Tag: inspiration

Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 22: Darwin Lane

This is the 22nd in a series of 365 Flash Fiction stories I’m writing from 2nd December 2012 until the 1st December 2013. It’s intent is to keep me writing throughout the year, and not just in November. you can find out more about the challenge here.

Darwin Lane, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 23rd December 2012

Word count: 727

Theme: dystopia, mutants, false accusation, pieces in a game

The story:

“I don’t really know how I do it,” Johnson claimed.

“Yeah sure, I know what you freaks are capable of these days,” the sergeant said snarling.

“I really don’t,” the young man protested, “I never wanted to be one of those freaks.”

There was a top on the police interview room’s door. The sergeant walked out, there were mutterings, and Johnson thought he heard someone exclaim, “Son of a Bitch Human Fucking Right Activists”.

The sergeant came back in, “I’d through the god damn book at you, the library that it was sitting in,” he said still snarling, “But it appears your fellow freaks are kicking up a stink. I hope you all have a really good time together,” somehow Johnson felt he didn’t mean this.

Continue reading “Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 22: Darwin Lane”

Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 21: Dialgog

This is the 21st in a series of 365 Flash Fiction stories I’m writing from 2nd December 2012 until the 1st December 2013. It’s intent is to keep me writing throughout the year, and not just in November. you can find out more about the challenge here.

Dialgog, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 22nd December 2012

Word count: 999

Theme: racing, drama, misbehaving, cheating, horse, horse racing

The story:

“You stupid son of a bitch,” Max Butcher said hitting the sick looking jockey with a newspaper.

“It wasn’t my fault,” Gary Cloves said trying to duck, and looking even more sick for the attempt.

“We’ve got a race meeting tomorrow, you know the sodding thing that pays for all this,” Max gestured.

“It must have been bad sea food,” Gary moaned.

“Max, Max, stop hitting him. We’ll have to field another jockey,” said Simon Reeves, Max Butcher’s trainer.

Max turned away from the cowering Gary, “Who you got?”

“Me? I’ve only got kids right now,” Simon said, “We’ll have to reach out to another jockey.”

“Shit, like I have that kind of money,” Max said. “Any of your kids got talent?”

“Of course, but not enough for a big meet like this,” Simon said, “Besides they’re too young to be legal.”

Continue reading “Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 21: Dialgog”

Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 20: The Wheel of Life

This is the 20th in a series of 365 Flash Fiction stories I’m writing from 2nd December 2012 until the 1st December 2013. It’s intent is to keep me writing throughout the year, and not just in November. you can find out more about the challenge here.

Banquet for the Lost, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 21st December 2012

Word count: 999

Theme: drama, gambling, holiday, letting loose

The story:

Peter Simmons was a careful man, usually, he didn’t gamble, didn’t risk. Life was too precious to waste. So how he came to be in a casino gambling on his life on a roll of the dice was somewhat out of character.

It all started three days ago, he’d had to come to the South of France on work business. For some reason his boss felt he was the perfect person to go to buy up a collection of rare wines.

“Safe pair of hands,” his boss had noted, it somehow irked him more than it should. The fact he was being forced to take a weeks leave as well, (“You’ve got too many holidays unused, everyone needs time off”), only added to the annoyance.

Was this his life? Safe pair of hands? Something inside him just clicked, and so he went to France determined to enjoy himself on the company’s dime.

That wasn’t so easy, outside of work and his books, Peter had little else. So he did the most obvious thing, he went to a vineyard.

Continue reading “Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 20: The Wheel of Life”

Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 19: Banquet for the Lost

This is the 19th in a series of 365 Flash Fiction stories I’m writing from 2nd December 2012 until the 1st December 2013. It’s intent is to keep me writing throughout the year, and not just in November. you can find out more about the challenge here.

Banquet for the Lost, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 20th December 2012

Word count: 977

Theme: drama, families, atonement, reunion, discovery, history

The story:

Katherine smoothed off her red dress, though the material was sheer and seemed immune to creasing, it was a self concious act. Katherine felt seriously out of her depth right now.

