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Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/books/item_id/1568380-Hodgepodge/sort_by/entry_order DESC, entry_creation_time DESC/page/2
Rated: 18+ · Book · Writing · #1568380
Hodgepodge of things. Contest entries, short stories, scenes, my newsletters and other ...
This book is a catchall for all those things that would make my portfolio unmanageable if I had them each in a separate item.

I'm keeping short stories and contest entries, scenes and newsletters, notes and random stuff in here.

If you were tagged in this item:

I write all of my newsletters for Writing.Com here first. Until those newsletters are published, they are set to PRIVATE. So, you might be tagged in an invisible/unaccessible item. Don't worry. It's nothing inappropriate. You will see it in the official Writing.Com newsletter on its release day.

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February 5, 2012 at 4:03pm
February 5, 2012 at 4:03pm
#746455
Dirty Bomb

Jessica stood leaning against the doorframe, watching Daniel play with a toy garage. Titus walked up and stopped right behind her. She felt his presence and said, "I like how you didn't get him a ton of toys. Just enough to make the room fun for him."

"I bet it'll fill up over time as we go on outings and bring things back."

She turned and looked up to him. "What made you change your mind on him?"

He shrugged his shoulders. He really didn't know for sure why Daniel was now more important to him. Right after his birth and for most of Daniel's first year, Titus did his best to pretend he had no child. Exiling Jessica to Culver City during her pregnancy helped him conceal the fact from his tenants and most friends. Daniel and Jessica were not part of his Venice Beach life. Until now.

Daniel stood up and walked up to Jessica. "When will my other daddy pick us up?"

Titus coughed. He couldn't believe what he just heard. Jessica's face turned dark red.

"Who is that?"

"That's what he calls Alex," Jessica whispered.

Titus turned on his heel and went to his bedroom. He came out with her dress and bra. "Time to get dressed. I'm driving you home."

The drive from Venice Beach to Culver City went by in silence. Jessica stared out of the window on her side of the car. Titus steered his Volvo through traffic with white knuckles on the wheel. Daniel hummed to himself, but didn't say anything either. Titus pulled into the parking lot of Jessica's condo complex and parked the car next to Jessica's. He went around the car and held the door open for her. She stepped out of the car and tried to open the back door to get Daniel.

"He stays with me until he knows who his daddy is."

"You can't take him from me!"

Inwardly, Titus hated himself, but he put a hand on the handle to the back door, pushed out his chest, and challenged her in a low snarl, "Try me."

February 5, 2012 at 4:02pm
February 5, 2012 at 4:02pm
#746454
The following is a mere scene. A visual I have in my head am trying to put words to.

The doorbell rang. Flint went to find out who it was. He had no memory of calling for delivered food, but then he was forgetful lately. He opened the door and found the most wondrous sight. Like an angel, come down from heaven just for him, an elf woman with friendly light-brown eyes and a pretty face framed by honey-blond hair, looked up to him. Too amazed to speak, Flint stood with the doorknob in hand.

She asked in a melodious voice, "Is this the residence of Flint Greenleaf?"

"That's me."

She smiled and held up her tablet for him to see the screen. It was a map with his address highlighted. "My agency got a call from you yesterday. You are in need of a live-in housekeeper?"

He blinked. He made such a call? When? How? Where did he get the number? Regardless of all those questions swirling in his mind, Flint heard himself say, "Yes, I need a housekeeper. Please come inside." He opened the door wide so she could step inside and led her to the kitchen. "I have to apologize for the state of things. I'm not feeling well, Miss." He gave her an asking look.

"My name is Amandine Vertoux."

"Uh, Flint Greenleaf. You knew that." Facepalm.


February 5, 2012 at 4:01pm
February 5, 2012 at 4:01pm
#746453
What to do when your neighbor's baby has a seizure.

Step one:
Find out if somebody is already calling 911. If not, call 911 while directing hysterical mother to perform step two.

Step two:
Secure baby on his right side on the floor. On a blanket if there is one. Yes, the floor. Who's already on the floor can't fall down in case of a new seizure. Think about it.

Step three:
Comfort crying mother. Talk to baby, no matter if lucid or not.

Step four:
Send all other children to a third neighbor.

