The Field Trip – Friday Fictioneers

March 23, 2022 ~ amiewrites74 ~ 18 Comments

“Okay everyone, let’s move on. Stay in your groups, please. Red cells over here, white cells over there, and platelets stay close to me.”

The students were buzzing. Field trip day was always chaotic.

“And here we have the ruins of the pancreas. Once a great endocrine institution, the beta cells are now destroyed.”

The youth curiously gawked at the defunct organ.

The teacher, Ms. Macrophage, continued, “Who can tell me why this is important?”

An excited little red cell shouted, “That’s why the blood sugar fluctuates and we get the needles!”

“Exactly right. Lots of needles and synthetic insulin.”

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word count = 100

This one was written for my daughter, Caitlin. She has type 1 diabetes and she loves the movie Osmosis Jones.

Friday Fictioneers is hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. Join in and see other authors’ entries here.

The Ruins – Friday Fictioneers

March 23, 2022 ~ amiewrites74 ~ 19 Comments

PHOTO PROMPT © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

“I have to give her one more chance. I’m sorry.”

His words hit her like a gut-punch. Not again. Familiar tears stung her eyes and her breath caught in her throat.

All she wanted was for things to be the way they were… before he left the first time. She had let herself feel hope this time. Now she just felt foolish. He would never change.

Her mind wandered through the tattered ruins of their relationship – an empty shell of what once was. This is a place to visit but not to dwell. This goodbye has to be the last.

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word count = 100

Friday Fictioneers is hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. Join in and see other authors’ entries here.

Goodbye

February 9, 2019February 10, 2019 ~ amiewrites74 ~ 29 Comments

PHOTO PROMPT © Anshu Bhojnagarwala

This time was more somber than usual.

They did the same things, of course. The flag ceremony. Dutch oven cooking. Archery.

But then there were the “lasts.” Last trip to the stables to say goodbye to the horses. Last hike around the lake. Last trip to the outdoor chapel. Last campfire.

The girls gathered around the flames and reminisced about past trips. They laughed. And cried a little, too.

After the fire died out and cooled, they scooped the ashes into little jars. One last tangible souvenir of this magic place.

Their hearts would hold the memories for a lifetime.

Word count: 100

Written for Friday Fictioneers, which is hosted by the lovely and talented Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. Read the other 100-word nuggets of flash fiction here.

Author’s note: So, this isn’t actually fiction. This is about a recent farewell trip to our nearest Girl Scout camp which was just closed and sold. I went there as a 12 year-old back in the 80s, my first week-long sleep-away camping trip. I’ve been taking my two girls’ troops there twice a year for years. My older troop has been there so many times and actually bridged to senior scouts there in that gorgeous outdoor chapel. That place holds so many memories. I’ve watched the girls grow and try new things there. They’ve gained confidence. They have bonded. Getting children into nature and getting them away from screens is so vital. And they thrive in that environment. The sale of the camp has been a months-long battle between us troop leaders and our council board. But in the end, it was all about money and not about our girls. I hate it and I’ve shed many tears over it… but in the end, we will move on and find new experiences for our girls. They deserve that.

The Lost Branches

February 4, 2018February 4, 2018 ~ amiewrites74 ~ 29 Comments

I hit enter and watched the little leaves pop onto my screen.

I did the DNA testing to learn about my ancestry. Just out of curiosity, really. Now I was staring at several names – not-that-distant relatives – that I had never heard of.

The next day, grandma held the printout in her weathered hands. A scowl crossed her face as she scanned the names. I waited eagerly to hear the stories that I could see dancing through her mind.

“Ah, yes,” she muttered. “That’s Beulah and her kin.”

“And…?” I prodded.

“Sometimes the family tree just needs some pruning,” she spat.

100 words

PHOTO PROMPT © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

Happy weekend! This is written for the weekly flash fiction challenge, Friday Fictioneers. Check out the other 100-word gems of flash fiction here. Many thanks to our lovely host, Rochelle Wisoff-Fields.

Work in Progress

January 26, 2018 ~ amiewrites74 ~ 15 Comments

“This is the wonderful business opportunity? You can’t be serious.” Arms crossed, Maria wrinkled her nose in disgust at the dilapidated building.

“I know she needs some TLC…,” Mike began, mind reeling with potential.

“Our car can fit through the gaping hole in the wall! And that terrace is a death trap!”

Mike used his charm. “I was in rough shape when you found me. You took a chance and that turned out okay, right?”

Her eyes softened. “I guess,” she joked, “but you’re still a work in progress.”

