Helena Stone's Blog, page 8

Monday Flash Fics: Hidden

Hidden
The shadows deceived him. The constant changes from light to shade and back again played tricks on the mind. Cameron held his breath. Was that somebody moving? No, it had only been the sun coming out from behind a cloud for a few moments and illuminating a segment of a bush before it was obscured by the gloom again.
His mind raced, but his arms held firm. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been lying in wait with his bow cocked, ready for the moment one of his opponents would reveal themselves. Years of practice had preceded this moment. He’d trained his breathing until he could hold his breath twice as long as any of his friends. He’d meditated until he could shut his thoughts down on the spur of the moment. All of it for this moment, and for other, similar occasions.
A branch snapped behind him. Cameron whirled around and released the arrow before he realised he’d seen someone. The soft thud followed by a much louder curse satisfied a primal need deep inside him.
One down.
Arrows rained down on his hideout before he could finish the thought. They hadn’t seen him, didn’t know exactly where he was, but his shot had given them a general direction to aim for. He lowered his bow and pressed himself flat against the moss covered ground, happy to remain invisible and wait for however long it took. Unlike those shooting at him he wasn’t prepared to waste arrows on targets he couldn’t see.
The onslaught ended as abruptly as it had started. Either his enemies thought they’d managed to kill him or they’d given up trying because they’d at last realised how impossible it was to hit something they couldn’t see.
Cameron raised his head just in time to see four figures emerge from the bushes thirty metres ahead of him. His mind went blank as instinct took over, making his eyes and arms function without a conscious thought on his part. One after the other the four arrows left his bow, the second releasing before the first one reached its target. Like lined up dominoes, the four attackers fell to the ground in quick succession. He lowered his bow, his arms suddenly heavy and tired.
He didn’t hear a thing, wasn’t aware of the approaching danger until a shadow stretched out in front of him. Swallowing the curse burning on his tongue he turned over, ready to release an arrow at whoever had managed to sneak up on him, when a trumpet sounded.
Cameron allowed his arms to relax again as he watched a grin spread across the features of the man staring down at him. “Fuck me! You’re good.”
“Why, thank you, Pascal,” Cameron said, smirking widely. He sat up and turned to look over his shoulder, just in time to see the four men he’d shot down moments earlier, get up from the ground while retrieving the blunt arrows from where they’d fallen.
“Is there something you’d like to tell me?” Pascal asked.
Cameron shrugged. He’d thought about coming clean when his boyfriend of two months had first invited him to this medieval version of paintball, but that would have spoiled the surprise, especially considering how smug Pascal had been about his supposed prowess with a crossbow.
“You mean I should have mentioned that I’ve been into archery since I was eight?” He grabbed Pascal’s offered hand and allowed himself to be pulled up. “That would have been no fun at all.”
****
585 words
Thank you for reading my flash, I hope you enjoyed it and would love to hear your thoughts.
This image was suggested by Theo Fenraven. More stories inspired by this picture should be available in the Monday Flash Fics group, which is also where we’ll announce what image next week’s stories will be based on. We would love to have you join us.

Teaser Monday

It is Monday so I should have a flash fiction for you today, but I don’t. I actually love the image Theo Fenraven suggested for this week but it didn’t inspire a story in me.



It is quite possible my lack of inspiration is a direct result of the fact I’ve started writing a new book and I’m totally submerged in that story-line and those characters. The story, working title S/m, will be a new departure for me again. It is set in a world not quite our own and will end up a lot darker than my usual fare. I’m very excited about it, while also somewhat worried about whether or not I can pull it off. We’ll see.
I’ve decided to share the first 1000 words of this new story here today. Please bear in mind that it is more or less unchecked and completely unedited. I hope that won’t prevent you from enjoying it. Any feedback will be very welcome.
Please visit the Monday Flash Fics Group on Facebook to find out what others have been inspired to write based on the chosen picture.

