A prompt response for “INSPIRATION MONDAY:” ~ SNEEZE GUARD

Posted on Sep 30, 2015 by John Yeo | 2 Comments

Inspiration Monday: Sneeze Guard

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SNEEZE GUARD

by John Yeo

Mayor Reynolds was troubled by traffic problems in the city. Wichitaw was a total gridlock from one end of Main Street to the other on a daily basis.

“This is getting on my nerves, something has to give, I demand some action, call a meeting of the city council at once!” His face was thunderously angry as he shouted this order to his secretary. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and blew his nose.

“Yes sir!” Sarah responded. “I will try to set the meeting for tomorrow, we can e-mail all the members of the council and set up a video conference. Do you want me to prepare an agenda or will you do that? I will need it very fast!” Wiping her nose with a tissue, she waited for his response.

“You do that please Sarah! Make sure you include an item for me under AOB, regarding the pollution generated by this continual snarl up of traffic. I need to get a few new ideas on the statute book as soon as possible.” He searched his pocket for a clean handkerchief.

“Yes Sir! I will get started immediately. Your first appointment with Professor Rinski, will be one hour behind schedule as he is running late due to a traffic holdup. He should be arriving very shortly shall I send him right in as soon as he arrives?” Sarah sneezed loudly and uncontrollably.

“Yes please! Oh remind me what he wants. I have an obscure note about the implications and respiratory costs incurred by carbon monoxide poisoning. E-mail me all the information at once please, and send in some hard copies. Thanks Sarah!” The Mayor couldn’t help dabbing the end of his nose with a tissue, pulled from a box kept in his desk. Good job this isn’t visual, he thought.

“Yes Sir!” Replied Sarah, clearing her throat politely

Suddenly a loud ringing of his personal mobile phone intruded, Mayor Reynolds sighed, he was aware who was calling at this time. Sure enough her name came up and he was obliged to answer. Sniffing silently, he pressed the receive call button.

“Hallo Mary my love! Is everything alright?” His voice sounded thick with the continual fluid generated by a sudden sneeze.

“No Henry! Sorry to trouble you at work, both of the children are unable to go to school today as they have gone down with the “shoo” bug that’s going around!” Suddenly there was a loud clearing of her throat as Mary waited for a reply

“Shoo bug? Is that the respiratory problem that is affecting many of our aged relations? Have you called the Doctor?” A worried Mayor tried to hold back a sniffle.

“Of course Henry, but he is stuck in traffic and I wonder if you can call in a helicopter to get the children to hospital! Please darling!” Mary couldn’t contain an uncontrollable cough.

“Oh no! I will try but all our city helicopters are in use at present. Wait there for the doctor and I will get back to you!” The mayor coughed in response.

The internal telephone then loudly sounded as Sarah, quietly coughing into a tissue, announced the arrival of Professor Rinski.

“Send him in please Sarah!” The Mayor responded with a silent sniffle as he could feel yet another sneeze welling up inside.

A minute later the office door opened to reveal a figure dressed in what appeared to be a lightweight diving suit, covering his total body with a microphone attached to a round plastic headpiece. There was a distinct resemblance to a knight of times gone by, except he was wearing a suit of plastic instead of metal and there were a number of air filters attached to the front and rear of his head.

“Good morning!” A metallic voice greeted the stunned mayor.

Image from the net

Written in response to a prompt provided by Inspiration Monday

http://bekindrewrite.com

A prompt response for “INSPIRATION MONDAY:” ~ SOL FOOD

Posted on Sep 27, 2015 by John Yeo | 4 Comments

Inspiration Monday: ~ PROMPT ~SOL FOOD.

“Sunrise” ~ Image © Copyright ~ John and Margaret

SOL FOOD TAKEAWAY

by John Yeo

The Profesaurus lumbered up to the shining gathering of starlets in this out of the way part of the Fifteenth quadrant of the immensity of the Dinoverse.

“Attention all! There is a dire emergency underway here. Universal paradise is under threat of starvation. There must be an answer to the rapid depreciation of combustible matter. Many parts of our quadrant are becoming lifeless black rocks as the flames of life are extinguished. We need an answer and we need it fast!”
“I have the finest, brightest Solarians working with the Gas giants, pushing the limits of our knowledge of energy producing gases to the limits. We have experimented with many elements that can feed the flames and extend the burning lifespan of this quadrant!” Reported the gas-guzzling four-by-four legged Pratisaurus.
“We are already the biggest emitters of gaseous flatulance in the history of Solarian activity in the known Dinoverse. Our total intake of combustible material far exceeds the matter available. Our Raptosaurs have made enormous breakthroughs in the boring of the dark matter and may have discovered a way.” Ejaculated a famous prizewinning Dickosaurus.
The Profesaurus made a scorching comment. “Flames are becoming extinguished everywhere! We need an answer instantly, I understand recycling of the flatulance gasses is being tried and tested. Why not make it a universal method of combustion?”
“Well, this solar technology is in the early stages and has minor solar wind-rush rear-scorching problems at present.” Responded a listening Gas giant.

