Tag: fiction

Writing Exercise

by Diane, posted in Fiction

A recent writing exercise by Diane Lynn McGyver.

Franklin snatched the leather pouch from the table and slipped it behind his back. He checked to see if his wife noticed; she didn’t. Once outside the house, he looked up and down the street for anyone lurking about but didn’t see anyone in the glow of the streetlights. As he started down the sidewalk in the direction of town, he continued to search the area for anyone suspicious. The mysterious phone call earlier in the day had his nerves on high alert. If he didn’t get those papers to his contact, he wouldn’t be the only one in danger. He fingered the pouch in his pocket. There was enough money in it to get him out of the country if necessary.

A figure came out of the shadows between two buildings, making Franklin jump. To his relief, it was Carl. The young man walked to the nearby vehicle.

Continue reading “Writing Exercise” →

100-word Challenge: Wisdom of Patience

by Diane, posted in Fiction

100word challengeProfessor Capstick walked steadily towards the staffroom. The opportunity to add three additional courses to the program excited him. He knew the other professors at Stoicism Institute for Higher Wisdom would also be thrilled and anxious to discuss the best three of the dozen possibilities.

He turned the knob and swung open the door. What he found inside stopped him cold. Instead of celebrating the added educational possibilities, all seven were just arguing amongst themselves while Professor Hornsbee lay bleeding beside his desk.

“Have you lost your minds?” shouted Professor Capstick.

“Not at all,” said Professor Jamieson. “Only our patience.”

Free-writing: to accept the 100-word challenge, visit Julia’s Place website.

Today’s Prompt…all seven were just arguing amongst themselves…

100-word Challenge: Dawn

by Diane, posted in Fiction

100word challengeHis iPhone announces the time. It will be dawn in two hours, leaving him time to change his clothes and arrive for his seven o’clock shift. No one will suspect a thing. After all, he is a law-abiding citizen.

He grips the shovel and follows his ex-wife. She had suggested—insisted—he participated in her get-rich scheme. He obliged, knowing it would put an end to the alimony payments.

“Breathe a word about this,” says Wanda, “and I’ll testify you threatened me, forced me to help you.”

Tim smiles. And so it begins except this time, he has a plan.

Free-writing: to accept the 100-word challenge, visit Julia’s Place website.

Today’s Prompt…and so it begins…

100-word Challenge: Sacrifice

by Diane, posted in Fiction

100word challengeThe weary soldiers marched into the night with quickly-fashioned torches to illuminate their way. The thick forest shrouded them in darkness, stealing rays of moonlight from their path. Their trip was a solemn one, fraught with fear and danger, but they trudged onward.

The victory of the previous day’s battle still fresh in their mind did little to comfort the men as they carried their leader home. He who had slain the evil wizard as darkness fell, saving his kingdom and people from slavery. Yet, he had sacrificed his own safety, and when the daylight returned, the king was dead.

Free-writing: to accept the 100-word challenge, visit Julia’s Place website.

Prompt: …when the daylight returned the king was dead…: https://jfb57.wordpress.com/2015/03/23/100-word-challenge-for-grown-ups-week172/

Wrong Vice

by Diane, posted in Fiction

100word challengeGage swung opened the door and peered inside. The musty smell struck him, then the dust dancing in the sunlight pouring in the window. The frolicking particles indicated his victim had run this way.

Stepping deeper into the shed, he noticed an open back door. “Damn,” he cursed. Lumbering forward, his plaid jacket caught on a vice secured to a thick wooden workbench. He yanked it free.

From behind, he felt a heavy thud. His vision blurred as he dropped to the floor, landing in a soft mound of rodent droppings. The scent was overpowering, and he sank into unconsciousness.

Free-writing to accept the 100-word challenge from Julia’s Place website

 

The Ocean Between Them

by Diane, posted in Fiction

Ocean Between Them 5x5Cindy Fletcher rocked back and forth with the rhythm of the boat. She kept telling herself she knew where she was, but her inner voice wouldn’t listen; it knew she was lost. She pulled her hoodie around her and peered into the thick, white fog. It had consumed the row boat within minutes, erasing the shoreline and casting Cindy and her childhood friend, Michelle Purdy, into a cloud-like world.

The fog had devoured every sound save the oars striking the water. Michelle rowed in the direction both believed would take them to the wharf where they had rented the boat. In thirty minutes, it would be Cindy’s turn to row again. It would also be 7:00 pm, marking the fourth hour in the fog.

Continue reading “The Ocean Between Them” →

Destiny Governed their Lives

by Diane, posted in Fiction

Destiny Governed thier LivesDestiny Governed their Lives is a short story starring Catriona Wheatcroft, the sorceress in Shadows in the Stone fantasy novel. When the novel begins, she’s twenty-eight years old, but in the short story, she’s only seventeen.

Catriona is young, impulsive and believes she knows everything. Mmm, sounds a little like me when I was seventeen. I wasn’t, however, an apprentice studying with a sorceress who practised powerful spells. I also didn’t live in Maskil with the constant threat of an evil wizard creating terror on the streets. If I had, I might have done the unthinkable, too.

Continue reading “Destiny Governed their Lives” →

Outside the Silence

by Diane, posted in Fiction

Diane Lynn McGyverJulianne lay still, fearful any noise she’d make while adjusting her weight would be heard by others in the building. A single movement of her hand or foot sounded as if a band of bagpipers passed through on their way to battle. Each breath remained even, each inhale and exhale controlled so as not to arouse suspicion that she did not yet sleep.

She supposed as a child, sleeping in a soft, pillowed bed felt normal. Although the sounds of her childhood room went unremembered, she imagined they had comforted her on her way to dreamland. But those sounds had not touched Julianne’s ears for more than a decade.

Continue reading “Outside the Silence” →

Rambling Dreams or a Science Fiction Story in the Making?

by Diane, posted in Fiction

Diane Lynn McGyver - Science FictionAn earth-shaking crash and shrieks of terror behind Delia shattered the beautiful day. She whirled to find a ten-foot, silver robot blasting buildings with the weapon attached to his arm. For a moment she stood frozen in shock. Where had this mad man come from, and what was he doing on a busy street in Halifax?

The sleek machine appeared to have no specific target; it fired at buildings, vehicles and anyone who came within it’s sights. Smoke, fire, debris and bodies quickly littered the street.

A firm tug on Delia’s hand snapped her back to her senses. She looked down at her nine-year-old son Jack who stared at her with big eyes. The movement of the robot shook the ground and propelled her into motion. She tightly gripped Jack’s hand as they raced along the sidewalk.

Continue reading “Rambling Dreams or a Science Fiction Story in the Making?” →

Pockets of Wildflowers Bloom

by Diane, posted in Fiction

Pockets of WildflowersThe first few paragraphs of my romance novel, Pockets of Wildflowers, scheduled for a fall 2012 release…

The temperature dropped suddenly, and I felt an urgency to escape the approaching storm. Dark, swirling clouds descended and became increasingly closer to my perch on the small hill behind the farmhouse. I glanced at the barn. All the animals were secure.

The wind whipped around my legs, and I felt the first spots of rain beat against my tanned skin. The breeze lifted my dress, shaping it like an open umbrella. I held it in place, fearing the increasing wind would lift it over my head and blind me to the path to safety. I could watch the storm no longer; I had to go!

Continue reading “Pockets of Wildflowers Bloom” →