Pixel Prose Challenge: Give a Man a Fish…

August 3, 2014August 3, 2014 / Steve Lakey / 2 Comments

Photo: Ajuy, Fuerteventura 2014.

LOCAL FISHERMAN BETWEEN ROQUE AND A HARD PLACE

Self employed fisherman José Roque (49) has become a local celebrity in the Canary Islands. The little seaside town of Ajuy, Fuerteventura has seen tourists flocking to see the lifetime resident, who has apparently been turned to stone as a result of a misunderstanding with a mythological Roman god.

A passer-by said “You’ve gotta feel sorry for the guy, being like that. Even the fish looks gutted.”

Gravel-voiced Señor Roque told reporter Sandy Beach, “I’d just landed a big catch and unloaded my boat then this weird guy comes out of the water driving a 2 horsepower jet ski. He’s got a long beard, and carrying a spear gun. I thought he was from the Neptune Diving School. And then he said wanted half my catch as a tribute.”
“I’m guessing, José say no way?”
“Too true. It turns out he was the real Neptune, and then he turned me to stone. I’ve got a lump in my throat, just talking about it”
“How could you have mythed it, right? I’m guessing that you’d Sea things differently if you had the chance again?”
“Oh no, things have worked out okay. I’ve sold the boat and bought the Neptune Fish Bar. With all the tourists here, the place is really rocking!”

A spokesman for Neptune said that he wasn’t a bad Deity, he’d just had a bad day. He would be happy to return José to normal, or send him a signed photo.

Photo taken with iPhone 4S. Story and photo for the Pixel Prose Challenge, hosted by Amanda Lakey at www.UniqueArtChic.com. Click the logo for more details.

To view other entries in the Challenge, click the blue frog.

Pixel Prose Challenge: Time and Again

July 27, 2014August 3, 2014 / Steve Lakey / 7 Comments

Photo: Matlock Bath, Derbyshire, UK. 2014.

It wasn’t the first time I’d visited Matlock Bath, the quaint Victorian Spa town in Derbyshire. But I’d never noticed this particular fountain, with its magical, out-of-time feel. I sat on a park bench and took in the atmosphere.

I’d lost track of how long I’d been sitting there, when a strange thought came to me. Throw a silver coin in to the fountain. And make a wish!

I wanted Time to stand still and preserve this perfect moment. My gleaming 2014 coin dropped into the clear water without a splash. I watched it float slowly down to the bottom of the pool. It joined a selection of other coins already in there.

One of the coins looked pretty old and worn. I knelt down and fished out a large Penny. It showed the profiled head of King George V and was dated 1914.

As I gripped the coin, the sun clouded over and the temperature dropped to an icy chill. A thick mist descended. When it cleared, the fountain appeared the same, but the park looked somehow…different.

A young couple strolled towards me, arm-in-arm. A soldier in a First World War uniform and a lady with a parasol! They could have been attending one of the local Historical Themed weekends that seem so popular now. But something told me they weren’t. As if confirmation was needed, where the park’s War Memorial had stood, there was now just neatly trimmed grass.

I looked down at my 1914 Penny, now looking shiny and new!

The young couple were eyeing me strangely, as if I was the odd one out. Of course! Here, or rather Now, I was. My jeans, and Beatles t-shirt had quickly got me noticed.

Without thinking, I dropped the coin back into the fountain. The water seemed to reach out and pull it back in. Fishing out my original silver coin, I soon felt relief as the thick mist swallowed me up.

Sunshine returned, and I was back. The young couple had gone. I wondered if the Soldier’s name was on the War Memorial. I hoped not.

Sitting down on the bench again, I tried to collect my thoughts. Had I just wasted a golden opportunity? I needed to go back. This was the opportunity of a lifetime – or many lifetimes.

I don’t know how long I Iooked for the coin that I had just dropped into the water. Or did that happen a century ago? Either way, it wasn’t to be found. And there were no more old coins in that fountain! I had literally thrown it all away.

But then I had an idea…

I ran through the park towards home and changed into my grey work suit. OK, styles change, but hopefully a suit won’t stand out too much. Then I called into the Antiques shop, the one that sells handfuls of old, battered pennies that no one uses these days. Well, I had a use for them! I collected an equal supply of 2014 coins from the bank. Mustn’t forget those.

I sat on the park bench and arranged them in date order. Quite a few years were missing, but I had about twenty years between 1901-1953 covered. Where to start?

After scattering a number of 2014 coins around, inside the fountain, I selected an old coin, and put the rest back into my pockets.

I carefully dropped the battered old coin into the water and impatiently waited for a few minutes for the fountain to work its magic. I took out the coin and gripped it tightly. The mist fell…

I took this photo recently, and edited it with Photo Toaster. This story was written for Pixel Prose Challenge, hosted by Amanda Lakey, at

www.Unique Art Chic.Com

Click the logo for more details.

To view the other posts in this challenge, click the blue frog!

Pixel Prose Challenge: Merking at the Car Wash

July 20, 2014 / Steve Lakey / 1 Comment

Detective Johnny Block slowly scratched the crumpled collar of his three day old shirt. Yet another strange case had got him stumped. A series of disappearing Mercedes-Benz owners and their cars.

