Underbelly
Here we are on Thursday with Friday Fictioneers, the prompt for which was posted on Wednesday. Confused? Never mind, because it’s story time, hosted as always by Rochelle.
The photo which prompts our 100-ish word story this week was contributed by Kelly Sands and features big clouds over houses. But are they clouds? ARE THEY? Or are they actually Something More Sinister (dum dum dummmm)? My story this week is a bit nuts, so bear with me.
The other stories this week can be found by clicking on Bracken, the little blue froggy, below.
Here’s the photo of the clouds. OR ARE THEY CLOUDS? etc etc.
It came from Outer Space. NASA had pictures and everything.
One evening in late May it had appeared over the sleepy hamlet of Little Frimpton. The residents took it in their stride, as country folk often do.
“What be that, Jed? Looks loike clouds. But not clouds.”
“That be the underbelly o’ one o’ them giant aliens, Jethro.”
“Oh. ‘Nother ale?”
In June it broke wind, hospitalising several members of the Little Frimpton Knitting Circle during a particularly complicated crochet demonstration. Gas masks were distributed to the villagers.
They could only hope that nothing more solid would follow. Though as one pragmatic farmer noted, “It would be good fer moi fields.”
Ha ha! I need a gas mask sometimes just sitting with my family lol. Giant farting Aliens, what a terrible thought 🙂
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Yeah, they’re the worst sort of aliens. Give me a good old-fashioned invasion any day.
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One week it’s like you’re channeling Dario Argento, and the next week it’s Mel Brooks. 🙂 Yeah, I know those are directors, but it’s the first thing that came to mind.
Either way, I probably should stop reading your stories if someone else is in the same room as me. Literal LOL for this one. 😀
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Thanks, high praise!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it and it gave you a laugh. That was my goal! I hope you didn’t startle the people around you though 🙂
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Hehehe… Pawkisses 😀
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🙂
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Well, given what appears to be exposed to the villagers, I’d guess that they’d have access to the more “sensitive parts” of the alien should it attempt to get out of line…
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Good thinking! Ooh, naughty alien bits 😉
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If they glowed like ET’s finger, that would be really weird…
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Urgh 🙂 If it starts to glow, RUN.
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You did not just write a fart story!
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Might’ve 😉
I put it rather more delicately, though I guess “breaking wind by any other name would smell as sour”, as Shakespeare might have said.
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This is the funniest thing I’ve read in weeks. I couldn’t stop laughing. You got me.
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I’m glad it made you laugh 🙂
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LOL. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to look at the prompt picture the same way again.
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I’ve spoiled a perfectly good photo 🙂
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Al, I took another look at the prompt and I think the villagers were right. That was truly hilarious and was your funniest story to date. XD I love your regional dialogue and laughed out loud yet again. 😀 It made my morning. Well written. 🙂 —Susan
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I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I could see a number of gloomy stories coming from that picture so I thought I’d try for humour instead.
I sometimes worry about using regional dialogue in case someone gets offended, but since it’s my regional accent I think I’m safe 🙂
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Hahaha! First, the character names are hilarious. Guess there’s hillbillies everywhere. I can imagine the crochet club. So funny, doc.
Ellespeth
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It was tentatively set in the rural West Country, hence the accents and names (though I don’t personally know anyone called Jethro, there is a famous Cornish comedian by that name).
I imagine a group of industrious ladies busily knitting away – “Eh, Vera, what’s that awful sme… uh.” (thunk) 🙂
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
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Priceless! 🙂
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Thanks 🙂
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Haha, farting aliens – you have the best kind of imagination. Loved it! 😉
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You’ve really got to watch yourself around giant farting aliens 🙂
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LOL. Oh my, that was so good. I can just see the farmer in his turnip field with a bit of straw in his mouth while talking to a reporter.
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I think the villagers are quietly enjoying their moment in the limelight.
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
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It was the dog, the dog did it. Or blame aliens? That won’t work.
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It was aliens! It was!
