M.L. Kennedy's Blog, page 2
March 8, 2021
Smol Fair Stories
We are doing a 100 word story a day this week based on twitter comments I got during Smol Fair.
Today's story title was given by @samsmith55
The Last Fox Hunt
“So, you used to go out to these woods all the time?” Sofia asked her dad.
“Yep,” Dad answered, smiling. “We called it ‘Fox hunting.’ Your Uncle Greg thought he was a cryptozoologist.”
“Huh?”
“They’re people who look for bigfoot and stuff.”
“Not foxes?”
“No. We called it that because of ‘The X-Files.’ It was like your uncle was Fox Mulder....
Today's story title was given by @samsmith55
The Last Fox Hunt
“So, you used to go out to these woods all the time?” Sofia asked her dad.
“Yep,” Dad answered, smiling. “We called it ‘Fox hunting.’ Your Uncle Greg thought he was a cryptozoologist.”
“Huh?”
“They’re people who look for bigfoot and stuff.”
“Not foxes?”
“No. We called it that because of ‘The X-Files.’ It was like your uncle was Fox Mulder....
February 26, 2021
Quick Story
Here's a quick story I smashed together for a challenge this week.
If you want more of my nonsense, my short script "Going Faster Miles an Hour" is now available online.
Tell me about it
Fly Girl sat on the ledge of the skyscraper and pulled a Luna bar from her utility belt. “Ugh, squished,” she sighed, staring down in disappointment at her tiny plank of nutrition marketed towards women.
“Is this seat taken?” a deep voice asked, startling Fly Girl. Were it not for her astonishing wall suction po...
If you want more of my nonsense, my short script "Going Faster Miles an Hour" is now available online.
Tell me about it
Fly Girl sat on the ledge of the skyscraper and pulled a Luna bar from her utility belt. “Ugh, squished,” she sighed, staring down in disappointment at her tiny plank of nutrition marketed towards women.
“Is this seat taken?” a deep voice asked, startling Fly Girl. Were it not for her astonishing wall suction po...
November 22, 2020
Staycation Story 250
Imagining Reality
“Good news, Bill,” Ivan said. “We’ve got our meeting with the production company.”
“Awesome. I was just tweaking our pitch today,” Bill said. “I’m really proud of the work we’ve done.”
“Good, good.” Ivan responded. “Lookit, they’re looking for a bunch of reality TV and they kinda want to hear five pitches.”
“Five pitches?” Bill asked incredulously. “We’ve been working on one show for the last eighteen months. Why would they want five pitches?”
“I kinda told them, we’d do it.”
...
“Good news, Bill,” Ivan said. “We’ve got our meeting with the production company.”
“Awesome. I was just tweaking our pitch today,” Bill said. “I’m really proud of the work we’ve done.”
“Good, good.” Ivan responded. “Lookit, they’re looking for a bunch of reality TV and they kinda want to hear five pitches.”
“Five pitches?” Bill asked incredulously. “We’ve been working on one show for the last eighteen months. Why would they want five pitches?”
“I kinda told them, we’d do it.”
...
November 21, 2020
Staycation Story 249
Mo Bitten Blues
Annabelle stopped Will in the hallway of the compound. “Hey,” she said, “I wanted to talk to you.”
“Sure,” Will replied. “What’s up?”
“Mo has been acting strange since our last supply run,” Annabelle said.
“The supply run where we were surrounded by monsters and we barely made it out with your lives?” Will asked.
“Well, that’s most our supply runs, but yeah,” she confirmed. “Let’s not talk about this out in the open.” She led Will to her bedroom.
“Okay.”
Annabelle closed the doo...
Annabelle stopped Will in the hallway of the compound. “Hey,” she said, “I wanted to talk to you.”
“Sure,” Will replied. “What’s up?”
“Mo has been acting strange since our last supply run,” Annabelle said.
“The supply run where we were surrounded by monsters and we barely made it out with your lives?” Will asked.
“Well, that’s most our supply runs, but yeah,” she confirmed. “Let’s not talk about this out in the open.” She led Will to her bedroom.
“Okay.”
Annabelle closed the doo...
November 20, 2020
Staycation Story 248
Above and Beyond
The bell rang signaling the end of the school day. The teacher asked Helen to stay behind for a moment.
“Is everything okay, Ms. Bunsen?”
“I want to talk to you about the assignment you turned in.”
“Oh, sure.”
“You were supposed to write three paragraphs about the dangers of unprotected sex,” the teacher said.
“Minimum of three paragraphs,” Helen corrected.
“Yes, well, what you turned in was a 60-page novella about an erotic encounter between a reporter and a wounded soldier.”
...
The bell rang signaling the end of the school day. The teacher asked Helen to stay behind for a moment.
“Is everything okay, Ms. Bunsen?”
“I want to talk to you about the assignment you turned in.”
“Oh, sure.”
