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Jack O. Lantern

@jackandjillcpl.bsky.social

240 followers 140 following 6.8K posts

Fortysomething polyam atheist geek/horror fan/Oxford comma aficionado/nazi puncher with library cards in four NorCal counties. Bad product of a bad marriage. Elon hater before it was cool. Suburban and boring, but in a really sexy way. Often NSFW. He/him.

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Jack O. Lantern @jackandjillcpl.bsky.social · Nov 15

I want to fuck you in a room littered with the corpses of Nazis we killed as foreplay.

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Jack O. Lantern @jackandjillcpl.bsky.social · 2h

Someday I am going to choose a Halloween costume that incorporates my existing facial hair, but today is not that day.

Jack O. Lantern @jackandjillcpl.bsky.social · 5h

Awesome.

Jack O. Lantern @jackandjillcpl.bsky.social · 18h

This would segue into Guy Lombardo's 𝐴𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝐿𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑆𝑦𝑛𝑒 as Riker throws the bomb. Despite my attempt to include a Spanish-language version of that song, it appears none exist. And let's end with Monty Norman's 𝐽𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝐵𝑜𝑛𝑑 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑚𝑒 as heard in 𝐷𝑟. 𝑁𝑜 (1962). (Fin)

Jack O. Lantern @jackandjillcpl.bsky.social · 18h

I wanted to include such a scene between Riker and the woman once they escape. The final line would have been the woman screaming "¡Me corro!" ("I'm cumming!") But my earlier extravagance ensured there was no room.

Soundtrack: This one's a no-brainer: Johnny Rivers' 𝑆𝑒𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑡 𝐴𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑀𝑎𝑛. (20/ )

Jack O. Lantern @jackandjillcpl.bsky.social · 18h

Given that the story possibly takes place in Spain as opposed to a different Spanish-speaking country, I thought it would be nice to include reference to this tradition, but I couldn't make it fit.

While outlining this story I noticed there was no sex whatsoever. (19/ )

Jack O. Lantern @jackandjillcpl.bsky.social · 18h

Given that detail, I figured that drowning would be a rather pointless means of trying to kill somebody.

In seeking a Spanish-language version of Auld Lang Syne (see "Soundtrack", below), I came across a Spanish tradition wherein people eat a dozen grapes at midnight on New Year's Day. (18/ )

Jack O. Lantern @jackandjillcpl.bsky.social · 18h

The title refers to Riker's determination to find the bomb, while also referring to the practice of making a New year's resolution.

Deleted Scenes: My original plan was to have the corridor flood, with Riker needing to rescue the woman before she drowned. However, she's chained to a grating. (17/ )

Jack O. Lantern @jackandjillcpl.bsky.social · 18h

In addition, the story could have benefited from an explanation of why the woman apparently abandons her home country to escape with her savior, a presumably foreign spy. But as it stands, I like the idea that we've been given a narrow window into a much larger story. (16/ )

Jack O. Lantern @jackandjillcpl.bsky.social · 18h

But I find that when I have more words I spend them more impulsively than when I've got fewer. Were I a leaner, more efficient writer I might have been able to flesh out details like who Riker is, the significance of the woman, and the identity of the unseen villain who planted the bomb. (15/ )

Jack O. Lantern @jackandjillcpl.bsky.social · 18h

One can use pronouns exclusively only for so long without confusing the reader. I chose the first name that came to mind; I did not deliberately borrow the name of Jonathan Frakes' character from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Five hundred words might be on the high side for flash fiction. (14/ )

Jack O. Lantern @jackandjillcpl.bsky.social · 18h

However, I fudged a little bit by having Riker say it in Spanish. My other Spanish-language phrase ("Come with me if you want to live") is taken from 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑇𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟 (1984) and its 1991 sequel.

I intended to not reveal the protagonist's name, but the ambiguity hindered the story. (13/ )

Jack O. Lantern @jackandjillcpl.bsky.social · 18h

BEHIND THE SCENES

This week's challenge included an unprecedented 500-word limit and the required phrase "New Year" or "New Year's", plus extra credit for including a phrase in a foreign language. Technically I didn't include the phrase, as per the rules it should have been capitalized. (12/ )

Jack O. Lantern @jackandjillcpl.bsky.social · 18h

The explosion was all but camouflaged by the fireworks.

