Crab

Today is Day Three of the A-to-Z Blogging Challenge. Click on the letter picture to the right for more information about this blog hop. Like last year, I’m writing 100-word flash fiction stories/poems/scenes for this year’s challenge. Today’s is:

CRAB

“Hold her steady, Phyllis!”

Raymond backed up with the camera while his wife held the giant crab by its front legs. Even in its sagging, semi-conscious state it obscured most of Phyllis’s body, but Raymond managed to get them both in the picture.

“I’ll just start the saw,” he said, making his way to the shed.

The noise of spinning metal sliced the peaceful atmosphere. The crab’s eye-stalks stiffened. Phyllis felt the creature pull.

A piercing scream sent Raymond running from the shed. The crab was gone, and Phyllis lay on the beach, her dismembered limbs in a nearby barrel.

This story was inspired by the picture on Christina Seine’s blog article from March 19th.

Come back tomorrow for D…

cds

Colin D. Smith, writer of blogs and fiction of various sizes.

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38 Responses

  1. ajcapper says:

    What a fun idea. Not being dismembered by a crab, though it makes for a great flash, but the whole alphabetical story a day. Is it only in April? I’m already too late.

    • cds says:

      Thanks, AJ. Yes, this is only during April. The challenge is to blog every day in the month (aside from Sundays) with each article being based on that day’s letter. I’ve chosen to write 100 word flash stories, but there are a whole host of other themes among the other 1,700 participants.

      • ajcapper says:

        I checked it out, Colin, up to 1888! Wow. I’ll put a reminder in my phone to check in next year.

        • cds says:

          It’s well worth it. Not only for the interesting things people blog about, but also for the opportunity to find more blog friends and give your own blog a bit more exposure.

  2. S.P.Bowers says:

    Heh, I’m not a fan of crabs and this cemented my refusal to eat them. 🙂

    • cds says:

      Ha! I’m a vegetarian, and that includes seafood, but I will stress that this fact did not influence the direction of this story. I’m not saying “turnabout is fair play.” Really. 🙂

  3. Shilpa Garg says:

    OMG! That was scary! But a great twist to the story 🙂
    Hope you are having a great time reading, writing and networking with co-participants of the A to Z Challenge. Cheers 🙂
    Co-Host AJ’s wHooligan for the A to Z Challenge 2015

    • cds says:

      Thanks, Shilpa! Yes, this is always a fun challenge. It’s great to get out there and see what other bloggers are up to. 🙂

  4. Yikes! Don’t mess with big crabs. lol

  5. Ooo-errr! I didn’t expect that! Actually I never did trust crabs but that….!

  6. KaTy Did says:

    Wow! My sign is Cancer. Kinda scarey…

    As I See It Daily

  7. donnaeve says:

    I like crabs. Not when they like me too, though.

  8. Yikes! I’m thinking of changing my astrological sign…

    Hi, Colin. Nice to meet you, even if you do write scary stories!

    — Barb, visiting from JR’s blog

    • cds says:

      Hi, Barb! I don’t always write scary stories, but flash fiction is a fun way to dabble in different genres. Good to meet you too! 🙂

  9. Lisa B says:

    HI Colin, yes, scary story but I enjoy the twists you give to your flash fictions.

  10. Colin, awesome blog post! I loved your flash fiction – it’s about time those poor crabs get revenge! I am so honored that my little blog post last week inspired such a great story. Can’t wait to see what D will bring to the table!

    • cds says:

      Thank you, Christina–I’m glad you liked it. In fact, I don’t know if you remember, but at the time I said that picture could inspire a horror story. This is what I had in mind, especially when you talked about how the giant crabs are processed… 🙂

  11. Chuck Allen says:

    Yeah, I wouldn’t want to make one of those creatures mad. 🙂 Nice job on your AtoZ.

    • cds says:

      I agree–I wouldn’t want one of those crabs to turn vicious..!
      Thank you, Chuck! And thanks for stopping by. 🙂

  12. Jed Cullan says:

    Nice twist at the end. Crab got some payback.

  13. AJ Blythe says:

    Wowee, I checked out Christine’s page – that’s an impressive crab. I can see why it inspired your ff. But does this mean you are writing your ff as you go? Please tell me no, because it’s bad enough you write them so well but to think you are doing 28 ‘on the fly’ … I’ll just slink back into my writing corner 😉

    • cds says:

      Right now I have them scheduled up through S. I’ve been writing them over the past couple of weeks, which is not how I originally planned this. I was supposed to be working on them from the day I signed up so I would have them done before April 1. Oh well. I really want to get them finished ASAP so I can spend more time visiting other A-to-Z-ers, as well as my Shark Tank friends.

      I just hope that after writing all these 100 word stories (and they are all *exactly* 100 words long–that’s part of my challenge), I won’t have forgotten how to write 80,000 word stories! 🙂

      • AJ Blythe says:

        I’m visiting everyone from the Shark Tank this weekend and will resume A-Zing once I’ve finished – there are quite a few to visit from JRs blog!!

        Just write 100 words 800 times… you’ll be right 🙂

        • What is the Shark Tank pray tell?

          • cds says:

            Hello, Scarlet! The “Shark Tank” is what those of us who regularly comment on literary agent Janet Reid’s blog (http://jetreidliterary.blogspot.com) sometimes call ourselves. Most of us are aspiring authors, but we have some who are published (both traditionally and non-traditionally), and some who are readers who enjoy hanging around writers. We talk about Janet’s topic of the day, and frequently wander off on bunny trails. 🙂

  14. Karma at it’s best. Well played.

  15. lauraclipson says:

    What goes around comes around! Brilliant story 🙂

  16. dyannedillon says:

    Wish I hadn’t read this right before bed….

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