Month: September 2023

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Friday Fictioneers 9-28-2023

PHOTO PROMPT © Jennifer Pendergast

The office was just the way she’d left it, a random smatterings of things important in her life. The dog toys that never to get picked up off the floor; the beachy vibes scattered everywhere; and the bride and groom Sloths. Her grandmother’s trunk. The picture of Jonathon in a homemade frame. The Santa hat which sat out all year long. Everything she’d touched and loved even if he didn’t understand why. He didn’t have the heart to sort through the things she’s left behind and so he just closed the door and walked away.

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Retro Tuesday 9-26-2023

Daily Post One Word Prompt – Unpredictable

Unpredictable

The Neighbors, Part 4

There are those among us who live unpredictable lives. Nasty men. Vicious women. Forgotten children. You will never see them. They pretend normalcy; friends and neighbors and co-workers. Inside they are monsters.

Am I one? Some things are best discovered on your own.

He stood at the top of the stairs, neither up or down, in or out, waiting. He had no clue what he was waiting for, maybe for clarity, reality or maybe just for his brain to come back together into some sort of logical sense.

He’d never. Not once. His entire life. Been this. Indecisive.

What the hell was happening? Whatever it was, he wanted it stopped. Now.

He closed the door to the basement, backtracking his steps to the kitchen. Bare lines, empty counters, metallic shine of the appliances. This was his favorite room in the house. Spartan. Clean. Cold. Empty.

Like him. Like his life. Before.

He’d never understood the concept of before and after. How could something be right then and wrong now?

So what was he going to do?

A cup of tea. Everything went with a cup of tea. Even the feeling your life was falling apart.

The Neighbors Part 1

The Neighbors Part 2

The Neighbors Part 3

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Response – JSW Prompt 9-11-2023

The JSW Challenge is open to anybody who wishes to participate. Using the writing prompt, write a flash fiction no longer than 300 words and post it to your page. The Challenge starts on Monday and runs through Sunday each week. Please remember to link your story back to this post so everyone can read your entry.

Todd pulled up into the driveway and parked beside the old blue truck. Before he even turned off the car, the kids were out and running towards the house.

“Grandma! Grandpa!” they both shouted, tumbling into the arms of their grandparents.

Todd left the car slower, moving over to where the hugs and kisses were going on. “You’d think they hadn’t seem you for ages.”

“It’s been two weeks,” Grandpa said.

“Are you sure you two are up to keeping them this weekend?”

“Of course we are,” Grandma said, putting Judy back down on the ground. The little girl started to hunt for acorns. “Don’t you worry about a thing.”

“Okay,” Todd replied, holding up both hands. “This is me not worrying.”

He turned and took both suitcases out of the car and took them into the house, putting them in the room Judy and Michael would share at Grandma’s. When he went back outside, Judy was running along the paths Grandma had raked in the leaves. Michael was riding in the little red wagon as Grandpa pulled him around the yard.

“I can come back tomorrow, if you want,” he said to Grandma.

“No you don’t. You promised us the whole weekend with them both and we are going to have the whole weekend.”

“If you are sure.”

“I’m sure. Now off you go. We’re just fine here.”

“All right.” He hugged his mother. “Thanks, Mom. I really appreciate this.”

She picked up her rake. “Have a good weekend, Todd.”

“I will, Mom,” he said and climbed back into the car. The last he heard was Judy yelling bye as he backed up and headed down the driveway.