FICTION NOT-QUITE FRIDAY: Soaring Prices

     “Is this your entire stock of flying carpets, shopkeeper?”      “As far as I know, ma’am.”      “What’s THAT mean?”      “I suspect three or four may have floated to the ceiling over the years, but it’s hard to be sure.”      “I like that.  No need to suspect the maid is sweeping dustContinue reading “FICTION NOT-QUITE FRIDAY: Soaring Prices”

FICTION FRIDAY: Virtual Game Replicator

     “Deluded human!”      The skeleton swung its gladius and slashed a dozen pictures pinned to Debbi’s kitty bulletin board.  She pulled to the left, jamming a thumb down on the console.  Armor clanked and Dirk struck out with his claymore, slicing the creature in half (and severing the bottom two feet of the HelloContinue reading “FICTION FRIDAY: Virtual Game Replicator”

FICTION FRIDAY: Walking Into a Barmecide

     The knock on the door of the unlikely little shop was thunderous.      “Good afternoon, sir.  How may I….”      “Remember me?”      “Certainly, sir.  You are Galliga of Coyne, who set off to defeat the Dragon of Mount….”      “You sold me the magic tablecloth of Queen Clothilde.”      “True, sir.  An excellentContinue reading “FICTION FRIDAY: Walking Into a Barmecide”

THE MIGHTY ARREN, R.N. AND THE IMPEDIMENT MONSTER

     “She’s back!” whispered George, one of the male nurses on night shift.  “She’s back!”      Whispers became cheers as the tall, iron-thewed warrior strode along the corridor, her starched uniform rustling to attract her followers.  One by one they fell in behind their mighty hero, knowing she could not fail a second time.     Continue reading “THE MIGHTY ARREN, R.N. AND THE IMPEDIMENT MONSTER”

FICTION FRIDAY: RCFT

     Apps just appeared on the screen without warning, sometimes, begging you to pay for them.  Howard swiped past what was either an elderly woman with chickenpox or a slightly decayed horse’s head.      “It’s down here.”  Bob nodded, quickly easing from polite interest to polite boredom.  By the time Howard had swiped to whatContinue reading “FICTION FRIDAY: RCFT”

FICTION FRIDAY: Sending It Back

     Bernard was one of those shoppers who spends more time than money.  A friendly chap who liked to talk, had a treasury of stories which were not all pointless: he was pleasant enough on a slow day but at other times kept work from being done.      The keeper of the dark, dim antiqueContinue reading “FICTION FRIDAY: Sending It Back”

FICTION FRIDAY: A Smell of Leaves

     Mike straightened his back with only minor effort, and stretched.  That was a respectable pile of leaves, and the weather was perfect for raking: cool with a light breeze not quite strong enough to go through the cloth jacket he was thinking of taking off if Carol wasn’t watching him through the kitchen window. Continue reading “FICTION FRIDAY: A Smell of Leaves”

FICTION FRIDAY: Reassessment

     “What happened?” asked Barbara, looking around the off-white chamber.      The tall person in the white robe smiled.  “We get a lot of that.  You turned left on the corner of State and Delaware just as a driver lost control of his SUV.  You were caught between the grille and the window washer’s scaffold.” Continue reading “FICTION FRIDAY: Reassessment”

FUZZ ORDAINED: Olivia and Griff

     Olivia took hold of her collar with both hands.  “It’s going to rain,” she stated.      “It’s not going to rain.”  Griffin shook his hair back.  “Besides, thunder and lightning will make it even better.”      Olivia’s lips pulled in.  Griffin realized that he’d have had a better chance if he’d said the secondContinue reading “FUZZ ORDAINED: Olivia and Griff”