Stand Ready to Smite for Friday Flash Fics by Jeff Baker. (June 23, 2023)

Posted on June 23, 2023 by jeffbaker307

Stand Ready to Smite

by Jeff Baker

(A Demeter’s Bar Story)

AUTHOR’S NOTE: I haven’t done one of these bar stories in about a year or so, possibly because the hostile and downright violent anti-LGBT mood in the country seemed to preclude a comedy set at a fictional venue similar to real-world ones that are getting attacked both metaphorically and physically. But I figured that enough was enough and so I wrote this; which is a bit of a nod to my favorite writers Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore.

The grey-haired man in the tweed jacket pointed at his glass on the bar and said. “When you got a minute, I’ll have a refill.”

“Sure,” Zack the bartender there at Demeter’s said. “Comin’ right up.”

Zack was tall and built like a twenty-something soccer player with stringy red hair that hung down on his shoulders. He reached for the bottle below the bar with his bandaged hand and knocked over the stack of plastic cups.

“Dammit!” Zack swore. “Sorry, I’m still not used to this, this thing.” He held up his bandaged hand.

“I’ll bet you aren’t,” the man said. “What happened?”

“Some homophobic assholes jumped him in the parking lot the other night, that’s what happened.” That was from Paco, sitting at the end of the bar looking muscular and young in the tank top he wore after workouts.

“Are you okay?” the man asked, looking concerned.

“Yeah, they just caught me off guard,” Zack said, pouring the refill with his unbandaged hand. “I got a couple of bruises and this hand got bashed up against a car. One of the thugs caught the worst of it.”

“Yeah, Zack got him in the knee!” Paco said, giving him a thumb’s up.

“I was aiming higher,” Zack said, wishing he’d kept up lessons at the Dojo when he was in high school.

“I didn’t realize there was much of that violence going on around town,” the man said. “I knew the mood in the country was letting the hostile nuts think they have carte blanche now, but not everybody believes it.”

“Those guys the other night sure did,” Paco said.

“Did the cops catch them?” the man asked.

Zack shook his head.

“They probably won’t,” Paco said. “And he went downtown and filled out a report and everything.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t see anything. Sweats and ski masks. Nothing to identify,” Zack said.

“But I think they’ll be back,” Paco said, gesturing with his can of soda. “Mrs DeLeon thinks it’s probably the same guys who tore down their Pride flag in early June.”

“Isn’t there security in this shopping center?” the man asked.

“Not for a long time,” Zack said.

“I’d be here every night to walk out with him to his car but I have a delivery run to get on,” Paco said.

The man sipped his drink and smiled. “In that case, I may be able to offer you a solution, or at least loan you a solution. My name is Professor Simon Ginastera, and this all fits into a project I’ve been working on. Let’s call it Operation Homophobe.”

Zack and Paco exchanged glances.

The Professor smiled and sipped his drink.

Mrs. DeLeon stood open mouthed at the tall, grey metal figure that stood by the door of Demeter’s. It was about six-foot-four, built like a muscular Tin Woodsman and had a face of frozen grey features that she had seen on a statue somewhere. It was actually dressed in shorts and a tank top that would have made Paco look scrawny.

“What the hell is this?” Mrs. DeLeon asked, to no one in particular.

“Um, that’s mine,” Zack said rushing from behind the bar. “At least it’s a loaner. For now. I’m giving it back.”

“Back?” Mrs. DeLeon said.

“Remember that professor who was in here that I told you about?”

“Which one?” Mrs. DeLeon said.

“About a week ago. You haven’t seen me since then. Well…” Zack sighed and glanced around. The bar wasn’t open yet, they had time.

“About two nights after he talked to us, Professor Ginastera shows up right before closing. It was Tuesday so there weren’t a lot of people in here. And this…guy walks in right behind him. Metal. Professor said he called him Vengador. That’s Spanish for Avenger.”

“Yes, I know,” Mrs. DeLeon said.