 Shit, it’s almost dark.Markus picked up his pace, fully aware that if he didn’t make it home within the next fifteen minutes he’d be in trouble. The street was almost deserted. He was one of only a few stragglers rushing to make it back to their quarters before curfew started. He cursed. This was the third time in two weeks they’d kept him busy until it was near impossible to make it back on time. The bastards didn’t care whether he got arrested or not. For him ten others as far as they were concerned and he was in no position to argue or walk away from a job it had taken him long enough to find.Ahead of him a large door opened and a group of night guards marched onto the street. Markus thanked the Gods that the quickest way home meant he needed to turn left, away from the platoon. As soon as he’d rounded the corner he set off at a run as fast as the bag he was carrying would allow. It was a risk. If the guards saw him running they’d assume he had something to hide. They’d take him down and lock him up before asking questions. Being caught out and about after dark was even more dangerous—punishable by death. His lungs burned as he spotted the door to his residence, his mother standing on the threshold, a worried expression on her face. The first chime of six, signalling the start of the night-time curfew, sounded and Markus gathered the last of his reserves and picked up his speed despite the heaviness in his legs. He all but fell into his front room and pushed the door shut behind him just as the sixth chime sounded. He closed his eyes and collapsed with his back against the door. Somebody—he was too exhausted to look and see who—grabbed the bag from his hand as he tried to catch his breath.“That was too close.” His mother’s voice held a combination of fear, relief and anger. “Don’t do this to me…to us. We’ve got enough to worry about without you adding to the burden.”Resentment burned deep inside him. How dare she? Didn’t she know everything he did? Had she no idea how hard it was to keep going? To find what they needed to survive? The feeling receded again as he realised that she knew all of that only too well. It was exactly because she knew how precarious their situation was that she feared for his safety. As hard as their life was right now, it would become impossible if something were to happen to him. He was the only thing standing between his mother and six siblings living in relative safety, and death of starvation for all of them. Of course she worried. “I’m sorry.” He opened his eyes and looked at her. “They didn’t give me a choice. It was either stay longer or leave without the food.” “That’s just wrong.” Frustrated fury sounded in her voice, although she made sure not to raise it. “They know they’ve got you over a barrel and use it against you. What if you had been arrested? They would have lost you too.”“Oh Ma,” Markus laughed but it wasn’t a happy sound. “People are lining up daily to take my place. You know that as well as I do.”“It’s just wrong.” The frustration that was Markus’s constant companion was clearly audible in his mother’s voice. “Look at what you do for them, the hours you put in and for what? A bag of food that will barely see us through the week, a hovel to live in, and discarded clothes. They only give you what they’ve no use for themselves.”“Stop it!” There was no anger is Markus’s voice, only resignation. It was hard enough to keep going without his mother stoking the fires of his discontent. Of course his mother could remember how it used to be. She’d been ten years old when the world changed. She’d told Markus and his siblings the stories about her life before technology allowed the mega-rich to take over the world. There were times he wished she hadn’t. What good did it do them to know that once upon a time most people had jobs which allowed them to pay for possessions, that slavery had been outlawed until forty-odd years ago? The knowledge that his grandparents had at least had an opportunity to better themselves didn’t make him feel better. It only filled him with a greater sense of his powerlessness.Suddenly feeling exhausted Markus looked his mother in the eye and said what he seemed to say every week. “At least I have this opportunity, we’re lucky. We’ve been able to avoid the crime lords and slavery. Without this job we’d have nothing. If you hadn’t taught me how to read and write, I wouldn’t be able to bring home what we need to survive. I hate it as much as you do, but the alternative is worse. You know that.” The anger evaporated from his mother’s face to be replaced by sadness. “We can’t avoid them any longer. Our time is up. This came today.” She handed him a letter with an official stamp.Fear cramped Markus’ stomach. He’d known this moment would come and had tried to ignore the fact. Hoping he managed to keep his features smooth, he took the piece of paper from his mother and read the words.
This notice serves to inform you that it is time to do your duty as a loyal and obedient member of our blessed society. One member of your family, aged no younger than fourteen and no older than twenty-five years, is to report to our Recruitment and Training centre tomorrow morning at eight. Failure to obey our instructions will result in incarceration for your entire family.

