This story is a trio of five minute freewrites, written to three successive prompts. The idea is to start a timer set for five minutes, write for the first prompt for those five minutes, then move onto the second and third prompts. I am always completely surprised by the stories that come out - I give them no forethought at all. The power of free flowing imagination is astounding.
The prompts are in bold italics.
She looked at the pole in her hands. "I just found it," she said. ”I’ve been looking for it for hours, but it must have been right here the whole time. Should I be worried? OMG, DO I HAVE A BRAIN TUMOR?!!!”
Gracie had a really nice name, one that would make you think she took things in stride, gracefully, but in truth, she did anything but. Drama followed her like a submissive and beaten dog, always at her heels and often underfoot. Today’s drama was taking place in a bed and breakfast the two of us had wanted to get some sister-time-away in. I should say that Gracie wanted some sister time away. I knew that what would happen would not be good for me. It never was.
“You do not have a brain tumor. You are a space cadet, and always have been.”
“There you go again! Minimizing my feelings! I am offended! You never did like me! Only Mom liked me and now that she is dead, I get NO support in this family!”
I should have known better than to insult her. I take responsibility for what happened next.
"As expected," he said. "Lost all feeling. Numbed it. That's what it's done."
The man next to us in the doctor’s office had been talking non-stop about his upcoming hernia operation. He went for acupuncture for the pain it was causing, and the entire area had gone numb. I got the feeling he was the type to find himself in one doctor’s office after another. Just like this stupid sister of mine, ruining my getaway (during which I hoped to mostly ignore her) as usual. Every single moment of every day had to be about her. So of course, she had to one-up this guy.
“You think that’s bad? You should try being me for a day. My feet are so sore I can barely stand, and acupuncture did absolutely nothing for the pain. I’ve been miserable just standing for the past 60 years.”
“Bartholemew” called the receptionist. We all three stood up.
My sister moaned and groaned her way to standing, and Hernia Guy held his protruding hernia with both hands as he heaved himself to upright. He dropped his paperwork in the process and, while gingerly maneuvering himself into position to pick the disordered papers back up, he brushed up against my sister’s (tight) ass.
She screamed at him “You pervert!” then to everyone “He touched my derriere! CALL 911.”
I felt a seventy year old scream coming on along with a powerful urge to slap the living daylights out of my younger sister. Ever since I was two years old, she was the center of attention everywhere she went, by screeching and hissy-fitting all over the place. It was time I slapped her, and good. I hauled back my right arm to pop her one, swung, missed, spun around, and landed on Hernia Guy’s papers, now scattered all over the waiting room. Hernia Guy started to wail in falsetto “My papers my papers my papers!”
That 70 year old scream escaped my lips just as the cops walked in.
Hours later, I found that I preferred the quiet of the holding cell in the local small town jail to the company of my own sister. The good news is that I got a moment’s peace on my vacation after all. I almost wish @fionasfavourites, the BnB owner, had never come to bail me out.
This was my entry to @mariannewest's daily freewrite challenge on Hive, where I seem to have displeased the boy kings, so that my posts are suddenly and significantly lower-paying. I'm on my way out of that space, and am hoping to find support for my creative writing here on Blurt.
Thank you for reading my story!!! Much love to you all.
I forgot to wear my hat!
Oh this was fun! I was hauling my arm back with you 😆 I know the type, and no, sadly I would probably never give them the slap they deserve, but it would play out in my imagination 😁
Is this entirely fiction, or do you have this sister?
Thank you for reading and commenting! Those both seem to be hard to come by on Blurt on creative writing. I'm so glad you are here!
My story is entirely fiction, but holds elements of a relationship with one of my sisters. The protagonist is a mix of both of us. Neither of us has health issues.
Do you freewrite? It's been a while since I've written anything else, except for poetry. I love freewriting. These bizarre stories come gushing out with almost no effort, other than the effort it takes to clear my head and let the stories tell themselves, which is not as easy as it might seem.
A great read - thank you for sharing, in fact you've inspired me to let out my own fifty year scream - directed at some lifelong friends of mine. :)
And thank you for reading my little story!
Let it out. May you not end up in a slammer.
No problem - you're a great writer and all round good egg. On that note, Happy Easter. :D
The good thing about fiction is that you don't cap it. You can write out everything that is inside you. The feelings you show in your story are certainly familiar to all of us. A seventy-year-old scream, beautifully phrased. When I play cards with my man, I call him the crudest names because I get angry when I lose.
In the game I'm vindictive, ambitious, angry, but equally mild, shit-eating, serene, cheerful. Since it's just a game, our marriage doesn't break down because of it and my husband is grown up enough to know that we do something that lets us be free.
There are countless moments in real life encounters where a heartfelt remark is the equivalent of a slap in the face. And it's the missed moment that won't leave you alone.
Maybe one day I will try those free writes in connection with prompts, too. I usually free write without them.