Author Topic: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!  (Read 1178058 times)

Offline MaineWriter

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Re: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!
« Reply #110 on: February 05, 2007, 10:04:43 pm »
Hey Louise, welcome!

Glad to have you here. Hopefully some of the prompts will inspire you for a drabble...

Others: we had our first "non-Leslie" contribution this morning (from Chrissi, thanks again!). If others have ideas or suggestions, send them my way via PM....please!!

Leslie
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Offline MaineWriter

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Re: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!
« Reply #111 on: February 06, 2007, 07:21:22 am »
Good morning all,

As the drabblefest continues, use these prompts for inspiration today:

  • candle
  • toaster
  • giddy

Leslie
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Offline mariez

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Re: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!
« Reply #112 on: February 06, 2007, 08:22:07 am »
Lemme throw this in ...  :)
 
"Oh hey!  Ennis, it's me, Jack.  How you been?"  A little smile crept up on his face as he heard the familiar voice.  He listened in disbelief for a moment, his eyes wide. “Really??  Next Friday, hunh? And a week off too!  Damn cowboy, yer

His mind at peace for a time, Jack turned his truck around, this time bound for Childress.[/color]

~343 words


Aww. . . . "at peace for a time. "  - nicely done!



Ennis followed a few minutes later. They embraced without words. Life was precious.


245 words

Yes, it is.  Thanks for that.

Septemper 24, 1967

Jack took a drag from his cigarette looked at his watch ,the hands telling him it was just past 4:30. On the road since long before dawn the speedometer on his 1966 Ford F-100 pickup pointing well into the red line  that ran from 70 MPH to 120 most of the way. His stomach tied in knots, pulling tighter with each passing mile as he drew closer thinking what in the hell was he going to say to him, how would Ennis ...react...greet him. Passing a sign on HWY 26 Riverton 5 miles Jack popped open the glovebox taking out the AAA map of Riverton and Lender (they had to ordered it for the Childress branch office taking a week to come), spreading it's folds over the bench seat. Soon he would hit the first stoplight in Riverton, and drive the final few blocks of his four year journey.

You didn't think I could resist 'glovebox' did you?
Mark

Love how you packed so much into that paragraph - very effective.

You're all so great!

Thanks, Marie
The measure of a country's greatness is its ability to retain compassion in times of crisis         ~~~~~~~~~Thurgood Marshall

The worst loneliness is not to be comfortable with yourself.    ~~~~~~~~~ Mark Twain

Offline jpwagoneer1964

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Re: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!
« Reply #113 on: February 06, 2007, 12:53:28 pm »
Clay Pot

Thursday, September 20, 1984: Jack and Ennis are in Fort Collins, Colorado at the the Centennial Livestock Auction bidding on some stock for their new purchased ranch The Broken Arrow near Fort Morgan. Hard at work nearly all of their waking hours bringing the spread up to par the pair are enjoying a rare excursion.

At noontime taking a break from the stands Ennis and Jack head over to the food stands, Ennis selecting a barbecue beef sandwich with  potato salad and coleslaw, Jack had ribs with the same sides.  Strolling back to the stands they made a path thru a few rows of flea market vendors.

"Jack, look!" Ennis said pointing down to a large brown ceramic pot among a various clay wares in the stand.

"Fancy pot". Jack looking down.

Ennis picked it up admiring the dark enamel with the contrasting off white around the lip. Nearly two feet tall and a foot circumference, the pot glistened in the sun. "C"n we get it Jack?"

"Ya want it Ennis?" Jack looking at Ennis.

"Yeah Jack....might put it by the fireplace....huh?"

"You really want it ...don't cha?"

"Yeah...you know...it'll be the first thing...we ever got...together....you know that we didn't need...somethin' special."

"All right." Jack smiled back at Ennis. 'We'll git it."

Ennis beamed, clutching the pot lacing his fingers.

"Sir how much?"

"$15.00 sir, very good deal." Jack reach into his wallet.

