Someone decided to set my workplace on fire, so this piece comes with a delay of almost half an hour. #blogging #priorities
***
“Use these as props for a short fiction piece: a blue monkey, a chopped onion and a malfunctioning elevator.”
– a prompt for this week’s CW piece.
[Source: @DailyPrompt]
My head was pounding from last night.
“What was I thinking, partying like I was 20 again?” – I wondered to myself tiptoeing to the bathroom, trying not to awaken Tom.
The mirror wasn’t kind, reflecting my red, puffy eyes and my oddly colored 39-year-old face. Normally porcelain white, it was now a shade of tired.
I splashed some cold water onto my face, grabbed a pair of pain killers from the medicine cabinet and washed them down with sink water. Desperate times called for desperate measures.
Now fully awake, I walked past the bedroom and into the kitchen, closing the door behind me, allowing Tom to get a little bit more sleep. He gets cranky when someone wakes him up before his alarm.
Pouring myself a glass of filtered, ice-cold water, I tried to recall the events of last night, but could not remember anything past drinking absinthe. Walter came back from a trip to Switzerland, raving about this alcoholic beverage and insisted on us giving it a try. The first sip was rough, but then you just got used to it.
It felt like there was construction going on inside my head. Drilling, demolition and noise. Lots of it. Thinking I could somehow dull it with outside stimuli, I powered on the TV and Channel 2 News came on.
“A 17-year-old girl in critical condition. Hit by a car last night and left to die in a ditch. If you have any information on the topic, please call the toll – free line at 1-800-445-2348 or 911.”
A blue monkey came to my mind.
“Oh, no” – I thought to myself and ran towards the exit door.
“C’mon, C’mon, COME ON” – I muttered at the elevator.
Once it finally arrived, I got inside and pressed “2” for the parking garage, praying that no one else would get on between floors 37 and 2. I had to get to my car as soon as possible. The elevator stopped at 31 and I sighed, pressing the “Close door” button. No one got on and the elevator continued on its journey.
Driving back home wasn’t my plan last night, but there seemed to have been no cab around and I thought I had sobered up a bit by standing outside in the cold for a few minutes. I remembered fumbling through the radio stations, but not being able to find anything I liked.
The elevator stopped at 22 and again, no one got on.
A felt a slight thump. When my eyes lifted from the radio panel, I saw a blue monkey to the side of the road.
“Wow. That’s some real shit” – I marveled at the effects of the absinthe.
Starting on the 15th floor, the elevator would stop on every floor, with no one getting on, so I got off on the 10th floor and just took the stairs.
Breathless, I arrived at the parking garage, barley having any strength to walk to my car. Thankfully, my car was parked nearby. And it looked alright.
I exhaled and walked to the other side to make sure there was no damage.
The dent on the other side of the bumper was very visible.
Hyperventilating, I turned around and walked back towards the elevator. This time it worked perfectly and I was back in the apartment in no time.
“What time did you get in?” – I heard Tom ask from the bedroom as I shuffled around the kitchen.
Grabbing an onion, I ignored his question.
“Becky?” – he asked from just a few steps behind me.
I turned around towards him, sniffling.
“What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
Thought were racing through my head. Tom is a cop.
“Can he help me, or would he make things worse?” – I pondered.
“It’s the onion” – I said.
“I’m chopping it up to add to the scrambled eggs just as you like it” – I added.
“You’re the best. I’m going to shower and then we can talk over breakfast” – he said and kissed me on the forehead.
***
P.S. As always, you are more than welcome to use this prompt to inspire your post. If you decide to write something, be sure to pingback to this post, so that I can get an alert and check out your post. (A post on how to do pingbacks can be found here.) If pingbacks are not your thing, feel free to simply leave a link to your piece in the comment section below. The more, the merrier!
Stay golden,
***
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‘Someone decided to set my workplace on fire’
What?
