The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!

[Cameron]

Just Like Before

(July 1986)
“We better stop” Tom said once again, but then he kept on driving.  Finally after a long while, he pulled over to the side of the road.  Ennis kept looking out of the window.

Tom looked at his hands, then he looked over at Ennis.  “This was supposed to be fun, you know?  Just don’t know what has gotten into you, again” Tom said.  “Man, you haven’t been like this in ages, I thought everything was okay…..I thought you were okay….”

Ennis turned to him.  “I’m fine” he said softly.

“Yeah, sure you are” Tom said, with an ironic laugh.  “Like hell you are, man, you haven’t been like this since……since ….I don’t even know when.  Maybe this all was a big mistake.”

Ennis wrapped his arms tighter around the duffel bag, and looked down.  “Maybe it was.”

Tom look at Ennis.  “For God sakes, will ya get hold of yourself, once and for all” Tom said, with a tone of exasperation in his voice.  Ennis put his head down against the duffel bag.  Tom glared at him.

“Fine, maybe I will just turn around” he said, and looked ahead at the dark road.  They sat like that in silence.  There wasn’t a sound, except for the crickets and Ennis’s deep breaths, muffled against the duffel bag.

Tom turned to him again.  “Listen, man, I wanted this to be fun. You….you can’t stay there in that town, in that trailer, forever, you can’t.”

“Let’s just go on.” Tom said in a softer voice.  “Hey, I got an idea, how ‘bout us goin’ to Vegas instead, we’ll see the desert and the palm trees.  Hey, maybe we can win a little money on one of them slot machines.  I been there once, long time ago, did I ever tell ya about that time?”

Ennis finally looked up, and laughed.  “Yeah, about five thousand times.”

Tom laughed too.  “Let’s just go on” he said as he reached over and squeezed Ennis’s hand.  Then Tom pulled the truck back on the highway, and drove again on the dark open road.

[Clyde-B]

      The blue eyes smiled.  “Tell you what, if you want beer, all I got cold is Bud longnecks.”  He flashed a broad grin and winked.  “Okay?”
      Ennis nodded.
      “Be right back.” 
      Ennis watched as he disappeared behind the bar.
      “Have you been here before?”
      Ennis shook his head.  “No.”   
      “Amazing what you find in the middle of nowhere... an oasis in the desert.  Cute palm tree too.”  She laughed.
      Ennis stared at his hands, clenched his jaw.
      “Look, at that, Ennis, they’ve got a slot machine.”
       The kid came from behind the bar with their drinks.
      “Ennis, do you gamble?”



     100 words

[Clyde-B]

   The only jackpot he wanted was a sweet life with his brown-eyed cowboy and the odds against that seemed to grow longer every day….
 

Marie,

*Sigh*
 I'll bet Lureen wins a pile of money.

   But he knew that was just a fantasy.  It was never their lot to hit that kind of jackpot.
             

Janice,

Poor Ennis is crappin out all over the place today.

Tom laughed too.  “Let’s just go on” he said as he reached over and squeezed Ennis’s hand.  Then Tom pulled the truck back on the highway, and drove again on the dark open road.

Marl,
Tom has an excellent idea.
Nobody's going to notice gay cowboys in Vegas!

[MaineWriter]

Morning all...

For today, give these a try:

• bright lights, big city
• cocaine
• deadbolt lock

L

[mariez]

Just Like Before

. . . . .
Ennis finally looked up, and laughed.  “Yeah, about five thousand times.”

Tom laughed too.  “Let’s just go on” he said as he reached over and squeezed Ennis’s hand.  Then Tom pulled the truck back on the highway, and drove again on the dark open road. ....

I'm glad Tom was able to lighten the mood...yep, a little mindless fun is just what the doctor ordered. 

. . . . .
      “Ennis, do you gamble?”

Well, now there's a good question.  Normally, I'd say Ennis was not a gambling man - but .....

. . .
Nobody's going to notice gay cowboys in Vegas!

  I'll be chuckling over that one all day!

Thanks,
Marie

[mariez]

Dark Nights, Small Town

"Sit and relax, Daddy.  Kurt will be home in a bit and I'll get dinner going."

Ennis took a long pull on the cold beer as he sat and picked up the book on Junior's coffee table.  "Bright Lights, Big City."   Huh.  He started skimming the first pages, a crease forming between his eyebrows, and glanced back at Junior in the kitchen.  What the hell kind of crap was this?  Bolivian Marching Powder?  Bald women?  He couldn't make heads or tails of it, except that it had something do with New York City.  Made him glad he'd never been out of Wyoming.

"Jack, you know me. All the travelin I ever done is goin around the coffeepot lookin for the handle."

The pain hit him fast and hard, like a dirty punch. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, willing the knot around his heart to unclench.  God, Jack, if you were here right now I'd follow you anywhere on earth …….I swear…..

~~~~~~~
165 Words

[Penthesilea]

Dark Nights, Small Town

"Jack, you know me. All the travelin I ever done is goin around the coffeepot lookin for the handle."

The pain hit him fast and hard, like a dirty punch. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, willing the knot around his heart to unclench.  God, Jack, if you were here right now I'd follow you anywhere on earth …….I swear…..

~~~~~~~
165 Words

It did not come unexpected, but hit hard nonetheless.


I'm in need of a happy drabble.

[cwby30]

Childress, Texas   June 1989

The black-out curtains kept at bay most of the brights lights of the city, while the deadbolt lock on the hotel door kept at bay anyone with bad intentions.  In the almost pitch-black room, two black tuxedos lay draped over the sofa, with two cummerbuns and two wrinkled dress-shirts on top of them. Two pairs of black patent-leather loafers lay on their sides under the chairs and coffee table, while black ties,keys, wallets, coins, cufflinks and studs lay tangled on the double dresser next to the breakfast menu and the Visitor's Bureau brochure.

From the king-sized bed across the room came the soft sounds of even, peaceful breathing.  Two studs slept there, one dark-haired, one sandy-blond haired, both with a sprinkling of gray around the temples, arms and legs tangled, sweat mixed with semen locking their skin together, what could be smiles on their faces, both tired out from an afternoon and evening smiling, talking, walking, drinking and dancing with a crowd, but especially from enjoying each other physically and mentally all by themselves. 

[Clyde-B]

     “Here’s your drinks folks.”
      “Young man are you from around here?”
      “Yes ma’am lived in Lightnin Flat my whole life except for goin to UW in Laramie.”
      “The lure of bright lights, big city?”
      He chuckled.  “Well, more citified than here, but it ain’t no Denver, no deadbolt locks.”
      “Did you do drugs, cocaine?”
      Ennis shot her a look that would peel paint.
      He laughed.  “No ma’am, I can’t hardly afford a six pack.”
      “Excuse me, my beer man’s here.”  He headed out back.
      “What in the hell are you doin?”
      She raised her glass.  “Just handicapping you a horse.”


     100 words

[mariez]

Childress, Texas   June 1989

 . . . . both tired out from an afternoon and evening smiling, talking, walking, drinking and dancing with a crowd, but especially from enjoying each other physically and mentally all by themselves. 

What a nice, peaceful epilogue - enjoyed that.

. .. .  “Yes ma’am lived in Lightnin Flat my whole life except for goin to UW in Laramie.”

  Well, now - what have we here? 

Marie