Flash Fiction Friday 034: ‘Over’ by Morgen With An E

Welcome to Flash Fiction Friday and the thirty-fourth piece of flash fiction in this series. A couple of hours ago I posted my most recent piece for
http://storyaday.org
entitled Just a figure of speech and because I was scheduled to be tonight’s flash fiction Fridayer, I decided to pick one of my stories from last year’s eBook collection Story a Day May 2011 and chose my 549-worder from the one-word prompt of ‘Over’ which I kept as it’s title, you’ll see why. I hope you enjoy it.

Over

“Over,” I say, and my dog and I cross the road. Overnight, after oversleeping, I’ve become overcome with cold. I’m usually overrun with chores but today I’m taking it easy. A contrast to yesterday, blitzing my overgrown garden; now my pavement is overcrowded with overfilled brown wheelie bins and strong, green gardening bags.

I look in the dictionary and have never heard of ‘overhand’. Wikipedia tells me it’s a boxing term and a knot, and I’m not a violent person but right now I’m angry. My neighbour’s extension has gone over and above what was promised to me; it’s already overhanging the light into my south-facing garden.

I head to the bank to check that I’m not overdrawn, not dipped into my overdraft, then buy some over-the-counter medicine before this cold overpowers me. I think I’ve been overcharged.

On the way home, another neighbour calls me over. So, switching off my iPod’s classical overture, we talk over the fence, while his England flag flutters overhead.

To say I’m fat is an overstatement. I’m a little overweight and could do with an overhaul of my eating habits, but it would be an oversimplification to say 5-a-day fruit and veg would do it. I often overlook them at the supermarket, an unhealthy oversight. My body’s been doing a bit too much overtime at the moment so it really wouldn’t hurt.

An early night is also long overdue but I have plans tonight (I’m having writing friends over) so an afternoon nap will have to make do.

My back is complaining, it does that a lot. When I go to pick something up it says, “don’t overdo it” but I never listen. Tomorrow morning I shall carry stacks of Red Cross-donated books which I’ll tip on to the counter and their shiny covers will slip against each other and overbalance on to the floor.

In the afternoon, what energies I have will be used to empty my loft (pre-electrician’s visit), bring down the boxes of already-bought presents that will overwhelm my mother in September, when she’s easily pleased, although I suspect she overplays it, oversells for my benefit. My aunt, her twin, will just look overawed, carrying her overladen gift bag into the kitchen, putting her Andre Rieu DVDs with the others. An überfan.

Then Wednesday lunchtime my job sharer will read me her handover notes as our shifts overlap, my turn to work two and a half days before another weekend arrives.

I usually travel overseas but my friend and I are busy so we’ll wait a year. She’s off to Mexico, me to Winchester. I’ve never been there before so I’ll need to pay attention so I don’t overshoot the junction, overstep the mark on the map for the venue.

If I played cricket I think it would be underarm not overarm, that’s just how I throw; like a girl.

Radio Litopia’s AgentPete calls me an overachiever but I like to think I’m just overjoyed with all things literary. We chat during Sunday night’s Open House then our Skype connection is terminated before I overstay my welcome. I live and breathe writing, albeit stuffily through a red overblown nose. I sneeze over and over again.

Having over-egged today’s prompt, this ditty is over. Well, anymore would be overkill, wouldn’t it?

If you’d like to submit your 1,000-word max. stories for consideration for Flash Fiction Friday take a look here.

The blog interviews will return as normal tomorrow with historical author and poet Elizabeth Vallone – the three hundred and sixty-seventh of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, bloggers, biographers, agents, publishers and more. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate further. And I enjoy hearing from readers of my blog; do either leave a comment on the relevant interview (the interviewees love to hear from you too!) and / or email me.

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks (including the $1.49-$1.62 Story a Day May 2011) and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum and you can follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.  I also now have a new blog creation service especially for, but not limited to, writers.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them)  on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

Story A Day May 2012: May 11th – Just a figure of speech

Late April 2011 I discovered
http://StoryADay.org
and the project that is to write 31 stories in 31 days. Anyone who knows me or follows this blog, knows how passionate I am about short stories so my clichéd eyes lit up at this new marvel. And just a few days later there I was, breathing life into new characters. This went on to become (with some editing of course) my 31-story collection eBook Story A Day May 2011.

