Tag: Greed

2nd Place!

AJ.Dixon36 Comments

I opened up WordPress yersterday afternoon to some wonderful news: I had come 2nd in a short fiction competition!
My story was entered as part of Esther Newton’s Flash Fiction Competition and the stories were limited to 100 words. I’m thrilled to have done so well and would like to congratulate everyone else who entered.
You can read my story, “Money”, by following the link provided here. Do please read the 1st and 3rd place entries, they are brilliant! Thanks again to Esther for providing the challenge!

PS. I appear to have buggered up the links as they are not working for some people. If they don’t work for you, Dear Reader, then please look in the comments section and find the lovely Esther Newton. You’ll find the stories on her blog along with many more wonderful and inspiring posts.

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Fiction Fursday/Pride and Seagulls

AJ.Dixon15 Comments

Time for my weekly story once again, and this time the prompt comes from the brilliant Viki Allerston. Viki has been following me via email and has been very encouraging towards my story writing. A few weeks ago Viki suggested that because I currently live in Sussex I could write a story about the great annual celebration which is Brighton Pride. She also suggested that I include the American Express Stadium, the home of Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club and the stomping ground for many a proud Brightonian. I thought this was a wonderful idea and have crafted a fun tale from the idea. Viki also suggested a few other Brighton landmarks, but I will use those for another story. Thanks, Viki!

Oh, and as you may have noticed, I have included my own Brighton motif…the mighty seagull! I hope you all enjoy my story.

P.S. If any of you would like to suggest a story for me to write in the coming weeks, please feel free to let me know by leaving a comment. I’ll give anything a go!

P.P.S. Just a quick note to say that I won’t be posting a story next Thursday as I will be getting a sexy tan/burning to a crisp in Cyprus. I’ll still read your wonderful blogs though!

Pride and Seagulls

By Adam Dixon

“I’ve always wondered why that worship that one,” said Waark the seagull, wiggling his scruffy feathers. “I mean, what’s so special about him anyway?”

“You sure it’s a he?” Kai-Kai replied as he dug his beak into his wing. “I’ve always thought it was a female.” He shuffled to adjust his balance as a gust of wind nudged him sideways.

“Nahh, can’t be!” Waark scoffed, but he still cocked his head for a better look. From their vantage point on the roof of the American Express Community Stadium the two gulls had a very good view of the whole building. They were scrutinising the gigantic image of a seagull in flight which decorated one of the walls facing the freshly-cut pitch, the same gull which was depicted onto several rows of plastic seating. They stared at the image in silence for several minutes.

“No, it’s definitely a male!” Waark said triumphantly. Kai-Kai flapped his wings in annoyance.

“I’m tellin’ you, it’s a female!” he said. “Not a very good likeness, I’ll admit, but it’s definitely a female.”

“Well, whatever it is, it hasn’t done anything to deserve the attention it gets,” Waark replied. “The humans worship the blooming thing! They even have its image on their clothes! They come here in their thousands to pay respect to it, and why?”

“They think she blesses their ball game,” Kai-Kai suggested. “Makes sense to me. They must think she’s some Game Goddess or somethin’.”

“Perhaps…foolish humans!” Waark cawed with amusement, shaking his head and hopping from foot to foot. His stomach growled again; it must have been almost twenty minutes since he last ate.

“Why are we still here? There’s a mass gathering towards the ocean today which we need to take advantage of!” Waark said. Kai-Kai looked at him eagerly.

“Mass gathering? Brilliant!” He screeched in delight. “I love it when loads of ‘em come out! Grub for everyone!” The two gulls took to the skies, gliding towards Brighton.

***

“Sweet Doughnuts, there’re a lot of ‘em today!” squawked Kai-Kai a couple of hours later, dodging around a car decorated with multi-coloured flags.

“You’re not wrong!” Waark agreed, scanning the packed seafront for his next morsel. He rode a light breeze and perched on a railing overlooking the seafront. The beach at Brighton was heaving, crammed full of humans who were whooping with delight and charging to and fro in excitement. The streets were just as crowded, with brightly-coloured garments and flags being waved with wild abandon. The usual smells of the seafront were present such as the greasy waft of fish and chips, the salt in the air and the varied scents of dozens of human bodies, but today they were greatly magnified.  Voices were raised in cries of happiness, surprise and pleasant intoxication; the humans were having a wonderful day.

