SCOTT LUPER: Reward if Found

Adventure, Amusing, Submissions, , ,

Olivia awoke to a charred hole above her bed and a small, adorably demonic winged creature, which fidgeted with excitement on her chest.

Olivia petted its oily red hide and mimicked its playful chirps, as she noted the iron collar’s inscription: IF YOU’RE READING THIS, IT’S TOO LATE. I’M SORRY.

Scott is an Amazon best-selling author and short story writer. He lives and works in Texas with his wife, their two boys, and a pair of ridiculous Great Pyrenees pups. This is Scott’s third piece on 50-Word Stories. You can connect with Scott and find links to his work at amazon.com/author/scottluper.

JEN DAVIES: The Bee

Artistic, Submissions, , ,

She felt as though she was being watched.

Her daughter trapped the bee under a glass. Look Mum, it’s one of them. A drone.

She looked closer, and saw a tiny lens where its face should be, glinting in front of beating iridescent wings.

The world wasn’t like she remembered.

Jen Davies is from Glasgow, Scotland. She designs movie posters for a living and loves stories, pictures, and people. You can see her work at jendavies.co.uk and find her on Twitter at @jendavies.

CHRISTINE NEDAHL: Last of the Lemons

Submissions, Top Stories, Touching, , ,

Rheumy eyes viewed the long orchard.

His treasured trees would outlive her, but deprived of care, they too would die.

He’d picked his trees, and her, for the fruit each would bear. He’d loathed her barrenness.

His acid tongue was silent now. For the first time in years, she smiled.

Christine Nedahl is a retired teacher from the Rhondda Valley, South Wales, now living with her husband in Arboleas in the Almanzora Valley, Spain. She enjoys writing about anything and everything, but flash fiction and poetry are currently favourites. She has been published in a number of anthologies and is a member of Writers Abroad. See more at christinenedahl.wordpress.com.

PATRICK MC LOUGHLIN: A Hundred Thousand Lifetimes

Artistic, Submissions, , , ,

The pebble was perfect—smooth, oval, and just the right weight.

Sally picked it up from where it lay nestled snugly and warm among the other stones on the beach. She skimmed it and counted: “Seven, eight, nine… Not bad.”

The pebble sank into the ocean and started over again.

Patrick Mc Loughlin is an English Language Teacher in Ireland who dabbles in writing. He also dabbles in painting and music and someday hopes to do more than dabble. He lives in the west of Ireland, where it’s hard to concentrate.

ROBERTA BEACH JACOBSON: Long Gone

Amusing, Artistic, Puns and Wordplay, Submissions, , ,

I logged out and fled my cubicle
so find yourself another IT guy, boss
’cause I’m rebooting my system

Time for me to start a new session
open a new window
and reset my password in a warmer climate
as I back up the files and folders of my life

Roberta Beach Jacobson is a humorist from Iowa.

TIM BOITEAU: Morning After

Artistic, Submissions, Touching, , , , ,

I step in something cold, slimy on the kitchen tile.

Gelatin-encased golden suns. Crushed shells.

Gwen is slumped in the corner, rage melted.

I grease up a pan, ignite the burner, scoop up the ruined eggs with a spatula, and toss them into the spitting oil.

Then help her stand.

Tim Boiteau writes and lives near Detroit with his wife and son.

JOHN B SINCLAIR: The Warnings

Amusing, Artistic, Submissions, , , ,

Our peaceful mission
which commenced in Roswell in 1947
is complete.

Agents infiltrated the planet on periodic visits
successfully morphing into intelligent life forms to deliver our survival doctrine.

Warnings of the dangers of pollution, climate change, and chemical toxicity
were ignored

Mission conclusion:
Earthlings will destroy their own planet

John B. Sinclair is a much-travelled Scot who has now returned to Scotland, where he enjoys freelance writing on a variety of subjects.

GERALDINE McCARTHY: TV Dinner

Amusing, Submissions, Touching, , , ,

Old Harold buys a fish tank on his birthday. Fills it with guppies and mollies, hardy breeds. Throws in the odd fish flake. Changes the water on Saturdays. It’s good to be needed.

The fish swim and swirl, dive and stare.

Tiddles is mesmerised. Now he has his own TV.

Geraldine McCarthy doesn’t own any pets. You can find her on Facebook.

RON. LAVALETTE: Fine Point

Amusing, Submissions, , , , ,

It wasn’t until his third unsuccessful attempt to get something—anything—worthwhile onto paper that he realized he’d been using the wrong pen. Somehow, a 0.7 had made it into his pocket along with his favored 1.0 and he’d been accidentally selecting it, thus guaranteeing his dissatisfaction with the outcome.

Ron. Lavalette has been widely published in both print and pixel forms. His first chapbook, Fallen Away, is now available from Finishing Line Press, and a reasonable sample of his work can be found at EGGS OVER TOKYO.