Flash Fiction: Spencer's View

I swim around every day in my wee bowl. I swim from side to side, occasionally going up to drink some water and diving down to find food in amongst the stones, of which there never is anyway. 

I swim around every day, looking at the same thing all the time. Nothing ever changes.  I am on my own.  I am lonely.  I miss my buddy.  It used to be him and me every day, happily swimming around together.  We used to play chase games and hide and seek behind out palm tree. 

It used to him and me.  Together. Happy.  But all that changed a few weeks ago.  One morning we were swimming around when Fred just stopped. He wouldn’t move, I prodded him, head-butted him, everything but he would not move.  I thought he was just playing sleeping fishes but then I realised he had died.  I was so sad.  I was alone.  My buddy had died.

Now I have no one to play chase with.  No one to hang with.  I am all alone.  I am sad. 

#prompt: Write a scene from the point of view of a beloved pet

Flash Fiction: Confess or Die?

It’s 7.15pm – How much time do you have before you confess? What happens at 7.15pm?

I’ve done a terrible thing, committed a horrible crime and now am on the run.  What did I do what was so wrong? Well, I killed a man.  It wasn’t outright murder, it was a mixture of a crime of passion and a crime of hatred.  I killed someone who I loved so much but who I also hated because they were so difficult to live with.  They were the type of person who you couldn't live with but also couldn't live without.

It was a premeditated crime.  I planned the murder so perfectly and I planned it so that I would never be found out.  However, one thing I had not counted on was that I someone would witness me committing my perfect crime.

It was unfortunate that I had been seen, especially when I took so much care of not leaving any evidence which would lead the police to finding out it was me who was he killer.   But I had been seen, and now I was being blackmailed by the witness.  Being blackmailed into confessing to the crime.  I only had 2.5 hours to go now before I had to confess, otherwise I would be outed by my blackmailer.  This threat was made three days ago, and time was running out.

I had 2.5 hours to decide how I wanted my life to turn out.  Did I confess to my crime and spend a lifeline behind bars and possibly facing the death sentence.  Or did I just call the blackmailers bluff and not confess?   Come on, what evidence was there that I committed a murder? I left no evidence behind which would link me to this death.  The only think that linked me was this witness.  All that linked me to the crime was his word against mine. Was there not a way around this?

If I didn't confess, what would happen to me? Well, if the blackmailer’s threat worked then it would mean spending a lifetime on the run constantly looking over my shoulder waiting for my past to come up behind me and leave me dead.  It was a tough choice to be facing – do I choose to spend life in a box or life on the run? What would you choose?

However as I realized it wasn't that clear cut, there was a third option – link the crime to my blackmailer  - after all there was no evidence linking me.

It was now 7.15pm and I had my choice to make.  It wasn’t really a tough decision in the end – I didn’t want to be in a box or be on the run so I decided to blackmail the blackmailer and set him up for my crime, which once again was turning out to be the perfect murder and one I was going to get away with!!

It was now 7.15pm – the deadline to which I was meant to confess before or I would die.  I wasn't afraid of what would happen, as I knew I was innocent. So instead of receiving the threatened punishment of death from my blackmailer, I was once again walking free to a life of happiness.  I had murdered the one person who was making my life a misery and I had managed to get away with it!! It was the ideal ending, for me anyway!!  

Flash Fiction: The Hair Wars!!

Write 300 words about one daily gender related task or chore from the opposite Point of View

Men, they always complain about how much time it takes to do their hair, to get it perfectly styled, making sure it’s all in the right place.  They complain about the fact that they have to make sure their bald spots are covered and all grey hairs removed.  They complain about the price of hair products and how it is so difficult to choose the right product to shit their hair and that there are too many choices to pick from – Wax, Gel, Gum, Clay, and Spray etc. etc.

They moan and they hog the bathroom for hours – they say we women are bad but they are worse.  We do our daily routine and management of hair because the guys would mock us if we didn't.  We can manage to walk past a mirror without looking in it, admiring ourselves and checking each strand of hair is perfectly in place and the same length!!!

They think they have hair problems.  But us women we go through worse, we go through pain to make sure we look neat and tidy.  We have more to do in the morning – style hair, cleanse face, put our make-up on, plucking stray hairs, shaving legs, shaving armpits, etc. but we still manage to be in and out of the bathroom in half the time it takes a man to do his daily routine.

