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Yearly Archives: 2015

HOTEL TEMPLE

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Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers

Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers ~ Writing challenge week 5. The goal is to write a story between 100-150 words (give or take 25 words) based on the provided photo.

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Thank you to pixabay.com for their “free to use” photograph, for this week’s prompt

HOTEL TEMPLE

by John Yeo

On Koh Samui, an island soaked in tropical sunshine, stood the imposing Hotel Temple. The hotel in an ornate converted temple, has a five star rating, attracting many visitors.
Aran and his twin sister Isra were thirteen years old. Sold to the hotel owner by their parents, they were trapped, working twelve hours a day for a pittance, waiting on rich tourists.
A very famous European singer and his entourage of roadies and musicians checked-in, after performing in Bangkok. The singer ordered tea to be brought to his room and requested Isra to bring it personally. Aran was suspicious and waited outside, listening intently. When he heard his sisters piercing screams, thirteen year old Aran rushed into the room to find her struggling with the singer. Aran had a very sharp kitchen knife and went for the rapist who pushed Isra away. Aran grabbed her and they ran from the room. No charges were pressed, the singer was very famous. The hotel proprietor just shrugged, Aran and Isra were just replaceable slave labour after all.

(175 words)

Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

This is in response to a challenge hosted by Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers. If you would like to participate in this challenge or need more information, please click the following link:

https://flashfictionforaspiringwriters.wordpress.com

Picture it and Write ~ Weightless

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This is the latest Picture it and Write prompt from Ermilia’s blog

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As usual the image is supplied and credited by Ermilia

__picture it & write

WEIGHTLESS

by John Yeo

He found himself
As light as a feather
Floating high,
As high as the clouds
That seemed to support him.

~
He was in a state
Of pure weightlessness,
The gasses in the atmosphere
As soft as billowing silk
Holding him up.

~
Images floated through his mind.
The birds flying high
Seemed to penetrate his thought.
Drifting weightless,
He thrilled with total exhilaration.

~
He knew when in space
The body is weightless.
The initial shock quickly passed
When he realised he was dressed
For the office.

~
An alien sound shattered the
Silence on top of the clouds.
“Wake up John!”
The dream picture shattered
Into a million shards.

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Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

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ROMANCE ON THE RIVER

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Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers-

Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers ~ Writing challenge week 4. The goal is to write a story between 100-150 words (give or take 25 words) based on the provided photo.

imageROMANCE ON THE RIVER

by John Yeo

The reflection of the beautiful blue sky on the surface of the calm waters of the river boded well for our romantic afternoon. The hampers were packed, stacked and loaded with several cases of champagne in the cold room. Family and friends of family began to arrive and the three barges we had hired were ready to go. Beautiful music was made by a trio of musicians on the central barge.
Suddenly Wagner’s famous “Bridal Chorus” was softly and melodiously sounding as you arrived at the quayside in a white Rolls Royce. Escorted by bridesmaids and pages you boarded our barge, smiling happily behind your veil. I stood by your side and the priest uttered the timeless words, we both responded, “I do”. We were now to spend the rest of our lives together.
Two majestic white swans glided by on the surface of the river, followed by six cygnets.You grinned, then laughed and said, “No not six Darling!”.
(159 words)

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Image from the net

Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

This is in response to a challenge hosted by Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers. If you would like to participate in this challenge or need more information, please click the following link:

https://flashfictionforaspiringwriters.wordpress.com

THE FIRES OF LIFE

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Pen n tonic Creative Expressions

Each week on Tuesday Pen’n’Tonic will post a word, a phrase, a picture, or an idea that will constitute a prompt from which to submit a poem, a flash fiction piece (not longer than 250 words), an original photograph, an original artwork, or a combination of these things that you think applies to the week’s theme.

“This week, I give you one of my own original photographs. I can’t wait to see what you have to offer this week. Enjoy!”

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Bonfire. © penntonic.wordpress.com

https://penntonic.wordpress.com/2015/03/10/creative-expressions-13-bonfire/#comment-2026

FIRES OF LIFE

by John Yeo

We will let the fires of life burn out and in the dying embers we will sit and dream.
We will remember the fire that burned through our bodies when we fell in love.
Then the fire of ambition when we first started college, the knowledge that added fuel to ignite our dreams.
The fires of protest, when we held firm beliefs and we were prepared to die for our feelings.
The fires that burned fiercely in our minds as we aged and ignited the fires of freedom in the minds of our children
Proudly we have shared the fire and watched our children ignite the flames in the next generation.
Dreamily as the fires of our lives glow and the embers burn out we make our final decision will it be Cremation. Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust?
Suddenly a shout of joy as our Great Grandchildren run towards the dwindling bonfire. “Come on Great Granddad and Grandma, wake up and come inside before the fire burns out.”

