We now accept original photographs from writers to accompany their vignettes.

Saturday, August 3, 2013

July 23-29: Yellow Submarine. Comfortably Numb. Hello, I Love You.

YELLOW SUBMARINE

From @PaviliciousK:
I wait excitedly for his Facebook timeline to appear on my screen. Oh the possibilities of love!

But alas! In a span of 4 seconds hopes are dashed; the only life event I can see is “Engaged July 1st.”

I stare at his Yellow Submarine Beatles shirt, and think how perfect he could have been.

From @Mari_deSilva:
Tumbling into the car one after the other, my sisters forcing me into the middle seat, would invariably lead to lots of shoving and complaints. Mum would try to hush us up, whilst dad switched on the radio. As we started singing along to “Yellow Submarine”, all our troubles were forgotten. Life was simple then.

From @shamsmakkiya:
After years of research, the team completed their "Yellow Submarine".

Selected men boarded the underwater vessel commencing their risky voyage through the all-time miraculous water, The Bermuda Triangle.

Far-fetched informations were transmitted successfully. On reaching their destination, multi-coloured people were spotted moving on the ultra-magnetic ground.

The men in the sub chorused triumphantly "PLASTIC ROCKS!"

From @Shi_dreams:
“What was that?” asked Jamie anxiously.

“Nothing. Just a yellow submarine surfacing,” replied Carl shrugging.

“WHAT?! THE SUBMARINE IS BACK?! ALREADY?”  yelled Jamie jumping up.

Carl looked at Jamie like he’d lost his marbles.

“Quick! If we hurry, we might be able to sneak in before it goes under again!”

Carl groaned and followed Jamie.

From @wIkIfReAkz:
The Recipe

The death toll increased to 17.

The detectives headed towards the scene of crime.

The glowing neon text read: 'Appetite Supremo'.
---
Inquiries revealed that recently the restaurant became very popular among the youth because of its all new dish: 'Yellow Submarine'.
---
Forensic reports confirmed that the mayonnnaise used in the gourmet contained arsenic.

From @seniinthebox:
I walk in on my teenage daughter going through the records my Sister had dropped off earlier during the day.

She looks at me, puzzled. "But I still don't get the beetle was doing in a submarine! And a yellow one at that! Google Images had yellow and black beetles. MAMA! Are you even listening?"

COMFORTABLY NUMB

From @shamsmakkiya:
To Whom I No Longer Concern.

The volcano erupted. Wish you were kissed by its luscious lava. The bitterness you engraved was not merely the tip of an ice-berg; the deepness is immeasurable. Lessons are often revised and reminiscences are constantly fissured so as to preserve my comfortably numb state.

From @Mari_deSilva:
Every time I watch the news, I see images of war, destruction and abject poverty. Every time I walk on the street, I’m reminded of how priviledged I am, and how deprived many others are. Every time I let myself think, I realise how much happier I’d be if I could just become comfortably numb.

From @jonnyjujubes:
You see a man without limbs, flailing on the ground and stop. No one else does and after a few seconds you realize no one else cares. Everyone walks on by, eyes averted and eventually your body starts moving and you’re far away.

You’ve lost a bit of time, and probably some of your humanity.

From @gillian.nair:
Comfortably numb. That was me for the past 3 years. Since the day you left me for her. I didn't hate you. I just became comfortably numb. It was easy. It was how I felt with all those guys after you,wanting to feel the same way but never did. Until I met him.

From @wIkIfReAkz & @shamsmakkiya:
He got fed up of the barren land to the nth level.

Once again he gazed heavenwards. Surprisingly, this time saw some cotton candy-like nimbus hugging the skies.

He lifted up the ploughshare and hooted gladly of envisaging prosperity.
*
She turned the oxygen canister off.

The virtual reality euthanasia therapy had made him comfortably numb.

HELLO, I LOVE YOU

From @seniinthebox:
“Adam, meet Eve. She just came on board as an intern.”

“Eve, this is our Project Manager, Adam. He’s been with us for nearly five years.”

“Hello, Adam.”

“Hello, I love you.”

From @bhagsy:
I standing in the hall, among the crowd at the reception that night; feeling a little lost. I felt a tap & turning I find him standing behing me. 'I love you' he says.

From @jonnyjujubes:
January.

The year was full of promise, and I thought you were too. One painful conversation a month later and I lost faith.

Now you're back and the feelings remain the same. But now I'll wait. I've never waited for someone before, but I guess I just never had anyone worth waiting for.

From @gillian.nair:
I noticed him from across the room. He looked up and smiled his dazzling smile with his piercing hazelnut eyes. I walked over. Confident to not make a fool of myself. With my hand outstretched to introduce myself,I  blurted out 'Hello I love you'.

From @Mari_deSilva:
“Hello, I love you.”

That was the beginning and the end of the love story.

She just knew he was “the one” the moment they met.

Seven years down the long and winding road, as she looked over at him stepping onto the Poruwa, it couldn’t have felt more right.

He had her at “Hello.”

From @shamsmakkiya:
Male dog: "Hello, I love you baby! Why don't you try to understand me?

Female dog: "Nonsense! I don't really trust in love."

Male dog: "No, dear, don't say like that! I'm ready to sacrifice anything for you."

Female dog: "If so, first and foremost, I want you to leave and forget your master, Mr. Casanova!"

