Last week’s Friday Fantastic Flash Challenge was this;
You are drifting, down, down, through deep water. It is cold, dark, murky. You are desperate for air, and you sense something’s out there… you are not alone. Will you sink or swim?
Proving he could swim like a dolphin, Geoff le Pard was quick to take up the gauntlet; he just can’t seem to resist a writing challenge… he does LOADS of them!
Why does everything have to change?
For as long as I can remember I’ve been here, warm, comforted, constantly fed love. The light is beautiful, the place is just… safe.
But recently I’ve felt somehow different. First it was the shocks, like quakes in the walls. I knew not to be frightened, I don’t know why, but looking back that was the start. Then I noticed things. Everywhere was getting smaller, tighter and I kept twisting and turning.
But the voices told me to stay calm. I heard voices now. A lot.
And then, one morning everywhere exploded. From feeling safe to terrified; from not noticing my surroundings to being aware of water – everywhere: in my eyes, my nose, my throat. I pushed and clawed. There was one way the voices told me but by now I was getting cold and everywhere was dark and dangerous.
I wanted to stay, to go back to how it was but that wasn’t an option. The walls were closing in, crushing me. I had to get out.
One minute I was drowning in the dark and cold; next it was lights, screams everywhere, constant movement. I couldn’t stand it but I had no choice. There was no going back.
Hands held me, comforted me and a single voice rose above the din.
‘It’s a girl.’
Geoff has already written these two books, and is currently working on at least another two that I know of, including a dark YA fantasy, which I have just had the privilege of beta- reading for him. You can buy them here. You can catch up with him on his blog.
And so to this week’s challenge…
Sssibilant, sssneaky, ssscaly, ssscary… SNAKES! You come face to face with a serpent, winged and firebreathing or venemous and land loving, you decide, and tell me all about it.
You can submit here, I will include links to your blog and books. Entries must be under 500 words, but please remember that I write YA, so there may be young people on this site… please keep it family friendly. I really hope you will join me (and Geoff) and take part in the craic!
Snake
Shapes
Slither
Hither
Sliding
Hiding
Can’t miss
Each hiss
I Piss
Myself
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You been drinking Geoffle???
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LOL, Geoff!
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Strange Geoff taking on that challenge, though I knew it wouldn’t be about water as he and I share an unusual family characteristic. We can’t swim as we cannot float! if we get in a pool, some know-it-all says ‘everyone can float, just lie back.’ We do so – and sink. Then the know-it-all gets all confused and goes away. This is why Geoff keeps away from all boats, though I became a maritime archaeologist!
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Wow did you really? Scuba diving around sunken ships and ancient flooded cities? That’s some work, if you can get it. My family love scuba diving and my father was a diver for the oil industry in the Middle East in the 70s. Personally, I’d rather eat my own eyeballs! Seems to me that when it comes to writing challenges, your brother can’t say no!
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Oh Ali, that picture, yuck! LOL. 🙂
I’d never want to scuba dive either, literally nothing for me to see and also the risk of messing up my ears is far too high for me. I’m perfectly happy hanging out at the bottom of swimming pools for as long as I can hold my breath. 🙂
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Yeah me too! Although to be quite honest, these days I’d rather keep my head above water. As soon as I feel water on my face, I feel all that pressure pushing at me, and I cant stand it. I never used to be like that.
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Huh. I wonder why? I guess, oddly, I like that feeling of being enclosed in a medium with some viscosity to it. Moving through air, particularly quickly, often feels precarious to me. Under water, the outside world gets quiet and somewhat distorted in sound, and moving through the water feels interactive, it’s solid and consistent enough for me to feel a sense of freedom in moving fast, rather than fear falling (I mean, I’m already horizontal!) 🙂 It’s an inward turning experience for me, unlike being above on the ground. I can easily hear the silence beneath the sound and even if there are people I know around me, I can better sense that strange aloneness of individuality we have here as far as being a human. But I also feel like the boundaries between myself and the water change, almost but not quite dissolve, so there’s a oneness also. I was diving to the bottom of pools even when I was three, scared the crap out of my parents, it did! But I was fine.
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Thats a really beautiful description of what it feels like minus the fear, Éilis. I can understand why it makes you feel safer, you are cushioned and coccooned, you cant fall and hurt yourself. Gives it a completely different perspective I hadnt thought of. 😊
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What a gorgeous way of describing that experience
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🙂
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I hate the idea of that sinking feeling too. The dear bro does his hard graft from the surface directing operations. What they uncover though is fascinating. One day he may blog about his Barnes Wallis bouncing bomb story.
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Hmmm… that sounds interesting!
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And of course your ability to sink is handy when it comes to scourging the bottom.
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Now you two! No sibling squabbling on my blog, ok? 😁
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He started it miss!
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😂
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Very intimate perinatal tale! Loved it!
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😁
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Reblogged this on Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life and commented:
Are you up for the challenge.. do you love snakes.. or hate them.. this week’s Friday Fantastic Flash
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Thank you Sally! With a big Irish bear hug! 😁
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What a creative piece with an unexpected ending. So well done. ☺
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That is Geoff’s signature style! 😊
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I’m doing this one – and as a character study, got a snake shifter in my book so I do!
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Fabulous! Cant wait to read it!
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Excellent writing,had me enthralled from the start, the ending certainly was not what I expected, well done to Geoff.
Slainte
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Thanks! Geoff is a great writer!
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*blushes*
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Thanks Ian
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Reblogged this on Barrow Blogs: .
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We did come face to face with a snake recen… no fiction. I couldn’t believe how calmly we took it either ( apart from a squeak of surprise…!) http://scvincent.com/2015/07/13/brief-encounter/
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Fantastic experience Sue! Its funny how our reactions often differ quite wildly to situations that arise than we expect!
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I was just so..honoured, I think describes it.
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We did come face to face with a snake recently… no fiction. I couldn’t believe how calmly we took it either ( apart from a squeak of surprise…!) http://scvincent.com/2015/07/13/brief-encounter/
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Cleverly done Geoff.. Not at all what was expected from the beginning..
Hugs
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Very nice. Really enjoying your Friday posts.
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I read Geoff’s piece back in last week’s comments and was excited to be able to read it again. Absolutely creative and awesome! Snakes…hmmmm…I think I’ll have more time this week Ali, see what I can slither through for submission. 🙂
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Really kind Éilis
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It would be fab if you joined in Éilis, I know how creative a writer you are!
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