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.