Details

Last line prompt:  Even he couldn't bring them together.

Details

By Deborah J Lindsey

They seemed the perfect couple.  He was the star quarterback and she was head cheerleader.  They were sweethearts all their early school days and now into their Senior year they talked of a future life together.  Everyone assumed they would be married at some point.

Cupid watched them with happy interest.  These were his best work and he often boasted to his fellows about them every chance he got.

“You’ve put no work into them!”  His fellows chided him. “You haven’t picked up your bow in many moons and I wonder where your arrows might be?”  He just laughed and said his matches were always perfect, they didn’t need any work.  He saw no need to arrange and plan and putter about with this and that.  Let others weary and worry with pesky details.  Wasn’t he

“Cupid of the year” ten years in a row?   He lay back on his cloud and closed his eyes for a nap.

He slept for a long time as cupids are known to do.  When he awoke, the sweetest day of the year was fast approaching. His first thoughts were of his “perfect couple”. 

They were not so easy to find and sadly, due to his failed attention to details, the couple was not a couple anymore.  The lovely romance had sputtered and died.  It was the little things-the details.  Those smiles and sweet favors, and loving kindness that are so important had dwindled away and soon vanished entirely.   It was too late. Cupid sighed. Even he couldn't bring them together.

C Copyright February, 2017 by Deborah J Lindsey

A Date With Mark Twain

situation prompt:

You're on a date with your favorite author. What do you do?

A Date with Mark Twain

  By Deborah J Lindsey

 I watched him as he stood at the rail of the steamer and gazed into the night.  The shimmering colors in his white suit coat and silver hair caught the moonbeams and sent them dancing across the waves.

 It was Mark Twain!  I was sure of it. 

I retreated to a deck chair and hastily penned a note.  “I’m from Calaveras County and I have a frog in my handbag. I could show him to you at our next stop.”  I drew a heart around my words for effect.  I was all about effect and besides,  it was Valentine’s Day.

I arose and glided over to him.  He stood as before, lost in thought and lost in the night.  I slipped the paper into his vest pocket.  He reached in and removed the note.  He read it and turned to me.  He only nodded and went back to his thoughts.

All passengers were to embark the next morning as we had reached our destination. I registered at the only hotel in town.  After much nervous speculation on what best to wear, at last I came down to the lobby to wait for him.  I primped my hair in the hotel mirror and smoothed invisible wrinkles from my skirt for the hundredth time.  I had dressed with special care, thinking he would most certainly ask me to dine or perhaps even rent a carriage and take in the sights.

Finally, he came down the stairs taking wo at a time.  He wore a worn and frayed riding jacket.  His pants tucked were tucked into a pair of cracked and dusty boots.  He grinned at me and seemed to immensely enjoy the flabbergasted look that must have dominated my face.

When he reached my side, he bowed low and kissed my carefully gloved hand.  He then guided me out through the hotel’s double doors and whispered into my ear.

“Let’s go do some frog jumpin’ Darlin’! The boys is meetin' us at the crick.”

C Copyright February, 2017 by Deborah J Lindsey

Two for Tea

Cinderella and Snow White glared at each other. (First line prompt)

Two for Tea

By Deborah J lindsey

Cinderella took a dainty sip of tea being sure to point her pinky.  She flounced her flounces and smiled sweetly at her guest.

Snow White was such a uppy-up!  I don’t know why I invited her to tea.  But Cinderlla knew-she wanted to see if Snow White had aged after her long sleep. Cindy could find no trace and she had looked very carefully.  Snow looked just as pert and proper as she had when they were children together living in the same story book.

Snow was sizing up her rival too and she wondered if Cindy had baked these raspberry scones herself, No, she finally decided.  She had heard the mice stayed on even after her marriage. She’d heard too that she and the Prince dinned on pumpkin a lot but that was probably just a wild rumor.

“You know Snow, I got these ruby slippers off a good fairy and they are very clickable.”  Cindy stood and clicked the heels together to illustrate her point.  Snow noticed the ruby was wearing right of the slip.  Apparently, Cindy was too fond of demonstrating them and had clicked too many times.

Snow sneered at Cin.  “Well, my slippers are made of fine bear skin and have served me well for more than a thousand years.”

“Well, I’m surprised you even wear foot attire living out in the wilds as you do and your living arrangements leave much to be desired.”

“who has questioned my past?  I’ve nothing to be ashamed of.”

C. grinned an evil grin.  “And how is that fruit company you and your Price invested in?  Does it prosper?  Apples. Wasn’t it?”

Snow stood up indignantly and prepared to take her leave.

“Thanks for tea C.  Oh, you do recall my story is fifteen pages longer than yours!”

“Well, that’s only because you slept so long.”

C flashed a wicked smile.

Snow smiled.

 “At least my Prince came to find me.  I didn’t have to trap him with see through slippers.  Glass,wern’t they? Easily broken as I recall.  Oh, you might want to tell your mice cooks, the scones needed more fruit.”

