Charlene loved Mysteries, but nothing mysterious ever happened.
She walked past men robbing banks, and sighed.
Her eyes glazed over yet another discarded jewelry pile by a guttered body.
Sorting through inheritance letters from unknown relatives, she decided -maybe- to consider Romances.
©2021 Chelsea Owens
There you go, Deb. (For her 42 Words prompt, Mystery.)
The air lay still and putrid, festering beneath a boiling sky.
No one breathed.
No one was left to breathe.
Who, then, would ever determine if the break-in was illegal;
or, if the existence of a biological warfare facility was?
No one.
©2021 Chel Owens
In response to Deb’s 42 Words #6: Crime.
Stuie made one good decision: Sadje.
Smoking, drinking, and sneaking into radioactive facilities were not good decisions.
Worst was writing Sadje out of the will.
“All’s fair in love and…” He died.
Sadje tore the will; took the trailer. She loved it.
©2021 Chel Owens
I blame Deb, and her 42 Words prompt for this week: WAR.
It wasn’t much, the new addition; just a bit of pipe and connector and some clever diverting on Jim’s part. Where he’d learnt that, she’d never know.
Still, when The End of Times came, Deb counted that bidet as a true asset.
©2020 Chelsea Owens
In answer to Deb’s 42-word prompt, apocalyptic.
She had little to go on:
sparkly jacket by the wall,
black loafers here
and there,
a single
white
glove.
“Well, Annie,” a voice cooed, “Are ya okay? Are ya okay, Annie?”
She ran, certain she’d been hit by a smooth criminal.
©2020 Chel Owens
Written in response to Deb’s 42 Words prompt: Thriller and Suspense. Sorry, Deb. 🙂
The calloused feet came first; followed by child-bearing hips, a muffin top, an ample bosom, and a graying haircut.
“Mom??”
“Charlie??”
Neither could say who was more surprised to see the other, nor who had better reason to run away from home.
©2020 Chel Owens
In response to Deb’s 42-word story prompt, which was my pick?
It’s time to sharpen your wits, gather up your lock picking tools and put your head down for this week’s theme is …
ESCAPE.
What are you escaping from? Where, when, how? This is all for you to decide, the only requirement is that you fit it all in the 42 word limit.
Carl liked people. That wasn’t his problem.
Carl liked puppies. That wasn’t his problem, either.
Carl liked kittens, too. That also wasn’t his problem.
Carl liked people, puppies, and kittens -best of all- when they were cadavers. Yes, that was Carl’s problem.
Written for Deb’s 42-word prompt, inspired by Charlescot: Zombie.
©2020 Chel Owens
“That’s just it, isn’t it?”
“What?”
Douglas stares at the round rocks, hands behind back and face in concentration. His eyes flit from one to the next, counting.
“What’s ‘it,’ Douglas?”
Nothing moves, yet Douglas looks up. “These balls.”
“Yes?”
“They’re odd.”
Photo by Steve Johnson on Pexels.com
©2020 Chelsea Owens
I blame Debbie, and her 42 Word Story Challenge, keyword oddball.
From September 28, 2017, a quick post that still makes me giggle:
Sometimes, I finally convince myself to tackle those chores.
That’s when a large, imposing matron of mood swings leans across, slaps me back down, and says:
We don’t need no motivation.
Hey! Leave those clothes alone!
©2020 Chelsea Owens
Her life ran a predictable path of mostly mundane events: drive there, deliver this, return to home, clean up messes, drive, retrieve, drive.
Every day ran round to the next. Every day ran much the same.
At nearly midlife, she had an epiphany: maybe everyone’s life is mostly mundane.
She shrugged, and continued loading groceries into her car.
~~~~~~
He knew the aliens were gonna get him soon. They’d left signs of their intent everywhere.
“Aha!” he said, pointing to broken bathroom tiles.
“There!” The side of his trailer bore a suspicious gash.
“Struck again!” he told his fellow truckers. Part of his load had spoiled; “Dern aliens” interfered with the refrigeration.
“I knew it!” he finally exclaimed, holding his pink slip. Reasons for dismissal? Damages to a rest stop restroom, damages to company property, and damages to merchandise.
“I’ll get you yet,” he mumbled, startling a passerby.
©2020 Chelsea Owens
