Tessera

SNC

@surfnoircowboy.bsky.social

a living document // prose film poetry photography essay // Los Angeles surfnoircowboy.com

266 Posts69 Follower 59 Folgt

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 2d ago

Character #flashfiction #writer

CHARACTER
She showed up to the party with a date. In a couple’s costume no less. The guy was a chef, and she the rat controlling him. He took a few shots before the party, building the confidence to approach her, and now that was wasted.
A cold breeze greeted him on the balcony. The tunic he wore provided little insulation. A light rain began to fall as he lit a cigarette; streams of water soaked through the seams of his shirt.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 4d ago

Busking #writer #flashfiction

BUSKING
The band set up along the sidewalk. Two speakers sat stacked on either side. The drummer sat teetering on the curb. Their backs faced the street. In front of them: a vacant lot, chain link fence surrounding. Cardboard advertisements for the lot hung at intervals. A small group of fans leaned against the fence, leaving room on the sidewalk for the passersby.

T. M. Shannon 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ (he/him)@tmshannonauthor.com · 6d ago

I haven't been to an observatory in ages - last time was someone my dad knew was part of an amateur astronomers group and was on the eastern side of the Blue Mountains (outside Sydney Oz) up the Bells Line of Road, so minimal light pollution Saw plenty of beautiful things throughout the night

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 6d ago

Starlight #writer #flashfiction

STARLIGHT
“Used to be able to see the Milky Way looking up at the sky growing up. Now there’s light pollution coming from Palm Springs. I can still see a lot when I go out there—constellations, Orion’s belt. If you want to see the stars now, you have to go out in a boat and get as far away from people as you can.”

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · last wk.

Fainted #writer #flashfiction

FAINTED
“They found him bent over, shallow breathing. He passed out I think.”
The theater security staff piled onto the stairs. On the screen, an actor performed a theatrical piece on the treatment of patients at a psychiatric hospital.
The medic shone a flashlight over the row. The man’s companion grabbed his shoulders and shook him, whispering his name. He sat up and insisted he could stay. The theater staff left. The actor on screen finished his performance.
Twenty minutes later, the man and his companion shuffled out of the row and left; he placed both feet on every step on the way down.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 2w ago

Practice #flashfiction #writer

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 2w ago

Update on Yesterday’s Events

UPDATE ON YESTERDAY’S EVENTS
Rick’s in the hospital still. I heard from the neighbor he got five stitches in his right arm, down the gash where the canine tore wrist to elbow. The dog in question was cremated, though I don’t know what happened to the bullet; wasn’t in the ashes. The pool needs dredged, and, this late in the year, I can’t imagine having any parties again until next summer. The table will have to go. All the scrubbing this morning couldn’t get the mark of blood out, and I’m not inclined to find the right chemicals. I think I’d rather just buy one new outright.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 2w ago

Hidden #flashfiction #writer

HIDDEN
A bushy tree sits in direct sunlight. It is a harsh L.A. glare: direct, piercing, unrelenting. The green shines bright and unreal. On the underside it casts shadows upon itself, dark recesses hiding the branches: a bird nesting, a spider casting a web, a squirrel clutching an acorn, a worm crawling between ridges of the bark to an unknown destination.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 2w ago

Mail #flashfiction #writer

MAIL
The mailperson left the building’s letterbox open. Latched doors hung off the wall, openly revealing the ten compartments beneath it. In them poked out letters, junk mail, cards, and notices. For the neighbors: a jury summons, a paycheck, a University donation request, a political ad, and a letter from the DMV containing a ticket and a fee.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 3w ago

Growth #flashfiction #writer

GROWTH
From the knotted roots of an elm the tufted head of a rabbit appeared. A dry piece of grass hung between its lips. Turning its head, I got a view of the other side: a bulging eye tumor, pink and veiny. The rabbit chewed, tumor throbbing with each clench of the jaw. Across the yard the neighbor’s dog stepped on fallen leaves. The rabbit paused, turned its ear, and waited.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 3w ago

A Ride #flashfiction #writer

A RIDE
Through a water-stained bus window I saw the oncoming car approach. A sedan, bright blue LED lights shining into my eyes, raced toward the bus, stopped perpendicular in the road. We waited for traffic to move out of the way, and still the sedan didn’t notice. The bus driver, hoarse voice unable to call out to us, kept going.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 3w ago

Race #flashfiction #writer

RACE
The teen’s dirt bike kicked up gravel from the asphalt. “25,” he said, then looked down the street. “No one around. Go, go, go.”
The sound of feet smashing pedals and gears whirring, then a second kid skirted around the bend and came to a stop with a crunch of the dirt, leaving long brake marks behind him. “Dammit,” the second said. “26.”

