The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!

[Clyde-B]

     Ennis opened the crematory box.   At the bottom lay a half-empty plastic bag held closed by a green paper covered wire tie. 
     Its contents could have been dusty gravel, or shattered chalk, but it wasn’t.  This broken rubble was all that remained of Jack Twist.  Gone were the warm arms, the laughing eyes, the sweet smile, the steady heartbeat, against which their two hearts had beat as one. 
      Ennis lifted the bag, it felt light.  Wylie took the container, Ennis unfastened the wire tie.  The top of the bag fell open.  Once scattered, Jack’s ashes would be gone forever. 
     Before Ennis could stop it, before he could shut it out, all the lost hopes, abandoned dreams, unanswered questions engulfed him.  Without you, Jack Twist, what do I do?  I’m nothing, I’m nowhere, you’re the only one ever understood, ain’t nobody else. 
     Feeling lost, abandoned, he closed his eyes, clutched the bag to his chest, trying to soothe the hollow ache, wanting more than anything to hold Jack in his arms just one last time.
     Wylie laid a hand on his shoulder.  “You don’t have to... Jack would understand.”
     “No.  I promised.”
     The mountains that had once protected them, stood silent, indifferent, as far beyond his reach as Jack’s dreams, the canyon looked as desolate and empty as his life.  He thought of things that might have been, things that now would never be.  He took a deep breath. 
     “Goodbye, old friend.  I sure do miss you.”
     He stretched trembling arms full length, slowly upended the bag and a small cloud of ash and crushed bone that had once been Jack Twist dropped toward the rocks and scrub below.


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Sorry, no prompts, no word limit.  This needed doing all of a piece.

[Rogue]

   Jack and Ennis sat across from each other in the living room.
   "I think I've been a little hard on you, expecting things from you that I know your not ready to give," stated Jack.
   "Maybe I should be or at least try harder to make you happy, lets face it niether of us has been truely happy since we were nineteen, since Brokeback," said Ennis.
   "I think your right about us not being happy, but you shouldn't push yourself to be someone your not," replied Jack.
   "What would make you happy Jack?" asked Ennis.
   "I don't know if you can give me what i want," answered Jack.


thank you mariez for all your wonderful comments i really apprecite them.

[mariez]

 .......
     Before Ennis could stop it, before he could shut it out, all the lost hopes, abandoned dreams, unanswered questions engulfed him.  Without you, Jack Twist, what do I do?  I’m nothing, I’m nowhere, you’re the only one ever understood, ain’t nobody else. 
     Feeling lost, abandoned, he closed his eyes, clutched the bag to his chest, trying to soothe the hollow ache, wanting more than anything to hold Jack in his arms just one last time. ......

You're killing me, Clyde.  I especially like the "nothing, nowhere" turn of phrase.  Damn fine writing.

   Jack and Ennis sat across from each other in the living room.
   "I think I've been a little hard on you, expecting things from you that I know your not ready to give," stated Jack.
   "Maybe I should be or at least try harder to make you happy, lets face it niether of us has been truely happy since we were nineteen, since Brokeback," said Ennis.
   "I think your right about us not being happy, but you shouldn't push yourself to be someone your not," replied Jack.
   "What would make you happy Jack?" asked Ennis.
   "I don't know if you can give me what i want," answered Jack.


thank you mariez for all your wonderful comments i really apprecite them.

I like their honesty  - can't be easy for either of them (and you're welcome, I appreciate your drabbles  )

Marie

[mariez]

TGI almost F! How about:

• less is more
• advice
• plastic tablecloth

Marie

[mariez]

Everything

The thought came suddenly as he finished dressing – there were probably more clothes in his closet than in all of Lightning Flat. He shook his head in amazement as he remembered Lureen's favorite saying - less isn't more, less is a bore – sadly one of the few things they agreed on.   

His mind traveled quickly north - past the gravel road, inside the meager house, up the steep stairs, and into the shallow cavity of a closet – and he looked upon two bloody shirts, one inside the other. 

They were both wrong.  Sometimes less was more.  Sometimes it was everything. 

~~~~~~~
100 Words 

[Clyde-B]

    The canyon updraft caught the small cloud, forced it up, over their heads, over the trees, spreading it wide.  It peppered down on their campsite, like tiny hail, on the tents, Wylie’s pickup, even the plastic tablecloth Mrs. P. had spread on the camp table.  Now Jack was forever a part of where it all began.
     Wylie grinned.  “Guess cousin Jack wasn’t ready to leave  us just yet.”
     Ennis wiped his eyes, pretending something had gotten in them.
     “Ennis, you knew that was gone a happen, didn’t you.”
     Ennis just smiled.  Remembering old advice: when answering questions, less is more.
   

     100 words

[mariez]

    The canyon updraft caught the small cloud, forced it up, over their heads, over the trees, spreading it wide.  It peppered down on their campsite, like tiny hail, on the tents, Wylie’s pickup, even the plastic tablecloth Mrs. P. had spread on the camp table.  Now Jack was forever a part of where it all began.
     Wylie grinned.  “Guess cousin Jack wasn’t ready to leave  us just yet.”
     Ennis wiped his eyes, pretending something had gotten in them.
     “Ennis, you knew that was gone a happen, didn’t you.”
     Ennis just smiled.  Remembering old advice: when answering questions, less is more.
 

That went straight from Ennis's heart right into mine.  Thanks, Clyde.

Marie

[mariez]

Some Friday prompts - have a great weekend!

• anything goes
• favorite
• practice

Marie

[mariez]

Heart Songs

September 21, 1953
Lightning Flat, Wyoming
8:03 p.m.

Jack curled up in bed, stomach full of cherry cake, hands holding tight to the best birthday present he'd ever gotten - a second-hand harmonica from his favorite uncle.  He'd practiced playing earlier, riding far from the house where only the birds overhead and the black baldies grazing in the tall grass could hear.
   
Still excited from the day, he squeezed his eyes shut, willing himself to sleep, hoping to continue last night's dream with the pink house and the brown-eyed best friend ….

….someone besides the birds and the cattle to listen to the music that was in his heart. 

~~~~~~~
100 Words

[fernly]

They were both wrong.  Sometimes less was more.  Sometimes it was everything. 

Heart Songs

the brown-eyed best friend...someone besides the birds and the cattle to listen to the music that was in his heart. 

Wow.
And thank you.