Love of Writing discussion
Monthly Short Story Contest
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April Fools! Short Story Contest
Wow, the snowstorm through me for a loop. interesting choice of items to be included in the story.
My husband's birthday is April 7th and, living in Canada, we always see a snowstorm on his birthday. Although he's no fool (he married me, after all!), his birthday and the current flurries outside our windows were the inspirations behind the prompts from this month's story. *grin* Go nuts, folks and I can't wait to read your stories!
JAKE’S RED CAR - By Mirta OlivaJake was counting the days till April 1st. Not that he wanted to play jokes on anyone... He would turn eighteen on that day, and he had his eyes on a red car - if only his parents would get the hint. He had placed pictures of different red car choices all over the house to no avail: his parents had paid no attention and he was too shy to ask directly. For him, any little cute car would do – it just had to be red.
Only three days left and not a comment about the obvious messages. Could it be his parents were too absorbed in their personal lives that they did not care?
Meanwhile, Bradley and Norma had been to a friend’s dealership to order that special car - the one that would fulfill their son’s wishes. Phil, their salesman friend, promised to oblige - in time for Jake’s birthday.
Despite the young man’s good grades, his school pals thought he was a fool - only because of his nerdish looks and internet savviness. But he would prove them wrong! For weeks, he had been entering various new-vehicle contests, hoping for a miracle that would spare his parents from such expense. This process took a lot of his time since he had been avidly searching for the “Congratulations, you are the lucky winner...” email. He could even see himself on the front page of the local newspaper cutting the ribbon around his brand new red vehicle.
“Norma, I just heard from Gregg. He just informed me that his Aurora dealership had received a brand new red car from an out of town competitor. If it is what Jake wanted, and the price is right, we may have the car ready in time for his birthday.”
“Fabulous, Bradley, what a great surprise this will be for our son!”
A few minutes later, the couple left for the dealership. Phil, the salesman, took them to the car and both Bradley and Norma fell in love with the small red vehicle. Gregg, who had been involved in the negotiations since day one, saw an opportunity for a good deed that would add some publicity for the new car shop. So this is what he offered:
“The car will stay at the dealership until April 1st. At our agreed-upon time, a TV newscaster friend of mine, and a Herald reporter will be here to interview Jake and bring this whole event to the media. From prior experience, they usually offer to share the cost of the car. I would also take care of the refreshments, balloons and all other items that will make this a memorable birthday party for Jake and an important event for us. You only need to bring a big birthday cake – really big – since I will invite some of our friendly customers.”
“That is a fantastic idea!” Blurted out Norma.
“How could we refuse such offer,” commented Bradley. “Even if you can only achieve part of what you are proposing, this will help us out in making this the best birthday ever for our son.”
“I will confirm my proposal as soon as I have been able to coordinate everything. And do not worry, I am good at negotiating deals,” said Gregg as he waved goodbye to the happy couple.
Jake, ignorant of what was going on, was at home looking for that special email that would bring him all the happiness in the world. If he did win the car, he could prove to his fellow students that he was not such a fool after all. Suddenly, his eyes opened wide as he read two emails announcing that he had been the winner of the red car contest. One, shown as SPAM, was quickly dismissed; the other promised delivery by 6 p.m. on April 1st.
“Yes, yes, yes!” Shouted a very happy Jake. “I knew it... Thank God, it happened this way.
After the initial commotion, the young man removed all the pictures before his parents got home. This way they would think that he did not want the car anymore. Looking out the window, he noticed that the previously announced snow storm was dropping big snowflakes – already piling up everywhere. As beautiful as the snow was, with only two more days to go till his birthday, he hoped the soft white carpet would melt before then.
The first day of April had arrived with no snow left in sight, and Norma had already ordered a huge cake to be delivered to Phil. Gregg had confirmed that the vehicle would be a gift and that his dealership would provide all party items. Bradley had told his son to be ready for a big breakfast around eleven (since the party was planned for noon). That was a good timing inasmuch as Jake had plans of his own.
