Friday Fictioneers – Tales from the mind of Kristian

Friday Fictioneers – Looming Fate.

PHOTO PROMPT© Sandra Crook

Elsie stood in line with the other new girls starting at the Cotton mill.

A Matron glared at them all through her pince-nez that sat precariously on her long sharp nose.

“This is our latest technological wonder, our electric loom. It will be your job, young ladies, to keep this running smoothly. To this task, you will dedicate all your time and efforts.”

One girl put up her hand and asked: “Is it safe?”

The Matron gave her a look of scorn and walked off.

Elsie wondered how many fingers they would dedicate to this monster.

[100 words]

This story was written for the Friday Fictioneers Challenge hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-fields

29 March 2019

I have also included the following Word Prompts:

https://wordofthedaychallenge.wordpress.com/2019/03/29/dedicate/

FOWC with Fandango — Scorn

Friday Fictioneers – A Remnant of Grandeur.

PHOTO PROMPT © Anshu Bhojnagarwala

Walking down the street, the Piano merchant stopped and stared appalled.

A grand piano stood there, looking forlorn and in danger of falling apart. Someone had filled it with soil and various plants, mainly daisies and lavender.

It broke his heart to see this once impressive instrument that must have produced fine music, invoking a wonderful spirit of harmony and beauty, reduced to being a plant pot.

Moving closer, he saw above the keys what he knew would be there, the name ‘Erard’. It was on a Piano such as this that the great Beethoven and Liszt once played.

[99 words]

This story was written for the Friday Fictioneers Challenge hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. If you’d like to take part, please click on the link below to see her post:

15 March 2019

I have also incorporated the following word prompts:

https://lightmotifs.wordpress.com/2019/03/14/three-things-challenge-pl29/

Today’s prompt: merchant, danger, lavender

https://wordofthedaychallenge.wordpress.com/2019/03/15/harmony-2/

Friday Fictioneers – A Cat’s Adventure.

PHOTO PROMPT © CEAyr

Mr Twinkle reclined, an air of nobility and idle grandeur about him. He stretched and opened his eyes.

It was a bit of a shock to his eyes to see that although he was still on the comfortable seat on the back of the scooter, he was not in the same place at all. The sight of the cobblestones, the warm summery smells, were all very different.

Clearly, he would have to watch where he decided to fall asleep in future.

Jumping off to search for breakfast, he thought ‘Where ever I am, I’m not in Kansas anymore.’

[98 words]

This story was written for Friday Fictioneers: See link below.

8 March 2019

I have also included the following word prompts:

https://onedailyprompt.wordpress.com/2019/03/08/your-daily-word-prompt-nobility-march-8-2019/

FOWC with Fandango — Watch

Friday Fictioneers – Dark Secrets – A Tale in 100 words.

PHOTO PROMPT © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

The vase of gilded roses sat, as they always had, on the sideboard in her grandmother’s neat apartment.

Next to them were the photographs of family members long gone, whose names she’d been made to commit to memory.

She had only once asked about the significance of those roses. Her grandmother’s eyes had welled with tears and so she’d changed the subject.

Their family had been prosperous and powerful once, but no one spoke of their fall from grace.

Someday, she hoped she’d have the courage to ask again and the courage to cope with her grandmother’s answers.

This was written for Rochelle Wisoff-Fields Friday Fictioneers picture challenge:

22 February 2019

and also included the word prompts:

https://wordofthedaychallenge.wordpress.com/2019/02/22/commit/

https://onedailyprompt.wordpress.com/2019/02/22/your-daily-word-prompt-someday-february-22-2019/

Friday Fictioneers – The Travellers – A Tale in 100 words.

PHOTO PROMPT © Anshu Bhojnagarwala

They put down their heavy bundle and sat by the fire to warm their aching bones. The travellers had walked for many miles from the last village and it was many miles more until they reached the next.

There was something primordial about the fire. It took them back to their roots and made them whole again. The strength slowly returned to their muscles ready for tomorrows trek. Maybe, at the next village they will accept them, but if not, they will do what they always did. Sell a few things, buy a few then travel on. Such is Life.

