Welcome back to the home of #ThursThreads for Week 707. Year Lucky 13! The last year of the cycle, the Moon Year. To those who keep coming back, I’m delighted to see you again!
Today is Thursday and that means it’s time to start flashing on #ThursThreads, the challenge that ties tales together. Want to keep up each week? Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Discord and the group on Facebook.
Need the rules? Read on.
Here’s how it works:
- The prompt is a line from the previous week’s winning tale.
- The prompt can appear ANYWHERE in your story and is included in your word count.
- The prompt must be used as is. It can be split, but no intervening words can be inserted or tenses changed.
Rules to the Game:
- This is a Flash Fiction challenge, which means your story must be a minimum of 100 words, maximum of 250.
- The story must be new writing, not a snippet from something published elsewhere with the prompt added.
- Incorporate the prompt anywhere into your story (included in your word count).
- Post your story in the comments section of this post
- Include your word count in the post (or be excluded from judging)
- Include your social media handle or email in the post (so we easily notify you)
- The challenge is open 7 AM to 8 PM Mountain Time US.
- The winner will be announced on Friday, depending on how early the judge gets up.
How it benefits you:
- You get a nifty cool badge to display on your blog or site (because we’re all about promotion – you know you are!)
- You get instant recognition of your writing prowess on this blog!
- Your writing colleagues shall announce and proclaim your greatness on Bluesky, MeWe, Discord, and Mastodon, etc.
Our Judge for Week 707:
Cat wrangler, master violinist, and Tea connoisseur, Muirlette #1.
And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.
The Prompt:
“Love sucks when you get old and tired.”
All stories written herein are the property (both intellectual and physical) of the authors. Comments do not represent the views of the host and the host reserves the right to remove any content. Now, away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThreads in the Moon Year. Good luck!
Check Your Mate
“Love our weekly chess matches, Nate. A highlight for me. Meet you at the chess park at noon?”
“Can’t make it tomorrow, Felix. Susie’s got other plans.”
“That’s a drag. What’s cookin’?”
“A tribute band she’s gaga over on YouTube. They’re playing in a little club over in Parkland.”
“That’s half a days drive. You must be stayin’ over?”
“Yup. Molly’s Auto Court. Where we spent our honeymoon.”
“That’s romantic.”
“Now you’re sounding like Susie. But yeah, the word romance will be in the air even if nothin’ else is.”
“Still, its sweet…stayin’ over where you honeymooned what, forty-one years ago?”
“Forty-two. I admit I was surprised Molly’s was still in business. They had one of them vibratin’ beds back then. Added to the fun…as I recall.”
“What’s the band?”
“Would you believe the Rolling Crones?”
“The Rolling Stones? Really?”
“Crones.”
“So, they do the Stone’s music?’
“Some…but they also write their own material…”
“Sounds…creative.”
“Yeah. Susie’s favourite is Love Sucks.”
“Never heard of it. How’s it go?”
“You want me to sing it for you?”
“Sure…if you can. That’s what Zoom’s for, right!”
“Okay. You asked for it. Just a chorus…Truth be told, Susie’s been warbling it all week…Here goes…don’t say I didn’t warn you…Love sucks when you get old and tired.
You get worn down and love’s backfired
You had it once…you were inspired.
Love sucks when you get old and tired.”
“Nate…that was lovely.”
“Better get your ears checked, Felix.”
“On my list, buddy.”
250 Words
@billmelaterplea
@sterlings-son-2.bsky.social
My husband and are older. We’ve been together for over fifty years( after falling in love as teenagers.) We raised two kids, a boy and a girl. My husband would needle me and we’d needle each other back. We’d bicker back and forth. I never worried about how it looked it was just us our love language. Fast forward to today and we have our fourteen-year-old granddaughter over. Hadley is very forward saying what ever is on her mind, something that amuses me, but gets her into trouble.
Hadley was talking about the usually things school her parents, how she longed for freedom from rules when she suddenly blurted, “Love sucks when you get old and tired.”
“Are you speaking about anyone in general?” I asked afraid of her answer.
“Gee, Grandma you and Grandpa are so old , you have to be tired of each other.”
I breathed a sigh of relief she wasn’t speaking of what I thought she might be touching on.
“Actually, we’re not tired of each other.”
“Then why do you fight all the time?”
“It’s fun and your grandfather likes needling me. So I give it back.”
“I don’t think that’s healthy!” she says.
“Love has many different looks,” I explained. ”Sometimes when you bicker it’s just a prelude to kisses.”
“That’s gross grandma.”
“How you choose to have your relationship is your business. As long as it doesn’t hurt you,” I stated,
“Thank-you for answering grandma. Love you.”
“Love you too,” I answered.
250 words @sweetsheil.bsky.social
Sade ran her finger round the rim of her beer mug. Without looking up, she announced without preamble, “Love sucks when you get old and tired.”
The fae sitting across the table from her rolled his eyes dramatically. “You aren’t old.”
“I feel old, Ariel.” Sade waved a negligent hand. “Probably comes from hanging around all you ancients.”
Caleb flashed her a mock snarl. “Speak for yourself. I’m only a year older than you.”
“And you’ll live well into your hundreds.” She sighed and met his gaze. “Doesn’t it bother you? Adele is human and you’ll outlive her by decades.”
The werewolf cut his eyes toward the vampire sitting next to Sade. Sinjen remained silent. He focused back on Sade. “When did you get all morose, Debbie Downer?”
She inhaled deeply and slowly blew out her breath. “I’m tired, Caleb. Tired of all the BS. Tired of all the crap I wade through. That we wade through. I’m tired of the bad guys winning.”
