Tag: FSS

Fandango's Story Starter (FSS)

Fandango’s Story Starter

Jim was hosting for Fandango but Fandango will be back. Thanks Jim for taking the time to fill in.

Things were different back in the day when …

Written for FSS

Things were different back in the day when the world seemed so safe. As kids, we would leave the house in the morning and return only if we forgot some treasure or new tool to use as we built an imaginary world around us. 

“Hey, wait for me”, I remember my best friend saying as she pedaled harder and harder to catch up. We were on our way to the underpass. 

The underpass was I95 which cut through the shoreline and went all the way from Maine to Florida, or so we were told. We would search the sand on either side of the road that traveled under the underpass to look for bird eggs that were maybe jostled out of their nests by the rumbling vibration of the cars and trucks. Once in a while, we would find a blue robins egg, cracked in half like mom’s Sunday morning breakfast eggs, but never a baby bird to rescue. 

“Let’s ride up to the store and buy gum!” my friend said. There was a small store about a mile away.

We would cross the busy street, Route 1, which also supposedly runs from Maine to Florida. Then we would pedal over the East River and cross the town line to finally get to the shop close enough to buy big packs of Grape Hubba Bubba. Chewing happily we would ride toward home, wondering what we should do next. We never told our moms we rode so far. It was dangerous crossing a main road, never a worry about anyone kidnapping us or luring us in some obscene way. As long as we were home for dinner we were free to explore the world around us, and that we did!

Christine Bialczak poetry Compilation Fandango's One Word Challenge (FOWC) Fandango's Story Starter (FSS) JusJoJan2023 Three Things Challenge Word of the Day Challenge

Fair Maiden: Compilation 01/24/2023

Boughton, George Henry; The Lady of the Snows; Walker Art Gallery; http://www.artuk.org/artworks/the-lady-of-the-snows-97671

There, amidst a clearing in the dark woods,
stood a maiden with her hair bound up tight
A paintbrush poised beside her bundled hands
In this land its a ubiquitous sight

An ideal place exists in forests
So still, where silence hides a tranquil place
No utter madness of the modern world
No new electric nor developed space

But what is this I still can hear
a sound with feeling draws me back
a topical solution found
Where once was only a small crack

So leave us, her and I alone
to guide silent inferences here
so glory may be sent to God
to leave majestic beauty near.

©2023 CBialczak

paintbrush https://lindaghill.com/2023/01/23/daily-prompt-jusjojan-the-23rd-2023/
ideal https://lindaghill.com/2023/01/24/daily-prompt-jusjojan-the-24th-2023/
ubiquitous https://wordofthedaychallenge.wordpress.com/2023/01/24/ubiquitous-2/
topical https://fivedotoh.com/2023/01/24/fowc-with-fandango-topical/
madness, electric, silence https://pensitivity101.wordpress.com/2023/01/24/three-things-challenge-m218/
https://wordcraftpoetry.com/2023/01/24/tankatuesday-ekphrastic-poetry-challenge-no-304/
There, amidst a clearing in the dark woods, stood … https://jimadamsauthordotcom.wordpress.com/2023/01/24/fandango-is-recovering/

Christine Bialczak poetry Fandango's One Word Challenge (FOWC) Fandango's Story Starter (FSS) JusJoJan2023 One Word Challenge poem Poetry to enjoy stinewriting The Daily Spur Three Things Challenge Weekly Writing Prompt Word of the Day Challenge Your Daily Word Prompt

Never together: Compilation 01/10/2023

Once his dream of a life together
With her faded, day by day,
As he realized that his love for her
Was unrequited and far away

He knew he had to move on
A premonition he had felt
Even though she kissed him tenderly
Its a hand that he’d been dealt

Like a needle in a haystack
Found only once by a surprise
He stood there in a trance and stared
The scud, a cloud look to his eyes

Holly’s not some trendy model
No debutant from castle life
In a periwinkle dressing gown
She’d never get to be his wife. 

