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#93 – Milk
White droplets patted against damp straw, soaking through and pooling against frozen concrete beneath. Billowing steam span through the air and glimmered in the breaking dawn.
Two dozen cows mooed and lowed as their teeth ground in a grumbling, champing chorus.
Still the milk spilled from the machines, streams gathering together amid the red mud that caked each beast’s hooves.
Four dozen eyes saw the black truck arrive. Four dozen eyes saw the man wash his boots with disinfectant.
White streams became red as the man handed papers to the farmer. The cow shed door closed for the last time.
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Image via Freestocks.org
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Tim x
#92 – Enslavement
“Hey man, do I need to be wearing these?!”
Michael rose his arms to display thin plastic strips digging into his wrists.
“Pipe down, Jones. You got a time out and you take it – or do you want to go back to your cell?”
Michael Jones blew in frustration, dropping his hands to his lap and thudding the back of his head to the wall. Through the thick glass of the door he watched as orange-clad men fed metal strips into presses, their heads bent low.
The lines were long: the penance unending.
“No Sir,” Michael sighed. “I do not.”
(c) Tim Austin. Image by Miguel A Ramirez via Unsplash.
Not being political, not being political, not being political,………
My generous thanks to long-time follower and supporter of the OWOS project Sarah Doughty of Heartstring Eulogies. Check out her poetry here – I can’t recommend it highly enough.
If you enjoyed this or any other OWOS stories, be sure to like and share!
#91 – Intense
Marbled streams of fire shifted and wound through hissing clouds of acrid smoke. Fissures broke open like wounds, finding each other and melting into flickering rivers before swollen dams of black rock rolled across and cut them from the night sky.
A maelstrom swirled high above, peppering the shifting rock with ashen pumice as forks of lightning shruck at the ground.
The old man looked on, fingers tightening in his palms. Tears fell at the beauty of it. His heart broke as children screamed.
One last toll of the church bell broke the air.
Fire leapt. The screams stopped.
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Image by Yosh Ginsu via Unsplash.
Pompeii sprang to mind when I read “Intense”. There was a man who witnessed it and survived – Plinny the Younger. It’s hard to imagine how terrible it was for him to see.
Today’s story title was donated by fellow blogger and author Angelica Kidd, who is just beginning her submission for NanoWrimo as of yesterday! Follow her progress at https://angelicakidd.wordpress.com/.
Like this? Follow OWOS – it’s that button below and to the right – for a new story every day. You can also like the One Word One Story Facebook Page for more! Tweet me @timaustin2k too.
See you tomorrow for “Enslavement”.
#90 – Corner
The tyres weren’t going to take it. James could already feel the grip yielding against the tarmac. He could see them in his mind – the rubber twisting and giving way.
“Don’t be afraid to brake.”
He whispered the phrase over and over, patting the break line as he stared down the opening straight. The first turn was taunting him: daring him. Take it right and the race was his.
James gripped the wheel as the crowd hushed. The timer on the board reset.
He patted the plywood of the soapbox racer and his Dad got ready to push,….
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Image by Pascal Richier via Unsplash.
Well I hope you all had a lovely Halloween!
Today’s story title was donated by the wonderful K.M. Joshi – graphic designer and musician. You can find him and follow him (you stalkers, you!) over on Twitter @AuthorKMJoshi. Suggest your own one word title by popping a comment below or tweeting me @timaustin2k and the next story could be yours!
Oh, and don’t forget to hit that “follow” button, below and to the right, for daily stories!
Tomorrow: “Intense”!
#89 – Euphoria
Blinding green light pulsed through heavy black air, fixing faces like photographs – caught in their euphoria. Jermain Wallace watched arms and mouths melt together in sexual abandon – tiny slivers of lust matched to music.
The bass trembled in his chest and rode through the floor: the pill dissolved on his tongue. The faces rippled to blackness and he rose his hands high to worship.
The empty Ibiza desert echoed around him as he opened his eyes.
His shirt was blood-stained. The blood was not his.
Jermain didn’t care.
The bass was all he needed. The bass was God.
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Image by Melissa Askew via Unsplash.
An interesting image to form a story from this – quite wonderful that I didn’t know precisely where it was going to end up!
Great thanks to supernatural romance author extraordinaire Rebecca Pollard for donating the word. You can find her on twitter @authorRebeccaP. Say I sent you 🙂
Enjoy more stories by clicking the links above and to the side. You can also support One Word One Story by clicking here.
Suggest your own words by tweeting me @timaustin2k or popping a note in the comments of this post. See you tomorrow for “Corner”!