They raced along the precipice to the pier, where his boat waited. "Feliz ano nuevo," he said as they made their escape. (11/ )

Jack O. Lantern @jackandjillcpl.bsky.social · 18h

Without so much as a pithy one-liner in the direction of the security guards, he retracted the cable and he and his attractive companion rose. When they reached the top of the wall the countdown reached zero, and he hurled the device as hard as he could. (10/ )

Jack O. Lantern @jackandjillcpl.bsky.social · 18h

Security came charging down the corridor. He took her by the hand. "Ven conmigo si quieres vivir."

Nearby, the revelers chanted a countdown. As Riker activated the cuff link on his left arm a cable flew from his wrist, a tiny hook rocketing into the top of the stone wall. (9/ )

Jack O. Lantern @jackandjillcpl.bsky.social · 18h

He crouched close to the floor and activated the cuff link on his right arm. The beam burned through the grating and liquefied the metal in seconds.

She stared, eyes agape, as he reached through the opening and withdrew a small metal device. The red light blinked insistently. (8/ )

Jack O. Lantern @jackandjillcpl.bsky.social · 18h

She pulled furiously on her bonds. Through the grating Riker could see a blinking red light. He had less than two minutes.

In her native tongue, he told her to relax, that he would take care of everything. He could see vivid impressions of the links on her hands once she let go of the chain. (7/ )

Jack O. Lantern @jackandjillcpl.bsky.social · 18h

And that's when he realized that he'd found it.
As he ran down the corridor the bouncer finally extricated himself from the mess in the wine cellar and led a small security entourage into the courtyard. Riker saw that the woman was chained by her ankle to a metal drainage grating. (6/ )

Jack O. Lantern @jackandjillcpl.bsky.social · 18h

To the left and right were narrow corridors leading to outbuildings. Midway down one corridor stood a woman in a torn flamenco dress. Though she was standing upright, she seemed to be struggling with something close to the ground, perhaps trying to pull a heavy rope. (5/ )

Jack O. Lantern @jackandjillcpl.bsky.social · 18h

...out the door.

He found himself in a courtyard, running past drunken party-goers waiting to toast to the new year. Had to be less than five minutes left.

Ahead stood a small bandstand surrounded by stone bench seating. Several people sat there, conversing or mingling. (4/ )

Jack O. Lantern @jackandjillcpl.bsky.social · 18h

At the bottom he came to a wine cellar and slammed the door behind him to slow his pursuer. For good measure, he pulled down a heavy oak hutch, sending bottles and stemware to the floor. Glass shattered and wood splintered, but Riker didn't pause before leaping over the mess and racing... (3/ )

Jack O. Lantern @jackandjillcpl.bsky.social · 18h

He ran through the kitchen, pushing his way past an enormous bouncer and an angry chef until he reached the staircase. He descended twelve steps in two enormous strides, aware that the bouncer was close behind. He had no time to explain himself. (2/ )

Jack O. Lantern @jackandjillcpl.bsky.social · 18h

Flash Fiction Friday: Resolve
Image credit: Knotty Monkey/More Bad Advice

Riker dashed through the ballroom, earning incredulous stares from the revelers. A mustachioed waiter teetered on his feet and nearly dropped a tray of champagne flutes as he passed. (1/ )

Low-angle black and white image of a corridor or passageway. The rocky walls give it the appearance of a cavern, likely man-made if so. The ground appears to be made up of paving stones, and there is a grating in the foreground. A woman has been chained to the grating at her right ankle. With her right hand she appears to pull on or struggle against the chain. Her legs are bent at the knees, and the image terminates at the tops of her thighs, so we cannot see any of her from the waist up. At the end of the passageway is an arch-shaped doorway in which stands the silhouette of another person.

Jack O. Lantern @jackandjillcpl.bsky.social · 1d

I can't get over how good it is. I will definitely order it again.

Jack O. Lantern @jackandjillcpl.bsky.social · 1d

I've gotta be honest, this is fucking delicious and I can't believe I've never ordered it before. Plus, I can kid myself that I'm eating semi-healthy without the tortilla.

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