MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (30)

I am taking part in Mondays Finish the Story 29/06/2015, which is a challenge that provides a photo prompt and the opening sentence to your story. The rules indicate that the story you come up with must be between 100-150 words, not including the given opening sentence.

The link below takes you to Part Twenty-Nine

MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (29)

© 2015, Barbara W. Beacham

Finish the story begins with:

“The Mayor and the town manager waved as their next victim approached.”
Joe didn’t trust them at all, he waved back.
As he entered the City Hall he was on his guard. When the trapdoor in the floor swung open he jumped back and pulled a gun. ‘Raise your hands Gentlemen! We have some talking to do.’
There in the murky depths of an underground cell he found fifteen captives, including two operatives he knew well. Slave labour, starved, whipped and forced to work.
Hillary was puzzled to have lost two operatives in the little town of Sherman. News from the two in the USA had suddenly ceased twice over. Joe had solved the case and earned a bonus. Marg would be delighted.

Meanwhile Angelo was keenly interested in the Professor. As a result of enquiries by Don Fernando he was exposed as an imposter. Marg had him handcuffed and left him with Angelo as they approached the town of Miners Hill.

(150 Words)
To be continued

The link below takes you to Part Twenty-Nine

MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (29)

https://mondaysfinishthestory.wordpress.com/

Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

Sunday Photo Fiction – June 21st 2015 ~ INNOCENCE

The sun setting behind buildings

The image is supplied and credited by Sunday Photo Fiction

Sunday Photo Fiction – June 21st 2015

INNOCENCE

by John Yeo

 ~

Shadows cast by the setting sun, 

Gold and orange mingled and merged 

As the evening blended into the night 

With a breathtaking display of splendour.

 ~

A warm wind breezily rippled through trees,

Then quickly cooled as night drew in.

Clouds edged in gold by the dying sun

Skittered over grime-encrusted buildings.

 ~

Another day had passed, slowly adding to

Time dragging slowly and surely soullessly by.

Two free flying birds gliding, drifting together

Spinning cartwheels in a vortex of pure delight.

 ~

The innocence of the dying beautiful day

Reflecting my very real fight for freedom

I will be a part of the outside world again

Outside the confines of a prison window.

 ~

Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

~

Picture it and Write ~ THE EYES OF THE SOUL

This is the latest Picture it and Write prompt from Ermilia’s blog

__picture it & write

dragon eye of indigo blue (by paloetic)

As usual the image is supplied and credited by Ermilia

THE EYES OF THE SOUL

by John Yeo

Centuries of wisdom glare out of eyes that have inherited a killer instinct. The eyes were staring imperviously from a head that was absolutely still. I stared back to engender a feeling of unconcern to the beast. 

 I had worked hard in the lab for weeks to produce a serum from very rare plants and associated ingredients. I was now attempting to procure the final substance that would enable me to fulfil my desire to explore, and perhaps transfer the secrets accumulated by generations of reptilian invaders from the captive. I now needed a phial of reptilian spittle to complete the serum. My plan was to anger the beast and provoke a response by continuous aggravation and provocation.

 ‘Have at you!’ I cried moving quickly forward  with a sharply pointed blade. 

 ‘What are you trying to do, you fool?’ Came an unflustered thought, directly received in my mind, no sound was generated, but the voice in my head was very clear and understandable to me in my native language.

 ‘That was my imagination surely’ I thought. ‘No ignorant leather-skinned animal can speak English, I will continue to bait it!’

 Laughter then filled my mind, a deep repulsive mocking sound that grated on my nerves and made me shiver with a revulsion that shocked me deeply.

‘Where is the origin of that ghastly sound?’ I thought.

‘Right here, in front of you idiot, I am far too refined to be angered by your feeble efforts. Our race are, and always have been, the dominant species here on this beautiful globe.’

I stood there in the lab stunned! ‘Was I imagining this telepathic conversation?’ I began to doubt my mental wellbeing.

Then the creature interjected once again and these words entered my mind.

‘Do not be alarmed, I wish you no harm. I wish to communicate our feelings of unease about the way your people are destroying everything here on our planet. We will stop you if we have to, before it is too late. We have been here for centuries, We saw off the dinosaurs before man arrived and stripped the world bare of almost everything. What do you want to use my precious spittle for? I will spit on you for free you two-legged idiot.’

 Then I felt paralysed, unable to move an inch, rooted to the spot as the creature fixed his eyes on my eyes and stared deeply into my soul. I felt a warm comfortable feeling of deep relaxation spreading through my being as my mind seemed to fuse and expand with the creatures thought-waves. I was unable to counteract the deep hypnosis as my being and the creatures thought-control was expanded and merged into a unified force.

 Several hours later I awoke from a very deep sleep in the lab. My face seemed to be covered with a thick gooey substance. A sudden flashback and I had total recall of the events before I had been overtaken by sleep. 

 Laugher then filled my mind once again, with a deep repulsive mocking sound that grated on my nerves and  made me shiver with a revulsion that shocked me deeply.

