MLMM

MLMM First Line Friday — Zoom

Fandango5 Comments

“Whatever you do, you can’t do that,” Sal said.

“Can’t do what?” I asked.

Don’t be sneaky, pal,” Sal said. “You know full well what I’m talking about.”

“Honestly, I don’t,” I said. “Can you give me an assist here? Cut me some slack, maybe?”

“I’ve already given you too much leeway,” Sal said. “And it gives me little comfort, but I have to put my foot down this time.”

“Listen, Sal,” I said. “Maybe I’ve developed a bunch of cobwebs in my head, but I have no idea what your objection is to my being on this afternoon’s conference call.”

Sal sighed. “The last conference call you were on you apparently forgot that it was a Zoom call. You stood up, had no pants on, and had a boner.”

“Oh right,” I said. “I guess I blocked that memory.”

Written for Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie First Line Friday, where the first line is, “Whatever you do, you can’t do that.” Also for these daily prompts: My Vivid Blog (sneaky), Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (assist), Your Daily Word Prompt (leeway), The Daily Spur (comfort), Word of the Day Challenge (cobweb), and Ragtag Daily Prompt (conference).

MLMM Photo Challenge — Up On the Roof

Fandango12 Comments

“Don’t do it, don’t jump,” she pleaded.

Jeremy looked over his left shoulder to see a young woman with a concerned look on her face standing about ten feet behind him. “Wait, what?” he said. “I’ve no intention of jumping. I’m not suicidal or crazy, you know.” He turned his head back around and looked down at the street way below.

“Then what are you doing sitting precariously close to the edge of the ledge?” she asked. “Please turn around slowly and walk toward me.”

“What are you? A cop? A shrink?” Jeremy asked.

“No, I’m just someone who lives in this building and I don’t want to see you harm yourself,” she said. “My name is Diana. What’s yours?”

“I don’t care what your name is,” Jeremy said. “And my name is none of your goddam business. You don’t know me or why I’m up here, so stop trying to be a good samaritan or whatever. Just leave me the hell alone.”

“I like coming up here,” Diana said. “It’s like that old song by the Drifters says, ‘On the roof, it’s peaceful as can be / And there the world below can’t bother me.’ That’s how I feel when I come up here. And as they say in that song, when I’m up here on the roof I can get away form all that race noise down in the street. You know what I’m saying?”

Jeremy turned his head back and looked at the girl without saying anything for more than a minute. Then he swung his legs around, stood up, and walked toward Diana. Once he was standing in front of her, he reached his right hand out and said, “My name is Jeremy. Nice to meet you, Diana.”

Written for the Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie Photo Challenge. Photo credit: Caters.

Photo Challenge — Stairway to Heaven

Fandango12 Comments

It was known throughout the region as the Stairway to Heaven. Eric had exhausted himself on the steep hike to the summit. And while the view from the zenith was full of splendor, the tension he felt in the pit of his stomach was palpable, as the way back down looked treacherous.

Tightly gripping the handrails of the long and winding path, Eric took a deep breath as a chilling mist started moving in from the west. He tried to quash his feeling of trepidation as he began the journey back to the village, barely visible in the distance.

Eric attempted to ignore the veritable mind games that the thin air at this elevation was causing. But step by step, he headed down.

It took him much longer than he thought it would to make it to the bottom, but once he was safely there, he made a vow to himself to spend the rest of his time on the planet living a life of leisure. After all, he had just turned eighty and he felt that there would be no complaint from his family, including his great grand children, if he slowed down a little.

Written for the Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie Photo Challenge. Photo credit: Mark Payton. Also for these daily prompts: My Vivid Blog (zenith/game), Ragtag Daily prompt (splendor/mist), Your Daily Word Prompt (palpable/veritable), Word of the Day Challenge (gripping/chilling), and The Daily Spur (leisure/complaint).

Tale Weaver — Love is Blind

Fandango6 Comments

They say that love is blind, and I used to agree. Why else would a smart, beautiful women like her fall for a ghoul like me? It certainly wasn’t for my money. She had to be blind, or at least severely visually impaired, right?

Still, I believed we had a good thing going and I thought that I had earned both her love and her respect. But that good thing was all too brief. I found out that she was one of those people who believed in an out of sight, out of mind approach to love.

Or at least she did with me, because when I was not around, not in her sight, she made love with just about any other man who crossed her path. And, as I later learned, even with some other women she met.

With this new insight, I decided to take action, although some might think it was extreme. Let’s just say my former love has lost her sight and now she, too, believes that love is blind.

Written for the Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie Tale Weaver prompt. And for these daily prompts: Word of the Day Challenge (ghoul), Ragtag Daily Prompt (still), The Daily Spur (brief), My Vivid Blog (respect), and Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (extreme).

MLMM Photo Challenge — Thin Ice

Fandango19 Comments

Didn’t I tell you this would happen?
Didn’t I say the ice was thin?
Didn’t I say this was a big mistake?

But did you listen to me?
Did you heed my warning?
No you did not.

And what was the result?
What was the outcome?
I’ll tell you what it was.

A major quack up!

Written for the Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie Photo Challenge. Photo credit: Kyle Green.