Short Story Competition

I've entered 2 stories in to the TooWrite short story competition. The titles are Frogs, Snails and a Stegasauraus, which you can find at www.toowrite.com/frogs-snails-and-a-stegasauraus-8988 and La Elegante, which you can find at www.toowrite.com/la-elegante-9529

The competition closed on September 20th and then went to a 2 week voting period, so about 10 days left if anyone wants to take a look.

That's if there's anyone out there reading this!

http://www.toowrite.com/frogs-snails-and-a-stegasauraus-8988
http://www.toowrite.com/la-elegante-9529

Found this link on a friends myspace site. It never fails to amaze me how unnervingly accurate these things can be :-/

What Your Soul Really Looks Like

You are very passionate and quite temperamental. While you can be moody, you always crave comfort. You are a grounded person, but you also leave room for imagination and dreams. You feet may be on the ground, but you're head is in the clouds. You believe that people see you for how you are, not how you look. But deep down, you know that's not exactly true. Your near future is in a very different place (both physically and mentally) from where you are right now. For you, love is all about caring and comfort. You couldn't fall in love with someone you didn't trust.

Inside the Room of Your Soul

Buzzing

Nearly 2 years in Spain and finally life gets exciting! What did we do today? The Alhambra in Granada? The Mesquita in Corboba? The Gorge in Ronda? No, we went to Ikea in Murcia :-) Who says shopping ain't the new religion!

Sssssnake!

I saw a snake today. Big deal? Yes, because it was the first live snake I've ever seen in the wild. Luckily there were no other cars about, it wouldn't have done my reputation any good for people to know I slowed down to let a snake get safely across the road :-)

Science vs Romance - The Cure

High Tension

Cotton wool clouds dotted sparingly in a powder blue sky

Reeds nestle in the brook, whispering softly in a gentle breeze

Tiny rabbits play on the verge, undaunted by the occasional passing car

Even the distant barking of dogs fails to disturb the tranquillity of the day

But it is disturbed!

A creeping menace crosses this land

Heard beneath the whispering reeds, quieter than the babbling brook

But heard, a low hum, sinister and constant

Metallic giants march across this rural land

Cables strung between them, bunting without flags

No fiesta here, just conflict, nature versus progress

Progress to enable, to move forward, to develop

To feed the addictions of modern life

Where rabbits play on our television screens

and our children play with games consoles

and we talk in cyber space

While our real space is slowly, systematically destroyed

By Progress

Good News!

We've just had the results of our dog's blood test and the leishmañosis has gone! The test was negative :-) Didn't know that was possible once they had a positive test but we're not complaining, just a bit stunned at getting such unexpected good news.

Lost in Words

Steeped in other worlds

Dreams of ancient lands

Faraway places

Planets unknown

Magical creatures

Mythical beings

Heroes and Heroines

Wizards, Witches and Monsters

And me

Sharing their worlds

Till the final page turns

The Party

This very short story was written as a time and word constrained exercise at my creative writing group.

The Party

It’s going to be a great night, even if I have to move hell and high water to get there on time. It’s my best friend’s birthday and Rob has gone to so much trouble to arrange the party, I have to be on time, just this once. I’m leaving work early today so everyone’s getting the answer-phone for the last hour. Can’t be dealing with an Irene crisis when I need to be somewhere!

Home at last. Late of course, I forgot about school traffic! I’ll have to move like a Duracell bunny on acid to make it on time. I can’t let Susie down though, she’s been my walking, talking diary forever and I owe her.

Taxi phoned, hair done, make-up done, dress ironed, check feet to make sure I’m not wearing slippers. Breathe!

Something weird’s going on. The pub’s empty, except for a couple of old-timers nursing their usual half of Guinness and Stan doesn’t look as if he’s expecting a crowd. The back room’s locked as well and it’s not as if I’m early, it’s 10 past 7. Not bad for me actually! I hope I’ve got the right pub, can’t check with Susie of course ‘cos it’s supposed to be a surprise. Or maybe I’ve got the wrong night. Think of an excuse, phone, find out where she is.

It’s not until the third ring I realise a phone is ringing at exactly the same time through the wall! And I can hear shuffling and the odd stifled cough. I looked over at Stan who has a strange expression on his face, as though he’s desperately trying to stem a yawn. The door to the back room clicks softly open and my best friend is standing there with a huge grin on her face. “I knew you’d ring eventually” she laughs. “and I knew you’d have forgotten what day it is” she adds with a sly grin.

My wedding day was supposed to be the happiest day of my life but this surprise divorce party beats it hands down!

Running

Running

Rat race in full swing

Running to stand still

Underpaid, overworked, taxed to the hilt

Two weeks holiday crammed into one

Dreams of escaping fuelled briefly

Shades of grey defining seasons

Light grey where summer blue should be

Winter’s dark and leaden skies oppress

A week’s holiday crammed into a long weekend

Dreams of escaping dimly remembered

Work engulfs, targets raised

Deadlines made and missed

Rumours fly, speculation abounds

A long weekend becomes one day flextime

There was a dream once

Wasn’t there?