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 3w ago

Thrown Away #flashfiction #writer

THROWN AWAY
A pile of white paper towels hung from the edge of the garbage can. I threw mine in, and the pile rearranged. Falling over themselves revealed a paper dotted in red drops of blood. Droplet, droplet, blood clot, and a rag colored maroon.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 3w ago

Once I complete the assembly of footage, I’m gonna read and reread and reread my script so I can tap into the energy I had writing it—the shoot was a separate creative expense—and video editing is more in line with that process of organizing a poem

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 4w ago

Wrecked #flashfiction #writer

WRECKED
The ambulance parked diagonal to the sidewalk, blocking view of the wreckage. Orange cones, the kind used in kids’ sports, angled out in the approaching lane, encouraging cars to merge over. Passing by: two sedans, a broken window, deflated airbag hanging loose from the wheel. Doors flung open. A girl on the sidewalk cried into a sweater.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 4w ago

BTS Footage of the film scan process for my upcoming short !

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 4w ago

Watching #flashfiction #writer

WATCHING
Focusing—dog asleep at the feet, instrumental music, an autumnal candle. Work that flows like a peaceful river. Corner of the eye a flash of movement: the window at street level, a pair of shoes. Shadow of a figure falls along the sidewalk. I stand for a view; they shuffle away.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · last mo.

Break #flashfiction #writer

BREAK
She held the pink parasol in her hand. It provided enough shade to cool her a degree or two beneath the El Niño sun. A heat so strong her mind couldn’t wander; the moment forced itself to be felt. Across the street, the city worked to repair the roads before the next global sporting event. Construction men in hi-vis vests, shirts darkened with sweat, sat atop the roots of a pale tree. She watched as they drank water; they watched as she angled the umbrella to block their view.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · last mo.

Warming #writer #flashfiction

WARMING
During the day the concrete blocks that form the wall of the parking garage absorb heat. In direct sunlight, the wall bakes. Late in the evening walking back to the car, heat in waves emanates from the wall.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · last mo.

Construction #writer #flashfiction

CONSTRUCTION
Twirling on her tensile string a bulging spider from a telephone wire descends. She approaches a growing hedgerow, nearer now, a refuge. Between the two she’ll construct her monument, her weapon. Settled in the shadows of the bush, she’ll wait and watch, for the eggs to hatch and the meal to devour.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · last mo.

With Care #flashfiction #writer

WITH CARE
Flew down there, and the coast was covered in slick, black rocks. They jutted out of the water like spikes. Stepping in, he took care to place his feet, and still he slid between them slimy. He held the board above his head; better to risk his ankles.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · last mo.

Cooling Off #flashfiction #writer

Bild

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · last mo.

“Future Home of Desi Arnaz” #writer #flashfiction

“FUTURE HOME OF DESI ARNAZ”
Silver trays lay empty in the lit display case. A worker from the back taped a handwritten paper on it: “11am”. Poster frames on the wall hung empty. The cashier complained that she was still learning the system. After 45 minutes, a sandwich never arrived.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · last mo.

Filling #writer #flashfiction

FILLING
Returning home at the end of the day, I discovered a pothole on my street had been filled. Where normally I would bump and shake, and take care to go slowly, I felt a slight rise, then a smooth glide over the road. This did not register at first—and upon walking back through the dark patches of fresh asphalt, laid bare in the autumn twilight, grabbed my attention.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · last mo.

Trimming #flashfiction #writer

TRIMMING
Tree branches lined up along the roadside. An arborist lift held high in the air. Two workers stood on the ground, placing orange cones around the debris. Cars on either end stopped and waited for the action to complete.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · last mo.

Bitten #writer #flashfiction

BITTEN
Mosquitoes from the heat and rain. Uncommon. The skin around my elbow bulges white. Behind my knees an itch spreads. The edge of my sock rubs against burgeoning bites. My hand slaps down on my thigh and leaves only a red mark.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · last mo.

Under Cover #flashfiction #writer

UNDER COVER
Brown smoke billowed on the horizon. It seemed to be a few blocks away. The cloud grew and covered the sun, which glowed as an orange orb, casting ghastly shadows against the concrete.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · last mo.

Review #flashfiction #writer

REVIEW
The air conditioner sputtered to a quiet. Water dripped into a puddle on the sidewalk. The motor in the refrigerator hummed with a dull monotony. The rev of a motorcycle came to a roar, then dissipated slowly. The chain around a dog’s neck clattered as its owner walked past the window. A housefinch began to call from a tree branch.
“If everybody finished reviewing the doc, we can begin.”

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · last mo.

Argument #flashfiction #writer

ARGUMENT
A man my age holding a box arrived at the post office earlier than I had. Waiting in my car, I watched as he paced in front of the automatic doors. At nine, we went in. Behind him in line, I witnessed his attempts to convince the clerk to lower the overnight shipping price (“has to arrive tomorrow”), and my mind wandered, forgetting why I needed to be there so early.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · last mo.

Day 2 and wrapped! Feeling humbled and grateful to the whole team.