Prompt 20

terminal, jet, fly, departure, international

It was during a New York Jets game that my father collapsed and medics were quickly called to the scene. At the hospital, after a long worrisome wait, the doctor appeared and essential told us that pop had developed a terminal illness. My mother suddenly fainted and was taken to a room where she soon recovered. She remained quite and still – a departure from her well recognized bundle of nerves; always sensitive about every little irritant: honking cars, pesky flies, or the telephone ringing endlessly.

 The next day we all visited the hospital early and the head nurse granted us access to my father's room. We found him to be as normal as always – sitting up in bed watching the news cast. The anchor was reporting that an international crime syndicate was captured after the result of an internal scope. Sadly heavy casualties, on both sides, were reported. We turned off the negativity, at once turning off the gloomy set. He gave us a comical frown then asked, “Did the Jets win?”

Prompt 19

A young girl mounted her white pony, and guided the animal across the beach sands to the shore line. With two guides leading the horse and the rider along, the threesome neared the watery edge. The pony was used to the soft sand and the water. Once the group reached the water line, the guides backed away as the rider maneuvered the animal into the water. The horse had crossed the calm river many times in his young life, and this occasion was no different. As soon as his hoofs separated from the underwater gavel, the beast began to paddle its feet tirelessly until, a half hour later, it reached the opposite shore line where they were greeted by a small group of guides who gathered the reins; escorting the horse to solid group, where the helmet child dismounted.

Prompt 18

 

Rover was bored and very cold. The entire ranch was blanketed in deep, white snow. Sadly for Rover he was the only mutt around so he had no other K-9 to fool with. That's when he spotted Ed. Ed the horse was standing idly looking at god knows what. Rover enter Ed's enclosure and neared the animal that was ten times his size and much, much stronger. But Rover had speed so he could away with murder if he so pleased...escaping any mischief he caused.

Rover neared Ed from behind slowly, quietly in the snow. Ed was just standing there looking at the trees; he didn't see Rover coming. Rover jumped and clamped down on Ed's tail. Ed awoke from his daydreaming and jumped, kicked and hollered. Rover loved it. He was swinging about as if dangling from a rope. After a minute Rover let go and bolted up the snow with Ed close behind, eyes red and hoofs kicking.

Prompt 17

brick, mortar, red, layers

Derek was a bricklayer and after a hard days work he went home and fell fast asleep. His deep sleep was turbulent – troubled with many active scenes of both good and bad scenarios. During one of the of worse dream sequences, he was in Italy with Ernest Hemingway packing medical supplies for the wounded solders who were sent in from the front line. Hemingway was tired of the some tiresome tasks and asked Derek to join him in the actual battle and leave the Red Cross duties behind. Derek, Hemingway pet, agreed with some hesitation. Both took off to the worse of the fighting early the next morning. By days end Hemingway was injured, but his wounds were superficial. On the other hand Derek did not fair so good. A mortar shell had exploded near him and poor Derek landed a couple of feet from where he stood, legs shattered and pain so severe that Derek lost conscientiousness. 

The next thin Derek recall was waking up at a huge gala with celebrity guests wearing masks and photographers aiming their bright flashing cameras at him. Derek became such a spectacle that Truman Capote himself, the host of the evening's festivities, came to help Derek orient himself, as well as command all the paparazzi to disregard the fallen Derek. It must have been a bump in the red carpet that made him far, so Capote thought. The next thing that Derek recalled was joining Capote and all his wonderful star dazzling party goers as they danced to the city beat; painting the town red. As the evening wore down the traffic - car horns and police whistles awoke the sleeping Derek from his slumber making him rise quickly and knocking over two books that were lying on his chest: The Movable Feast and In Cold Blood. At that instant he realized that it was all just a dream.