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This is so funny, I almost spit my coffee all over the table.
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A coffee-spitting-inducing comedy story is a successful comedy story 🙂
Thanks!
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that was hilarious haha possibly the coolest fart story i’ve ever read. lol 🙂
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It’s funny ‘cos it’s subtle 🙂
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what a creepy little town:) reminds me of Hot Fuzz:)
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Cool, that’s such a great film – I’ve seen it many times!
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hahaha me too:) love Sean of the Dead too. havent seen their latest movie together, looks hysterical too. dorks of the world, unite:)
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I’ve also seen Sean of the Dead several times – we have the same taste in films and humour I think!
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definitely:)
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Hilarious – I love the idea of alien manure. And I’m not sorry I missed the crochet demonstration 🙂
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I hear the crochet demonstration was absolutely riveting before it “all went wrong” 🙂
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Dear Draliman, YOU WIN, YOU WIN, YOU WIN! Best passing gas story I have ever heard or read! I choked on my coke and it wasn’t pretty! You are so funny and have mastered the Aroma Therapy Fiction – thus, you win the Trophy! So absolutely funny – I’ve read it twice and Mike thinks it’s hilarious too! You are awesome! Nan 🙂
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Wow, what a lovely comment, thank you! I hear one metric for comedy success is the ability to make someone choke on their drink 🙂
I’m so happy you guys liked it.
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The Incredible Inflatable Flatulent Alien attacks. I love it.
I can just see Hollywood calling.
If not Mel Brooks, then Eddie Murphy
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It’s a new but surprisingly efficient form of alien invasion 🙂
I’m waiting by the phone right now for my big break.
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Douglas Adams beware, Ali’s writing farting alien stories! Hilarious, darling. You have the most British sense of humour since John Cleese himself. Bravo!
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Thanks! There is something a bit “different” about British humour sometimes, isn’t there 🙂
I’m glad you liked it.
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The fart was made even more clever by the addition of the knitters. So very, very funny and not just a bit nuts – deliciously nuts.
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I’ve noticed that some of my favourite humour writers (Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett) also add these little details when something silly happens and have found it works quite well.
I’m really glad you enjoyed it 🙂
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any story with a Jethro character always adds spice and guess that’s how these folks explain the thunder phenomenon to their young’uns. 😛
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“Jethro” always says “small village farmer” to me, with a broad West Country (of the UK) accent!
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Well, now you’ve crossed over into belly laughing writing. I was emotionally ready for the terror and you delivered a amazing humorous story.
As a writer you are exempt from PC. Your characters are speaking, not you. Jethro lives on here in the Beverly Hill Billies.
I want your mind.
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The clouds certainly opened up possibilities of terror but I suddenly had this idea instead. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I always worry a bit about stereotypes but sometimes they’re necessary for the story.
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What a hilarious and unusual take on this prompt! I love it. And fabulous job with the characters and their dialogue – I could hear them clearly in my head. 😀
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Thanks, I love the West Country (UK) accent, it makes good dialogue. I do actually hear it out in the wild as well, as it’s my regional accent 🙂
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Dear Ali,
That’s one of the most warped stories I’ve ever read. Dare I say, “What a gas!?” Unique and funny.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
Ha ha 🙂
I thought it was time for some humour and ended up with something some would describe as very British, given the subject matter!
Ali
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You really went to the out house for this one. Really funny.
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I did indeed 🙂
Thanks!
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;0) What fun. Glad I don’t live there. But you gaga wonder what alien changes there’ll be to the soil, plant life, and to them that eats it all.
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Maybe it’s a slow poisoning via the food chain until the aliens are free to move in.
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Ah. So that’s it.
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Really entertaining story.
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Thanks 🙂
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Oh good, I was hoping someone would write an alien theme. Really thinking outside the box, too, with it upsetting the knitting circle. Will they ever knit again or are their minds blown?! Ha ha. Great story.
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I believe they’ve quit knitting and started a gardening club.
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