This was written for Rochelle Wisoff-Fields Friday Fictioneers picture challenge:

8 February 2019

and also included the word prompts:

https://wordofthedaychallenge.wordpress.com/2019/02/08/strength/

https://onedailyprompt.wordpress.com/2019/02/08/your-daily-word-prompt-bundle-february-8-2019/

Friday Fictioneers – Tourist Dollars – A tale in less than 100 Words

PHOTO PROMPT © Renee Heath

Tourist Dollars

The Tour company had organised a ‘Sunset with the Sioux’ adventure.

The three of them were driven out across the landscape eager to see something authentic.

Their jeep pulled up beside a traditional Tipi where chairs were set up to watch the setting sun.

Sharon asked her dark-haired guide “So, is this part your ancestral land?”

“Yes,” He replied, putting on a feathered costume and picking up some pipes.

“But where do your people live now?” Brian enquired.

“You see those mountains, far off? My people live beyond them in a reservation.”

“How sad” Jenny responded.

This was written for Rochelle Wisoff-Fields Friday Fictioneers picture challenge:

1 February 2019

100 Word Story – Friday Fictioneers – Still a way to go.

As the Train driver made his debut journey along that old train track that his great-grandfather laid down, he recalled the gift of a toy train set he’d received as a child. That had started him on this journey to become a driver.

He reflected how far his family had come. His great-grandfather had built the line as a Slave and now his great-grandson was driving the train.

Just then one of his co-workers shouted at him. “Hey, keep your eyes on what you’re doing” then dropped the N-word.

Sadly, they still had a long way to go yet.

[99 words]

Copyright: Kristian Fogarty 07/December/2018

This story was written for the Friday Fictioneers Challenge. It was also inspired by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields’ excellent story about Hattie McDaniel.

See the link here:

7 December 2018

This story also includes the following word prompts:

https://onedailyprompt.wordpress.com/2018/12/07/your-daily-word-prompt-gift-december-7-2018/

FOWC with Fandango — Driver

100 Word Story – Friday Fictioneers – Old things remembered.

“Mummy, what are those things?” Sofie asked her Mother in the Museum of Ancient Artifacts.

“I think they were something to do with Cars. Grandpa would know.” Then a doleful expression came over her face. Her father had died two weeks before, but she was still adjusting to it. She kept thinking he would call on the videophone and ask her where he put his spectacles. He’d been a veteran of World War Three and had known so much about what the world had been like before the war had swept so much aside, like a third of the population.

[100 words]

This was written for Friday Fictioneers Challenge, see the link:

https://rochellewisoff.com/2018/11/28/30-november-2018/comment-page-1/#comment-55449 8

https://wordofthedaychallenge.wordpress.com/2018/11/30/doleful/

100 Word Story – Friday Fictioneers – The Peace that water gives.

I always had a fear of water and of drowning.

Life has changed that.

I gazed at that crystal blue mountain stream and listened to the melody as the water gushed over the rocks to collect in the shallow pool below.

The sound soothed that inner torment. I felt a sense of peace.

Life had overwhelmed me; made me realise that fear of drowning, fear of death was nothing compared to my fear of living.

I plunged head first into the freezing water.

Was it possible to drown in shallow water?

It is when you refuse to struggle any more.

[100 Words]

This was written for Friday Fictioneers Challenge, see the link:

23 November 2018

I have also included two word prompts:

FOWC with Fandango — Melody

https://onedailyprompt.wordpress.com/2018/11/23/your-daily-word-prompt-overwhelm-november-23-2018/

100 Word Story – Friday Fictioneers – Under the Bridge

Under the Bridge

It was just a stretch of highway that crossed over a creek.

Nothing special to look at, not worth travelling to seek.

We lived under the bridge, it gave us shelter from the rain

We had nothing much to live for, just more misery and pain.

How many more people have fallen through the cracks?

Shelter under bridges, on the wrong side of the tracks?

Each day an ordeal through which we must be brave.

Do not seek us under bridges, all you’ll find now, is our grave.

[90 word]

I started out writing a story, but It kept falling into a pattern and it became a poem. I am sorry if this does not comply with the rules, but creativity sometimes has a life of its own.

This was written for Friday Fictioneers Challenge, see the link:

16 November 2018