Step five:
Clear the area of obstructions so emergency personnel have space for their equipment.

Step six:
Once emergency personnel works on child, make sure mom has shoes, her cell phone, and a little cash as she will be driven to the hospital with her baby on the gurney.

Step seven:
Inquire about child's well-being the next day.

Step eight:
Hug your children and thank the universe for no seizures.

If in any way possible, do not repeat or try at home.

February 5, 2012 at 4:01pm
February 5, 2012 at 4:01pm
#746452
The hour of silence in the house gave Titus a chance to take a sober look at his life. He pondered the mistakes of the past three years and how all had culminated with a ruined romance, a messed up marriage, and a child shared by separated parents. All things he'd never wanted for himself. Today, he made a decision to get at least some of those things straightened out.

Walking through his room to the master bath, he saw Jessica was still asleep. He closed the door to the bathroom and took a shower. He realized, he didn't have any clean underwear in the bathroom. 'What the heck,' he thought. 'She's seen me naked before.'

As he went into his room, covering his private parts with one hand, he realized Jessica was awake. She watched him get dressed. He reached her one of his t-shirts. "You want to put this on for now? I made breakfast."

"Yes, thank you."

The shirt was too big on her, but he liked that most of her body down to her thighs was out of his sight. They sat down at the dining table where he poured her coffee and served her the scrambled eggs warm from the oven.

"You went out already?" she asked holding up the fresh croissant.

He nodded. "Went for a run." With Daniel still asleep, he pushed himself right into telling her the decision he had come to this morning. "We should get a divorce. All I'm asking for is equal access to Daniel. I'll write the condo over to your name too."

"But why?" Jessica cried out.

"I've got to set you free. You're dating another man. Daniel is confused. I thinks it's best if me make a clean cut and set ground rules that our son can comprehend. At least a little bit."

She shook her head vigorously. "I will never agree to a divorce. I don't want my child to have divorced parents. What do you plan? Are you going to start a new family and have him be the step brother?"

"I haven't told you," Titus said, "I got a vasectomy when Daniel was six weeks old."

Jessica started crying. Titus stood up and went for a box of tissues. He put it next to her. There was no reason for her to cry over his vasectomy. Whatever it meant to her, he didn't understand. He stood stupidly next to her. When she wouldn't stop crying, he put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay Jess. We don't have to get divorced if it upsets you. I don't have any other woman in my life. I just want you to be free and I want to be a dad."

Instead of calming her, his words made her even more anguished. She turned to him and gripped him around his waist. She was saying something, but it was all gibberish to him. Finally, he started making out sounds that resembled "my fault."

He grabbed her wrists and said, "Come to the bathroom with me."

She let him lead her to the bathroom where he washed her face with a warm rag. He pulled her into a tender hug. "What do you want to do? Tell me, Jessica. How do you think we can fix the mess we're in?"

"It's all my fault. You told me you didn't want a child. I went behind your back and got off the pill. I betrayed you, your trust, your love. And now …" She started crying again, but this time Titus stopped her before she could get carried away.

"Shush," he said. "It's all in the past. We've got the present to deal with. We've got a whole little boy to raise into a sensible man."
"Why did you get a vasectomy?"

Titus held her off some so he could speak to her face. "Is that some Catholic thing? 'Cause you know I don't do the Catholic thing. I'm happy if you do it with your family. Even okay with Daniel getting baptized and all that circus. But you're not going to make me think that getting a vasectomy is a bad thing." He smiled wide at her.

To his relief, she gave a shaky laugh. "I guess since you're a sinner and happy with it, it's not a problem for you to have a vasectomy."

"There you go."

"Titus," she said in a quiet voice.

"Yes?" he asked back in the same tone.

"You've changed."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Can't stay a kid forever. At thirty-two, it's about time I became a real man. Don't you think?"

Instead of using words, she put her head back against his chest. They stood like this until they heard a little voice from the hallway, "Mommy?"

They came out of the bathroom to find Daniel clutching his new 'teddy bear for nights at Daddy's house.' He was confused from waking up in an unfamiliar environment, but as soon as he saw Jessica, he felt comfortable. She took his free hand. "Come, Daddy made breakfast for us."

