Trifecta – Gladiators

Posted on 28 January, 2014 by | 144 Comments

Today’s Music: Hayley Sales – Just Pretend
Note on Today’s Music: Once again, John Phillips turned me on to something I’m really enjoying. Hope you do too.
Days Til Spring: 51

I don’t usually post so frequently. Feel free to blame Trifecta for this one, a request for 33 words on this picture:

Checkers

Thomas Leuthard
Click image for original


Battle!
I saw her nearing the arena. This time I would be ready.
Her tennis whites gave an air of nonchalance. I cleared the table, stood.
“Checkers?” I asked.
She sat.
“To the death.”

And I thank you.

This entry was posted in Babblings, BIG FUN, creative, fiction, Trifextra Challenge and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

144 responses to “Trifecta – Gladiators”

  1. Marilyn Armstrong | 28 January, 2014 at 21:42 | Reply

    51 days. Just 51 days. Until then, there is music.

    Like

  2. Edward Hotspur | 28 January, 2014 at 21:45 | Reply

    I thought this was only on weekends and the 333 word version was weekdays.

    Like

  3. Hippie Cahier | 28 January, 2014 at 22:01 | Reply

    Thanks for playing it forward. ™ (Both the music and the prose!)

    Like

  4. John Phillips | 28 January, 2014 at 22:02 | Reply

    Good song choice. Nice interpretation of the picture.

    Like

  5. Rachael Black | 28 January, 2014 at 22:08 | Reply

    To the Death!
    No, to the Pain!

    Totally dug the story Guap. Sincere, a taste of the unexpected, funny and all wrapped up in an amazingly small present.

    Almost wrote small package. Too many variables on your potential reply.
    Not familiar with the tune. Ooooh goody new music. Off to Youtube…to have fun storming the castle.
    xxx

    Like

  6. Trent Lewin | 28 January, 2014 at 22:13 | Reply

    Remind me not to play chess with you… Thanks for the Hayley Sales song, hadn’t heard that before.

    Like

  7. Laura | 28 January, 2014 at 22:35 | Reply

    Looking forward to listening to that song on a computer that doesn’t need a flash upgrade… till then, nice 33 my friend. The picture reminded me of Sunday mornings in college, when my boyfriend and I would drink cafe mochas and play chess for a couple hrs with no worries except getting homework done later. Ah. Chess to the death would’ve been a nice variation. xx

    Like

    • El Guapo | 28 January, 2014 at 22:38 | Reply

      Nice how we used to spend free time when we had more of it.
      I’ve played chess a few times on the stone tables in some NYC parks that have them. Always fun on a warm day.

      Checkers to the death had that edge in silliness that I always try to brig to Trifecta.

      Like

  8. Anja | 28 January, 2014 at 22:58 | Reply

    Wonderfully written and I cannot keep up with all your posts. You have gone mad, I tell ya…mad.

    Like

  9. Elyse | 28 January, 2014 at 23:05 | Reply

    Gosh, Guap. Not even Calvin played Hobbes to the death in checkers. Maybe in chess, but not checkers!

    Like

  10. gingerfightback | 29 January, 2014 at 02:48 | Reply

    This story has the makings of a new Rocky franchise. Draughty? Perhaps. Loved it.

    Like

  11. No Blog Intended | 29 January, 2014 at 05:52 | Reply

    I wish my English was better, because I don’t understand :(.

    Like

  12. 1jaded1 | 29 January, 2014 at 06:43 | Reply

    Spring is coming!

    Like

  13. aFrankAngle | 29 January, 2014 at 07:25 | Reply

    Nice tune … .so you played checkers with Maria Sharapova?

    Like

    • El Guapo | 29 January, 2014 at 08:40 | Reply

      I was inspired bu the Billie Jean King/Arthur Ashe closed cage checkers matches of the 70s.
      I’d never seen so much blood at a piece crowning, before or after!

      Like

  14. samara | 29 January, 2014 at 07:42 | Reply

    Beautiful 33, my friend.

    And yes, spring. Looms near.

    Can we agree to disagree on Hayley Sales? And I love all music. Just. Not. This. sorry.

    But I still love you!!