Prompt 16

candy, syrup, taffy, chocolate, cake

Carlos could eat an elephant if only it was drenched in chocolate syrup and topped with whip cream; don't forget the cherry. To say he had a sweet tooth is to say that Armstrong landed on the moon. A sure bet indeed. He walked around town like a heavy legged monster, with a mouth stained with taffy and smeared with candy apple sticky goo. That afternoon, like every afternoon before, Carlos was headed to his usual hot spot: The Dairy Queen. He had the usual - a peace of ice cream cake and a large vanilla swirl shake. What a fatso!

Prompt 15

bullet, trigger, cocked, loaded, shoot

Dora was a bad mother: a pusher, a long-time heroin user, and, when shit was bad, a hooker turning tricks to stay alive. She carried a heavy gun as she peddled smack to her usual sordid junkies in the shadows. Her pockets were always filled with drugs, cash and bullets. Dora was usually a cool bitch when everything was calm but when things started going south her survival mode kicked in and her face changed. 

Her temper was always triggered when pigs patrolled her turf and when she was running low on resources and was forced to sell what was left of her body to the mean streets. She carried a loaded syringe and, when a john came calling, she would shoot up fast before the client changed his mind and split. She carried a small purse with her gun, hammer cocked back, cash, condoms, and her stash of drugs inside. She was a smooth talker and was quick when dealing her sins. But this time Dora became careless and shot too much crap up her arm before entering the car.

Dora was adrift in another reality while pleasuring her client. She was too far away in her heroin dream to catch the badge, the guns pointed at her, the hand cuffs snapped tightly around her wrists, the recital of her rights.... She awoke in a cell and to the cold reality that her life was now captured, sealed. Dora dropped her head into her palms and wept like a little girl. One of her junkies in the back of the large block stared at her and cracked a satisfied smile. Dora wasn't such a bad mother, now.

Prompt 14

Fuse, explode, wires, timer, ticking

William was known for his short fuse. He was born sensitive to external triggers. Hot wired to imploded into a deep depression, or explode (mostly) wildly into stirring discharges of words and deeds. William would be overwhelmed by nerves and tension to the point of releasing his hold of self; lashing out blindly like a compulsory reflex. This certainty would land poor William in trouble with neighbor and the law. 

It was in bitterness that William turned the wheel and headed in fierce agitation toward the red light. With bloodshot eyes and temples ticking rapidly William bolted into the intersection: narrow, focused sight. A few seconds after the fatal impact with the fully loaded rig did the street light timer switch to yellow. By the time the green was displayed, William had already taken his final breath.

Prompt 13

Words: neck, strings, pickup, fret 

From the shadows, the g-string bikini dames, with there plastic breasts and high heel shoes, sauntered near their nooks, winking at suitors driving their uptown wheels. The johns would parked along side them, touting greenbacks or smack in return for pleasure.

The cold and rainy night kept only the hungry on the streets. It was near four when a drunk in a beat up pickup truck pulled up to one of the freshly, seductive hustlers. The odd ball driver fretted in silence after she made her pat. Then, from out of the shadows, a lone police squad car pulled up behind the truck and ordered the driver, through loud speakers, to step out of the car. The stupefied man jolted and stepped on the gas; careening away from trouble. A high speed pursuit ensued. Within minutes the truck crashed into a parked car, ricocheting into a cement pole killing the driver straightaway.

The morning rush hour was at a near standstill because of the episode. At the impact point police sirens, traffic conductors, helicopter medics, and the normal bunch of rubberneckers (rolling slowly along) was all that remained of the night before.

 

Prompt 12

Words: slope, rocks, flowers, snow, peak__

It was another beautiful Sunday morning. The Wallowa Mountain's high peak, frozen and pointed skyward, rested on rocky slopes blanketed in snow and bushy with trees at its bed. A picture perfect postcard.

The Oregon Jazz Festival was held on such a crisp, cool morning. The music filled the air with an easy, swinging groove that delighted the gathered crowd. The spectators sat on damp grass, blankets, or folding chairs. Others stood; and wiggled their hips while they clapped softly to the tempo of the music. The crowd grew larger as the sun reached its zenith. Many of the woman wore flowers in their hair and flip flops. Men, mostly in blue jeans and caps; beer bottles in hand, cried out a cheer or two at the bands on stage, remaining near their clan, their families.