“Well, he tells me this is a defense robot he’s been working on and that he figured I could help him test it out. For a week or so. Kind of like a test-drive.”

“Uh, huh. And you’ve been driving it,” Mrs. DeLeon said.

“Yeah. Kinda,” Zack said. “The Professor stood right where you are and said a long line of numbers to the robo…to Vengador and then told me he’d activated the Second Operator Program. Then he had me look Vengador right in the eyes and say my name. And to say ‘Stand Ready to Smite.’ From then on, it would protect me. And that’s how it was supposed to work.”

“Supposed to work.” Mrs. DeLeon said.

“Oh, it worked at first,” Zack said. “Vengador would follow me out to my car at night and nobody is gonna jump a guy with a six-foot-four metal bodyguard.”

“I take it things didn’t run that smoothly?” Mrs. DeLeon said.

“Yeah, I had Vengador in the car with me yesterday and some guy pulled out in front of me and I nearly wrecked the car. So when we pulled behind the guy at a stop light, Vengador gets out, tears off the guy’s car door, tosses him out in the street and punches a bunch of dents in his car.”

Mrs. DeLeon stared.

“The University is gonna pay for the repairs to the car, but the traffic cameras caught him driving recklessly so the other guy at least did get a ticket.” Zack said.

“Uh, huh.” Mrs. DeLeon said.

“But the real good news is they caught those guys who jumped me a couple of days ago.” Zack said. “They jumped some guy who had a rainbow flag decal on his car window. Turned out to be an undercover cop.”

“Maybe an off-duty undercover Gay cop,” Mrs. DeLeon said with a smile.

“Yeah,” Zack said. “Professor Ginastera will be here after lunch to re-claim Vengador.”

Zack headed for the kitchen. Vengador followed him, moving not at all like several hundred pounds of metal.

Mrs. DeLeon wondered if Zack could ask the robot to wash dishes, but then she shook her head.

Better to leave well enough alone.

—end—

ADDENDA: The title is from Milton’s “Lycidas,” the same passage where Kuttner and Moore got the title for their fine story “Two-Handed Engine,” to which my tale is an homage. —–jeff b.

Posted in Demeter's Bar, Fiction, Friday Flash Fictions, Henry Kuttner, LGBT, Science Fiction, Short-Stories | 2 Comments

“Tenting Tonight” With Rainbow Snippets, from Jeff Baker. June 17, 2023.

Posted on June 17, 2023 by jeffbaker307
Photo by David Scott on Pexels.com

For June 16, 2023

Every week we post six lines of a story of ours, a work-in-progress or from someone else’s work we recommend that has LGBT characters on Rainbow Snippets here https://www.facebook.com/groups/RainbowSnippets/posts/9356440601092585/?notif_id=1686959529961284&notif_t=group_activity

This week’s story,”Tenting Tonight on the Old Camp-Ground” https://authorjeffbaker.com/2023/05/26/tenting-tonight-my-seventh-anniversary-post-friday-flash-fics-from-jeff-baker-may-26-2023/ features my wandering teenage Gay runaway Bryce Going and was written for my seventh anniversary of posting a weekly flash fiction story on (now) Friday Flash Fics. It incorporates some of the experience my late husband Darryl had decades ago when he was homeless for about a year. Darryl and I made a home together and he encouraged my writing and was proud of what I accomplished. So this one’s for Darryl.

It was 1975, I was fifteen, Gay and on my own. Nobody guessed I was Gay but the on my own part was pretty obvious from my dirty jacket and worn sneakers. I was shivering, and I thought I smelled food but that may have been from the nearby store.

The hell with it. I walked over and patted the side of the tent.

“Go ‘way!” came the raspy voice from inside the folds of towel and paper.

“I’m cold.” I said, shivering.

“I said go away!” the voice rasped again.

Can’t leave him out in the cold. Here’s a few more than six lines.