    Like

    • El Guapo | 29 January, 2014 at 08:42 | Reply

      I enter the trifectas wehn something gloriously ridiculous comes to mind.
      Checkers to the death? Yeah, that qualifies.

      If you prefer, I have some lovely Pink Floyd covers by bluegrass legends Luther Wright and the Wrongs.
      (I kid you not.)

      Like

      • samara | 29 January, 2014 at 08:45 | Reply

        Please kid me.

        Because bluegrass might be the ONLY music I don’t love.

        And I adore Pink Floyd. As you know.

        I love most music. Music = Life. I can tell you feel the same way.

        Like

        • El Guapo | 29 January, 2014 at 08:54 | Reply

          I kid you not. Because the world is a strange, strange place.
          Trust me though, it’s not near as bad as Pat Boone’s cover album, In A Metal Mood. (Which I am NOT linking.)

          Like

  15. Pixie Girl | 29 January, 2014 at 08:14 | Reply

    Ooh, I did like that those 33 words. Plus, who could say no to checkers…

    Like

  16. Polysyllabic Profundities | 29 January, 2014 at 08:21 | Reply

    Haha…..I love when I can help inspire your genius!! Full contact checkers, anyone??

    Like

  17. KymmInBarcelona | 29 January, 2014 at 08:54 | Reply

    I could hear the twang of guitar, smell the dust.
    Love it, Guapo!

    Like

  18. jotsfromasmallapt | 29 January, 2014 at 08:59 | Reply

    Always learning something from you, El G….good things, good things.
    Contact board games….who knew?

    Like

  19. braintomahawk | 29 January, 2014 at 09:11 | Reply

    You just upped the ante Mr G. Now we will have to find a burger joint that has checker boards.

    Like

  21. Marie | 29 January, 2014 at 10:17 | Reply

    You’re so wonderfully sweet and eloquent. We both have our own gladiator battle story this week, don’t we? 😉

    Like

  22. nancytex2013 | 29 January, 2014 at 10:22 | Reply

    Love the 33-word story! Note to self: I really have to learn to be less verbose.

    Like

  23. brickhousechick | 29 January, 2014 at 10:41 | Reply

    Nice writing, Guapo! Creative and tantalizing. I was thinking, Spin the Bottle Checkers! This would make the match that more interesting. 🙂

    Like

  24. anotherday2paradise | 29 January, 2014 at 12:26 | Reply

    Excellent! “To the death” sounds rather ominous. 😯

    Like

  25. djmatticus | 29 January, 2014 at 13:11 | Reply

    Is there any other way to play checkers?
    I guess we could play “To the pain…”

    Like

  26. pouringmyartout | 29 January, 2014 at 13:12 | Reply

    short and sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet

    Like

  27. Miss Lou | 29 January, 2014 at 14:21 | Reply

    What a beautiful song!

    ‘Cause I can always just pretend – Pain the picture and just jump in’

    I just read a post by a young man who was explaining how music affects our state of mind, how we feel, think behave and perceive things.

    This song makes me feel GREAT!

    #EarthIsCrammedWithHeaven

    ML

    Like

  29. philosophermouseofthehedge | 29 January, 2014 at 14:25 | Reply

    “tennis whites gave an air of nonchalance” sharp contrast to the “to the death” Nicely done

    Like

  30. Miss Lou | 29 January, 2014 at 14:30 | Reply

    Just purchased her album, When the bird became a book. $16.99 here 🙂

    Like

  31. Gray Dawster | 30 January, 2014 at 04:43 | Reply

    Excellent, indeed it is Trifecta with a capita; ‘T’ 🙂

    Andro

    Like

  32. Kathy Combs (@Kathy29156) | 30 January, 2014 at 09:22 | Reply

    Excellent story! I loved the idea of the battle. ♥

    Like

  33. Lyssa Medana | 30 January, 2014 at 10:59 | Reply

    I loved ‘to the death’. Checkers is not to be taken lightly. LM x

    Like

  34. pegoleg | 30 January, 2014 at 12:06 | Reply

    Can’t wait to see the ultimate checkers death-match in Sochi next week. Or is that a summer games sport?