“Relax, you’ll be fine I promise,” Luther said with that overly warm smile. He was a middle aged man with a German accent, he looked swathe in his perfectly fitted tuxedo, gold cuff links  and just the barest hint of cologne. He was also a bloody good salesman, and Katherine would know she considered herself as a pretty good one, yet he’d been able to convince her, a perfect stranger to come to this fancy dinner party.

“Maybe I should go, I don’t fit in here,” she said, and it was true. As people filed in they wore the expensive clothes and jewellery with ease, most seemed middle aged, and well preserved.

Continue reading “Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 19: Banquet for the Lost”

Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 18: Crewing the Spaceways

This is the 18th in a series of 365 Flash Fiction stories I’m writing from 2nd December 2012 until the 1st December 2013. It’s intent is to keep me writing throughout the year, and not just in November. you can find out more about the challenge here.

Crewing the Spaceways, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 19th December 2012

Word count: 773

Theme: sci fi, star ship, memoirs of a space pirate, the small details, exploring a point, understanding

The story:

“Right, you take the left bank of the cooling systems, I’ll take the right,” the engineer, Chief Rawlings said to his young apprentice.

“What I don’t understand,” the apprentice, John Bernard started.

“What you don’t understand could fill a billion volumes of the Encyclopaedia Britannia,and still need an extra forest for more paper,” the engineer said snappily.

“I’m sorry I said anything,” John said, feeling embarrassed. It was his first day on the job, and only his third hour into the shift, and Captain Arsené Frassin had already called duty stations to alert, there was something going on, not that anyone would tell John what. ‘For a pirate ship, sorry privateer ship, they were as tight lipped as any military star ship,’ he thought to himself.

Continue reading “Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 18: Crewing the Spaceways”

Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 17: The Clarion Challenge

This is the 17th in a series of 365 Flash Fiction stories I’m writing from 2nd December 2012 until the 1st December 2013. It’s intent is to keep me writing throughout the year, and not just in November. you can find out more about the challenge here.

Stitched Up, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 18th December 2012

Word count: 1,000

Theme: sport, the one, hero, rugby league, dreams

The story:

“You’re in the big leagues now son,” coach Gilbert was saying.

“Thank you, thank you, I won’t let you down!” replied the young man by the name of Lee Brignall gushed. He’d just been told he was going to be in the starting line up for this Saturday’s match against the Warriors. It was a dream come true for the young Leeds Rhino.

Prop forward in a Super League XXV game, against the defending champions. He knew this was his big break, so he trained solidly for two days, before Gregory Matthews, current Captain of the Rhinos pulled him to one side.

“You need to take it easy. You’ve got a great work ethic, but save some for the game. We don’t want you injured or exhausted do we?”

Lee Bruce took it to heart and reigned himself in, he followed his training schedule and socialised better with the team.

“Sure the kid’s going to be alright?” Matthews asked away from prying ears.

“He’s got talent, just needs discipline,” Gilbert said. “He’s got something the crowd will love, an eagerness. He’ll help us win back the crowds again, and we need them.”

Continue reading “Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 17: The Clarion Challenge”

Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 16: Stitched Up

This is the 16th in a series of 365 Flash Fiction stories I’m writing from 2nd December 2012 until the 1st December 2013. It’s intent is to keep me writing throughout the year, and not just in November. you can find out more about the challenge here.

Stitched Up, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 17th December 2012

Word count: 977

Theme: crime, revenge, suspense

The story:

Twenty years, that’s how long it’s been, twenty long years in prison.

Now I’m out, and staying out is proving far harder than I expected. I used to be the man with the plan, and I was worth my weight in gold. Then the people that hire me, they turned on me, set me up for the big fall.

First degree murder.

I’m in admiration of the plan, really, they had me break into the scene of the crime, while the real murderer used my escape route to get out, leaving me shafted, covered in the dead man’s blood holding the weapon, after I foolishly tried to save him.

