Saturday Centus - Answered Prayers

It's Saturday, which can only mean one thing. Actually, in my case it means several things. My turn to work a Saturday shift. Which in my line of work means cramming 8 hrs worth of appointments into 4 hours. Because even though Fluffy has been sick for 2 weeks, this is the first chance you've had to bring your poor pet to the vet. I DO understand how difficult it is to get that hair appointment with Mr. Charles at Ooh La La salon, but really? And I know that cancelling your tennis game is just not an option. Perhaps you should get one of those little Zu Zu pets. I know it's not quite the same as having the French Poodle to match your Louis XIV decor, but at least they won't have the audacity to vomit on your expensive rugs. What? Yes, we do close at noon on Saturday. No, I cannot wait an extra 2 hours until you are done shopping. Actually, we also have families and lives. Really.

Oh, sorry, where was I? Oh yes, happy thoughts, happy thoughts. It's time for Saturday Centus, hosted by the ever gracious Jenny Matlock at Off On My Tangent. Jenny has thrown us curve balls for the last two weeks, but this week we are back to our regularly scheduled program of a written prompt. Our task? To write a short story of 100 words or less exclusive of the prompt. No profanity, no pictures, and the prompt must be left intact. This week's prompt is in bold italics.

Enjoy! And the next time Fluffy eats an entire rope toy that is longer than she is, call your vet. Don't wait two weeks. Please? If not for me, do it for that little fur person who depends on you to take proper care of her!

Answered Prayers

Jill walked to her car, exhausted after an 8 hour shift that turned into 11 hours on her feet. No breaks, no lunch. She couldn't remember a busier day. She turned the key. The grinding noise was getting worse. "Come on Bessie, please make it until payday!" Pulling out of the deserted lot, Jill remembered that she still had to stop for coffee. No way was she going to face that 5:00 alarm without it.

Praying that her account wasn't overdrawn, Jill inserted her card.

The ATM machine began dispensing twenties. She stared at the receipt. Congratulations, you've won the $5,000 Visa Debit giveaway!

Saturday Centus - Earworm

Well friends and neighbors, it's Saturday Centus time once again. Time to tank up on lots of coffee and come up with a nifty little story of 100 words or less based on a prompt provided by Jenny Matlock at Off On My Tangent. Jenny has thrown us a another curve ball this week. The prompt is a line from a current popular song. A song that I hear at least 15 times a day while commuting to and from work. A song that drives me around the bend. So thanks Jenny, for getting "Catch a Grenade for Ya" stuck in my head. On the weekend, when I don't normally have to hear it. What a pal! Make sure to stop by Jenny's and visit all the links. The stories are short, so you can easily read them all. And you don't want to miss any of them. These Centusians have some pretty amazing writing chops! Jenny generously leaves the link live all week, so you've got plenty of time to join us. But I will warn you, once you start doing this it's really hard to stop! This week's prompt is in bold italics.

She'd been on this road forever. The winter landscape was flat and barren, with only an occasional mule deer or buzzard breaking the monotony. Hadn't seen another car in hours. The radio picked up two stations. One playing Top 40, the other some right wing talk show spewing vitriol like an evil Old Faithful. Click. "I'd catch a grenade for ya..." She'd heard that song at least 10 times since leaving Austin. She'd like to find that band, send them a grenade! Click. Silence. "throw my hand on a blade for ya, yeah, yeah, yeah..." She would never get that silly song out of her head!

I'd catch a grenade for ya...

Saturday Centus - Happy Valentines Day

Once again, it's time to join Jenny Matlock at Off On My Tangent for another thrilling edition of Saturday Centus. Why thrilling? I love words, I love to play with them, read them, roll them around and see what can be done with them. Jenny provides us with a prompt and we write a story of 100 words or less using the prompt. It's a great exercise in learning what is truly important in a story. It can be painful to cut our beautiful words out and send them to the recycling bin, but it has to be done.

Every once in a while, Jenny throws us a curve ball. This week she has chosen to test our loyalty to the Centusian cause. Instead of a written prompt, she wants us to write using a photo as our inspiration. But not just any picture, oh no! We have to use this!

Here's the challenge. Use up to 50 words to write a Hallmark card for Valentine's Day, using this image. Piece of cake, right? I had planned on continuing my Family Secrets saga, but for the life of me I couldn't figure out how to do that with this crazy prompt. So that's going on the back burner for now. I hope you enjoy the card (tongue planted firmly in cheek) And excuse me while I make a phone call to the authorities. There has to be a law against doing this to a poor, defenseless animal doesn't there? No? Well, I hope this little fella figures out a way to wreak vengeance. I'm thinking nightstand as fire hydrant....

Don't forget to visit all the links. This week should be very interesting!

Especially for you on Valentine's Day

For 2.99 you were expecting Linda Carter?

Happy Valentines Day!

Saturday Centus - Family Secrets Part II

Saturday! Time to join Jenny Matlock at Off On My Tangent for Saturday Centus. Take some time to join our merry band of Centusians as we strive to strike literary gold in 100 words or less. The concept is deceptively simple. Jenny gives us a writing prompt, and we write a short story of 100 words or less exclusive of the prompt. There aren't too many rules, but you must leave the prompt intact exactly as written, no pictures, and keep the story PG! Try to visit all the links, there are some amazing writers in this group. And Miss Jenny generously leaves the link live for an entire week, so you've got plenty of time to pen a little fable and join us! This week our prompt is supplied by Ames at Girl Raised in the South. Stop by and say hey, Ames is a lot of fun!

I received quite a few comments suggesting that I continue the story I started last week. Click here to read Family Secrets Part I. This week's prompt gave me a natural segue into part II, so here it is. As always, the prompt is in bold font. And I had to be a bit creative with my word count. I've chopped this baby for the past 3 hours. I'm not counting the date headers in my word count. So sue me...

Kate read, a knot forming in her belly. It was growing bigger by the minute.

10.15.47

That no account Jr Ewell was rounding up kids to pick pumpkins. I've never seen Roy so angry...

10.25.47

Roy men's club met last night. I don't know what those boys were up to tracking muck all over mama's oriental carpet. Took all day to get that mess cleaned up...

11.1.47

The whole town is buzzing like a beehive. Seems Jr just up and ran off. No one's seen hide nor hair of him all week. Good riddance to bad rubbish...

The puzzle was falling into place. Kate didn't like the picture one bit.