Am I Fine?

 

"Can you please get my meds from the counter?" requested Pam as she settled with her cup of tea.

"When you have no physical aches, why are you still consuming these pills?" asked a concerned Dave.  

"It's the mental ache, and these pills keep me high," she said with a forced smile. 

Dave frowned and was about to give his opinion.

Just then, the phone rang.

"Hi, Lisa!" said Pam while keeping eye contact with her beau.

"Life is super! I'm rocking it, my friend," said Pam with shrugged shoulders and a downward glance while fidgeting with the blanket. 

 In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story that includes a lie. What is the lie? It can be subtle or blatant. Who tells the lie and why? Is it an unreliable narrator? Go where the prompt leads!

Mr. Shame

"Mr. Shame," announced the nurse with a broad smile that displayed her braces. Her thick spectacles and wonky walk made her look like an alien. 

The young man raised his hand and was about to take steps toward her when a blonde sitting next to him got his attention, "Is that your name?" she said with a snort. 

"It's Shaine. But, Teresa tends to lisp." 

"And, you have no issues with it?" 

"The name means nothing if I have not performed any shameful action," said Shane with a broad smile, " It's all about your consciousness," leaving the blonde speechless. 

 In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story exploring shame as an emotion or theme. Consider how to use shame to drive a cause-and-effect story. How does it impact a character? Is there a change? Go where the prompt leads!

Unsolved Mystery

"Milo! Don't forget to take your prom dress and lock the main door before you leave." Mom shouted while leaving for work at at noon. 

Milo heard her and dozed off. 

The alarm clock blared at 4 pm, which made her spring up with a jolt.

"Gosh! I'm late. Let me wear my dress here instead." she locked the door behind her. 

Hours ticked by, and Mom returned from work to find the dress in her closet.

 She rushed to her school with knitted eyebrows to find Milo in one. 

"Whose dress are you wearing? Who left this behind dress?" 

 In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about “the one who left the dress.” A 1940s-era dress still hangs in an abandoned house. Who left it and why? You can take any perspective and write in any genre. It can be a ghost story. Or not. Go where the prompt leads!

The Game of Sitolia

 "Hurry up, and stack it," Pran shouted at his pal, trying to pile the stones in order. Pran's eyes were wide, and his mouth was slurry as he called, "He is aiming the ball at us. Run if you can't stack them." 

Jay raised his hands and shouted, "Done!" 

"Darn it!" shouted Parv at Vishnu, "Couldn't you have been two seconds faster? They won since they could stack the stones on time. They get to hit the pile one more time while we'll have to chase the ball." he lamented. 

"Come on, Parv. It's just a game; lighten up!" 

=========

Sitolia is a game with two teams with a minimum of 2-3 players in each team. They take turns to hit the stack of seven stones, and if they can stack it back before the other team hits them with a ball. They get a point, and a chance to hit the stack once more. 

In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story that features stone-stacking. How does the activity fit into a story? Who is involved? What is the tone? Do the stones have special meaning? Go where the prompt leads!

Energy Medicine

"How can I help you today?" asked the practitioner as she registered her client for her upcoming healing session.

"Oh! I've been having anxiety, lower back pain, and difficulty expressing myself," said Kisna with a long deep sigh!

With a confident nod, Dolly gave a gentle smile and said, "I know exactly which chakra is acting up. Lay on the table, and I'll be back to start your session." 

With dim lights and a piece of gentle background music, Dolly started brushing Kisna's dense aura with a murmur, "Up and away!" 

That was followed by chakra balancing and grounding. 

 In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story using the phrase, “up and away.” You can imagine a story from the photo of hot air balloons, a flying superhero, a natural wonder, or any other direction your inspiration goes. Go where the prompt leads!

Sugar = Happiness

 "No, mom. I can't have this. I've given up sugar." Pari said with a stern face alternating between her mom and the Jalebi. 

"You're so skinny that I fear that you might disappear from the face of this planet one day. And now you want to adapt to this new regime," argued her mom with a dirty look.

Pari gave a loud snort, " I'll never disappear physically, but yes, I'm sure my weight will reduce by giving up sugar, and all my health issues might go into remission." 

"Sugar gives happiness, my child?" 

"Aah! that's just a perception." 

: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about disappearance. It can be an event, act, or subtle theme. Who or what disappears? Does it fade or explode? Can it be explained or experienced? Go where the prompt leads!

In a Rush

 

"Hons, running late. Could you please zip me up?" commanded Tara as she exposed her back to her beau, who was busy on his phone. 

