Sunday, 11 January 2015

Up late again, flash fiction and my one and only short story



11 January

Sunday afternoon and all’s not well, sort of anyway. You see, we’ve done it again; we slept in and it was 11.30 when Jan woke me. That was 11 and half hours of sleep. We are doing this far too often and we need to stop doing it. Not only is just sheer laziness, it’s half the day gone with nothing to show for it.

One of the writing magazines has a column called ‘How to write like …’ OK, fine; but I don’t want to like … I want to write like ME!!! Regular readers will no doubt know that I can make some real howlers of mistakes, as The Rochdale Sage will gladly tell you about! Most of it comes down to my dyslexia; no matter how often I read something of mine I will miss some typos and errors. That is where a good editor comes in. These people are busy though, and it would wrong to send them work that you know is full of errors. That is just plain lazy. This could perhaps link in with the above paragraph too, but that alone would give the wrong impression of me and it’s one I wouldn’t want to spread.

I’ve just been reading Writing Magazine and I’m impressed by two short stories they have published in this issue. Both are only 250 words, so does that make them flash fiction then I wonder? Of the two I preferred the second one. The brief for that was a large young man with a shopping trolley full of junk food. That story is a masterpiece in my view; a full and sensible story in just 250 words, wow, what a writer!

Short story writing is something I have tried, but just once. Would you like to read it? Yes, no, well here it is anyway …

Warm ... warm ... warm ... dark ... dark ... dark ... comfy ... comfy ... comfy ... safe ... very safe ... OUCH!  Lights ... bright lights hurting my eyes!  Oh, it’s you again is it?  What do you want this time?  Here we go again, lifted up, silly talk, moved away from my bed.  Every day the same ... I want my bed! waaaa ... waaaa ... waaaa.  WAAAA!  I want my bed!  

Oh dear, on my back again, legs in the air.  No, no don’t take that off yet.  OK, you’ll be sorry!  Hhhaaaa, that’s better, I needed that.  What’s that smell?  Hang on ... aaahhh ... that’s it finished.  I told you to wait didn’t I?  Now you’ve got it all over the place ... hahahahahahaha ... OK look, here comes the short haired one.  What’s that pretty thing round your neck?  Can I have it please?  Please?  PLEASE?

My tummy feels strange, it needs filling up again.  That’s it, that’s the stuff.  Watch this, I can blow bubbles in it, see?  What do you mean it’s dirty, it’s fun look, here’s another one.

Is that another set of new cloths?  They’re nice, I like those.  Is that because I’m going to Aunty Sandie again today?  I like her, she’s nice and funny.  She’s not like you.  I see you for an hour or so and then you drop me off at Aunty Sandie and I have fun with her all day.

We’re off then.  I don’t like looking backwards on by the way.  Why can’t I look forward like you do I?  I could see where we’re going then and not where we’ve been.  It’s noisy in here you know, and smelly too.  No, it’s not me this time so don’t give me a funny look!  Are we there yet?  Oh great, we are there.  Aunty Sandie, Aunty Sandie, I’m here, I’m back.  Oh heck, here we go again, that wet sloppy thing again.  I hate it and why are you so upset?  You’ve seen me for just over an hour.  Aunty Sandie doesn’t get upset when I have to go and she sees me all day.

So what are we going to do today Aunty Sandie?  Can we go to the park please?  I like the park, lots of nice funny smells and colours and sounds all around me and those funny little furry things that come and lick me.  I that, it tickles.  Oh lovely, we are going out then.  I get to sit looking forward this time.  Lots of people looking at me and smiling, they’re nice people.  Oh dear, I’m tired, I said I wanted to go back to bed but no, they wouldn’t listen.  Maybe a short nap will help.

Oh look, the park!  We’re in the park!  How did we get here then?  Must have been when I was sleeping.  I feel wet, how has that happened again.  I’ll cry a bit to let Aunty Sandie know.  Waaaa ... waaaa ... waaaa ...  Great, she’s got the message and I’m nice and dry again, lovely, and I’m getting a nice drink too, just what I needed.

