draliman on life

Pegman – What’s in a Name?

October 9, 2017 draliman 44 comments

Here is my story for What Pegman Saw, which this week takes us to Littleton, West Virginia, in America.

I’ve gone crazy this week. My story is totally mad! Maybe it’s the long hours at work. I will read everyone else’s stories hopefully tomorrow 🙂

“Wow, cool little town. What’s its name?”

“Littleton.”

“Ha!”

“What…?”

“Um, nothing. I’ll have a Bud Light.”

“You’re in luck. The lorry’s just delivered. All the way from Bigton.”

“Bigton? Seriously?”

“Yep. There used to be another town in between. It was quite big but not really all that big but bigger than small.”

“What was it called, dare I ask?”

“Quitebigbutnotreallyallthatbigbutbiggerthansmallton.”

“What happened?”

“Businesses all went under. No-one got any post. Address wouldn’t fit on the envelope.”

“This is pretty surreal. You people are very literal with your town names.”

“Yep, there’s Waterton, Farmton, Lorryton, the nearest city is Hugeton, then of course there’s the sewage works, that’s called…”

“This is mad! Let me guess, Shitton?”

“Excuse me? No, ‘Little Dearing’. What kind of name is ‘Shitton’? That’s rude. You better leave, boy.”

“Fine. You’re all insane with your crazy literal names. I’m going home.”

“Home is…?”

“Hometon.”

FF – Crescent Moon

October 4, 2017 draliman 69 comments

Here is my story for Friday Fictioneers, hosted by Rochelle. This week’s photo was contributed by Ted Strutz.

To read the other stories, click on the blue froggy.

The moon shone, a bright dot in the night sky. Faces upturned, the passengers oohed and aahed. Some took pictures. They’d never seen it so bright.

A small child, astronomy a favourite subject, insisted that the moon was in its crescent phase, but nobody listened. After all, there it was, a shining bright coin in the sky. No, now a shining bright plate. The passengers oohed and aahed.

As the moon grew from dot to coin to plate and more, the passengers grew scared. Some screamed. Some jumped overboard. It didn’t help. Nothing helped.

It wasn’t the moon.

The world burned.

Categories: Fiction Tags: flash fiction, Friday Fictioneers

Pegman – Vera versus Morocco

October 2, 2017 draliman 32 comments

Here is my story for What Pegman Saw.

I thought I wasn’t going to manage this week – still working all hours – but I did! And… hold your breath, people – it’s the triumphant return of Vera, the old lady from “up North” who never stops talking, which gets her out of all sorts of scrapes. You can read more of her stories here.

This week we are in Casablanca, Morocco.

(Quick update, I Googled “cosh” and it appears to be “British informal”. It’s a baton or cudgel, Americans might call it a “night stick”.)

“Come on, Auntie, let’s go along here.”

“Eee, no, let’s try this way, oh I say, a bit dismal this, reminds me of home…”

“Uh, Auntie, this doesn’t look too safe…”

“… look at what I’ve stepped in, foreign poo that is, not like the poo back home…”

“Hey! Tourists! Give to me your valuables!”

“… who’s this then? you look just like me grandson, lovely lad, maybe you know ‘im…”

“This a robbery, you give…”

“…robbery? when I were a lass they done it right, black bag, balaclava, cosh, where’s yer cosh? what’s that? a peashooter? where’s yer sawn-off? give it ‘ere, you could ‘ave someone’s eye out, I’ll just put it in me bag where it’s safe…”

“Hey, my pistol, give it…”

“… you could hurt someone, where’s yer mamma? I’ll ‘ave words, hey, you come back ‘ere, no word of goodbye, no manners the yoof of today ramble mutter mutter…”

Categories: Fiction Tags: flash fiction, Vera versus, What Pegman Saw

FF – History Repeats

September 27, 2017 draliman 51 comments

Here’s my story for Friday Fictioneers, hosted by Rochelle. The photo is by J. Hardy Carroll.

No time this week so just chucked out a quick story so as not to miss it. Click on the blue froggy for the other stories. I’ll try to read as many as possible, depends how this work project goes.

Harry slumped in the derelict building, swigging vodka and reminiscing on his downfall.

“It’s gotta be this one, Frank. No way it’s a flophouse. No broken windows – bullet-proof for sure.”

“I dunno, Harry. This operation’s cost over a million. Copter support, armoured vehicles…”

“No worries. Go go go!”

They blew the door. A bum looked up in surprise and threw up on Harry’s boots.

His daydream shattered as the door to the old warehouse exploded. Armoured men ran in. Harry looked up – a familiar face!

“Hey, Frank! Wrong building!” he slurred.

“Shit.”

“Saved you a seat right here! Vodka?”

Categories: Fiction Tags: flash fiction, Friday Fictioneers

Pegman – They Saved the World!

September 24, 2017 draliman 42 comments

Here is my post for What Pegman Saw, which this week is at the Sambor Prei Kuk temple in Cambodia. It’s a bit small, but the sign says “No Entry” in various languages, and there’s scaffolding up.

To read the other stories, click on the blue froggy.