MMA Storytime

Sunday Writing Prompt — The Quiet One

Fandango15 Comments

“Aren’t you the quiet one?” he said. It wasn’t a question as much as an observation. “You seem like someone who would be more of the incandescent type, someone who would want to be right in the thick of things, standing in the circle, entertaining the crowd with your storied tales of the realm. But there you sit, with nobody paying any attention to you.”

“I like it this way,” she said.

“I find it hard to believe that an attractive woman like you wants to be sitting alone. Wouldn’t you rather be sharing your time with a handsome, intelligent, interesting guy like me? You need to live the dream.”

She placed her finger to her lips and said, “Shh.”

“Ah, I see what the problem is,” he said. “You are seeking a formal introduction. Fine, my name is Alec. And yours is?”

“Alec,” she said, “you are fleet of tongue and probably full of drink, but I am thoroughly fine on my own.” She stood up, smiled, and said, “I encourage you to try your catfishing in a different lake.

Then she turned around and walked away.

Written for the Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie Sunday Writing Prompt. Photo credit: pixabay.com. Also for these daily prompts: Word of the Day Challenge (incandescent/nobody), Ragtag Daily Prompt in the circle), Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (realm/thorough) nobody), MMA Storytime (dream/catfish), The Daily Spur (introduction/drink), Your Daily Word Prompt (fleet), and catfish

#WDYS — The Mural

Fandango13 Comments

“Damn,” Dylan said. “I just finished this mural on Friday and some vandals have been writing all over it already. What’s wrong with people?”

“Hey, buddy, it’s okay,” Dylan’s friend, Thomas, said. “I’m sure she’ll still love it. It’s better than just buying her some cheap trinket for her birthday.”

“She’s gonna be here in a few minutes, Thomas,” Dylan said. “No way I can get all this graffiti off of it and touch it up to make it look good. I worked hard on this portrait.”

“No doubt, dude,” Thomas said, “but this has some street cred now, you know what I’m saying? You should be proud of yourself and I know that Nicole will be thrilled.”

That was when Nicole, a flounce in her step, showed up. As soon as she looked at the mural she expeled an exaggerated gasp. “Oh my God, Dylan, did you paint that mural of me?”

“Yes, I did,” Dylan said. “Happy birthday, hon. But I’m afraid there is already graffiti all over it.”

“Don’t worry about that, babe,” Nicole said. “That just gives it character. I adore it. You really captured my essence. How about if we go home and celebrate. Your mural of me is making me feel quite frisky.”

Feeling a bit awkward standing next to Dylan and Nicole locked in a passionate embrace, Thomas looked at this watch and said, “Oh my, will you look at the time. I gotta split. I’ll catch you two later,” and he walked away unnoticed by the couple.

Written for Sadje’s What Do You See? prompt. Photo credit: Sean Robertson at Unsplash. And for these daily prompts: The Daily Spur (writing), Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (trinket), Word of the Day Challenge (self), Your Daily Word Prompt (flounce), Ragtag Daily Prompt (expel), and MMA Storytime (frisky).

The Fourth Estate

Fandango10 Comments

When it comes to the so-called fourth estate,
the pendulum swings both ways.
It starts out as just a trickle,
but then the power brokers begin to amplify
what turns out to be vapid proclamations
given false legitimacy by the mainstream media.

And then, when the political winds change,
which they are wont to do,
all of the ideological conspiracy theories
get sent away and put into storage
until the pendulum once again swings
back in the other direction.

Written for these daily prompts: The Daily Spur (estate), Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (pendulum), Ragtag Daily Prompt (trickle), MMA Storytime (amplify), Your Daily Word Prompt (vapid), and Word of the Day Challenge (storage).

MLMM Sunday Writing Prompt — The Little Things

Fandango14 Comments

Was it pure happenstance, or was some other, more sinister factor at work? I was trying so hard to make friends, but it wasn’t working. Whatever was going on, it had me feeling exhausted.

I’d been in the region for only a few months, but given the way things were going, I was ready to cash in my chips, and head back home.

I asked my girlfriend — who was literally my only friend — if she could explain why she was the only person I’d met since my arrival who liked me or wanted to spend time with me. She said, “You’re going about it all wrong. You’re trying way too hard. Your attempts border on the extremity and it’s turning people off.”

“Well what can I do?” I asked. “Or is it too late?”

“I think there’s yet a way you can redeem yourself,” she said. “You are a good person, a nice guy. You just need to be genuine and to remember to simply enjoy the little things.”

That sounded good, until I found out later that something sinister was, indeed, afoot. It turns out that it wasn’t me who was the problem, it was her. She was sabotaging me because she wanted me all to herself. She was a conniving, controlling bitch. But at the end of the day, I really did enjoy the little things. Well, the little parts of her that I disposed of after I…. Well, that’s a story for another time, perhaps.

Written for the Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie Sunday Writing Prompt. Photo credit: Pixabay.com. Also for these daily prompts: MMA Storytime (happenstance), Word of the Day Challenge (exhausted), redeem The Daily Spur (region), Your Daily Word Prompt (extremity), and Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (redeem).

Weekend Writing Prompt — Paperwork

Fandango9 Comments

“Did you complete all of the requisite paperwork?” the bank’s loan officer, Michelle, asked Larry.

“Yes, but why do you require all of that crap?” Larry asked, feinting naivety.

“You’re a smart guy, Larry,” Michelle said. “You know that extensive documentation is inevitable. Failure to be accurate in your disclosures would be a grave mistake.”

“But it’s such a hassle and so damn time consuming,” Larry said. “Don’t you have researchers on your team who can dig up all of that information? I bet if I were Donald Trump….”

Michelle interrupted him. “You’re on a slippery slope, Larry.”

(Exactly 98 words)

Written for Sammi Cox’s Weekend Writing Prompt, where the word his “requisite.”

Also for these daily prompts: Word of the Day Challenge (require), Your Daily Word Prompt (feint), The Daily Spur (inevitable), MMA Storytime (grave), and Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (slope).