They sat down at the dining table again. Daniel ate his sandwiches and tried a corner of the croissant. He ate the crunchy tip, but left the soft parts.

Jessica's phone rang. She got it from her purse. It was Alex. "I'm still at Titus' house… Yes, I stayed the night… Yes, I think it was the right thing to do. Daniel asked me to. What kind of a mother would I be to abandon my son when he needs me?" He voice changed, it got sharp, similar to the tone Titus heard in her voice when she snapped at Alex the night before. "I'm not going to answer that question. That is none of your business! … I'll call you later." She clicked the phone off and gave it an irate look.

"What did he ask you?" Titus inquired.

She frowned angrily. "Something I don't want to repeat in front of Daniel."

Titus raised his eyebrows and said, "You have a talent at attracting jerks like me."

"He is nothing like you. Nothing. If anything, he's the complete opposite of you."

Titus grinned. The opposite of him? That, he would have to hear more about sometimes when Daniel wasn’t present. She caught his expression and said, "Oh, you!" But then, she laughed.

"Are you ready to go home?" Titus asked Daniel.

"Can I play with my new toys?" Daniel asked.

Titus turned to Jessica. "I don't know. Let's ask Mommy."

She smiled fondly at Daniel. "Of course we can stay longer." She reached to him and caressed his dark blond curls. Titus was struck by the purity of her love for this little boy. His mother never looked at him like this. He should be so lucky to get to experience the true love of a mother by watching Jessica deal with Daniel.

His guts radiated a strange sick feeling. To work through it, he started cleaning up the table. "Go ahead to his room. I'll be right there."


February 5, 2012 at 4:00pm
February 5, 2012 at 4:00pm
#746451
Titus woke up and found Jessica still asleep next to him. There was a gap between them, but it was small enough for him to reach over and touch her. The gap in her heart, the one that he had torn open was wide as the Grand Canyon.

As usual, Titus woke up at the same time as the sun went up. He got dressed and took a peek into the other bedroom, which was now Daniel's bedroom. Daniel was fast asleep. Titus decided to go for a short run and stop at the small bakery on Venice Blvd a block from the Strand and pick up fresh croissants.

He ran the few blocks and went for a brief run on the Venice Boardwalk. He used the concrete stands to get his heart going by running up and down. Once he was good a sweaty, he ran to the bakery. Used to seeing him early and unshowered, the owner gave him one of her typical sour smiles, which was the friendliest she was capable of.

"I'll have three croissants and three French rolls."

"Threesome?"

"My wife and son are over."

She raised her eyebrows. "Where'd you hide a whole family for all these years?"

"Just gimme my stuff!" he said gruffly. She shoved the paper bag at him with an annoyed glare.

At home, Titus made coffee. He scrambled eggs and cut up a tomato into thin slices. He cut up an apple and a banana. For Daniel, he prepared a couple of triangle sandwiches in case he didn't want a croissant.

Then, he sat down in the living room. He sat down on the couch and started thinking about his life.


February 5, 2012 at 4:00pm
February 5, 2012 at 4:00pm
#746450
Daniel sat crying on his new bed in Titus’ home. “I want Mommy!”

Titus sat on the side of the bed and tried to calm his son. “Mommy is not home tonight. I can’t just call her to come here. You want me to read you another story?”

“No! I want Mommy!” Daniel punched Titus in the chest with his small fist. It didn’t hurt physically, but Titus was sad that he wasn’t able to give him more comfort.

He pulled his cell out of the cargo pocket and offered, “How about we call her and ask her to wish you good night over the phone?”

“I want her to come here!”

“Look, I’m dialing her number. You have to stop screaming so she can hear me.”

“Hello?” Jessica’s worried voice came over the speaker.

Neither Titus nor Jessica were able to get in a word in as Daniel launched into a hysterical fit of wailing and crying. The only word that was understandable every now and then was ‘Mommy.’ To be able to speak with her, Titus left the room. He felt horrible. Daniel screamed even louder for being left behind, but Titus had to tell Jessica that Daniel was not being hurt.

“Jess, I’m sorry to call you like this. Daniel won’t go to sleep without you.”

