microfiction

Misery, by Bruce Arbuckle

BruceLeave a comment

Sometimes his misery overwhelms him.

Returning from work he leaves his outside mask at the door. The smile he uses all day makes his face and his heart ache.

He draws the curtains to shut out the world and keep out the light. He runs a bath. Perhaps hoping to wash away his gloomy sadness he submerges himself in the hot water.

An hour later he climbs out, clean, wrinkled and shivering with cold.

He lies awake on his bed until his alarm clock shouts at him.

It’s time to put his mask back on and face the new day.

…

A 100 word story written by Bruce Arbuckle, inspired by the random word prompt “misery”

…

Find me (as HumpbuckleTales) on Mastodon

My drabbles (100-word stories) are always published first on Hive: https://peakd.com/@drabble.club

Read my daily 50 word stories in Humpbuckle Tales or on Hive or on Facebook

Find my 100 word tales right here

Keep on drabblin’!

Bruce Arbuckle (felt.buzz)

Helicopter, by Bruce Arbuckle

BruceLeave a comment

We had another big fight last night.

I wasn’t happy because my sister saw him at the playground staring at his phone the whole time, instead of watching the kids.

“Lisa’s a nosy cow!” he said. “And you’re a helicopter mum. Hovering over them, never giving them space to play. Wrapping them in cotton wool. You’re smothering them,” he said. “I’m going out.”

He slammed the door and the vase on the mantelpiece fell off.

“Are you crying, Mummy?” Gemma asked as I picked up pottery shards out of the carpet.

“No,” I said.

I don’t think she believed me.

…

A 100 word story written by Bruce Arbuckle, inspired by the random word prompt “helicopter”.

…

Find me (as HumpbuckleTales) on Mastodon

My drabbles (100-word stories) are always published first on Hive: https://peakd.com/@drabble.club

Read my daily 50 word stories in Humpbuckle Tales or on Hive or on Facebook

Find my 100 word tales right here

Keep on drabblin’!

Bruce Arbuckle (felt.buzz)

Entry, by Bruce Arbuckle

BruceLeave a comment

The ship’s heat resistant shields were struggling. He knew he was entering the atmosphere of this long dead planet too fast and at the wrong angle. Everything was flashing bright red or yellow and several alarms screeched their disapproval.

Movement to his right: damn!

He might not have wreaked his ride, but he’d failed to shake off the drone.

Shaking, juddering, grinding. A missile clipped the right wing.

He was going to crash. He fraught to pull up the nose, hoping to limit the damage.

He plunged into the sludgy brown water, where the city of London used to be.

…

A 100 word story written by Bruce Arbuckle, inspired by the random word prompt “entry”

…

Find me (as HumpbuckleTales) on Mastodon

My drabbles (100-word stories) are always published first on Hive: https://peakd.com/@drabble.club

Read my daily 50 word stories in Humpbuckle Tales or on Hive or on Facebook

Find my 100 word tales right here

Keep on drabblin’!

Bruce Arbuckle (felt.buzz)

Impact, by Bruce Arbuckle

BruceLeave a comment

Her words continue to  ricochet around my mind.

It’s been days since she ambushed me, machine gunning volleys of spiteful fury at me. Each accusation finding its target, bullets of truth thudding painfully into my body, bloodying further my already damaged conscience.

What came next was worse still.

Her wounded eyes shouting out pain and betrayal in explosive quietness.

I stood there in silence until she turned away.

I deserve it all. The anger. The vitriol. The hate.

Her disgust.

I can’t undo what is done.

I can’t expect forgiveness.

Not from her. Not from anyone.

Certainly not from myself.

…

A 100 word story written by Bruce Arbuckle, inspired by the random word prompt “impact”

…

Find me (as HumpbuckleTales) on Mastodon

My drabbles (100-word stories) are always published first on Hive: https://peakd.com/@drabble.club

Read my daily 50 word stories in Humpbuckle Tales or on Hive or on Facebook

Find my 100 word tales right here

Keep on drabblin’!

Bruce Arbuckle (felt.buzz)

Mr Eleven O’Three, by Bruce Arbuckle

BruceLeave a comment

Mr Eleven O’Three sits in the same chair in the hotel lobby every day. He’s smartly dressed: suit, tie, kerchief in his breast pocket. An older gentleman.

“Can I help you?” we inquire. “Are you waiting for someone?”

“No, thank you.”

Mabel offers him coffee – “I think he’s lonely,” she says – but he politely refuses.

At precisely three minutes past eleven he nods goodbye and leaves.

We all have theories about him, some wilder and more ridiculous than others.

One morning, I decide to ask him why he comes.

That’s the day he doesn’t show.

We never see him again.

…

A 100 word story written by Bruce Arbuckle, inspired by the random word prompt “lobby”

…

Find me (as HumpbuckleTales) on Mastodon

My drabbles (100-word stories) are always published first on Hive: https://peakd.com/@drabble.club

Read my daily 50 word stories in Humpbuckle Tales or on Hive or on Facebook

Find my 100 word tales right here

Keep on drabblin’!

Bruce Arbuckle (felt.buzz)

Bring Them Back, by Bruce Arbuckle

BruceLeave a comment

“Just because we can,” the Chief Scientific Officer says. “Doesn’t mean we should.”