We had some upsetting news today. Our dog's annual leishmaniosis blood test result came back showing that he is positive, slightly. The vets haven't really explained what slightly means, they've just said have him tested again in 3 months, poor Connor. Poor Geoff, I don't know how he'll cope if his baby gets sick :-(

Dark Places

Can you really pinpoint the moments that changed your life? The events that make us what we are?

The days, dark days, special days or just different days that shape and mould the adults we will become.

Or is it just wishful thinking? Something or someone else to blame for our own inadequacies.

Can you really blame a seven year old bully for making us fear ridicule as an adult?

Can you blame the thoughtless adult because a careless word or two brings the insecurities crashing in?

Or is it all inside, bottled up, stemmed, hidden. Given the time of day only in the dark of night when no-one is there to pick fault or tell you to pick yourself up, pull yourself together, not to be so stupid.

When no-one is there to pick up the pieces, to re-assure, to still the echo of the seven year old child that is crying out to be heard, to be allowed to be without judgement.

When there is only you, only me, only ones self to ask the questions that will remain unanswered in the maelstrom of the quiet times.

Quelled by the arrival of the day and the need to move on, forgive, forget.

Until next time.

Damn!

Three is not the magic number. Coincidence 3 was not what I had hoped, although the connection was there, just not the right one. This time. I keep hoping.

Do You Believe in Coincidence?

They say things happen in three's, whoever 'they' are :-/ But do they, or is it just coincidence? Is it a sign, someone or something saying Go For It!, or wishful thinking when the dream refuses to give up and die. Three things happened yesterday and third hasn't played itself out yet so I still don't know but my heart is stronger than my head so fate is still in the lead.

The first was my horoscope, always believed when it sounds good! This is what it said -

Hit rewind and you'll see a few opportunities you've overlooked. These possibilities still remain -- it's just a question of seeking them out. Timing is everything when reigniting sparks, so wait for the right moment.

Then I checked the rest of my emails and I had a comment on my blog, thank you Natalie, which seemed to tie in with the horoscope.

The third and perhaps strangest of the three was a note pushed under my front door sometime on Sunday evening. An aquaintance, don't know him well enough to call a friend yet but well enough to know he's trustworthy, wanted to speak to me about something of mutual interest. I've tried to phone him today and vice versa but we keep missing each other and the longer I wait the more my curiousity grows.

Three things, on the same day, linked to my post of the previous day. Is Three the magic number?

One Day

Woke up this morning and thought today would have been the day, if only!

If only I was more determined, if only I had more money, if only the woman who was gonna rent us the shop hadn't pulled out for no good reason, if only the other place hadn't been sooo small and twice the rent!

If all those things were different then today would have been the day my bookshop opened, La Libreria.

Of course if it had happened I would been working 7 days a week from now on cos I would have had to also sell newspapers & magazines and stuff to make it pay but since I don't really do anything at all at the moment it would have been OK. For a while!

Oh well, one day, if it's meant to be, it'll happen.

Just back from 10 days in cold, wet England. Nice shops, shame about the weather!

Lazy Days

Eyes open slowly

And quickly shut tight

Sunlight too strong to take

Blissful darkness takes over

Snuggled in warm duvet

But the day beckons

Nagging, insistent vamp

Cajoling from slumber

Enticing from dreams

Wakefulness drifts in

Aided by shrill alarm

Hit snooze button, checkmate

I had my first piece of work published today, or yesterday depending on the time zone when this is posted :-/ It's only in a local freebie newspaper/magazine; but it's there, in print, with my name at the end, WOW! I keep looking at it, just to make sure it's real :-)

The Last Day of Summer

A chill breeze steals the warmth from the sunless day; insidious in its demand for attention.

“Summer’s gone, summer’s dead” seems to be the soft whisper of the breeze, heard beneath the cheerful banter of the last visitors and the ever optimistic drone of ‘Hey Baby’ from the stereo.

Chocolate Surprise Sundaes are rejected in favour of Treacle Sponge and Custard as the day succumbs to the breeze and the chill reaches beyond the beach, past the paseo and slips into the sheltered confines of the terrace. Tugging at turned up collars, denied by the jeans that have replaced shorts, only discarded serviettes paying it scant attention.

Remnants of summer linger, forlorn dog-eared flyers drift into corners of car parks, carelessly discarded ice-cream wrappers blowing like tumbleweed, assisted by that oh so insistent chill breeze; determined to push summer away.

Back out, across the paseo, beyond the beach, the sea joins in the sombre mood of the day. Gone is the blue sparkling light dancing off the waves, replaced with an angry churning grey, like unpolished steel, crashing onto the beach with murky grey breakers.

But far, far out to sea a tiny break in the clouds allows a glimmer of sunlight to trickle through. A tiny ray of hope on the distant horizon.

The sun is out at last :-) Woke to the sound of rain for the 5th morning in a row. Another dismal grey day in sight and the depression was sinking deeper. Is it possible to have S.A.D. after only 4 sunless days? No problem now though, the sun came out around 12.00 and every ray lifts my mood a little higher!