[Write the Story} The Main Character is Startled Awake By…
Prompt: The Main Character is Startled Awake by…
Words: subway, evergreen, core, emblem, wild, swine, poised, occupation, inspector, gate
Story
“Honey, wake up.†Candace shook Jeremy’s shoulder. “Wake up! I heard a noise.â€
“It’s probably just the subway,†Jeremy mumbled in his pillow.
“Not unless the Red Line started sounding like wild swine. Come on. Go check. Please?â€
Jeremy rolled out of bed and stumbled to the baby gate at the top of the stairs. He paused, poised to descend with Candace crowding behind him. He knew in his core there was nothing, but for Candace’s peace of mind he’d go sown so he could get it over with and back to bed.
He eased toward the living room when in a flash he was wide awake. A large person in red and white bent over their small, living evergreen decked out for Christmas.
“What the…?â€
The man turned, just as startled as Jeremy – and from the gasp behind him, Candace. “Oh my! Jeremy Dunn, occupation – postal inspector. Candace Dunn, occupation – owner Emblem Fashion Boutique. Both on the Nice List. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.â€
Then he was just…gone.
“But we don’t even have a chimney,†Candace stammered. “And we’re not…â€
“Children?†Jeremy finished.
“I was going to say Believers, but that’s not true anymore is it?â€
“We can’t tell anyone, Candace.â€
“Why not? It’s the biggest mystery solved.â€
“And the greatest threat of all. Don’t risk us leaving the Nice List.â€
Word Count: 227
Written: 12/19/19
2 Comments
Prompt: The Main Character is Startled Awake by…
Words: subway, evergreen, core, emblem, wild, swine, poised, occupation, inspector, gate
Title: The Importance of Bacon (200 words)
As always, the dream began in a subway station of a big city, someplace. The emblem on the walls meant it was London, this time. Poised near the gate, an inspector of some sort was checking bags.
He looked down at his own bag, a brown duffel. He hadn’t realized he was carrying one. In it, he suddenly knew, was a small piglet. Why he was apparently smuggling swine, he had no idea but, in his core, he realized he was dreaming so he went with it.
A couple of entrepreneurs were in evidence. One was selling wreaths of fake evergreen branches, sprayed with artificial pine scent. Another’s occupation seemed to be wild drumming on an upside down plastic pail. The drummer was making more money.
He went to the wreath-seller and picked a small one, bartering the piglet for it. Apparently upset at how little it was worth, the piglet began squealing loud enough to wake the dead.
He came awake suddenly. Shutting off his alarm, he let the dream memories separate themselves from the real memories. He had a sudden desire for bacon and he wasn’t sure if it was real or not.
He needed to be sure.
* * *
I’m enjoying this. I haven’t done any writing for quite some time so it’s nice to get back into the flow with these little flash fiction bits. One of these times, I might even try to make it a real story and not a fragment. For now, the fragments are enough.
Thanks for posting these.
I’m glad you’re enjoying them. They’ll all from a “journal” called Write the Story. I’m with you – I struggled with creative fiction this year, but these exercises do help. I’m thinking of fleshing some of them out into bigger stories myself. Thanks for playing along!