Urgent Care – Flash Fiction Story Snack

Thanks for stopping by for another “story snack.” Enjoy precisely 100 words of story based on a photo writing prompt for Friday Fictioneers for 4 June 2021

If you’d like to play, just follow the instructions on the host’s original post

The Photo Writing Prompt

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PHOTO PROMPT © Liz Young

Description for my blind/visually impaired readers: A car has crashed through a stone embankment.

The Inspiration

This one’s not fiction, folks. It’s the first place my mind went when I saw the prompt, and being highly relevant and personal, I disregarded my usual guidance and wrote that story rather than brainstorming a couple of other options first.

The Story: Urgent Care

He took Mom to urgent care at 9 PM. I cleaned blood out of the carpet, did the red-stained laundry, then walked home to wait.

Hours rolled by.

No call or even a text.

At midnight I texted him: Update?

Nothing.

Every half-hour I went back. Porch light still on. Nobody home.

Had he in his anger driven over an embankment or wrapped the car around a tree?

2:30, I had to sleep. They could call or text

I went back at seven. He, at least, was home. Too early to knock.

At ten, I entered. I hugged Mom tightly.

1 bird reading to 2 others. All perch on a branch.

Thanks for reading!

Want more stories?

This blog is full of story snacks for you to “munch” upon, and you can find my books on Amazon or wherever you get your reads.

cover of the paranormal best-seller They All Died Smiling

Cheers to your #BLISSfulLife!!

Ronda Del Boccio

Award-winning author, photographer, and artist

About Ronda Del Boccio

Ronda Del Boccio is an award-winning and best-selling author of both fiction and nonfiction. She has been mostly blind since birth, but she never lets that stop her from doing what she wants to do. She tells transformational tales and helps visionary authors turn their dreams and imaginings into published books. See and order Ronda’s books on Amazon at Amazon.com/author/rondadelboccio.

If you’d like to write your own story for this writing prompt, please feel encouraged!

Herd the Trees – Flash Fiction for Friday Fictioneers

Thanks for stopping by! Here’s a story snack for you. It’s based on a photo writing prompt for Friday Fictioneers 26 May 2021. If you’d like to write your own story, please come join in the fun. Thanks to Rochelle Wisoff-Fields for hosting and to Bob Rost for the photo.

The Photo

PHOTO PROMPT © Miles Rost

Description, for my blind/visually impaired readers:  Well, all I can tell you is there’s greenery on the right, cement on the left, and something that reminds me a bit of a unicorn horn in some sort of track in the middle. I gather from reading others’ stories that there’s a but and a barbed-wire fence. I guess that’s the thing that looks a bit swirly in the middle.

The Inspiration

I couldn’t figure out anything but the greenery in the photo, and this brought to mind a conversation my bestie and I have all the time when she visits me.

The Story: Herd the Trees.

“The trees are too close to the road,” Seana whined. “Someone needs to herd them back.” She navigated around an Ozarks hilly curve.

I laughed. “You’re such a desert rat. You hate all the green, but I love it.”

“I love it over there, in the distance, not hovering over MY road.”

Though we had been besties for decades, we enjoyed wildly different climates. I lived in near-desert areas for twenty years. I got tired of the prickly plants and missed my coniferous trees with their lushness.

“Too bad we don’t like living in each other’s preferred environments,” I mused.

Reading Birds graphic

Thanks for reading!

Want more stories?

This blog is full of story snacks for you to “munch” upon, and you can find my books on Amazon or wherever you get your reads.

cover of the paranormal best-seller They All Died Smiling

If you want to write your own story, please click the Friday Fictioneers link above.

Cheers to your #BLISSfulLife!!

Ronda Del Boccio

Award-winning author, photographer, and artist

About Ronda Del Boccio

Ronda Del Boccio is an award-winning and best-selling author of both fiction and nonfiction. She has been mostly blind since birth, but she never lets that stop her from doing what she wants to do. She tells transformational tales and helps visionary authors turn their dreams and imaginings into published books. See and order Ronda’s books on Amazon at Amazon..com/author/rondadelboccio.

Snap, Snap, Toss, Drop – Flash Fiction

Thank you for stopping by for another story snack. I hope you enjoy this slice of childhood inspired by a photo writing prompt for the 1 May 2021 Friday Fictioneers Blog Challenge hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields..

On an amusing note, I wrote this story in its entirety while on hold with my trash company.

The Photo

PHOTO PROMPT © Dale Rogerson

Description for my blind and visually impaired readers: We’re outside on a cloudy day by a lake. We see a couple of plastic chairs with a table between and a couple of items on the table.

