Monday, June 20, 2022

Freedom from the Body



Mohan was lying with tears trickling down his cheeks. 

His body was screeching in pain; the malignant growth had penetrated his bones, thus making it unbearable. 

He wanted to go places and reach new avenues, but destiny had other plans. 


"It's just a matter of time," the docs said.


The family was stroking his legs with the hope of giving him some relief. 


After coming to terms with the present, he tipped the hospital attendants and spoke words of wisdom to his children. 


He finally breathed his last with a smile as he got freedom from the diseased body. 



 In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about what freedom feels like. Whose point of view do you use? Does the idea of freedom cause tension or bring hope? Let the reader feel the freedom. Go where the prompt leads!

Sunday, June 5, 2022

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!

Thursday, April 28, 2022

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!

Wednesday, April 13, 2022

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!

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

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!

Tuesday, March 22, 2022

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!

Wednesday, March 16, 2022

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!