Apparently, Jessica also had her phone on loudspeaker as he heard Alex’s voice groaning, “He’s just making this up to ruin our date.”

Jessica snapped at him, “Shut up. My kid is crying. Titus?” Her voice was friendly. “What’s happening?”

Titus sighed. “Daniel won’t go to sleep without seeing you. I offered to call you so you could wish him good night over the phone.”

“Let me talk to him.”

Titus opened the door to the child’s room. Daniel stood next to his bed in his pajamas clutching his hands together and crying. He was so relieved to see Titus, he forgot to cry long enough for Titus to say, “Mommy is on the phone.” Daniel reached for the phone and went right back to crying. Titus could hear Jessica’s calming voice, but it didn’t reach through the layers of anguish and tiredness that Daniel was caught in.

Titus took the phone back. “Look, I’m sorry I’ve disturbed you. Calling you wasn’t such a good idea after all. We’ll toughen it out Daniel and me.”

“No, I’m coming there. Tell him I’m on my way.”

Titus carried Daniel into the living room. He turned on the TV and put Yo Gabba Gabba on. The thing was entirely outrageous to Titus, but Daniel liked it.

Twenty minutes later, Jessica came in. Daniel jumped up from Titus’ lap and ran to her. He immediately turned the sirens back on.

Jessica carried him to his bedroom speaking softly in Spanish to him. Titus stayed in the living room. He didn’t know why this had happened. He’d stayed at Jessica’s place with Daniel over night when Jessica worked a night shift at the hospital. He would have never thought that sleeping in his house would be any different.

Titus sat on the couch leaning forward over his legs and resting his face in his hands. Jessica startled him as she put a soft hand on his shoulder. He stood up. “Is he asleep?”

She nodded.

“You want to call Alex? It’s not too late for the two of you to get back to your date.”

She shook her head.

Titus dug his car keys out of his pocket. “Take the Charger. I can’t give you a ride. I wouldn’t want to leave him alone now.”

She gave a little chuckle and shook her head again. “I promised Daniel to stay here until he wakes up.”

Alarmed, Titus quickly said, “I did not tell him to ask for that.”

“I know, Cariño.”

She sat down on the sofa and let out a deep sigh. Titus sat down too, but left ample space between them. “What did I call you away from?”

“Dinner.”

He jumped up. “I’ll make you dinner.”

From the kitchen, he saw her pick up a Wii controller. He smiled as he saw her set up Mario Kart. She folded her legs to sit more comfortably and dove into the colorful and safe world of Nintendo.

The delicious scents of roasting meat and soon filled the house. Once the meal was complete, Titus called Jessica to the dining table. “I hope this makes up for your missed meal.”

She stepped closer and smiled. “Yes, it does.”

They enjoyed the meal and kept all conversation centered on Daniel. It was a safe topic. After dinner, Titus took away the dishes. Over the counter, he said, “I call the couch.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You can have my bed.”

She frowned. “Why would you sleep on the couch?”

He shrugged his shoulders and didn’t look at her. She stood up and slowly walked around the long black granite counter. She put both her hands on his face and said tenderly, “We’re still married. We should sleep in the same bed.”

He swallowed hard. Brusquely, he freed his face and walked away from her in a fast pace to his bedroom. “Okay.” In his room, he shed his pants and socks, but kept his t-shirt and boxers on. He slipped under the covers and stayed on the far end of the mattress.

Jessica came after him. She slowly took off the dress she wore. She only had a bra and a thong on. She let her bosom free. Titus turned his face away. How had he been so stupid to run her off? As she climbed in the bed on the other side, he turned away. She was practically naked in his bed with him. So close, he could turn over and touch her. Yet, she was so far away.

Quietly, she said, “We didn’t brush teeth.”

He jumped out of his bed and ran to his master bathroom. On his way, he mumbled, “There should be spares in the hallway bath.” He closed the door behind him and locked it. Minutes later, they were back in bed, now with minty breath. He turned the light off and said, “Sleep tight.”

“You too.”


February 5, 2012 at 3:59pm
February 5, 2012 at 3:59pm
#746449
“Why did you take Daniel to a furniture store?” Jessica’s voice was sharp coming through the speaker. She spoke herself into a rage. “How cruel can you be? He is just a little boy. He doesn’t understand the concept of shopping without buying.”