After the final song was performed and the announcer closed the show with a thankful prattle, every concert goer stopped their movement and heard a spectacular orchestration of bird song. The birds themselves held their our private concert right in amongst the garden trees. Everyone looked at each other in awe before giving the birds a loud ovation.

The bird music lingered long after the last attendant left the scene. The tweets continued as the moon reached its place among the stars.

Prompt 11

Words: Cauliflower, veneer, loquacious, bipartisan, windmill

Vincent and his wife Lucy were driving a long stretch of highway; his teeth clenched tightly. Vincent’s mother-in-law was sitting in the back seat chattering as usual. The wrench could talk up a storm about any and all subjects known in the civilized world. If she had a pause imprint on her forehead Vincent would of punched it miles ago. Lucy was asleep and the radio was busted so poor Vincent had to sit there and bare it.

I have to do something about that hole in her head or I will go nuts.

The loquacious witch would even scream a warning that a yellow light flashed in an upcoming intersection yards before the car reached it. She would continuously complain that they were lost or running late because of the muddled conductor.

Who me !?

Vincent had to stop somewhere in the middle of nowhere before his impatience would make him do something he would regret later – a clenched fist smashing her nose into her brainless skull.

Up ahead Vincent saw a group of tall, white windmills - the modern ones with the very long blades. His foot suddenly metamorphosed into an iron block snapping all heads backward and waking Lucy. Vincent watched the old bitch in the rear view mirror and for a second thought he saw steam escape her nostrils.

Vincent zoned-out her bickering until he finally reached the tall turbines by the roadway. Vincent pulled over and Lucy gave Vincent a quizzical look and her ugly bag just sat there blinking and wearing a dumb expression. They both failed to unmask his blissful veneer: he must of appeared tired and drunk from all the yapping. Vincent rolled his weary eyes and targeted the spinning arms. Vincent opened the driver's side door, as if he needed to take in a much needed breath of air, and ran across the field to the nearest tower. Vincent leaned against it for what seemed an eternity – weighing a bipartisan dilemma.

Either that loud mouth gets out of my car or I will remain in the safety of these wind mills.

Before Vincent could say, scram you old crone, Lucy approached with a query bark stuck in her throat. Vincent stated he was near madness making Lucy's eyes bulge in utter bewilderment.

Have you finally lost it Vincent?

He suddenly remembered the ice cooler, took Lucy by the arm, and tugged her briskly back to the car. The blasted bitch sitting in the rear of the car began her temper tantrum at seeing Vincent get within ear shot. Vincent ignored her bitter scorns, walked to the rear of the car, opened the hatch, reached into the cooler, and pulled out a small cauliflower. He then jammed it hard into her bellowing mouth; wedging it into her false dentures.

Shut up you blustering whiner! You jabbering maggot! Shut up!

The old lady sat erect in total silence. Then, quite surprisingly (and as they continued down the interstate), the radio miraculously came alive with music, and Vincent whistled each tune – head bobbling, and shoulders moving to and fro - until the threesome reached their final destination.

 

Prompt 10

Words: step, shuffle, slide, spin

__

Merv tried hard to do the complex dance steps but his two left feet stumbled him into a roar of jeers; making him the joke of the dance floor. He opted to do the “Curly Shuffle,” in order to gain the crowd with humor. It backfired! People fell into hysterics at his foolishness. Merv then elected to sing Karaoke, another shot at humor, by singing a Paul Simon classic! But Merv the loser lost his voice during the “slip-sliding away” section of the song. Another eruption of embarrassing badgering blasted from the room. The rest of that evening Merv became a spin doctor, trying to persuade his hecklers to relax with the hounding. But the folks only knocked Merv upside the head as they laughed in his face. Poor Merv...the dim witted buffoon.