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Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (14)

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I am taking part in Mondays Finish the Story 09/03/2015, which is a challenge that provides a photo prompt and the opening sentence to your story. The rules indicate that the story you come up with must be between 100-150 words.

The link below takes you to Part Thirteen

MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (13)

Flying Saucers ~

© Image provided by Barbara Beacham ,

“On March 9th, 2015, three objects were reportedly seen in the skies over the Borracho Todos los Tiempos Vineyards.”

Angelo had visited five vineyards where the rioja flowed freely.

He ran as fast as he could along the Rue de Tropicana, shouting. “Invasion, the aliens are here! I will save the world!” Firing a pistol wildly into the sky, as passers by ducked for cover.

“Can you see the saucers in the sky we are under attack!”

Angelo was arrested for being drunk and disorderly, he awoke in a Parisian cell in a drunken stupor, memory began to return as he thought he had been abducted and the Gendarmes were aliens.

Marg arrived with a high powered solicitor and bailed him out. The Brigadier was livid and then keen to get the operation moving to flush the villainous Dickus out of his gambling emporium. Marg and Bella’s teams began to enter the casino separately and mingle with the gamblers. A body suddenly crashed through a plate glass window …….

(150 words)

To be continued…………..

The link below takes you to Part Thirteen

MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (13)

mondays-finish-the-story-2

https://mondaysfinishthestory.wordpress.com/

Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

Picture it and Write ~ Black Butterflies

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This is the latest Picture it and Write prompt from Ermilia’s blog

__picture it & write

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As usual the image is supplied and credited by Ermilia

BLACK BUTTERFLIES

by John Yeo

The final general meeting of the year for the “Black Butterfly” society was, as usual, not very well attended. A lot of folk were in the caterpillar stage, gorging themselves on burgers and chips and all manner of junk food. Anything edible on the surface of the planet was disappearing fast and there was even talk of hunger in some areas. It was late Summer and with a long cold Winter ahead, hibernation beckoned for all. Many more were already in the chrysalis stage, hidden underground in many unlikely corners of the world.
The dress code for this very important event of the year was a black bow tie, worn by all, ladies and gentlemen with no exception. All colourful finery was banned as the mourning process and the sadness of the proceedings began. The members were the doomed butterfly men and women, who had emerged from chrysalises in the Spring, then produced their eggs and watched the newborn caterpillars thrive. These young were now readying themselves for the harsh weather ahead. This last meeting was to prepare for the road into the unknown life hereafter.
When Spring arrives again a huge number of black butterfly men and women will appear and continue the cycle of the Life, Death, and Rebirth of the black butterfly species on this blue planet of Aquarius.

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Image from the net

Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

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THE HAUNTED AVENUE

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Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers-

Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers is a new weekly fiction writing challenge. The goal is to write a story between 100-150 words (give or take 25 words) based on the provided photo.

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THE HAUNTED AVENUE

by John Yeo

This is the place where the dream was created, deep in Arden forest. A beautiful peaceful sight in daylight with this tree-lined path running through the middle. There are fairies and many little people living here, only visible after dark. The biggest puzzle is the man with the head of an Ass, who is rumoured to have been magically transformed here. The fact is debatable, as there are many Ass-headed beings in the real world, visible wearing the heads of ordinary folk. The tree-lined avenue pictured is haunted by the Lady Arabella who was murdered by her husband after she was caught having an affair with an Ass-headed farmer. The tenant farmer was ostracised and thrown off his land. Now he wanders the woods after dark, broken-hearted looking for revenge, with a pack of hounds ready to tear the foxy killer apart. His Lordship only hunts and walks by day.

(150 Words)

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Image © pricelessjoy

Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

This is in response to a challenge hosted by Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers. If you would like to participate in this challenge or need more information, please click the following link:

https://flashfictionforaspiringwriters.wordpress.com

ABANDONED

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Pen n tonic Creative Expressions

Each week on Tuesday Pen’n’Tonic will post a word, a phrase, a picture, or an idea that will constitute a prompt from which to submit a poem, a flash fiction piece (not longer than 250 words), an original photograph, an original artwork, or a combination of these things that you think applies to the week’s theme.