Titus smiled on his end. It was rare, too rare, for him to get emotions out of her. “I want him to have the bedroom of his dreams. I can only do that by letting him choose.”

“Where the hell would you put children’s furniture anyways? In the garage? In the front yard?” Jessica kept ranting and listing places not fit for a child’s room.

Titus spoke over her rant, “Jane is moving out.”

Silence.

“Are you still there?” he asked.

Breathing. “I’ve got to go.” She hung up.

Titus put the phone down. He wasn’t sure what to do now. They never had loud arguments before. Jessica and he had never raised voices against each other. It wasn’t how they communicated. This time, he’d gotten not one but two emotional reactions from her. Hanging up brusquely wasn’t like her either.

February 5, 2012 at 3:58pm
February 5, 2012 at 3:58pm
#746448
“So,” Titus asked Jane, his roommate, over dinner, “How close are you and Steve to moving in with each other?”

“Is this your way of telling me that you want me to move out?”

Titus nodded. “Yeah. But I don’t want you to have to pay rent for a place of your own.”

“Give me one of the studios. Didn’t you tell me number eleven is moving out soon?”

“I’m going to need the income from that unit and I don’t want it to come from you.”

Jane smiled tenderly at him. She reached across the table and put a hand on his cheek. “You were asked to host me for a year. It’s been over two years. You’ve done your duty.”

He took her hand and held it in place. Gazing deeply into her eyes, he said, “You know you and I were past the ‘hosting’ aspect of this a long time ago.” He turned his face to kiss the palm of her hand and then made her take her hand back. “I don’t want you out in the housing market place just yet. You’re still in college. It’s ridiculous what they are asking for rents out here. Housing sharks.”

“You should know.” She grinned.

He chuckled. “Yes, I’m one of the evil sharks.”

“I could see what kind of student housing UCLA has.”

“No! Look, if you’re not moving in with Steve, then you’re staying here. I don’t want to worry for you. Student housing is the pits.”

“I can handle myself, you know.” Jane was finished eating. She stayed at the table and waited until Titus was also done. She took the dishes to the dishwasher.

As she started to run water to clean the pot and the pan used for cooking, Titus showed up behind her. “Let me do that. Call Steve and ask him to come over so we can discuss this.”

“You are serious.” She turned to him. “Is Jessica moving back?”

“I’d like her to, but I don’t know. I do know that it is time I made a real children’s room for Daniel here. I want to have him more often. I can’t do that unless I have a real place for him to stay.”

She smiled. “It’s nice to see you come to your senses about your kid.”


February 5, 2012 at 3:58pm
February 5, 2012 at 3:58pm
#746447
Titus carried Daniel home from his nursery school. Why Jessica thought this was such a great place was beyond him. The two teachers used the whole mantel of ‘parent participation’ to sit around and pretty much do nothing. One of the teachers had spent her day socializing with moms while the other kept her head in closets or in paperwork. During lunch, a kid screamed at his mom for only having four items in his lunchbox instead of five. Instead of helping the poor mom to calm down her child, the teachers with a Masters in Early Childhood Education gave her the evil eye. So much for ‘parent education,’ which was the other big thing the duo hawked as a reason why their little place was to be top of the pops.

Jessica was awake and freshly showered as they came in. The dark circles around her eyes showed she was still tired from her first night shift. Titus brought Daniel, who was asleep in his arms, to his bed. In the living room, he said, “You look as if you could go right back to sleep.”

Jessica giggled. “I didn’t expect this to be so hard on me.”

He sat down on the sofa, hoping she would sit down with him. She stayed rooted to her spot. “Thank you for staying the night and taking care of Daniel this morning.”

“You’re welcome.”

“You can go now.”

He stood up. “I’m dismissed, then.” He opened his arms. “Can I get a hug?”

