Tag Archives: Friday Fictioneers

June 12, 2013

Rescued Becky – Friday Fictioneers

This the last installment of the story of Peregrine and Becky. My apologies if this one is a little less stand-alone. However, here are the previous editions: 1. Peregrine’s Bar, 2. Clue 43, 3. Midnight Call, 4. Special Becky, 5. Freakish Becky. Obviously when you write flash-fiction, a lot of the story has to be implied. I am planning on writing a novella of the whole story of Peregrine and Becky. It should be ready in about…6 months or so, if I’m lucky. You know how it goes. However, I will let you know when it is ready, if anyone is interested.

Rescued Becky

Peregrine knelt in the Parisian apartment and held his daughter Becky as she sobbed in his arms.

“You came for me, Dad.”

“I came.”

“I didn’t want to kill them.”

“I know.”

“I’m sorry about Mom.”

“Don’t bring that up again. It was an accident.”

“Can we go home now?”

He nodded and took her hand. “Hey, do you know when we first knew you had a special gift?”

“When?”

“You were four. You whispered and made a street performer jump through his piano.”

Becky smiled and Peregrine’s heart almost melted. If he could, he would keep her smiling forever.

62 Comments | tags: fiction, flash fiction, Friday Fictioneers, kidnapping, mind-control, peregrine, rescue, search, superpowers | posted in Dusk

June 5, 2013

Freakish Becky – Friday Fictioneers

By David Stewart

The continuing story of Peregrine and Becky. Here are the previous editions: 1. Peregrine’s Bar, 2. Clue 43, 3. Midnight Call, 4. Special Becky

Freakish Becky

They see me as a freak; a mutant to be studied and used. They want my Whisper, but they fear it too.

They finally took me off the drugs, trying to determine how I worked. I used my Whisper and they decided to send a message to my father, hidden in coordinates. They suddenly decided drugs weren’t necessary anymore. I Whispered and they called my father.

All it took was one small Whisper and they happily threw themselves through a fourth-story window.

I didn’t want to do it.

I just want to be normal. Why am I such a freak?

66 Comments | tags: fiction, flash fiction, Friday Fictioneers, kidnapping, peregrine, search, superpowers | posted in Dusk

May 29, 2013

Special Becky – Friday Fictioneers

By David Stewart

The continuing story of Peregrine. Again though, it should be able to stand on its own (I hope). Here are the previous editions: 1. Peregrine’s Bar, 2. Clue 43, 3. Midnight Call.

Special Becky

Peregrine was close; he felt it.

The kidnappers had first said Algeria. Then, at the payphone, a husky voice had given him the name of this Parisian building. A dress on the balcony showed the apartment.

Crash.

An upper window exploded in a blossom of shards and a body hit the sidewalk with a stomach-turning crunch. Another man appeared at the broken window and stepped out—placidly, deliberately—and landed on the roof of a BMW. Glass shattered; the car alarm began to scream.

Peregrine sprinted through milling crowds to the apartment entrance. Becky was definitely inside.

Powerful, special Becky.

72 Comments | tags: fiction, flash fiction, Friday Fictioneers, kidnapping, peregrine, search, superpowers | posted in Dusk

May 22, 2013

Midnight Call – Friday Fictioneers

By David Stewart

The third story in the Peregrine series. Hopefully it can also be a standalone story as well for those who haven’t read the first two. Still, here are the first two: Peregrine’s Bar, Clue 43.

Midnight Call

The payphone with no mouthpiece was a neighborhood joke, which was why Albert was surprised to see a man lift the earpiece and put quarters in it.

“Hey buddy, that’s busted!” Albert took another swig of Thunderbird and staggered closer. The man listened to the earpiece a moment, then slammed it down.

“What’d you hear in there?”

The man spun around, his face contorted with rage. “You wanna know? Really?”

Swig. Nod.

“I’m running around the world blind while my daughter is kidnapped somewhere. Satisfied?”

“How much they want for her?”

“Nothing. She’s special. Drink up.” The man walked away.

37 Comments | tags: fiction, flash fiction, Friday Fictioneers, kidnapping, peregrine, search, telephone | posted in Dusk

May 15, 2013

Clue 43 – Friday Fictioneers

By David Stewart

This is the first story I’ve done for Friday Fictioneers that is a continuation of a previous story. I took everyone’s suggestion and wrote another story about Peregrine. I’m sorry that I could not get to many people’s stories last week to read. I really enjoy reading them, but life is crazy busy sometimes.

Clue 43

The coordinates brought Peregrine to a deserted cemetery. The next numbers were chalked on the side of a gravestone. He looked them up: central Algeria, the bastards.