From @wIkIfReAkz:
THE CODE

New Wikileaks cable revealed that NASA's radars had received odd signals from space.
*
'They wanna tell us something!'

Plenty of UFO hoax were spread out, as usual.
*
Prof. Langdon deciphered it.

.... . .-.. .-.. --- /.. / .-.. --- ...- . / -.-- --- ..-

It read: 'Hello, I love you!'
*
Actually it was a telegram sent from my neighboring post office several years ago..

From @dishilicious:
you gave me strength
from miles away
during toughest times
didn't let me fade away
kept me sane
wiped my tears
your hugs and kisses
all i desire
But
you never said
the words,
i wanted to hear
Hello! I Love You!
once would've been nicer
But
those lovely stupid words

do they really matter?

Sunday, July 28, 2013

July 23-28: Phrases of the Week

Hello storytellers!

Here are all the phrases for this week:
  • "yellow submarine"
  • "comfortably numb"
  • "hello, I love you"

Use these to inspire your 55-word stories. Send all phrase-related stories to us by midnight TODAY.

Please include your twitter handle/real name/pen name in the email.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

July 16-17: Patriot

Original photograph by @Mari_deSilva

From @Mari_deSilva:
“Do you love your country?” 
“Yes Sir!” 
“Would you do anything to protect it?” 
“Yes Sir!”
“Would you put it before everything else?”
“Yes Sir!”
“Would you sacrifice your life for it?”
“Yes Sir!”
“Would you sacrifice others’ lives for it?”
“.......Yes Sir?”

From Saumya Fernando:
“Haiyooo now of course the patriot will only be the ones licking their boots noh men”, Mrs. Bernard paused her sweeping to wipe sweat from her forehead. Mrs. Silva’s head bobbed over the wall. “Hmmm”, she coyly agreed. Mrs. Bernard continued, “This country’s going to the dogs and not a cat gives a rat’s arse”

From @shamsmakkiya:
"What if I write about myself? Am I eligible? No! What have I done?"

Linen-like curtains blurred my vision.

The more my brain looked for, the less I understood its significance.

All and sundry as an entity owes patriotism to the mother earth.

"Who is a patriot?"

My conscience never acknowledged its meaning.

From @wIkIfReAkz:
"I have always regarded myself, in the first place, as an African patriot."
--Nelson Mandela
(Today's his 95th birthday. This limerick is dedicated to dear Madiba)

Leader of South African Nation
Patriot, gives us inspiration
In Long Walk to Freedom
Mandela breathed seldom
For Freedom is his respiration!

From @PennyKinned:
Out there, he couldn’t remember the cause of his fervent patriotism. Had it been a belief that his country was somehow historically exceptional? Unique?

How delusional.

Gazing at blurry earth amidst countless stars, he made up his mind.

Thus it came to be that it was no national emblem but a plain white flag that claimed Jupiter.

From @wIkIfReAkz:
Thousands of patriots sacrificed lives, in the war of bringing back the Crown to the Nation.

A grand carnival was organized to celebrate the victory.

A duke was busy in reconstructing the infra-structure of an ancient city.


The point was: the chosen area was located in a treasure map -the very reason for the reconstruction.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

July 15: Footsteps

From Priyanthie de Silva:
Footsteps in the sand, led me to the cave. Got a shock when I saw the contents. Dried bones & rags. What could have occurred here? Seems as though somebody lived in this deserted isle. I would like to know how he survived. Was he shipwrecked or was he abandoned here?

From theshadowseeker:
I fumble with the keys. The porch light is dim. My alcohol laced breath forms wisps of white as I breathe out deeply to steady my hands. The door creaks shut behind me.  As I make my way up the stairs, I hear them. One soft footfall after the next. I am not alone.

From @seniinthebox:
I waited.  
I listened,  
They came from behind but I did not turn, 
for they were not familiar. 
You had gone. 
But I was still waiting.  

From Saumya Fernando:
Without exaggeration Gold FM plays “Footsteps” at least twice a day, EVERYDAY. Without exaggeration, any time my mother decides to dedicate a song to a loved one on Gold FM she always picks “Footsteps”. Even though I laugh at her for her taste in music, I know I will miss it when I leave.

From @shamsmakkiya:
The motorbike revved at full speed.
Sirens went off from all four corners.
Yon stood an anorexic bod.
The cops pulled over and neared.
Followed the trails of footsteps.
Reached the farthest thicket.
To their bewilderment, his very marrow dripped out of his physique.

From @Mari_deSilva:
Daily he would watch his father abuse his mother...until one day he was able to back his father up against the wall, hands clasped around his neck, and threaten him never to touch her again. His father died alone and remorseful.

Always up for a ‘good drink’ - he said “I’m not like my father.”

From Mythify:
Her soles had been scraped raw by the pitiless desert sand. She struggled on, breath raggedy and uneven. Have to keep moving. Have to.

A few miles away, the tracker bent to examine the windswept footprints in the fading light. “This way,” he called to the others. Sheathing their knives, they set off in pursuit.

From @wIkIfReAkz:
Curious

Billy saw some strange traces on the sulphur surface. 'Footsteps?'

Far ahead he saw an undefined object.

It seemed nearer now.

"Shit! It might have spotted me," the very thought made his limbs icy.

He tried to run away, but felt crippled.

*


The last being remained on Mars was killed by Curiosity, the rover.