.
April GLBTQ Flash Fiction Yahoo Group winner
.
Gay Flash Fiction has been running a Yahoo workshop group for many years. That group has now metamorphosed into the GLBTQ Flash Fiction workshop group. By ‘workshop’ we simply mean that prompts are regularly posted and group members send in stories which are discussed in an easy and relaxed way.
We have included a monthly poll for members to vote for the best flash fic for the month. That one which is selected will be posted onto the website here.
I am happy to post our first flash fiction from this poll. It is from the April poll.
Any who might like to join in the fun at GLBTQ Flash Fiction are most welcome to join us, here is the link.
.
******
.
Bull Roar – by Mike Wilson
(c) 2013, Mike Wilson
When he insisted that I attend the rodeo, I had no idea he would do this. Sure, I sat in the audience, and cheered his exploits, especially staying on the bull within a fraction of eight seconds. When he got thrown, and took that tumble, I tired not to gasp out in horror – that body I knew so intimately nearly wrecked.
“Hey, there you are,” he said as he hobbled up to me in the stands.
“I thought you went to a hospital or something,” I mumbled, in a daze, as I rose and grasped his hand.
“Sheeot, after a tiny lil tumble like that? No way.”
“Well, come on, sit down here. Tell me you are finished for today.”
“I asked ‘em for another bull, but you know the damned refs, they wouldn’t allow it,” he said, a twinkling in his eyes.
“Okay, scare me half to death, then tease about it,” I said, miffed.
“Hey, now. I was the one thrown to the ground here. How about a little sympathy?”
“Sympathy my butt. So can you make it to the car okay?”
“Hell yes; but I want to stay and watch the rest of the trials. That is, unless you have someplace you would rather be?” He fixed me with one of those lethal gazes.
I did not much care for the bull riding events, but I did care a lot for Steve. So I swallowed my reservations, and muttered, “Nope. Not really.” Then I winked back at him.
“What I thought. Hang with me for a while, then we’ll go out to that place you like and get a bite to eat. I’m buyin’.“
He patted me on the back, then drew back his rough hand – even he knew when to be a bit modest. I thought all is well, life is good, we will leave here, have a good meal and a great time. But then, as the event concluded, and we got up to leave, he did the thing that ruined it all. As we walked out of the arena, to our parked F350 long bed, he grabbed my hand in his, and held it there. He turned to me and smiled.
“Steve, let go. Not here. Knock it off!” I said.
“Oh, come on, who cares what they think?” said Steve. Then, his words were mockingly echoed back at us by a small group of cowboys who were following, indeed had been following for some time.
Steve finally let go, and we walked a bit faster. They followed, and ran up to us.
A big, burly guy ran right up to me, and then said,
“Listen, you two faggots can do what you want, but not around here. Keep it to yourselves, ladies, or bad things might happen.”
The others echoed his words, “Keep your stuff to yourselves.”
They hooted a few more epithets, then they ran off, leaving Steve and I to recover. We were standing in the dirt-and-straw parking area, but had not yet reached our pickup. When we did, we found it mercifully unharmed. In the past, we might not have gotten off so lucky. As it was, I was still shaking.
“Steve, if you ever do that again, we are through. I mean it!”
Steve looked down at the ground, then back at me, with brightening eyes.
“Aw, shucks. They didn’t lay a finger on us, hon. We came out okay.”
“Let’s get home, and then say that, shall we,” I said, looking around. Sure enough, a battered Chevy roared past, jeering cowboys inside hurling more insults. Steve finally got the message, and led the way to his F350 in silence. The drive back to our place was quiet. When we got safely inside, I delivered my ultimatum.
“If you think being thrown by that bull was bad, wait until I throw your ass out of the house, mister. Never touch me again in public, and I mean it!”
*****
Mike Wilson – more stories | Literary Blog | Ebooks
Archived stories from old site
*****
.
GAY FLASH FICTION 