Later, in his Astana hotel, Peregrine sat with vodka and paper, drowning his despair and clutching at hope. He had chased 42 clues, like white rabbits, all over the world but still no progress, no message, no sign of life. Only more coordinates to chase.

He tried ciphers, rearranging the numbers, looking for any kind of clue. A chill went down his spine as words suddenly formed from the numbers: BECKY IS HERE.

77 Comments | tags: Algeria, Astana, clue, code, fiction, flash fiction, Friday Fictioneers, GPS, kidnapping, peregrine, search | posted in Dusk

May 8, 2013

Peregrine’s Bar – Friday Fictioneers

By David Stewart

Peregrine’s Bar

Peregrine’s Bar was open once a month, but on that one day, the place was packed for seventeen hours straight, as patrons crowded in to hear about Peregrine’s latest adventure.

“…and that’s why the Kayan chief gave me this tattoo.” The bar erupted in applause. “Give me five minutes and I’ll tell you about the panther attack I survived.”

“Hey Peregrine, where to next?”

“Kazakhstan.” The crowd oohed appreciatively.

Peregrine closed up at dawn, having made enough in one day to finance his search for another month. The kidnappers had said he would never find her. He’d prove them wrong.

53 Comments | tags: bar, fiction, flash fiction, Friday Fictioneers, kidnapping, peregrine, search, travel | posted in Dusk

May 1, 2013

Room 306 – Friday Fictioneers

By David Stewart

Room 306

screams the screams room 306 fumbled with keys door opened blue walls all blue splashed with red thing at the window thing at the window green all green girl on the bed red so red thing jumped off didn’t fall didn’t hit the ground flew away mary mary on the bed so red not moving my special girl mary mr keller came called police i didn’t do it thing at the window all green did it not me but now I’m here white all white walls no red still at night I see room 306 special girl mary screams

screams

53 Comments | tags: creepy, fiction, flash fiction, Friday Fictioneers, hotel, insane, monster, murder, stream of consciousness | posted in Dark

April 24, 2013

Classic Arguments – Friday Fictioneers

By David Stewart

Classic Arguments

The library had only been closed a minute when the whispers began.

“You know, it is a universal truth that a single volume in possession of a beautiful cover, must be in want of a sequel.”

“Shut yer rot, Austen, ya gloopy devotchka.”

“Double plus right.”

“As God is my witness, I’m never going to listen to you all gripe again.”

“This is the best of nights, it is the worst of nights.”

Suddenly, from the corner of the library with primary colors and board books and beanbag chairs came a roar of fierce joy:

“Let the wild rumpus start!”

Previous Week Update:

On February 13, I posted the story The Wrong Tourist, about a person posing and getting their camera stolen. So, in a fit of meta-fiction, I went down and posed by the statue in the photo prompt, handing my camera to a stranger to take my picture. However, instead of a creepy old man, it was a young woman with a much better camera than mine, so I don’t think she would have wanted it.

This was taken back in February, when I still needed a coat.

58 Comments | tags: fantasy, fiction, flash fiction, Friday Fictioneers, library, literature, writing | posted in Light

April 17, 2013

Canadianized Bees – Friday Fictioneers

By David Stewart

Canadianized Bees

“Mr. Prime Minister, I have disturbing reports from the Pickering Nuclear Plant. It’s bees, sir.”

“Dear God! You mean . . .”

“Yes, sir. Canadianized bees. They’re so huge they only drink maple sap, boring holes with their auger-like stingers.”

“Is there any good news?”

“They’re quite polite—they always ask before stinging someone. Almost no one says yes.”

“Should we warn the Americans?”

“The bees don’t really like heat. Some go to Florida for the winter, but most are heading north.”

* * *

Somewhere in Russia

“Sir, I’ve detected a mass of objects coming over the North Pole.”

“Is it the Americans?”

“Worse. Canadians.”

64 Comments | tags: bees, Canada, fiction, flash fiction, Friday Fictioneers, funny, quirky, Russia | posted in Light

April 10, 2013

The Rust Queen – Friday Fictioneers

By David Stewart

The Rust Queen

My favorite teacher was Miss Ferrous, but we just called her Rusty. She had a tattoo that said “Rust Queen” on her arm.

We once took a class trip to the junkyard. We shot rats with a shotgun and Rusty showed us how thermite could burn through an engine block. We collected all the cool-looking scraps and dragged them back to school, where Rusty showed us how to weld. I made a scrap-racer and named it The Rust Queen, after her.

Even today, it sits on my porch, a tribute to the best kindergarten teacher a boy could ever have.