Kelly (4 of 6): Humpbuckle Tales 152

February 15, 2022February 10, 2022 Bruce Kelly fiction, fiftywordfiction, fiftywordstory, flash fiction, flashfiction, humpbuckletales, microfiction, short story, story, zapfic50

The first thing Kelly notices about Heather is her fingernails. They are long and painted.

Kelly’s mum used to have nails like that.

Before she got ill.

Heather greets Kelly with a smile and shows her up to her room. There are two beds.

“You’ll meet Kathy, later,” Heather says.

…

This is the one-hundred-and-fifty-second story in the series of Humpbuckle Tales. Each story is precisely 50 words long. They are meant to be independent stories, but if you read them all you will find each one adds another piece to the puzzle – there is a bigger story that is being told.

This story was first published on my Hive blog (@felt.buzz) and you can find all the stories on the @humbuckletales Hive account.

Hive is a blogging platform that rewards posts in a cryptocurrency (Hive).

You will find over 70 more Humpbuckle Tales on the @humbuckletales Hive blog (so this blog is about 6 weeks behind)

On Hive I publish 12 stories per week (Monday to Saturday one story per day and then six 50-word stories in one post on a Sunday).

On HumpbuckleTales.com I also publish 12 tales a week but at a different schedule (and about 6 weeks behind): 2 Tales every day, Monday-Friday and 1 Tale on Saturday and 1 Tale on Sunday.

…

Written by Bruce Arbuckle (@felt.buzz on Hive). Find the latest in the Humpbuckle Tales series on Hive

Kelly (3 of 6): Humpbuckle Tales 151

February 14, 2022February 10, 2022 Bruce Kelly fiction, fiftywordfiction, fiftywordstory, flash fiction, flashfiction, humpbuckletales, microfiction, short story, story, zapfic50

Tracie, the social worker, collects her two weeks later.

Kelly doesn’t want to leave.

Tracie tells her she’ll like the new foster family.

They already have a little girl her age.

It’ll be nice to have a friend, won’t it?

Kelly dries her eyes and gets out of the car.

…

This is the one-hundred-and-fifty-first story in the series of Humpbuckle Tales. Each story is precisely 50 words long. They are meant to be independent stories, but if you read them all you will find each one adds another piece to the puzzle – there is a bigger story that is being told.

This story was first published on my Hive blog (@felt.buzz) and you can find all the stories on the @humbuckletales Hive account.

Hive is a blogging platform that rewards posts in a cryptocurrency (Hive).

You will find over 70 more Humpbuckle Tales on the @humbuckletales Hive blog (so this blog is about 6 weeks behind)

On Hive I publish 12 stories per week (Monday to Saturday one story per day and then six 50-word stories in one post on a Sunday).

On HumpbuckleTales.com I also publish 12 tales a week but at a different schedule (and about 6 weeks behind): 2 Tales every day, Monday-Friday and 1 Tale on Saturday and 1 Tale on Sunday.

…

Kelly (2 of 6): Humpbuckle Tales 150

February 14, 2022February 10, 2022 Bruce Kelly fiction, fiftywordfiction, fiftywordstory, flash fiction, flashfiction, humpbuckletales, microfiction, short story, story, zapfic50

The social worker takes Kelly to a temporary foster home.

The Gentiles are nice, Kelly immediately feels at home.

She helps Mrs Gentile with the laundry.

Kelly likes helping around the house.

Her mother was ill for a long time.

Kelly kept the house clean and tidy to help mum.

…

This is the one-hundred-and-fiftieth story in the series of Humpbuckle Tales. Each story is precisely 50 words long. They are meant to be independent stories, but if you read them all you will find each one adds another piece to the puzzle – there is a bigger story that is being told.

This story was first published on my Hive blog (@felt.buzz) and you can find all the stories on the @humbuckletales Hive account.

Hive is a blogging platform that rewards posts in a cryptocurrency (Hive).

You will find over 70 more Humpbuckle Tales on the @humbuckletales Hive blog (so this blog is about 6 weeks behind)

On Hive I publish 12 stories per week (Monday to Saturday one story per day and then six 50-word stories in one post on a Sunday).

On HumpbuckleTales.com I also publish 12 tales a week but at a different schedule (and about 6 weeks behind): 2 Tales every day, Monday-Friday and 1 Tale on Saturday and 1 Tale on Sunday.

…

Kelly (1 of 6): Humpbuckle Tales 149

February 13, 2022February 9, 2022 Bruce Kelly fiction, fiftywordfiction, fiftywordstory, flash fiction, flashfiction, humpbuckletales, microfiction, short story, story, zapfic50

Kelly is nine years old.

She calls an ambulance, even though she knows her mother is dead.

She waits in the kitchen, watching Frankie swim around the fishbowl.