Monday Flash Fics: Blown Away

Blown Away
“Have you any idea where we are?” Pascal glanced at Jamie, sounding curious and, as always, slightly worried.
“I haven’t got a clue,” Jamie laughed. “Does it matter? I like the look of this place, and we’ll find out soon enough.”
“No, I guess not,” Pascal said. “It’s just nice to put a name to it.”
“Let’s enjoy the mystery while it lasts. We haven’t gotten lost yet, so I don’t know why we would do so today.” He studied Pascal’s face, and watched as some of the tension disappeared from the beautiful features.
“You’re right.”
“Of course I am,” Jamie grabbed Pascal’s hand and squeezed softly. “Amen’t I always?”
Pascal raised an eyebrow, more playful than upset. “Don’t know about always.” He paused. “Do you think this is alright?” He glanced down at their joined hands.
“I’ve no idea.” Jamie studied his surroundings and the people walking by them. Nobody appeared to be paying them any attention. “It looks that way though.” It had been far from okay on several occasions in the past. It was a pain having to figure out what was and wasn’t acceptable in every new place they visited.
“So, what do we do next,” Pascal asked.
“What we always do, of course.” Jamie replied. “We’ll figure out exactly where we are and await instructions. In the meantime we’ll enjoy whatever sights this place has to offer.” He paused before turning his head and looking at this companion. “By the way, what’s up with you being the only one protected from the rain?”
Pascal grinned, his beautiful face fully relaxed for the first time since they’d started their walk. “You’ve got that hat. You’re protected enough.”
“Only my hair,” Jamie huffed, but he didn’t mind. A little water never hurt anybody and besides, the rain was nearly done falling.
“How long do you think we’ll be here for?” Pascal wondered out loud. “I’ve got a feeling there are lots of sights to see here, I wouldn’t mind staying for a while.”
“Who knows?” Jamie looked at the brightening sky, the sun breaking through the clouds, while silently agreeing with his lover. It would be wonderful to be able to stay for longer than just a few hours or days.
 “You know how it works as well as I do. The storm that blew us in has passed; we’ll be here until the next one blows in, picks us up, and deposits us somewhere else.” Jamie stared at the woman walking towards them. There’s our contact. Let’s find out where we are and what we’re supposed to do here.”
****
I didn’t think I’d have a flash ready for today. I’m on a weekend break in London at the moment and for once, writing is not the first thing on my mind J But, the weather outside is not encouraging us to venture out, and my body needs some time to recover from all the food and drink, so I wrote one after all. I hope it wasn't too obvious that nobody proofread or spell-checked this one for me.

As always, more stories based on the same image can be found in the Monday Flash Fics Group on Facebook.

Monday Flash Fics: Journey's End

Journey’s End
“Are you sure you got everything?” Charles turned around and faced Vincent in time to see him tie the drawstring at the top of his bag.
“Yep,” Victor replied without looking away from his task, “I checked twice and there isn’t a trace of us or any thing—he sniggered—or body to be found.”
“I don’t know.” The turmoil in Charles’ stomach was a clear sign of his distress. “I’m just having one last looked around.” He turned on his spot, taking in every detail of the small cabin they’d shared for three months, before opening, inspecting and closing every drawer. Victor was right, apart from the two bags they would walk away with, there was nothing in this tiny space that hadn’t been there when they’d first set foot in it. Even the bed looked as if it had never been slept in. It had been bloody hard work but they’d done a great job.
Charles gaze landed on Victor and his stomach tightened as the result of a completely different emotion. He couldn’t believe they’d walk off the ship they’d called home for months in a few short minutes, make their way to the train station together, part ways, and probably never meet again.
“Are you really sure there’s no way…?” He didn’t finish the sentence. They’d had this discussion at least twice a day for the past week and no matter what he’d said, Victor’s reasons for having to part were far more rooted in reality than Charles’ need to stay together was.
“I’m sorry.” Victor’s voice was soft, his tone heavy and sad. “I wish it was different. If I could see a way for us to stay together and actually have a life, I’d never let you out of my sight again.” He turned his head and stared at the bed.
Charles didn’t look in the same direction. He couldn’t look at the place where they’d slept, where they’d come together, had found each other, and where they’d discovered a love neither of them had ever expected to experience. When a thumb brushed across his cheek he realised he’d started crying.
“Don’t!” Victor said, sounding choked. “Try thinking about it as something we have won, not something we’re losing.” He paused for a moment, and Charles watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed hard. “We’ll walk off this ship and you go back to your life, just as I’ll go back to mine. And we’ll always have the memories of these twelve weeks to look back on. Imagine if we hadn’t met. We could so easily have ended up with different cabin partners.” Victor’s eyes glistened. “Ending it now is horrid. Not having had the experience—not knowing you the way I do—would have been worse.”
Charles nodded. Victor was right. They had no other choice. Look at what they’d already had to do.
The disembark whistle blew and without a word they both picked up their bags and swung them over a shoulder.
“Shit” It weighs a bloody ton.” Charles grumbled.
“What did you expect?” Victor sneered, but Charles saw him fighting to keep his balance too.
“Remember, we’re supposed to be happy we’ve reached the end of the journey.” Victor reminded him.
Charles didn’t know how he managed it but by the time they were on terra firma again they were chatting, smiling and laughing as if today was the best day of their lives. Ten minutes later they entered the train station, found a deserted corner and dropped their bags. They inspected each other’s shoulders, making sure their striped shirts were still clean before giving the two bags a last, hard, stare.
“I do feel bad.” Charles said.
“Me too. But what else could we do?” Anger crept into Victor’s voice. “The fool should never have barged into our room without knocking first. He couldn’t be trusted to keep our secret and now he’ll never be able to share it.”
****
661 words.
I hope you liked my flash and would love to hear from you in the comments.

