The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!

[Clyde-B]

     Jack gave the rider a lingering kiss worthy of a hero succeeding an impossible quest. 
     “Remember July 20, 1969?”
     “Ennis, you don’t remember dates.”
     “Don’t never forget a good kiss.”  They laughed. 
      With the back of his hand Jack caressed Ennis’s cheek.  “I have to go now.”
     “I’ll go with you.”
     “You can’t... not yet.  It’s not your time.”
      The wind ruffled Ennis’s hair.  The rushing in his ears grew deafening.  The horizon blazed unnatural bright, Jack’s outline wavered, shimmered, glowed until all Ennis could see was blinding white.

        “Jack!  Wait!”

       “Daddy?  Daddy?  Jenny, get the doctor Daddy’s wakin up.”



      100 words

[Cameron]

The Souvenir

(July 2000)
Cassie went back to the flea market early the next morning, after a long and sleepless night.  She walked all around and looked at all the faces.  But she didn’t see the one she wanted to see.  She went to the table with the plates.  The same ones were there from yesterday, with a few new ones too.  One had a Christmas tree on it, and said Merry Christmas, 1975.  The other one had a picture of the moon, and in blue letters read July 20, 1969.  Cassie remembered that day.  “I’ll take it” she said to the old lady behind the table, and counted out the five dollars and handed it to her.  Then Cassie turned and looked again at the faces as the lady wrapped it up.

Cassie walked around the flea market for a little while longer.  Lots of people, lots of faces, all unfamiliar to her.  She got into her car and quickly drove back home.  She took out the phone book to begin her quest, but then she closed it and put it back in the cabinet, and unwrapped the plate.  She sat down at the table, and held the plate in her hands.  She remembered that day, so long ago, when everything seemed possible.  Cassie wiped her eyes and put the plate away.

(220 words)

[MaineWriter]

Hello everyone,

For today:

• tit for tat
• start from scratch
• when hell freezes over

Have fun!

L

[mariez]

  . . . .“Jack!  Wait!”

       “Daddy?  Daddy?  Jenny, get the doctor Daddy’s wakin up.”

Damn, Clyde, you are a clever one!  I wasn't expecting that.

. . . . She remembered that day, so long ago, when everything seemed possible.  Cassie wiped her eyes and put the plate away.

That's so true, Marl.  I remember feeling that way.  Always good to see Cassie.

Marie

[Clyde-B]

        “Where am I?  Am I dead?”
          A brilliant white hospital room, the doctor bending close, Junior standing, looking harried.
         “Mr. del Mar, we thought we’d lost you.”
         “Wouldn’t take me.  Tit for tat, I guess... maybe when hell freezes over.”
         “Daddy We was so worried.”
         “Had the damndest dream.”  Ennis smiled.  “M’friend Jack, alive again.”  He grew wistful.  “Thought he forgave me, maybe we could start from scratch, but... wasn’t real.”  He sighed. 
          Something brightly colored on the nightstand caught his eye. 
         “What’s that?”
         “Just a advertisement.  Came in your mail.”
          Ennis knew Jack Twist’s handwriting when he saw it.
       

           100 words

[MaineWriter]

Happy Sunday morning, everyone!

Shall we try:

• Sabbath
• best seller
• cheese doodle yellow

L

[MaineWriter]

Saturday, July 21, 2007
Lazy L Farm

“Hey Ennis, ya feel like takin a ride ta Lubbock with me this afternoon?”

“Not really. It’s a beautiful day. I thought we could sit on the porch and sip lemonade. What do ya need ta go ta Lubbock for, anyway?”

“Oh, I have a few errands…need ta pick up this and that…thought I might stop at the big bookstore over there…” Jack looked down at his feet, slightly evasive about what he really needed to do in Lubbock.

“Bookstore? What’s wrong with the bookstore up in Childress? That’s plenty big and a helluva lot closer than Lubbock.”

“Well, I, uh…I want the new Harry Potter book and it’s all sold out in Childress. I called this morning…I guess I shoulda reserved a copy or something. Anyway, they have it in Lubbock and put a copy on hold for me.”

“You are too much, Jack fuckin Twist,” said Ennis. “Readin little kids books.”

“Hey! It’s a world wide bestseller! Plenty a adults read em.”

“Uh huh,” said Ennis, crossing his arms.

“So ya comin ta Lubbock or what?”

“You don’t need ta go, Jack.”

“Why not? Man’s got a right ta read a book if he wants ta, even if it is a kid’s book.”

“You don’t need ta go, cuz I ordered it for you from Amazon. Yer copy should be arrivin any minute, soon as the truck gets here.”

“You ordered it for me? When?”

“Oh, I dunno. Back in February or somethin. I knew ya’d never get around ta doin it.”

Jack gave him an appreciative smile, then a gentle punch on the shoulder. “You are too much, Ennis.”

Ennis shrugged. “Man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do,” he said with a wink.

(297 words)

[mariez]

.....“Had the damndest dream.”  Ennis smiled.  “M’friend Jack, alive again.”  He grew wistful.  “Thought he forgave me, maybe we could start from scratch, but... wasn’t real.”  He sighed. ..... 

Aww, Clyde .....I look forward to reading these every day to see where you're taking us next.    

Saturday, July 21, 2007
Lazy L Farm
 . . . . . .
“You don’t need ta go, cuz I ordered it for you from Amazon. Yer copy should be arrivin any minute, soon as the truck gets here.”

“You ordered it for me? When?”

“Oh, I dunno. Back in February or somethin. I knew ya’d never get around ta doin it.”

Jack gave him an appreciative smile, then a gentle punch on the shoulder. “You are too much, Ennis.”

Ennis shrugged. “Man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do,” he said with a wink.

The Lazy L boys - yay!  This is priceless.  I love knowing what they're doing today.   

Marie

[Clyde-B]

     “Holy Sabbath!”  As Ennis read he laughed, he cried.
     Tiny print under Ennis’s address:  Found this postcard clipped to Jack’s last invoice.  It belongs with you.  Lureen
     On the front: the biggest cheese doodle yellow combine Ennis had ever seen.  A banner proclaiming ‘Newsome Farm Equipment’s Best Seller.’   Next to it, proud as punch, in his Resistol, leather jacket and bolo tie, smiled Jack Twist.  Ennis touched Jack’s cheek as though it were more than printed cardboard. 
     On the back:  Cant hardly wait to see you again.  Still mad about August, but there’ll be more.  I’ll always be there.  Jack


      100 words






          Well, we’re back where we started at the very first line, we know what Jack decided and his postcard has been delivered, so my little story has come to its end. 
          I hope you can forgive me for letting you think Jack was still alive, but if I did my job, I left Ennis willing to fight for those he loves, believing he just might win, knowing for sure that it was him and not somebody else that Jack loved, and thinking that maybe, just maybe, they really will be together again.

CB

[fernly]

   Ennis touched Jack’s cheek as though it were more than printed cardboard. 
     On the back:  Cant hardly wait to see you again.  Still mad about August, but there’ll be more.  I’ll always be there.  Jack


          Well, we’re back where we started at the very first line, we know what Jack decided and his postcard has been delivered, so my little story has come to its end. 
          I hope you can forgive me for letting you think Jack was still alive, but if I did my job, I left Ennis willing to fight for those he loves, believing he just might win, knowing for sure that it was him and not somebody else that Jack loved, and thinking that maybe, just maybe, they really will be together again.

CB

Really enjoyed your story, Clyde.
Thank you for filling in some of that open space, those terrible aching doubts, for Ennis.

Fern