Surgeon, by Bruce Arbuckle

May 13, 2023 Bruce humpbuckletales dribble, fiction, fiftywordfiction, fiftywordstory, flashfiction, humpbuckletales, microfiction, short story, Stories, story, Tales, zapfic, zapfic50

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Dr Kleeps will never be described as a great surgeon. I’m not even certain he’s a real doctor. But he’s cheap, decreet, and local. That counts for a lot if you’re short of cash, hunted and about to bleed to death. “You again!” He opens the door and I collapse.

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A 50-word story written by Bruce Arbuckle, inspired by the Freewriters Writing Prompt on Hive, “surgeon”

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Bruce Arbuckle (felt.buzz)

Curfew’s Call, by Bruce Arbuckle

May 12, 2023May 12, 2023 Bruce humpbuckletales dribble, fiction, fiftywordfiction, fiftywordstory, flash fiction, flashfiction, flashfictionfriday, fridayflashfiction, humpbuckletales, microfiction, sci-fi, short story, Stories, story, Tales, zapfic, zapfic50

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Just after the curfew’s call, we run into a Sentinel. We lie in the sodden ditch, shivering with cold and fear, listening to the metalic clang of its approach, then the quiet hum as it searches for signs of life. I suppress a gasp as it steps over our heads.

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A 50-word story written by Bruce Arbuckle, inspired by the Freewriters Writing Prompt on Hive, “a very close shave”

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Bruce Arbuckle (felt.buzz)

Panic! by Bruce Arbuckle

May 11, 2023 Bruce humpbuckletales dribble, fiction, fiftywordfiction, fiftywordstory, flash fiction, flashfiction, humpbuckletales, microfiction, short story, Stories, story, Tales, zapfic, zapfic50

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She leaps out of bed, a whirlwind of blankets, wild hair and cursing. I blink rapidly.

“What’s happened?” Perhaps, I’ve slept through a phone call. An illness? An accident? Or worse?

“Late for work! Bloody alarm didn’t go off!”

“But it’s three AM,” I check my phone. “And it’s Sunday.”

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A 50-word story written by Bruce Arbuckle, inspired by the Freewriters Writing Prompt on Hive, “bed hair”

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Bruce Arbuckle (felt.buzz)

The Illusionist, by Bruce Arbuckle

May 10, 2023 Bruce humpbuckletales dribble, fiftywordfiction, fiftywordstory, flash fiction, flashfiction, humpbuckletales, microfiction, short story, Stories, story, Tales, zapfic, zapfic50

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From a young age, he realised he could form alternative versions of reality in other people’s heads. He couldn’t read their minds, but he could open them and insert thoughts, images and even memories. Usually, his victims were unaware of the intrusion. Sometimes they felt uncomfortable. Occasionally, they fought back.

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A 50-word story written by Bruce Arbuckle, inspired by the Freewriters Writing Prompt on Hive, “illusion”

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Bruce Arbuckle (felt.buzz)

Bread and Butter, by Bruce Arbuckle

May 9, 2023May 9, 2023 Bruce humpbuckletales dribble, fiction, fiftywordfiction, flash fiction, flashfiction, humpbuckletales, microfiction, Stories, story, Tales, zapfic, zapfic50

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He finds his mother in the dark, buttering bread. “What are you doing, Mum?” Smiling, she puts a boney finger to her lips. “Shhhh, you’ll wake the others!” It’s three o’clock in the morning, there’s no-one to wake, but she’s happy. He pulls up a chair. “Let me help”

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A 50-word story written by Bruce Arbuckle, inspired by the Freewriters Writing Prompt on Hive, “bread and butter”

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Bruce Arbuckle (felt.buzz)

Sprite, by Bruce Arbuckle

May 8, 2023May 8, 2023 Bruce humpbuckletales dribble, fiction, fiftywordfiction, fiftywordstory, flash fiction, flashfiction, humpbuckletales, microfiction, short story, Stories, story, Tales, zapfic, zapfic50

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The sprite glares at me from it’s prison, an overturned pint glass. I’d mistaken it for a wasp. “You’ll need a charm reinforced silver box, if you want to keep it,” Karl says . “That won’t hold it.” I whisper an apology and release it. Screeching disapproval, the creature flits away.

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A 50-word story written by Bruce Arbuckle, inspired by the Freewriters Writing Prompt on Hive, “reinforce”

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Bruce Arbuckle (felt.buzz)

Flood, by Bruce Arbuckle

May 7, 2023 Bruce humpbuckletales dribble, fiction, fiftywordfiction, fiftywordstory, flash fiction, flashfiction, humpbuckletales, microfiction, short story, Stories, story, Tales, zapfic, zapfic50

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He looks up at the sky, sniffing the air. “It’s coming,” he says. I’m impressed. “You can smell it?” Shaking his head, he laughs. “Radio. It’s breached the wall.” Every year we strengthen the defences, but The Flood always breaks through. We pack what’s necessary and head for higher ground.

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A 50-word story written by Bruce Arbuckle, inspired by the Freewriters Writing Prompt on Hive, “flood”

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Bruce Arbuckle (felt.buzz)

The Author, by Bruce Arbuckle

May 6, 2023 Bruce humpbuckletales dribble, fiction, fiftywordfiction, fiftywordstory, flash fiction, flashfiction, humpbuckletales, microfiction, short story, Stories, story, Tales, zapfic, zapfic50

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A fresh start, a blank page. This time she’ll write her own story. A bus pulls up, it’s doors hiss open, and she steps on board without checking the destination. If she thought things had been tough so far, The Author thinks, wait until she finds out where she’s going.

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A 50-word story written by Bruce Arbuckle, inspired by the Freewriters Writing Prompt on Hive, “blank page”

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My Humpbuckle Tales are always published first on Hive

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Bruce Arbuckle (felt.buzz)

Waiting For Halibut, by Bruce Arbuckle

May 5, 2023 Bruce humpbuckletales dribble, fiction, fiftywordfiction, fiftywordstory, flash fiction, flashfiction, flashfictionfriday, fridayflashfiction, humpbuckletales, microfiction, short story, Stories, story, Tales, zapfic, zapfic50

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We knew something was wrong when the hairdresser called to say she’d missed her appointment. Two things Mum couldn’t abide: tardiness and unruly hair. Minutes later, announcing their arrival with officious raps on the door, two awkward policemen told us Mum had collapsed and died at the supermarket fish counter.

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A 50-word story written by Bruce Arbuckle, inspired by the Freewriters Writing Prompt on Hive, “missed appointment”

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Find me (as HumpbuckleTales ) on Mastodon

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Bruce Arbuckle (felt.buzz)

Soup, by Bruce Arbuckle

May 4, 2023 Bruce humpbuckletales dribble, fiction, fiftywordfiction, fiftywordstory, flash fiction, flashfiction, humpbuckletales, microfiction, short story, Stories, story, Tales, zapfic

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Words fill his mouth: a hot thick bitter soup. He savours them for a moment, imagining the damage they’d cause if he let them fly, spitting barbed arrows of hate into her face. Then, he swallows them. They burn his throat and sit, festering, in the pit of his stomach.

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A 50-word story written by Bruce Arbuckle, inspired by the Freewriters Writing Prompt on Hive, “Thick Soup”

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Find me (as HumpbuckleTales ) on Mastodon

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My Humpbuckle Tales are always published first on Hive

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Bruce Arbuckle (felt.buzz)