#TwitterTales February 2019

Another month has come and once again I am sharing my #TwitterTales story. Have you heard of #TwitterTales?

Every Thursday and Friday I post part of a story based on a single image for the whole month on Twitter with the hashtag TwitterTales. You can read it there and check out every installment. It is a lot of fun. Here is February 2019:

Rob stared at his monitor and sipped his black coffee. Real men drank the tar this way. None of the creamer or junk added.

His job was simple, watch the track and make sure the blips (the trains) didn't run into each other. One disappeared.

Rob took another sip and tapped on the screen. The train hadn't reappeared. It couldn't disappear. He took out his walkie and called the guy patrolling that part, "Rog, can you check track four for train 313? The sensor must be down."

"Will do. I should be there in fifteen. Should we turn off the tracks?"

"Not yet. The train will need a good thirty minutes until it is anywhere it can hit another even if it headed back before I called you."

"Okay, over and out." Rog let go of the button. He turned to his partner, "Are you ready to go for a ride?"

"Always," Kat asked. She already hopped into their vehicle. They'd run the truck on the tracks and be safe if they didn't run into a train.

Rog steered onto the tracks and drove to the area, but nothing was here.

Kat climbed out and stared at the ceiling. "Wow." This section was like a cathedral, stained glass windows and archways.

As Rog was about to give the history, a light shined at the end of the tunnel. He got back in the truck and drove it onto the platform. After he climbed out, he waited for the steady thumping of wheels against the track for a coming train, but no sound came.

"Let's check the light out. Be careful of the hot tracks."

They reached the light, and Kat asked, "Is there a train?" She shielded her eyes.

"This track has a curve. A train couldn't fit."

"What should we do?"

"Let's check it out." Rog closed his eyes and kept walking until he stepped thru a veil.

Train 313 lay on its side, and the passengers climbed out in a daze. Buildings were destroyed and nothing looked like the New York City.

Rog spotted a newspaper. World Destroyed read the first headline. He had ten years to fix everything.

Search for #TwitterTales and @kamengauthor on Twitter to read my short story for March 2019. Here is a sneak peek.

Gabby stood on the edge of the rocks looking down at the rushing waterfall. If she jumped, she could end everything now and be free. She would no longer have to deal with all the drama associated with her life, her husband, her children.

#Twitter #TwitterTales

#TwitterTales January 2019

Welcome to another month of #TwitterTales. Have you heard of it?

I write a short story based on an image every month. I post it every Thursday and Friday on Twitter with the #TwitterTales. By the end of the month, I have a complete story. Here is January 2019 based on this image:

"You need to leave. I'll stay behind and work the lighthouse," Merv said.

"But the storm," his boss said. The sky darkened and the ocean churned. If the boat didn't leave soon, those on there wouldn't get out alive.

"Don't worry. I got this."

The boat became a speck on the horizon. His friends would be safe, and now he had a job to do.

Merv hurried inside and flipped the switch. No light came on. He ran to turn the generator on and slid over the ledge and into the ocean.

The ocean pulled him out further. Merv didn't dare fight against her since she was strong and vast but could be gentle when she wanted to be.

His lungs burned with need for oxygen. He couldn't do anything until the right moment. His moment never came. Instead, his vision faded to black. He awoke sometime later on the beach. The storm was rampaging.

"The lighthouse," he said after his scrambled thoughts collected. He needed to turn on the light for the ships.

Merv ran and slid his way to the generator. When he got to it, the tank was empty. He had filled it up earlier today after the shipment. The tank for the extra diesel was missing too. He didn't have time to think what the missing fuel meant either.

Merv climbed the five flights to the top of the lighthouse. His breathing was ragged, and his sides hurt. He bent over to try and catch his breath. Once he could move, he grabbed the crank, turning it. No light shined out. He turned it faster.

The light flickered. Merv turned the crank faster, and panic flowed through his body. If he couldn't get the beacon started, a lot of lives would be lost tonight.

Sweat beaded his forehead and dripped into his eyes. He ignored the sting. And cranked.

His arm started to hurt, but he refused to stop cranking. When a beam of light shined into the night. He whooped for joy.

"Why is the lighthouse light on?" a man asked. He and the crew he was with were on a ship at the edge of the storm, monitoring it.

"Years ago when the lighthouse was operational, one of the workers died. Every time there is a storm, the guy turns on the light," the captain said.

"Is the US government claiming ghosts exist?"

"Never. We marked the island as radioactive."

And that is the end of the tale for this month. I do enjoy my twist endings. You can also find other tales by a few authors just search for #TwitterTales and then pick an author and search for their account and #TwitterTales. I've numbered mine.

Here is the preview for February 2019:

Rob stared at his monitor and sipped his black coffee. Real men drank the tar this way. None of the creamer or junk added.

His job was simple, watch the track and make sure the blips (the trains) didn't run into each other. One disappeared.

-Have a great day. K.A.

#Twitter #TwitterTales

#TwitterTales December 2018

Welcome to another TwitterTales. The rules are simple. I post a short tale with parts from it every Thursday and Friday for a whole month. This is December 2018:

The sound of hoofbeats echoed in the field, coming from behind me. I turned to find nothing there, no rider, no horse. I must be hearing things.

My car had broken down, and I was in the middle of nowhere with zippo cell reception. At least the moon gave off some light. The next town was only a mile or two away. I could walk there.

Hooves pounded the frozen ground. They were getting closer. I ran until I hit the edge of a line of trees. Something had to be after me.

My heart pounded, and I bent over to catch my breath. The dense foliage would be hard for any animal to travel fast in especially a horse. I could rest for a minute and continue without worrying if the beast was following me.

A neigh filled the air. My eyes grew larger, and I turned around. A jet-black horse stood at the edge of the forest. Smoke billowed from its nostrils, and the eyes were the color of blood. The rider was a shadow.

“Run,” my mind yelled. “Run.”

My thoughts took a second to seep into my brain. After it did, I stumbled and took off, running at full speed. I step sided the trees in my path and jumped over a fallen log. The horse couldn't follow me in here, right?

Nothing was behind me. I was safe. A sigh of relief escaped my lips. The horse and the thing it carried wasn't following me.

I turned around. The horse was there, and the rider reached for me.

"Your turn," it said.

"No way," I said. I scurried away, running blindly. I needed to hide. But where? Flowing water roared nearby. If I could get there, I could swim. I would escape. I ran until the clearing.

"Your turn," the rider said behind me. It pulled me onto the horse's back. The rider climbed off the horse, and his body transformed into a man.

My body turned into a shadow.

"Your turn," he said before flames consumed him.

I knew. I needed to turn 1000 bad souls into riders for the rape I did. The next car had one.

I so wanted to do more with this one, but ran out of words. After the tale is done, I always share a peek of next months:

"You need to leave. I'll stay behind and work the lighthouse," Merv said.

"But the storm," his boss said. The sky darkened and the ocean churned. If the boat didn't leave soon, those on there wouldn't get out alive.

"Don't worry. I got this."

To read the rest of the lighthouse tale search for #TwitterTales and @kamengauthor on Twitter. You can also find more tales from other writers by searching #TwitterTales.

Thanks for stopping by. -K.A.

#Twitter #Game #TwitterTales