“I got no place to go,” I said. “No place to go…” My voice broke for a moment. I’d run away months ago not wanting to go to a Boy’s Home after my Mom had bailed on me. Didn’t know where my Father was. I was halfway across the country from Philly. So far I hadn’t cried.

I heard a rustling in the tent. Then a flap opened, not where I thought it would and the voice told me to get in. I saw a glimmer of light inside which surprised me, I hadn’t seen it through the tent.

“Get in, quick. And take off your damn shoes.”

And I imagined the great Ray Walston playing the man in the tent. Be back next week with something for Y.A, readers that works for the rest of us, from a fine author who is not me! —-jeff

Posted in Bryce Going, Fantasy, Fiction, LGBT, Rainbow Snippets | 6 Comments

“Make Me Immortal…” A New Story of Mine Posted on RoMMantic Reads. Jeff Baker, June 17, 2023.

Posted on June 17, 2023 by jeffbaker307
Photo by Orlando Allo on Pexels.com

Fiona Glass has done me the kindness of posting my latest story on the RoMMantic Reads zine. “Make Me Immortal With a Kiss” is, I admit, something of a wish-fulfillment fantasy but it felt good to write.

Here it is: https://rommanticreads.wordpress.com/2023/06/17/jeff-baker-make-me-immortal-with-a-kiss/comment-page-1/#comment-504

Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, LGBT, RoM/Mantic Reads, Science Fiction, Short-Stories, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Angel Martinez Reads My Story “Billy Gonzalez and the Day of the Dead.” Fiction by Jeff Baker, June 16, 2023.

Posted on June 16, 2023 by jeffbaker307

Angel Martinez does a fine reading of one of my stories that first appeared in the RoMMantic Reads zine: “Billy Gonzalez and the Day of the Dead.” Check out her website: she usually has a reading on Fridays. https://angelmartinezauthor.weebly.com/from-angels-cave/friday-reading-day-billy-gonzalez-and-the-day-of-the-dead

Here’s a link to RoMMantic Reads: https://rommanticreads.wordpress.com/

Happy reading and listening, everybody!

Posted in Angel Martinez, Billy Gonzalez, Day of the Dead, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, LGBT, RoM/Mantic Reads, Short-Stories | Leave a comment

“Enshrouded.” Or: “Why They Never Catch the People T.P.ing Trees.” Friday Flash Fics by Jeff Baker, June 16, 2023.

Posted on June 15, 2023 by jeffbaker307

Enshrouded

by Jeff Baker

“Hey! Watch where you’re going!” the white figure said as they nearly collided in mid-air.

“Sorry! I’m kinda new at this!” Skye said.

“Well, just be sure you get the tree and not me, okay?”

“Okay.”

The last thing Skye had expected was that he’d become a ghost and that ghosts actually did look like a floating white sheet. He was assured that not every ghost looked like this and further that this was only a temporary condition.

Then came the second surprise; the ghosts had to dive bomb the trees on the grounds of their old high school. This, not kids, was what caused the filmy white strips that everyone thought were toilet paper.

Skye floated overhead and stared down at the two thick Elm trees that he remembered from when he’d gone here in, what? The early seventies? It was hard to remember sometimes. The green leafy tree was enshrouded with white strips. Skye smiled. People always wondered how kids got the tops of the trees.

“Wheeeeeeee!” The voice was the one he’d heard before as a white sheeted ghost swirled around another tree brushing the branches leaving white strips.

“Looks good,” Skye said, resisting the urge to go “Boooo!”

“Yeah, thanks,” the ghost said.

“Hey, I’m Skye,” he said. “Sorry about that earlier.”

“Forget it,” the other ghost said. “Just call me Trick, like in Trick-Or-Treat.”

“Hey, Trick,” Skye said.

“Look at this,” Trick said, spreading his sheet. Skye looked. Most humans couldn’t see them and they appeared to themselves as solid, white sheets draped over an invisible person but Skye could actually see part of the house across the street through Trick.

“Heyyyyy! Nice!” Skye said.

