Five minutes. One writing prompt. Five different responses. What would you write? I find I usually pull a thread of something I had heard or experienced in the week leading up to the group meeting. This week, the news was filled with Jon Stewart shaming lawmakers to take action on the 911 First Responders bill. You'll see his influence in my response.
What did we write to?
"Where did everyone go?" I shouted...
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From Maggie:
"Where did everyone go?" I shouted...but they were all there...kind of.
Grace sat in the back of Doug's pick up truck, parked in the usual spot
between the trees in the cherry orchard.
Hot boxing was new to her and seemed weirdly intimate. Inhale deep from
the joint, then cup your hand and blow directly into your partner's mouth.
Getting high wasn't unique at these parties, but this went to a whole new
level. The effect was akin to hallucination but fairly short
lived...thankfully.
Grace peered out of the flatbed and saw her crew swirling around. She fell
back and drifted off.
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From Donna:
“Where did everyone go?” I shouted. But they all promised they would stay
to the bitter end! “I can’t do this alone it is too scary!”
As I stood there wondering what to do next the front door creaked open and
a hand came out, wrinkled and deeply veined, it wrapped itself finger by finger
around the outside knob of the door. I gasped, sweat streaming down my back,
“Give me my cat back! You mean old witch! She didn’t do any harm to your stupid
cockatoo! Your bird attacked my sweet little kitten. Your bird is the killer!”
The hand moved opening the door wider, now I can see a skinny arm and a bush of
long straggly grey hair. Whoosh, out flew a cockatoo heading …
All is good!
===============
From Cyd:
"Where'd everyone go?" I shouted, but
no one answered. Why did they leave so suddenly?
I jumped off Mariana to let her get a drink and that's when I saw it. A
huge water lizard in the sand. Hissing with its wide jaws as it moved toward
us.
My big beautiful doe began snorting. She grunted, jumped, spit, and made
other sounds I'd never heard before. Seeing her step between me and the monster
made me angry.
If that ugly beast draws a drop of blood from my tall-leg's white coat, I
will kill it. Kill it with my small hands. I was afraid before but now I would
lose my life protecting hers.
I will be like my spirit animal. The tall-leg.
=================
From Bette:
“Where did everyone
go?” I shouted but… There was no one there to answer. What the heck?
“Hello!” I( had been to the loo for a quick pee, and – Where did they go?
Smoke! I
smell smoke. The house is on fire. I ran to the nearest slider, and tugged, but
it wouldn’t open. I tugged, saw the board set there to keep out an intruder and
knew to go to a different door. The front door was open and I went through it.
“Hey! Where is everybody?”
Nothing.
What the heck? “Hello!” I heard laughter. Where? Down by the barn. But it was
dark, and there were brambles. I tripped along, slipped on a rock and fell on
my butt. Guys! Where are you?
Peels of
laughter. “Ah! Don’t touch it!”
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From Connie:
"Where did everyone go?" I shouted, but ...
no sound came out. I moved, but my fingers didn't twitch nor legs flayed. I filled my lungs to scream, but my chest didn't rise.
That's when a fear crept inside me.
I had been at my company's fancy breakfast. The city laid out before me on an amazingly clear day. I thought I had been in the buffet line, reaching for the eggs Benedict.
I was.
I had been.
Then nothing.
"Where did everyone go?"
But I was falling. Then nothing.
Then...
I wasn't moving. I had become nothing. I had become one.
Everything had become me and I had become them.
Not them.
One.
I was one.
Memories blended in a timeless way I had never known.
But I remembered one standing Twin Tower as I fell.