"Hold on. Just sending this message," he said with a frown and squinted eyes. 

"Zzzzippppp!" came the sound, but it stopped midway. 

"Oh-oh!" 

"What happened?" Tara shrieked.

"It's got stuck in the cloth." 

"Gosh! I don't have time to change or mend it. Let me cover it with a jacket." 

"In June?" asked Rahil with raised eyebrows. 

"I'll pretend I'm feverish and may be coming down with something." she winked with a sly smile. 

In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about zippers. What are the zippers for? What challenges do they present to the story? Go where the prompt leads!

A Surprise Test

 

"What! How can that be?" I howled, "How can our teacher give us a surprise test?" I exclaimed as I sat on the bench with a thud staring at the paper while rubbing the back of my neck. 

I chewed my pen while fingering my necklace, trying to find the solution to those questions. 

Just then, the alarm buzzed. 

I woke up with a start with sweat on my forehead. 

When I realized my surroundings, I pressed my palm against my eyes and gave out shaky laughter.

"Oh! God, I promise I'm going to study before this comes true!" 

 In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story that includes anxiety. Who has anxiety or what is the source? Is there conflict? How can you use anxiety to further a story? Go where the prompt leads!

Steady Gallop

Being an empty nester has more pros than cons. The house is cleaner than before, with not much on the to-do list. The driving from one class to another is bygone. The constant chattering and the back n fourth arguments are on silent mode. 

Over the years, we've taught him the values of Life by discriminating right from wrong and emphasized discipline, respect, and hard work. 

Now, it's time to sit back and watch the show. 

Hopefully, it'll be a stable rhythmic ride where the kiddo will learn new things and move forward with steady gallop like a stallion. 

=========

In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about a Big Black Horse. It can be a horse, a metaphor or an interpretation of KT Tunstall’s “Big Black Horse and a Cherry Tree.” Go where the prompt leads!

A Tiny Flaw

To the lightly roasted course semolina, add one cup of lukewarm milk. 

Allow it to cook on a slow flame. 

Once it's semi-solid, add half a cup of granulated sugar.

Give it a vigorous stir before turning off the gas.

Now, I'm going to serve the audience. 

I said with a wide smile as I approached them with serving bowls garnished with sliced almonds. 

With fingers crossed, I watched them take a spoonful of my sweet dish into their mouth. 

They ejected the morsel in unison. 

"Major flaw!" one declared.

"You've put salt instead of sugar." the other screeched. 

In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about the cooking show. It can be any cooking show, real or imagined. Who is there? What happens? Make it fun or follow a disaster. Go where the prompt leads!

Feathers on a Cap

 

"Congratulations!" cheered Soniya's friends as she walked towards them with stretched hands. 

"I did it!" she shouted with glassy eyes and clenched fists. 

Once all the congratulatory messages were through. Her mom slid a handful of feathers under the tassel of her graduation cap.

"What's this for?" Soniya inquired with wide eyes, "Shouldn't I get only one feather since I just graduated." 

"A feather indicates accomplishments, and this is one of them." 

"Huh?" 

"My girl, you are Compassionate, Courageous, Hardworking, Creative, and now you're a graduate proves you've accomplished your goal." 

"Aah! Thank you, Mom, for being my inspiration." 

In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story that features feathers. It can be a single feather or more. Where did the feather come from? Does it hold meaning to the character or story? Go where the prompt leads!

Life on a Leash

 

"Where are you going?"

"Umm, I was planning on going to the mall," said Neena in a meek voice.

"Why? In an hour, it'll be time for my tea." said the master authoritatively, "And won't the endless walking in the mall make you tired?" 

There was silence.

"Go and rest till your next chore rather than galavanting." said the 65-year-old lady in a commanding tone. 

Neena gave out a long sigh as she dragged her feet into the 4*4 room, " I wish I had not taken an advance from my master. I'm on a leash until six months." 

In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story being leashed. Is it literal or metaphorical? Who or what is leashed. How does it set the tone? Go where the prompt leads!

Travel Plans

 In November, my family and I decided to trek the redwoods. 

The fog, chirp of birds, and redwoods combined to create a calm, moist environment, like the cloud forests. 

 Just then, a buzzing noise caught our attention, and it started getting louder with each second. 

"What's that noise?" asked my son.    

We looked yonder and saw a grey cloud coming our way.

"Duck" was my instant command.

We gave way to them. The swarm of insects passed by us within seconds as if they were on a mission. 