Johnny had of course checked out the only car dealership for miles around – Crystal Peak was a small town after all. The proprietor, old Dave Diamond, seemed a harmless Geezer. His two sons were surely cut from the same cloth, albeit a little rougher around the edges.

Detective Block paid them a little retainer, so they’d keep their ears to the ground. So far, he had got nothing to show for it – other than a healthy discount on a C-Class Coupe. How could the perp keep getting clean away with it?

As he waited behind the wheel for the Diamond’s automatic car wash to kick in, Johnny looked at the thirty-something sons, David Junior and Danny valeting a nearly-new Merc. But why were they using bleach? Bleach!

Wait a minute! That car’s interior would soon have any trace of the previous owner removed. Right down to the DNA.

Johnny slid his gear lever to Reverse, but the automatic chain was already pulling him forward. He started to open his door but a huge spinning brush forced it shut again. He quickly closed his half-open window as the soapy bristles threw water into his face.

From inside the car wash, Johnny was aware of a dark figure wearing a hooded waterproof, walking up to his door. Instinctively, Johnny drew his pistol, but it slipped through his soapy fingers and under the pedals. The figure pulled at Johnny’s door handle at exactly the same time Johnny put his shoulder against the inside.

The impact sent the figure reeling. Johnny leapt out of his car and picked up the metal bar that the figure had dropped. He needn’t have worried. The hooded man was out cold.

Johnny, now completely soaking, thought about pressing the Emergency Stop button, but then decided against it – he had paid for the Deluxe Wash after all. He grabbed his pistol and then waited for his Merc to come to a gentle stop.

“Let’s have a look at who we’ve got here!” Johnny pulled back the hood. “Old Mister Diamond! I don’t believe it. You’d have gotten away with it too, if it wasn’t for your pesky kids!”

And that was that. The whole family came without a struggle. They admitted to a string of unfortunate victims, and the terrible trio will all be sewing mailbags until the big check-out.

On a brighter note, their business was broken up, and most members of the Department have bought a nearly-new Mercedes at a discount price. Nice!

This story was prompted by Pixel Prose Challenge, hosted by Amanda Lakey at http://www.UniqueArtChic.com

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Fair Game?

July 1, 2014 / Steve Lakey / 8 Comments

I wouldn’t normally have walked into the travelling fair that night. I’ve always found those things a bit creepy, but tonight I was hoping for a date with destiny.

As dusk slowly crept in, some of the rides were already packing up, ready to move off to their next destination. There seemed to be more staff than customers on site. No one looked like they were having fun. Just small groups of long faces and bowed heads.

One gaudy booth seem to stand out from the rest. I know friends who had visited fortune tellers, but I’d never believed in any of that stuff myself. I’m more into numbers and percentages. Things you can count on.

But here I was. In for a penny…

I pulled back the curtain and stepped inside. Instead of the usual mystical woman with a tarot pack, I found a familiar-looking pop star sat behind a desk. On the desk were neatly stacked piles of banknotes.

I gave the impression of surprise, and the man smiled. “Welcome! You’re the first person that’s come in all day. I thought I’d have to give it up as a bad job!”
“You’re telling fortunes now?”
He looked genuinely embarrassed. “It’s like this. My accountant tells me that the more money I give away now, the less I pay in tax. Crazy, eh?”
I nodded. What else could I do?

He slid the whole pile over to me. “Have the lot, pal. And the briefcase, you can take that too. There’s exactly a million here. My only condition is that you don’t tell the press. They’d have a field day!”

We shook hands and he disappeared into the gloom. Walking back to town with the briefcase, I had an extra spring in my step. Working for the Tax Department Tip-off phone line has it’s advantages. But I had given him my word to keep this quiet. I guess no one has to know. After all, I’d hate to get anyone into trouble…

Photos taken by iPhone 4S, and altered with Snapseed and Photo Toaster Apps. Photos and story written for the ‘Phoneography and Non-SLR Digital Devices: Editing and Processing with Apps’ prompt, hosted by Sally W. Donatello at Lens and Pens by Sally.

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Oh Well!

June 15, 2014May 21, 2017 / Steve Lakey / 13 Comments

We told every prospective buyer of our cottage about the Well of Abundance in the front garden. How it sits atop an ancient energy source. And how any coins you place in the well, multiply tenfold when you turn the invisible handle. We explained how that well has been good to us over the years. It only seemed fair to tell the next owners.

How they all laughed at our tale. And declined to try it for themselves. We laughed too – having just moved into a large country mansion.

I accepted a generous offer for the cottage. They were a nice couple, although he apparently works in the banking sector. Imagine our horror then, when they casually mentioned their plans to slab-over the entire front garden!

I begged them to let me come over weekly, and I’d tend to the flower beds for free. And show them how to work the well. But they were having none of it. My application to have the well protected as a world heritage site was rejected. Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned the invisible handle.

After taking legal advice, I’ve taken the cottage off the market. If that’s the only way to keep the abundance flowing, so be it.

Well, what would you have done?

This story was prompted by Sunday Photo Fiction: June 15th 2014, hosted by Al Forbes.

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