Channel Surfing

November 30, 2013November 30, 2013 / Steve Lakey / 8 Comments

Photo: Copyright Ted Strutz

The English Channel: a strip of water that has protected Britain from invaders, for a thousand years.

Maybe I should have been more grateful on my first Cross-Channel ferry trip. I wasn’t feeling it. Instead, I felt the contents of my stomach shifting, as we pitched and rolled our way through the night, from Dover to Zeebrugge.

At last, a cheer! Land ho? Or at least, the welcoming lights of the Belgian port that would end this stygian ferry nightmare?

Actually, the bar had reopened after technical difficulties. A cue for more empty cans to roll down the aisles.

This is my contribution to Friday Fictioneers 100 word Challenge, based on the photo prompt and hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields.

Please click the logo to read the other stories.

A Bit of a Queue

November 24, 2013November 24, 2013 / Steve Lakey / 14 Comments

A slightly dishevelled and breathless Micky flies in and takes his place at the end of the queue, next to his older pal, John.

“Alright John?”

“Yeah, not bad Micky, how’s yourself?”

“Late night, John. Late night…You here for the buffet too?”

“Yeah, but I got caught up with looking at that Doctor Who thing. Them at Number 42 watched a re-run this morning.”

“Oh, Number 42, they’ve got the 50-inch Smart TV. Nice piece of kit there, John. Me, I had a heavy night on the millet. Never again mate.”

“Yeah, okay! Don’t we look a right picture here, all in a line. Like a bunch of usual suspects, eh? Things you see when you haven’t got a camera!”

“Ha! You’re right there. You flying South again this winter, John?”

“Yeah, me and the Missus are off to Brighton, for the bad weather. It’s really quiet then, when all the seabirds come inland. We do like the change of scenery.”

“Do you think this queue is moving at all?”

“Patience lad, you’ve just got here! Mind you, one or two here could demolish the buffet by themselves, if you know what I mean?”

“Hang on John, I’ve got an idea. LOOK OUT, LADS! KIDS WITH PELLET GUN APPROACHING! SAVE YOURSELVES!”

“They’ve all flapped it, John. Front of the queue. Sorted!”

This is my contribution to Sunday Photo Fiction, hosted by Al Forbes. Please click here for more details.

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Music to Your Ears

November 23, 2013May 21, 2017 / Steve Lakey / 6 Comments

Photo: Background 350 Sabine Sauermaul

Listen, when you’ve got Life’s Blues,

Stop snoring, snoring, snoring, snooze!

Get up – Rock your day!

Pop out the Country way.

Dance your Soul with Classical pizzazz,

Carpe Diem, and all that Jazz!

This is my contribution to Trifextra: Week Ninety-Five, 33 word Challenge:

We want you to choose a word and use it three times in your 33 words. However, it must be either a verb, noun or adjective and the form of the word cannot change, it must appear exactly the same three times.

Click on the logo to view the other entries.

Dummy Run

November 20, 2013November 20, 2013 / Steve Lakey / 25 Comments

Dating a conceptual artist could be confusing. She never used phones – too boring and conventional. But this was extreme even for Juliet. What was the meaning of the cryptic message on my doorstep?

Was she asking me to make up, or break up with her? Had our relationship fallen to pieces?

It was then I noticed the taxi parked outside. Juliet came running towards me, carrying two white arms and a bulging canvas bag.

She had decided to move in with me! I was beside myself with joy.

If I had known she was coming, I would have tidied up.

This is my contribution for Friday Fictioneers 100 Word Challenge, using the photo prompt, and hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields.

To read the other stories, please click here.

Take Two

November 19, 2013 / Steve Lakey / 1 Comment

Amanda was one click away from making a huge mistake. She knew it, but it was so tempting. She loved the Photo Challenges, but never got the recognition she wanted. For the “Nature” theme she hatched a scheme to get loads more ‘Likes’.

She selected a photo of Giant Redwoods. But it wasn’t her shot – she’d taken it from Google Images.

Just as she was about to post, the dogs pestered her for a walk. She gave in, and took them out onto the park. Amanda took a picture with her phone and posted that instead. Her most successful yet!

Thanks to my wife Amanda who has let me use her photo and her name in the story. I’d like to point out that the story is pure fiction – she wouldn’t dream of passing anyone else’s photos off as her own, and she gets plenty of recognition!

This is my contribution for 100 Word Challenge For Grown Ups #11, hosted at Julia’s Place.

This week’s prompt was …Decisions, decisions, decisions..

To find out more details of 100WCGU click the logo.