“I’m thinning out!” Trick said. “That means I’m leaving here soon!”

“How long have you been here, anyway?” Skye asked.

“Since June sixteenth, nineteen-seventy.” Trick said. “Vietnam.”

“Oh, my God!” Skye said. “I can’t remember your name, but we had a page for you in the yearbook! My editor put it together the year before I started here!”

“I can’t remember my name either,” Trick said. “They said that’s a good sign. Losing the last of Earth so I get to go elsewhere.”

“Wow!” Skye said.

“Yeah.” Trick said. “Hey, watch me dive-bomb that little bush by the door!”

“MIS-ter Cuthbert! MIS-ter Sandburg!”

The sharp female voice was familiar. A tall, thin shrouded white sheet floated down near the two other ghosts.

“Mrs. Pickering!” the other two ghosts cried out.

“So, you’re still here and still getting into trouble, I see!” Mrs. Pickering said.

“Yes, Ma’am,” Trick said.

“Well, I’ll tell you…” Mrs. Pickering paused and glanced down at the tree. “Oh, what the hey! Watch THIS, boys!”

The tall ghost swooped down, gracefully touching the top tree branches leaving an elegant film of white, like a lace tablecloth put out only on special occasions. Her laughter trilled like silvery bells.

—end—

Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Friday Flash Fics, Friday Flash Fictions, Ghost Story, Short-Stories | Leave a comment

Flash Fiction Draw Challenge, June 2023. The Results! June 12th, 2023.

Posted on June 12, 2023 by jeffbaker307
Photo by Efrem Efre on Pexels.com

Hi, again! Mike here, also known as “Jeff Baker.”

The draws for the June 2023 FFDC were:

A Fairy Tale

Set at an Empty Nightclub

Involving a Bicycle Built for Two

Here’s a fun and clever tale by E. H. Timms. Enjoy “Daisy Chain.”https://thinkingthinking123.blogspot.com/2023/06/flash-fic-challenge-daisy-chain.html

Here’s my story: “Auntie Granite’s.” It’s actually a sequel (click the link to read the original!)https://authorjeffbaker.com/2023/06/07/auntie-granites-flash-fiction-draw-challenge-story-for-june-2023-from-jeff-baker/

Remember, it’s never too late to write a story of your own, post it in the comments and join in the fun!

We’ll be back with more draws and stories on July 10th, 2023! (Taking a break for the July 4th holidays!) ——mike

Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, LGBT, Mike Mayak, Monthly Flash Fiction Draw Challenge, Short-Stories | Leave a comment

More Rainbow Snippets from “Diego’s Offer” as by Skip Hanford. June 10th, 2023.

Posted on June 10, 2023 by jeffbaker307
Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

Every week we post six lines of a story of ours, a work-in-progress or from someone else’s work we recommend that has LGBT characters on Rainbow Snippets here https://www.facebook.com/groups/963484217054974

For my snippet’s this week, we return to the world of my in-progress sci-fi future story “Diego’s Offer,” where the shifty criminal-turned-slave Diego is having a lunch break with one of his Master’s customers who happens to be an old friend. Diego has tatts on his arms not sleeves but he has something up his sleeve. As I am writing this (as“Skip Hanford”) for an erotica site it may be mild on the steam but it is still NSFW.

“Hey, um,” he began. “If you owned me, I mean really owned me, what would you do with me?” Diego asked.

I almost blurted out that it was one of my fantasies, so I just cleared my throt.

“For starters,” I said as sincerely as I could. “I would never hurt you.”

“Thanks,” he said.

“I’d like to tell you I’d never use you, but…”

He grinned.

“I would give you a lot of leeway.” I said.

Here’s snippet two, just a bit longer.

Diego nodded. “It’s whatever the Master wants. Whatever he tells me to do. It’s not my decision.”

I took a deep breath. “I wouldn’t set you free. Look, I like you a lot but I just don’t trust you. You’re pretty shifty.”

