A Catapult to Success

Tags

catapult, daily post, microfiction

Trapped. The room was empty except for a catapult. Such an odd thing to find in a room with no windows and a door in the ceiling. The whole thing seemed upside down to me, or maybe sideways (vertigo was confusing my sense of direction). The only way out was through that door. Luckily it was open, even if too high to reach.

After some quick long division in my head, I figured I could prop the catapult against one wall and it would sling me right through the open door. Three, two, one.

Ouch. Off by “this” much.

 

[The above is in response to a Microfiction prompt: Write a 100 word or less story or poem about someone trapped in a room. Something must be upside down or sideways within the room. Include the word division.]

David J. Kent is the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, due out in late July 2017. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) (both Fall River Press) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

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You know how to whistle, don’t you?

Tags

creative, microfiction

“I’ll have a sarsaparilla, Mack.”

Bogie scanned the joint. The piano player banged out a lively “Turkey in the Straw” as the dame flashed her ankles to entice the boys into buying more whiskey. Hoots and ten gallons filled the air and the shots kept on pouring.

Then he spied her. She was a looker, just like the dandy had told him. He could have walked over but Bogie decided on a different approach – he whistled, then gave her a look like he Be-Calling her over.

“Kiss me, kid;” Kiss me like you have and have not before.

 

Response to a writer’s prompt on MicroFiction Madness:
Write a 100 word or less story or poem set in the old west. You can write an old fashioned western, or combine it with another genre like sci-fi, romance, mystery, etc. Include the word sarsaparilla.

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (Fall River Press) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate. His next book is about Thomas Edison, due in Barnes and Noble stores in 2016.

[Daily Post]

Holiday Snickerdoodle Flight

Tags

creative, microfiction

Francine looked forward to the upcoming holiday. It wasn’t often that she could wear her snickerdoodle costume with its bells and jingly-jangly danglies. She felt light and airy as she flew over the sparkling violet seas. Stopping on a small cheesecake island for a breather and beer, she marveled at the monkey’s zen. It would be a good day, she thought. Finally she would be embraced again in the five arms of her beloved Cameron. It had been a long time since his transformation, and would be longer still until the spell wore off. And that is what holidays are for, don’t you think?

 

[The above was originally written as a response to a writing prompt on Microfiction Madness. The full prompt is below]
Write a 100 word or less story or poem about a holiday, any holiday.
Include the words cheesecake and snickerdoodle.

David J. Kent is a science traveler and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Barnes and Noble stores now. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

 

[Daily Post]

Halloween Knock Down (Microfiction)

Tags

creative, microfiction

Usually I don’t open the door to unsolicited knocks, but this was Halloween and the requisite offering of candy must be made. Seeing the guy dressed as a vampire wasn’t much of a surprise, though it seemed odd there were no kids with him. His costume looked more real than store-bought, the face unnaturally ghoulish, and I swear blood dripped from his fangs. A feeling of foreboding began to rise in my soul, and then, to my horror, the would-be Dracula uttered in a Bela Lugosian voice: “I’ve been paving your neighbors driveways and would like to offer a discount….”

[The above is a response to the following microfiction prompt by Anita Stewart: New Prompt for Halloween: There’s a knock on the front door. Outside is either a zombie, a vampire or a man in a hockey mask holding a knife. This individual is either lost, selling something, or looking for someone. Open the door and write a 100 word or less story or poem about your visitor.]

David J. Kent is a science traveler and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Barnes and Noble stores now. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

 

The End of the Day

Tags

creative, microfiction

The day was ending. Not the usual day measured in hours, but the kind of day measured in lifetimes. Or perhaps eons. Can one really understand for sure whether one day is on the cusp of another, or if there is merely some ethereal dissolution from one existence to the next? Are we here as individuals or as unseen forces passed from one physical body to another as our days stretch into infinities? Is there an expiration to our existence, or a continuation simply beyond our comprehension? Darn. Lights out.

[The above is a response to a Microfiction prompt:
Write a 100 word or less story or poem about something ending. Include either the word cusp, expiration, or dissolution (or all three if you feel ambitious).]

© David J. Kent 2015

David J. Kent (David K) is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time. His next book is about Thomas Edison, due in 2016.

The Puppet Suit

Tags

creative, microfiction

“Well, you clean up nice.”

Apparently she had never seen him in a suit before. But here he was, dressed up like some Wall Street tycoon in hopes of making an impression. Unfortunately, the interview hadn’t gone as well as the suit made him look. It was fine until the interviewer pulled out the puppets. Not what he expected for an investment firm, for sure. When the guy started using the puppets to explain how his firm and other “too-big-to-fail” firms had manipulated the global financial meltdown and still took multi-million dollar bonuses…

I walked out.

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) (both Fall River Press). He has also written two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate. His next book on Abraham Lincoln is due out in 2017.

[Daily Post]