I protested my innocence of course, for a while. Then I agreed to plead guilty in exchange for leniency. The judge threw that out because I wasn’t confessing to enough murders, there were several other murders with the same MO. Lovely.

Now I’m out and most of the faces I see are young ones, except for the three following me down across Oxford Circus. I might be rusty, but these were amateurs, I recognised one though which was enough to tell me this wasn’t the cops.

Continue reading “Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 16: Stitched Up”

Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 15: Cult of Amara

This is the 15th in a series of 365 Flash Fiction stories I’m writing from 2nd December 2012 until the 1st December 2013. It’s intent is to keep me writing throughout the year, and not just in November. you can find out more about the challenge here.

Cult of Amara, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 16th December 2012

Word count: 995

Theme: mystery, religion, chosen one, cult

The story:

“We who are beholden to the true one,” the acolyte said, garbed in his thick brown cotton robe, “I am yours for now, and forever, to command, for I obey,” he said lowering his head to the floor.

“Arise, you are acolyte no more,” a priestly figure said from a top of a high seat, he was wrapped in purple robes, so much so no one had actually seen him for years, “You are now a priest of the order of Amara, come replace your robes.”

It was a solemn ceremony, one which Jaximus, (his Amaran name), watched with trepidation. It would be his turn to be called next week. Once they had appointed priests just twice a year, then once a month, and now they were doing it weekly. The end must be near, Jaximus couldn’t help feeling, yet all the priests remained in the compound.

It was a very confusing time for Jaximus, he was having doubts, yet, he’d manage to pass the tests of the faithful.

Continue reading “Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 15: Cult of Amara”

Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 14: To The Ends of the Earth and Back

This is the 14th in a series of 365 Flash Fiction stories I’m writing from 2nd December 2012 until the 1st December 2013. It’s intent is to keep me writing throughout the year, and not just in November. you can find out more about the challenge here.

For Her, Anything, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 15th December 2012

Word count: 728

Theme: action, adventure, treasure hunt, clues, mystery

The story:

“Fucking Wales,” Leron Ruiz swore in Spanish.

“It cud be wuss, it cud be france,” his guide on this leg of his quest pointed out. Nathan Smith was, what he affectionately described, a Brummie, he’d been helping Leron get around this country to some pretty unusual spots. As far as Leron was concerned all of it was unusual. A week earlier he’d been in his offices in Texas, he was a private investigator there, a pretty low rent one at that. Then a huge fish walks in the door, and offers him a boat load of money to track down some secret map.

Of course he’d refused, the guy wanted him to go to Egypt. There were professionals for that kind of thing, and if they weren’t taking the job then clearly it was for a good reason. Then the old man had been shot outside the doors of his office. Sniper shot the police said, at least five hundred feet. The guy had left the folder with the job details, and Leron may have forgotten to mention it to the police.

Continue reading “Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 14: To The Ends of the Earth and Back”

Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 13: For Her, Anything

This is the eighth in a series of 365 Flash Fiction stories I’m writing from 2nd December 2012 until the 1st December 2013. It’s intent is to keep me writing throughout the year, and not just in November. you can find out more about the challenge here.

For Her, Anything, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 14th December 2012

Word count: 991

Theme: end of the work. unknown apocalypse, apocalypse, love, survival, violence, humanity

The story:

Dear Sarah,

Are you out there? Are you well? I worry about you and miss you. I was in London when it happened, I was going to bring you something nice. It’s five months later, five months moving from one wretched town to another, always making my way back home.

When the attack happened it hit central London first. I managed to evacuate. The following day, I broke away from the thousand of refugees, I don’t know why I went a different route, I just did. As did several others, dozens of us, guess it just seemed easier than being shepherded by the army to no one knows where.

Whimsy saved my life, you always said by random decision making would be the death of me, it nearly has three times since then, but that time, it saved me. The attack happened at mid-afternoon, we saw it on the horizon. All those refugees.

Continue reading “Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 13: For Her, Anything”