“Dad, mom, I’ll be glad to join you. Oh... I had invited two friends to visit with me by 6 p.m. Could we be home by then?”
“Of course, honey, quickly answered Norma. This is your special day and you can have anything you want.”
“Phew!” Jake’s sign of relief was hardly audible.
Instead of going to the eatery, Bradley drove to the dealership. It was full of people, including his son’s school friends. Jake was genuinely surprised at the festive event and, more importantly, a shiny red car with a ribbon wrapped around it. The cameras were busy recording the event as Jake was reading a birthday card.
“HAPPY APRIL FOOL’S DAY, JAKE! Though we had sent you a prank email, we did not ignore your wishes... Love you, Mom and Dad.
“PS. You can thank Gregg - the dealership owner – plus the media for your beautiful present.”
But Jake was hiding a surprise of his own. He had received official, verified confirmation that the car he won would be delivered by 6 p.m. A few of his pals would be present for the big announcement.
Hi everyone,-Mirta, this is a very good story and would make for a good family TV situation comedy, or at least in previous eras such would be the case.
-Stephanie, I live on the other side of the pond and according to the forecast, your hubby will have snow for his birthday. Personally, ready for temps to remain in the lower double digits on the Celsius scale for the next five months!
David R
Thank you David R. - Yes, at least one TV episode... thirty years ago. LOL
Interesting challenge Stephanie. I look forward to this one. I am determined to dedicate more time to writing again. I have really been dropping off the last couple of months.
Lynnette, I feel you. I have been striving to get back to writing more myself. realized I hadn't done much in months. and winter was supposed to be my quiet months.
Good story and a great start for this month.
Thanks Bijsmom. Now we need to see stories numbers 2, 3, 4, etc.
Surprise!!! by Todd Folstad (985 words)A light snow had begun to fall early on the morning of the 15th, but that was nothing to worry about yet thought JET. Hell, the middle of April in Minnesota doesn’t mean that winter has finished yet, we’ve had storms into June before and measureable amounts in May. Only a great fool or a weather forecaster would presume to know Mother Nature’s intentions, and JET was neither.
Jedediah Edward Thomas was about as fast in real life as his acronym was in a closed book. Too short, too round and with large, heavy feet, he often joked that you could clock his 100 meter sprint time on a calendar. He was coming up on his twenty-seventh birthday in a week and was hoping for some warm temperatures, green grass and a hint of sun, nothing too hot, maybe the mid 70’s. That’d be just fine.
He’d thought long and hard about what he’d like for this his 27th year, but had not been able to decide between some cool new woodworking tools, a 3D printer or a decent bottle of scotch. He was certain that none of his friends would come up with the printer, but the tools or the scotch would be most welcome. He finally made his big choice, closed his eyes and cast out a wish upon the air and waited.
Big Earl walked up to the house at Five Gables Drive and knocked particularly loudly on the door to unit 1A. So loudly in fact, that it startled JET, causing him to drop a welcoming banner he was attempting to hang for the party. He opened the door and was greeted by a one-armed bear hug around his neck and hastily applied several noogies. Big Earl had one of those senses of humor that only Big Earl got. He was a bit of a bully at times, but hadn’t caused any major trauma for JET thus far in life.
“One, two, three, four . . . twenty-seven, and one to grow on Speedy”, intoned Big Earl, already well into a case of Coors Light. “Thought I’d get here early and help you start the party right. Got any snacks?”
“In the kitchen Earl, but don’t touch the cake, my Mom stopped by and dropped it off about an hour ago and it needs to thaw a bit.”
“Frozen cake? What kind is it JET?”
“Mom still thinks I like Ice Cream cakes from the DQ and I just don’t have the heart to tell her that I’m lactose intolerant.”
“Cool with me, I’ll eat your share, and save ya the gas!”
Great thought JET, that’s one problem off my plate. Now onto problem number two, Jessica. She was a statuesque redhead of Finnish lineage whom JET had fallen in love with the first time he saw her. Always a very nice lady and flirtatiously friendly almost to a fault, he was ill at ease being around her sometimes. She’d be here soon and he needed to get his emotions in check.