Reluctant, she crossed the short distance between them and snuggled into his embrace. She put her arms around him and let a deep sigh go through her. Titus loved the feeling of her body against his. She was soft in all the right places, especially her gorgeously ample bosom. Somewhere in him, he knew it was wrong, he was moving too fast, but instead of listening to that little voice, he grabbed her hair and bent her head back. His lips pressed against hers and his tongue slipped into her mouth. He caressed her tongue in a long slow kiss. When he finally let go of her, she gave him that little gasp he loved so much and her gaze was cross-eyed.

The moment was over much too fast. She tried to push him away. “It’s not like that anymore.”

“Really?” he asked in a husky whisper. Keeping one arm around her, he took her chin between thumb and index finger. “Jessica, you will always love and crave my kisses. Now I only have to make you love the rest of me again.” He grinned cheekily, a look he could turn on at will. His past as an Abercrombie and Fitch model hadn’t only left him with a fat pile of money, but also with the ability to create specific expressions on his face on demand.

She bit her lips. He laughed and let her push him off.

On his way home, Titus couldn’t wipe a grin off his face. Yes, there was a long road ahead of him. But the seeds for more were sown. Now, he just had to stay persistent. Eventually, she would come around.

February 5, 2012 at 3:57pm
February 5, 2012 at 3:57pm
#746446
Flint woke up slowly. Although he felt that going back to sleep wouldn't work anymore, he felt leaden tiredness gripping his body and mind. He slowly sat up. Instead of a bed that would allow him to put his feet on the floor, he realized he was on a mattress that lay in an empty room.

As he stirred, so did somebody else next to him. He cast a weary glance at the person next to him. "Lucien," he said with tenderness. He pet his son's bright blond curls. It still struck him that his kid was a toddler instead of an infant. Something had happened to him and Lucien that had brought them not only to a place and city he didn't know, but there were also several months that had elapsed without Flint having any memory of it.

He slowly rolled off the mattress and onto his knees. He used both arms to push his upper body into an upright position. Lucien, not at all afflicted with the bug that kept Flint from moving at normal speed, crawled across the makeshift bed and tried to climb up on his dad. Instinctively, Flint put one arm around his son. He held him tightly as he put one foot on the floor to help him stand up.

He lumbered into the kitchen. The counters were littered with empty take out boxes and throw-away plates and flatware. A peek in the refrigerator yielded nothing but a half bottle of formula. Lucien saw it and struggled to get out of Flint's arms to reach for it. Flint grabbed it for him and gave it to him. Lucien immediately put the bottle to his lips and started sucking furiously. "You are hungry," Flint commented. He held his stomach with his free hand. "I'm hungry too."

Having slept in his clothes, Flint started digging in his pocket. He found a wad of cash. United States dollars. He knew the value of the currency, but he still reeled from the fact that the money he carried was dollars. The worst part was that he was unable to tell which currency he would have expected. Time, place, his son's age didn't add up to him. Finding logic in a situation without rhyme or reason was futile when the basic bodily needs wanted to be met. As soon as the baby bottle was empty, Lucien shook it in hopes more would come out.

"Let me check your diaper and then we'll go out to buy more food."

Lucien held on to the empty baby bottle and suckled on it while Flint changed his diaper on the mattress in the living room. A day or two or many days ago, Flint had inspected the apartment. There were three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The kitchen was modern and even had a wine refrigerator with a glass door. For furniture, however, there was only the mattress, a blanket, and a stool in the kitchen.

With Lucien dressed, Flint went outside. His apartment was on the fourth level in a complex in the middle of a big city. The downtown area was close by as he could see the high rises just a few blocks away. He hadn't ventured that far, but he'd found a sign on a lamppost that said "Little Tokyo."
The name of the place didn't ring a bell. It didn't make sense either except for the fact that the Japanese American Museum was only a block away from his complex. In his immediate neighborhood, Flint had as many Anime paraphernalia shops as hole-in-the-wall eateries that sold Asian influenced American and European foods.

He chose a Japanese French bistro for a croissant and cup of coffee. The waitress asked, "Would you like something for your son?"

He shrugged. "What do you have?"

"I will bring something he will like." She smiled brightly. She came back with soft cookies and showed Lucien how to hold and nibble on it. It was a mess, but since Lucien obviously enjoyed the treat, Flint didn't object. He bought a bag full of those cookies for later.