She won the goldfish at the arcade. He’s her only friend.

The social worker says Frankie can’t come to the foster home.

…

This is the one-hundred-and-forty-ninth story in the series of Humpbuckle Tales. Each story is precisely 50 words long. They are meant to be independent stories, but if you read them all you will find each one adds another piece to the puzzle – there is a bigger story that is being told.

This story was first published on my Hive blog (@felt.buzz) and you can find all the stories on the @humbuckletales Hive account.

Hive is a blogging platform that rewards posts in a cryptocurrency (Hive).

You will find over 70 more Humpbuckle Tales on the @humbuckletales Hive blog (so this blog is about 6 weeks behind)

On Hive I publish 12 stories per week (Monday to Saturday one story per day and then six 50-word stories in one post on a Sunday).

On HumpbuckleTales.com I also publish 12 tales a week but at a different schedule (and about 6 weeks behind): 2 Tales every day, Monday-Friday and 1 Tale on Saturday and 1 Tale on Sunday.

…

“tea leaves”: a fifty-word story written. Humpbuckle Tales 147

February 11, 2022February 9, 2022 Bruce Janet, Mayor Simmons fiction, fiftywordfiction, fiftywordstory, flash fiction, flashfiction, humpbuckletales, microfiction, short story, story, zapfic50

The cup crashes to the floor.

“Opps,” Janet says. “Butterfingers.”

“I was so looking forward to having you read my fortune,” the mayor says. His mouth smiles but his eyes do not.

Janet shivers. He scares her.

Kelly, a young volunteer, clears up the broken crockery and spilt tea leaves.
…

This is the one-hundred-and-forty-seventh story in the series of Humpbuckle Tales. Each story is precisely 50 words long. They are meant to be independent stories, but if you read them all you will find each one adds another piece to the puzzle – there is a bigger story that is being told.

This story was first published on my Hive blog (@felt.buzz) and you can find all the stories on the @humbuckletales Hive account.

Hive is a blogging platform that rewards posts in a cryptocurrency (Hive).

You will find over 70 more Humpbuckle Tales on the @humbuckletales Hive blog (so this blog is about 6 weeks behind)

On Hive I publish 12 stories per week (Monday to Saturday one story per day and then six 50-word stories in one post on a Sunday).

On HumpbuckleTales.com I also publish 12 tales a week but at a different schedule (and about 6 weeks behind): 2 Tales every day, Monday-Friday and 1 Tale on Saturday and 1 Tale on Sunday.

…

“long fingernails”: a fifty-word story. Humpbuckle Tales 146

February 11, 2022February 9, 2022 Bruce Blanche, Lilly fiction, fiftywordfiction, fiftywordstory, flash fiction, flashfiction, humpbuckletales, microfiction, short story, story, zapfic50

Lilly always envied other women’s long fingernails.

Whenever she attempted to grow them, they would split, or break because of the work she did.

When she took over The Gazette, after Jack died, she hired Blanche, a young woman with an incredible typing speed despite her two-inch polished nails.

…

This is the one-hundred-and-forty-sixth story in the series of Humpbuckle Tales. Each story is precisely 50 words long. They are meant to be independent stories, but if you read them all you will find each one adds another piece to the puzzle – there is a bigger story that is being told.

This story was first published on my Hive blog (@felt.buzz) and you can find all the stories on the @humbuckletales Hive account.

Hive is a blogging platform that rewards posts in a cryptocurrency (Hive).

You will find over 70 more Humpbuckle Tales on the @humbuckletales Hive blog (so this blog is about 6 weeks behind)

On Hive I publish 12 stories per week (Monday to Saturday one story per day and then six 50-word stories in one post on a Sunday).

On HumpbuckleTales.com I also publish 12 tales a week but at a different schedule (and about 6 weeks behind): 2 Tales every day, Monday-Friday and 1 Tale on Saturday and 1 Tale on Sunday.

…

“out of the car”: a fifty-word story. Humpbuckle Tales 145

February 10, 2022February 9, 2022 Bruce Hooper fiction, fiftywordfiction, fiftywordstory, flash fiction, flashfiction, humpbuckletales, microfiction, short story, story, zapfic50

It’s dark when the vehicle pulls onto the drive, the electric gates closing silently behind as the garage door rises with a shudder.

Hooper gets out of the car. He feels different, stronger, now.

Above, the moon sits high in the sky: a blood-red witness to their deadly deeds.

…

This is the one-hundred-and-forty-fifth story in the series of Humpbuckle Tales. Each story is precisely 50 words long. They are meant to be independent stories, but if you read them all you will find each one adds another piece to the puzzle – there is a bigger story that is being told.

This story was first published on my Hive blog (@felt.buzz) and you can find all the stories on the @humbuckletales Hive account.

Hive is a blogging platform that rewards posts in a cryptocurrency (Hive).

