify-april-14-2019/

https://swimmersweek.wordpress.com/2019/04/14/april/

A Pantomime Joke

grayscale photo of laughing old man — Photo by Flickr on Pexels.com

“I say, I say, I say”

Said the man on the stage. In typical pantomime fashion, he was dressed as a washerwoman, with bright pink and white striped voluminous dresses with a spotted purple apron. He was also expecting the audience to participate.

“What?” The audience shouted back.

“What happened when the scientists tried to copy a Hurricane?”

The Pantomime Dame asked.

Again, the audience shouted back.

“We don’t know. What did happen when the scientists tried to copy a Hurricane?”

The Dame winked his eye and responded.

“They got a Cyclone.”

The audience groaned and laughed in equal measure.

https://wordofthedaychallenge.wordpress.com/2019/04/12/copy/#like-1199

https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2019/04/12/rdp-friday-cyclone/

FOWC with Fandango — Pantomime

https://onedailyprompt.wordpress.com/2019/04/12/your-daily-word-prompt-participate-april-12-2019/