The immense Solarian brilliance of the prize winning Dickosaurus then stood to attention and addressed the flames.
“Stars! The preservation and continuance of Sol-power is the immediate imperative of every member of this gathering. We think we may have a permanent solution to the lack of combustible material. We have managed to drill through the dark matter that surrounds us all and to penetrate into another dimension. We have pushed through and created a Black Hole, that will attract everything within range and swallow it, then deposit it on the boundaries of our quadrant. Thus seeding and replacing our system with new life. New delicacies to feed the flames. Sol food delivered to our doorstep.”
There was a stunned silence, then roars and grunts of scorching approval, as the Gas giants discovered flatulance would be relegated to become an alternative source of Sol food.
The Profesaurus then brought the meeting to a close and the gathering was closed with much heated discussion.

After this amazing harvesting of alternative dimensions had been in place for a number of aeons, the moral implications were beginning to swirl in the gaseous outer limits of the solar quadrant.
“What right have we to consume blindly everything that comes our way through an outlet that starts from we know not where?” Enquired a leading flare in the anti-matter community.
“We will live naturally and live on recycled flatulent gases now the technology has improved.”

Sadly Black Hole consumerism had arrived.

Written for INSPIRATION MONDAY

http://bekindrewrite.com

SPIRIT PAINTWORK

Posted on Sep 23, 2015 by John Yeo | 17 Comments

Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers ~ Writing challenge.

Hosted by Priceless Joy.

The goal is to write a story between 100-150 words (give or take 25 words) based on the provided photo.

This week’s photo prompt is provided by Graham Lawrence.

SPIRIT PAINTWORK

by John Yeo

Penelope attended the local art group, where all the local artists got together once a month to visit a location and create a work of art. This month they were painting in a very pretty walled garden attached to a historic Manor House. Penelope set her easel up and began to paint . A polite cough broke her concentration and she turned to see a lady dressed in a period costume admiring her work looking over her shoulder.
“There was a horse trough next to the gate where you came in. Many’s the time I rode through here!”
Penelope was taken aback. “You rode here?”
“Yes! before the young Squire was killed. We always rode together.”
Penelope suspected a practical joke and called to her friends “Come here everyone!”
Turning back she found the gracious lady had disappeared.
Puzzled she made enquiries from one of the gardeners.
“Ah! that will be the ghost of her ladyship. Reputedly her one true love was thrown from his horse and killed here. She hung herself from an apple tree!”

(175 WORDS)

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

DAILY PROMPT ~ 20th SEPTEMBER 2015 ~ EXHALE

Posted on Sep 21, 2015 by John Yeo | 1 Comment

Image ©~ John and Margaret

DAILY PROMPT on Word Press ~ 20th Sept 2015

Exhale
“Tell us about a time when everything seemed to be going wrong — and then, suddenly, you knew it would be alright.”

