Down the Hatch - FF #5

 

“Finally Free - #5” - Prediction challenge for July 11, 2024

3 word prompt - hatch, toss, uncertain – 100 words or less

“Down the Hatch” - FF # 5 

Neither praying nor fireworks had helped Sheriff Wilkins’ frame of mind. The uncertainty of what might be coming ate at him. Was Martha, dead Caleb and the livestock deaths to become a dark rabbit hole or just a convergence of unrelated events?

 “Wilky?”

A hand rested on his shoulder and made him jump. Wilkins turned.

Neighbor Jerry stood holding a tray holding a jug and two tumblers containing what looked suspiciously like moonshine.

“Thought you might like to toss back a couple shots of my best ‘shine.”

Jerry handed Wilky a glass and raised his own glass.

“Down the hatch.”

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Had a bit of a struggle with this 100 words. The prompt words were not an issue. It was .... well, I am just not sure what held it up other than each time I was sure it was done, I rethought the point I wanted to make or the flow, Hell, this is the 5th rendition of this serial entry. I just had to stop and move on.

The musical choice gave me trouble too. I wanted to share some music I am told I used to rock out to at the age of 3 and 4. The strongest radio station in the Colorado Springs in the early 1950s was a country station out of Denver. Country and Bluegrass were my first music. And though I would later include a wide variety of musical genres to my quiver, the old country and bluegrass have never left . Here are the Stanley Brothers with their version of "Mountain Dew". Not about a soft drink however. 

A Mindless Group - WWP #371

 

"A Mindless Group" - Weekend Writing Prompt #371 – Timorous - 54 words

A mindless trio of rhinoceros bounded my way

I felt they would not eat me

As Google contended they fed herbivorously

I stood my ground, sure I was safe

But as they came closer

The ground heaved and shook so vigorously

I began to feel mildly timorous

For being such an obviously oblivious ignoramus

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People go online and if they hang out long enough, they find something that sucks them in and will not let them go. They cannot help themselves. Whatever the something is; a game site, group site, a writing site, they are not happy until they have had that daily fix, weekly or even monthly fix. 

I have a couple of games I sometimes play. Word related entertainment though, is my itch. Crossword puzzles, letter boxes, find the groups and flash fiction and poetry are my weaknesses, addictions, internet substance abuses. If I am not dickin around with words in one form or another, I am not happy.

I have never planned to monetize my writing. First of all, making money writing is easier said than done and once money enters the equation, that indicates writing is now labor and could easily turn into drudgery or worse, something I only do for the money.

I write because it makes me think, which in turn keeps everything else I have on board running like a an almost finely tuned old analog wind up clock. Writing keeps the pace in my brain on those manic days down to a dull roar. On the Depressive days, writing can help me climb out of it sooner than later.

I don't pretend to be any good or even in the ball park of good. It does not matter. I am having fun and that is all that matters.

Keep it 'tween the ditches .................................

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Figured finding a song about or containing Rhinosceros or is it Rhinoseri, then maybe it should be Rhinosceroses..... we'll let the Rhinos decide. I quickly , like almost instantly within five minutes or so, this Jazzy tune from Jon Gomm caught my attention. Excellent instrumental by again, an artist I never knew existed. Here is "Dance of the Last Rhino", by Jon Gomm. Enjoy mellow or loud, it works well on all levels.

Pirate - Sammi weekend challenge - #370

Blackbeard knew his time was up when he saw Lt. Robert Maynard step onto the quarterdeck of his destroyed frigate, “Queen Anne’s Revenge”. Two sailors carrying an empty hogshead barrel followed which they set next to him.

Blackbeard did not move. He stood tall and smiled. “So, this is it. ….. Get on with it.”

The sailors bent Blackbeard over the barrel. The lieutenant drew his cutlass and without a word, decapitated Edward Teach.

