Hello dear friends and avid readers of this realm.

I have submitted another story to a competition and received the most wonderful feedback.

This has now made me very excited to share this piece of Flash Fiction/Short Story with you all.

I’ve included the comment below but feel free to shower me with your own at your convenience – hope you enjoy it!

(Pic courtesy of the film “Magic” with Sir Anthony Hopkins / 20th Century Fox)

“A Family of Marionettes” by David Ellis

You know that feeling when your mouth runs away with you? That there’s another entity piloting the mothership and all you can do is simply go along for the ride? Well, that happens to me all the time.

I try to apply a filter, shut off what shouldn’t be there, in an unforgiving and viciously scrutinising society where one false step can be make or break in an industrious career. There’s something or someone living vicariously through me, taking liberties at my own expense, with no cares in the world and he’s got no brakes.

I once tried to cut him off, give him a season pass to a show at the bottom of a bottle but he rose up again, a phoenix from the dregs, dusting himself off and putting himself back as the centre of attention.

It would appear that he cannot be killed by conventional weapons, a vampire leeching off of my soul with no agenda other than to show that I’m an off kilter roller coaster with no disregard for my own goals.

My father once trod this very same path, when he too couldn’t contain himself. Always making a spectacle of himself until he literally became the spectre of himself, after ruffling far too many of the wrong feathers in the seedier side of town.

He owed money to the wrong people, the kind of guys where if you shook hands with them, you would check to see if you still had your fingers. My Dad racked up massive debts and to be honest, was it any wonder when the question was asked about how difficult it would be to pick up your teeth with broken fingers what the answer would be?

This was not a rhetorical question, he soon found himself sinking to the bottom of a bottle and never managed to find his way back.

Now it would appear that the apple does not fall very far from the tree. I’ve mixed myself up with the very same people. Perhaps I can talk my way out of this? My own problem is I’ve insulted all of their Mothers and you don’t do that with Italians.

It is very much a case of “Cheque, please!” but I fear that paying the bill will be the least of my worries.

When pulling the strings, be careful what you say or you may live to regret it. I started out wanting to be a star but a war of words has turned this dummy into a family of marionettes.

Pass me the bottle, I’ve got a feeling that this isn’t going to be a long night.

Feedback provided on submission:- “A Family Of Marionettes – ‘There’s something or someone living vicariously through me taking liberties..’ Stylish & seemingly effortless; a tour of the underworld. Keeps you reading…the writer has a great way with words. Came 6th (out of 15)”.

For more blog posts inspired by the notion of what people wanted to be as a kid when they grew up and if they achieved their goals, check out the links below:-

