Tag Archives: trifecta

Against the Grain (for Trifecta)


I’m dedicating today’s post to the Honda Corporation. Thanks to a recent recall made on my Pilot, I’m able to participate in the latest Trifecta Weekly Challenge.  Until this morning, I had resigned myself to the fact that I would be sitting this one out … until … I had to wait so long in the ‘customer lounge’ for my shuttle ride home.  So, here’s what I was doing while the lady on my left watched The Price is Right and the guy on my right read NASCAR Illustrated. You be the judge as to which one of us made the best use of his or her time.

RULES: All entries must be between 33 and 333 words and need to include the following word using its third definition (both listed below).

scan·dal noun \ˈskan-dəl\

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Against the Grain

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He checked his wrist watch and fidgeted in his chair. “We need to get started,” he thought, worriedly. “Where is she?” He scanned the crowd and, still unsatisfied, stood to get a better view of everything.

Then he saw her.

“The last one here, as always,” he smiled to himself, as he watched her walk down the long aisle to take her usual spot in the third row. His eyes stayed fixed upon her as she glided into her seat.

He couldn’t really pinpoint what first created the spark. She seemed to have a radiant glow all about her. He wondered if anyone else could feel her warmth and light. He caught himself smiling in her direction, lingering a little too long on her face, when her eyes met his directly. She returned his smile, waking him from his trance and forcing him to divert his attention to the other faces around him. He made sure to offer them the same enthusiastic demeanor so as not to arouse any suspicion.

How had he let it continue for so long? Nearly three years had passed since he’d first arrived and been introduced to her. And each week he excitedly anticipated being able to see her again, all the while trying to maintain his secret. And seeing her now, he knew that it had been far too long. Today he would make his move, no matter what the consequences, to determine if her feelings matched his own. It was a risk that could gravely injure him and would forever brand him as a scandal to his vocation. But the suspense would surely kill him sooner.

He smoothed the emerald green stole on his shoulders and approached the pulpit to greet his congregation, comforted in the fact that today’s mass would be his last.

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From the smart ass collection – Curiosity Killed the Chat (for Trifextra)


For my weekly stab at satire, I wrote this third and final entry for the Trifextra Weekend Challenge.  Here are the bloody rules – Entrants must write a horror story in 33 words exactly, without the words blood, scream, died, death, knife, gun or kill. But enough with the gory details.  This contest slays me.  I hope I don’t beat it to death. Waiting ’til Monday for the results will be murder.

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Trifextra Entry #3 – Curiosity Killed the Chat

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“What’s your plan?”

“Don’t know.”

“What about ‘bludgeon?'”

“Fine.”

“‘Axe?’ ‘Chainsaw?’ ‘Hook?'”

“All FINE!

“Dude, there’s lots of words left.”

“Not anymore.”(WHACK! … THUD!…) (spoken to camera) “I’m gonna need a bigger post.”

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The inspiration for that famous line.  It scared the daylights out of me.

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Never Go to Bed Angry (for Trifextra)


Here’s my second (hopefully blood … or at least milk … curdling) entry for the Trifextra Weekend Challenge. Rules: Entrants must write a horror story in 33 words exactly, without the words blood, scream, died, death, knife, gun or kill.

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Trifextra Entry #2 – Never Go to Bed Angry

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“Goodnight, sweetheart. I’m sorry, too,” she said, kissing his check. Finally releasing the hammer, she climbed into her side of the bed to spoon his still warm body. “Things will be better tomorrow.”

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Clueless (for Trifextra)


Thanks, Trifecta, for the 3rd place nod in your regular contest this past week. I had so much fun writing Waterproof that I just might actually expand on it a bit. (See! That’s the good thing you do for people like me, Trifecta.)

But now it’s time for the Trifextra Weekend Challenge. Here are this weekend’s rules: Entrants must write a horror story in 33 words exactly, without the words blood, scream, died, death, knife, gun or kill. CurrentlyI’m playing with a few ideas.

Oh, look! Here comes one now …

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Trifextra Entry – Clueless

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“Wait! Miss Scarlett … with a rope … in the conservator—“

She lunged and tightened the rope around his neck until he slumped to the floor.

SO close,” she said, walking out of the library.

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One more LOST entry for Trifecta


Trifextra Weekend Challenge – Entry Number Three, written and posted from the road with my mother this weekend. (Thanks for the encouragement, Mom.)

Rules: All entries must total exactly 33 words and they must include the word ‘Lost’ in the title but not in the story itself.

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Trifextra Entry #3 – Lost

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“Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

The nurse silenced the machine. The room went quiet. He watched her chest rise and fall eleven times. One for each month since the accident. And she was gone.

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One more entry for the Trifecta contest … I couldn’t resist


Dave and my mother have since written their own entries for this weekly contest. It’s calorie-free fun and, since I refuse to download the Words with Friends app, please indulge me with my little writing games.  After all, it is National Grammar Day!

Remember the Rules: Everyone starts with the same 5 words and must turn it into his or her own story in only 33 words. The 5 introductory words are NOT to be counted in the 33 words. This week’s five words: “The phone rang at 4am.”

Here’s our second entry this week … entitled Following the Directions

The phone rang at 4am.

“Why the hell are you calling me this early?”

“Don’t blame me. Trifecta’s the one who said it had to be 4am.”

“What? That’s ridiculous. You should’ve just waited ’til the next contest.”

Don’t forget to go vote for your favorite!

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The shortest writing assignment I’ve ever been given


For today’s post, I am participating in Trifecta’s Trifextra Weekend Challenge.  This kind of assignment is actually a lot of fun for writing nerds like me.  Visit this link and scroll down to the bottom of the post to see all the entries and vote for your favorite (wink) … or maybe even enter one of your own.

Here are the only rules: Everyone starts with the same 5 words and must turn it into his or her own story in only 33 words. The 5 introductory words are NOT to be counted in the 33 words. This week’s five words: “The phone rang at 4am.”

Here’s “our” (it takes a Village, yes?) entry … entitled Troubleshooting

The phone rang at 4am.

She glanced over but, seeing it still soaked with his blood, she ignored it.  “It’s probably just her again anyway,” she thought, as she finally released the weapon and slipped out the window.

Now … go vote! We’re entering at the last minute so we’re already behind the eight ball on this one! Next time, we’ll get an earlier start.  Yes, there WILL be a next time …

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