The Inspiration

I remembered my summer when I was about eight years old. We had a profusion of green beans, and I had the task of taking off the ends and string to prepare them for eating and canning.

The Story: Snap, Snap, Toss, Drop

Grand set me up on the front porch with a bucket of beans, a big bowl to put themin once I had the ends off, and a container for the ends.

“Bring me the bowl when it’s full and I’ll cook that bunch for supper.”

I’m so sick of beans.

My grandfather had planted climbing beans all the way down the fence, and we’d been eating beans every day for a month. Grand, who refused to be grandma or grandmother, had set up dozens of cans, so we’d be in beans forever.

Snap, snap, toss, drop. Snap, snap, toss, drop.

3 brightly-colored birds sit on a branch. 1 is reading to the others.

Thanks for reading!

Cheers to your #BLISSfulLife!!

Ronda Del Boccio

Award-winning author, photographer, and artist

About Ronda Del Boccio

Ronda Del Boccio is an award-winning and best-selling author of both fiction and nonfiction. She has been mostly blind since birth, but she never lets that stop her from doing what she wants to do. She tells transformational tales and helps visionary authors turn their dreams and imaginings into published books. See and order Ronda’s books on Amazon at Amazon..com/author/rondadelboccio.

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Big Blue and hte Duck Game

Hello, and welcome back for another story snack. This is a 100-word flash fiction story for Friday Fictioneers 23 April 2021. Rochelle Wisoff-Fields hosts this weekly blog challenge. If you’d like to try it, just click the link above and follow the instructions. Everyone’s welcome to play. No prizes. Just a great way to exercise your writing muscles.

The Photo Prompt

PHOTO PROMPT © David Stewart

Description: I have no idea what this is, really, or where it was taken, but in front we see glowing eggs, and in the background, what I think is a Ferris Wheel. It is night.

The Inspiration

The glowing eggs in the foreground and Ferris wheel (I think) in the background made me think of a carnival. That brought to my mind two situations: one involving throwing darts at balloons and one involving floating ducks.

The Story: Big Blue and the Duck Game

The plastic ducks floated on the track in the easiest carnival game. Everyone’s a winner, and most prizes are no fun.

At five years old, I had to stand on the stool to see. Before choosing my three ducks, I gazed up at the blue teddy bear as big as me.

“That’s what I want,” I announced to my parents.

“Don’t count on it,” Mom said.

“We have one bear this year and one duck with its number,” said the worker.

“What is it?”

“Thirteen.”

“My favorite!” Where are you, thirteen?

The worker’s jaw dropped. “Congratulations, you won Big Blue!”

Thanks for reading!

Cheers to your #BLISSfulLife!!

Ronda Del Boccio

Award-winning author, photographer, and artist

About Ronda Del Boccio

Ronda Del Boccio is an award-winning and best-selling author of both fiction and nonfiction. She has been mostly blind since birth, but she never lets that stop her from doing what she wants to do. She tells transformational tales and helps visionary authors turn their dreams and imaginings into published books. See and order Ronda’s books on Amazon at Amazon..com/author/rondadelboccio.

A Misfit, a Hedgehog, and a Fresh Start – Flash Fiction

Hi and thanks for coming back for another story snack, a 100-word flash fiction tale based on a photo prompt. I’ve been absent a few weeks. Life has just been too…lifey. I’ve had a houseguest, family stuff, big projects, and more. It was fun to get back to writing a story and seeing what the other participants of Friday Fictioneers wrote.

Flash Fiction (very short story) graphic

Come Play!

If you’d like to try your hand at a flash fiction story, we’d love to have you. Part of the “deal” is reading what others contribute as well as writing your own story.

This one’s for Friday Fictioneers for 15 April 2021.

The Photo Prompt

PHOTO PROMPT © Anne Higa  

Description for my blind and visually impaired friends: This one’s a complicated photo for me, visually. I had to ask the hostess, Rochelle, what was actually there. It’s a dark scene by a building, perhaps an alley or something, with a bucket and a spout pouring out water in the foreground. There’s some light source in the left background. Something gives off a purple cast. I have no idea what.

The Inspiration

My mind went a few places with this: dark alley deals, a redneck carwash (that’s what the country folk call it when a butter pours out rainwater, and you can drive under it for a free carwash), nefarious activity, spies…I settled on something else.

The Story: A Misfit, a Hedgehog, and a Fresh Start

“Good-bye forever, Jackass.” Carey bore the kind of bruises that don’t show. Signing, she massaged her temples. After one last look, she picked up the one item that could not be packed:  Misfit’s prized toy.

“You’ve belittled me for the last time.” She shut the door to her former life, revved the engine, and gave the tiny trailer the royal raspberry before driving away.