More stories based on this image can be found in the Monday Flash Fics Group on Facebook.

Monday Flash Fics: A Long Way Down

A Long Way Down
How the fuck did I end up here?
The metal of the railing dug into my hands while I hung on for dear life and silently cursed the events that had led to me hanging, suspended in the air, several metres above street level.
Truth be told, I knew exactly what had happened. And while it would have been easy to blame others, ultimately my own foolish behaviour had caused the mess I found myself in. Just as it had been my decision to say yes to the suggested solution. And I’d gotten away with it four times before now.
I could hear someone walking inside the apartment and hoped against hope they wouldn’t notice the open balcony door or, if they did, would think they’d left it open themselves. If they walked out and saw me I’d be fucked. Scrap that. I was fucked either way. It was too far to jump down and I couldn’t climb back up as long as they were inside. My arms growing more tired by the minute were a clear indication hanging on wouldn’t be an option for much longer either.
None of this would have happened if my parents hadn’t cut off my funding six months ago. Overnight I’d gone from having more money than I really needed, to having none. It had been so easy to borrow funds from others. They all knew me as the rich kid so it didn’t occur to them to say no. Until I’d failed to pay them back on time. Who knew it would be so hard to find a job, any job?
I’d known I was in serious trouble the moment the six guys I owed money to cornered me together. I couldn’t blame them for being fed up and hadn’t been surprised they were done being nice. When I told them I had no money and no way to get my hands on any either, they’d offered me what they called ‘a solution’.
And that’s how I started my career as a burglar and thief. The first four places they told me to rob had been surprisingly easy to get into. I’d stolen what I could find and carry, before handing it over to cover my debts. This was supposed to have been the last time.
I almost laughed out loud, despite the situation I found myself in. Clearly this would have to be the very last time. I’d either be caught or break my legs trying to get away.
I watched with dread pooling in my tummy as the door was pushed open from the inside. I looked down at the ground below me, contemplating my chances of safely making the jump for the umpteenth time, before glancing up and staring straight into his eyes.
“You bastard?” He growled at me, anger flashing in his eyes and a frown marking his handsome features. “What the fuck’s wrong with you?”
How had I not known this was his apartment? Here was the reason my parents had cut me off in the first place—the reason I’d felt the need to come out—examining me from the safety of his balcony.
I watched helplessly as he balled his hand into a fist. “Give me one good reason not to push you down.”
I grabbed his fist before it hit me and looked up at him. I imagined I saw pain underneath his anger. “Because I’m in love with you.”
I closed my eyes, pressed my lips hard against his hand, and waited.
****
588 words

Thank you for reading my flash. I’d love to hear what you think if you feel like leaving a comment. More flashes can be found on the Monday Flash Fics Facebook page. 

