Dani's Shorts 8+

By Dani J Caile

Yet another collection of Dani J. Caile short stories... not again! And a few other stories too.
The Flash Fiction stories were created with elements from the Iron Writer Weekly Challenge and More Odds Than Ends.
I have also included some short stories written in the same period, including ‘A Celebration of Thanksgiving’, ‘The ''other evidence that does not support a criminal charge"’, ‘Goose’, and ‘The Book that Can’t be Read’.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dani J Caile
• Release date: Jun 20, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463337790

Dani J Caile

I've been writing for years, but now I've found my voice and style. I hope you like it as much as everyone else who has read it. :-)

Book preview

Preface / Acknowledgement

A new regime…

I thought I’d finished writing short stories for the Iron Writer group. After the 4th Annual Final, which I happened to win, the Iron Writer Challenge ended and my time was taken elsewhere.

It was late October 2019, about two years after the Challenge had gone, when one of the original Iron Writers, Michael D. Pitman, took up the reins and began posting new elements. There was no challenge or competition, only elements and a deadline. I decided to try once again, though I had no spare time, only a few minutes per week, but that was enough to get my fingers moving. 1500 words (or less) an Iron Writer Spinoff, also reemerged for a short spell from the depths of 2017 and I also tried these.

At the beginning of 2020, I also noticed another prompt-based writers’ website appeared called ‘More Odds Than Ends’ (https://moreoddsthanends.home.blog/) and although I haven’t fully become a member of the challenge, every week I copied an unassigned prompt from the site and wrote a little ‘scene’ or story.

I have also included some short stories written in the same period, including ‘A Celebration of Thanksgiving’, ‘The ''other evidence that does not support a criminal charge"’, ‘Goose’, and ‘The Book that Can’t be Read’.

I hope you enjoy this collection of new short stories, as this may very well be the last. I’d like to thank Michael D. Pitman for taking up the Iron Writer torch.

back to ToC

Iron Writer Weekly Challenge

21 October 2019

Elements – a television, sweater, cookie jar and hand-sewn quilt, and a picture of a man running through shallow water.

Thems people down at Iron Writer Creek are damn right loco. While I was minding me own business the other day, crabbing in ol' Lake Procrastination with me fish 'eads and poultry gizzards, Vance the Nance dressed in nothing but 'is swim' cap, goggles and suit ran straight through the water on the Pitman Pound Sandbar, reaching the other side. Tied to his waist by a ten-foot rope was a twenty-inch tube television wrapped in a hand-sewn quilt and held together by a grey University of Utah sweater.

What'cha doin' there,ol' buddy? I asked, pickin' out crabs from me line of 'eads and gizzards.

Makin' sure I don't get caught with me hand in the cookie jar again! he replied, and taking a short breather, ran straight back over and left the way he came.

Well, I tell ya, I had a little giggle. 'Cause I know fer sure he ain't been no where near no cookie jar ever!

back to ToC

Iron Writer Weekly Challenge

28 October 2019

Elements - a person who realizes they can't do something anymore because of something (age, disability, accident, marriage), an apartment, a motorcycle and newspaper, and a picture of fishing tackle.

Matt closed his newspaper and sat there at the kitchen table in his small, empty apartment looking down at his tackle. After the divorce, there wasn't much he could do with it anymore. No more fish in the sea for him. No more dipping his rod in the convenient warm, wet hole and showing off a floppy whopper. With a long deep sigh, he stood up and reached for his rubbers. At least he could spend his time alone productively. With that, he grabbed his reels, hooks and bait and marched out the door for an afternoon at the lake.

back to ToC

Iron Writer Weekly Challenge

4 November 2019

Elements - a person who realizes they can't do something anymore because of something (age, disability, accident, marriage), a china cabinet, screen door and bedroom, and a picture of a woman, sinking in water.

Hey, sis’, you in? She heard the screen door whip open and slam as Sam her brother walked into the front room. Paralysed, she held the cover over her head, silent, still in bed, lights out in her bedroom. Mom needs some more plates! Can I take some of yours?

She wanted to greet him. She wanted to meet him and smile and hug and join them over at Mom’s but she couldn’t. She could hardly breathe, her anxiety choked the life out of her as though she was drowning, unable and unwilling to surface again.

She heard Sam’s footsteps going towards the china cabinet and taking out some plates. Okay, thanks, sis’! See you later! At two, okay? The screen door whipped open once again as he left, the slam echoing in the silence.

back to ToC

Iron Writer Weekly Challenge

11 November 2019

Elements – a character that gives everyone a nickname, and a couch, back door and magazine, and a picture of a parrot on a perch.

Come on in, Bud! Jesse opened the back door and Bud entered the place, dark and dingy, with a hint of stale shit and feathers hitting his nostrils. Bud flung himself on a dusty couch that filled the back room. Jesse’s wife Sandra came on through from the kitchen.

Hi, Bud! How are ya doin’? Nice to meet ya! she greeted, handing him an open beer.

Sugar tits! Sugar tits! came a squawk from the back of the room.

What the f…?

Ah, don’t mind ‘im, Bud! It’s jus’ me pet parrot, Marty!

Bud nodded and drunk some of the cool beer. He’d only been in the town a week and all the folks he’d met so far had been so hospitable. Jesse was one of his workmates down at the factory and he seemed to be friendly enough.

Marty?

Yeah, Marty McFly! laughed Jesse.

Jezebel! Jezebel! squawked Marty. Jesse picked up a magazine from the table in front of the couch and threw it at the bird. Bud heard some flapping of wings.

That’s my nickname, said Jesse. My wife’s…

Sugar tits! Sugar tits! squawked Marty.

Uh-huh, guessed, said Bud.

Yeah, he’s always giving people nicknames. Doesn’t say anything else.

Well, that’s something, ain’t it, replied Bud. Jesse pushed a half-empty pizza box off an armchair and offered Bud to sit down. Quite amusing, really.

Yeah, until you’ve heard him a thousand times. He’s usually a good judge of character, I don’t know how he does it.

They sipped their beer while Jesse turned on the game and Sandra went back to the kitchen to make them some food. They were getting into the game when the bird broke the silence.

Merchant Banker! Merchant Banker!

Jesse spat out some beer and laughed. Bud was going to kill that bird.

back to ToC

Iron Writer Weekly Challenge

18 November 2019

Elements – someone who lost their job, green army men, a front door, a cellphone, and a picture of a man sleeping in a blanket with a baby sleeping on him.

He turned off his cellphone after receiving the three hundred and ninety-ninth message saying he was fired. Trust him to do something stupid and lose his job just before Christmas. And with a baby to care for, too. His wife hadn't heard the news yet, but he knew she wouldn't be pleased. After spending the last week in the bar hiding from his workplace and dreading the moment when his boss would find out that he'd messed up the order of 10,000 crates of green army men for the Louisville depot, he was now cradling his newborn son in his arms, trying to get him to sleep. He was sure his son had no problems sleeping, it was just him. He laid down on the couch with him, wrapped in a blanket and closed his eyes. His son fell asleep instantly. Just then, the front door opened.

Hubby, I'm home!

back to ToC

Iron Writer Weekly Challenge

25 November 2019

Elements – someone who tries too hard to fit in, a school bus, a baseball hat, a sweat shirt, and a picture of a man, a woman and