For the rest of the day Ennis held tightly onto the Clay pot, both arms draped around it while they sat in the stand bidding on stock for their ranch, walked through stalls inspecting cattle, checking out different types of feed. After a hearty supper of beer batter fried catfish, dusk falling as the pair make their way back to the parking lot Jack leaned ageist Ennis. "So you really like your new pot?"

"Our pot". Ennis looked back.

"Our pot." Jack looked back, smiled proudly at Ennis.

"Mind driving back home bud?" Ennis looked at Jack.

"Don't cha trust me to hold the pot" Jack smiled back.

"Course Ah do. Just don't trust ya ta stay awake is all." Ennis smirked. "Seem every time we go ta town yer snoring yer head off five miles into the interstrate in the ride home. So loud couldn't even here a siren if one went by!"

"All right then...don't mind a bit."

"Don't worry none Jack. Ah 'll talk ta ya the whole way so you wont get sleepy." Sure Jack Thought.

Five miles east off Interstate 25 Ennis's head fell back against the bench seat,  mouth open, snoring still clutching the ceramic pot. Jack turned off at the Windsor exit on HWY 34, took a heavy horse blanket from in the behind the seat wrapped the pot, secured it on the floor in front of Ennis. Then he stretched Ennis out, feet facing the passanger door..

"Are....we...home....already....bud....." Ennis eyes still closed

"Not yet cowboy, bout 30 or so miles ta go..." 

"Zzzzzzzzzzz.......Zzzzzzzzzzzzz........

Jack put the truck in gear, Ennis's head in his lap, started back on the highway with a slight lurch (he was no longer used to a clutch), rested his hand in Ennis's head after he had gotten truck in high the reminder of the ride home.

 

« Last Edit: April 13, 2007, 11:09:24 pm by jpwagoneer1964 »
Thank you Heath and Jake for showing us Ennis and Jack,  teaching us how much they loved one another.

Offline ifyoucantfixit

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Re: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!
« Reply #114 on: February 06, 2007, 04:32:39 pm »

     Jack lay back on the bedroll.  It is a new time in his short life.  He is
crazy for somebody,, Crazy for that damned Cowboy.  Man!  Since i seen him
standin out front of damned Joe Aguirres trailor.  Shit boy you're like a
stupid giddy schoolgirl.  He could feel his gut grab and his insides heat up
evertime he even  thought on him.  I think i'll just ride on out, and check on
that boy.  See if he is mad at me, still.....
      Hell! im lucky he didnt jus shoot me.  Thought he might.  But instead
he gis grunted and took off. 
      Oh man am i toast.  I git het up ever time i see him.  Its all i can do to
act normal..Hope he dont notice me getting lit up like a damn candle when
he even looks on me.. I can feel my whol face turnin.
      Ennis. Ennis, i can still feel him inside me,,all the time,,it just wont go
away.  Wonder if thats the brand a bein queer.
     Guess i better git on out there and wash them dam clothes.. sure aint the thing i'd rather be doing right now.  Wonder if he'll even come back
tonight? 



     Beautiful mind

Offline mariez

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Re: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!
« Reply #115 on: February 06, 2007, 04:50:13 pm »
Clay Pot
....

"Our pot". Ennis looked back.

"Our pot." Jack looked back, smiled proudly at Ennis.

"Their" pot!  Yeah!!!

 ...
  
      Hell! im lucky he didnt jus shoot me.  Thought he might.  But instead
he gis grunted and took off. 
      Oh man am i toast.  I git het up ever time i see him.  .....


You really captured Jack, Janice!

Thanks!  Marie
The measure of a country's greatness is its ability to retain compassion in times of crisis         ~~~~~~~~~Thurgood Marshall

The worst loneliness is not to be comfortable with yourself.    ~~~~~~~~~ Mark Twain

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Re: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!
« Reply #116 on: February 06, 2007, 07:00:12 pm »

Since we are early on in the drabblefest, and everyone is learning their way, let's keep things light and easy. But I would like to remind folks....1) drabbles are supposed to be written in response to the prompts that are given; and 2) length is 100-300 words. While I am not going to truncate someone's story at exactly 300 words, it would be nice if you could stay in that range, ie +50/100 words over, max.


