society

The naked truth

Posted on Dec 27, 2017 by Fatima Fakier

PHOTO PROMPT © Ted Strutz

Sweaty palms and a knotted stomach would not stop her. As a model she never thought she’d take off her clothes for money. But she had to eat and she had to pay the rent on her tiny apartment. All temporary until she got noticed, of course.

“Melody, are you ready?” a man with a silly french beret peeked out from behind a heavy door.

Nodding, she followed him into the whitewashed room. With a tug her robe loosened and fell to the floor. As Melody posed, serious faces peered out from behind easels. Eyes darting from model to canvas.

100 words

Hope you enjoyed this flash fiction. Written for Friday Fictioneers hosted by leading lady in flash fiction, Rochelle. Write a story in 100 words or less.

Click here to read other’s flash fiction and get a different perspective of the same image. Thanks to Ted Strutz for this week’s curious image.

Click here to read other’s flash fiction and get a different perspective of the same image.

Gilded Cages

Posted on Oct 14, 2017Oct 14, 2017 by Fatima Fakier

PHOTO POMPT © Douglas M. MacIlroy

White doves cooed and shuffled about in their cages. Restless. The sun was out, a windless day yet Penelope’s mind was fogged over. Thick with anxiety. She glanced sideways at the rows of silk clad guests, smiling expectantly. The minister’s voice cut through the mind-fog, “Penelope?”

The groom’s frown betrayed his embarrassment.

“Penelope?” The minister nudged, “Do you take Jasper to be your lawful wedded husband?”

She could feel her mother’s eyes boring into her from the front row, urging her to finish it. She thought of the futility of marrying only in your social class.

And said, “I do.”

100 words

Written for Friday Fictioneers hosted by Rochelle. The challenge is to write a full story in 100 words or less.

Click here to read more flash fiction.

Mental traffic

Posted on Jun 21, 2017Jun 22, 2017 by Fatima Fakier

Flash fiction challenge:

Whenever I get too religious, as I have been this past Ramadan, I feel uneasy.
Does this mean I’m possessed by satan (all the worship frustrating him)? Pushing myself too much?
Sometimes it doesn’t make sense to me anymore. I feel myself stumbling between the rocks of rules and opinions and jagged edges of modern scientific thinking jutting out from nowhere, tripping me so that I fall and cut myself.
But it’s hard to say, yes thats it. Because sometimes it feels right to blow my brains out. Can’t trust that feeling. Just need to trust in God. And me.

100 words

*****

Anyone who has suffered depression knows it sucks. Can’t trust the thoughts in your head. I experienced depression a few years ago (due to medication I was prescribed for an auto-immune disease I was diagnosed with – but that’s another story). Thankfully I no longer battle it. But I have come out of it with a better understanding of mental illness, and have become passionate about championing mental illness awareness, particularly depression and bi-polar disorders.

Depression still carries a stigma in some conservative societies, not always the religious ones, mind you. The worst advice I’ve seen handed out by some well-meaning people was to pray, get your rosary. Might work for the blues, but not for mental illness. On the other hand, doctors need to understand the role religion plays in peoples lives and not dismiss it totally. It needs to be taken into account when treating the individual.

My style today is inspired by Donna Tartt. Reading The Goldfinch I find her writing so complex. Similar to how I used to write long ago, before journalism taught me to simplify. But, and this is rare for me, I think I could read it again, if only to understand the complex phrasing a little better. Definitely recommend the book.

Written for Friday Fictioneers hosted by the inspiring writer Rochelle. The challenge is to write a story in 100 words or less based on the prompt. This weeks photo prompt kindly provided by Ted Strutz. Click to view more flash fiction here.