[Write the Story] Escaping a Natural Disaster
Prompt: Escaping a Natural Disaster
Words: museum, exonerate, epicurean, senseless, literacy, software, solar, tear, coloring, quarry
Story
We stared up at the imposing classical-style building before girding our loins and going inside. “Why’re we here again?â€
“Because our literary software hit so big that we were given a night at the most exclusive restaurant in town. Come on. Let’s see how the senseless rich eat.†Joel shook his head.
Thus we entered the Saturn City Museum. The building was built from rock from a single quarry – in the quarry. The coloring rich in shades of pink and blue sparkling when the solar radiation hit.
“Welcome. Your table is right this way.†The maitre’d took us through empty tables. “We will tear apart any preconceived notions of epicurean delusions and exonerate your past culinary sins.â€
“I have no idea what he just said,†I said. “And where is everyone else? If this place is so fabulous, why is it empty?â€
Joel picked up the short menu page. “Holy cow!â€
“What? Expensive?â€
“Yes, but no. It’s literally Holy Cow – from India – on the menu.â€
I snatched the menu away and scanned it. “Come on. I know why this place is empty. We have to go.â€
The floor began shaking as we fled. Wind whipped everything everywhere. As we burst out the door, the roof was hit by lightning. We skidded to a halt and watched the museum be swallowed by every weather system and vortex ever.
Word Count: 227
Written: 12/27/19
3 Comments
Only 227 words? That’s impressive. Mine came to almost 400 (too long to post here).
I’ll admit to not getting the ending, how the narrator knew enough to flee, but I’m okay with that. Sometimes, leaving things out is best, because people don’t always explain things in the moment.
These stories or even snippets of stories all have to fit on a journal page.
Ahhh. I get it now. Since I don’t have a journal, I’ll aim for 200 words or less, to play by the rules. Here’s one that qualifies.
Prompt: Escaping a Natural Disaster
Words: museum, exonerate, epicurean, senseless, literacy, software, solar, tear, coloring, quarry
Escaping The RagnaRock – 200 words
The alien arks arrived one month before the world-killer asteroid, and everyone on Earth shed a tear of relief. Their true names being unpronounceable, we called them what we could. In my area, we called them Samaritans. The asteroid, in a fit of whimsy, was called The RagnaRock.
The aliens specified that each person could take only what they could carry. (Basic food and water would be provided.)
Chaos.
The epicurean and the senseless each took what they wanted. Fine wines and soda pop. Museum artifacts and adult coloring books and ceramic cats. Seeds for crops and videogame software. Solar powered e-Readers filled with books for those worried about literacy.
The religious gathered animals, two by two. The hunters brought guns, seeking new quarry.
The prisons’ owners offered to exonerate any prisoner who would carry something the owners wanted, or else they would die in prison when The RagnaRock hit. The prisoners agreed.
Then the Samaritans told us it was a hoax. A lesson. They wanted us to learn what we truly valued. And that we needed to work together to save ourselves from the *next* RagnaRock. They diverted the rogue asteroid and left us to ourselves.
Nobody thanked them.