periwinkle https://lindaghill.com/2023/01/10/daily-prompt-jusjojan-the-10th-2023/
holly, needle, once https://pensitivity101.wordpress.com/2023/01/10/three-things-challenge-m204/
Once his dream of a life together with her faded as he realized that his love for her was unrequited, he knew he had to …https://fivedotoh.com/2023/01/10/fandangos-story-starter-80/
premonition https://fivedotoh.com/2023/01/10/fowc-with-fandango-premonition/
sock https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2023/01/10/tuesday-rdp-sock/
trance https://thedailyspur.wordpress.com/2023/01/10/trance/
scud https://onedailyprompt.wordpress.com/2023/01/10/your-daily-word-prompt-scud-ydwordprompt-january-10-2023/
trendy https://wordofthedaychallenge.wordpress.com/2023/01/10/trendy/

Christine Bialczak poetry Daily Writing Prompt Fandango's One Word Challenge (FOWC) Fandango's Story Starter (FSS) JusJoJan2023 One Word Challenge Photo Challenge Rag Tag Daily Prompt stinewriting The Daily Spur Three Things Challenge Word of the Day Challenge writing prompt Your Daily Word Prompt

One Tough Lady: Compilation 01.03.2023

One tough lady

She thought she heard his voice in the hallway [just] outside
of her apartment so she immediately found a place to hide
It was a place reserved for those things that many people keep
a solo beach lounge chair, all the junk was piled deep
With a measly bit of force she left the settlement alone
forcing every muscle to move with every bone.
She could hear him mouthing off to the gentleman next door
calling him a OMW, acronym for old-man-whore
She knew the power of his words would make the man just cry
but she quickly ambled out the door, her only chance to fly
She made it to her car with only seconds more to spare
When she saw him start to run towards her with a nasty, evil glare
She put the car in drive and escaped his scary trap
and went right to the police house to tell them of his crap.
The cops were so confused as to why she stayed so long
She simply told the policeman there she was trying to stay strong.
They drove out to her place and saw him lying on the ground
someone definitely shot him, the gun made little to no sound.
No body witnessed anything and they said he had no friends
And this is where the story of abuse will surely end.
©2023 CBialczak poetry

acronym https://wordofthedaychallenge.wordpress.com/2023/01/03/acronym/
reserved https://fivedotoh.com/2023/01/03/fowc-with-fandango-reserved/
solo https://lindaghill.com/2022/12/30/just-jot-it-january-2023-the-rules/
She thought she heard his voice in the hallway outside of her apartment, so she immediately…https://fivedotoh.com/2023/01/03/fandangos-story-starter-79/
settlement https://thedailyspur.wordpress.com/2023/01/03/settlement-2/
power, above, force https://pensitivity101.wordpress.com/2023/01/03/three-things-challenge-m197/
measly https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2023/01/03/rdp-tuesday-measly/
mouth off https://heartlandenglishwordoftheday.wordpress.com/author/jondknight/

Christine Bialczak poetry Compilation Daily Writing Prompt Fandango's One Word Challenge (FOWC) Fandango's Story Starter (FSS) One Word Challenge poems poetry Poetry to enjoy The Daily Spur Three Things Challenge Weekly Writing Prompt Word of the Day Challenge Your Daily Word Prompt

Time for a new dad: Compilation 12/27/2022

When Andrea found out that she wasn’t really his daughter, she knew exactly what she had to do.
She’d take a bottle of wine, a cheap box of chocolates, and some tea that she’d made for two.
She would talk to him slowly in a tone crisp and light and forget about the whole escapade
Then chat with a coterie about solidarity and a counter-attacking brigade.
When all’s said and done and she could stand all alone and then leave the people behind
There’s joy in this world and he didn’t matter, a new father she’d hope to find.

chocolate, wine, tea https://pensitivity101.wordpress.com/2022/12/27/three-things-challenge-m190/
When Andrea found out that she wasn’t really his daughter, she knew exactly what she had to do. https://fivedotoh.com/2022/12/27/fandangos-story-starter-78/
tone https://fivedotoh.com/2022/12/27/fowc-with-fandango-tone/
counter https://thedailyspur.wordpress.com/2022/12/27/counter/
solidarity https://wordofthedaychallenge.wordpress.com/2022/12/27/solidarity/
coterie https://onedailyprompt.wordpress.com/2022/12/27/your-daily-word-prompt-coterie-ydwordprompt-december-27-2022/