There was another knock at the door and Big Earl rushed to see who was there. It was a special delivery for JET with no return address or notice, just an oddly shaped and clumsily wrapped package to be signed for. Earl called for JET to come to the door and he complied, signed for the oddly shaped item and thanked the delivery man.
“Whad’ya think it is” Earl questioned?
“Not a clue, man. Hell, I don’t even know who it’s from.”
“Open it dude!”
“I should wait for the party, but since I don’t know who it’s from, what the heck.”
JET slowly started to unwrap the oddity when it made a rattling sound, almost like broken glass.
“It might be broken already, but I’ll find out soon enough.”
He continued to tear away the paper and underneath the clumsy wrapping was a geodesic globe on a base of marble. The panes in the globe were cloudy so he couldn’t see inside. JET shook the globe, gently at first, then more vigorously until he noticed it starting to clear from the inside.
The globe contained what appeared to be a mountainous landscape and something akin to snow which actually caused the globe to chill when shaken. He didn’t notice it at first, but the more he shook the globe, the more it snowed outside.
Big Earl noticed the increase in the snow and decided to go get some more snacks at the store, just in case they got snowed in, and left, leaving JET alone to wait for the other guests to arrive.
Mere moments seemed to pass and there was a light, sensitive knock and in walked Jessica. Draped in a light blue dress and matching heels, she was a vision and almost took JET’s breath away.
“Happy Birthday Jed!”
Jessica was the only person other than his Mom who could get away with calling him by his Christian name. She walked up and planted a big kiss on his left cheek and he blushed hard. She giggled at the reaction and let him off the hook by breaking the ice.
“Anyone else here yet?”
“Yeah, Big Earl was here and went out for more snacks, and Mom dropped off an Ice Cream cake earlier.”
“You still haven’t told her about your problem with milk products? Oh honey, you need to let her know, but I’ll keep it our secret.”
They looked outside to see if anyone else was approaching and could not believe the speed and accumulation of the snow.
Big Earl called and told them he was stuck at the store as there was already over two feet on the ground and the plows weren’t out yet.
“Looks like it might be just us for this one Jess.”
JET thought to himself, looks like I finally got at least one wish in this life.
Still 7 days to get your stories posted! We've had two good ones from Todd and Mirta so far - looking forward to the others!
I must admit I am kinda struggling with this one. You honestly stumped me this time Stephanie. I haven't given up hope that something will still spring forth.
Right, Lynette. But ALL guidelines (big challenges), in one way or the other, pose the question in our minds, "What were they thinking...?" LOL. What I do when a plot does not come to mind, is to write the guidelines in a piece of paper and begin writing various possibilities. I can then come up with something that I can change as I go. And then we can have a good laugh. We won! Remember the plum and the plumb? Emails were flying all over the place but, in the end, we all had fun with it, and the job got done! Go for it!
The Society - 989 wordsThe ash rained down on Ivy, Myrtle and Olive like big gray flakes of snow. The three typically gabby friends found themselves tongue-tied as they watched the flames devour the old Helmsley place, the sounds of sirens screaming in the distance.
A little tickle of laughter escaped Ivy’s lips. “I hardly see what there is to laugh about,” Myrtle said.
Ivy clapped her hands to her mouth to squelch the chuckle trying to escape.
“It’s just her nerves, Myrtle. You know how she gets when she’s nervous.” Olive put her arm around Ivy’s shoulder, offering comfort to her friend.
“She’s an old fool,” Myrtle replied, her eyes watering either from the smoke or regret as flames soared into the sky. “We’re all old fools. Why else would we be here?”
Olive absent-mindedly brushed the ash from her green gardening smock. She always wore it when she represented the Secret Society of Gardeners in public. She even had her name embroidered above the club’s logo. Olive wasn’t her real name. Her real name was Marge, but all the ladies selected the name of a plant for themselves when they were accepted into the Society. It was such fun and made her feel a little dangerous.