At doggie daycare pickup, Misfit curled up on the passenger seat with her hedgehog, merging her tan and white corginess with its deeper browns.

“Good luck.” Dana hugged her.

“Thanks. Let’s make our new home, Missy.”

Reading Birds graphic

Thanks for reading!

Cheers to your #BLISSfulLife!!

Ronda Del Boccio

Award-winning author, photographer, and artist

About Ronda Del Boccio

Ronda Del Boccio is an award-winning and best-selling author of both fiction and nonfiction. She has been mostly blind since birth, but she never lets that stop her from doing what she wants to do. She tells transformational tales and helps visionary authors turn their dreams and imaginings into published books. See and order Ronda’s books on Amazon at Amazon..com/author/rondadelboccio.

Delicious Clouds

Hi there! Thanks for coming back to read another flash fiction story snack. This one’s for Friday Fictioneers, a fun weekly blog challenge in which you write a story of precisely 100 words. IF you’d like to give it a try, just go to the link for the 12 March 2021 prompt, follow the guidelines, and come play!

The Photo Writing Prompt

PHOTO PROMPT © CEAyr

Description for my blind/visually impaired readers: This photo shows a wide open beach under a sky with puffy clouds.

The Inspiration

The clouds made me think of how much my dog, and now cat, as well enjoy it when I make hot chocolate.

Genre: Memoir

The Story: Delicious Clouds

It’s impossible for me to drink a cup of hot cocoa without Diva staring me down with pleading eyes. She wants the safe part of my delight. I love adding fluffy clouds of whipped cream in a can for added decadence.

Diva shows me the best sit in the history of sit, nose tipped up, awaiting her descending swirl of deliciousness.

“Give ma a paw first,” I say, and my gorgeous golden girl complies.

Now that I’ve added a Twitch cat to our little family, she sits beside her big canine sister, the picture of poise, awaiting her turn, too.

This is a photo of my 2 girls awaiting the whipped cream to come to them.

Reading Birds image

Thanks for reading!

Cheers to your #BLISSfulLife!!

Ronda Del Boccio

Award-winning author, photographer, and artist

About Ronda Del Boccio

Ronda Del Boccio is an award-winning and best-selling author of both fiction and nonfiction. She has been mostly blind since birth, but she never lets that stop her from doing what she wants to do. She tells transformational tales and helps visionary authors turn their dreams and imaginings into published books. See and order Ronda’s books on Amazon at Amazon..com/author/rondadelboccio.

Your days are Numbered | Friday Fictioneers Flash Fiction

Hi, and welcome back to another flash fiction story, which I like to call a story snack. This one’s for Friday Fictioneers 26 February 2021. These are all supposed to be 100-word stories. If you’ve ever considered writing a fiction story but haven’t tried, or you have but want to hone your skills, writing flash fiction is a great practice.

For me, being creative is helping me keep some shred of my sanity intact during the pandemic. It’s been almost a year since life as we once knew ended. What life will be once we get through this mess, who knows?

The Photo Writing Prompt

PHOTO PROMPT © Dale Rogerson

Photo description: I had to ask the hostess what I was seeing. Hazard of being mostly blind. It’s roses crushed under heavy snow.

The Story:: Your Days are Numbered

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Word count: 100

“Why would you say someone could come cut down trees?” Derek’s stomping vibrated the house.

“I’m tired of you telling at me.” Ali yelled.

“Well, if you’d quit doing stupid stuff, I could quit yelling.”

“You’re not perfect either.” Ali had lived under his tyranny for over thirty-eight years, crushed under the cold weight of his scorn and disrespect. She desperately wanted out. “You do stupid stuff too.”

“Sure, I can. How ‘bout this. For every stupid thing you do, I deduct a thousand dollars from your daughter’s inheritance.” He slammed his fist on the desk. “Your days are numbered.”

Reading Birds pic

Thanks for reading!

Cheers to your #BLISSfulLife!!

Ronda Del Boccio

Award-winning author, photographer, and artist

About Ronda Del Boccio

Ronda Del Boccio is an award-winning and best-selling author of both fiction and nonfiction. She has been mostly blind since birth, but she never lets that stop her from doing what she wants to do. She tells transformational tales and helps visionary authors turn their dreams and imaginings into published books. See and order Ronda’s books on Amazon at Amazon..com/author/rondadelboccio.

Dad’s Book of Death – Flash Fiction

Hello, and welcome back for another flash fiction story. T

Tflash fiction graphic

This is exactly 100 words based on a photo writing prompt for Friday Fictioneers for 19 February 2021. Rochelle Wisoff-Fields runs this blog challenge weekly, and anyone is welcome to participate. You’ll do a lot for your writing if you do.