Monday Flash Fics: Control

Control
I put the collar around my neck and secured it. No lock of course. Only a Master would have a lock and key to keep me collared. And for obvious reasons, I didn’t have someone to submit to.
I stared at myself in the mirror and grimaced. Yes, I still had it. All those hours in the gym really did pay off. I knew the tattoos gave me an edgy appearance. That’s why I’d gotten them in the first place. I refused to be a stereotype. Of course the source of my pride was also the reason I found myself on my own more often than not. But, I was confident I wouldn’t be alone tonight. And who knew what would happen afterwards.
An hour later in the club, I knelt in line with the other subs. All of us looked more or less the same—naked with a collar around our necks—and yet, we couldn’t have been more different if we tried. Waiting patiently to find out if my plan would work proved to be the hardest part. I couldn’t influence what would happen next; to try and force proceedings would have broken the spell. I kept my gaze fixed on the floor in front of me while polished shoes and leather boots walked past. Without turning my head I was aware of others being picked from the line. I didn’t need to look to know who those firsts were; as always it was those who lived up to the more stereotypical image of a submissive.
I had all but given up hope—again— when a tap on my shoulder made me raise my gaze. I had to work hard to suppress my grin. So far my plan was working out just fine.
“Up.” He spat out the word and I stood up in one smooth move.
He attached the chain to my collar and used it to pull me close. “I’ve been watching you.” He murmured the words, making sure only I could hear them.
“I’m honoured,” I replied while making sure to keep my gaze lowered. I had no intention of letting him know the delight I felt. When he pulled me closer I realised my efforts had been in vain. Keeping my features smooth was one thing, there was nothing I could do to hide my excitement as it pressed forcefully into his, equally affected, groin.
“Public or private?” My heart soared when he asked the question. I hadn’t misjudged him—he really did get me.
“Private, of course.” I allowed myself to look at his face and no longer tried to hide my smirk.
“Of course,” he acknowledged. “And when I’m done with you, you’ll explain to me exactly what’s going on with you.”
I rested my forehead against his for a moment, cherishing the relief as it flooded through me.
Owning and running a BDSM club as a sub had been harder than I could have imagined.Only the most confident of Doms were able to deal with a sub who was also the boss. I had high hopes for this one.
***
517 words

I’m afraid I once again wrote a story I would love to explore further. I almost wish I would stop doing that. More stories based on the same image can be found in the Monday Flash Fics group on Facebook. 

Monday Flash Fic: Legacy

Legacy
It took them almost two hours to get there. Not that they minded. It was a pleasant day. Hazy sunshine lit up the forest and was a welcome surprise after ten days of nothing but heavy, autumnal rain.
“You never brought me this way before, did you?” Ben asked.
Harry thought for a moment before answering. It was true. Ben and he had taken numerous walks in the woods surrounding the cabin he’d inherited from his great-uncle, but up until today, he’d avoided bringing Ben to the place he was leading him towards now. It was time. Either Ben would be accepted or they would be over. It wouldn’t be the first time. Harry had lost two previous lovers because he’d misjudged them.
“I didn’t realise it was a difficult question.” Ben smiled when he said it, but Harry could hear the insecurity in his lover’s voice.
“Sorry,” Harry tried to sound reassuring. There was no need to worry Ben, not yet anyway. “You’re right; we haven’t taken this particular walk before. I only bring those I’m very close to,” he smiled at Ben, “those I’m hoping to spend a long time with.’
“I’m honoured, kind Sir.” Ben smirked. “It took you long enough.”
Ben’s words shocked Harry. What did they mean? Did Ben imply that it had taken Harry long enough to trust him, or was there more? For a fleeting moment Harry thought Ben might have been waiting for this exact moment, although he’d no idea how or why that might be the case.
“I told you I had trust issues from the start,” was all Harry said in the end.
“So you did.” Ben responded. When Harry glanced at his face all traces of the smirk had gone. Looking back at Harry was the Ben he’d fallen for, the man who’d turned out to be everything he could wish for and more. Well, he would be, if he passed the test.
When they entered the clearing, memories assaulted Harry. He was scared. If it had been possible he would have avoided this moment indefinitely, but the pull had been getting stronger by the day and Harry had known, without a single doubt, that if he didn’t bring Ben to the meeting place, those who resided there would come to them. He could neither ignore nor avoid his legacy.
Harry had taken a few steps into the clearing before he realised Ben was no longer walking beside him. He turned around to discover the man he’d shared his life with for the past eleven months leaning against a tree on the edge of glade, staring at the scene in front of him with an expression on his face Harry had never seen before.
“Is this where it happened?” Ben asked in a toneless voice.
“Where what happened?” Harry asked the question while his mind scrambled to figure out what Ben knew and how he could possibly have found out.
For a moment Ben just stared at him, hatred clearly written on the beautiful face that up until a few moments ago had only shown Harry love. “So what happens next? I’m to try and shake that hand, right?” Ben nodded at the book holding hand sticking out of the dead leaves on the ground.
“How….”
“Just answer me,” Ben growled.
“Yes,” Harry whispered. “If the book drops, it is yours. It will give you access to my family history and secrets. If it doesn’t…if you can’t shake the hand because it won’t let go of the book….” He trailed off, not wanting to relive the two previous occasions he’d brought a man he loved here.
“If it won’t let go of the book I’ll die.” As soon as the words had left Ben’s mouth he bent his knees and jumped up. Harry watched in stunned wonder as Ben arced through the air, almost flying, before landing on top of Harry, sending them both crashing to the ground.
He had no idea where the knife had come from and almost welcomed the pain when it plunged into his chest. I deserve this.
“That’s for Bastian. Didn’t you know it’s impossible to kill one twin without the other one feeling it, seeing it?”
As blood and life flowed from Harry’s body, Ben stood up. Fighting to keep his eyes open, Harry watched as Ben walked to the hand, bent forward, and pulled the book out of its grasp.
If he’d been any stronger, Harry would have laughed. He’d been so close to finding his fated, the one his ancestors would have accepted.
I picked the wrong twin. Harry’s world went black.
***
772 words (o dear J)