“We’ve been looking for intact DNA for so long. We have the ways and means to bring back a species extinct for more than a thousand years. You’ve seen for yourself the specially designed habitat. They can be safely contained.”

The Scientist shifts, uncomfortable in her seat.

“Are we sure? They were extremely dangerous. They laid waste to everything in their path, causing mass extinctions, almost destroying their own galaxy.”

The other smiles.

“We came halfway across the universe to make contact with Homosapians. Let’s do it.”

…

This 100-word story was written by Bruce Arbuckle, inspired by the random word prompt, “extinct”.

I’ll leave it up to your imagination to decide what the secure habitat might be

…

Find me (as HumpbuckleTales) on Mastodon

My drabbles (100-word stories) are always published first on Hive: https://peakd.com/@drabble.club

Read my daily 50 word stories in Humpbuckle Tales or on Hive or on Facebook

Find my 100 word tales right here

Keep on drabblin’!

Bruce Arbuckle (felt.buzz)

The World Ends, As It Always Does, Just Before Teatime, On Friday Afternoon (1), by Bruce Arbuckle

BruceLeave a comment

John returns from a clearance sale, a box of crap in his arms.

Lydia doesn’t need to look inside. She knows it’ll contain a plethora of useless junk. John has a talent for sniffing out purposeless items, paying the highest prices.

“Look what I found!”

He’s like an excited child. She used to find it endearing.

He pulls things from the carton, most of it looks broken.

A shiny cube attracts her attention.

She picks it up. The material is unknown to her.

Almost alien.

She squeezes it, accidentally setting off a chain reaction ending, inevitably, in the Earth’s destruction.

…

This 100-word story was written by Bruce Arbuckle, inspired by the random word prompt “clearance”.

I’ve been toying with the idea of a series of stories about the inevitable end of the world. The World Ends, As It Always Does, Just Before Teatime, On Friday Afternoon. (1) is the first of these. Or the only one. Who knows?

…

Find me (as HumpbuckleTales) on Mastodon

My drabbles (100-word stories) are always published first on Hive: https://peakd.com/@drabble.club

Read my daily 50 word stories in Humpbuckle Tales or on Hive or on Facebook

Find my 100 word tales right here

Keep on drabblin’!

Bruce Arbuckle (felt.buzz)

Care, by Bruce Arbuckle

BruceLeave a comment

I dread my last call on a Thursday. Grumpy Mr Tibbs is always rude and borderline offensive.

And I’m late no matter what I do.

“Watch broken, again,” he’ll grunt, shuffling away from the door. “Or can’t you lot tell the time?”

I’ll apologise, smiling. No point in telling him I’m not allocated enough time to do my job or to get from one client to another.

Today, he’s different.

He’s been crying and when I ask what’s wrong he bursts into tears and falls into my arms.

We’re not supposed to hug clients.

If he doesn’t tell, I won’t.

…

Find me (as HumpbuckleTales) on Mastodon

My drabbles (100-word stories) are always published first on Hive: https://peakd.com/@drabble.club

Read my daily 50 word stories in Humpbuckle Tales or on Hive or on Facebook

Find my 100 word tales right here

Keep on drabblin’!

Bruce Arbuckle (felt.buzz)

Made To Order, by Bruce Arbuckle

BruceLeave a comment

Sitting in the waiting room, he watches his parents fuss over her.

He was created for this moment.

“You know sister is unwell?” the conversation always began. How could he not know? It’s his story as much as hers. “One day you’ll save her life. You’re our little hero.”

Once proud of his mission to prevent his sibling’s premature death, he now feels like a commodity. A spare part. Custom made to fix his sister’s genetic condition.

He wants to escape. Run out the door and never look back.

But when the doctor calls his name he stands up smiling.

…

Written by Bruce Arbuckle, using a random word prompt “genetic”

…

Find me (as HumpbuckleTales) on Mastodon

My drabbles (100-word stories) are always published first on Hive: https://peakd.com/@drabble.club

Read my daily 50 word stories in Humpbuckle Tales or on Hive or on Facebook

Find my 100 word tales right here

Keep on drabblin’!

Bruce Arbuckle (felt.buzz)

Ruin Upon Us All, by Bruce Arbuckle

BruceLeave a comment

They were too far away to see but Krike could sense their approach .

Of the many foolish decisions the King had made, of late, the kidnapping of the young princess had topped them all.

The King’s only apparent talent was his ability to find advisors more stupid than he was. 

“He will bring war and ruin upon us all!”

Treason was no longer whispered in dark corridors, it was openly discussed.

There came a time, when one had to choose where your loyalty lay: with your king or your people.

Krike lit the signal beacon and unlocked the city gates.

…

Written by Bruce Arbuckle using a random word prompt “far”

…

Find me (as HumpbuckleTales) on Mastodon

My drabbles (100-word stories) are always published first on Hive: https://peakd.com/@drabble.club

Read my daily 50 word stories in Humpbuckle Tales or on Hive or on Facebook

Find my 100 word tales right here

Keep on drabblin’!

Bruce Arbuckle (felt.buzz)