For this year's A-Z Challenge I have selected a word from the dictionary for each day and written a story around it with a 100 word limit. For extra interest I have chosen words that are unknown or unfamiliar to me. All definitions are from the Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus 2007 Edition. Today's word is Flocculent.
Flocculent: Having or resembling tufts of wool.
Jethro
made a grab for the next sheep, which backed away. His eyes widened as the
animal bared its teeth and snarled at him. Its face was a sickly green colour,
though its wool looked perfectly healthy.
“Come
on. I know you’re ill and you don’t want to do this, but I need that fleece.”
He
reached out again and yowled as the sheep sank its teeth into his hand. Why
were they so sharp? Breaking free, he watched in horror as his arm became
flocculent, tufts of wool sprouting along its length.
What
sort of sheep was this?
* * *
And now for something extra special...
Available today!
Dragon of the Stars
By Alex J. Cavanaugh
Science Fiction – Space Opera/Adventure/Military
Print ISBN 9781939844064 EBook ISBN 9781939844057
What Are the Kargrandes? http://whatarethekargrandes.
The ship of legends…
The future is set for Lt. Commander Aden Pendar, son of a Hyrathian Duke. Poised to secure his own command and marriage to the queen’s daughter, he’ll stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
But when the Alliance denies Hyrath’s claim on the planet of Kavil and declares war on their world, Aden finds his plans in disarray. Entrenched in battle and told he won’t make captain, Aden’s world begins to collapse. How will he salvage his career and future during Hyrath’s darkest hour?
One chance remains–the Dragon. Lost many years prior, the legendary ship’s unique weapon is Hyrath’s only hope. Can Aden find the Dragon, save his people, and prove he’s capable of commanding his own ship?
Purchase:
Barnes and Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
SCAVENGER HUNT! Comment to win an autographed copy of Dragon of the Stars, tons of bookmarks & postcards, and a $20.00 iTunes gift card–where is Mini-Alex? Visit Alex for a list of the participants. (Open through April 11 – winner announced April 13 at Alex’s blog.)
Alex J. Cavanaugh has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and works in web design, graphics, and technical editing. A fan of all things science fiction, his interests range from books and movies to music and games. Online he is the Ninja Captain and founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. He’s the author of Amazon Best-Sellers CassaStar, CassaFire, and CassaStorm.
55 comments:
A rabid sheep?
betty
I agree with Betty. Great story, Nick! Congrats to Alex!
Julie
Zombie sheep, obviously ;-)
Annalisa, writing A-Z vignettes, at Wake Up, Eat, Write, Sleep
A were-sheep!
Thanks again, Nick.
My vote is zombie sheep. That's some challenge, Nick. Good luck.
Zombie sheep...I like it. Definitely freaky, and unexpected.
LOL - a weresheep!
Sophie
Sophie's Thoughts & Fumbles
FB3X
Wittegen Press
So, is it a zombie sheep or a weresheep or a demon sheep? I laughed at him growing fleece - love it.
Tasha
Tasha's Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)
I'll go with a zombie sheep, Nick. I have a thing for them anyway.
As for Mini-Alex, he's chillin' alongside a nice, big tree. To pass the time, he's probably going to crack open the new DotS.
I'll check again during the month for more A-Z posts, as I'm doing the challenge as well. Have a great day. Eva
Great Post... Mini Alex is in the woods!
Jeremy [Retro]
AtoZ Challenge Co-Host [2015]
There's no earthly way of knowing.
Which direction we are going!
HOLLYWOOD NUTS!
Come Visit: You know you want to know if me or Hollywood... is Nuts?
Sheep zombie? Weresheep?... Weresheep sounds terrifying... :D
@TarkabarkaHolgy from
Multicolored Diary - Epics from A to Z
MopDog - 26 Ways to Die in Medieval Hungary
Congrats to Alex. And stay away from the sheep!!!!!
I like the way you're presenting the words. Thanks again for the education!
Precious Monsters
He's a weresheep! One hint of a snarl and I'd have been outta there.
Good to see mini-Alex out enjoying some nature. Congrats to full-sized Alex!!
Another mystical fleece then?
Ooh! My kind of story!! Love sci-fi, urban fantasy, paranormal:)
A scary sheep for sure! A scary zombie sheep! Mini-Alex is in the yard at the base of a pine tree. Hiding from the zombie sheep and making a plan to slay it, so he can get back to signing books!