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I went through a "pirate phase" when I was a kid living in Tampa, Florida. Local pirate legend "Gasparilla" was championed up and down the west coast of Florida. His fictional story got me started and I spent many hours at the libraries near me learning what I could about pirates and all the swashbuckling they carried out as they fought the good fight against the imperialist Euro trash nations from across the Atlantic. 

Loved the prompt. I immediately turned to the moment when Edward Teach was killed, having read so many tales about the last moments of his life.

When I was looking for an appropriate tune for this piece of Flash Fiction, I sifted through obnoxious tunes, timely tunes and finally settled on an excellent rendition of a Whaling Sea shanty, "Old Maui", by The Dreadnaughts. Excellent harmonies.

After rediscovering sea shanties again after so many years, naturally, I had to spend a few hours listening to some I remembered and more that I had never heard before. Here for an encore are the Dreadnaughts with their ribald shanty, "Sally Brown".

4th of July - FF #4

The Prediction – Finally Free #4 – 100 words

Due Midnight Thur, 4th July – Prompts – Delirious, Open Song

4^th of July – Finally Free #4

Sheriff Wilkins sat back in his lawn chair, rubbed his bloated belly and opened a beer. He thought that might be the best barbecue he had ever grilled. His guests seemed to agree. They laid or sat in a culinary stupor waiting for the fireworks coming up.

Wilkins could not relax. Martha King's recent delirium and break from reality would not let him rest. Closing his eyes, Martha’s anguished face, her body wrapped in a strait jacket, was all he could see.

Like he did in Sunday school so many years ago, Wilky began to quietly sing “The Lord’s Prayer”.

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There is only one tune fitting for "The 4th of July" and it is Jimi Hendrix's interpretation of America's National Anthem. Still gives me chills after all these years. What I find ironic is that when Jimi played this at Woodstock in 1969, the anal retentive panty bunching conservatives of that era called him a commie and a traitor for disrespecting the anthem like he did. Today, the Right Wingin MAGA maniacs have tried to steal it and make it their own.

 My opinion then is the same as it is now. Jimi's version is the best version ever.

Spoonfuls

Sammiscribbles – #369 ~ Weekend WritingPrompt

Prompt - Spoonful – 33 words

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Two efforts this time. The choice was Poetry or Prose, 33 words exactly. My goal was some poetry. Not sure how that went, but I am happy with my effort. Haven't attempted Poetry for quite awhile.

#1 - Spoonful of Courage 

Let me find a spoonful of courage,

A thimble of audacity

To lift my cowardly heart,

Stiffen my spine.

Face my demons up on two legs

Not down on weak and frightened knees

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#2 – Bitter Spoonful

A bitter spoonful of hate and discontent

Can ruin the best of times

Lay low the best of intentions

Destroy great nations

Before anyone has a chance

To understand exactly what it meant

This was my first participation in "Weekend Writing Prompt". 

Keep it "tween the ditches ..............................

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Thought I would add an appropriate tune if for no other reason its title is "Spoonful". Performed by Cream of many years ago. Enjoy. This a live version off their "Wheels of Fire" album.

Dead Livestock - "Finally Free" Serial

“Finally Free - #3”  -  Prediction Challenge for Fri. 6/21/2024

Prompts - drive embrace, omen -100 words

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Dead Livestock

The Sheriff sat back and sighed. He hated paperwork. He didn’t have to embrace it, but he had to get it done. Until the paperwork was finished and filed or passed along, he couldn’t relax. Finally, he could kickback.

The phone rang.

“Sheriff Wilkins.”

“Wilky, you gotta come….

“Sam, calm yourself, …. If I drive down there and it’s another ………

“No false alarm Wilky… Promise. ….I told you it were a bad omen not tossing Martha in jail.”

“Why, what’s she done now?”

“She’s gone plumb crazy. She’s … she’s killin my livestock.”

“With what? I took her shotgun.”

