Saturday Centus - With Apologies to Peter, Paul and Mary

Time to let the imagination run free once again. It's Saturday Centus time, hosted by the always gracious Jenny Matlock. Jenny provides us with a prompt, and her merry band of Centusians writes a micro story of 100 words or less, exclusive of the prompt. The only rules are to use the prompt in it's entirety exactly as written. No splitting the prompt! It's ok to split infinitives, but DO NOT split the prompt! Also, no pictures and no profanity. This is not the place for your R rated meanderings :)

This weeks prompt: "If I had a hammer..."

My take. Hope you enjoy!

The sun was slowly sinking as I made my last turn around the square. Grand old buildings stood sentinel, Victorian dowagers passing judgment on every passing citizen. A sudden breeze whispered through fallen leaves on the courthouse lawn. What a glorious evening for a stroll through this beautiful old town. Peaking into gleaming shop windows, I admired the artwork at the gallery, the book display at the corner book shop. I crossed the empty street to see what had moved into the old Hoffmeier building. A candy shop! The window beckoned, displaying a veritable wonderland of luscious hand dipped chocolates. If I had a hammer ...

Please make sure to stop by Jenny's and read all the links. There are some really amazing writers participating in Saturday Centus every week!

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Saturday Centus - A Scary Story

Time to put on the old creative hat and get writing - it's Saturday Centus time! By now, you know the routine, right? Our lovely hostess, Jenny Matlock at Off On My Tangent, provides us with a prompt and we write a micro story of 100 words or less exclusive of the prompt. Simple, right? Not so much. And this week, she's shaking things up again. No written prompt, we are to use a picture instead. Normally we are not allowed to use pictures in our posts. But since the picture is the prompt, I'm going to to be an anarchist and break that rule. The prompt for this week:

I was hoping to be able to add to this story (thank cj for prompting me) and I think I managed it.

My take on the prompt:

The screen door slamming sounded like a gunshot in the old house. Charlee jumped, flour floating to the floor, ghosts in the October breeze. Little Frank ran into the kitchen, jumping up and down like a pogo stick. "Aunt Charlee, I'm going to pick pumpkins for Jr. He said he'd pay me and some other kids a dime for every good one!" Charlee untied her apron, turning toward the boy. "Child, we've talked about this. You aren't to go anywhere near the Ewell place. Jr. is a bad man. I don't want you talking to him."

Roy would handle this ...


Make sure to stop by and visit all the links. There are some amazing writers participating in this meme every week. And since the posts are so short, you can read them all!

I've been tagged - a story by 28 authors!

Illustration courtesy of Wilkepedia Commons

I've been tagged! Now this is an interesting concept. Tom at Sophisticated Lunacy has tagged me to participate in a meme started by The Kid in the Front Row which is called "A 30 Sentence Kid In The Front Row Story, by 28 Authors." Want to see the rules? Click here.
Basically, the "Kid" starts and ends the story. The rest of us complete it one sentence at a time. I apologize for the delay in responding to this, we were in Dallas for the weekend and did not have time for blogging - it was OU weekend after all! So without further ado, here is my contribution at #10. I'm tagging Jeff at TennesseeMudbug to continue the story.

1. Jane never expected to visit Belarus, but it was the only possible solution after what had happened.

2. Her lonely planet guide had advised her that it was a great place for birdwatching- so she packed her binoculars- Todd would have been proud, had he not been lying in a coma.

3. Poor Todd; Jane remembered the incident so well: he had spotted a rare long-whiskered owlet, had ran out into the street to snap a photo, and had thusly been hit by an ice cream truck.

4. Except the ice cream truck was actually a roasted salmon!

5. Upon seeing this strange occurrence, a Portuguese fisherman who happened to be standing on the other side of the street (and who was also, coincidentally, the resident expert on salmon) ran to scene and called 911, prompting Todd's speedy - albeit smelly - rescue.

6. Naturally, Jane was distraught over the entire salmon/ice-cream truck affair , moreover considering that she was the one who had wanted the photo of that owlet; they were both avid birdwatchers, but she was particularly fond of the owlet.

7. She had gone off owlets since then, and as she checked into the little hotel by the river, she wondered if she could find solace in the azure tit, a beautiful bird that, while easily spotted and hardly rare, at least had a name that sometimes made her giggle.

8. Surrounded by beautiful little azure tits as she wrote in her journal to un-bird-en herself of thoughts of fish, and fowl, and Todd (who was slowly recovering, and would join her soon); and as room service arrived with her vegetarian plate; her phone vibrated, signaling a text....

9. Alas, the careful study of azure tits would have to wait as an urgent text message from the manager of the treatment center where Todd was hospitalized informed her that something truly extraordinary was happening to him

10. Please return to hospital stat - patient awake, agitated, requesting nurse to masticate and regurgitate his dinner - wings noted sprouting from back, need your expertise in birds ASAP!
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30. The three of them left as quickly as they could and vowed never to return again, especially if Jane was in town.