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!

A Musical Night

 

"I see a clear sky. The rainy season is behind us!" said Mali with a breath of sigh! 

"We can now sleep in peace." clapped an elated ten-year-old Loli. 

"The pitter-patter and the mosquitoes have gone with it." 

"Yes!" 

The mother-daughter finished their only meal of the day, consisting of broth and bread.  

The duo lay on their cots, and the mom was about to hit the snooze button when the tip-tap noise widened her eyes, and she looked at her leaky roof. 

"Ugh! get the utensils, Loli. Courtesy of the water fall; tonight will be another musical night." 

In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story using the phrase, water falls. Where is the water coming from? How does it shape a story? Who does it involve? 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!

Mask Up !

 
"Jeez! Why is everybody staring at me?" muttered Alisha as she chewed her gum frantically when she dragged a cart into the store, "Hope, I wore my pants?" and she quickly gave a downward glance at her legs, "Phew! I can't forget the day when I stepped out to water my plants in just my panties."

A tap on her shoulder, "Excuse me, Miss. You need to mask up!" 

Alisha was apologetic, and with a gaped mouth, she quickly pulled it from her purse, "Gosh! This is the new norm, and it's high time I embrace the new change." 

 In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story to reflect the theme, “ready for a change.” Who is ready and why? How does the change unfold? What happened to initiate the change? Go where the prompt leads!

The Common Man

Sometimes, I doubt if being a common man is praiseworthy. This common man has the most challenging life on this planet. He is not guaranteed any comforts from birth and has to work towards it. He faces all the downs when the economy is at the brink. He rarely enjoys the upside when the economy is doing terrific, but he sure gets a coupon here and there to enjoy the perks.

The Commoner is a brutal hit whenever a catastrophic event occurs. When politicians strike countries, this common man suffers. 

When Mother Nature strikes, he faces the brunt of it. When inflation is at its highest, this common man suffers since his pay does not increase; as a result, it restricts his power of purchases.

Amidst all these hassles of everyday life, he also faces dishonest officials who want to churn out the small resources that this common man has saved for emergencies. Corruption makes the common man be strip naked.

This common man suffers a lot throughout his lifetime, but he always meets with a smile and extends a hand when another man is in trouble. 

Although the daily hassles demotivate me, I am proud to be this common man, but the inner conscious speaking to me constantly makes me feel how blessed I am to have a conscious since many people have lost it amidst the hustle-bustle of life.

Being a common man is challenging, but it takes a lot of work and motivation to walk a single step.

Jai Ho! 

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!