Not an easy one this week, but Madison’s prompts often get me thinking!
With that in mind, here’s the picture we had to base our 100-word flash fiction stories on this week:
And here’s Madison’s story: http://madisonwoods.wordpress.com/flash-fiction/old-truck-100-words/
It took me a long time to find my story this week and I know it isn’t my best work, but I enjoyed the challenge and just the process I went through to get it written.
Here it is:
Out of Gas
James gasped for breath, his heart pounding. He’d been running for what felt like hours, though it was only a few minutes. He wanted to run forever, but even that wouldn’t be far enough away from that nightmare.
That faceless…thing back at the motel.
He looked back. The jagged, greyscale curtain shifted endlessly, the downpour concealing lurking shadows.
Casting around James saw the old truck by the roadside. His heart leapt as he hopped the fence, hoping to hot-wire the truck and escape.
He froze as his hand touched the hood.
That featureless face watched him from the passenger seat.
garybaileywriting 
39 comments
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March 30, 2012 at 12:45 pm
Sandra
Definitely spooky. If it’s the same faceless thing as the one at the motel that’s seriously scary, and only marginally less so if there’s a plague of them. Well done!
Mine’s at http://castelsarrasin.wordpress.com/2012/03/30/i-met-this-guy-friday-fictioneers-30-march-2012/
March 31, 2012 at 2:53 pm
Gary
It is supposed to be the same one, but it could always be that there are more of them! Thanks for reading and commenting.
March 30, 2012 at 1:18 pm
Sarah Paige Berling
Yeep! Creepy! I loved it. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Here’s mine:
http://sarahthestoryteller.wordpress.com
March 31, 2012 at 3:04 pm
Gary
Thank you for reading it! I do love a bit of psychological horror so I thought I’d give it a try.
March 30, 2012 at 2:45 pm
Quill Shiv
Love the creepiness! Faceless things are always spooky. And the running, pounding heart..all very good verb choices! Great job!
My link is here: https://quillshiv.wordpress.com/2012/03/30/for-a-moment-sam/
March 31, 2012 at 3:14 pm
Gary
I’m glad the faceless creature worked. I find the idea of something you can’t quite describe, to be more frightening than something with real substance. Thank you for having a read!
March 30, 2012 at 2:53 pm
unspywriter
Definitely scary! Loved it.
Here’s mine: http://unspywriter.wordpress.com/2012/03/30/friday-fictioneers-yay/
March 31, 2012 at 3:19 pm
Gary
Thanks! I really must give horror a bit more thought for my next full-sized project.
March 30, 2012 at 3:36 pm
V. L. Gregory-Pohlenz
*Shudder* Wonderfully scary! Very nicely done–my favorite so far.
http://www.vlgregory-circa1800.vpweb.com/blog.html
March 31, 2012 at 3:25 pm
Gary
High praise indeed, thank you!
March 30, 2012 at 4:03 pm
susielindau
I love stories like this! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH! Awesome…
Here is mine~
March 31, 2012 at 3:32 pm
Gary
Glad you liked it! I love writing this kind of horror – even when it’s a struggle, it’s still fun to write. 🙂
March 30, 2012 at 4:31 pm
siobhanmuir
Yipe! Still have time to get away? Great spooky tale, Gary.
Here’s mine:
http://siobhanmuir.blogspot.com/2012/03/his-old-chevy-100words-for.html
March 31, 2012 at 3:41 pm
Gary
I’ll leave that decision up to you! Did he get away or not? Maybe he’s trapped in a recurring nightmare forever? Even I have no idea beyond this story, truth be told… 😉
March 30, 2012 at 9:27 pm
irenelefort
Definitely spooky. I don’t know why, but I got reminded of the Ring (the original version.) Well done.
This week’s prompt challenged me a lot too and I do not think this is one of my good pieces even. But I wanted to take up the challenge anyway.
Here is the link to mine:
Cheers!
March 31, 2012 at 4:03 pm
Gary
Thanks for such a positive response! Glad you enjoyed it.
I loved yours too, such a powerful and intelligent story.