Mike patted the wall and whispered, “Let’s get you fixed up.”

Word count: 100

PHOTO CREDIT: Sandra Crook

The Survivor

August 31, 2017September 1, 2017 ~ amiewrites74 ~ 46 Comments

Martin stood in the ruins of the abandoned hospital, his mind lost in the nightmares of 1860. He could feel her here, his sweet Helena. Her imprint was strong, resistant to the fade of time. Her voice called to him on the breeze. He closed his eyes and she was healthy and beautiful. Before.

The ancient amulet hummed in his pocket. The talisman had been too late to save Helena. Martin wished he’d met the same fate.

The building where he stood was nothing but a shell now, the inside gutted out. Just like him.

Mere survival was not the same as living.

**note: I made an edit based on reader feedback… just moved the order of two sentences. I feel like it makes a big difference in the flow. For anyone interested, this is the original:

Martin stood in the ruins of the abandoned hospital, his mind lost in the nightmares of 1860. The building was nothing but a shell now, the inside gutted out. Just like him.

He could feel her here, his sweet Helena. Her imprint was strong, resistant to the fade of time. Her voice called to him on the breeze. He closed his eyes and could envision her healthy and beautiful. Before.

The ancient amulet hummed in his pocket. The talisman had been too late to save Helena. Martin wished he’d met the same fate.

Mere survival was not the same as living.

PHOTO PROMPT © Roger Bulltot

This is written for the weekly flash fiction challenge, Friday Fictioneers. Check out the other 100-word gems of flash fiction here. Many thanks to our lovely host, Rochelle Wisoff-Fields.

One Enchanted Evening

August 27, 2017 ~ amiewrites74 ~ 28 Comments

Ana laid tangled in Nick’s arms in the bed of his parked pickup truck, soft music floating from the cab. Far from city lights, a million stars dotted the sky. She thought the night couldn’t be more perfect but he promised more.

He led her through the woods to their campsite. Soft illumination inside the tent made it glow green like an emerald. Twinkle lights hung in the trees. The beauty left her breathless.

She turned to find him on one knee, ring in hand. Hope and anxiety were clear on his face.

Serenaded by cicadas, the couple celebrated her answer.

Farewell Fireworks

July 8, 2017July 8, 2017 ~ amiewrites74 ~ 49 Comments

Debbie carefully packed her desk items into a box. She paused at the cup overflowing with bent paperclips, one deposited every day she worked in this dreadful office.

She wasn’t necessarily ready for retirement, but the company had pushed her toward a settlement. Out with the old, in with the new.

Good luck with that. There was more drama than work with her younger counterparts. They also had loose lips. Yes, Debbie had all the dirt. Affairs. Embezzlement. Stealing.

The secrets flowed through her fingertips as she typed her final email to her boss.

She was going out with a bang.

Happy Friday! This is written for the weekly flash fiction challenge, Friday Fictioneers. Check out the other 100-word gems of flash fiction here. Many thanks to our lovely host, Rochelle Wisoff-Fields.

Welcome to Paradise

June 16, 2017June 16, 2017 ~ amiewrites74 ~ 38 Comments

Chelsea awoke with a massive headache, courtesy of the free-flowing booze at the all-inclusive resort.

Welcome to Paradise.

‘Where is John? Why is our room so messy?! Maybe he went down to the beach. Fresh air sounds good.’

She stumbled along the boardwalk and froze at the sand’s edge, confused. It was 2:00 pm but the sky was as black as midnight. Crumpled towels, umbrellas, and flip-flops were carelessly strewn about. But not a single person in sight.

A bright light suddenly shone down on her like a spotlight. Caught between fear and hope, she looked up.

It took her swiftly.

First Date

June 13, 2017 ~ amiewrites74 ~ 4 Comments

Maeve surreptitiously checked her watch again. This was the worst date ever.

‘It’s not his fault,’ she thought, excusing herself to the restroom.

With shaky exhale, she studied her tired features in the mirror. Her grief was still messy like an overgrown vine, tangled and disruptive, unrelenting in its devouring grip.

Well-meaning friends aside, she was obviously not ready for this. She still wanted the only man she could no longer have. Pretending otherwise was pointless.

When her unsuspecting date opened the note delivered by the waiter, Maeve was long gone.

“I’m sorry” was all she could manage to write.

Photo by Sarah Potter

Yes, I know I’m late for Friday Fictioneers! Better late than never? I didn’t want to skip out again, though. This photo screamed isolation and desperation to me. You can find the other entries for this photo prompt here.