This week, I give you for your prompt one of my own original paintings entitled “Abandoned.” Need I say more? Get writing. I can’t wait to see what you come up with.

https://penntonic.wordpress.com/2015/03/03/creative-expressions-12-abandoned/

ABANDONED

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Image (c) supplied by Pen’n’tonic

by John Yeo

We have been travelling through the Winter storm for hours. The horses pulling the sleigh are badly in need of rest and food. We are desperately looking for shelter and we are a long way off our planned route. The storm, although abated now has been very fierce.
Then as the sun sets on the horizon, a house looms up, outlined and pictured beautifully in the dimming twilight. There are no lights burning and the chimneys are not smoking, we also find it strange there are no footprints in the snow to reveal a path to the front door. Quite spooky really!
We are not surprised to find no-one at home and we manage to stable our horses in an outbuilding attached to the house. As we enter, we are puzzled to find an unfinished meal for two in the dining-room and signs of a hasty departure. The occupants have left without even bothering to lock the doors and windows. We decide to settle down for the night and keep warm and as comfortable as possible. We light a fire and and eat food from tins stacked in the well stocked larder, there is even a bottle of good quality wine. Very tired from our journey we settle down for the night.
The next morning the reason behind the hasty abandonment of this house becomes clear. We have wandered into an abandoned village near a huge nuclear power complex. There is a signpost along the way that reads CHERNOBYL 2 kilometres.

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(250 words)
Copyright (c) Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (13)

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I am taking part in Mondays Finish the Story 02/03/2015, which is a challenge that provides a photo prompt and the opening sentence to your story. The rules indicate that the story you come up with must be between 100-150 words.

The link below takes you to Part Twelve

MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (12)

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© Image provided by Barbara Beacham ,

“When it came to a challenge Jim Smiley had to jump right in”.

Marg smiled when these words popped into her mind, she was on a dull flight to meet up with the team in Paris, France. Bored on the aeroplane, Marg was reading a collection of short stories, by Mark Twain. ‘The French eat Frogs legs, don’t they?’, smiling to herself. Marg took everything with a pinch of salt, especially food for thought.
The threat of an attack by the lab rat Dickus was imminent and very real. The Brigadier and the two teams of operatives were meeting in the city to flush the sinister Dickus and his henchmen out of their hideout before they struck. They intended to attack Dr Dickus at his casino, oddly named the “Jumping Frog”, situated on the banks of the river Seine.
Marg was met by Bella at the Charles de Gaulle airport and picked up the rest of the team. Then came a shock, Angelo……..

(150 words)

To be continued…………..

The link below takes you to Part Twelve

https://johnandmargaret1607.wordpress.com/2015/02/24/mysterious-island-12/

mondays-finish-the-story-2

https://mondaysfinishthestory.wordpress.com/

Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

Picture it and Write ~ Water Wars

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This is the latest Picture it and Write prompt from Ermilia’s blog

Picture it & Write

Emilia flood 2

As usual the image is supplied and credited by Ermilia

WATER WARS

by John Yeo

The land upriver was cultivated by the Blancas, a harsh people with powerful weapons and a large aggressive army, they farmed and lived off their land.

The river was an important life-giving asset to our people, sustaining our crops and quenching our peoples thirst.

Peace reigned in the area until one fateful day when the river began to dry up. The water began to slowly flow and trickle down until eventually the trickle stopped completely and the river became dry. Our people were devastated, the crops drying and dying off, and the elderly and our children were dying of thirst.

Trackers were sent upriver to investigate but never returned, until one fateful day a tracker got back to report the river was dammed upstream by the vicious warlike Blancas. Our leaders were in instant communication with the leaders of the Blancas with little real response. After consultation with our Army chiefs, Captains, Luke, Nathaniel and I, were sent with our chosen men to infiltrate the Blanca’s land and attempt to destroy this monstrous dam.

We left with a mule-train packed with explosives and started out on our journey. Nathaniel went ahead with thirty men to clear the way of patrols by the enemy. We came under heavy fire halfway and I took my patrol to deal with the aggressors. We rejoined the mule-train having sadly lost several men in the dogfight that followed. Finally after more fighting with the loss of some very brave men, we reached the monstrous dam.

Luke took his team of explosive experts and set a very large number of charges using more explosives than required in an attempt to destroy the banks of the river to stop the dam getting rebuilt. The explosion was devastating, the destruction was awesome, levelling the dam and the banks of the river completely. Sadly Luke and his team were killed in the blast.

The raging torrent of white water raced down the dry riverbed, taking everything along in the swirling torrential flood.

Our  people celebrated as their water supply was restored. A bitter war was fought and negotiations are still in progress. We live to fight on as the Water Wars have begun.

Emilia flood 2

As usual the image is supplied and credited by Ermilia

 

Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

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