And when it comes to products, men don’t know the half of it.  They think hair gel is expensive – try buying make-up – it is very complicated picking the right tone for our skin and are very expensive to buy.

Men may complain but what they go through to look good is nothing compared to what us fairer sex suffer through.  And we do it without much complaining, because if did they’d never listen. 

Flash Fiction: It's an Apple Pie life

I arrived on the shelf at 8.30am.   For the first few hours of sitting no one came near the baked goods aisle.  Obviously not a good time for us. Then midday arrives and people are hungry for buns and doughnuts, but no one looks at the apple pies. No one. I feel sad.

So I sit and wait.  I have 1.5 days left on my tag, otherwise it’s “bye bye, Miss American Pie”, as the great Don McClean once sang.  

The afternoon is slow, some apple pies are bought but I am left in the shelf.  I really don’t want to go to the rubbish bin. That would be a good whole waste of an apple pie and the end of my life.

It is now coming to the end of the day, the shop is about to close and I am still on the shelf.  But there is always tomorrow.  Hang on, hey, someone is coming, they are looking at the apple pies, they are looking at me.  Maybe this is my chance. Is it? Oh yeah he picks me up, I have pulled, I have scored. Give me a high five!

He takes me to the counter and my bar code is scanned.  Money changes hands and I am put into a plastic bag.  We leave the shop together, woo hoo I am happy.  We get into a car and it’s off we go. Freedom for me. No bin for me. Yeah!

The car stops, we get out and go into the house.  I get taken out of the bag and put into a big cold cupboard.  It’s so cold. I am not liking this. What have I done to deserve this? It is so cold. I am shivering.  How long will I have to stay here? It’s Baltic in here.

Finally, after what seems like decades I get taken out of the cold place.  I am being carried then am put into another enclosed place.  This time it is hot – so so hot.  I think I have gone to hell. I am dying.  Think I would have preferred to go into the bin.  LET MEEEEEEEE OUTTTTTTTTTTT.  That’s it I’m dead! 

Flash Fiction: Over to Death

I made a bargain with Death, I bring him souls to reap and he spare mine.  It’s a good deal.  Most of the time.  But after a while, you begin to become…. Less than human.  Something that isn’t quite a monster, but certainly isn’t mortal either.

At first I was glad. I had made the deal because it was a good way for me to get rid of those people who either annoy me, have hurt me in the past or just generally caused or still cause me misery! All those bullies in life – all gone to death.  And in return I got a few more days on earth. It was a win win situation for me!

However, after 50 or so souls gone to Death’s quarters I was now running out of enemies and annoying people. I was at a loss.  I was not ready to die.  I had not completed everything on my bucket list and didn’t want to leave this world until they had all been achieved.  I wanted to die happy.

Though, I wasn’t happy.  Every soul I gave to death took a little bit away from me, I was becoming inhuman.   And what human who had any moral decency would give people over to Death to die, even if they were horrible people.  No one deserved to die and no one, not even me deserves to live longer than any other person, especially since I had a terminal illness which should have ended my day’s weeks ago.  I was living on borrowed time. Illegal borrowed time.

Death was lurking upon me, but I was still being selfish and I still didn’t want to go, so staying with the deal I gave death more people.  And since I had to run out of enemies I had to start sacrificing my friends and my family.  Who was I to have this upper hand?

However, with each soul I gave to Death more of me died inside.  Even though I was avoiding physical death I was still dying – I was an immoral soul walking this earth. A person who did not deserve to live. I started to feel self-loathing towards myself.  I was a monster in the making and it was not a nice feeling.  I was nearly as bad as Death, if not worse.

It was when I was delivering my third death into the hands of Death that my moral conscience attacked me – I fell on the floor and screamed for mercy and forgiveness for all the souls I had sold to Death.  I begged Death to take me this time and spare the lives of whom I loved.  Death laughed in my face and said “I am not going to give you that freedom.  I will make you squirm.  I am going to ask your friend to decide whether you should die or live and continue to suffer. The guilt will eventually kill you”

My friend, a long suffering friend of mine looked at me and then looked at death then looked back at me before saying “Today my friend you shall die”.  With that I crumbled into pieces and just like that I disappeared.  Gone forever like dust thrown to the wind. 

