microfiction – penned in moon dust

The Day She Wore Red #microfiction

November 19, 2020November 15, 2020 by moondustwriter, posted in Fiction, microfiction

It promised to be a beautiful day full of white lace and champagne toasts. The dress swished as she walked. Like a princess she smiled at her entourage of hope. Handsome men were clad in grey and they waved to the bridemaids across the corridor. The chords of beautiful music floated from the chapel as the doors were opened … waiting.

“Here’s you bouquet.” The bride inhaled the beauty of the day.

“This is your course unless…” a family member looked more solemn than she should.

“What can go wrong?” the bride wanted to fling her bouquet toward happy tomorrows.

The day and everything about it was perfect.

****

She opened her gift as he went to get champagne for a toast. In it was a cold gray blade that mirrored the flicker of candlelight. A note was caressing it.

Slit your throat and make an easy end or your life. Or choose that each day will be torment and hell. ~ A

“Who would slit their throat?” she gasped back tears that were supposed to be relishing future happiness.

“There is one other option.” She heard a whisper in the crackles of the fire. “His instead of yours.”

With her head in her hands, she reached a resolution.

“What groom would want his bride to take her life?” She looked at the knife and slipped the note in her corset.

He came in rather unsteady with a bottle in hand. A look of surprise that she wasn’t lying dead on the floor; instead she was clothed in black leather.

“You have decided then.” He laughed a nepharious cackle.

“Yes” she slid the sharp blade silently against a bulging jugular.

“Here dear this belongs to you.” She deftly place the knife in his right hand and tucked a note into his pocket. It explained that he could not continue a life where he was trapped with a woman he did not love.

“Can’t get this soiled.” White lace was folded and carefully put in a pillow case. She slipped into her red travelling dress glad that he had told her he liked red headed lovers. The wig presented an excellent disguise.

“I’m glad you insisted on red.” she whispered to her husband as she slid into 4 inch red stilettos.

She left the black riding whip on the bed stand. “For another time perhaps…”

In the long run…#photography #microfiction #sixwordstory

May 23, 2020May 24, 2020 by moondustwriter, posted in black and white, flash fiction, microfiction, Photography

yesterday's memories grasped at forever's horizon

it’s amazing what six words can do.

Check out My Random Ramblings and this is the Saturday Six Word Story (6WSP) Prompt “Forever”. where six words tell powerful stories.

What’s the Worst that can happen in Newcago? #newcago #noir #fiction #virus

April 4, 2020April 3, 2020 by moondustwriter, posted in microfiction, new cago

It’s a messed up place full of crumpled and empty lives. Yeah there are some nice ones, but they are cowering cuz they’re afraid. They should be we’re in NewCago. She was the metropolis of the ages until something went wrong.

Now people know better than to go out after 6 at night, even the cops.

As the clock chimes the hour in city hall, you can hear the clang of metal clad doors being closed and quadruple locked.

The fancy folks have doors that close without them even touching a thing. Lead bars drop into feet of metal lined concrete. Our windows rattle from the collective thud.

I was getting antsy from being inside. I teased my girl, ” It’s like living in a coffin for half of our lives. Let’s go have some fun while everyone is inhaling the last of the day’s stagnant air behind bars. What’s the worst that can happen?”

“Sure Sammy, let’s go on the town for a change.” She put on her favorite shade of lipstick. It’s not like she needed anything to make her look pretty. She was a knock out without it.

So there we were linked arm and arm like kids.

“Having a good time?” She smiled as she wiped mustard off the corner of my mouth. I loved the way her eyes looked when she took a deep sip of soda from her straw and her laugh always made my heart skip.

“It’s always good with you, Sam.” I noticed the catch in her voice; she sensed the motion first.

I felt her body tense and instinctively pulled her down against the wall.

I heard a shot. “We got lucky with that one.”

I looked at her usual steady gaze. The red wasn’t from her lipstick. She silently whispered sweet goodbyes but they were short. Too short.

“Lily, why this? Why now? You are…You were days away from a cure…

I SHOULD BE DEAD NOT YOU!!!”

It’s a messed up place full of crumpled, empty lives and I’m thrown into the cement mixer of black, white, and red.

I’m revamping a noir crime series I wrote in 2013. The story centered around crime but the main antagonist was a deadly disease lurking in dark corners. If you like Noir and you have time to read come back for more in the days to come.