EXHALE SLOWLY

(Pure fiction) 🙂

by John Yeo

The first thing that led me to believe that this was going to be one of those days, was when my absolutely reliable, dependable alarm call failed to sound I woke two hours late for my work, to discover that my mobile phone had stopped working, exactly one hour before the alarm was due to sound.
I immediately attempted to telephone my office to say I was running late but my landline was out of order and I still had no signal on my mobile phone. l switched on the television to catch the news, the newscaster was rambling on about all the troubles in the world, but there wasn’t anything about local communications failure. I switched it off in disgust.
I thought I may as well accept the fact that my morning was missing, why shouldn’t I indulge in a good brunch and start work in the afternoon. I put some toast under the grill and eggs were frying in the pan when there was a knock at the door. I rushed to answer the door to find my neighbour on the doorstep. “Have you a telephone that works?” She asked.
“No!” I replied. “I am going in to work this afternoon!”
Suddenly I smelt smoke and my smoke alarm went crazy, I realised what I had done and slammed the door in her face. I quickly went to the kitchen to find the oven was on fire so I raced to the sink and filled a bucket with water and tried to put the fire out. Too late, I realised that water and electricity do not mix, just as the lights fused with a crack and a mains fuse blew.
Then sirens sounded and bells were ringing as three fire engines raced up, summoned by my neighbour who had smelt smoke at the same moment I did when I slammed the door, and she had stopped a passing car-driver who had immediately raced to the fire station.
I held my breath as the electricity company arrived to restore the power, and the telephone company arrived at the same time to carry out repairs to the communications systems.
My telephone line restored, my mobile phone rang with a call from my Mother to say she had one of her headaches and would I mind bringing her some tablets after I finished work. I took another deep breath and attempted to quickly explain the situation, but I had to hang up on her as my landline sounded and there was a loud knocking at my door at the same time. I answered the door to find a policeman on the doorstep investigating a burglary at a local store where the thieves had disabled the local communication systems. The call on the landline was the telephone company apologising for the break in communications. Next I got a call from my mobile phone company apologising for the failure of the mobile signal, neither of the two incidents were related. I took another deep breath as I called my house insurance cover company and after much argument and clouding of the issue they promised to send an assessor to assess the damage. I finally got through to the office and my employer said this chain of circumstances was so far-fetched, it had to be true.
I then exhaled loudly as I realised everything would turn out OK!

It would be another day tomorrow. It is my birthday. Yes!!!!!

COMPASSION

Posted on Sep 17, 2015 by John Yeo | 5 Comments

Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers ~ Writing challenge.

Hosted by Priceless Joy.

The goal is to write a story between 100-150 words (give or take 25 words) based on the provided photo.

This week’s photo prompt is provided by Scott, author of the blog, Scott’s Place

COMPASSION

by John Yeo

The Gaucho regarded the penned wild horses with a sadness that welled up into a sympathy for these beautiful creatures. As he regarded this latest herd of captives waiting to be broken and tamed one of the horses held his gaze. He began to feel an extreme sadness for the loss of freedom of the wild horses roaming the range. It was almost as if this magnificent creature was communicating with him as pictures formed in his mind, of the love between a stallion and his favourite mare. The colts running and jumping along with the herd as they traversed the range. Wind rustling through the brush and ruffling the manes of the free-moving, fast-galloping horses.
“I have broken in so many horses in my long career, I have never felt this way before!” He murmured.
The wild horse held his gaze, he felt a deep compassion well up inside of him. The horse whinnied and tossed its head.
Entranced the gaucho unlocked the gate and set them free.

(171 WORDS)

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

A prompt response for “INSPIRATION MONDAY:” ~ CLOUD STORAGE

Posted on Sep 16, 2015 by John Yeo | 2 Comments

: Image © John and Margaret

A DREAM WORLD

by John Yeo

“The storage facility is endless a huge area of space that can accommodate millions of dreams! ”
The supervisor of the facility was outlining the future to a class of sleepy students all suffering the effects of the morning after the night before.
“How do the dreams get translated into a medium that is able to process them and put them into storage?” Enquired Smart Alec a sceptical student who perpetually lived in a dream world.
“Translation is a method where the morning memories of dreams gone before are recalled, related, then preserved in a cloudy aura of perspicacity. The accumulated ideas form a whole dream that is available and stored in cloud storage!” The Supervisor went on. “The average unenlightened general public’s attitude to following a dream is to access the cloud through the entrances from cloud cuckoo-land.”
“I have been informed that following a seemingly impossible dream it is possible to walk about with your head in the clouds! Is this a way to access the dreams in cloud storage?” Enquired a dozy voice from the back of the room.
The supervisor sighed, “Sometimes the clouds can be so dense as to preclude access to the storage at all! The whole idea of cloud storage is to have instant access to your treasured documents and photographs instantly. The cloud storage is limitless.”
“How secure is the data that is stored in these unpredictable clouds? Surely interference from electrical storms can interfere with the signals and interrupt the data processing. Can the unwary depositor of dreams be exposed to an unscrupulous hacker stealing in under cloud cover?” Asked a sleepy voice from the front row.
“The encryption of the cloud-pathway into the cloud storage facility is absolutely secure. There are no known instances of one set of dreams stored in cloud-storage, contaminating another set of individual dreams.” Came the reply from a cloud-manager.
The supervisor and on-line security expert both nodded at one another in agreement with these words.

Then a very loud clanging of an alarm bell broke into my dream as my morning call on my mobile phone sounded. I woke instantly with the thought that I must set up a cloud storage system on my computer to preserve my memory for everyday computing.