“It’s that time of year again,” Waark said, his beady eyes following a group of cheering men who were dressed only in golden tights. “The Day of the Colours, my old mum used to call it. The humans make a great fuss out of it and flock here from miles and miles away. I think it’s something to do with the males of their species.”

“Yeah, I think you’re right,” Kai-Kai said, watching two elderly men tottering along the beach holding hands and smiling. “Not sure what they’re celebratin’ but it looks like they’re havin’ a blindin’ day!”

“So are we though!” Waark giggled, shaking his feathers and belching. “I’ve lost count of how many chips I’ve managed to snatch! I even got some of that sticky pink stuff from a child on the pier! Oh, but it is divine! Come to mention it, I think there’s still some stuck on my leg…”

“Yeah, it’s been a bloody good day for it!” Kai-Kai said. “I’m stuffed! Although, I could always fit in something sweet…” Without warning Kai-Kai leapt into the air and swooped towards a group of teenagers. The group, three males and two females, all shrieked and ran for cover, dropping the bag they were sharing onto the pebbles. Kai-Kai screeched in triumph and began shredding the paper with his sharp beak. His delicious prize was revealed: five and a half sugar-coated doughnuts, still warm from the oven. Kai-Kai wasted no time and neither did his fellows. Within seconds a flock of gulls had descended, jostling and fighting one another for the contents of the bag. The noise of the competing gulls was terrific, and Waark watched it with great amusement. Less than a minute had passed before the sugary treats had been devoured with not a trace to be found on the beach. The flock dissipated slowly, with Kai-Kai flapping up to sit with Waark once again.

“Ahhh that worked like a charm!” He laughed, his beak coated in a fine layer of sugar. “Shame those others turned up when they did, they must’ve been watchin’ me!”

“Never mind, you got some,” Waark was distracted, turning to watch the bustling town once again. A procession of large vehicles passed by, each one boasting feathers, banners, streamers and flags of vividly bright colours and filled with ecstatically waving humans. Music was blaring from speakers mounted on several of the vehicles, with their scantily-clad passengers dancing and gyrating with glee. The crowd gathered on either side of the road shared the joy of the passengers, returning their waves, blowing kisses and shouting their support. Males were embracing other males in their dozens, pressing their faces together lovingly and caressing each other’s hands and cheeks. It was a curious environment permeated with deep feelings of happiness and acceptance.

“I wonder about this day, you know,” Waark said thoughtfully. “I don’t understand what they are yelling about or what this all means, but it seems like a happy occasion. What do you think?” Kai-Kai raised his wings in the seagull-version of a shrug.

“I dunno,” he said. “Don’t care that much, to be honest. As long as they bring the grub I’m up for any crazy human ritual!” Waark shook his head.

“I had figured as much,” he said, half-amused and half-disappointed. “I’m inclined to agree with the sentiment, but I love the vibes the humans are giving off today. It would almost be enough to experience it without any food on offer.” Waark and Kai-Kai exchanged a glance in silence before bursting out into squawks of laughter.

“I said almost!” Waark said, flapping his wings and chuckling. “Come on then, my greedy friend! I spy a loosely-held bagel! First one to it gets it for himself!” The two birds took to the skies, their cries echoing those of a hundred nearby gulls on the beach. As they pursued their feast, the people of Brighton continued to dance and drink and frolic and celebrate their day. Once again Pride in Brighton was a triumph for everyone.

 

A – Z Challenge Day 12

AJ.Dixon6 Comments

Day twelve of this April’s Challenge and my suggestion for today comes from one of my Twitter followers. Sakina Hussain and I have only been following each other for a short while, but she has given me some great encouragement with my writing and was kind enough to provide me with a few suggestions for this Challenge.

The word she suggested for today is “LEGERDEMAIN”.

Yes, that’s right, LEGERDEMAIN. She went right ahead and slapped me with a word I had never heard of before! Kudos to you, Sakina!

After looking it up I decided that I would use it, and this is what I was able to come up with. I hope you enjoy it.