You will find over 70 more Humpbuckle Tales on the @humbuckletales Hive blog (so this blog is about 6 weeks behind)

On Hive I publish 12 stories per week (Monday to Saturday one story per day and then six 50-word stories in one post on a Sunday).

On HumpbuckleTales.com I also publish 12 tales a week but at a different schedule (and about 6 weeks behind): 2 Tales every day, Monday-Friday and 1 Tale on Saturday and 1 Tale on Sunday.

…

“laundry day”: a fifty-word story. Humpbuckle Tales 144

February 10, 2022February 9, 2022 Bruce Lilly fiction, fiftywordfiction, fiftywordstory, flash fiction, flashfiction, humpbuckletales, microfiction, short story, story, zapfic50

When Lilly was a child, laundry day was a big part of her week.

She would help her mother wash, scrub, squeeze and hang the laundry.

As she grew older the washing machine became affordable to her, cutting the work substantially.

A days work was reduced to a few hours.

…

This is the one-hundred-and-forty-forth story in the series of Humpbuckle Tales. Each story is precisely 50 words long. They are meant to be independent stories, but if you read them all you will find each one adds another piece to the puzzle – there is a bigger story that is being told.

This story was first published on my Hive blog (@felt.buzz) and you can find all the stories on the @humbuckletales Hive account.

Hive is a blogging platform that rewards posts in a cryptocurrency (Hive).

You will find over 70 more Humpbuckle Tales on the @humbuckletales Hive blog (so this blog is about 6 weeks behind)

On Hive I publish 12 stories per week (Monday to Saturday one story per day and then six 50-word stories in one post on a Sunday).

On HumpbuckleTales.com I also publish 12 tales a week but at a different schedule (and about 6 weeks behind): 2 Tales every day, Monday-Friday and 1 Tale on Saturday and 1 Tale on Sunday.

…

“a bowl full of water”: a 50-word story. Humpbuckle Tales 143

February 9, 2022February 2, 2022 Bruce Janet fiction, fiftywordfiction, fiftywordstory, flash fiction, flashfiction, humpbuckletales, microfiction, short story, story, zapfic50

After her mother’s visit, Janet sells the crystal ball along with the rest of the psychic paraphernalia.

Her gifts don’t require props: all that stuff is just pantomime.

It does help to focus on something.

She pours water into a clear glass bowl, stares into it and clears her mind.

…

This is the one-hundred-and-forty-third story in the series of Humpbuckle Tales. Each story is precisely 50 words long. They are meant to be independent stories, but if you read them all you will find each one adds another piece to the puzzle – there is a bigger story that is being told.

This story was first published on my Hive blog (@felt.buzz) and you can find all the stories on the @humbuckletales Hive account.

Hive is a blogging platform that rewards posts in a cryptocurrency (Hive).

You will find over 70 more Humpbuckle Tales on the @humbuckletales Hive blog (so this blog is about 6 weeks behind)

On Hive I publish 12 stories per week (Monday to Saturday one story per day and then six 50-word stories in one post on a Sunday).

On HumpbuckleTales.com I also publish 12 tales a week but at a different schedule (and about 6 weeks behind): 2 Tales every day, Monday-Friday and 1 Tale on Saturday and 1 Tale on Sunday.

…

Cloak of Normality (6 of 6). Humpbuckle Tales 142

February 9, 2022February 2, 2022 Bruce Hooper, Humpbuckle Festival, Psychiatric Hospital, The Pyschiatrist fiction, fiftywordfiction, fiftywordstory, flash fiction, flashfiction, humpbuckletales, microfiction, short story, story, zapfic50

Hooper feels less alone now.

Although the psychiatrist is a teacher, not a friend, Hooper can share his thoughts and desires.

He doesn’t need to live in his head anymore.

“The night of the Humpbuckle festival,” the psychiatrist says. “Meet me on the clifftop path.” He smiles. “We’re going hunting.”

…

This is the one-hundred-and-forty-second story in the series of Humpbuckle Tales. Each story is precisely 50 words long. They are meant to be independent stories, but if you read them all you will find each one adds another piece to the puzzle – there is a bigger story that is being told.

This story was first published on my Hive blog (@felt.buzz) and you can find all the stories on the @humbuckletales Hive account.

Hive is a blogging platform that rewards posts in a cryptocurrency (Hive).

You will find over 70 more Humpbuckle Tales on the @humbuckletales Hive blog (so this blog is about 6 weeks behind)

On Hive I publish 12 stories per week (Monday to Saturday one story per day and then six 50-word stories in one post on a Sunday).

On HumpbuckleTales.com I also publish 12 tales a week but at a different schedule (and about 6 weeks behind): 2 Tales every day, Monday-Friday and 1 Tale on Saturday and 1 Tale on Sunday.

…