A Bushel of Trouble – 100WCGU #58

This week’s prompt is “…as the apple fell…”

Feel free to click the 100WC icon to read other stories or participate.

 

Alice leaned against the side of the weathered stone bridge and peered into the creek. John loved to goad her into a temper. With a sigh, she turned, pulled an apple from her pocket and polished it on her sleeve. Gentle voices from the base of the bridge caught her attention. She looked over the side and spied John and Felicia, their fingers entwined.  Her hands slackened in shock. Time slowed as the apple fell and knocked  John on the head. Alice gasped, and dropped to the ground, pressing her back against the rough stones, but not before she met John’s startled, impish eyes.

Picking up the Pieces 100WCGU #57

The 100 word challenge is back!

Ok, well, it’s always been there, but I haven’t participated for quite a long time.

The prompt

“returning to the routine” – I did change it to “return” so it would fit better.

seems especially fitting for a multitude of reasons…

 

 

 

My heart lies shattered.  I feel like an eggshell full of tiny spider web cracks. The slightest disturbance could send me cascading to the floor in a myriad of pieces, too tiny to reassemble. I close my eyes against the pain and wish myself into an unfeeling blackness. A tiny hand pats my knee, young arms wrap about my neck, and tears soak into my shoulder. I kiss their soft cheeks and bury my face in their hair.  Responsibility nudges me – chores need doing and dinner needs making. The tears subside and the pain ebbs as I return to the routine of life.

 

 

 

Feel free to click on 100WC picture above to learn more, participate, and read other entries.

My daughters participate in the original 100WC (created for kids) – you can read their entries here: Three Bugs in a Rug

Stranded (100WCGU #30)

Time for another 100 word challenge! Yay! This weeks prompt was: “it wasn’t my fault”

It never crossed my mind that something had gone horribly wrong until my fiancé dumped my body unceremoniously in the Black Hills of South Dakota. I suppose the correct term would be EX-fiance. I lay flat on my face. The gritty dirt left me feeling like I’d been licking a cast iron pot. A strange whistling sound faded in and out- a rock had lodged in my left nostril. I couldn’t remember what I’d done, but I was sure it wasn’t my fault. It’d be a hundred years before I’d be discovered. I wondered what they’d classify me as… homo sapien idioticus crossed my mind.

*Check out the other entries! And my kids will be participating in this one too (eventually).

100 Word Challenge #25

This week we are writing from the perspective of the girl beneath the arrow in the picture below.

The task was supposed to be a simple one. Slip the transmitter into Mai Lin’s purse and get out. Only I wasn’t a cool super spy. In fact, I wasn’t a cool or super anything. First gum, and now pigeon poop. If  the shwop of my sticky shoe didn’t alert her, my smell would. I pursed my lips and leaned in, failure wasn’t an option. My heart thumped against my ribs as the crowd pressed and jostled me. She didn’t even turn, just laughed at someone’s bad joke. For once I was grateful for my uncanny ability to be invisible.

50/50 Word Challenge Part 2

Yikes! We were having so much fun over Christmas, I’m a little late getting this in.

I had a hard time choosing, finally I settled on this beginning by SJB Writing

The Sparkler

The diamond sparkled as much as the lights on the Christmas tree, but less than lights in his eyes. “Marry me,” he murmured, pressing his lips against her shoulder.

She held her breath, then closed her eyes so as not to see the hurt in his. “I’m sorry. I can’t.”

Here is my ending:

He stood silently in front of her. She peeked at him from beneath her lashes. Her heart tugged at the sight of his slack jaw and slumped shoulders. A smile teased the corner of her mouth and his eyebrow raised.

Mischief laced her words. “I can’t because you’re not kneeling.”

100 Word Challenge – 50/50

Yay! Another 100 word challenge!

This week is quite unique and fun – it’s a

50/50 challenge.

The theme is

“The Season”

Here’s the idea:

you write 50 words now (the beginning) then go read the others and choose one to finish. When you’ve chosen you write a 50 word ending to their 50 word beginning.

Pretty cool!

Here’s mine….

“Season’s Greetings”

Jenna sighed as the doorbell rang. The last time she’d seen him she was a fifteen-year-old klutz with a crush. The sound of male voices and laughter drew her to the door. She smiled at his stunned expression and didn’t notice the puddle of melted snow on the wood floor.

Well, there you go!

Go HERE to read the others.

100 Word Challenge – Christmas Carols (la la la)

so, Limebird Writers issued a challenge, which they snagged from Julia’s Place (not me, another Julia – I like her already!)

The challenge?

to rewrite (using 100 or less words) a Christmas Carol making it be about Christmas dinner. Julia specifically stated (that is so weird saying my own name, I feel like I’m talking in the third person, ha ha – oh wait I am… oh never mind)

” I want you to choose a favourite carol and re-write it with the theme of a Christmas Dinner. You have to tell your readers which carol it is and they have to be able to sing your version back to themselves. That means the right tempo and beat.”

Anyway, it sounded FUN, so I HAD to do it.

I chose “It’s Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas”.

Problem is

it’s a LONG song

so I planned on just doing the first Refrain.

After I did that, I had less than 100 words and I thought the patter would be quite challenging and I had to give it a try.

By then I was at 104 words. I could have left you all to repeat the refrain, but what’s the fun in that? and since I was over the 100 word limit ANYWAY I dove in and finished it off.

So, I broke the rules.

but I promise to do better in the future 😀

(if you’re a real stickler on the 100 words thing, just quit reading after the first refrain and you’re good. 😀 )

“It’s Beginning to Smell a lot Like Christmas”

 

Refrain

 

It’s beginning to smell a lot like Christmas

Oven is aglow

Take a peek at the ham and then,

Whistling once again,

You snitch a cookie quick so mom won’t know.

 

It’s beginning to smell a lot like Christmas

And the hour is late

All the yummiest things to eat

Are pulling you to your seat

But you’ll have to wait.

 

 Patter

 

A slice of strawberry pie and some rolls make you sigh as you wish the meal would begin

Warm Christmas cake and the punch make you ache as the drool de-sce-ends your chin.

Then fin’ly mother gives the call for you-u to dig in.

 

 Refrain

 

It’s beginning to taste a lot like Christmas.

Joy in every bite

Eat some mashed potatoes and ham

Slather some bread with jam

And get so full that all your jeans are tight.

 

It’s beginning to taste a lot like Christmas

Food and punch galore

But the thing that will taste the best

Is the late afternoon rest

Passed out on the floor.

Now, it’s YOUR turn!

(Let me know if you do it, because I want to read it!)

Go HERE to read others – and you can add your own link to the list if you want 😀