As always more flashes based on the same image can be found in the Monday Flash Fics Facebook group. I’m rather curious this week because this picture could take the story anywhere.

Monday Flash Fic: Waiting

Waiting
Turn around. Look at me!
Of course he doesn’t. He never allows himself a backwards glance when he leaves. All I can do is hope that he’ll choose to return again when he’s ready or when he needs me, and that it won’t be too long until he reaches that point.
I’ve spent too much time on my own. I thought I liked it. As long as I was alone I couldn’t get hurt or bullied. I’ve never been tempted to harm myself, so living on my own has meant a life without abuse. I believed being alone was a small price to pay for being safe and had no reason to doubt that conviction…until he walked into my world and showed me what sharing my life could be like when it’s right.
I can’t make myself walk away from the window despite the fact that it’s far too cold to be standing around naked. Although I know better I can’t help hoping that he’ll turn around and come back to me now. I stand there; staring at the street he just walked down and, not for the first time, contemplate keeping him prisoner here in my apartment.
I play the scene out in my head and can see how it would unfold all too clearly. He wouldn’t understand. He trusts me far more than I trust him. He has no doubt that he’ll be welcomed back whenever he chooses to show up; whereas I’m never sure he’ll return. He asks for so little—some of my attention, food when he’s hungry, a drink when he’s thirsty, a place in my bed and the freedom to come and go as he pleases. If I were to deprive him of any of those he’d find a way to escape, and that would be one departure from which he wouldn’t return.
And I’m happy to give him what he needs, delighted that he continues to find his way back to me while I worry that today may be the day when he doesn’t. Nobody has ever stayed with me. Everybody has always come into my life and walked out of it again according to their own wishes and desires, without ever considering my feelings. A small but loud voice in my head tells me it’s only a matter of time before he too will find a place where he’s happier than he is with me.
I turn away from the window because I’ll need to go shopping if I want to be able to feed him again when he returns. Maybe, if I continue to be ready for him, he’ll keep on coming back to me.
***
I stand at the window again, fully dressed this time. It’s getting dark outside. If he sticks to his usual schedule he should be back any minute now. Just as I think those words I spot him, gracefully and unhurriedly strutting my way. As relief flows through me I open the window a nudge before walking to the kitchen.
When I turn and bend to put the bowl on the floor he’s sitting on the windowsill. My tomcat has once again returned to me.
***
530 words

For more stories based on the same image please visit the Monday Flash Fics Group on Facebook.

