For the Drabble Challenge A drabble is a short work of fiction of precisely one hundred words in length. The purpose of the drabble is brevity, testing the author's ability to express interesting and meaningful ideas in a confined space. |
The Funeral John Luke’s final audience was dressed all in black. Lisa, the aspiring actor's girlfriend, sat in the front pew next to his family. All wept as the priest made his sermon of tragedy; life ripped from its moral coil far too soon. John Luke was poised for Broadway, about to be a headline. Instead, his death was fine print on page 3. 'Death by accidental overdose'. After service, they filed past the coffin. Lisa placed a belladonna flower and whispered, “Good night, sweet prince.” Tony, one of John's writer friends, hugged her small form till she could sob no more. The Graveyard His bum was getting damp from the pile of dirt they sat on. “This lark makes a chap wonder to the meaning of it all,” Jeff drained the thermos of coffee into his cup. Pete snorted a reply, “What’s to wonder: we comes, we does, then we goes.” “But there must be more to it than that,” Jeff protested, “And it’s our quest to learn what that more is. ‘Knowledge is the wing wherewith we fly to heaven’, and all that.” “Bollocks. Naught but self-comforting ideologies.” Both then stood and picked up their shovels to resume filling in the grave. The Wake It was difficult to say when he noticed the soft thudding sound or the faint male voices; when did the darkness and pounding headache give way to these stimuli? He tried to open his eyes, only to realise they were already open. John Luke’s heart quickened in horror as he realised he could barely move. He thrashed but met with wooden resistance disguised as a soft cocoon. “Tony!” his shout was of anger as much as in desperation. Memory flooded in of a drunken Romeo dare, and he gasped another breath, beating his fists on the lid, “Let me out!” Written for: "Drabble Activity 2024" Prompt: A drabble trilogy (trabble) – 3 drabbles related to one another, and yet each able to stand on their own |
Extra perks were offered to a volunteer to be the cellmate of the new arrival. Everyone knew ‘ratting’ was expected. A careful eye was to be kept on Amarat, a Political activist who’d disrupted the Prime Minister's plane. My father had the dubious fortune to be in the ‘right place at the right time’ and stepped up. He was waiting when the screws left Amarat in the cell. “You’ll have to tell me what to tell them.” Amarat’s tension broke with a high-pitched joyful laugh. An enduring friendship was formed, and 50 years later, Amarat is still Dad’s dearest friend. Word count: 100 For Drabble Activity 2024, Week 7 Prompt: A non-fiction work. Essay, memoir, op-ed: creative nonfiction (not just a regurgitation of facts). |
Felix hid near the back door, with a grass moustache and golden eyes peeking in through the glass. Mistress was still sitting at the table; it was as if time had slowed down. Didn’t she have anything better to do? Mouse squirmed as though life depended upon it. It did. Bravely, Felix took a primal sprint through the cat flap. “Not again!” Mistress spilt her coffee as she snatched Felix; her heart raced at the coupled load she lifted. At that moment, Felix had choices. Deliberately, he meowed. Mouse leapt and scurried to freedom in the form of a fridge. 100 words Drabble about an animal |
“Don’t let Perfect-Peterson see that, she’ll have you fired,” Tony warned the new teller as she dropped the bank-issue pen into her bag. “I thought you were kidding earlier, she’s that uptight?” “Ms P’s ass spits out diamonds on the hour.” Jenny giggled at Tony’s joke but took care to put the pen back. Two seconds later, armed robbers burst into the bank. Tellers ducked as a masked man grabbed Petersen and thrust his revolver into her face, shouting she unlock the vault. Pee ran down her leg. Tony noticed, nudged the new girl and snickered. “Not so perfect now.” W/C: 100 Written for: "Drabble Activity 2024" Prompt: A story involving a crime – murder, robbery (theft) or embezzlement |