Of course, up until now, the most dangerous endeavor the Society had ever undertaken was hanging a planter of petunias in front of old man Griffin’s hardware store on Main Street. The oaf was simply not a fan of beauty. “I suppose that’s why he married Hortence,” Olive had once remarked, then felt ashamed for being unchristian-like.
The ladies were all good, law-abiding citizens. The only trouble they had ever caused was demanding residents clean up their yards and streets. The Society took the beauty of Mapleville very seriously, and had stepped on more than a few toes over the decades to ensure it stayed the envy of neighboring communities.
The ladies had a way of getting people to comply with their wishes. For instance, if a resident wanted a building permit, he had better have been on the right side of the Society or they might find himself fighting City Hall for years to come. If someone wanted to do business in town, the ladies were often the ones who could open doors or ensure they stayed locked forever. Consequently, over the years, everyone had learned it was easier to comply with the Society’s politely worded extortion, which masqueraded as a request. Everyone, that is, except Silas Helmsley.
He was a mean, miserly man who had inherited the magnificent landmark home in the historic section of town from this father. From the beginning, Helmsley refused to do so much as mow the grass. Soon, the house and grounds fell into terrible disrepair. He even let his mother’s prize-winning roses die.
The City tried to force him to make repairs, but he wouldn’t do it, stating he’d burn the place to the ground first. Even the Society ladies threatened and cajoled him to no avail. It was the one thorn in Rosemary’s spotless record as President, and she never forgave herself for not having resolved the ‘Helmsley problem’, as she referred to it.
The ladies often listened to her lament about her failure and they’d coo the appropriate assurances that she had done everything possible. Rosemary gripped her walker in frustration until the skin stretched taunt across her bulging knuckles. She didn’t want platitudes; she wanted solutions. The only member of the Society who understood this was Myrtle.
Rosemary’s 80th birthday was approaching, and the Society ladies were fussing about what to do to honor the occasion. “It’s obvious,” said Myrtle, though it was anything but obvious to the others. “The only thing she wants for her birthday is to resolve the issue with Silas once and for all.”
The ladies started to protest, but Myrtle stopped them saying, “It’s really quite simple: We’ll force his hand.”
“Myrtle dear, isn’t that what we’ve been trying to do for years?” asked Viola?
“Yes, but this time we file an injunction - an injunction for termination of a public nuisance.”
There were gasps of disbelief. What about Helmsley’s threat?
“Oh, he’s all bluster. He’s not going to destroy that house. It’s his monument to self-pity. He’ll be forced to clean up the place, and Rosemary will get her birthday wish.”
The ladies all talked at once as they discussed the particulars, and in the end, they agreed with Myrtle’s plan.
The day the judge announced the papers were to be served, Myrtle, Olive and Ivy decided they should take pictures to commemorate the occasion for the scrapbook they were assembling for Rosemary’s birthday.
They stood across the street as the sheriff’s deputy knocked at the door, and watched until he drove away in his cruiser. “There, that’s all there is to it.” Myrtle smiled with satisfaction.
The friends were climbing into Olive’s sedan when Ivy spied a wisp of smoke as she peered through her viewfinder to capture one last photo.
“Look!” she pointed above the house’s roof.
“Is that smoke?” Olive couldn’t believe her eyes.
The three friends stood rooted to their spots as the house quickly became engulfed. Firefighters arrived, but their hoses were impotnent against of the fury of the flames.
Later that afternoon, the Society ladies sat in stunned silence. The old house was nothing but soggy ash and rubble. The grandest home in Mapleville was gone, and they blamed themselves. They were so lost in their own guilt they didn’t notice Rosemary seemed oddly content.
Within in a few short months after the fire, the Society had purchased the lot where the house had stood from Silas Helmsley’s heir, a second cousin from LA. The grounds were being restored to their former glory – complete with a rose garden. The park would be Rosemary’s crowning achievement as President of the Secret Society of Gardeners. It seems she got her birthday present after all.
FooledBy: Randall Lemon
(992 words)
Most people politely referred to Burt as “slow.” He was big and clumsy and seldom thought about the consequences of actions before he performed them.