This will take you back to the first installment “Life In New Cago Where Crime Never Sleeps“

And I was No Where at All #microfiction #travel #dpchallenge

October 6, 2014October 6, 2014 by moondustwriter, posted in Fiction, Home, microfiction, Photography, wordpress, Writers

Destination: no where at all

The words flashed on the screen in the airport.

I was glad to be on my last leg of my journey.

“Where was it the ticket said I was going?”

No matter the airline knows.

The pilot most certainly knows.

As I grabbed my gear,

a back pack that had once been a suitcase on wheels,

I ascended 4 metal steps on the bus.

I scratched my head at what should be unfamiliar.

There it was a seat – my temporary objective.

I smiled as I sat down into pleasant discomfort.

“I’ll order a coffee when the flight attendant comes by.”

Then began our journey on what must have at one time been round.

I saw long grey, fuzzy ears and remarked,

“One donkey is able to pull all of us?”

As I looked around, it was only myself and the driver.

Then after what seemed an interminable, short-time we stopped.

The donkey brayed unwilling to go a step further.

“This is the end of the road,” the driver said in a language I did not understand.

An old weather beaten sign said “You have reached: NO WHERE Population: Unknown

no where

Today’s prompt at WordPress is In Transit. I was feeling a bit Dr Whoish

Train stations, airport terminals, subway stops: soulless spaces full of distracted, stressed zombies, or magical sets for fleeting, interlocking human stories?

Ice cold memories #flashfiction #poetry

January 15, 2014January 15, 2014 by moondustwriter, posted in flash fiction, Friday Fictioneers, horror, microfiction, Poetry

This grey dismal scene

flickered thoughts

embossed my mind

long forgotten memories

path of my past

icicles dripped dark lies

“failure, fool, worthless”

mud sucked boots

clothes would never dry

and the sky, the sky

spoke the words

“there is no sun

it’s been removed”

only darkness looms

etching finality on your tomb”

no places to dream

those were taken away too

go ahead and scream, and scream

no one will hear you

here I stood

holding my hand

the one that couldn’t remember

tried so hard to forget

we stood together

at the past’s path again

Here’s to a New Year for Friday Fictioneers. Enjoy the work submitted by fantastic writers and poets.

The Day the Music Died #flashfiction

October 23, 2013 by moondustwriter, posted in flash fiction, Friday Fictioneers, microfiction

dismantled-keyboard

To say music was “my life” was an understatement.

From dawn to dusk I sang the songs my heart wrote.

When I lost my voice, my fingers became one with the keyboard.

My brother dismantled my keyboard; the guts were strewn like a dissonant message from my room to the instrument.

“You killed the song in my head,” I screamed in the key of C.

I was cut on a metal shard, bloodied notes fell to the floor.

I refused to let him take credit for the score written in red that day.

That score became a famous Dark Mass.

Today’s dismantled keyboard is the prompt for Friday Fictioneers. Wishing Rochelle a Happy 1 year celebration as the conductor of the Friday Fictioneers

When Time Stopped #microfiction #amwriting

September 24, 2013September 24, 2013 by moondustwriter, posted in microfiction, Photography, post a day, wordpress

I remember it like it was yesterday – the clock stopped at quarter til the hour.

I was on an outbound train going where I couldn’t remember

That was the crazy part – no one remembered what they were supposed to do next.

Looking back I’m not sure if we stopped when time stopped or if a frozen state ensued from not knowing what to do when time stood still.

Some people stood as if in denial.

I think they were willing time to do something different.

Others, I am sure, were afraid to move as if the clock would crack and the “sameness” of life with it.

My life course changed profoundly that night.

I was bound for University. You know settle into a routine, surrounded by fellow students and books, go the requisite number of parties and games.

Each student predictably going the same general direction that was pre-ordained for us by our professors.

For me, at the moment when time stood still, something clicked like the second hand of life rebelled.

I grabbed up my things and started walking. There were a few others who independently decided to do the same thing.

We walked into the night and haven’t stopped. A few people with the same mindset have joined us along the way.

It’s curious, even after years, we notice in every town we come to there is a group of people staring at a clock with the large hand on the 9.

Today’s Daily Post (writing) prompt: For a moment today, time stands still — but you can tweak one thing while it’s stopped. What do you do?

And the photo prompt: Stillness

I guess my tweak was to break the rules when the time stopped and write a short sci-fi interpretation of the prompt.

