A short story?

I wrote this originally as a six sentence story in March, 2016. Perhaps I was having a Nostrodamus moment…

It had started off as a boast, born from a late-night party with his friends, and had somehow mutated into an unstoppable train. At some point he was bound to be derailed; at least that’s what the pundits had opined month after month. But now he had arrived; admittedly by the skin of his teeth, but a win was a win nonetheless. His offensive rhetoric and inconsistent fomenting had made no difference, or had it? He had played a dangerous game and was quite surprised by how far he had been able to rally people’s rage to achieve his aim.

He felt exhilarated as the director called one last time, “We’re ready for your address, Mr. President,” tears welling in her eyes.

~Richard

January 20, 2017 1

6 sentence story – Done Fishin’

It had been a hot day, all day long, and the kids had enjoyed playing on the floating dock and catching fish. Now they were tired and had been tucked up in bed with their dreams of the big ones that got away. Tomorrow would be a new adventure, as it always was for the youngsters.

As the old man looked at the forgotten net, lit by the fading sun, he recalled his own childhood adventures. They were a lifetime and a continent away. Yet reassuringly similar.

~Richard

August 4, 2016 0

6 sentence story – War of the Worlds Redux

They had never really understood our true nature.Had it really never occurred to them that the attackers in the tripods were merely doing our bidding? The seeming ease of their conquest should have warned them, but their pious arrogance precluded further analyses.

By the time our Martian hosts had expired we had already moved on – initially hibernating and then carefully molding our genes as we adapted to the new environment.Our new hosts were smaller but much more robust and so varied.

And we now have all the time in the World!

~Richard

April 14, 2016 0

6 sentence story – The camera never lies?

At first he was sure there had been a mistake. When he opened the pack of developed photographs fresh from the store his initial thought was that they had given him someone else’s film. But as he flipped through the prints he saw that they were, in fact the shots he had taken; or rather the compositions were the same. The actual subjects had changed though – the faces were different, the clothes dated. He thought that was all, but when he looked closer, even the background was wrong – trees smaller and a missing house. This must be some kind of joke, he thought, but if so it was an elaborate one, and who would do such a thing…?

160407_Gardening

~Richard

April 7, 2016 0

6 sentence story – Playing to the crowd

As with every morning the old man picked his way along the freshly hosed down cobbled streets to the same spot and arranged his sign and his jar before sitting on the chilly doorstep.

The sun came up over the ruined castle and warmed his face and hands as he unbuckled the bellows of his accordion.He cocked his head and scanned up and down the street, hearing the increasing footfall echoing between the buildings from the old stairway.

The first cruise ship had arrived, so he started his playing.

“That’s beautiful,” said a young woman’s voice as she dropped some coins in his jar.

Looking up whilst playing he smiled graciously at her through sightless eyes.

~ Richard

March 10, 2016 2

6 sentence story – #1600

He felt exhilarated as the director called one last time, “We’re ready for your address, Mr. President,” tears welling in her eyes.

~ Richard

March 3, 2016 4

6 sentence story – Retirees

The friends of the wild-haired youth were grinning at him as his high score, which had remained unbeaten all summer, was exceeded by both drivers.

“You’re down to third place!” squealed his annoying younger brother who he was forced to tolerate as a member of his gang under parental duress.

He clipped him round the ear and snarled, “Don’t be cheeky, Jack!”

Turning from the controls, to look him straight in the eyes, the old man softly growled: “You should treat your little brother with more kindness, lad.”

Something in the old man’s scarred face and tone filled him with an odd mixture of shame and fear, and quietened the crowd too.

“Yessir, I will,” he whimpered sheepishly, as he reflexively bowed his head.

~Richard

February 22, 2016 0

6 sentence story – Death Supreme

“He was an extraordinarily intelligent man,” they say, “someone who worked tirelessly to protect the people from change.” To me though, he lacked pragmatism. His bright mind, molded by his god-view, was distorted to defend a status quo established centuries before. Unyielding and narrow minded, his decisions would impact millions for a generation and beyond. I think he enjoyed in the notoriety. Personally, I didn’t like the man’s demeanor.

~Richard

February 18, 2016 0

6 sentence story – First Words

The neurology team had been working with him closely since the accident had rendered him effectively powerless to communicate. Being able to half blink one eye had been his only way to get his basic needs laboriously expressed to his carers. These novel neurological implants opened up a world of possibility to him through using thoughts to simulate basic muscle movement to control the cursor on a computer keyboard display. They waited eagerly for his first words from his prison in over two years. The letters written to the screen came slowly: H-E-L. What a great start, they thought as the rest of his message was revealed: P-M-E-D-I-E…

~Richard

*This is based on a conversation with a friend, TK, who did help to create and develop such a life-changing communication tool, but with a much more positive outcome.

February 9, 2016 1

M	T	W	T	F	S	S
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30	31

Category: 6 sentence story

A short story?

6 sentence story – Done Fishin’

6 sentence story – War of the Worlds Redux

6 sentence story – The camera never lies?

6 sentence story – Playing to the crowd

6 sentence story – #1600

6 sentence story – Retirees

6 sentence story – Death Supreme

6 sentence story – First Words

*This is based on a conversation with a friend, TK, who did help to create and develop such a life-changing communication tool, but with a much more positive outcome.

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*This is based on a conversation with a friend, TK, who did help to create and develop such a life-changing communication tool, but with a much more positive outcome.

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