Burt’s sister, Cassandra, loved him but even she often became so frustrated with him she called him a “fool.” She always felt guilty after that and tried to do something especially nice to make up for it. Her apologies often included baked goods and Burt was very fond of her cookies.
Burt may not have been tremendously smart, but that didn’t mean he was incapable of being manipulative. Whenever he got a hankering for something sweet, he would do something that Cassie would find foolish and he made sure to do it where she could see it.
Yesterday had been Burt’s fourteenth birthday and when it came time to blow out the candles Burt had wished he didn’t have to go to school the next day. When he woke in the morning, hungry as a bear, he came downstairs to the kitchen. He peered at the clock and was startled to see that it was 8:00 AM. Normally by now he should have been sitting outside waiting for the school bus. He walked to the window and pulled the drapes aside. All he could see was an uninterrupted blanket of white. Evidently it had started snowing last night and it was still coming down in windy swirls of large white flakes. The storm was so heavy that Burt couldn’t even see to the street. He practically danced in joy.
“No school, today,” he squealed.”
Burt’s tummy rumbled. He walked over to the kitchen counter and opened the cookie jar only to find it empty. Someone had eaten the last of the delicious treats; probably him. He tried to stick his big paw into the jar to get at the last crumbs at the bottom, but there was no way he could fit his massive hand through the neck of the jar. So he lifted the crockery above his head and turned it over pouring the crumbs into his open mouth.
Though he had eaten every last bit, his hunger was still unsatisfied. He thought about sneaking some money out of his piggy bank and getting on his bike to ride to the store and buy some cookies but then he remembered the snowstorm. He was trapped, trapped in an entirely “cookieless” house.
It wasn’t fair! How could he be expected to go a whole day without sweets? He wanted cookies. No, he needed cookies. No, he MUST have cookies or he would die!
There was only one solution to his desperate situation. Burt left the kitchen and went looking for Cassie. He found her curled up reading a book on the window seat in the family room.
“Guess they must have called off school today, huh, Cassie?”
His sister didn’t even look up from her book. “Yep, they announced it early this morning before Mom left for work. She put me in charge. If you’re hungry, there is some wheat flakes cereal in the cupboard and milk in the fridge.”
“I hate wheat flakes.”
She ignored her bothersome brother and kept reading.
Burt stared at the cover of the book.
“The Grapes of Wrath!” That’s a school book. Why the heck are you reading that? We don’t have to do school stuff today because of the storm.”
Cassie lifted her eyes for the first time and stared daggers at the annoying pest confronting her.
“I’m reading it because I like to read. Go have breakfast.”
Burt decided to put his plan into action. He went up to his room and got into his winter weather clothing and boots. Then he tromped back downstairs. He walked right up to Cassie, the unhooked buckles on his boots jangling noisily.
“Cassie, I’m going to get on my bike and go to the store and get some good cereal, do you want me to pick up anything for you while I’m there?”
Cassie couldn’t quite believe her eyes.
“Are you crazy? You can’t ride your bike in that storm. You won’t get any traction and you’ll slide off the road or get stuck in a drift. Riding your bike on a day like today would be a fool kind of thing to do. You’re staying home.”
Having resolved the issue to her satisfaction, Cassie went back to reading.
Shortly, she heard an odd sound just above the howling of the winter storm. At first, she couldn’t quite figure out what it was. Then it came to her all at once. It was the garage door opener. She put the book down and headed to the door that connected the house to the garage.
When she stepped into the garage, she noticed immediately that Burt’s bike was missing. She ran to the garage door and stared out into the storm. Less than fifteen feet away, Burt lay on his side with his bike on top of him. Cassie was furious, but she was frightened, too. She ran down the driveway to where her brother lay.
Burt waved his hand feebly in her direction.
“I’m okay. Just help get the bike off me so I can get back up and pedal to the store.”
“I told you that you are not going. You’ll kill your fool self trying to ride in this storm. Are you sure you’re not hurt?”