Copyright (c) Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

SHOWCASE — johnandmargaret1607

Thank you so much Lori Carlson ~ My thoughts on this are all in the words chosen by Lori ~ I am delighted and I feel honoured to have been seen as a worthy subject ~ Peace 🙂

FAMILY TREE

Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers ~ Writing challenge.

Hosted by Priceless Joy.

The goal is to write a story between 100-150 words (give or take 25 words) based on the provided photo.

Photo prompt is provided by Sonya O.

by John Yeo

The funeral was extraordinarily well attended, people had arrived from all over the world. This man was respected, loathed, loved and hated in many places-. Some arrived to make sure he was actually dead and to raise a glass in celebratory style. Others were genuinely sad as the deceased had been extraordinarily generous to those who were loyal to him. Six black horses led the cortège pulling an ornate carriage, members of the family and very close personal friends walked slowly behind as the procession made its way to the cathedral.
The media were there. This man was a wheeler and dealer who had a very sketchy history of violence and contrastingly of genuine charity to those in need. This death was news and news kept the media arenas in business.
My research led me to an overgrown cemetery in a well-to-do suburb of London. I blinked tears away as the reality of the neglect of a forgotten mogul became clear. How the mighty are fallen in the dust of fragmented memory.
Goodbye Great-Great-Grandfather.

(174 Words)

Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

This is in response to a challenge hosted by Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers. If you would like to participate in this challenge or need more information, please click the following link:

https://flashfictionforaspiringwriters.wordpress.com

MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (29)

I am taking part in Mondays Finish the Story 22/06/2015, which is a challenge that provides a photo prompt and the opening sentence to your story. The rules indicate that the story you come up with must be between 100-150 words, not including the given opening sentence.

The link below takes you to Part Twenty-Eight

MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (28)

© 2015, Barbara W. Beacham

Finish the story begins with: 

“Hey boys, how ’bout y’all makin’ yer Ma some wind chimes?”

 This incredible greeting was made by a very tall American, wearing a large stetson with a clerical collar, who appeared from a hut as they entered an Indian village in the Brazilian jungle.
 “Hi!” Replied Marg,” The wind blows freely in the jungle.”
 “Glad to meet you, Madame Marg. I have been expecting you, I’m Father Michael. Everything has been prepared, we have a meal ready for you and there is a pile of packages for your attention.”
 “I see now why we had to have an identification routine. I couldn’t understand why, when Don Fernando’s message came over the radio.”
Then another figure appeared from the hut, wearing combat fatigues, Angelo grinning all over his face stepped forward.
Marg was delighted. “Hi! What are you doing here?”
 “I am here to travel with you all the way to Miners Hill, there is a cloud of suspicion to counter.”
“What!”

(150 Words)
To be continued

The link below takes you to Part Twenty-Eight

MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (28)

https://mondaysfinishthestory.wordpress.com/

Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

Picture it and Write ~ DRAMA IN THE NIGHT

This is the latest Picture it and Write prompt from Ermilia’s blog
https://ermiliablog.wordpress.com/2015/06/21/picture-it-write-64/

As usual the image is supplied and credited by Ermilia

DRAMA IN THE NIGHT

by John Yeo

The silence of darkness had fallen swiftly over the cold unfeeling city. The silence was never truly felt as the distant sounds of police sirens and ambulances or fire engines was always a song in the background. He pulled his collar up and tightened the scarf around  his neck, the night had drawn in quickly and brought a sudden drop in the temperature.

 He could hardly wait to get to his destination, his mind drooling over the sight he would be enjoying yet again. Suddenly with a hissing screech, a black cat crossed his path. 

‘Wow! You made me jump pussy,’ He thought, ‘Still as the old saying goes a black cat is lucky.’

 He continued through the back streets of the city, he knew exactly where he was going, a frisson of excitement electrified his nerves as he got closer to his usual  viewing point. 

 A sudden shower of rain began, as he reached the iron fire escape and began to climb the metal steps. 

 ‘I will have to be very careful, it would be so easy to slip and fall.’ He thought, as he climbed to the top.

 He opened his backpack and drew out a pair of binoculars then he focused on the surrounding windows.

 ‘Hey! The big blonde is almost in her birthday suit, as pretty as the day she was born, except she’s much more curvaceously mature now.’

 His vivid tortured imagination went into overdrive. 

Another wide sweep of the windows and he whistled softly to himself as a couple were taking advantage of the privacy of their apartment without drawing the curtains. 

‘They must feel safe with just the bare walls of an office building opposite.’ 

 He smiled to himself and adjusted the optical lens to zoom in on them.

 Then he suddenly caught sight of a horror stricken face staring straight at him from one of the windows.

 ‘Oh! I have been spotted, I better get out of here fast.’

 He ran as fast as he could, slipping down, almost falling down the iron fire escape that was still damp from the rain.

 A distant police siren screamed, then another responded and as they got closer the echoes became louder.

