Wow. It's been a while since I dove into Flashy Fiction and became a contributing member of society. I'm back, though.
This first one was more of a comment than a flash fiction piece:
Prompt:
I let out a held breath. This was a it. True love. Well, except for the fact that he was a...
Mine:
I let out a held breath. This was a it. True love. Well, except for the fact that he was a figment of my imagination, my main character's love interest, and a vampire. Really, though, only two of those were a problem for me.
Prompt:
Mine:
Get in. Get the picture. Get out. Why had this fallen to me--of all people? Get in. Get the picture. Get out.
She was sitting in the corner surrounded by a dozen guys. The music was blaring and dancers kept stumbling into me. A stoned teenager made up almost entirely of piercings walked in front of me and stopped, blocking my view. The lights were obnoxious. How was I going to get a decent picture in this place?
I slid around the teenager just as she was getting up, much to the astonishment of her entourage. She glanced around, searching for someone. Her eyes fell on me. Uhh. Looking behind me, I couldn't see who she was smiling at. She was coming right my way. I fumbled in my pocket for the camera.
"TALIA, I love you!" a guy nearby screamed and two of her body guards grabbed him as he dove for her.
She didn't even slow down. Ten feet. Eight feet. It would be obvious if I pulled out the camera when she was headed right for me. Besides, I was supposed to get a picture of her new tattoo, and I couldn't see it. They'd said it was on her neck, but her hair was down. Four feet--and she stopped right in front of me.
Her eyes traveled up and down my frame. Uhh. Okay. I was a desk monkey. What was she looking at? If Nick hadn't gotten swine flu, he'd be here. This was his job--he was the photographer. I barely knew how his camera worked. What was I doing here? Oh yeah, the ten thousand dollars--and our rent being due--overdue.
She closed the remaining few feet and slid her hands up my chest and around my neck. Holy... freak... Talia was touching me. She leaned in, her lip-sticked mouth touching my ear, her warm breath against my skin, and she said, "I know what you're thinking. Talia Talons is right here--right now. You know what I'm thinking?"
"I have no idea."
"I have a thing for nerds, and my bus is outside. Let's go get you out of this tie."
The next morning was surreal as I stumbled into my apartment. Nick was lying on the couch wrapped in the Snuggie my aunt had given me for Christmas. His face still looked unnaturally pale as he asked, "Was his information good? Was Talia there?"
"Oh yeah." I swallowed and blinked. I wasn't sure that I wanted to share the pictures, though. I was in most of them... and a few were just of me... and my tie. Talia had really enjoyed taking pictures. I sort of just wanted to keep them... to myself.
"So, this tattoo. Did you get a picture?"
"Uhh, yeah."
"Right on. What was it of?" Nick asked. I waited while he coughed miserably.
"It was Tux."
"Tux?" Nick repeated.
"The uhh... Linux penguin. It's a computer thing... and it wasn't on her neck," I said. Wow. It was most definitely not on her neck. Up close, you couldn't tell where the skin was located. I could give him that one--to pay the rent.
She was sitting in the corner surrounded by a dozen guys. The music was blaring and dancers kept stumbling into me. A stoned teenager made up almost entirely of piercings walked in front of me and stopped, blocking my view. The lights were obnoxious. How was I going to get a decent picture in this place?
I slid around the teenager just as she was getting up, much to the astonishment of her entourage. She glanced around, searching for someone. Her eyes fell on me. Uhh. Looking behind me, I couldn't see who she was smiling at. She was coming right my way. I fumbled in my pocket for the camera.
"TALIA, I love you!" a guy nearby screamed and two of her body guards grabbed him as he dove for her.
She didn't even slow down. Ten feet. Eight feet. It would be obvious if I pulled out the camera when she was headed right for me. Besides, I was supposed to get a picture of her new tattoo, and I couldn't see it. They'd said it was on her neck, but her hair was down. Four feet--and she stopped right in front of me.
Her eyes traveled up and down my frame. Uhh. Okay. I was a desk monkey. What was she looking at? If Nick hadn't gotten swine flu, he'd be here. This was his job--he was the photographer. I barely knew how his camera worked. What was I doing here? Oh yeah, the ten thousand dollars--and our rent being due--overdue.