Flash Fiction: Energy Draining

I had just walked through the door, didn’t even have time to take my coat off when my mobile rang.  Not again, I thought, I can’t deal with this right now so I didn’t answer.  Not quite two minutes later my landline started ringing, checked caller ID, it was ‘her’ again.  I wasn’t in the mood to have another conversation with her, having already spoken to her twice today, so I ignored the landline and put the kettle on.  I really needed a cup of tea, it had been a difficult day.

My mobile rang again, checked caller ID, same person, still I ignored it.  It rings off and my landline rings again, same person.  How many times will this go on tonight!  My mobile rings again, this time I answer it as I need a night off.

“What’s wrong?” I say

“I can’t do this anymore, I am fed up. Nothing is going right”

Internally that was exactly what I was thinking, I am fed up with all this too!

“We have gone through all this before, so many times. Take a breath, wipe away your tears and assess what the truth is”

“The truth is no one likes me. I have no friends.  My life is crap”

“Is that really true?”

“No, suppose not”

“So why say it?”

“Because it’s how I feel”

“But it’s not true, so why say it?”

“I don’t know.  It’s the depression, it takes over and I can’t help it”

“Yes I know that, but you need to take control of it, don’t let it control you.  Has CBT taught you nothing?”

“I can’t remember”

“Well we know that’s rubbish.  Now go and lie down and sleep, you are tired.  I am tired, been working all day and now all I want to do is drink a cup of tea, relax and watch TV”

“But…”

“No buts, I am going and that’s final. Now don’t call again. Go to bed. Sleep.  Tomorrow is a new day”

“I know but it won’t be any different. I will still be ill. I will still be depressed. I am better off dead”

Oh my, my brain is fried.  This wee girl is frustrating me.  It is the same story all the time, every week this goes on.  It drains me completely of energy.  She is being selfish but she can’t see that.  I just want my life back – but what can I do, I can’t just leave her alone and walk away from her can I? If I do leave her, what of person does that make me?  But it is so hard, so draining.

Despite me saying the conversation is over, she is still talking, but I can’t take it anymore so I get heavy with her.

“Look I am going now. I am hanging up. It’s late. I am tired. I am fed up. You are tired. You need to go to bed. I will be in touch.

“But…”

“I said no more. I will be in touch”

“When?”

“I am going.  Bye”

And that’s it. I hang up.  I am done.  Part of me feels bad, but I know this isn’t the end.  Despite me saying no more contact, there will be text messages and emails.  It is so draining.

I re-boil the kettle and eventually get my cup of tea, and since I am stressed there is only one thing for it - chocolate.  So I go to the cupboard and pull out the big bar of galaxy, ironically bought to me by my frustrating friend!!  I take my tea and chocolate to the living room, sit down, turn the TV on and put my feet up. Then I drink my tea and eat my chocolate.  Heaven.

Beep beep.  There goes my phone. Caller ID, her again. Told you, texts will come in.  I leave the phone down again without reading the text.  I still feel stressed so decide to put the music on, and put it on loud. I need to dance it out.  Dancing it out is a good stress relief, highly recommend it!

After 15 minutes of dancing it out, I start to feel a bit better.  The releasing of endorphins as helped as well as all the chocolate. Ended up eating the whole 500g bar.  Oops!

My phone is still beeping but I have had enough. I am going to bed. Deal with this all again tomorrow.

TV Review: Titanic: Blood & Steel

As I hail from Northern Ireland, the RMS Titanic is part of my cultural history and one of early moments of history I remember learning about in school.  The Titanic was built in Harland & Wolff Shipyard which is in Belfast and the two cranes David and Goliath are part of the Belfast skyline.

Harland & Wolff are well known for building great ships.  Unfortunately though the Titanic sank.  2012 marked 100 years since the ship sank and there many commemorations for this event and some TV shows were made about it.  One of these shows was “Titanic: Blood and Steel” which I recently watched.