Prompt 9

Words: hot, cold, mild, warm

Ayda was fat and lazy. She would drive (daily) in her old, beat-up, and messy Dodge to her nearby sandwich joint, and ordered her usual: a foot long sub (cold cuts), a large bag of chips and a super size soda with a sweet bear claw to boot. Besides her massive hunger pangs, Ayda was a hoarder. After driving back to her apartment, she had to walked through piles of old newspapers; clothing, unwashed food containers and a million empty cat food cans. Her two dozen cats all had their personal names and Ayda loved them to tears. Ayda loved her cats so very much that she put up the turds and horrific smell. The one thing Ayda kept clean was her beloved hot tub. She loved that thing more than life itself. It was big enough to occupy her large, naked body and the jet streams relaxed her. Most times sleep crept in and she slept for hours in the tub. Her world vanished in the tub - her need to organize her life, rotten and waisted, was beyond repair.

One morning she turned on her electric stove and waited for the rolled surface to warm up to red. It was a national holiday so the sub place was closed for the day. Ayda, as usual, was starving. She had to cook, and cook a load of food of what remained in her frig. After finding only a box of baking soda and a tray of ice cubes, Ayda became discouraged and prepared her hot tub (her haven). She removed her clothing, stepped into the tub and eventually fell into a deep sleep.

Thirty minutes later Ayda woke to the smell of smoke. She staggered out her tub, and discovered that most of her apartment was ablaze. She was able to run out the hallway, naked and in a panic, banging on doors as she rushed toward the exit signs. By the time the fire fighters arrived, eight apartment units were destroyed. To say Ayda was in a mild mood, would have been equal to saying she was blissful – in a state of ecstasy. Ayde was in awe and was steaming with anger. A fireman covered the obese woman, naked and grotesque, with a large coat, and questioned her about the mess. Ayda was mute; thinking only about her cats, her hunger, her hot tub.
 

Prompt 8

The ambient quarters, a zenith sun radiant, emitting by skylight panes; highlighting cloth edges, dull wood luster, and gracing cool hues of green, white and aqua – walls, walkways and ceilings – enveloping warmth: contempo furniture, mounted frames and a sole, humble chandelier - a few items. Sterile books piled in strict alignment on a dark brown coffee table. Two faint-blue cushion chairs; each with like red pillow: A small wood table - octagon-shaped-top, a tall clock of white by a shadow cast corner, and a circular mirror concealed slightly by shade on a side wall. 

Prompt 7

  

In the black abyss of the depth, drifts an electric blimp like a helium plastic balloon aimlessly traveling in a windless sky: Bulging blinders and pulsing tentacles of sharp white rays compose his shape - a thin membrane. A lone translucent creature living in sharp contrast - a cold blackness aura free of our suns nourishment: a mystery, a miracle, alive with a dead, useless purpose; trapped in a severe existence.
 

Prompt 6

In the lucidity of the night, hell-fire ignited: The Devil in the midst of the towns divine church - devoured now by red and orange sheets of fire. Clapping wisps burning; ascending tar-black smoke high and covering the faint heavenly stars with a dense curtain, a shroud of malice - the folks about horrified. Some heads low, in fixed prayer, while others making a human chain and passing buckets of water to cool down the charring building. Sirens growing louder in the distance. Salvation alas! Thank you Lord.

Prompt 5

A blizzard storm was forming toward the west of the camp. The occupants gathered their camping supplies, and extinguished the fire before rushing down the wooded path to an emergency station a few clicks away. A scarce snowfall began to whiten the winter forest, as stiff winds blew mightily through the landscape; slanting trees, brittle and bare. As the storm neared, a herd of deer dashed eastward to safety by a rocky terrain. An hour later the storm arrived causing havoc across the mountain side, blanketing the area with snow and toppling trees.