They didn't bother us since we didn't disturb their travel plans. 

In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story that includes tiny flying insects. Think about how the insects shape the scene or add to the action. Go where the prompt leads!

The D-Day

"So, Monica, when is the D-day?" 

"Soon," she said with a chirp.

I asked anxiously, "Is it that soon that we don't have time to throw you a bachelorette party?" 

"Nah! we always have time for a girl's party," she said with a high five. 

****

Within that week, I arranged a flower theme party and invited all her girlfriends.

That particular evening flowers of all shapes and sizes filled the room. 

We all were clucking around like hens and trodding in floral dresses. 

The to-be bride had a beautiful floral crown, and the bees were having a feast. 

 In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about party hens. Who are these chickens and why do they party? Go where the prompt leads!

Usain Bolt

"You know, in no time, I'll be the fastest runner on this planet. I'll beat Usain Bolt too," I said to my friend over the telephone as I chewed upon the boiled sweet potatoes that had black salt sprinkled. 

 I saw my Mom grin. 

When I put down the receiver, I inquired. 

"All eat, and no sweat will not make you the fastest runner, sunny boy!" 

"Bolt eats Yam, while I choose to eat Sweet Potatoes that are way more nutritious than the latter. So, for starters, that has notched up my slot." I said with a wide smile. 

  In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story that includes sweet potatoes. 

Snow Shoeing

One morning, my friend and I chose to snowshoe across a bunny hill.  We were confident that we would be back before lunch since it was a small loop. 

Everything looks the same when snow covers the foliage and the path. 

We talked as we walked, and time flew by! 

We found our breaths shallow, so we stopped for a sip of water, realized our bottles had frozen. Fear crept in. We had reached an altitude, it was getting dark, but fortunately, the rangers found us. 

The take-home message is never to go on a trail without a map. 

 In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story using the word frozen. It can be descriptive, character focused, action driven. Go out onto the ice and find a frozen story. Go where the prompt leads!

Birthday Celebrations

"Did you hear me, Joe?" Patty inquired.

"Yes! I got it. I have to be home on time." Said Joe irritably as he walked out the door.

"I bet he'll be late, and there goes all my preparation for his birthday party," Patty whispered to herself as she pulled out the many bowls she had hidden in the oven, away from Joe's sight. 

 "Oh! I know, how about I move the party to his workplace. That way, I won't have to fret over him coming on time." she said with a wide grin and was quick to text all. 

 In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story where a character is in the right place at the right time. It may be cause for celebration! Go where the prompt leads!

Choices

Today, as I stand on the shores of the Pacific Ocean and observe the waves come crashing, I contemplate upon my life. 

The goals I had in mind, but the choices I made, paved an unknown path. 

It made me wonder why I chose to tread on it? Why didn't I give up and decide to pursue my goals instead? 

Just then, droplets of water fall on my face, and a smile crosses my lips. Aah! It gave me happiness and peace of mind. 

It's impressive how life can flow in a flashback anywhere as a river of consciousness. 

=============

 January 28, 2021, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about life as a river of consciousness. Think about the possibilities of the prompt. Go where the prompt leads!

Mother Nature

"Can your pebble reach that lotus leaf?" queried the six-year-old Robin as he pointed yonder. 

"Oh, yes! Why not?" I said with confidence as I squinted one eye and aimed for that particular leaf that had that flower blooming next to it. 

Kerplop

"Oh! missed it!"I said with a crooked nose dreading that my nephew might be upset. 

 But instead, I heard a "Wow!" 

I frowned then followed his vision. 

There was a cluster of butterflies in the sky very close to the plop. The kaleidoscope was beautiful, as if maple leaves were flying in the sky. 

Mother Nature!! 

  In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story using the contrasting prompts butterfly and stones. The two can be used in any way in your story. Go where the prompt leads!

The Young Cook

"Daddy, your lunch is ready," ten-year-old Mel shouted from the kitchen while trying to balance herself and the plate in her hand.

Dad was quick to rush into the kitchen, "Impressive, Mel." he said with arched eyebrows as he was quick to get the plate from her hands and then help her stay still.

"Yummy! PB&J Sandwich, my favorite!" 

"I can understand the apron, but what's up with the stilettos, doll?" 

"Mom used to wear her heels everywhere. I'm just trying to mimic her, so we don't feel her absence," she said while trying to wear a brave smile. 

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 In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story that features stilettos. Who will wear them and why? Go where the prompt leads!