“You were supposed to write three paragraphs about the dangers of unprotected sex,” the teacher said.
“Minimum of three paragraphs,” Helen corrected.
“Yes, well, what you turned in was a 60-page novella about an erotic encounter between a reporter and a wounded soldier.”
...
November 19, 2020
Staycation Story 247
Declarations
Fred and Sammo were hiking through the forest, when their journey was cut short by the somewhat sudden appearance of a stone wall. Mostly undeterred, the pair turned left and followed the wall, hoping to reach an opening.
After a nearly a league, Fred breathed a sigh of relief when he saw a gateway.
The relief did not last.
“Halt!” said a guard. “You’ve reached the border of the city of Marjoram.”
“Okay,” Fred said, studying the name badge on the guard. “We mean no harm, Clive. Can...
Fred and Sammo were hiking through the forest, when their journey was cut short by the somewhat sudden appearance of a stone wall. Mostly undeterred, the pair turned left and followed the wall, hoping to reach an opening.
After a nearly a league, Fred breathed a sigh of relief when he saw a gateway.
The relief did not last.
“Halt!” said a guard. “You’ve reached the border of the city of Marjoram.”
“Okay,” Fred said, studying the name badge on the guard. “We mean no harm, Clive. Can...
November 18, 2020
Staycation Story 246
Spectrum, Specs, and Specks
The intergalactic bounty hunter landed on the serene alien world. By amazing coincidence, its gravity and atmosphere weren’t significantly different than that of her own planet. She pulled out her filth-covered tablet, and saw the picture of her quarry. She brushed a few specks of grime off of the screen to get a better look at his hairy face.
“Bok Elwyn,” the bounty hunter read aloud. “Wanted on untold counts of larceny and reckless endangerment.” She paused. “Only ...
The intergalactic bounty hunter landed on the serene alien world. By amazing coincidence, its gravity and atmosphere weren’t significantly different than that of her own planet. She pulled out her filth-covered tablet, and saw the picture of her quarry. She brushed a few specks of grime off of the screen to get a better look at his hairy face.
“Bok Elwyn,” the bounty hunter read aloud. “Wanted on untold counts of larceny and reckless endangerment.” She paused. “Only ...
November 17, 2020
Staycation Story 245
Love This Giant
The orc turned on her television set. A commercial was playing, so she had time to run to the kitchen for a snack.
The TV blared: Attention! Attention! If you discovered a genie lamp at any time in the last eight years, and used two or more wishes, you may be entitled to compensation! Genies of the twelfth realm have been shown in court to grant bad faith interpretation of wishes, and to follow an unlikely reading of the letter and not the spirit of the wish. If you or a loved o...
The orc turned on her television set. A commercial was playing, so she had time to run to the kitchen for a snack.
The TV blared: Attention! Attention! If you discovered a genie lamp at any time in the last eight years, and used two or more wishes, you may be entitled to compensation! Genies of the twelfth realm have been shown in court to grant bad faith interpretation of wishes, and to follow an unlikely reading of the letter and not the spirit of the wish. If you or a loved o...
November 16, 2020
Staycation Story 244
American Mythology
“And with that, the story ends,” the professor concluded. “Are there any questions?”
Roger threw his hand into the air. “Our human character didn’t seem to pay any price for his hubris.”
“Nope,” said the professor. “A good chunk of America is pro-hubris.”
Carrie cocked her head. “Our main character doesn’t want anything. Usually when people make Faustian deals, they have some sort of goal.”
“Yep,” the professor concurred. “In this instance, the devil approaches our protagonis...
“And with that, the story ends,” the professor concluded. “Are there any questions?”
Roger threw his hand into the air. “Our human character didn’t seem to pay any price for his hubris.”
“Nope,” said the professor. “A good chunk of America is pro-hubris.”
Carrie cocked her head. “Our main character doesn’t want anything. Usually when people make Faustian deals, they have some sort of goal.”
“Yep,” the professor concurred. “In this instance, the devil approaches our protagonis...
November 15, 2020
Staycation Story 243
Popcorn Ceiling
Alan climbed into the top bunk, careful not to bump his head. He stretched out onto the bed, and stacked his pillows beneath his shoulders. He had grown just enough in the past month that if he reached out his right arm, he could touch the ceiling.
And so, Alan picked the popcorn off the popcorn ceiling as he lulled himself to sleep.
After a few minutes of this, Alan looked at the tiny white pieces of powdery who-knows-what that surrounded him and the uneven patch he created. He...
Alan climbed into the top bunk, careful not to bump his head. He stretched out onto the bed, and stacked his pillows beneath his shoulders. He had grown just enough in the past month that if he reached out his right arm, he could touch the ceiling.
And so, Alan picked the popcorn off the popcorn ceiling as he lulled himself to sleep.
After a few minutes of this, Alan looked at the tiny white pieces of powdery who-knows-what that surrounded him and the uneven patch he created. He...