Written for INSPIRATION MONDAY

http://bekindrewrite.com

A prompt response for “INSPIRATION MONDAY:” ~ FEELOSOPHY

Posted on Sep 14, 2015 by John Yeo | 6 Comments

Image © Copyright John and Margaret

FEELOSOPHY

by John Yeo

We always paid rapt attention when the elderly lady entered the room. A distinguished-looking person, she generated a certain aura of mystique. The flowing floral dress and the look of her off-beat fashions were a distinct example of the old cliche! “Never judge a book by the cover.” Her time-worn almost time-ravaged looks, were a clue to the well-lived life that had gone before, and the wealth of experiences that together had moulded this wise woman’s outlook on life.

Maria Salome-Smith was a lady who professed to be a leader of a coven and gave her occupation as a white witch. Devoted to helping as many people in her community, Maria was a healer and a mystic. Using many of the half-forgotten herbal remedies that had been passed down through the centuries, she was responsible for curing many sick people. This made many of the hard intolerant members of the clergy in the local Orthodox Church very uneasy indeed.

No-one knows exactly who made the decision to arrest her, or how it came to be carried out. After several days of intense cruel torturous questioning, her persecutors were unable to break her strong spirit. It was decided to drag her to court regardless and to try her for the trumped-up charges of evil witchcraft bringing premature death to a member of the ruling gentry.

There was an instant hush as Maria entered the courtroom and a gasp of horror at her unkempt appearance, her head had been shaved and the long distinguished looking grey locks of hair were gone.

“How do you plead? Guilty or Not Guilty?” Enquired the honourable lady Judge.

Maria’s piercing steel-blue eyes regarded the Judge, as she proudly responded, “Not Guilty!”

There was a hush before the trial commenced and several people were brought to tears and there were shouts from the public gallery.

“Innocent! Release her! She is innocent!

“Silence in Court please!” was a stern rebuke from the bench.

The trial commenced after one emotional lady was removed from the courtroom.

After several days of hearing from a succession of biased witnesses desperately trying to justify a very obvious set of trumped up charges, the honourable Lady Judge threw the case out of court and rebuked the accusers severely for wasting time and public money.

There was a silence in the courtroom as contrary to all previous examples of so-called justice, Maria Salome-Smith was allowed to respond.

“I thank-you for your wisdom, and I would like to say on behalf of all my innocent sisters who have been wrongly accused and died, for following the Feelosophy and state that there is an underlying body of sacred knowledge that is misunderstood and ignored. Difference in points of learning should be revered, and the accepted hard Philosophy of life and our Feelosophy should be merged into one whole body of knowledge that should be allowed to grow. Only the bigoted would attempt to wipe out the good by killing. There will never be growth if we stand still. Use the good, Feelosophy to follow your ancient instincts and live well. Thank- you!”

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

Written for INSPIRATION MONDAY

Inspiration Monday: Feelosophy

A RAINY DAY

Posted on Sep 9, 2015 by John Yeo | 12 Comments

Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers ~ Writing challenge.

Hosted by Priceless Joy.

The goal is to write a story between 100-150 words (give or take 25 words) based on the provided photo.

A RAINY DAY

by John Yeo

Torrential rain was keeping the family indoors and everyone was bored.
Billy the rebellious, restless teenager, a rebel without a cause was unsettled and fed up.
“I’m bored, this rain is a pain, there is nothing to do! Betty! I’m talking to you! Why are you ignoring me?”
Betty was a happy little nine year old, busy playing with Snuggles a Persian cat who was also fed up.
“Leave us alone Billy! I am bored too, I’ll call Mummy if you carry on.”
The rain continues, tempers are fraying. Snuggles is mewing, Mummy comes running.
Father arrives with a mysterious box.
“I have been clearing out the loft! Look what I’ve found! Hey everyone come here! Look!”
A long red and white box captures everyone’s interest as Father lifts the lid.
A large board with cards, paper money, tiny wooden houses and hotels with dice and little models.
“Monopoly!” Mummy exclaims! “I haven’t seen that for years.”
“Bags the model car!” Billy shouts.
The game is on.
“Hey the rain’s stopped!” shouts Betty.
Nobody moved.