Titanic: Blood and Steel is a series of 12 episodes and it was a slow burner to start off with but then it got interesting. It is a show not just about the building of the Titanic – there are plenty of other themes in it:

• Religion) especially the difference between Protestant and Catholic (only in Northern Ireland!!)
• Upper class v lower class
• Home Rule
• Trade Unions
• Politics
• Irish Republican Army
• Poverty
• Romance / Love
• Death

The show had some big names in it:

• Derek Jacobi as Lord Pirrie – a leading Irish shipbuilder and businessman.  He was Chairman of Harland & Wolff between 1895 and 1924.  He was also Lord Mayor of Belfast between 1896 and 1898).
• Neve Campbell as Joanna Yeagar – a New York Journalist
• Chris Noth as J.P Morgan - an American financier and founder of the J.P Morgan bank.  Another one of his ventures was International Mercantile Marine (IMM). One of the subsidiaries of IMM was White Star Line who were the owners of RMS Titanic.   Morgan died in 1913, a year after the RMS Titanic sank.

The series follows the lives of the shipbuilders, the financiers, the aristocratic families of Belfast and those who worked in office posts at Harland & Wolff.  Most of the characters are portrayals of real people like Thomas Andrews, J. Bruce Ismay and Lord Pirrie etc.  However, the central character Dr Mark Muir is a fictional character (portrayed by Keven Zegers – a Zac Efron lookalike). Dr Muir is an engineer and metallurgist (a person who specialises in metal).  He convinces J.P Morgan to hire him to work on the Titanic and succeeds.

Dr Muir claims to be a Londoner and speaks all posh. However, he is actually a native of Belfast and was born Marcus Malone but changed his name to Mark Muir in order to hide his identity and progress in his world of academia.  He tries to hide his heritage from his current employers Harland & Wolff because he is a Catholic and his employers are Protestant elite that rule Belfast and dislike Catholics.

When they find out that the real identity of Dr Muir they sack him as he is Catholic and no Catholics should ever be in management as apparently they are untrustworthy.  However after the sister ship The Olympic gets bashed in a crash, J.P Morgan insists Muir is brought back on the payroll as he is the best at his job.  The board do not like this but as Morgan is financing the Titanic then what he says goes and Dr Muir is rehired.

Dr Muir’s background isn’t the only thing to annoy the Board. He also insinuates that the steel used by the shipbuilding company were using was cheap steel, which apparently was a concern for the real shipbuilders building the RMS Titanic.  However, it has been documented that the steel plates used were of good quality of that period of time.  The reason why the Hull broke on impact with the iceberg was not because of structural weakness but because the strains imposed upon it were simply greater than any ocean liner was designed to bear.  And the hull only broke during the last few minutes of the ship sinking.

Tensions rise between the lower class workers and the rich elite which was due to sectarian discrimination as Harland and Wolff hired predominantly Protestant workers and only a few Catholics.  Though in the programme it shows that there were mostly equal numbers but in reality that is not true.  The Protestants did not want to work alongside Catholics so the Catholics rioted against this.

In the series the riots are apparently because of safety and wage issues, but Harland & Wolff’s wages were considered fair. It is the sectarian tensions which were the driving force of the rioting.  These riots were a setback for the construction of the Titanic, as were the workers wish to form a Trade Union., the woman suffragettes movement in the UK and the battle between pro Home Rule (a belief that all Ireland should remain an independent republic and pro Unionist (the political union between Ireland & Great Britain).

When RMS Titanic was built Ireland was all one country and only separated into Northern Ireland Southern Ireland 10 years after the Titanic sunk in 1922.

There are a many other historical errors in the show mainly regarding the Olympic (the sister ship) which was launched in October 1910 while the RMS Titanic was launched on May 2011.

There was a love story in the series as well which was between Dr Muir and Sofia Silvestri (an Italian immigrant and illustrator for Harland & Wolff).  Their relationship was up and down and in the end she had decided to go to New York to make a career in design and he wanted to stay in Belfast.

The series ended with the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic which in reality was from Southampton to New York but in the show it sailed from Belfast.

Many of the shows main character board the RMS Titanic all ready for a new life in America.  As they all boarded I wondered which ones would have survived and which ones would perish.  I felt like shouting at the TV, no don’t get on the ship, it sinks!!

It was an interesting series, quite addictive and one day I ended up watching five episodes in one day!