Here you will find excellent responses to today’s prompt:

What of Life? #questions #poetry #photography

June 28, 2013June 28, 2013 by moondustwriter, posted in Life's Lessons, microfiction, Photography, Poetry, verse first

To know everything implies that I know something

“what” I ask of myself “do I know”?

When the sails of life luff I may not be going anywhere

When the umpire emphatically cries “You’re out!” – I am

When the doctor tells me I have cancer I have no questions

What about those times in which I know nothing?

When the first thunder booms can I get under cover in time?

When a patient squeezes my hand for the last time is there more I could have done?

When my child makes a bad decision can I change it?

But there are those moments…

when feathery leaves dance with the dawn, I can’t contain the wonder

when a young dolphin squeals as if it is laughing, I must laugh

when I’m held lovingly through life’s storms, I am comforted

“no” I answer myself “I do not know anything”

with each day I cherish life and people a bit more…

At Poet’s United, Verse First Kim Nelson has prompted the poet today. In Writing Down the Bones, Natalie Goldberg says, “In writing you can know everything.” So today, be omniscient. Be a know-it-all, an expert; be the last word. Write a poem with a voice of authority.

Here is my last word then – I have to agree with those who have gone before me “The older I get the less I know.”

His Concertina #flashfiction #shortstory #music

May 6, 2013May 6, 2013 by moondustwriter, posted in flash fiction, microfiction

She couldn’t believe it – his concertina. “I wonder if it can still play?” Her talented great-uncle had taught her to play a few simple songs. She wiped dust off playbills even an old lp still in its cardboard jacket laying atop the instrument.
Lost in the magical moment, she sat in the dusty repository on her knees. No one could see the effulgent expression as her fingers stumbled over the buttons.
Her thoughts went back to her uncle’s disappearance. Some said on a journey through the taiga. Her family was shocked at the calumnious statements made by locals even some of his friends had bandied about inflammatory comments. Yes he was a voluble character but in the friendliest way. “What had they hoped for uncle?” she fumbled some more. She finally managed one of the tunes. Her eyes grew wide as his portmanteau opened as if released by familiar notes…

***

I used all but two of the words this week so I am aiming at the over-achiever.

Thanks to Jeffrey Hollar who hosts the Monday Mixer each week. Below are the rules and this weeks words. It tends to be a good challenge for many reasons.

Rules:

Monday Mixer is a flash fiction challenge. All entries must be 150 words. (no more & no less) If the entry is titled, the title is not considered part of the word count.
The contest will run on Mondays beginning at 00:01 AM EST with a deadline of midnight EST. Challenge words will be posted on the preceding Sunday at an unspecified time (just to keep things interesting). All decisions will be published no later than Tuesday at 08:00 PM EST.
All entries must incorporate a location, thing & adjective (one from each group) and the word must appear in the story as listed in the prompts. Entries failing to meet these criteria will be disqualified. Entries may be in any genre but NO erotica or graphic sexual content will be allowed. Entries containing such will be disqualified and deleted.
Entries will be posted via the InLinkz click button below. Entrants who do not have either a web page or blog are solely responsible for finding someone to host their entry.
The judge will select an Overall Winner, Best Use of Prompts and up to two Honorable Mentions. Overall Winner – This is self-explanatory, Best Use of Prompts – The entry that, in judge’s opinion, incorporated the prompt words most skillfully and Honorable Mentions – These are the “close but no cigar” entries.
The judge will additionally have the OPTION to select an Over-Achiever (an Over-Achiever is defined as an entry incorporating five or more prompt words.) Entries wishing to be considered for the Over-Achiever win must identify their entries as such at the conclusion of the entry. NOTE: The judge does not HAVE to choose an Over-Achiever if, in the judge’s opinion, the quality of the entry suffers from the effort of shoe-horning in too many prompts.
One entry allowed per entrant per week. No entry may win in more than one category.

For convenience sake all prompt words are hyper-linked to their definition. In the event a word has multiple definitions, any one of such is acceptable as long as it refers to the same part of speech.

Locations: 1) repository 2) arena 3) taiga

Things: 1) portmanteau 2) rusk 3) concertina

Adjectives: 1) voluble 2) effulgent 3) calumnious

Thanks to Concertina Music.com for the picture of the Patek Standart Concertina – a beauty. for more information about the concertina please check out their website.