A Marked Man

This great story was written for this week’s Trifecta challenge. I enjoyed it so much that I had to share it with you. When you’re done reading it, it would only be right to pop over and read mine too. Hehehe. (AliciaAudrey.com/blog)

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A Marked Man

Jess scratched his mouth. The thing itched sometimes, especially where his beard grew, where the flesh had turned liquid and healed smooth like a gentle river. The boy watched him over the fire.

“Ask your question, kid,” Jess growled. The boy trembled.

“Well, I’s just wondering what ya did,” he said, “to earn a mark like that.”

Jess sighed. People were always asking about the damn brand—if they were dumb enough to ask, at least. Elsewise they just stared. The scars made an X from Jess’ cheeks to his chin, crossing his mouth in the middle.

“I killed some kids,” he said. “The oldest, about your age. The youngest barely crawling.”

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VisDare 31: Paperdolls

Here’s a short story I whipped up a few minutes ago. The photo prompt seemed a bit too obvious to me. I didn’t want to end up in the same place n other writers did, so I used it solely for inspiration and not topic. I let it lead to a completely different mental image. Is that cheating? Probably not. The photo prompted the idea for this story, and I wrote the requisite 150 words. So there. 🙂

Click the (prompt) photo to be lead to the host page for VisDare.

Paperdolls

Passersby stop, lingering for a while. It’s hard not to gawk at them. They look ridiculous, all dressed up and lined off like that. Some people pose with them for cutesy touristy pictures.

It’s funny, the idea of powerful paperdolls. They’re well equipped for whatever may transpire, on the off chance that anything ever does. This is downtown. Central Nassau. Crowded and full of life, no one ever dares to step out of line here. Not even the paperdolls.

They wear those impractical uniforms with pride. The long, dark pants, long-sleeved high-neck tunics, limp belts, and white gloves make no sense. It’s hot. Sweltering, really. The funny looking hats barely fit. All it would take is one swift wind and they’d take flight.

Wave lines of traffic through the intersection. Smile at tourists. Pose for pictures. Sweat.

Horrible job. I guess that’s the trade-off for the right to bear arms.

Photo source: Bahamas Press
(Don’t visit there looking for real news. It’s sensational rubbish.)

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Yes, this is making fun of the local authorities. Well… Their uniform. Because it’s my story, and I can do that. And they look silly. Arrest me. I (vis)dare you. Hehehe.

10 Cheesy Literary Pick-Up Lines That Will Get You Slapped

Here’s a literary pickup line buffet, just for you!
Hahahaha.

101 Books

Literary pick up lines? Yeah, why not!

Book geek? Need a date?

Well, you’ve come to the wrong place. Here’s 10 literary pick-up lines to make you have an embarrassing weekend, full of shame, rejection, and self-loathing.

Here we go:

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