“Yeah, that’s how I got into this,” Diego said, rubbing the bands on his forearm again.

“And you’d get a job,” I said. “Probably in another warehouse. And I’d get the money.”

“Farmed-Out,” Diego said. “No sweat. I understand.”

“Okay,” I said. “What’s all this about my owning you? Are you just trying to make my pants tight or what?”

And on THAT note, I bid you farewell until next week, where we will celebrate an anniversary in less-than luxurious accommodations! —-jeff

Posted in Fiction, LGBT, Rainbow Snippets, Skip Hanford | 2 Comments

In which Mike buys some cool art at De Stijl Gallery from the Great Emeline Fuller…

Posted on June 10, 2023 by jeffbaker307

Okay, the photo is of Emeline Fuller, an artist in Emporia, Kansas I met today when I ran up to De Stijl Gallery to see a buddy of mine. We do that once a month. It is nice when one is suddenly living alone as I am and miss having someone to talk to.

So Scott Bonnet runs a gallery in Emporia, Kansas and I go up to see him once a month. He and his wife Sherri are as kind and generous with their time as anybody could ask for.

So, my thanks to Scott and Sheri.

Here’s the Gallery: http://www.emporiagazette.com/business/article_221d376e-7417-11ed-a439-872dd91e6dce.html

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Behold “The Sun With One Eye.” Friday Flash Fics from Jeff Baker, June 9th, 2023.

Posted on June 9, 2023 by jeffbaker307

The Sun With One Eye

by Jeff Baker

“Oh, my God! Look!” Maybelle screamed pointing. “The clouds are parting!”

“The Sun!”

“”Get the blinds down! Hurry!”

Pietro was closest on the porch, so he lunged for the controls, landing on his belly next to the panel. He reached up and slapped the button. Three of the large treated screens quickly descended from the porch roof. The fourth, the one that would cover the area of the controls and front door stayed up.

Pietro glanced up in horror and covered his eyes with his hands.

There was a glaring stream of pure light that struck him. Andy rushed over and grabbed him as he screamed, pulling him back to the safety of the shadow.

“I got you, buddy!” Andy said as he patted out the wisps of smoke that were rising from Pietro’s jacket and hair. Thank God he’d been wearing the jacket, and that it had long sleeves.

“You pulled my but out of the fire that time,” Pietro said, breathing hard.

“Yeah,” Andy said. “We gotta fix that blind.”

The colony had been on the planet, designated BA 127 for about 100 years, and while the sunlight had always been intense in the last years the direct sunlight had reached burning intensity. Fortunately, the cloud cover was usually enough and the clouds were pretty predictable; Rain in the afternoon, thick clouds till sundown. Sunshields on the vehicles and on the buildings.

So, some of the colonists decided not to evacuate. Mainly because of the rare resources on BA 127.

Pietro, Andy and Maybelle had met during orientation. Their skills complimented each other and they decided to form a team and share resources and profits. They also shared the house, partly because rent was out-of-this-world expensive. They were usually able to keep things platonic although Maybelle had caught Pietro and Andy kissing on the porch late one night.

They were all in their mid to late twenties. If they stayed there and kept refining the stuff they would be rich in another few years.

If the sunlight didn’t get them.

“You okay?” Maybelle asked, helping Pietro to his feet.

“Yeah, I think so.” Pietro said.

“Maybe we should sit on the back porch in the evening from now on?” Andy said, settling down in the metal chair.

“Probably a better idea.” Maybelle said.

“Can’t go there now,” Pietro said, glancing at the sunlight that was hitting the front door. A dash for the door would probably burn their skin. The other blinds, made of treated steel, kept them safe and they had time to sit and at least there was a cool breeze. The sunlight didn’t heat the air as much but it could burn flesh.

“We’ve got about a half-hour before that sun sets.” Maybelle said.

“Yeah, just hope nobody has to go to the bathroom.” Andy said.

