The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!

[fernly]

After all that had passed between them,
it was this, as Jack let go of the day,
that he carried with him into sleep –
Ennis’ fingers cool as moonlight on his wrist,
fingers that earlier, seizing fire that ran to the root of him,
woke him out of his months-long trance,
but now, circling,
gently stroking the old half-healed injuries,
calmed him, let him rest,
told him in the near-silence of the mountain
that his bones,
the tendons and ligaments that stretched in the hollows between,
were known,
the pulse and return of his blood,
known,
his body and soul,
known, and
loved.

[mariez]

He’d never seen an angel, reckoned he never would, the kind of man he was. Did angels wear blue sweaters?

“You are welcome to go up to his room, if you want.”

Did angels wrap precious items in paper bags? The delicate touch of her hands belied the strength flowing through those wrists. Careworn skin caressed like a butterfly, healing flowed out.

“You come back and see us again.”

I agree with Marl - this is a "perfect drabble" - countless feelings and images within a few beautiful words.  Was this your first drabble?  - hope to see many more. 


[/quote]

After all that had passed between them,
it was this, as Jack let go of the day,
that he carried with him into sleep –
Ennis’ fingers cool as moonlight on his wrist,
fingers that earlier, seizing fire that ran to the root of him,
woke him out of his months-long trance,
but now, circling,
gently stroking the old half-healed injuries,
calmed him, let him rest,
told him in the near-silence of the mountain
that his bones,
the tendons and ligaments that stretched in the hollows between,
were known,
the pulse and return of his blood,
known,
his body and soul,
known, and
loved.

Wow.  More perfection.  "Known" ...  That really says it.  Exquisite, as always, Fern.

Thanks,
Marie

[MaineWriter]

Good morning, all...

• olive oil
• car accident
• trauma

L

[Cameron]

(The continuation of 'The Neighbor", I don't know why I think mostly in series)

The Early Summer

(July 1985)
Life became almost sweet.  When Ennis woke each morning, he found that he looked forward to the coming day.  Ennis would go to work at the ranch and then he would go home to his trailer, shower and shave, get a beer and then sit outside and wait for Tom.  When he came, they would sit together and watch the sun setting over the mountains.  They didn’t talk much, they didn’t have to.  Somehow though, the feeling of trauma that haunted Ennis was beginning to fade away.

Tom made dinner for Ennis all the time.  Fancy things, like potatoes in olive oil, with real good steak, and lots of green things.  They would eat dinner together most nights in Tom’s trailer.  Ennis never had food like this before.

Then after they ate they would go outside again and sit and listen to the crickets and look at the moon and the stars.  Cars and trucks would go by on the road.  Ennis would look up and try to see who it was, but then he decided it didn’t really matter, there was nothing for them to see.

That they kept inside.

Ennis began looking forward all day to those nights.  Tom’s hands moving all over him, Toms arm’s, with their muscles, so firm and strong, that would wrap themselves tight around him.  His firm chest, with the silvery and black hair that would beat above and below him and the powerful legs that would entangle with his.  The heat and the sweat and all the feelings, feelings like he would burst open.  Sometimes though, Ennis would find it hard to look at Tom.  When he closed his eyes, it wasn’t Tom that he saw.

Ennis would think about the nights all during the day, but he would try to make himself stop, scared that the other fellas would know what he was thinking.

Still, life was almost sweet.

One beautiful Sunday Tom knocked on the door.

“Will ya take a look at this day?  Let’s go for a ride.”

They got into Tom’s truck.  They started driving towards the mountains.  Ennis kept looking at Tom.   He wanted to stop him.  “No, let’s not go there, not today” he wanted to scream.  He wasn’t ready at all.  But he didn’t say anything.

They drove on the empty road.  Tom was driving real fast.  Ennis suddenly became real nervous, his heart was pounding. 

“Hey, will ya slow it down a little, we're gonna have an accident.”

But Tom didn’t slow down at all…...

[Lumière]

My dabble ..


A Solemn Visit

Texas, Summer 1983

Lureen was stretched out on the living room sofa, carefully removing the chipped purple nail polish from her fingernails.  How she reveled in her afternoons off; Bobby was out with his friends, and Jack was away on a business trip.  She turned on the television; reruns of her favorite TV show were on.  She was more than willing to devote an hour or two of her undivided attention to Tom Selleck’s Magnum P.I.  She adored him, man, was he ever dishy in those short shorts and Hawaiian shirts – super delectable.  And the moustache – wow, she loved a man with some well-groomed facial hair.

Thirty minutes into the show, the door bell rang.  She decided to ignore it; Magnum had just appeared on screen in one of his shorts, and he was flashing a whole lotta nice muscled-toned leg.  The door bell rang again and again .. She cursed under her breath and picked herself off of the sofa and went to the door.  She was surprised to see Sheriff Lee and one of his officers standing at the door.

“Hello Sheriff, hello Charlie..” she smiled at the two men. “What can I do for you gentlemen?” she asked, noting their solemn expressions, each with his hat in hand.

“Mind if we come in ma’am?” the Sheriff asked quietly, stepping into the house, the other officer on his heels.

“Can I get you gentlemen some iced tea .. or ..” she began to offer.