“I’m a little stiff and scraped up but I’ll be okay. I’ve just GOT to get to the store and get something I like to eat.”
“No way! I’ll tell you what. If you forget this foolish idea of riding your bike and come inside, I’ll make you some cookies. Okay?”
Burt climbed to his feet, brushed the snow off and wheeled his bike back into the garage while Cassie went into the kitchen to gather ingredients for cookie making. He tried to stifle the big smile that appeared on his face.
“Mission accomplished.”
Thank you, Mirta. You are so right. I don't do the guideline thing, but I do the brainstorm thing. Not working out so well for me this time. But, I am still on it.
You are welcome, Lynette. Just start something and you'll see. I often change the plot along the way - beginning, middle and/or end of the story. Even with my oil paintings, I have had sheep or other animals travel all over the canvas until I found the right place for them. They always welcomed new pastures. LOL.
Rebecca and Randall, nice additions to the stories! Excellent submissions this month so far. Sorry that you're having trouble, Lynette - but you still have 5 days to post a story, so there's still plenty of time for your wonderful creativity to defeat those prompts I put in place. ☺
Thank you Stephanie. I'm with you, the submissions are excellent this month.Randall, my favorite phrase so far is your "windy swirls."
Thanks, Rebecca. I always try to put myself in the head of the character and say what I think he or she would.
Ok, looks like I may just pull this one off. In a spark of inspiration the story finally fell into place late this evening. By the light of the full moon I pounded out a 1045 word story. It is 1:25 am so the brain needs to power down for a few hours before I tackle the editing.
Never underestimate a writer facing a deadline! Whoo hoo.
Kudos Lynette for not giving up. In your heart you knew you could do it!
hum, i have a story, but will i have time to get it written..... That is the question.
Shae, if you have a story in your mind, you are three quarters ahead of the game. Write it up; then shuffle paragraphs; then have a cup of Joe or tea. With clear mind, begin editing. Then, publish before the deadline.
Yes, Lynette, this is a writer's life... without the nitty gritty. (No one would believe us) LOL
The Best Worst Birthday Ever [Word count 983]“Why is this happening to me? I hate Minnesota!” Karla cursed as she pounded her fist on the windowsill.
“Now Karla, it will be alright. If it doesn’t let up we will move the party inside,” her mother tried to console her short tempered 16 yr old.
“No, mom! It is not alright! Why the hell is it snowing on June 15th?” The teen’s long brown pony tail nearly smacked her mother’s face as she stormed past. “I hate this place! I want to move back to Kansas where it didn’t freaking snow in June.”
“No, we just had two tornadoes in five years,” Amanda pointed out to the empty room. She sighed, “I wish you could understand I had no choice.”
Amanda had grown up in Thief River Falls Minnesota, had her first date with Brian when they were 14, and was married 18 years ago in the same little church as her parents.
Two months after Karla was born Brian was offered a job on a dude ranch outside of Luka Kansas. Three years ago Brian was killed trying to save ten horses trapped in a barn as an F4 tornado tore through the ranch. His sacrifice saved eight of them before the barn collapsed around him.
After 2 ½ years Amanda moved back to Thief River Falls to be near family. Karla, the oldest, was high spirited like her mother. Twelve year old Danny was more level headed like his father. Nine year Mindy was an odd mixture of both of her parents. She was stubborn like her father, but could be hot headed like her mother. Karla was the only one who shared her mother’s brown hair and green eyes. The other two had the traditional Swedish blue eyes and blonde hair.
Danny meandered into the living room as his older sister stormed out. “Sheesh, what’s birthday girl’s problem?”
Amanda pointed to the window. “That,” she remarked.
He looked toward the window as he simultaneously took a bite of his third ham and cheese hot pocket. “Cool, snow in June,” he mused between bites.
“No, not cool, Danny. Karla has decided that this freak snow storm is an act of God intended to ruin her 16th birthday party.”
Danny shrugged. “We still have two hours before everyone shows up. We just change the scavenger hunt to a snow ball fight. We cancel the dance under the stars, and the picnic is changed to smores cooked in fire place. Problem solved.”