“Oh, don’t even joke about that,” Maybelle said. Pietro laughed.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Then Pietro asked, “Are you sure it’s worth it?”

“It’s worth it,” Maybelle said. “In another few years we can afford to go anywhere we want.”

“Together?” Andy asked. “I mean, we’re a good team, no reason for us to split up?”

“I don’t intend to work for a while,” Pietro said. “Just sit on my money. Somewhere nice and dark.”

“Maybe find a nice rogue planet,” Andy said. “One with a nice hotel.”

“A hotel? On a rogue planet?” Maybelle laughed. “My Dad used to mine rogue planets, remember? Nobody’s dumb enough to build on those. No way to collect the money.”

“I guess.” Andy said.”

“Maybe some place with nice, thick curtains,” Pietro said.

The three of them sat and daydreamed as the sun moved behind the row of houses across the street.

Andy pointed at the blind on the end, the one that wouldn’t go down.

“When we get that working, we just leave it down.”

—end—

Posted in Fiction, Friday Flash Fics, Friday Flash Fictions, LGBT, Science Fiction, Short-Stories | Leave a comment

“Auntie Granite’s.” Flash Fiction Draw Challenge Story for June 2023, from Jeff Baker.

Posted on June 7, 2023 by jeffbaker307
Photo by Juliano Astc on Pexels.com

The June 2023 Flash Fiction Draw Challenge draws were for a fairy tale involving a bicycle built for two, a Fairy Tale and an empty nightclub.

This is a sequel to my FFDC story “The Deadly Poppy Field.” https://authorjeffbaker.com/2018/12/10/the-deadly-poppy-field-by-jeff-baker-the-last-of-nathan-burgoines-monthly-flash-fiction-draw-challenges-december-10-2018/

Auntie Granite’s

by Jeff Baker

Once upon a time there were two fairly successful restaurateurs.

Ollie and Spence had opened their bar and restaurant “A Field of Poppies” in 2018, and with the help of a magic wand they found they had kept the place going. Now they were branching out and somebody had told them about a nightclub on the edge of town that had been closed for years.

“Auntie Granite’s” was not much to look at. A bar, a dance floor a spot for a band and some seating. There were fire exits, which was a plus but there hadn’t been anybody to exit the place in a good number of years.

The two of them stared at the once not-quite grand room, at the cobwebs and the faded wallpaper.

One wall had a genuine bicycle built for two anchored above the floor. Off to one side was a picture of a lady pedaling that same bike happily through the countryside with a fellow happily pedaling behind her. This, they had been told, was Auntie Granite the club’s namesake.

Cobwebs covered almost everything.

Spence shrugged.

Ollie sighed. “I wish we’d brought that magic wand,” Ollie said.

There was a flash of cute, multicolored sparkles and a plump lady in a flowing robe suddenly appeared in front of them.

“I’m your Fairy Godmother!” she brightly announced. “I’m here to grant your wishes so you can live happily ever after!”

“Um, how many wishes do we get?” Spence asked.

“Oh, your real wish is for this place to be spruced up and open, so…” The Fairy Godmother waved her wand and there was another puff of sparkles and the sound of some really cutesy music and the club suddenly looked brand new.

Ollie and Spence glanced around at the club and at each other.

“All riiiiiight!” Ollie and Spence yelled, high fiving each other.

There was a knock at the door.

“Customers?” Ollie asked?

“Could be part of the magic?” Spence said, but the Fairy Godmother was nowhere to be seen.

The man who entered looked a lot like the actor Sheldon Leonard, right down to the pinstripe suit.

“You guy’s Auntie Granite’s?” he asked.

“Uh, yeah?” Spence said.

The man handed them some papers. “This is stuff the last owner didn’t pay,” he said and left.

Ollie and Spence sold the place to pay the bills and went back to running their own restaurant.

MORAL: Be careful not to be taken for Granite.

—end—

Posted in Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Fiction, Monthly Flash Fiction Draw Challenge, Short-Stories | Leave a comment