story telling

Misery, by Bruce Arbuckle

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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”

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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

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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.

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

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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

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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.

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

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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

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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”

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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

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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.

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

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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

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“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

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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

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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)

The Lights Go Out, by Bruce Arbuckle. A 100-word story.

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…

Marie is sitting on the toilet when the lights go out for the last time.

Finishing what’s necessary she fumbles her way to the kitchen. Cursing as the sharp corner of the table bites her thigh, her fingers find the candles and lighter.

The wind up radio is in the drawer next to the revolver. The hiss of static where the emergency station should be tells her all she needs to know.

Rumours of the imminent fall of the Resistance have been circulating for months.

She’d stopped believing them.

Marie picks up the gun.

Sitting in the dark she waits.

…

My daily drabble was inspired by the random word prompt “feel”. One of the images that came to mind was feeling your way in the dark. The story grew from there.

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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)

“snip” : a 100-word story by Bruce Arbuckle

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This 100-word story was inspired by the random word prompt “automatic”

The arrival of the postal drone was greeted with an excited shriek from Mia and a groan from her husband.

“What have you bought now?” Herb worried about his approaching retirement.

In lieu of answering, Mia opened the box and pulled out what looked to Herb like a small robot.

“It’s a small robot,” she said, confirming his fears. Herb had learned to distrust Mia’s newfangled technological purchases. 

Mia flicked a switch. The machine whirred, beeped, flashed and hummed. 

“What’s it do?” Herb asked, alarmed by its multiplying protruding snipping blades. 

“It cuts hair.” 

“Not mine,” Herb said, backing away.

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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)

“wardobe”, by Bruce Arbuckle

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A 100-word story written using a random word prompt : “wardrobe”

It stands at the bottom of the orchard, half-covered in fallen apple blossom.

“C.S. Lewis called,” Jip says. “He wants his wardrobe back.”

“Where’d it come from? Wasn’t there yesterday.”

“Fly-tipping,” Jip says. “Been dumped.”

Ange bites her lip.

“It’s too far from the road. Why would someone drag it here?”

Cautiously – “just case it’s home to a nest of angry squirrels” – Jip opens the door.

Empty.

Except for the small purple card, embossed with a golden question mark, that Jip pockets.

“I’ll shift it after lunch.”

But, returning later with the tractor, Jip can’t find it anywhere.

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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)