Amanda sighed, “She doesn‘t see it that way.”
****
Karla retreated to her room in tears. Plopping herself on the bed she decided strike a deal with any divine entity who might be listening. “Please, please hear my birthday wish. Please make the snow stop before everyone gets here. Don‘t ruin this for me and I will go to church every Sunday.” she pleaded.
While Karla waited in vain for a miracle, her mother and brother started moving the plans inside. They were soon joined by a small army of friends and relatives, determined to make the best of a bad situation.
Before long the dining room, living room, and mud room were dressed in pastel streamers, balloons, and hanging party favors. The large happy birthday banner was moved from the porch outside to the large mirror hanging behind the antique ten chair dining room table. The noise downstairs finally lured Karla out of her room. She froze half way down the staircase. Amanda spread her arms wide to present their handy work.
“Well, what do you think?”
“I, I, don’t know what to think.” Karla stammered, feeling really guilty for how she reacted earlier.
She slowly descended the steps as her grandmother emerged from the kitchen with a beautiful, hand made, two layered cake. The pastel colored flowers glistened off the pure white frosting. Even the light blue “Happy 16th Birthday, Karla” seemed to glow. Karla reached the table as her grandmother placed it in the center.
The astonished teen wiped away the tears that were starting to trickle down her cheek. “Grandma, that is the most beautiful cake I have ever seen.”
*****
Karla never got her birthday wish but that did not stop the party. The scavenger hunt had the twelve teens racing all over the house screaming and laughing. No one seemed to care that the hamburgers were cooked on a skillet in the kitchen and not on the outside grill. The marshmallows were roasted in the fireplace instead of over the fire pit, but just as many were eaten.
Kevin, the senior quarter back, even found a way to steal a kiss from the birthday girl. Did she care that it was in the hallway by the bathroom instead of under the stars? Not for a minute.
The house was finally quiet when Karla walked into the kitchen where her mother and grandparents were cleaning up. She hugged her mom. “Thank you for making this the best birthday ever. I behaved like such a fool earlier and I am so sorry, ” she apologized and stepped back.
“You are forgiven, baby, and your welcome. Happy Birthday.”
Amanda winked at her mother-in-law as she pulled an envelope from her pocket. “Your grandparents and I have one last gift for you.”
Karla took the envelope from her. “What is this?”
“It goes to the gift your grandpa snuck into the garage during the party. Go look.”
Karla rushed to the garage, pulled open the door, and screamed. Parked beside her mother’s car was a midnight blue Toyota Corolla. She tore open the envelope and dumped the key into her hand.
“For me?” she squealed
“Yes, it is,” her mother confirmed. “But, you will have to get your license first.”
Karla hugged her mother again, her grandmother and lastly her grandfather. “Thank you all. This has been the best worst birthday ever.”
Whew, made it! Now I get to do the fun part, read all your stories.
Bravo, Lynette!~~~~~
One more day to post your story! Go ahead...
Obviously, you work well under pressure, Lynette. Nice job!!
Great addition to the stories, Lynette! With my birthday in February, snowstorms for my party happened to me on my birthday all the time, but I never got a car out of the deal. *wink*
The deadline is midnight (EST) tonight, so there's still time to post your stories!
The Planned Surprise With the Unplanned Storm by F. BurwickThe day was coming quickly, Denise could feel it and the time slipping by. Still, she had managed early enough to contact Frank, Sammy's buddy from the war, which was something she knew Sammy really wanted. She had made preparations for the Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn theme she knew Sammy was wishing for, to celebrate his birthday. And she prepared, with her friend living next door, Tina, still further, while time remained for it, all while keeping Sammy oblivious to it. And then she heard about the great frigid snowstorm that was now expected, the night before, it would hit their area on Sammy's birthday.
It was too late to cancel Frank's trip to see Sammy, and Denise hoped for his early arrival, as she suggested to him he would be welcome to make, and that way make it before the storm. Some of the invited friends who lived close would possibly still come. But this would be a real inconvenience, and basically it would mean wherever any were located when the storm hit would have them confined there for shelter, which would be adequate if they had heat for it.
