SLIDER

Four Seasons ♡ 101 FLASH FICTION PROMPTS

Thursday, 14 March 2019

101 Flash Fiction Prompts: Inspired by the ideas from the book 'The Very Short Story Starter: 101 Flash Fiction Prompts for Creative Writing.' by John Gillard.

Prompt #3) Structure a story based on the four seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Write 100 words for each season, with the four episodes tying together and leading to a dramatic or thought-provoking conclusion.


Winter...
The crisp air caused a flush to poke through her pale cheeks. She'd been wondering the streets, aimlessly for hours. The Baker had thrown her into the snow without a second thought. She was alone once more. The pennies she'd saved would last the week if she was careful. She was extremely thankful for the loaf she'd snatched on her way out of the boulangerie. It's warmth and scent mouthwatering. Finally her broken boots dropped her off at the shelter. She kicked open the door with a force that startled the other inhabitants. 
'Tough day?' 
'Don't fancy talking about it.'

Spring...
Pollen was distributed, snow melted and sleepers woken, she banged on door after door. The outcome was always an open and direct close. She was running out of options on the good side of the river. With frustration she kicked a potted plant, thriving as it shattered dramatically. 'Excusez moi! You'll have to pay for that!' She ran, knocking over various lily-of-the-valley in her haste. Corners turned, people dodged and heckler averted, she stopped for breath in the bitter air. The wooden planks of an old Inn stared back at her. She entered with determination. 
'What do you want?'

Summer...
The Inn's liquor became mulled in the heat. She collected her coins, swallowed her wine and marched to the magasin-de-chaussures. The tattered leather on her feet had held up enough through Winter and Spring but now it was time. Her francs were exchanged for a needle, thread and strips of material. In her excitement, she skipped from the store and began work on a nearby bench. One barefoot on show didn't disturb a soul, they were used to seeing them on the poor. Shoes were a privilege she thanked God for and the dead man she stole them from.

Fall...
She'd settled in at the Inn by late August, feeling stable for the first time in years. She had an income, food and warm feet... until he recognised her. 
The florist. 
'You owe me. I never forget.' 
Dragged out of the Inn by the scruff of her collar, she yanked and begged, promising to pay. The Innkeeper would never have her back after this scandal. 
'I can work. I'll pay you back.' 
He dumped her to his shop, presenting a time limit. She had until the end of the day to make the money. 

When the sun set, she sold her shoes.

Thank you so much for reading,
Alex Allison

Repetitious Illusion ♢ A POEM

Tuesday, 29 January 2019

I see things different
To most that I know,
I dress up and smile
My life's go, go, go.

In the moments I'm happy
I believe all is pure,
No diseases can harm us
There's always a cure.

To find joy in having nothing,
To overcome bitter nightmares,
Working harder than the privileged,
Yet never we catch a break.

There's a black-hole in my heart 
That no-one can see,
No-one, no-one... no-one but me.

Life isn't as pure once you stop and you blink,
Teachers harm those who don't really think,
Parents expect you to have life on lock,
But your code is forgotten, lost, tick tock. 

You're young and your pulse beats scared,
Minutes go faster in your head than in reality,
The poem no longer rhymes,
The puzzle pieces in a scrabble on the floor,
Get up, get dressed, get out the front ....

ALEX ALLISON

Prism Light, White Hot ♡ 101 FLASH FICTION PROMPTS

Sunday, 20 January 2019

101 Flash Fiction Prompts with Alex Allison and Emily Cordell: Inspired by the ideas from the book 'The Very Short Story Starter: 101 Flash Fiction Prompts for Creative Writing.' by John Gillard.

Prompt #2) Write a stream of consciousness without stopping, for three minutes using the following quote as an initial spark of inspiration. "Let the world burn through you. Throw the prism light, white hot, on paper." - Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing (1990)


When we were children we all believed in magic. My Grandfather was wonderful at it. He could do all the tricks of the trade and to say he had me fooled for many years was an understatement. I still believed in the Tooth Fairy and Father Christmas till I was seventeen. Our household was full of wonderful things, the unexpected, the mysterious. People in our town found us strange and many children chose not to play with me at school. They'd been warned by their parents to stay away from my kind. 

Being an oddling isn't what people always think. We don't curse or harm, although I have to say I'm very tempted at times. It's a lifestyle, a happy place, healing and cleansing the soul. I believe we're all free, if we choose to be and those children at school definitely didn't. 

The prism light is our traditional sacred tool. My Grandfather showed me when I was of age and it made everything clear. The rainbow behind it bright and engaging. All children should believe in magic, but I was no longer a child.

Thank you so much for reading,
Be sure to check out Emily Cordell's prompt response HERE.
Alex Allison

Murder on the Train ♡ 101 FLASH FICTION PROMPTS

Friday, 25 May 2018

101 Flash Fiction Prompts with Alex Allison and Emily Cordell: Inspired by the ideas from the book 'The Very Short Story Starter: 101 Flash Fiction Prompts for Creative Writing.' by John Gillard.

Prompt #1) Imagine you are on a train or at a train station when a murder takes place. Expand upon this scenario by writing a story of 500 words or fewer.


Police surround a lifeless corpse. I saw everything but don't stammer a breathHe's watching!

Nearby, closer than police suspect sits the knife holder. The murderer. Dark wrinkled eyes, grey hair, a large protruding belly and a carefully composed expression mastered from years upon years of practice. My Grandmother. Yes, my grandmother just murdered a man and he's watching me through vacant eyes, staring deeply into mine which are larger than any satellite dish. 

I realised quite quickly that my Bambi expression made me look very guilty indeed so I imagined what I planned to cook for supper in an attempt to calm myself but appear more puzzled to the policeman's gaze. 

My Grandmother tuts lightly by my side and stifles a cough that could easily draw attention our way. I flashed her a frustrated glare. The train compartment is suddenly chilly with a heavy stench of guilt and I mentally prepare myself for questions to which I had no answer. 

The string of diamonds around Grandma Petra's neck rattle as she muffles another cough. Or was it a chuckle? I couldn't tell. I saw my reflection in a mirror hung on the wall of our compartment and straighten my elegant tie, trying not to glance at the bright crimson stain on the leg of my white bell-bottoms.  

Grandma Petra is a complicated woman, rich for reasons she doesn't like to discuss. I agreed to accompany her on what was pitched to me as a relaxing Parisian getaway, all expenses paid. It was all wonderful, until... Everything happen so suddenly. It was 6pm. The bar had recently opened so I'd changed into my evening attire and said goodnight to Grandma who'd been reading a newspaper in our compartment when I'd originally tried to leave her.

An attendant opened our door, causing my body to shiver at the draft. He asked if we needed anything, Grandma dismissed him. I kissed her grey hair, turned to leave and was swatted at by a pair of strong arms bustling through the door. The intruder and my Grandmother exchanged a look and the next thing I saw was a sharp black blade, a dagger plunging through flesh and bone into the anonymous chest. 

My Grandmothers gloved hands threw open the window and chucked the weapon into midair. It ricocheted off the tracks. Window closed, she approached me and with a violet heel crushed several of my toes. I screamed, alerting the attendant.

Which brings us back to the present. The lifeless corpse, my held breath and visage of guilt.

Thanks for reading,
Be sure to check out Emily Cordell's piece HERE.
Alex Allison.
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