Aunty Sandie, why are we back so soon?  What are we going to do now?  Is it lunch time yet, I’m hungry again.  It is lunch time, great!  Hey, that’s not bad, very nice.  I could eat that again, anymore?  What’s this?  Hmm, that is nice!  Sloppy and sweet and creamy, hmmm, very nice.  Oh dear, all that food has made me tired again.  Oh come on Aunty Sandie, I don’t need that doing again ... see told you I didn’t need it yet.  Oh dear, I am tired.

Where’s Aunty Sandie?  I can normally see her and she’s usually here by now.   Maybe if I scream she will come and see to me.  Ah, there you are.  Now I need cleaning.  Hey!  That’s cold on my bum Aunty, no wonder I jumped.  Nice clean cloths again.  Can I smell dinner again Aunty Sandie?  It smells really nice too.  Hey, someone’s at the door. 

Oh, it’s you again is it!  I suppose you’re going to take me away again from Aunty Sandie and she’s got something really nice for dinner too.  Hey, how do you do that?  How do you look so happy and so sad at the same time?  Neat trick anyway even if I would sooner stay here with Aunty Sandie and have some of that nice dinner I can smell.

Oh no, going backwards again, I hate that but you always do it ... and that smell is still is here.  Perhaps if I scream a bit you’ll get the message.  SCREAMSCREAMSCREAM!  But I don’t want to go home.  I want to stay with Aunty Sandie!  I like her.

Hello, have we stopped again?  Why are you getting out!  Don’t you dare leave me here even if I don’t want to be here.  Don’t you dare drop me either after you’ve picked me up!  I don’t trust you at all.

Well, OK, you got your way and we’re here, so now what?  When’s the short haired one coming back?  I can’t pull his hair but I can pull his coloured thing around his neck and that is great fun.  I wonder if I can make his face change colour again like before.  That was great when he started coughing and called you to help. 

Ah well, here I am again on my belly in that white round things with holes in it all over and soft things just right for kicking.  Oh, that smells nice, is that dinner again?  Hmmm, smells good but I suppose you’ll stick me in all water again before I can have some eh?  Hey look, here’s short hair.  Spoil sport!  He’s taken off his coloured thing.  It looks like he’s going to dunk me today.  OK, I’ll splash him then instead of pulling his coloured thing.  Here we go ... oh yes, great shot!  Got him full in the face.  Listening to him moaning about it.  No, come on, don’t be a spoil sport again.  I want to stay and play and splash you again. 

Not again!  More clean clothes.  Hey, those are look like the same as the ones I had on before I went to aunty Sandie’s.  Why am I having those on again?  Is that dinner?  Great, I’m starving here.  Hmmm, nice, really nice. Hey, don’t you normally put me down after dinner?  In that browny thing?  Yes, you do.  If you do it today I’ll really scream.  I don’t want to go down.  I want to stop and watch the pretty pictures on the box in the corner.  No!  I won’t go! 
  
Screamcreamscream.  I don’t want a drink! Screamscream.  Don’t put the light off! Screamscream.  Come Back!  Scream scream.  Please come back? 
   
SCREAMSCREAMSCREAM.   Please come back? Screamscreamscreaaammm.  Ahhh, I’m so tired, mustn’t go to sleep, mustn’t go to sleep, must... ahhhh, mustn’t go ... ... zzzzzzzzzzzzzz ... ... ...

“Oh long last", sighed Clare, “I totally shattered today and didn’t fancy a big battle with her tonight.  Where on earth do they get their energy from.”
Mark agreed and went to say, “Now then, just where did we get to before you got up this morning?"

So what do you make of it then? Please do let me know.

Today’s photo then … 

A Chinese crested deer at Titchwell. It’s not the best photo I’ve taken but it is an animal I’ve never seen before, that’s what it makes it a keeper for me.

And today’s funny …
 
Sam heard all about the great service in the “Sleep Fine Hotel”, so after dropping his stuff in his room, he excitedly headed down to the hotel lounge. He was only there for a few minutes when a beautifully dressed waitress came over to him. “Would you like something to drink?” she asked. Sam took in a deep breath, looked around at the beautiful lobby and asked “what are my choices?” The woman’s gave Sam a strange look, and responded in an extra loud and slow voice, “yeees or noooo.”

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