C Copyright  February, 2017 by Deborah J Lindsey

The Violin

Miss Alice Decides

Style prompt:

Write a romantic comedy in the style of Lewis Carroll. Give us 100-500 words.

Miss Alice Decides

 By Deborah J Lindsey

Who’s it to be Miss Alice?

Him or me?

Tweedle Deedle Dum

or me-

Tweedle Deedle Dee?”

Alice stared betwixt them

And then she stared between

Could these poor fellows be serious?

Surely it was but a dream?

Four eyes peered at her

These Tweedle Deedle Twins

She could scarcely tell which was who

Or what was wisp or whim.

Marry us Sweet Alice!

Please won’t you tell?

We could dine quite fine

on oysters,

spread half upon the shell.

Take us both or only one

Please choose, for we most know

For track or train or rain in Spain

Do not Deedle Dwaddle so.

Dear Sirs, I do beg your pardon,

I do not mean to be so cocky,

I will marry neither Dee nor Dum

For I love the Jaberwocky.

C Copyright February, 2017 by Deborh J Lindsey

My Sister's Wolf

My Sister's Wolf

By Deborah J Lindsey

My Sister and I are 8 years apart. I am the oldest and she is the youngest with 3 brothers in between.
Back in those far-off days of wood burning stoves, cow milking and butter churning, we shared a bed. I admit to being a cruel sister. This memory popped up the other day from somewhere in the dark recesses of my mind.

I invented this imaginary wolf. He was big as a house and his fur was black as night and he had horrible iron teeth that could make a quick work of anything or anyone. The best part about this beast was that he was totally devoted to me. All I h ad to do was call and he would be at my side in an instant ready to do my bidding.

I was cruel. I admit it. I threatened my poor Sis with this beast and she became my slave. She wouldn’t tell for fear I would set this monster on other members of the family. I had an easy time for a while but then one day, my resourceful Sis conjured up a wolf of her own.

Her wolf was far more superior than mine-bigger, stronger and meaner. Hers was a better fighter too and could tear my wolf in pieces in one second.

My pathetic, cowardly wolf shrank back in the dark place from which he had come. I don’t know what happened to Sis’ wolf but I suspect he is still out there somewhere lurking just waiting for her to call him. love you Sis.

C Copyright February, 2017 by Deborah J Lindsey

written in response to a writing prompt about brothers and sisters.

The Singing Rabbit

The Singing Rabbit

By Deborah J Lindsey

It was singing rabbit!  An opera singing rabbit!  I’m not a true fan of opera – but it was a singing rabbit!  Of course, I wanted one, or two if possible.  I became aware of this commercial many years ago, and discovered it again just last night.  The memories engulfed me. There she was!  Still singing opera.  How incredible is the shelf life of things on U-Tubed! 

I was young and more foolish in those far-off days. I had wild visions of never having to worry about money.  I’d be rich, living on Easy Street, rolling in the proverbial dough as it were.  No one I knew or ever heard of had a singing rabbit.  The demand would be huge!  People would pay any amount to see and hear her sing. 

So. After investing all my living in this candy company who apparently owned this marvelous singer and renting many opera halls and countless orchestras to play accompaniment to this diva when she was mine, I was sorely disappointed.

I hardily searched. I even went to the super bowl where I heard many famous commercials were aired.  I met a fellow there from Oregon, as I recall.  He listened intently to my sad tale as he leaned on his push broom.  I noticed his eyes seemed to glaze over and he began to tell me about a singing frog. Well, I’m not partial to frogs so I only half-listened.  He did make me an offer of a lifetime, he said, as part owner of this frog. He said he had him in his truck.  Well. I wasn’t born yesterday and certainty not in a turnip patch.  I doubt if he had a frog or a truck either for that matter. I made my exit quickly.

Finally, an investigator I hired found the fellow who had owned my dream.  He said the singer was lost one dark and stormy night.  The man claimed the rabbit bit him and escaped into the darkness and was never seen again. I thanked the investigator and paid him his remaining fee.  He bowed and stuffed the cash into his shabby pocket.  Half-way down the walk, he turned and sauntered back to me. Since, I was such a lovely client he said, he would let in on some property that had just come on the market. He said it was in a swamp but could be easily drained if need be.

 I smiled and shook my head and excused myself having many rabbits to attend to.  I explained that I had acquired about a dozen white rabbits thinking perhaps one of them on the off chance might be my “Star”.  I had named them all “Star” of course. but I soon became confused so I was forced to add numbers to the name.  

 “Star Number 9” seemed to have great potential as she thumped loudly when I played Aida and Carmen but “Number 9” turned out to be a boy so   I halted his training.

Even though, I never got rich with a singing rabbit, I did become famous.  Well, in a small way.  I became known as “The Rabbit Lady of Greenwood.”  I discovered that I loved rabbits and successfully rescued many sad “Easter Bunnies” that foolish impulsive parents had purchased for naughty children.

I still dream of my Diva Dream Rabbit.  Perhaps, she is still out there somewhere.  Her commercial debut is. J

Here is her commercial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eA5Imj2GBss