At home, Flint surveyed his bleak apartment. Lost in time and space, he tried to make sense of things by reading the newspaper. The date said "January 3, 2012 - Year Three after the Blending."

Flint knew that 2012 marked the year since a messiah was born, but what did Blending mean? On page six, he found a clue. A small group of hikers was rescued in a National Park after being lost for months. According to them, they only went into a valley and when they came back out they realized a few hours to them had turned into months to their relatives. Flint took down the name of the reporter who wrote the article. Maybe he could get him in touch with those hikers.

A week later, Flint and Lucien went hiking in the same National Park. Flint found the valley and ventured into it. The air got thick, almost like an entity trying to keep him out. He pushed through. Once on the other side of the strangely thick air, he saw the most wondrous sight. He stood in a village of elves - and they recognized him.

875 words


February 5, 2012 at 3:52pm
February 5, 2012 at 3:52pm
#746445
My acronyms, made for
FORUM
ACRO*BATICS [Round Over]  (13+)
I supply an acronym; you make up what it stands for. My favorite entries win gift points!
#921363 by St. Patrickraken


Bold letters are mandatory first letters. Underlined letters are those I was free to pick.


09/02/09, special Writing.com ninth birthday round entry. This won second place.

Wording clever titles brings intrigued readers to complete works shown proudly.

***~~~***~~~***~~~***


This was a late entry months ago, but since it was my first acronym ever, I'm keeping it.

Nightly awake bakers do produce hot, perhaps moist, soft cake.

January 17, 2011 at 8:42am
January 17, 2011 at 8:42am
#715774
The battle was fierce. Balls were flying all over the place. Finally, even Simon was hit. It didn't hurt that much, but the red paintball stain would take weeks to come out of his fur. Simon ran up a tree stem and cackled, "Time out! Time out!"
At that moment, a yellow paintball hit him from below, coloring his neck and even the side of his face. He turned to scream at the attacker when he felt a sting on the back of his head. Argh! Another red one had got him on the back of his head.
Simon jumped off his tree, picked up his paintball gun, and went out for revenge. They would all look like a genetic experiment gone wrong by the end of the day, buy he didn't care any longer. This was fun after all.


January 17, 2011 at 8:34am
January 17, 2011 at 8:34am
#715773
"Here you go, Jon-Jon." John handed his son the t-shirt they had designed and printed together. It was black with crossed guns and a sheriff star in the middle. Jon-Jon was so proud that his father always made him one of a kind t-shirts nobody else at school wore. He slipped it on. It fit perfectly.
At school, the shirt wasn't received as Jon-Jon had hoped. The teacher said he couldn't bring weapons to school.
The principal made him take the shirt off and wear one of the oops shirts from the nurse. An old rag of a shirt that didn't even fit him well.
When John picked up his son, he heard the whole story. Enraged, he went to speak to the principal.
"Zero tolerance" "Columbine" "Too much violence"
John didn't even listen to the punch lines any longer. He got up and left with Jon-Jon in tow. The next day, the principal and all the teachers found themselves surrounded by parents wearing that shirt. Every parent who dropped off a child, volunteering parents, every adult except school employees wore the shirt. And Jon-Jon.
John asked the principal, "Do you want to ask all of these people to take off their shirts? You're violating the first amendment."
The principal huffed, "Until somebody gets hurt!"
John laughed. "From a picture? Are you too scared to have a conversation with children that teaches them to think and filter what can hurt them and what can't?"


January 17, 2011 at 8:23am
January 17, 2011 at 8:23am
#715771
The lion walked close to the village. Their box with moving pictures and loud noises was on. Instead of showing little men dressed in colorful clothes run after a ball and all the village's men assembled in front, it had the village children in front of it. Today, the TV showed two lions. An old scarred lion and a cub walking together. The cub went into a valley and nearly was trampled by wildebeest. He was able to climb up the ravine, but his father, a majestic looking lion, died as he fell into the valley.
The lion walked away, shaken at what he had just seen. He had planned to go into a nearby valley, but now he was worried wildebeest might stampede him. He sat down under a tree and overlooked the savanna. He decided that his spot in the shade was a much better one than risking his life.



