CLAUDE ~ By Absolutely*Kate of Harbinger*33 in a #FridayFlash spark

CLAUDE

~ By Absolutely*Kate

In a stream-lined valley of a shallow gorge lived a little man named Claude who hunkered down his days, thinking small thoughts, feeling low opinions, worrying a tiny bit that he wasn't living up to his highest potentials. One day Claude met a girl -- yes he did -- Ms Anne Thrope. He pondered though, in a puny fit of perplexity if they got along all that well --  she never really smiled nor played any cheerful tunes on the harmonica she kept tight in her back ass pocket. 

Spring came to Claude's valley, and along with it the way a plain man's heart turns to fancy with intense awareness that the clamour of tents, elephants, clowns and fire-eaters meant the circus had come to town. Claude raised his aspirations, expectations and high-as-the-tightrope hopes, deciding he could lift rather than quell what had always held him down. Yes, things were looking up. Claude sensed a false bravado to be a step up from the sham of a meager life lived with no intuitions -- and he took Ms Anne's hand -- yes he did --  and made a short loop about midway around the Midway, still wondering if he could ever whistle up a happy tune . . . as he really did want to. Turning to Ms Anne Thrope, in a small voice he did not wish to sound petty, Claude asked if she would finally let the music play with him, so to speak. 

Tough night, that night. She soured faster than a vendor could shake lemonade into a paper cup, turned him flat down. So Claude, in a pique of exasperation, joined the circus . . . and under the Big Top, peaked in his career after discovering he had a surprising aptitude for apprenticing under the man who walked on stilts.

(c) 2010 ~ Author Absolutely*Kate

And do trip some lights fantastic at the humble Mad Utopia home of Jon M Strother, not just any other, but a fella who brings folks together ... fast as Friday can Flash its Fiction.

Jon posted a LIST and everyone's checkin' it more than twice ~ For stories and glories from debut to what's new. Enjoy it too, won't you? Thanks Jon for how you prominentize in the Writing Worlds we know ... and for welcomin' me in, this new kid in Flash-town, AT THE BIJOU just as your one year birthday lights up.

Now, make a wish.

Now make it come true.

~ Absolutely*Kate

  ... rooting for you

*AT THE BIJOU*

~ Writers' Theatre ... under warm lights

" We're poppin'! "

Thanks for comin' by! 

NOW PLAYING ~

~ KEVIN MICHAELS BITTER EMOTIONS 

~ "MILES TO MEMORIES"

MURDER*MYSTERY MATINEE SUNDAY

"THE PRINTS AND THE POPPER"

~ By Absolutely*Kate and Harry B Sanderford

with AT THE BIJOU "characters"

RETURNING NEXT THURSDAY 

~ BARRY J NORTHERN'S MYSTI-SERIAL

"CHASING THE WIND"