Monday Flash Fics: Hero

Hero
Please obey me!
If thoughts had any power he’d hear me and follow my commands. My beautiful, impossible to train stallion. But he doesn’t react to my thoughts anymore than he does to my voice and continues to race around the paddock, kicking up snow as he goes.
“You’re almost out of time!” Kor’s hateful voice reaches me from behind. I refuse to turn around and face him. He doesn’t need to see how close to despair I am.
“If I can’t saddle and ride him tomorrow it will be curtains for him and repercussions for you.”
Tears burn in my eyes because I know he means it. I’m not afraid for myself. Kor’s punished me in the past and will continue to do so in the future, regardless of whether or not I manage to train this horse for him. He enjoys it too much. He thrives on my pain, loves to see me cowering; his power over me is total and he relishes it.
“You can stop now.” He sounds impatient. “It’s clearly not going to happen and I want my dinner.”
Still without looking at Kor I walk towards the gate and reach to open it. The stallion—officially still unnamed, although I think of him as Hero—will see himself into his stable.
“Leave it closed.” I detect glee in his voice now. “He might as well stay out there. If he won’t serve me, he doesn’t deserve the heat or the food.”
“But…” I turn around and close my mouth the moment I see him. I know this mood, the more I plead for Hero, the harsher Kor will tread him—and me. I lower my gaze, resist turning back to look at Hero and walk to the house to prepare food for our tormentor. I try not to worry about sub-zero temperatures and what they’ll do to Hero, but it’s a futile effort.


I wait until he’s fast asleep and snoring loud enough to wake the dead before carefully sneaking out of bed. Without breaking stride I pick up my clothes and walk through the house, unlock the front door and let myself out. The cold night air assaults me instantly, making me shiver and my teeth shatter in my mouth. I dress as fast as I can with fingers so cold I can barely coordinate their movements. I’m not sure when exactly I decided enough was enough. Was it while I was cooking and saw Hero shivering in a corner of the field? Or was it when he put his gun and his whip on the table saying, “one for that useless piece of meat and one for you”?
There’s no hope for me, but maybe I can save Hero. After all, what can Kor do? He’ll punish me until I’m broken anyway. It will hurt less if I don’t also have to deal with the pain of having seen Hero die.
I walk to the paddock, and open the gate. It’s all I can do. That and hope that Hero will recognise the opportunity I’ve given him. Hero trots towards the exit but I don’t stay to watch him leave, turning back towards the house instead. I haven’t taken ten steps when I hear a soft neigh in my ear. Hero strides past me, bends his legs and lies down, turning his head to look at me expectantly. Joy fills my heart as I decide to trust him and settle myself astride his strong back. Hero raises himself with ease, as if I weigh nothing, and takes off towards goodness only knows where.****
601 words
To my shame I have to admit that I can’t remember who suggested this wonderful photo (must do better). If I ever remember or find out, I’ll give credit where credit’s due. J

As always, more stories based on the same picture can be found in the Monday Flash Fics Group on Facebook. 

A Happy Birthday Give-away

Happy Birthday to Me


As the title of this post suggests, today is my birthday. To be precise, I’m turning fifty-three today. I stopped paying real attention to my birthdays some years ago. After all, age is just a number and the older I get the more I feel my mental age is falling ever further behind the numerical reality.
This particular birthday is different though for two, strongly related, reasons.
My mother was fifty-three years young when she unexpectedly died. To put it in very blunt terms; if I live another five months I’ll be older than she ever got to be. This idea is both scary and devastatingly sad. I don’t think I truly knew how young fifty-three actually is until I reached the age myself.
This year also marks the moment in time when I will have had as many years with my mother as I’ve had without her. It is strange to think that from this year forward I will have lived ever more years without her love and support.
So yeah, this particular birthday is not as easy and festive as others have been and future birthdays will hopefully be. Having said that, my mother would be the first to tell me not to dwell on the negatives but to embrace the positives instead. With that in mind I’ve decided to turn today into a celebration.
As you may know, I am Dutch and in the Netherlands we have this wonderful tradition where people give a special treat to others on their birthday. This usually takes the form of cake or something edible along those lines. Since it is not possible to share sweet treats over the internet I’ve decided to do something else.
A few days ago I received my author paperback copies of Scenes from Adelaide Road from Pride Publishing. To celebrate my birthday I will be gifting one signed copy away. In order to win it, all you need to do is leave a comment on this blog post below. I’m happy to send the book to wherever the winner happens to live, so location won’t be an issue. Please leave a way for me to contact you with your comment. I’ll be picking a random winner on Sunday, January 31st.



Good luck and Happy Birthday to Me!