And here we are a year later doing it all over again. Because I’m planning on eBooking this month’s stories I brought back three from ‘Whatever You Say’ (a story in the 2011 collection). Today’s prompt is to bring the character mentioned (but not featured) from yesterday into this story but later on and here is my 640-worder (all in dialogue ).

Just a figure of speech

“In the car please, Rosie.”

“Have you got my gym kit?”

“In the back.”

“And my trip form.”

“Rosie! Hurry up and get in. I want to have a word with you about Chuck.”

“My form, mum.”

“In your school bag.”

“The holdall?”

“No, your school bag, the red one. Did you pick your lunch off the kitchen table?”

“Of course.”

“So we can go now, yes?”

“Yep.”

“Then put on your seatbelt.”

“Oh, hold on.”

“What?”

“Holly wanted me to bring my DS.”

“But you’re seeing her tonight.”

“She might not be able to come.”

“What?”

“I forgot, she has violin on a Tuesday.”

“But you asked.”

“But I forgot.”

“Let me know at lunchtime, OK?”

“Oops.”

“What now?”

“My mobile’s on the kitchen table.”

“What? Why?”

“I had to put it down to put the lunch in my bag.”

“Rosie! It’s too late to go back now so use Holly’s.”

“She doesn’t have one.”

“Oh, OK. You can borrow mine but you’re not to lose it or Dad will kill you.”

“He will?”

“Of course not. It’s only a figure of speech.”

“Then why did you say it?”

“Rosie. I’ll give you my phone. Dad won’t kill you if you lose it but just don’t, OK?”

“Is it an expensive phone?”

“Valuable to me, yes. Lots of numbers on it. I didn’t know Holly played the violin.”

“Level 2.”

“Very good. How did Chuck seem to you this morning?”

“Fine.”

“Just fine?”

“You know. Like always.”

“Not quieter? Subdued?”

“What’s that?”

“Subdued. It means quiet.”

“English is stupid.”

“What have you got first thing?”

“Art.”

“That’s nice, you like art.”

“We’re making collages out of magazine pictures.”

“Do you get to bring them home?”

“Oh.”

“Oh?”

“We’re supposed to bring in some magazines.”

“Child! How did you get so forgetful?”

“Dad says I take after him.”

“You do. And Chuck. Why didn’t he leave a note?”

“Because he told me. Can we stop by the store?”

“We don’t have time, you know that.”

“But I need some magazines.”

“Oh, alright but two minutes.”

###

“You wait here and I’ll get a random selection, OK?”

“OK. Can you leave the radio on?”

“Sure.”

“And can you get some ice cream?”

“I’m not going straight home after dropping you off, it’ll melt.”

“Chocolate then. Chocolate chocolate. White chocolate chocolate?”

“OK. But none to take to school. It’ll come home with me.”

“I thought you weren’t going home.”

“Not straight away, no.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to have a word with Mr Francome.”

“The Principal?”

“Yes. Just a quick word.”

“About me?”

“No, Rosie, not about you.”

“About Sam?”

“No, not Sam.”

“Chuck then. What’s he done?”

“I don’t know Rosie. Nothing, I think, but…”

“There’s a space there mum, right by the store entrance.”

“Alright then. How many magazines do you need?”

“Three or four, I guess. I don’t know.”

“I’ll get four then any you don’t chop up I can read.”

###

 “These are grown-ups magazines, mum.”

“You’re making a collage, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“There’s all sorts in there. You’ll be spoilt for choice.”

“But it’s all cooking… and fashion… and stuff.”

“What’s the matter with that?”

“It’s supposed to be about monsters?”

“Monsters? You didn’t tell me monsters?”

“Didn’t I?”

“Count to ten…”

“One… two…”

“No, not you Rosie.”

“But you said…”

“Just a figure of speech.”

###

“OK, we’re here. Don’t forget your gym stuff in the back.”

“Mum!”

“Have a good day.”

“Why are you going to see Mr Francome?”

“I’ve told you. You’re late. Go… shoo.”

“Bye, mum.”

###

“Hello. Is Mr Francome free?”

“Hi. Do you have an appointment?”

“I don’t. Sorry. It’s a spur of the moment thing.”

“Can I tell him what it’s about?”

“I’d just like to have a quick word about my son.”

“And your name…”

“Chuck? What are you doing here?”

If you like working from prompts you might be interested in my 365-Day Writer’s Block Workbook (Vol 1).

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum and you can follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.  I also now have a new blog creation service especially for, but not limited to, writers.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them)  on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.