His arm sprouted wool? Ick! lol
Mini Alex is at the base of a tree. :)
Where's Alex? It's hard to tell. He's so stealthy hiding up against a tree like that.
Yay for Dragon of the Stars release day!
A green were-sheep? Awesome. I'd rather be bitten by a were-alpaca though. Their fur is sooo soft.
Mini-Alex looks to be preparing to scale that mighty tree.
I'm going were-sheep. Maybe denon sheep. Poor guy. Now he's going to be a were-sheep too.
Hi Nick - not a happy man is Jethro .. Green sickly sheep ... that was a mistake ... and what sort of sheep was it?!
Alex book Dragon of the Stars is having a field day .. I sure wish you both luck with your books .. cheers Hilary
A zombie sheep! Does Mini-Alex like climbing trees in his spare time?
Zombie sheep of course. And best wishes to Alex and his new release!
I think my hair has started flocculenting! Nice one Nick.
There aren't any of those sheep behind that tree, are there? I worry about Mini-Alex. He still has lots more stops to make.
A sheep that spreads woolly disease? Scary.
Mini Alex looks like he's sitting beneath a pine tree. Congrats to Alex on the launch of Dragon.
I would have guessed a sheep with a bad case of the farts... but that word is spelt differently:)
Hey! You got Camping Mini-Alex... cool... (do you think M-A and Barbie are going to hook up when the lights go down...?)
Oh no. The one animal I have never feared has now become frightening. Not an easy thing to accomplish. Well done Nick!!
And congrats to Alex. Seeing lots of great support for his new release today.
Argh! Vampire sheep!
Mini Alex is hunting for Easter Eggs.
Such a big word for something relatively simple. This sheep is not the kind I want to count when I'm trying to fall asleep. :)
What's that sheep on, steroids? I'm rethinking my lamb image. Good luck to Alex.
Maybe the sheep had a bad bowl of Jello?
Congrats to Alex. I hope Mini-Alex comes inside if it starts to rain.
Whoa. Scary sheep! I hope Jethro survives!
And mini-Alex is sitting under his favorite tree with his favorite book. :)
The sheep snarling was probably a good sign to stay away.
Congrats to Alex.
~Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
Member of C. Lee's Muffin Commando Squad
Story Dam
Patricia Lynne, Indie Author
Radioactive sheep, maybe?
Looks like Mini-Alex is chillin' in front of a tree :)
Oh my goodness, this is wo weird! But I liked it :-)
Thanks, everyone! I was thinking zombie sheep, but were-sheep works too, especially with the sprouting wool. Glad to participate in Alex's big day too.
Uh-oh, now he's going to be fleeced.
I have a copy of Alex's book. :)
Great word and flash fiction. I see mini-Alex has made a visit from his camping trip!
Awesome! The best ending yet. I'd really like to know what kind of sheep that was.
I like the idea of Zombie sheep. And Mini Alex is in the woods seeking for ninja gnomes.
Better flocculent than flatulent, I guess :) And Mini-Alex looks like he is about to climb a tree to avoid the dragon's attack!
That is one scary sheep..run run before it catches you. Mini Alex is relaxing under a tree reading his book.
Love it. This one made me laugh out loud.
I'm going with alien sheep...
Nice to see Mini-Alex out among the trees, smelling the pine and enjoying the shade.
Mini Alex is reading under the shade of a tree... a great place to read DotS!
Love the story and congrats Alex!
Yvonne
Nick, I love the creativity and writing. The beginning of a longer horror story?
Must be a vampire or werewolf, er, sheep. ☺
That's one creepy sheep! And I learned a new word.
The base of a tree is a great place to relax for Mini-Alex, whether it's in the backyard, in the woods, or at the park.
I'm going Zombie Sheep on this one and it looks like Mini Alex is still chillin' outdoors, this time at the base of one of those perfect trees for leaning up against to read a good book!
Brandy from Brandy's Bustlings
Looks like Mini-Alex's bark is worse than his bite! Play on, Mini-Alex, play on.
Mini Alex is hiding out in the woods from sheep vampires.
Mini Alex can't get enough of being outdoors after the sink,the oven, and that onion/potato bin! I don't blame him! Great start to a story. I hope he doesn't turn into a sheep himself! Lisa, co-host AtoZ 2015, @ http://www.lisabuiecollard.com
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