“No, thank you kindly ma’am, this is not a social call.  I’m afraid I have some pretty bad news..” he began.

Her face fell, eyes wide.  “Good god, it’s not Bobby is it?  I keep telling him to be careful when he goes out driving around town with his friends..” she rambled, her voice shaky.

“It’s not your son ma’am,” he continued.  “This is about Mr. Twist.  There’s been an accident.. and.. I’m afraid he didn’t make it ..”

[mariez]

Life became almost sweet.  . . .

You do have a way with words, Marl - those four are so perfectly bittersweet.  And the ending    - now you have me hanging from two cliffs!

.  . .
“No, thank you kindly ma’am, this is not a social call.  I’m afraid I have some pretty bad news..” he began. . .

Still hurts.     You did an excellent job of setting that up, Milli - mundane and routine lives can change forever in an instant. 

Thanks,
Marie

[Cameron]

You do have a way with words, Marl - those four are so perfectly bittersweet.  And the ending    - now you have me hanging from two cliffs!

Marie,  You made my day!
 

Thank You,
Marl

[MaineWriter]

Hello all,

In honor of the day, let's try these:

• joke
• hoax
• prank

L

[Cameron]

(Please do forgive me for going over....)

The Package

(June 2003)
The artist stood there holding out a package to Ennis.  Ennis stared right into the glowing eyes.  He was sure this was all some kind of joke or prank.  He put his hands to his head.  He was starting to feel one of those headaches coming on.  The glowing eyes were not giving up any secrets.

“Please, open it” the artist said, placing the package on the table in front of Ennis.

Ennis picked up the package.  It was a brown envelope.  There was no writing on it.  It was heavy for its size.  Ennis slowly opened the little metal fastener.  His hand went inside.  But still he couldn’t tell what it was.  It felt like a block of something with a rubber band around it.  He looked at the artist again.  He still had no clue.

But Ennis took out the object.  He let out a very loud gasp.  It all had to be some kind of hoax for sure.  But the artist didn’t laugh or even smile, he walked over behind Ennis and placed his hands gently on his shoulders.

Ennis turned the thing that was in the envelope back and forth and upside down.  He touched it ever so gently.  He felt like he was gasping for air.

It was a stack of yellowed postcards, held together by a cracking rubber band.  It was a stack of all the postcards that he had ever sent to Jack.  On the top was the very first one.  The one that he wrote “you bet.”   On the postcard, filling up the empty space, Jack wrote all about those three days.

“I was so nervous I didnt know what he would say.  He kissed me right on the street!  I met his wife, she didnt seem very nice.  We went to a motel, couldnt believe it.  Went to the mountain, could stay there forever, like being in heaven.”

Ennis looked at the next few, Jack had written on all of them.  Ennis looked back at the artist.  There were tears in his eyes.  “How did ya get these, where, how could ya possibly...?"

“In time, not now, not now” the artist replied.

Ennis put the postcards back in the envelope.  He stood up.  He went up to the artist and put his hand on his arm.  “Thank you.”

Ennis went home, and sat at the table for twelve hours straight, looking over and over the postcards, reading every word, till he knew them by heart.  All except for the last one.  He couldn’t bear to read that one.  But Ennis still didn’t understand, he didn’t know if it was real or if it all was a dream.

He went back to the artist the next day.  Ennis stared right into his eyes and said “ya gotta explain it all to me.”

[Lumière]

Howdy!  My dabble ..
(I had it in mind to write something fun but it just wasn't working .. this happened instead ..)
Note: Contains coarse language...



His Battle

Signal, August 1963


Ennis was crouched down on his knees in the dark alley, his tear-stained face hidden behind his old hat.  The cramps had subsided for the time being, but he still felt the uneasy urge to retch his guts out.  His knuckles were bruised from punching the cement wall his throbbing head now rested on.  The last time he’d felt so fuckin’ miserable was when his mother had died, all those years ago.  It’d taken him a long while to finally accept that she was not coming back.  Now this business with Jack - he wasn’t sure he could go through that all over again. 

Fresh tears ran down his face.  He should’ve known better than to fuck Jack in the first place.  Just what the heck had gotten into him anyway?  Now his whole life was going to the dogs and every second he sat here crying like a girl, Jack was heading in the opposite direction, miles away from this miserable place. 

His mind tormented him, conjuring up pictures of his awakening - that first night in the tent.. Jack’s aroused state, his hot breath on his face before he’d pushed him down on all fours, Jack’s moans when he'd entered him .. Jack felt so fuckin’ good, so warm and tight, like nothing he’d ever felt before..  He hadn’t stood a chance against the raging fire that Jack had set ablaze inside him.  He could feel himself getting hard just thinking about it, even in this wretched state he was in.  He shook his head as if to clear his muddled mind; he dropped his hat and buried his head in his hands, tears leaking through calloused fingers. 

He thought of what his father would say if he saw him now, bent over and weeping like this – he’d call him a sissy, a joke and a fuckin’ lame excuse for a man, that’s what he’d say.  And if his ol’ man knew the real reason he was on his knees crying now, he’d surely fetch his loaded gun..  Ennis pulled himself together, took in a deep, shaky breath and dried his eyes.  He picked up his hat with trembling hands and brushed it off.  Maybe his ol’ man was right; he needed to be more of a man …