The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!

[MaineWriter]

Hello everyone,

For today, try these:

• patriotic
• deep sea fishing
• roman candle

Have fun!

Leslie

[Clyde-B]

Except for One

   The longer it lasted, the more time he had to spend with his one true love – even if it was only in a daydream.

~~~~~~~~~~~
100 words (!!!!)

Ah Yes...

100 words!!!!

[Clyde-B]

Flashes of Light

 
Ennis leaned back against the tree.  The flames of the bonfire were dancing, the light was shimmering before him, the voices were swirling all around him.

and then???

Is that hot dog symbolism?   

[Clyde-B]

    He had to get out of there.
    Ennis had heard a parade, sounded patriotic, maybe early Fourth of July, followed the noise.  Found the street filled, people waving rainbow flags, brightly colored floats, half naked young men dancing like they had roman candles between their legs or they were deep sea fishing reeling them in.
    Turning to flee, he froze.
    Two young kids, ranch hands from the look of them, one fair, one dark, stood side by side in their Levis and Resistols, silent in the noise.  But all Ennis could see was their two hands... clasped together... fingers entwined.


100 words
 

[Penthesilea]

    He had to get out of there.
    Ennis had heard a parade, sounded patriotic, maybe early Fourth of July, followed the noise.  Found the street filled, people waving rainbow flags, brightly colored floats, half naked young men dancing like they had roman candles between their legs or they were deep sea fishing reeling them in.
    Turning to flee, he froze.
    Two young kids, ranch hands from the look of them, one fair, one dark, stood side by side in their Levis and Resistols, silent in the noise.  But all Ennis could see was their two hands... clasped together... fingers entwined.


100 words

Hit me directly in the heart. Makes me feel sad for Ennis. If only, if only....

[mariez]

 . . .Ennis leaned back against the tree.  The flames of the bonfire were dancing, the light was shimmering before him, the voices were swirling all around him.

What a great description of Ennis's fear and confusion.  And, yes, what next? 

. . .    Two young kids, ranch hands from the look of them, one fair, one dark, stood side by side in their Levis and Resistols, silent in the noise.  But all Ennis could see was their two hands... clasped together... fingers entwined.

100 words

You set that up so perfectly, Clyde.  Very, very nicely done. 

Thanks,
Marie

[mariez]

A Good Day

Same script, new year. Next up - fireworks.  L.D. in charge, of course, blustering about his manly prowess in handling the roman candles and bottle rockets. 

The "ooohs" and "ahhhhhs" came to an abrupt halt when a sudden gust of wind dropped a brightly colored spark directly onto L.D.'s brand-new Resistol.  The partygoers watched in stunned silence as L.D. let out a high-pitched squeal and pranced to and fro, waving his hat in the air. 

Jack felt the laughter bubble in his chest and his eyes met Lureen's in a moment of complicity, both of them turning their laughter into coughs as they turned away. 

Best Fourth of July he'd had in a long while. 

~~~~~~~
115 words

[ifyoucantfixit]

                             Germ  of an Idea
            Ennis leaned back against the door of the trailer.  He had adjusted the shirts, and straightened the card.  Nothing else to do for the evening.  He turned on the television, and
watched the afternoon news.  He took his last beer from the old fridge, and stretched his long
frame out in the ratty old recliner, to watch the man tell, about the the fireworks display in town.
              He had forgotten it was the fourth.  He figured he needed some things anyway from the general
store, so he pulled on his coat, and headed out to the store.  When he got to town he felt like it
was going to be a long night with all that damned racket, so figured he might as well get a head start on that buzz he would be needin.
               Soon as he picked up the beer and cigarettes, and a couple of boxes of Kraft mac and cheese, he placed them in the truck bed, and headed down to the bar.
               He walked in and saw the place was damned near deserted, except for a couple of middle aged women at a table in the corner, and three young men playing pool in the back room.  He told the bartender he wanted a budweiser, and just waited at the bar for him to hand it to him before sauntering back to the rear to jus lean against the wall and watch the young men playing pool.
                He stood that way for quite a space a time, watchin the boys playin pool.   One of the ladies in the corner was writing something down on a pad. she looked up now and then watched the guys in back, and got an odd look on her face as she watched him standing there.  He shrugged it off but it made him feel kinda uncomfortable. In a rather disturbing, but still unfearful way.  Like she was seeing him in some oddly different kind of way.  Like he might be one of them zoo animals he had heard tell of.
                He looked at the clock on the wall and decided it was time to head out home.  Had to get back to work pretty early in the morning.  He placed his empty bottle on the shiny wooden bar, and walked slowly out.  Heading for another night alone.

[cwby30]

Childress, Texas June 1989 [Part 3]


"What?" they said in unison.

He smiled at that. After all these years together he and Ennis often acted as one.  They finished each other's sentences; they knew when a kiss or the touch of a hand would soothe the other's troubled thoughts; they fixed each other's favorite meals; they divided up chores with a nod of the head. And they could communicate encyclopedias of thoughts in their glances. 'God, how I love him! Thanks for answerin' my prayers.'

"We're getting ready for the parents' dance, and want you on the dance floor with us."

"Together? I don't know, son. Is the Childress Hunt Club ready for that?"

"Jack..."

"Ennis..."

"Dad, Pop... how about one at a time, with my bride?"

"Okay, I'll go with the flow. How 'bout you?"

"Yeah, me too. So long as you save the last dance for me."

"Wouldn't have it any other way, cowboy."

They brushed lips, untwined, and hand in hand followed the other happy couple towards the bright lights of the Club. 

[Cameron]

(My holiday drabble.....)

The Fourth of July

(July 4, 2007)
Ennis took a sip of wine.  He looked up at the sky.  It was a beautiful, clear night, the sky was sparkling with the light of the stars.  “Hey, the fireworks will start soon.”

“Yeah” Ennis answered, and drank some more wine.

“You know, it’s hard to be patriotic with all that’s going on right now, with that… guy in charge”  the Artist said.

“Yeah” Ennis replied, “but that dosn’t matter now, not tonight, I’m here with you.”

The Artist leaned over and kissed Ennis right on the lips, Ennis didn’t back away.

Ennis and the Artist were sitting on a blanket, in the park, waiting for the fireworks to begin.

“Can you believe, only a week left till we go, can’t wait, just imagine, me and you on the boat, no one around, except us and all the fish” the Artist said.

Ennis looked at the Artist’s pale face, his luminous eyes glowing bright in the darkness.  Ennis gently touched his pale cheek, and placed his hand on his arm.

Suddenly the fireworks started, the sky was lit up, with bright sparks of red and white, bursting all over and then falling from the heavens.  A cheer went up from the crowd in the park. The Artist took Ennis’s hand in his and squeezed it tight.

The fireworks went on for a long time, each flash of light brighter than the one before.  The night sky was aglow.  Then it was all done, the sky was dark again, with the smoke drifting over the stars. 

But then the smoke cleared and one more rocket went up to the sky.  It erupted into a huge ball of brilliant blue embers.  Ennis stared at the bright blue lights dancing among the stars.  He watched them as they drifted down towards them.  Then he looked up again at the sparkling stars.  Ennis squeezed the Artist’s hand and smiled, a real smile this time.  Everything was all right.