Blog Christine Bialczak poetry Compilation Daily Writing Prompt Fandango's One Word Challenge (FOWC) One Word Challenge poems poetry Poetry to enjoy Rag Tag Daily Prompt stinewriting The Daily Spur Three Things Challenge Weekly Writing Prompt Word of the Day Challenge Your Daily Word Prompt

The Break-up: Compilation 11/29/2022

He couldn’t believe his eyes
when he saw the heavy lock
Like lichen on an old worn stone
It was clamped right at the top
The idea was convoluted
but who was he to disbelieve
that she was dumping him
no longer tugging on his sleeve
Its just because she found out
that he had found another lass
defense of her emotions
an expedition come to pass
She was too late to be convinced
She’d pay no fee to change his mind
The past would soon catch up to him
She was sure that he would find
For now she would just move on
Find a new man for herself
She’d take her pain and anguish
and place it high upon a shelf

©2022 CBialczak Poetry

convoluted https://fivedotoh.com/2022/11/29/fowc-with-fandango-convoluted/
story starter: https://fivedotoh.com/2022/11/29/fandangos-story-starter-74/ He couldn’t believe that she was dumping him just because she found out…
late, past, begin https://pensitivity101.wordpress.com/2022/11/29/three-things-challenge-m162/
defense https://wordofthedaychallenge.wordpress.com/2022/11/29/defense/
expedition https://onedailyprompt.wordpress.com/2022/11/29/your-daily-word-prompt-expedition-ydwordprompt-november-29-2022/
lichen https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2022/11/29/rdp-tuesday-lichen/
fee https://thedailyspur.wordpress.com/2022/11/29/fee/

#stinewriting Blog Fandango's Story Starter (FSS) Fiction short story stinewriting

Fandango’s Story Starter

Check it out at Fandango’s site

As our eyes met across the busy café tables, I was struck with the feeling that…

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

People Watcher by Christine Bialczak

As our eyes met across the busy cafe tables, I was struck with the feeling that you knew. You had this look in your eyes that saw into me. I could tell you weren’t just scanning the room. This has never happened before, this feeling that someone can be inside my head. It was a nice change if I admitted it but that was assuming I was right. This was the first time I have ever seen you and I do know what you are thinking, but can you know what I am thinking? I drop my head and stare down at my newspaper, trying to clear my mind of all thoughts, yours and mine, so I could get a fresh look at you. When I finally raise my head to look back at you, you are gone.

“That was close,” I murmured to myself. It wasn’t that I was afraid for others to know, for you to know, it was just so hard to explain to those who only saw part of me. I mean I have never seen you before or talked to you. I didn’t even know you personally so how could I open up with something so mentally confusing? That was the hardest part; trusting my decision to say something or not. It had happened exactly like this before and the minute I opened my mouth to explain, it was a disaster. All I know is I was relieved to see you haad gone, even though you were pleasant to look at, unlike half of the patrons in this place.

When I first realized my ability to hear people I thought it was just my imagination running wild. I mean, how can you look at a stranger and suddenly know who they are and what they are about? It didn’t happen with inanimate objects; that had been one big failure in that poor, old man’s junk shop. I have to smile to myself when I think of that day. I stood in that shop for hours, trying to hear what all those old junk pieces might say to me, but nope, nothing. It had been disappointing as I thought maybe I could learn some new bit of history that is unknown to the rest of the world. No such luck. The only thing I heard was the old man farting and the scuffing sound as he moved about his shop.

I don’t know when it happened or what it is called. I have Googled the subject thousands of times, coming up with nothing. But it was there, a part of me that could hear right into someone’s thoughts. It was a creepy idea when I said it aloud, I will admit that. Stalker 101, Psychopath Next Door, Fucked-up Weirdo in a coffee shop. Yup, I fit them all, when I didn’t explain myself well.