 He reached almost to the bottom of the fire escape then jumped and melted into the shadows as two police cars raced up with lights blazing and a squeal of brakes.

 His heart beating fast, almost stopped as a hand grasped his shoulder, he turned and found himself staring into a pair of steel~grey eyes above a clerical collar.

 ‘You need help my son, give yourself up, I am with you, We will face your future together.’

Copyright (c) Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

THE WINNER TAKES ALL

Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers ~ Writing challenge.

Hosted by Priceless Joy.

The goal is to write a story between 100-150 words (give or take 25 words) based on the provided photo.

This week’s photo prompt is provided by ©pricelessjoy.

WINNER TAKES ALL

by John Yeo

 The peace and serenity of the stables was absolutely perfect for the harassed and very famous celebrity singer Feline Foxglove. Of course her privacy was always very important to her and she spent a huge portion of her very high earnings to make sure she was never disturbed. Feline had many secrets to hide, most were well buried in the distant past, except for her habitual use of a very dangerous illegal substance. Her very trustworthy P.A. Mary Stavans was responsible for obtaining her supplies, and she never failed to come up with the goods. 

  Feline’s stables were famous throughout the racing world for thoroughbred racehorses and she would excitedly back them all to win, every time they ran. Sam Soames her bookmaker was used to paying her out and usually made money elsewhere by laying off the bets. 

Until Mary’s call……

“Boss, we have a problem, I need to see you urgently”

The blackmailer died by unknown hands as the starting pistol went off and the cry went up …..”They’re Off!”

Feline smiled winningly.

(175 words)

Copyright (c) Written by John Yeo ~ All Rights Reserved

This is in response to a challenge hosted by Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers. If you would like to participate in this challenge or need more information, please click the following link:

https://flashfictionforaspiringwriters.wordpress.com

(175 Words)

MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (28)

I am taking part in Mondays Finish the Story 15/06/2015, which is a challenge that provides a photo prompt and the opening sentence to your story. The rules indicate that the story you come up with must be between 100-150 words, not including the given opening sentence.

The link below takes you to Part Twenty-Seven

MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (27)

© 2015, Barbara W. Beacham

Finish the story begins with:

“At first, it looked like an ordinary marble, but it was far from it.”

“Great Scott!” Yelled the Professor. They were tracking through dense jungle after Paul Strang safely landed the lightning-stricken helicopter. Marg decided to head North, following bearings transmitted from Don Fernando’s team.
“Look at that!”
Paul instantly bent to pick the shining object up.
“No!” Shouted the Professor. “Leave it!”
“Why?” Questioned Paul.
“That is no toy!” Came the stern reply.
“That is either the droppings of a poisonous giant Gadfly, fatal to the touch or…….”
“Yes” interjected Marg. “Be careful Paul.”
“Or” the Professor continued. “The eggs of a glass-blown frozen pterodactyl, blown in Thailand in a prehistorical era.”
Marg laughed. “Can glass reproduce?”
“A descriptive term, Madame Marg,” replied the Professor.
Marg decided to leave the object and press on.
One of the party knew exactly what it was, having accidentally dropped it. A radio-controlled tracking device, full of micro-electronics revealing to Dickus exactly where Marg’s team were.

(149 Words)
To be continued

The link below takes you to Part Twenty-Seven

MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (27)

https://mondaysfinishthestory.wordpress.com/

Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

Picture it and Write ~ THE VISION OF GOLD

This is the latest Picture it and Write prompt from Ermilia’s blog

__picture it & write

Sculpture by Mark Newman

As usual the image is supplied and credited by Ermilia

THE VISION OF GOLD

by John Yeo

The classical statue was drawing many people to the exhibition. A young nymph seated on a tree trunk shaped to fit her slender body. A tree nymph, the expression of pride and self assurance in her features drew many to question who she was in life. A lady stood transfixed, stunned into a silence that I felt almost sorry to break.

I asked. “Who was she?”

“A member of the Trojan royal family,” came the almost reluctant reply. “I may be related to her.”

“Her hair gives me the impression of ropes, tangled into a helmet secured with a rose,” I said.

“They are a blend of corded gold and consist of many fine hairs, rolled and shaped.”

I took a sideways glance at my companion, who had her head covered with a scarf.

“You say you may be related!” I went on, noting a strange resemblance in the facial features.

“Yes! That necklet is our family emblem, the women always wore one to protect them from evil.”

Then the lady opened her raincoat to reveal an exquisite neck adornment, exactly the same as the statuesque wood nymph was wearing.

“You have many facial features in common, but surely that is a coincidence as the statue is very old.” I remarked.

“Age is a numerical fiction I do not recognise.” She replied.

I was stunned as she proceeded to remove her headscarf to reveal her beautifully corded golden hair, dazzling to the eyes. There was a sudden flash of blinding white light that burned and momentarily blinded my eyes. When my sight returned the vision of warm golden woman had gone, leaving a cold marble replication behind. 

I now come here every day searching for her.

Copyright (c) Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved