Every Wednesday Madison Woods posts a picture prompt to challenge writers to create a 100-word story or poem or anything that works for you. then post your work on your blog. additionally, on friday, you go back to her site and post a link to your blog entry in the comments on her Friday Fictioneers post.
I’m going to try to keep up with this, as should you. give it a shot. i prefer to stick to 100 words, but she doesn’t mind either way. not everyone has the time to sit and write, revise, edit, revise, edit, etc. until getting it down to 100 and telling everything you want to tell.
Here’s this week’s picture and my 100 words –
The Vine
“What’s that?” Jimmy trudged through the woods.
“Machete.” David hacked at low branches. “Found it by the creek.”
“What’s it for?”
“Chopping things, trees and bushes. Explorer stuff.”
“Why not walk around them?” asked Jimmy.
“Because it’s fun.”
“To kill things that you don’t have to?”
“Yup.” David swooped low, slicing wild flowers.
“We’re lost again.”
Jimmy leaned against a rock, David followed, tilting his hat back and wiping sweat from his forehead. The afternoon sun hugged and warmed them, eyes and legs heavy. A slim vine slowly pulled the machete from David’s limp hand. Another crept towards his neck.
________________
100 words
brainsnorts inc. 
Oh no it’s about to get scary. Jimmy again :), it’s Timmy for me this week.
i wish i had used timmy instead (in honor of the show “south park”) but now i feel i have to stick with jimmy and david.
Dear Rich,
I can feel the sun lulling me to sleep, and sense the danger as the machete is pulled from my grasp, but I don’t care. Too tired from slashing my way through the bracken.
I wonder, what Jimmy will think when he wakes.
Aloha,
Doug
http://ironwoodwind.wordpress.com/2012/07/19/sweet-wine-and-the-fullness-of-time/
i imagine he will be in another place if and when he “wakes.” thanks for reading.
Great story Rich, really enjoyed the way you painted the scene so evocatively with so few words, and predominantly through your use of dialogue.
thanks miss. dialogue is my strength.
love this one, 🙂
thanks miss. thanks for reading.
Sounds like the plants are about to get a bit of well deserved revenge. Perhaps they’re cousins to those in my story.
oooh, i’ll have to find that out. likely so. nature is nature.
A walk in the woods takes a sinister turn. I’m sure Sam Raimi would love this.
didn’t think of that, yeah.
Another creeping vine story. I see a chilling pattern developing and I’m getting out of the vineyard while I still can. Tee hee. Well done, Rich.
http://www.rochelle-wisoff.blogspot.com/2012/07/bittersweet.html
thanks. i was afraid there’d be a lot of them.
I like it when people get their just rewards. I loved the mental imagery of a vine just sneaking along to deliver nemesis. Good one.
http://castelsarrasin.wordpress.com/2012/07/19/triple-exposure-friday-fictioneers-july-2012/
nemesis. i like that word. thanks.
One down and how.. what a scary story..but David asked for it..and i will never ever go for walking in the woods alone ever again…
Rich you are such a fab Writer..Love ya
thanks miss. but i would gladly walk in the woods with you, just to make sure.
Gah! Good one! I was not expecting that part with the vine at the end.
glad you liked it
Ooh, nice turn, now the plants have their chance to kill something they don’t have to. Good natural dialogue and nice descriptions of the vines.
Here’s mine: http://pinionpost.com/2012/07/20/terroir/
thanks. will certainly read yours too.
The afternoon sun hugged and warmed them, eyes and legs heavy. – That was a great line, Rich!
Always love your twist of horror.
thanks. i think the sun worked with the vines.
(I really wanted more of the story!!)
me too, but 100 is 100.
Creepy creepers! Good thinking..
chills…
Yikes ….and well done for disguising the creepy side until the end.
Hi Rich,
Excellent character development using natural dialog. I hope the vines don’t kill the eco-sensitive one. Good take on a tough photo.
Ron
I really like it when Nature takes revenge. I have another photo I’ll have to dig out because it’s a vine that was hacked but it’s so gruesome it’s shocking it’s “just” a plant.
No Tom Bombadil to help these two!
Nature gets its revenge. Great job with the story Rich.
Nature wins!
Revenge is sweet, sayeth the vine.
Mine is here: http://erinleary.wordpress.com/2012/07/19/flash-friday-fiction-12
Eerie turn of events. I like it.
http://ebooksscifi.wordpress.com/2012/07/20/pre-fall-by-ilyan-kei-lavanway-for-madison-woods-friday-fictioneers-100-word-flash-fiction/
Vine #1: “Whoa, what did you do to that kid?”
Vine #2: “Eh, I strangled him. No biggie.”
Vine #1: “But, I mean, why did you do that?”
Vine #2: “Because it’s fun.”
Vine #1: “Fun? To strangle a kid with a machete?”
Vine #2: “I get a little bit of a rush, yeah.”
Vine #1: “Really? Can I get the next one?”
That’s funny!
that is funny…
The plants have had it, they’re mad and they’re not taking it anymore! I like how you developed everything throughout almost the entire story before sliding in the preview of upcoming “attractions.”
thanks very much for reading.
This is my favourite of the ones I have seen from you so far.
Would you check out mine I’d love to know what you think.
http://insanityrambleson.wordpress.com/2012/07/20/friday-fictioneers-2/
Thanks and of course.
I came to read your “think”. You always have a way of sounding like everything is sweet, serene, and then… Cool intensity.
Mine is a little too sweet in comparison: http://haiku365.wordpress.com
Poor Jimmy and David, they always seem to end badly, but it was karma for Jimmy, maybe I should be saying poor vines. Anyway, I like the usual twist of horror.
thanks very much.
Sounds like the tables were turned! I’m usually a little suspicious of these sorts of endings but you pulled it off very well. Good job!
thanks. it’s what i go for. turning tables, and sometimes turning again.
Little shop of horrors vineyard!
Thanks for checking out my blog-I read several of yours when I saw your comment. I will follow you and hope you will read more of my blogs and consider following my blog as well.
Certainly
Comeuppance – it get’s you every time 🙂 Great story Rich.
thanks miss
You’re welcome Mr Rich 🙂
The picture of the lush wine reminds me of the background photo of my Twitter page at http://twitter.com/Sound_Eagle
Thank you for writing and sharing your 100-word short story.
Please excuse my typo, as I meant vine, not wine.