Looking back down at my paper I began reading the articles on the first page. Nothing exciting. More news about school shootings, which always broke my heart, and of course more about the Republicans versus the Democrats. That topic is really getting old. With all the money they make up there in Washington, why not just buy someone who is completely neutral to come and fix the issues. That seems reasonable to me.

#stinewriting Blog Christine Bialczak poetry Compilation Daily Writing Prompt EM's RWP Fandango's One Word Challenge (FOWC) Fandango's Story Starter (FSS) love One Word Challenge poems poetry Poetry to enjoy Rag Tag Daily Prompt stinewriting Three Things Challenge Weekly Writing Prompt Word of the Day Challenge

Steven’s Journey: Compilation 05/24/2022

Steven was weary and ornery as well
from constantly searching for gold
He searched the horizon and suddenly he thought
maybe he’s getting too old.
He stared out there blankly, thought maybe his eyes
were playing tricks on him just when he saw
A magnolia tree with big yellow blooms
Encouraging him to look more
Without the ability to deter his own mind
like a stain on a blank plot of land
the universe felt like it fell into place
like a fellowship to go hand in hand
He kept up his pace and decided that he
would look for a little bit more
when all of a sudden he stopped in his tracks
to see his loving wife right at their door.
He threw up his hands and dropped to his knees
from the sight of his beautiful love
And silently he knew just what to do
He thanked the God he knew up above.
A milestone reached right in front of his eyes
His joy spreading out as far as the sea
He found he could stop his pursual right there
For his love and him were meant to be.

©2022 CBialczak Poetry

#stinewriting Blog Christine Bialczak poetry Compilation Daily Writing Prompt Fandango's One Word Challenge (FOWC) Fandango's Story Starter (FSS) Fiction One Word Challenge poem poems poetry Poetry to enjoy Rag Tag Daily Prompt stinewriting The Daily Spur Three Things Challenge Weekly Writing Prompt Word of the Day Challenge Your Daily Word Prompt

Leaving Town: Today’s prompt compilation

I was feeling particularly cynical
when it came to my life
Elegant cars, grand parades
But a melodramatic wife
We lived on the edge
of a town that we knew
the businesses useless
and irrelevant too.
We seemed quite unfit
in the roister found here
As wifey was reticent
As was I, to be clear
Like a carbuncle found
on the butt of a lad
The accessories here
were like some awful fad
We didn’t fit in
like a gold mirror tray
on a gold silk blanket
with tulle all astray.
So we loaded the car
for a much needed change
we drove out of that town
it was all really strange.

©2022 CBialczak Poetry

Well, that was a doozy! Here is where I got all my words:

#stinewriting Blog Fandango's Story Starter (FSS) Fiction Flashfiction

Fandango’s Story Starter #42

To join in go to Fandango’s site: https://fivedotoh.com/2022/04/19/fandangos-story-starter-42/

This week’s Story Starter teaser is:

I would have happily married Darlene if it weren’t for her…issues. There were only a few that I will mention and maybe I am just being picky or overreacting, but I didn’t want to start my life with a woman who already made me cringe. For example, she refused to cut her toenails over the garbage. Instead she must, she says, cut them in front of the TV. Then when I get home from work and want to kick off my boots and relax I nearly cut my foot open on the spare claws that get hung up in the carpet. Another example is her “dirty tissue receptacle”. Darlene doesn’t believe her DNA should be so available in her garbage so she purposely gets rid of her snotty tissues in one container she keeps in the kitchen, on the counter no less! She says she must throw the tissues in the special “tissue garbage” so as to limit her DNA left in the main pail. The other third, but not last, issue that just keeps coming up is the bathroom. Now, before you stop listening to me, hear me out. I need to get this out of my head and this is the only way I know how and it may help some poor soul in the future. So, the bathroom. She refuses to flush anything but bodily waste down the toilet. That means no paper and no tissues! I get it! No clogs! But I am willing to use that cheap, super-thin paper just so I can flush it! I don’t know if this is the same for anyone else but if you meet Darlene, run the other way!

©2022 CBialczak Flashfiction