The Photo Writing Prompt.

PHOTO PROMPT © Ted Strutz

Description for my blind and visually impaired readers: This is a mail bag. One piece of the mail in it says it contains cremated remains.

The Inspiration

This one’s fictional but based in reality.

The Story: Dad’s Book of Death

My dad orchestrated the world’s most organized passing. “Dad’s Book of Death” included all the numbers I needed to call to cancel his Social Security, cable, and everything else, plus whom to contact at his apartment complex, his investment guy, and the reclamation place that would empty his belongings and either donate them or pass to the appropriate recipients.

No memorial that he will know of, anyway.

He made me pick a necklace charm to hold some of his cremains, as if I could wear my father around my neck.

When the charm arrived, I melted next to the mailbox.

Reading birds on a branch

Thanks for reading!

Cheers to your #BLISSfulLife!!

Ronda Del Boccio

Award-winning author, photographer, and artist

About Ronda Del Boccio

Ronda Del Boccio is an award-winning and best-selling author of both fiction and nonfiction. She has been mostly blind since birth, but she never lets that stop her from doing what she wants to do. She tells transformational tales and helps visionary authors turn their dreams and imaginings into published books. See and order Ronda’s books on Amazon at Amazon..com/author/rondadelboccio.

Gifts of the Flood

Welcome back for another flash fiction story! If you’re new to flash fiction, or to my stories, that’s a VERY short story. In this case it’s for Friday Fictioneers for 12 February 2021 and is 100-words long.

Flash Fiction graphic

This week, I’ve been caught in my house since Monday. The dog hasn’t had a decent walk since last Thursday (due to FREEZING cold and precip, and lately, ice), and I am going a little bit out of my mind. Not that I was tryi8ng to go anywhere anyway but getting out my door to potty my guide dog is hard right now. The world is a skating rink, minus the cool skates and costumes.

Already bad enough I’m a blind nondriver living rural with precious little access to transportation, with or without a global pandemic.

But I digress…

The Photo Writing Prompt

PHOTO PROMPT © Alicia Jamtaas

Photo description for my blind and visually impaired readers. I had to ask Rochelle about this. I could see train tracks that looked disconnected and green. She said it’s a piece of train track up in a tree

The Inspiration

Back in 2017, we had flooding in our Tri-Lakes area. One of the lemonades coming ou of the lemons came from situations like the one in this story.

This one is based on real life.

Genre: realistic Humor

Word count: 100

The Story: Gifts of the Flood

“Hey, Carol, I’m gonna go git that canteen.”

“What canteen, Bob?”

“The one’s floatin’ toward the house.”

“You’ll get soaked.”

“yup. Clothes’ll dry.”

“You know six inches of water could whoosh you away.”

He chuckled. “Don’t you wish?”

She dashed outside, dishcloth in hand. “I do not. Who’ll fix everything if you drown in the flood?”

“Our son.”

Grunting, Carol swatted Bob with the towel.

He grabbed a big trash bag and stepped off the porch into the flood water. The 2017 flood gave them two canteens, four lanterns, four pounds of jerky, and even a bench from Dogwood Canyon.

Reading Birds Graphic

Thanks for reading!

Cheers to your #BLISSfulLife!!

Ronda Del Boccio

Award-winning author, photographer, and artist

About Ronda Del Boccio

Ronda Del Boccio is an award-winning and best-selling author of both fiction and nonfiction. She has been mostly blind since birth, but she never lets that stop her from doing what she wants to do. She tells transformational tales and helps visionary authors turn their dreams and imaginings into published books. See and order Ronda’s books on Amazon at Amazon..com/author/rondadelboccio.

Alexa…How Do You Spell…?

I’m a really good speller overall, but sometimes I want to use a word that I haven’t seen in print before, or one I’m just not certain what that vowel is That’s what happened while writing the last story.

Hmmm…Do you spell it with an e or a u?…

So I asked my Amazon Echo, “How do you spell turd?”

“I’d rather not do that,” she replied.

“Well, tht was a shitty reply. It was a legit question.”

She made a “boop” sound at me and said no ore on the matter.

Thanks for reading!

Cheers to your #BLISSfulLife!!

Ronda Del Boccio

Award-winning author, photographer, and artist

About Ronda Del Boccio

Ronda Del Boccio is an award-winning and best-selling author of both fiction and nonfiction. She has been mostly blind since birth, but she never lets that stop her from doing what she wants to do. She tells transformational tales and helps visionary authors turn their dreams and imaginings into published books. See and order Ronda’s books on Amazon at Amazon..com/author/rondadelboccio.