The Power of a Compliment

"Oh, my, what a pretty frock you've worn today." complimented Nancy's kindergarten teacher when she saw her student was clinging to her mom and taking hesitant steps while the mom was dragging her. 

Nancy met eye-to-eye with her teacher. She pressed her lips and scanned her dress with a finger on her cheek. 

"Yes! It's a beautiful dress." assured Mrs. Katie, "Will you let me borrow it someday?" she asked with a broad smile and kind eyes. 

Nancy quickly nodded in negation as she walked into the class with a smile. 

"Thank you!" whispered Chloe with gratitude to Katie. 

 In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story using the phrase, “Oh, my.” It can be used in storytelling or dialog. What is the cause for such a response? Have fun with this one! Go where the prompt leads!

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!

Safety Net

 "Hi, Girls!" said Amy with a wide grin and gleaming eyes as if twilight,  "I drove to school today," she said while bouncing from foot to foot. 

"Huh! But, the last time you drove, you crashed the bumper of your dad's Ford Escort into the wall. How did your dad allow it?"  asked Gloria with a gulp and curious eyes. 

"Balloons! are my safety net." 

Seeing the puzzled look in their eyes, Amy walked them to her car, which had balloons on the front and back of her bumper. 

"They'll pop, and I'll know when to screech the brakes." 

 In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about balloons on a bumper. Is it a spectacle, an occasion, an eccentricity? Why are the balloons there? Who is involved? 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!

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!

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!" 

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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!