LEGERDEMAIN

By Adam Dixon

“Ahh, but good, sir, a magician never reveals his tricks!” The old man flashed a broad grin at the bemused businessman and winked at his wife. Sweeping off his garish feathered hat and bowing low, he looked up at the assembled crowd.
“Would anyone else care to test the finesse of my fingers?” He asked dramatically. “I may look old and indeed I feel it during these cold winter months, but my dextrous digits are just as nimble and and eager as when I was a lad! How about you, sir? Perhaps you and your friend there would care to challenge me? Or you, madame? May I say what a fine coat that is? It is such a privilege to be entertaining a person of high quality this morning! Alas, no offence intended to my other guests, of course!” The small crowd gathered around him chuckled at the joke and a few of them agreed to test his skill.
“He can’t possibly win every time,” one man in a suit whispered to his lady friend. “Just watch, my darling, I’ll show the old fellow up!” The woman giggled and nuzzled him in encouragement.
Unbeknownst to them, a little girl who could scarcely have been more than ten years old moved among the crowd like a wraith. The girl was constantly surprised at how easy it was to distract people in the city. Here she was with her blond hair shining like a beacon amidst a sea of greys and browns, yet no-one saw her as she delved into their coats and purses. All it took was one charismatic old geezer with a silly hat and a few sleight-of-hand tricks and she could pilfer their valuables as easily as breathing. Of course, she had to have quick hands herself in order to do so, so at least the old man’s teachings had been worth the time.

The crowd oohed and ahhed as the old man made cards and coins disappear and reappear under the hats of his spectators. They cheered loudly when he began juggling first three balls, then four, then six, then eight and so on until their jaws hung low and their eyes were trapped following the whirling spheres. That trick was also a signal to the young girl; it was his final performance, so she had better hurry up. She swiftly stole a few more handfuls of coins and pound notes before backing off and striking up the same awed expression of those around her. Not a moment too soon, either.

“Ladies and gentlemen, you have been an excellent crowd!” The old man panted as he bowed low and flung out his hat, neatly catching all the falling balls in it one after the other. The crowd gasped and applauded, and the man bowed lower still.

“Thank you, thank you! You are most kind!” The man exclaimed, beaming at his audience. “I shall be performing for your pleasure here again for the following two mornings, so be sure to inform your friends and relatives!” The people were murmuring amongst themselves good-naturedly as they began to disperse, and not one of them noticed how light their pockets were. The young girl walked away slowly and turned the street corner. A few minutes of walking led her to a small churchyard, and she stood reading the cracked gravestones as she waited for the old man. She closed her eyes and breathed in the moist air of the morning, tasting flavour the old earth which wafted up to her nostrils.

“Well, how did we do this time?” The girl opened her eyes to see the old man standing next to her. She never heard the wily old sod approach and she had given up trying.

“Quite well,” she responded flatly. She held out the bulging pillow case containing her hoard and frowned as he snatched it away. After leafing through its contents and nodding, the old man looked up at her sharply.

“Can I trust that you’ve not squirreled some coins away about your person?” he asked suspiciously. She shook her head, knowing full well that it wouldn’t be enough. The girl didn’t blame him, really. One thief could never fully trust another. The old man seized her with his bony fingers and subjected her to the humiliation of forcing her mouth open to peer under her tongue and down her throat, as well as lifting her ragged clothes to check her undergarments. Such a display was indecent to say the least, and not at all befitting an older gentleman in Victorian society, but they were alone there and the girl was powerless to resist. Satisfied, the man released her.

“Mmmhmm, good,” he said, stooping to pick up the dropped pillow case. “You’re doing wonderfully, my dear, and I shall pay you your share once I have counted this up properly. You stick with me and we shall both be rich!” He cackled and strode away, not bothering to wait for her to reply.

The girl sighed and rubbed her arms where his fingers had gripped her. He still had strong hands for one so old, strong as well as fast. A small smile crept along the girl’s lips as she opened her palm to reveal a beautiful golden pocket-watch. It belonged to the old man, and he had coveted it ever since he had stolen it from a passing politician. The girl would sell it that afternoon and the man would simply believe that he had lost it somewhere.

“Your fingers are still quick, old man, but not as quick as mine!” The girl grinned to herself as she walked back towards the market. One day she wouldn’t need the old man anymore, and that day was fast approaching.