LikeLiked by 2 people
Ha! Yes, We were evacuated today due to fire. All good, though. It turned out to be accidental and not malicious.
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Did you get the rest of the day off?
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I wish. Instead, I got to stay and inhale the aftermath. It wasn’t smoke, but I’m sure the strong burned smell could not be good. Needless to say I was not super productive, fighting off a headache and trying not to suffocate.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Lame.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I definitely do not disagree with you on that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Enjoyed this piece.
I know it looks bad for Becky, but she should get more facts before self-blaming. The onion covering her distress to her cop husband fit better than a glove. Lots of story from a word prompt.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’m glad you enjoyed the onion cover-up. It just fit 😉
Thanks for reading. Stay golden.
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Absolutely 👍
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well written! Would love to know what happens next!
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Thank you!
How are things?
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Not bad. What’s new with you? Still looking for a house. Slow going. Loki had surgery and has on the mend. Another to go.
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Not bad, either. Just keeping busy with a million things. Your right house will come. You just have to wait. Stay golden!
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Thank you, you too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love your stories, thanks for the great read.
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Thanks for checking it out and for the support.
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As always, Happy Friday! Sorry if I have been sparse this week, in a funk, hoping to break out of it this weekend.
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No worries, Ash. I know you’re busy and such. I hope you break out of it, too! Remember to take one day at a time and stay golden!
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Thanks, me too. Should a red journal posted tonight!
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Awesome! It’s be great to read it tomorrow morning.
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Can’t say enough how I value your opinion with that venture of mine. By the way, have you noticed the focus of my blog has changed slightly? Like with the journal postings and bike writer stuff being dormant for a bit, is that a bad thing from your perspective?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, indeed. I noticed you focus on the story and poems. I cannot say whether it’s good or bad because I like every segment of your blog. It is up to you to say if it’s good or bad based on your goals and strategies. On things that make you happy, etc.
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Well, thanks for the vote of confidence. Just like to get an idea.
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Of course.
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When you wrote you were going to incorporate a blur monkey, a chopped onion and a malfunctioning elevator into a story my first thought was ‘this I must see.’ It’s a real credit to your story telling ability that you were able to do this, and make something that was not just entertaining, but also incorporated the themes flawlessly… it would have been all too easy to artificially lever them in. But each prop became an integral part of the story, which I really liked. Well done!
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Thank you! I was considering making everything surreal, but like you said – it would have been too easy. Sometimes different parts of the prompt try to pull me in seperate direction, so it’s important to be able to tame them. I did my best.
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Was that someone who wanted to burn the place down… you? 😀
I don’t know how you do it to make such a prompt… work so well. Nicely done.
LikeLiked by 2 people
HAHAHAHAH! I plead the 5th.
Thanks, Lashaan.
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Damn these onions!
Also, I looked up the effects of absinthe. And indeed, it can be hallucinogenic.
Looking at the ingredient list, it doesn’t sound like something I would enjoy anyhow 😉
This was again insanely briliant. Still waiting for the book….
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It’s not my cup of tea, either. Some like it, some are curious.
Thanks! And good job on continuously motivating me. The kick helps.
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Whoa! I wondered how you were going to work that blue monkey into the story! Excellent story!
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Thanks, Rebecca!
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Oh my… that’s um, just wow. What do you do for work?
Love, light and glitter
LikeLiked by 1 person
Is that a positive wow?
What do I do for work? Nothing related to writing, really.
LikeLiked by 1 person
No need to answer, was just interested.
Love, light and glitter
Happy Sunday!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hapy Sunday! Hope you had a nice weekend.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I did 🙂
How about you?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Can’t complain!
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I enjoyed this piece. Well done working in the blue monkey. Glad the fire was not bad and everyone was okay.
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Thank you, yes, I was glad how things turned out as well.
And thank you for reading. The blue monkey was definitely challenging, but I feel like I made it work.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think you did.
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Have a great weekend and stay golden!
LikeLiked by 1 person