January 15, 2011 at 1:33am
January 15, 2011 at 1:33am
#715531
Jack's solo into the wilderness was the kind of experience he had dreamed of his whole life. Even as a little boy, he had wanted to walk through pristine nature all by himself. Now, just about to turn fifty, he was on the trek of a lifetime. It was early spring in the Canadian forest. He was miles and miles away from civilization. His GPS device died three days ago, but somehow that only added to the adventure in his mind. This moment was for him. He thought briefly of his wife and their grown children and if they were disturbed by the fact that his signals had gone dark, but the majesty of nature was stronger than thoughts of home, the two bedroom condo in New York City.
Every night, Jack unfolded his bivy*, stuffed his sleeping bag, all his supplies and himself in it, and slept at one with nature. No tent, no roof, no nothing between him and the night sky, rich with uncounted stars.
Every morning, he woke up to the most amazing view of tall tree stems that reached high into the blue sky. Every morning, tears of overwhelming joy ran down the sides of his face. His walk in nature was not only long overdue, but also something he knew he would do as many times as possible as long as he still had the strength. He hoped his wife would come with him next time.

* If you want to know what a bivy is:
http://www.rei.com/product/747832?preferredSku=7478320018&cm_mmc=cse_froogle-_-d...
June 18, 2010 at 12:43am
June 18, 2010 at 12:43am
#699540
"What sound does the dog make?"
"Woof woof."
"What sound does the cat make?"
"Meow."
"Now tell me what sound a frog makes."
"Hoppit, hoppit."

June 17, 2010 at 1:24am
June 17, 2010 at 1:24am
#699452
Although the boat was packed, complete silence reigned. People breathed as shallow as possible and did their best not to move. The captain had assigned each of them a specific spot to be in so the barge stayed balanced for the crossing of the Ganges River. In the middle, the boat was grabbed by the currents and the passengers were even quieter if that was possible. Not one move.
Then, Apu sneezed.



June 14, 2010 at 1:27am
June 14, 2010 at 1:27am
#699141
Kelly and Peter held hands and gazed in awe at the cave walls, ceiling, and the many stalactites. For their honeymoon the Texans had hoped to be able to travel to far away lands. Finances had forced them to stay closer to home. Although both were natives of Austin, they realized there was a lot about their city and surroundings they had never seen. So, instead of two weeks of doing nothing on a cruise ship and get fat, they went to a different local attraction and slept at home every night.
Today, they had driven the twenty miles north to the Inner Space Cavern. Kelly rubbed her arms and giggled. "It's so cool in here. It would be nice to live here."
Peter chuckled. He liked the freshness too. But he also liked the comforts of the home they had bought right before getting married. He put an arm around Kelly and said, "The beauty of experiencing attractions this close the home is that we can easily come back here anytime we want."
Kelly nodded. "Yes. You know, now I am glad we didn't go on a world tour of places we would have a hard time to get back to. These caves will always be right here."
They followed the tour guide through the different chambers until they went back out into the light. The sun's bright light and the heat of midday Texas hit them. It was nice to see the sky again.


June 12, 2010 at 7:20pm
June 12, 2010 at 7:20pm
#699011
Colorectal cancer was tearing up Herb's insides. He could feel the blood seep from his body into the pad he wore to catch it. The doctors had given him a few weeks to live. That was if he went through with the treatment they wanted him to follow. Two, maybe three months of misery to finish his life. Naw, he said to himself.
Bucketlist
He wrote on a piece of paper. There wasn't much on it.
*Bullet* Eat charred barbecue lunches as often as he wanted to
*Bullet* Smoke cigars
*Bullet* Have one last extreme outdoor experience

His wife Mildred of thirty years had decided that white water rafting was going to be as crazy as they would dare to be. She arranged it all. She made the booking, she found a team of experienced rafters that was willing to take them along.
Going down a particularly nasty part of the river Herb felt life trickle out of him. But he felt more alive than ever before.
June 11, 2010 at 2:30am
June 11, 2010 at 2:30am
#698865
Burning houses often look as if they are screaming.
The front door is an open mouth, open wide in terror.
The way the windows are above the door make them appear to be fear widened eyes, back lit by flames.
Raging fire on the roof makes for hair like you'd expect Lucifer to sport.




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