Author: Tina Stewart Brakebill

Flash Fiction, tutto e niente

The Breakwater

Tina Stewart Brakebill

She sat on the breakwater and hoped the sound of the waves would soothe her. His words hadn’t. “In between the clover and the dampened earth.” That’s how the minister described it. Sounded poetic. Nicer than “here’s where we buried her body.” But that was reality. Ma was dead. And no pretty words were going to change that.  

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PHOTO CREDITS TO MY FAVORITE HUSBAND

I’ve been a bit morbid lately. Perhaps I’m feeling my own mortality. Or maybe it’s the side effect of living in Trump’s world. But thankfully my own mum is alive and well, so this really is fiction. Therefore much thanks for the inspiration to the following:

Sammi Scribbles Weekend Prompt which was to use the word “breakwater” in exactly 58 words (accomplished!)

And to Putting My Feet in the Dirt for the beautiful phrase “in between the clover and the dampened earth.”

And to Linda’s SoCS challenge using the word or partial word of “ma.”

Visit their sites if you haven’t. They are FAB!

 

 

 

 

 

Haiku & Other Poetry, tutto e niente

Winter Comes

Tina Stewart Brakebill

Unbidden flurry

Nature’s scythe forsaking fall      

Fractured and formless

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This is dedicated to my northern family and friends enduring their second (or is it their third?) early snowfall of the year. Florida has its faults (and boy this summer was HOT and LONG) but aaaaahh the winters are SWEET.

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Bike/Skyway Bridge photo courtesy of author’s awesome spouse. 

Thanks to the following for the inspiration for this haiku. Visit their sites for info on the prompts and for some great writing.

Sue’s snow photo prompt and Putting my Feet in the Dirt’s word prompt (fractured and formless) and Heeding Haiku for asking me to think about seasons and Autumn’s end.

Flash Fiction, History, tutto e niente

The Final Scavenger Hunt

Tina Stewart Brakebill

This was it. The trail ended here. Back at grand-dad’s old place. Not sure how he managed it from his sick-bed but it was just like him. A final hunt. Pit us against each other. Bastard. He’s probably watching. From hell. Laughing.

Enough with the reminiscing. I needed to find that key. What was that last clue?

I won’t be foiled again. Mighty he may be but today the laughs on me.

I tried to calmly scan the basement. Foiled? Aluminum, maybe. No.

Then it hit me. A rare happy memory. Oil Can Harry!

“Coises!” I’m gonna be rich.

abundance bank banking banknotes

This fun flash fiction (100 words exactly) was inspired by the PHOTO PROMPT © Nick Allen provided by Rochelle’s Friday Fictioners.

With a little extra boost from FOWC (trail)

And a special assist from Mighty Mouse’s chief bad guy Oil Can Harry.

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Haiku & Other Poetry, Random Rants, tutto e niente

Heart’s Desire

Tina Stewart Brakebill

When all fear is lost

And your passion reigns as queen

The desired heart wins  

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Author’s Photo

This little piece was inspired by the fabulous photo provided by The Haunted Wordsmith

It made me think: What was she thinking as she looked over her shoulder? Was she considering what her life could be or could have been IF only she had been (or still was) brave enough to make a change?

And that idea connected with notions of winning and losing, courtesy of Ronovan Writes

Thanks to both. Check out their pages. Good stuff!!

Flash Fiction, tutto e niente

Cassie & Nessie

Tina Stewart Brakebill

Cassie’s brain was spinning as she gazed at the Loch. Liam! An asshole and a coward. Starts this and then takes a powder. That headline also pissed her off. “Woman”! We’re NOT interchangeable. But it was those damn marks around ‘proves’ that really did it. She was not some kind of random wacko going on and about Big Foot or some other nonsense! She was bona fide PhD and an expert on deep water life forms. Her thoughts circled back to Liam. He was such an idiot. The paper was still in its draft stages. Not ready for publication. What possessed him to sell the story to that rag! Twitter was having a field day. She’d never be taken seriously now. Years of work. The data. All for nothing. She’d be another footnote in the line of nutcases obsessed with “Nessie.” All anyone would remember was that stupid photo. She knew it wasn’t real but it had inspired her life’s work. Now it was all over. Fitting she was at the place it all started. The Loch. As she stared, its surface stirred. And her brain spun.

Liam stared at Cassie and wondered. Was being in a coma like dreaming?

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Photo by Engin Akyurt on Pexels.com

Visit the greats sites that inspired this piece of Flash Fiction:

Fandango’s FOWC (coma) and Scotts Daily Prompt (powder) and Sunday’s Photo Fictioner’s 200 word photo challenge

Cover Photo Credit: C.E. Ayr