#88 – Torn
Eddie’s mouth was hanging open. He wasn’t entirely sure what had happened.
Around him people were staring, forks held comically close to mouths, awkward coughs and murmurs circling the room like sharks. Behind him a door slammed closed.
“Can I get you a towel, sir?”
The Maître D remained professionally aloof but Eddie could see sympathy in his eyes.
“I,…. think I’ll have the bill, please.”
Eddie picked up the two halves of paper, her telephone number shredded. They’d been talking about their blind date. She’d asked what he enjoyed.
Somehow “Chilling to Netflix” was the wrong answer.
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Image by Todd Deimer via Unsplash.
Today’s story title was suggested by songwriter and author Vicky Jones. You can find out more about Vicky at vickyjones.uk. You can also follow her on twitter @VickyJones7
You too can suggest a One Word title – just pop your word in the comments or tweet it to me @timaustin2k using the hashtag #onewordonestory
Follow the site for more stories! Tomorrow: “Euphoria”. See you then 🙂
#87 – Fragile
Ben needed the woman beside him to shut up.
“Jimmy is such a good kid! He was first in his class at math for the whole of last year.”
A picture of a teenage boy dropped onto his lap.
“I don’t think,…”
His words dried in his mouth. The boy in the picture looked so happy. The Boy looked so peaceful.
“Ben Sharpe?”
The secretary was calling for him.
“Doctor Simpson will see you now.”
Ben looked at Jimmy’s Mother. She hadn’t stopped crying for 20 minutes. Ben passed the tattered photograph back to her and retrieved his antidepressants.
“Good luck”.
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Image by Jake Campbell via Unsplash.
I’m on the search for new words! If you’re reading this and you want to suggest one, please do! Just pop it in the comments or Tweet it to @timaustin2k using the hashtag #onewordonestory.
First visit? Not been here for a while? Check out more stories by clicking the links to the left and above!
See you tomorrow for “Torn”
#86 – Burning
The flames lapped at the wood and circled in the thinning air. A large crowd was watching as the fire danced and swelled, entranced by the hypnotic sweep of the blaze.
Music was playing loud and children were dancing. Cold boxes filled with beer gleamed in the firelight. The field was full of people talking and laughing together as the last rays of the day sank below the horizon.
The sheriff stepped forward, his hand lifting a microphone to continue his speech.
“Black Lives Matter, they say,…..” The crowd was laughing.
The children played and watched the white crosses burn.
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Image by Thomas Shellberg via Unsplash.
The first image that came to mind with this word was the KKK. It is a stain on humanity that this group still exists and that any group like this still exists. But it does and it’s worth remembering that, in these dark times. Humanity still has a long way to go,….
I’m still on the search for new words! If you’re reading this and you want to suggest one, please do! Just pop it in the comments or Tweet it to @timaustin2k using the hashtag #onewordonestory.
Check out more stories by clicking the links to the left and above and be sure to like the OWOS Facebook page. Share your favourites and let more people know about One Word, One Story!
See you tomorrow for “Fragile”.
#85 – Loyal
Time to play! Time to play!!
Jesse barked loudly at her owner and ran off through the house in a frantic search.
Where did she leave it?! Ooo! Ooo! I know,……
The Jack Russel dipped her nose to the floor, letting the scent tease and guide her as she snuffled her way to the sofa and reached beneath. Her jaws snapped closed against plastic.
Found it!! Mistress will be happy!!
The dog bounded back to her owner, dropping the phone by her hand and licking the woman’s face. A voice crackled from the handset.
“911, which service please?”
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Image by Robert Larsson via Unsplash.
I’m on the search for new words! If you’re reading this and you want to suggest one, please do! Just pop it in the comments or Tweet it to @timaustin2k using the hashtag #onewordonestory.
First visit? Not been here for a while? Check out more stories by clicking the links to the left and above!
See you tomorrow for “Burning”.
#84 – Disfigurement
“Oi! Freddy Krueger!”
The teenage boy sneered as the rock left his hand and span against the armrest of the man’s wheelchair.
“I said oi!”
The man didn’t move.
The gang could see his reflection in the store window. His face was white and smooth: burned flesh twisted, his eyes milky. The boy threw another stone, laughing as it whistled past the man’s ear.
The store owner ran out and the gang scattered, their sneering cries echoing down the street.
“Hey man, why didn’t you say something?”
“Because” the burned man replied, “he wasn’t like that before the fire,…”
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Image by Dawn Armfield via Unsplash.
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See you tomorrow for “Loyal”.
One Word, One Story 