(175 Words)

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

DAILY PROMPT ~ 4th SEPTEMBER 2015 ~ CONSULTING WITH HIS LORDSHIP

Posted on Sep 5, 2015 by John Yeo | 2 Comments

DAILY PROMPT on Word Press ~ 3rd Sept 2015
Inside the Bubble
A contagious disease requires you to be put into quarantine for a whole month (don’t worry, you get well by the time you’re free to go!). How would you spend your time in isolation?

~~~~~~~

CONSULTING WITH HIS LORDSHIP

by John Yeo

A whole month to concentrate on many things and try to use the enforced isolation to create something that I can build on by the time I am well enough to go home. My first requirement would be a laptop or an iPad, hopefully with an Internet connection that would enable me to work on my writing. The internet connection is not an essential as I can quite easily work offline. If necessary I would be able to work with an old-fashioned fountain pen and paper, I am quite capable of writing using longhand.

The most important requirement would be a clear state of mind. Would I be on strong medication, that could affect my thought processes?
Would I be able to summon up the energy and be able to demonstrate the reserves of commitment and concentration?
Given that my state of health is fairly reasonable and I am not zonked out by very strong drugs. I would spend my time working on creative writing.
I think I would start a whole new project, using the models of my carers as characters in my story.
Beneath the anonymous sterile protective garments required by the staff who would care for me in the isolation ward, are some very real dedicated people.

The consultant in charge of my case, would be written in as the Lord of the manor and a king of all he surveys. A cool unemotional man who is very guarded in his manner and very cautious in his relationships with his staff and his patients. The hospital consultant is always briskly visible on ward-rounds and is looked up to by one and all. As the Lord of the manor he would be very distant from all, delegating much responsibility to trusted managers.

The junior doctors and medical trainees, would be individually written into my story as these invaluable confidants, who work wonders in keeping the treatment plans of the patients and the estate management plans on track.

The ward sister would be written as his personal assistant, trusted almost to the point of becoming a colleague. The exceptional people-managing skills she possesses would be invaluable to our Lord of the manor and she would almost certainly be represented as his Personal Assistant or the estate manager.

The hardworking nurses who administer to my needs in the super sterile isolation ward, very friendly, skilfully detecting and reacting to any change in my condition, or my mood, would be very important characters to his Lordship. This team of dedicated individuals would be the estate employees, very competently working to keep things running smoothly, checking supplies and reacting to the slightest change or trouble looming ahead. The hospital nursing staff interact personally and directly with the patient, raising his or her spirits when required and granting the people in their care the dignity of a friendly face to relate to. These skills would be invaluable in any organisation. His lordship would be very aware of this and these valuable personnel would be transferred to many areas in his organisation.

The auxiliary staff who would be securely gowned and masked in protective attire, would speedily but efficiently carry out their duties, cleaning and delivering clean linen and removing soiled linen in special protective bags. Always very friendly, but always cautious as they quickly carry out their duties. These invaluable people would be members of his Lordships domestic staff, tirelessly working for the continued very smooth running of a large estate and organisation.

Then as my month in isolation progressed I would build the character of his Lordship and introduce her Ladyship, an ex fashion-model and now a society queen, ruling over an empire of social butterflies who would be vieing with each other for her attentions. This would translate to the hospital general manager and chief executive, responsible for authorising the budgets for each department throughout the hospital.

My impending discharge from hospital would come to the fore as my enforced quarantine isolation came to an end. There would be many visitors and my family and friends would now be allowed to visit. The protective masks and gowns would disappear.

This would relate to the lifting of the quarantine restrictions and many people would be allowed back into my life. Leading to my personal very interesting ongoing story.

FOLLOW YOUR DREAM

Posted on Sep 3, 2015 by John Yeo | 11 Comments

Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers ~ Writing challenge.

Hosted by Priceless Joy.

The goal is to write a story between 100-150 words (give or take 25 words) based on the provided photo.

This week’s photo prompt is provided by Louise with The Storyteller’s Abode.

FOLLOW YOUR DREAM

by John Yeo

Joe was a steam train buff, he loved the metal monsters that chugged across the great prairies through the stunning scenery in the days of the steam train revolution. Joe’s dream was to go to the famous Chattanooga hotel and visit the original site of the great train-ride that was the inspiration for the big band hit “Chattanooga Choo-Choo”, made famous by Glenn Miller and his big band.
Joe Sproggins was a man who had spent his life in a merchant bankers office in the city of London in the UK, where Joe dreamed his alter-ego dreams of riding on the footplate of this grand old steam engine.
Joe was married to Dora and their very precious first memory was the night they met, dancing in the local dance-hall to the sound of a big band, belting out “Chattanooga Choo-Choo”.
Fifty years later, after a very happy marriage, they excitedly arrived in Chattanooga in Tennessee to fulfil Joe’s lifetime dream.
Joe was in seventh heaven, soaking up his musical dream.

(175 WORDS)

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

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