Sinjen covered her hand with his. She tried to pull away but he tightened his grip. “Evil doesn’t always win, Sade. This is especially true when you are on the job.”
“Somebody needs a vaca—” Ariel cut off his gibe when Caleb kicked him in the shin under the table.
Pushing her chair back, Sade stood, staring at Sinjen until he released her hand. She left without another word.
“You need to fix it, Sinjen,” Caleb said.
“She doesn’t need fixing, she needs to be loved.”
****
250 random Penumbra Paper words
Silver James https://silverjames.com
My front door opens and my friend breezes in, hair pulled into a bun on top of his head. I notice his duffel bag is one week sized as opposed to one night. He kicks his tennies into my pile by the staircase.
“Moving in?”
He shakes his head. “Maybe? My folks are bickering again and I am OVER IT.”
Flopping onto my couch, he rubs his hands over his face. His parents bicker all the time; I guess love sucks when you get old and tired.
“What is it this time?” I ask, sitting in the arm chair next to the couch.
“I should ‘just get a job’. Oh! Dad should retire and Mom should go to Earth less.”
It’s not easy having three parents. His dad does a lot of building on the various Afterlife Planes and his mom is always on Earth helping those that have nothing. His other dad is the head of everything and always in the way.
“You do basically the same thing as your Mom, but with pizzazz.”
“Darned right I do! No one else answers prayers with jazz hands!” Jesus throws his hands up and I giggle. “The kids like it, anyway.”
I shake my head. “How long are you staying?”
“Who knows? They’re all three mad at each other; you can picture the fireworks.” He sighs. “Can we have pancakes for breakfast?”
“I suppose.”
He grins, grabbing my remote. Things will be settled before morning, but he’ll stay for breakfast regardless.
@Aightball
250 words (did you know pizzazz had four zs?)
“Hey.” She leaned forward and picked up the hand holding the necklace. “Would it be okay to address the whole Big Elle/fiancee question right now? I don’t want to push anything if you’re not feeling well enough.”
“Actually, I’d like to talk about anything other than what I went through. Those thoughts are going to take enough time to process. I’d rather think about almost anything else.”
Lisa smile a remarkably vulnerable smile. “Okay.” She bit her lip before meeting their gaze. “While I was searching for you, I had a lot of time to think about us and being together, and I realized that you are my person, Barrett. That I do want my ‘silly happily-ever-after’, as the captain tells me. But I want it with you. Love sucks when you get old and tired, and I might be older than some, but I’m not too tired to take a chance on something I truly want. And I truly want to be with you.”
Barrett didn’t know when the tears started, but by the end of her admission, they were streaming down their face as excitement and yearning filled their chest. They’d been afraid Lisa wouldn’t want them after all they’d gone through, and they’d have to work on repairing their shared relationship. But her words pushed their fears out of their mind. Still, they didn’t want to gloss over what kind of work would need to happen going forward.
“I’m gonna need therapy, you know.”
She nodded. “I know.”
250 ineligible #SirensInc words
https://patreon.com/SiobhanMuir
Yes, I watch girl groups. I watch them dance. I wonder how they keep covered sometimes. But I do watch.
Call me evil all you want. Call me a dirty old man. I know the truth about me. I’m a damn old man, that’s what I am. All I have left is memories.
There was a time I wanted to do more than watch. Like every guy. You all know the truth. Guys want to get girls naked, and have fun. They want all the physical feelings.
Until they get old.
And I’m old. I remember how hard it is to have all the physical feelings. That takes energy. And energy is one thing I don’t have anymore. Like I said, all I have is memories. I can remember what it was like to be young. Back when song lyrics like:
Baby, when I think about you
Think about love
Darlin’, I don’t live without you
And your love
Meant something.
Now? Throw me in a room with naked girls, I don’t care. I’m going to be like, “Oh, pretty,” and enjoy every minute of looking. Because. Damn. My eyes still mostly work. But after looking I’m going to be like, “Now it’s nap time.” Because. Who has the energy for all that other stuff? Hell. I don’t even want to touch them.
Love may be great when you’re young. But I’ll tell you what. Love sucks when you get old and tired.
243 words (per Google Write)
@mysoulstears.bsky.social
In the middle of the afternoon, with no ships in port, the tavern overlooking the harbor was dead. Spooky wasn’t sure what she was looking for there. Certainly not the sorceress who had traveled with her biological mother.
Natazla was hunched over her half empty wine glass at a corner table. The bottle next to her didn’t appear to have much more in it. Spooky shifted her weight uncertainly. Then approached and cleared her throat. The sorceress squinted at the teen through bleary eyes.
“Um, Miss Natazla, do you remember me?”
“Has it been so long? You look just like her.”
The ever-young enchantress hung her head heavily back toward her drink. Ever-young, except for a single swath of white in her raven hair that hadn’t been there when Spooky last saw her.
“May I join you?”
Natazla shrugged. Spooky sat across the table and continued hurriedly.
“I need help. There’s something wrong with me.”
The sorceress laughed bitterly.
“Step-mommy not stepping up?”
“I can’t talk to her about this.”
Spooky lowered her gaze. Natazla raised hers with a fresh edge of alertness.
“Oh?”
“I’ve been having these… Urges. And I don’t know what I should do.”
“What do you want to do?”
“Huh?”
“Life’s short, so spend it doing what you love. Sucks when you get old and tired and can’t do it like you used to, but even that’s better than not doing it. Whatever you do, never deny yourself.”
242 words
@davidaludwig.bsky.social
#ThursThreads Week 707 is now CLOSED. Thanks to everyone who wrote this week and I hope to catch you next week.