Prompt 4

Adorned in pristine bell skirts and white floral headbands, the ballerinas assembled behind a massive stage curtain, lowered. Two stood coolly, veering their eyes off-stage. Around them an assemblage of angelic dancers mingled in anticipation - bent torsos, loose shoulders, and hair parted straight. It was grace at-the-ready. At the forefront of the class, a reflective prima ballerina. Her mind, fluent: each step, flow of motion and posture unfolding in thought.

Then, at once, the awaited gestured cue was displayed and the dancers arranged themselves fleetly. Her focus now in-tuned; her initial pose set when the giant curtain began to rise to an ovation of theatergoers.

Prompt 3

The tree monkeys giggled at their own antics. The first primate, in a dark blue t-shirt and shorts, covered his eyes, bored. Next to him sat two hysterical chimps bursting at the seams. The middle one of the bunch, the red shirted one, tried to contain himself but could not mask his cheery eyes; face aglow. The third one, with elbows on bent knees, was defeated by his own hilarity. It was hard for the threesome, minus one, to keep straight faces. This shameless riot was caused, not by their infectious laughter, but by the poor soul behind the camera – a diminutive man speaking a choppy talk and maintaining an appealing grin; never keeping his bobble head steady - the mocked tourist with scrunched-up eyes. Such wise (evil) boys!

Prompt 2

Words: pen, paper, words, book, draft, binding

Harry's world came crashing down once he read the letter that rainy afternoon. He was being ordered to report for duty by the US Army – Harry was being drafted by the military to fight in the Korean conflict. Within a month Harry was in a dirt pit shooting for his life at opposing forces. The rain, so it seemed, had not ceased for four days and nights. The foxhole was liken to a pig pen. Harry stopped to change ammunition when he saw a few of his fellow soldiers in the trench with open flesh wounds and frozen faces. Poor Harry vomited, fainted, and dropped face down into the mud.

Harry wasn't a religious man but he prayed that night; he prayed hard that he'd survived the hell around him. Some two months later, as Harry and his comrades surged into enemy territory, a mine exploded near him, shattering his leg. He was taken by chopper to a MASH unit where nurses treated his injury, binding his leg with tight, thick-threaded rapping. He soon got the news that he was returning home once his leg was strong enough for him to move about. In that time all there was to do was read. The recovery station only offered old dirty books – pornographic paperbacks containing nasty words and women pictured in erotic poses. It seemed like he would never leave that MASH unit but the day arrived, one stormy morning. By late afternoon he was already near the DMZ; the rain still coming down.

Prompt 1

Words: fish, salt, sand, trunks, surfing

Jack sat near a group of beach party-goers who danced or lounged around a huge bonfire. It was after midnight and Jack was hungry. He asked a buddy who stood nearby if he had something to eat. The drunk friend replied with a goofy grin before handing Jack a chocolate chip cookie. Jack took a bite and found it tasted odd but ate the cookie anyway. Nearly an hour later Jack felt really relaxed. He leaned back on his elbows and watched the ocean waves crash into the shore. The stars above seemed to drift, some falling from the black sky into the sea. Jack reasoned that the illusion was caused by his sleepiness.

Then he caught sight of an oddity on the surf. Jack leaned forward and crossed his legs. He focused and saw a very strange happening: it was a man dressed up in a fish custom surfing the waves. Jack rubbed his eyes, shock his head, and blinked several times. What was he seeing? Jack laid back on the sand and closed his eyes.

His now intoxicated mind swirled in loops and spins – odd visions taking over his subconscious. In one of his odd dream sequences, he stood inside a zoo enclosure holding a bag of salted peanuts by a group of hungry elephants who dug their trunks into the sack of goodies. In another dream, he was eating the raw fish he caught while fishing off a peir as a booming voice, like thunderclaps, sounded from the clouds. It was all madness.

Jack awoke dazed an confused. The beach was crowded with people in bathing suits, and enjoying themselves at the beach. Jack looked up and saw a life guard standing over him with an angry expression; with arms crossed tightly and looking down at him with a stiff, assertive stare. Jack stood and walked away hastily. As he walked towards his car, Jack felt hungry....