Flash Fiction - Chanel#5 and Candy Apple Kiss

Prompt: She spritzed on the most expensive perfume at the cosmetic counter.

Susan glanced around to see if anyone was looking, then she spritzed on the most expensive perfume at the cosmetic counter. Smoothing her hair in the oval mirror atop the glass case she glanced around again, selected Candy Apple Kiss lipstick from the case and applied it liberally.

"Not bad," she said to the reflection in the mirror.

"Not bad at all," came a voice from behind her.

Susan flushed a crimson red that rivaled the color of her lipstick.

"Mr. Davis," she said, "I didn't see you."

He nodded, but said nothing for a moment.

Susan fidgeted with her hair, smoothed her skirt and waited for him to speak, wondering if she would be fired for stealing.

"Do you have a luncheon date?" he asked.

Susan's voice was barely a whisper, "No, sir. I was just trying it on."

"Well, it seems a shame to let Chanel #5 and Candy Apple Kiss go to waste." he said, "May I buy you lunch?"


Susan lifted her blue eyes to his and nodded her head, too stunned to speak.

They had lunch that day and the next and the next until one day several months later, Mr. Davis presented her with a bottle of Chanel #5, a new tube of Candy Apple Kiss and an diamond engagement ring.

It turned out that the only thing Susan had stolen that day was the heart of James Davis, owner of the Davis Downtown Department Store.

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(Copyright © 2010, 2011 Jan Christiansen. All rights reserved.)

Nice try, Jack!

I started my diet again today, just like most Mondays, determined not to overeat. I read my Bible, said my prayers, did a load of laundry, then headed for the bank. After making my deposit, I realized I had not eaten breakfast and I was hungry.

To my delight, God had placed a Jack-in-the-Box right across from my bank. I thank Him for that often. I popped in, knowing just what I wanted - a supreme croissant. Now, I'm sure some of you are thinking that a supreme croissant is not a very diet-y breakfast, but for me, it's a good choice. Maybe not the best choice, but a good choice, nonetheless.


So, I step up to the counter, order my croissant and then it happens...the devil  the cashier asks, "Would you like the two supreme croissants for $3.00 deal?"

What? Two supreme croissants for $3.00? One croissant is $2.49, so it's only 51 cents for the other croissant. What a deal! But I had no one to eat the other croissant and I knew if they put it in a bag and I carried it to my car, that I would eat that other croissant.

That Jack! He knows it drives me crazy to waste money. Two supreme croissants for $3.00?

I gave the girl behind the counter a steely-eyed look and slowly shook my head, then said, "and you can tell your boss I said, 'Nice try, Jack!'"

So, it's already 11:00 AM on a Monday morning and I haven't fallen off my diet yet - woooo-hoooo!

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(Copyright © 2010, 2011 Jan Christiansen. All rights reserved.)

My New Devotional Blog

I'm a bit of a night owl, so when 1:00 AM rolled around last night, I was still at my computer creating a new blog - Refreshed By The Word.




It's a daily devotional site, whose purpose is to encourage each visitor with devotions that refresh the spirit.

Check back each day for a refreshing look at God's word.

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(Copyright © 2010, 2011 Jan Christiansen. All rights reserved.)

Flash Fiction - A Midnight Swim

Sylvia dove deep into the frigid waters, breathing in the salty brine. Parched lungs expanded to drink in the chill as she shed the skin that had held her bound during her visit above.

She was glad it was over. Not that it hadn't been pleasant. Certainly she had enjoyed her time with Walter and the children. Even his prunish wife, Priscilla had been cordial this time, but the ways of the Drylanders were strange. What her brother saw in living in such a confining space was beyond her understanding.

It was good to be headed toward home again.  She dove deeper still, past the reef into the silky darkness. It took a few minutes for her eyes to adjust after they secreted their pressure film and again she was awed by the sheer beauty of the hidden city below.

It would be a long time before she wanted to leave the water again. Next Christmas, Walter would just have to come visit her…if he could even remember how to morph!
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*It was midnight when I started writing this story, which accounts for it's weirdness!

(Copyright © 2010, 2011 Jan Christiansen. All rights reserved.)

The Parts You Skip

You know how when you're reading a book, you sometimes come to a section that is just useless information?  If you're like me, after the first couple of passages like that, you just start skipping over them to get on with the interesting parts.

I ran across a quote this morning...

"I leave out the parts that people skip."
– Elmore Leonard (b. 1925)

From now on, when I write and when I edit what I've written, I'll be asking myself - Is this a section I would skip over? 

Thank you, Elmore Leonard!

 
(Copyright © 2010, 2011 Jan Christiansen. All rights reserved.)

Inky Haze at Jerry's Java Hut

Had to share this story written by my brother from one of the prompts in Wake Up Your Muse.  Let me know what you think of it.

The prompt was:  "He frequented Jerry's Java Hut, but not for the coffee."


He pulled his collar tighter around his neck against the cold rain as the night swam around him like an inky haze. He looked over his shoulder confirming that his new friend was still following him. He was sure this was the man sent to kill him. He'd been expecting this for some time now and was noticing with a detached sort of interest that he was neither afraid nor angry.

"Inky Haze?" he muttered out loud. The woman sitting next to him looked over with an amused chuckle. He shifted in his seat and repositioned his laptop so she couldn't see. He thought that she was nosy and stupid.

"Harold, double espresso twice brewed mocha cap with extra foam, two sugars, caramel syrup and cinnamon up for you."

Harold wasn't his real name, it was his pen name. The name with which he was going to take over the literary world. Harold Manning was destined to be a world renown mystery novelist, Mosha Schneckle was a nerdy Jewish kid from Brighton. Harold Manning frequented Jerry's Java Hut, but not for the coffee. He was here to write. He was here to show the few people who noticed him that he had more of a purpose in his life than delivering groceries for his fathers store. He was here to feel good about himself for a couple hours a day and to write the next...no, the first greatest American novel.

He stared at his screen looking at the paragraph he'd written. It was his one hundred twenty second, first paragraph.

He looked down at his keyboard and noticed that the word "delete" was worn off that particular key. He mashed it again and watched the words disappear

(Copyright © 2011 Rod Glaze. All rights reserved.)

Playing around with a Prompt

Prompt: The foliage was thick enough to conceal her while providing the perfect vantage point.

Here's the story I came up with (flash fiction again).


The foliage was thick enough to conceal her while providing the perfect vantage point. Agnes had been winning the blue ribbon at the county fair for her Dutch Apple Pie for years and Mabel was tired of coming in second. It had taken her some time and not a little effort to climb the tree outside Agnes' kitchen window, but from here she could see every move her neighbor was making.

Unfortunately, taking notes while balanced on a tree limb was not as easy as she thought it would be. When Agnes pulled a bottle of brandy from under the sink and poured herself a shot, then put a shot into the pie. Mabel was so surprised that she lost her footing and tumbled from the tree.

So, while Agnes won the blue ribbon once again, Mable just ended up black and blue...but she did buy herself a bottle of brandy.


(Copyright © 2010, 2011 Jan Christiansen. All rights reserved.)