    Like

  35. silkpurseproductions | 30 January, 2014 at 15:39 | Reply

    Checkers to the death! I would be so screwed.
    Love that song, it has been too long since I played “Pretend”.

    Like

  36. Smaktakula | 30 January, 2014 at 17:03 | Reply

    A beautiful song by Ms. Sayles! Hadn’t heard it before, but the youtube link also took me to a sweet Elvis song of the same name which I hadn’t before heard, so that was nice.

    Loved the flash fiction. The only thing I have to add here is a non-sequiter of sorts: checkers pre-dates chess. It’s obvious when you think about it, but for some reason checkers always seems newer to me.

    Like

    • El Guapo | 30 January, 2014 at 17:30 | Reply

      I’m surprised. I always thought checkers had a devious dignity that chess lacked.

      Especially when performing a series of jumps that touch all four directions of the compass!

      Like

  37. benzeknees | 30 January, 2014 at 18:34 | Reply

    This is a nice direction on this – I might have been more tempted to go with something along the lines of her studying for her big chess match later in the day!

    Like

  38. susielindau | 30 January, 2014 at 22:33 | Reply

    I love the tempo and humor in this flash. I didn’t expect the ending,

    Like

  39. Pingback: Group Therapy: January « HACKER. NINJA. HOOKER. SPY.

  40. talesfromthemotherland | 31 January, 2014 at 01:15 | Reply

    Oodles of posts and dozens of comments; how on earth do you keep up! Rachael (and several other witty folk) stole my response: To the pain! Really love this story El Guapo. In 33 words you really give us a lovely story to dream about. Nice job!

    Like

  41. thehappyhugger | 31 January, 2014 at 08:45 | Reply

    Love how you interpreted the photo!

    Like

  42. Linda Vernon | 31 January, 2014 at 12:39 | Reply

    I need to get some tennis whites. I could use an air of nonchalance — especially when playing Candyland! 😀

    Like

  43. mizyank | 1 February, 2014 at 09:41 | Reply

    Hilarious–a checkers death match definitely should’ve been included in the Hunger Games. Major oversight.

    Like

  44. Draug419 | 1 February, 2014 at 12:33 | Reply

    haha great work

    Like

  45. Stacy | 1 February, 2014 at 12:42 | Reply

    Checkers, huh? That’ not what I was thinking. ❤

    Like

  46. Cobbie's World | 1 February, 2014 at 15:06 | Reply

    Combat checkers! I am sure, if those tables could talk, the battlefield stories they could share. As for tennis whites……I am wearing tennis whites right now……..in the snow! It is what we do in Canada in winter. 🙂 Btw, I think this is a record of some sort for the farthest down a comment list I have had to go to find the comment box for this scintillating comment of mine. Well done, all around. Now, off I go to check out your music list. Always on the lookout for a good tune or two. 🙂

    Like

    • El Guapo | 3 February, 2014 at 16:45 | Reply

      Thanks Cobbie.
      I’d love to know what you’re listening to also.

      And I really need to update that page.

      I’m writing this in Canada! Because nyc snow stopped my flight.
      Meh.

      Like

  47. Cayman Thorn | 1 February, 2014 at 18:42 | Reply

    I love your MacBeth version of checkers. It’s a new appreciation kinda thing you spring. And speaking of . . . 51 days till? Normally, that wouldn’t seem so bad. But with the way things have been going, it feels more like years. Dog years.

    Like

  48. Aussa Lorens | 1 February, 2014 at 20:39 | Reply

    I have played many a game of checkers to the death.

    Like

  49. Christine | 2 February, 2014 at 16:09 | Reply

    It’s like a modern-day duel. Were they playing for their reputations as well as their lives? (Wait, of course they were…) Love seeing you at Trifecta, Guapo!

    Like

  50. trifectawriting | 2 February, 2014 at 22:59 | Reply

    I loved the way you brought the reflection into the battle. Clever, as usual.

    Like

  51. Deanna Herrmann | 5 February, 2014 at 09:37 | Reply

    Wow! Great use of such few words! I really liked this!

    Like

Ahem *best Ricky Ricardo voice* Babble-OOOoooo!!!