1. Perspectives on life, universe and everything Maverick
2. Perspectives on life, universe and everything Mr Frodo Wang
3. Fictions in Flashes You’re Trying to Impress (Daily Prompt)
4. tuckedintoacorner When I Grow Up
5. charlottesville winter On Being Golden
6. The Jittery Goat The Vision To Write
7. Journeyman Futures Past -Psychology: How Our Life Turned Out To Be
8. The Wandering Poet Daily prompt – Dreams and goals
9. The WordPress C(h)ronicle Futures Past
10. Kat and her Blog What do you want to be when you grow up?
11. Under the Monkey Tree Once Upon a Time
12. The Wandering Poet No matter how
13. Advocate of Entropy The things we do & the things we become.
14. Moondustwriter's Blog To the Future and Back Again #poetry #childhood #dpchallenge
15. Focal Breeze Under Dust
16. the hilarious pessimist the student becomes the teacher
17. The Undaunted Blue Madness Of My Life WHAT I REALLY WANNA BE
18. Plan-It Janet Futures Past
19. Just Me and My Thoughts When I Grow Up
20. Tribal Connections Futures Past (Daily prompt)
21. psychologistmimi I was meant to be a psychologist: But Why
22. A Little Fluff When I Grow Up
23. From One Crazy Life To Another I am but only three
24. Being Grown Up Is Hard Work – That Ms Know It All
25. From One Crazy Life To Another I am but only three
26. Life as we say so.. As a kid..
27. Let the Balloons Sail Me Away The Daily Post – Futures Past
28. Destino Futures Past: Daily Post
29. Sue's Trifles Write, you are…
30. Relax “If they could see me now..”
31. sixty, single and surviving Daily Prompt; Far
32. bohemianstargypsy Once Upon A Time (Future’s Past-Daily Prompt)
33. Jk109 I wanted to to be…
34. Y|M Thoughts Make Up Your Mind, Brain!
35. Prairie Views Dreams Of Youth And Beyond
36. Just Visiting This Planet Days of Future Past
37. Catherine B.'s Blog Futures Past
38. Chronicles of an Anglo Swiss Futures Past, a Bird, Orchids and a few childish dreams – and my dad
39. Unstuffy Quotidian In The Now
40. Mostly True Stories of K. Renae P. Haiku: Futures Past
41. Flowers and Breezes Chasing Dreams
42. New Visions Twist of Fate
43. New Millionaires Mindset Know where you’ve been to know or get or…whatever
44. idleandbored2 Futures Past?
45. I'm a Writer, Yes I Am When I Grow Up I Want to Be Me
46. pretty healthy Journeys and Dream Jobs
47. Cathy’s Closet Fundraiser to End
48. Musings&Rants My Desires&My Reality
49. My Thoughts About a Girl.
50. Rain's Writing Realm Lots n Lots
51. Naziyah Mahmood To Infinity and Beyond!
52. The happy Quitter! I am who I wanted to be
53. Temporarily On The Shelf
54. SERENDIPITY MY BRILLIANT CAREER
55. stiletto rockstar I Could Have Somebody…
56. Exploring Alura President of the United States
57. B's Words The Artist Who Never Was
58. TyroCharm Prudent Choices
59. The Hillbilly Blogger What Did I Wanna Be When I Grew Up
60. Michelle McHatton My Future’s Past: What I Wanted To Be When I Grew Up
61. Scorched Ice DP: When I Grow Up
62. the FLAVORED word All I ever wanted to do was dig …
63. Morrighan's Muse Chameleon
64. A Penny For Her Thoughts Futures Past
65. 10nineteen 藤元バロン barron fujimoto What I Wanted to be When I Grew Up
66. Stephen Chapman Futures past
67. The Outlook Outlet How the Tides Have Turned
68. Bob's Blog-O-Rama Daily Prompt : Futures Past
69. Truth Shall Set You Free So Don't Be A Crybaby What I’m Going To Be When I Grow Up…
70. Emeltee Events The Uncommon Artist
71. on road to inkrichment Connecting the dots…
72. Life Talking about the Future on the School Bus
73. G. Robert Frazier's Adventures in Writing Childhood dream comes closer to fruition
74. Starry Traveler's Road How to not be in your chosen profession
75. Remind Your Mind From Then Till Now: How My Childhood Dreams Shaped My Reality Today
76. A Bipolars Writings Mama I Wanna Be A Lawyer
77. Because I'm a Story Vampire Futures Past
78. Kate Murray Whispers
79. The D/A Dialogues It’s the Druid’s life for me
80. thatredtongue Futures Past: What Did I Want to be When I Grew Up?
81. Half and Half IMPORTANT UPDATE: I Am Officially Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman.
82. Poetry by Nowelle POEM: As A Child, I Wanted To Be
83. The Political and Social Chaos Blog What I Wanted To Be When I Grew Up And What I Am Now
84. jcm3blog My Dream, the Toy-Maker; link to daily post
85. MC's Whispers Dancing Shadows
86. Pippakin Talks Cats, Dogs, Teeth and Claws http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/futures-past/
87. djgarcia94 Knight One Day, a Cowboy the Next
88. eastelmhurst.a.go.go when i grow up to be a man
89. Brown Hair, Brown Eyes When I Grow Up
90. lynnesartandsoul The Impossible Dream
91. glenn2point0 Life 115 Futures Past
92. Samoan Sword On Guard
93. c21stguinevere In response to…
94. Staying in Focus Futures Past/Staying in Focus
95. Mindful Digressions Not a clue
96. The Anatomy Nerd so this is my life now
97. Barbara Pyett Ultimate Deadline
98. 365 Days of Thank You Learning to Listen, Learning to Teach
99. Speculative Paradigm Shifts The Dubious Virtues of NOT Being In The Moment
100. Muddy River Muse Recognized, but not that way
101. tnkerr-Writing Prompts and Practice Futures Past
102. Ruminations The Seven Year Itch
103. Wiley's Wisdom Always In My Head
104. lostandloony Future’s Past
105. caseylove's Decisions Decisions
106. Basically Beyond Basic Futures Past
107. A Midnight Blog Futures Past – “Changes”
108. tonytij I’ll Never Grow Up
109. This Is How I Groove… Futures Past
110. Musings of a Retiring Person Futures Past
111. Life with Tess When will I Become a Writer?
112. Oh What I Wanted to Be Futures Past
113. Raspberry's Daydreams What do you want to be, when you grow up?/a>
114. Ivy_Mosquito First Contact
115. Green Writer's Hub Futures past.
116. Diary of Dennis Futeres Past
117. That's My Answer! Your vision as a kid
118. All Things Cute and Beautiful Being Aspirational
119. Jackie's Travels Prague in a nutshell
120. Just Write Passed, Future’s Past
121. Pulsar Passages Acceptable Failures
122. The Bohemian Rock Star's "Untitled Project" “The miseducation of Nicholas Christian: Origin Story”
123. SA:ME (사메) Futures Past – Cue the Spotlight!
124. ALIEN AURA'S BLOG: IT'LL BLOW YOUR MIND! You just CANNOT get the staff, Pharaoh! Rameses speaks!
125. no good nonsense That’s what I was, That’s what I am
126. GKR Hayu When I Grow Up….
127. The Colours of Life Intertwines
128. Jottings and Writings #DailyPrompt: Futures Past
129. Your Daily Dose Futures Past
130. Encounter Reminiscence
131. The Secret Weekend (Writer) Warrior Finding my way: Daily Prompt – Futures Past
132. adorablyobnoxious Daily Prompt – Futures Past
133. Susan's Loves, Books, and Coffee Still Deciding