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Adding music to my posts over on "Lost in the BoZone" has become a nice addition for me. I often spend an hour or more cruising YouTube looking for music I might fit with the piece I wanted to post. Since I began to regularly include the music, I have discovered worthy new music at a rate I never imagined before.

So I will try to include a tune or two with the writing I post here in "BoZone Too". I thought a tune from a Brit with real talent might be a good first choice. Here is Ren with  "Violet's Tale". Ren got his start as a busker on th estreets of London, Liverpool, maybe others. His band, The Big Push were amazing. At some point around 2010 I think, Ren developed an auto immune problem and was hospitalized which also messed with his head. He persevered, overcame his medical issues enough to begin producing music again, only under his own name. The man is quite the wordsmith also.

Baking a Cake - 100 words

In the vicinity of the big birch hanging over a drainpipe at the train station, buttercups lurked in the diffused amber light of the foggy wet morning. Harold took a moment and looked out over the mullion of the sliding window next to his seat on the train. He was having trouble with his morning crossword. He turned to the only other passenger in that compartment.

“Could you help me?”

“I will if I can. What is it you want?”

“Do you spell flower, F-L-O-W-E-R or F-L-O-U-R?”

“Depends. Are you creating a flower arrangement or are you baking a cake?”

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My first effort at the Wednesday Words on a Friday challenge site. I chose to do it in 100 words.

The choice of prompt words -

1. lurk 2. amber 3. birch 4. drainpipe 5. spelling

and/or:

1. flour 2. buttercups 3. light 4. train 5. mullion

Finally Free #2 - The Crime Report

“Finally Free” - #2  -  Prediction Challenge for Fri. 6/14/2024

Three word prompt - Bog, Cryptic, Emergency 

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Sheriff Wilkins sighed. On the clipboard in front of him, a blank crime report remained untouched. It was an open and shut case, yet here he was bogged down while he wrestled with legalities and his personal ethics code.

She shouldn’t go to jail. 35 years Caleb had beaten on her. Wilkins had done what he could, but she wouldn’t bring charges. He did manage to set up a cryptic message system so she could call him in an emergency without Caleb being the wiser.

This time she didn’t call. And now Caleb had no face.

Sheriff Wilkins began writing.

Finally Free

 

“Jeezum Martha, “What the Hell happened?”

Sheriff Wilkins bent closer to the body covered in small blisters

Martha stood rigid, her legs apart, hands on her hips and rolled her eyes.

“I ain’t never been no lady of refined ways, but that don’t give him no right to treat me like a farm animal……. It was time I set myself free. I killed the sumbitch, that’s what I did.”

“Caleb was indeed a mean one alright. But what did you do?”

“ Fed him a horse nettle salad. Didn’t work, so I pulled down the ten gauge and made sure.”

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“Finally Free” – Prediction Challenge for Fri. 6/7/2024 - posted 6/5

Three word prompt - Free, nettle, refine - Max - 100 words

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1968 - The Hoochie Coochie Tent -CR99

I was 17 years old at the Acton Fair. I was determined to gain access to the Hoochie Coochie tent. Last year, the hawker out front laughed and sent me packing.

How could I get in? Security was tight. Without an ID, it seemed destined to be a failed effort. It was no longer about ogling naked women. It was now me against the rules.

As I walked away, it came to me out of the blue.

I would come back in my military school uniform. They might let me in then.

It worked. 

Oddly, I left totally unimpressed.

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Challenge was "In a Flash". Write about a Eureka moment, sudden realization, etc.

True story. I compacted it into 99 words so I could enter it in this weekly Carrot Ranch Flash Challenge. It has been awhile since I tried any Flash Fiction. I really enjoy Flash challenges. They force me to focus on the essence of the story, without all the trimmings that so often are just that, trimmings.

I have a much longer piece about this incident from my teen age years. It has languished now for at least a decade.

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I had a song picked out for this story before I even wrote it. I heard the song for the first time in college, several years after I sneaked into that Hoochie Coochie tent. Please enjoy "Sharon", by David Bromberg.