March 30, 2012 at 10:40 pm
andyfloodwritersblog
You have nothing to worry about here, Gaz. I think you’ve done a wonderfully macabre job here. The faceless stalker(s?), the shifting curtain, the all pervading sense of gloom and a sense of a man teetering on the brink of sanity/reality… it all works to great effect. I’d like to see you write more like this. Very well done 🙂
I don’t have one this week 😦 but here’s the link for my blog anyway (shameless plug for previous weeks’ flash ahoy…)
http://andyfloodwritersblog.wordpress.com/
March 31, 2012 at 4:09 pm
Gary
Thanks Andy, I did struggle but I’m glad you see the best of it! I’ve started to see it better myself now that I’m not having to think about writing it. 🙂
March 30, 2012 at 11:13 pm
TheOthers1
Chilling!! I can’t imagine the potential horror that’s going to happen next. Yikes!
My attempt: http://unduecreativity.wordpress.com/2012/03/28/state-pride/
March 31, 2012 at 4:22 pm
Gary
Neither can I! Though maybe that’s because I don’t want to know, myself… 😛
March 31, 2012 at 12:50 am
Stacy Bennett-Hoyt
Wow good and spooky. Nice one.
here’s mine: http://ajaroffireflies.blogspot.com/2012/03/friday-fictioneers.html
March 31, 2012 at 4:27 pm
Gary
Thanks very much! Hope you enjoy becoming one of us Friday Fictioneers. 🙂
March 31, 2012 at 2:09 am
Madison Woods
That’s a really bad nightmare the poor guy is having! Great story and you’re right about enjoying the process when a prompt is difficult. It’s like if I can get the first word, the first image, then the rest flows. The first part is the hardest but it feels good to be able to do it on demand so you know you can when you have to later, too.
March 31, 2012 at 4:29 pm
Gary
I think I had my heart set on another fantasy, so the truck threw me off. Luckily I conjured up a backup idea, which stuck!
I managed to throw in a few sly nods to my influences too, which is always a neat little bonus.
Thanks again for the prompt, Madison – and of course the feedback! 🙂
March 31, 2012 at 2:33 am
littlewonder2
Ooh, horror. Like something out of The Grudge. I liked the narrative of the first paragraph especially.
March 31, 2012 at 4:37 pm
Gary
Thanks! I’m glad it carried that Grudge-style vibe, though the influences were closer to video games, as I wanted it to be less visceral horror, more psychological/subtle.
March 31, 2012 at 3:02 pm
tedstrutz
Yes, but who or what was in the driver’s seat… did the faceless creature have a friend? Good start to a scare.
http://tedstrutz.com/2012/03/30/flash-fridayfictioneers-lost-opportunity/
March 31, 2012 at 4:44 pm
Gary
I love when questions are raised like this! It sometimes makes me wonder myself what the answers are – and this is one of those times when I don’t really know…
March 31, 2012 at 4:51 pm
tedstrutz
Wait a minute… It wanted James to drive!
March 31, 2012 at 4:26 pm
teschoenborn
Wonderful! I also thought ‘creepy’ when I saw the old pick up truck. You pulled it off very nicely. Scary, ~shiver~
Here’s mine: http://teschoenborn.com/2012/03/30/friday-fictioneer-4/
March 31, 2012 at 4:52 pm
Gary
Thanks very much! It just screamed “creepy” to me, so after adjusting (I was originally geared up to try another fantasy story before the prompt was posted) I found an idea and ran with it.
April 1, 2012 at 4:42 am
erinleary
Ack! It was like you jumped out to scare me at the end! Nicely done.
April 3, 2012 at 5:10 pm
Gary
Haha, I like that! Thank you for reading.
April 1, 2012 at 6:28 am
Lora Mitchell
It doesn’t take much to spook me and you managed to do that in 100 words. In fact, the ending gave me goosebumps. Nice work. Here’s mine:
http://www.triplemoonstar.blogspot.com
April 3, 2012 at 5:15 pm
Gary
Thank you! Not sure if I should apologise for spooking you though… 😉
April 1, 2012 at 1:12 pm
dmmacilroy
Dear Gary,
Within the confines of the ‘something’s coming’ story you mixed beauty and minimalist menace in fine fashion, sliding in the truck along the way. Very well done.
Aloha,
Doug
April 3, 2012 at 5:24 pm
Gary
You’ve seen more in my story than I did myself! Thank you for helping me see it. 🙂
April 2, 2012 at 12:29 am
Shirley McCann
I’m a big syfy fan, so I loved this story.
Mine’s at http://shirleymccann.blogspot.com/2012/03/fitting-end.html
April 3, 2012 at 5:41 pm
Gary
Thank you for reading and commenting!