100 words is a drabble, 200 words is a drouble and I'm not sure whether 300 is a trabble or a trouble!  LOL  But the original point to them before a drabble drifted to mean anything on the short side was to challenge the writer to say what they had to say with a restricted number of words.

From Wiki:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drabble

Not that it matters, just thought I'd mention the "official" classification of drabbles, if anyone is interested.   :)

Offline haunted_by_bbm

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Re: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!
« Reply #117 on: February 06, 2007, 07:05:32 pm »
100 words is a drabble, 200 words is a drouble and I'm not sure whether 300 is a trabble or a trouble!  LOL  But the original point to them before a drabble drifted to mean anything on the short side was to challenge the writer to say what they had to say with a restricted number of words.

From Wiki:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drabble

Not that it matters, just thought I'd mention the "official" classification of drabbles, if anyone is interested.   :)

Oh, my '300-worders' are definitely 'trouble.'     ;)    lol   
"The room stank of semen and smoke and sweat and whiskey, of old carpet and sour hay, saddle leather, shit and cheap soap.  Ennis lay spread-eagled, spent and wet, breathing deep, still half tumescent, Jack blowing forceful cigarette clouds like whale spouts..." – Annie Proulx

Offline MaineWriter

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Re: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!
« Reply #118 on: February 06, 2007, 07:21:25 pm »
100 words is a drabble, 200 words is a drouble and I'm not sure whether 300 is a trabble or a trouble!  LOL  But the original point to them before a drabble drifted to mean anything on the short side was to challenge the writer to say what they had to say with a restricted number of words.

From Wiki:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drabble

Not that it matters, just thought I'd mention the "official" classification of drabbles, if anyone is interested.   :)

Wow, Helen, I never knew that! Thanks for that info...

But for our little drabblefest, we'll stick with the 100-300 words guidelines...even if we are writing troubles!

Leslie
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Offline MaineWriter

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Re: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!
« Reply #119 on: February 06, 2007, 07:23:12 pm »
Lazy L Farm
Quanah, TX

Jack was in the kitchen, pushing down the lever on the toaster, when Ennis came it. “What’re ya doin’?” he asked.

“Makin’ myself a late night snack of toast and peanut butter,” said Jack. He peered into the toaster, waiting for it to pop, and when it did, no toast came out. “Oh damn,” he muttered, “stuck again. We need to buy a new toaster, Ennis, this thing’s a piece of shit.” He reached into the drawer and pulled out a knife, sticking it in the toaster to fish out the bread.

“Jack, no! Don’t stick a knife in there…!” But before the words were out of his mouth, sparks flew and suddenly all the rooms on the first floor of the house went dark.

“Ah, shit. I must’ve blown a fuse.”

Ennis rummaged in a drawer, pulling out a flashlight. He clicked the switch but…nothing. “Goddamn, Jack, what’s wrong with the flashlight? Why ain’t the batteries workin’?”

“I don’t know. Here, lemme light this candle,” and with the whisk of a match, the circle of light illuminated the room.

“Gimme that, I’ll go change the fuse.” Ennis headed down the stairs to the basement.

Jack waited, but no lights came on. He heard swearing and then Ennis reappeared at the head of the stairs. “We don’t have the right fuckin’ fuse!” he yelled. “What kind of a house is this? No batteries? No fuses?”

“Calm down, babe,” said Jack, taking the candle from his hand. “We’ll go to town tomorrow and get all a this stuff…and a new toaster. Meanwhile, let’s go to bed.”

“Bed?”

“Yeah. We don’t need any lights for what we’re gonna do there.”

“Don’t you want your snack?”

“I ain’t hungry anymore,” said Jack with a wink.

 (292 words)
« Last Edit: February 17, 2007, 08:21:12 am by MaineWriter »
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