She closed the remaining few feet and slid her hands up my chest and around my neck. Holy... freak... Talia was touching me. She leaned in, her lip-sticked mouth touching my ear, her warm breath against my skin, and she said, "I know what you're thinking. Talia Talons is right here--right now. You know what I'm thinking?"
"I have no idea."
"I have a thing for nerds, and my bus is outside. Let's go get you out of this tie."
The next morning was surreal as I stumbled into my apartment. Nick was lying on the couch wrapped in the Snuggie my aunt had given me for Christmas. His face still looked unnaturally pale as he asked, "Was his information good? Was Talia there?"
"Oh yeah." I swallowed and blinked. I wasn't sure that I wanted to share the pictures, though. I was in most of them... and a few were just of me... and my tie. Talia had really enjoyed taking pictures. I sort of just wanted to keep them... to myself.
"So, this tattoo. Did you get a picture?"
"Uhh, yeah."
"Right on. What was it of?" Nick asked. I waited while he coughed miserably.
"It was Tux."
"Tux?" Nick repeated.
"The uhh... Linux penguin. It's a computer thing... and it wasn't on her neck," I said. Wow. It was most definitely not on her neck. Up close, you couldn't tell where the skin was located. I could give him that one--to pay the rent.
Prompt:
Rick Thorris revved his Harley. "Hey hotpants. Wanna take a spin?"
Mine:
Rick Thorris revved his Harley. "Hey hotpants. Wanna take a spin?"
"Rick, you dog, you don't remember me, do you?" I said, easing into the drawl of my past.
He squinted at me. Not a clue. Not a darn clue. Typical.
"Cindy," I prompted him.
"Riiiiggghhtttt," he said. Clearly, he didn't remember me.
"I used to change your diaper when I was eleven. I lived down the street from you."
He cleared his throat.
I went on, "I remember thinking, my heck what are his parents feeding him? We're talking nuclear waste toxic."
A few of his friends outside started laughing at his discomfort.
"Then, there was the fact that you got gas from everything no matter what I fed you. Geez... even water. I used to double up on your diapers just to try to keep it in."
"Okay, Cindy, it was really...."
"Then, you got older... and you were a pill. You used to throw the biggest tantrums if I didn't let you sleep with that stuffed rabbit of yours. What was his name?" I was nearly being drowned out by the laughing at this point.
Rick revved his Harley again and took off.
"OH YEAH! FLUFFYKINS!" I yelled at his back as he took off. Several of Rick's friends were clutching their stomachs from laughing so hard.
"Who was that, Jess?" Laura asked, walking out of the bar.
"This guy that once stood me up for a date in high school," I said, dropping the accent. "Did you find out where the rehearsal dinner is?"
She nodded.
"Okay, cool, maybe this trip back won't be so bad after all."
"Rick, you dog, you don't remember me, do you?" I said, easing into the drawl of my past.
He squinted at me. Not a clue. Not a darn clue. Typical.
"Cindy," I prompted him.
"Riiiiggghhtttt," he said. Clearly, he didn't remember me.
"I used to change your diaper when I was eleven. I lived down the street from you."
He cleared his throat.
I went on, "I remember thinking, my heck what are his parents feeding him? We're talking nuclear waste toxic."
A few of his friends outside started laughing at his discomfort.
"Then, there was the fact that you got gas from everything no matter what I fed you. Geez... even water. I used to double up on your diapers just to try to keep it in."
"Okay, Cindy, it was really...."
"Then, you got older... and you were a pill. You used to throw the biggest tantrums if I didn't let you sleep with that stuffed rabbit of yours. What was his name?" I was nearly being drowned out by the laughing at this point.
Rick revved his Harley again and took off.
"OH YEAH! FLUFFYKINS!" I yelled at his back as he took off. Several of Rick's friends were clutching their stomachs from laughing so hard.
"Who was that, Jess?" Laura asked, walking out of the bar.
"This guy that once stood me up for a date in high school," I said, dropping the accent. "Did you find out where the rehearsal dinner is?"
She nodded.
"Okay, cool, maybe this trip back won't be so bad after all."
Hotpants! I thought I recognized you from next door.
ReplyDeleteWendy, I can't breathe! *laughing hysterically* Can't decide which one I love more:)
ReplyDeleteLOL, Matt. Exactly.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Melissa.
Wends, I love when you flash us.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, I think these were your best yet.
Wow. Surreal, Amber. The geeky husband said that to me too not so long ago--the context may have been different.
ReplyDelete