Denise knew the heating oil was not adequate for their home right then, so in the morning, after saying happy birthday to Sammy with serving a breakfast in bed, she hurried to make last minute purchases, including plenty of heating oil. Sammy was also leaving, though he was only going to have a brief day away, and also return still early in the day.
She returned, and she found Frank had already arrived. She had met him many times, with Sammy her husband, more so in past years when they were much younger. He had waited, and she welcomed him and showed him to the room where he could stay, as she updated him about the great frigid snowstorm that was approaching just then. Frank helped Denise and Tina put up the last decorations for the theme, and Denise took the oil to the tank.
Soon, a half-dozen friends from nearby came over. Denise warned them that the storm would hit very quickly, and told them they didn't have to stay for Sammy, and it would be understandable if any of them went to get home before the storm cut them off. One did leave just a little after some small talk, and leaving the gift that was brought, the one that lived rather farther than the rest. As the rest then remained to surprise Sammy, Denise then calculated that she just had enough spare blankets for those who had come that were there just then. They still would wait to surprise Sammy, who they were thinking would get there before the storm.
Just then there was a knock on the door. All then were quiet, but Denise knew that Sammy wouldn't be knocking. She went over there to open the door. As she did, she saw it was another neighbor, Jessica, who was a little younger than her or Tina.
"Denise, I am out of heating oil. Can you let me have any from what you have?"
"Jessica," Denise answered, "That was foolish. I have the oil already in the tank, and you should have gone out to buy some for yourself already."
"Oh great! Now I need to hurry out to go get the oil!" Both Jessica and Denise knew it was a big trip there. Sammy would certainly be home much sooner now than Jessica if she went.
Denise had great misgivings for deciding to say it, but she told Jessica, "Don't go to do that, you'll probably never make it ahead of the storm. You had better stay here." She looked around, with thoughts for how to make place for Jessica, and then said, "You had better go get blankets from your home to bring here, where we'll find a place for you, but I won't have blankets to still spare."
"Alright!" said Jessica, and she hurried out to get what she needed from her place.
It was just shortly after she was gone that was noise of someone at the door, and Denise signaled to those there that Sammy was coming in.
"Surprise!" they called out. But rather than looking much surprised, Sammy announced that he had just hurried home and was only a little ahead of that dangerous storm, which was now visible not far away. He was very relieved to have made it home, but even he was realizing that those who were there would need to stay, throughout the time the storm would be there. He then went over to warmly welcome Frank, who though a very close friend he had not been expecting. Some of the friends went to the window that was facing where the oncoming storm was showing. "It is almost here! Denise, you should lower the window covering!" said one.
"Oh, God help us! That front isn't even a block away! Look at that! It's like a wall, with thick falling snow, and everything frosted in its area. And Jessica is still out there, and was supposed to get back here already!"
It was indeed rapidly approaching, and they could no longer wait. The outer window covering was lowered over it, and Denise started up the heating. And the sounds of the storm were heard as she waited right by the front door. She hoped against the probable, and petitioned God. And just then, there was the knock. She hurriedly opened the door, and saw the frightening sight of Jessica standing with the blankets she brought wrapped over her, and the wall of the great frigid snowstorm just a few feet behind her, and moving up, with its great falling chunks of ice and snow. Denise rapidly pulled her in, and slammed the door shut. Jessica had barely been saved.
Those who had come for Sammy's party, with poor Jessica who was just there where the temperature was rapidly dropping, all gathered closer to where the heating tank was, and they engaged in celebrating Sammy's birthday as well as they still could, with the meal Debbie and Tina had prepared, and the snacks, and the stories they could tell with themes of river travels, simple living, and the outdoors.
One last story posted in the nick of time. Good!Now is the time for 750-iers to begin reading the stories for the final vote.
Great last edition, Fred! Six stories this month - not bad! I've put together a list of them to refresh everyone's memories:
1. Jake's Red Car by Mirta Oliva
2. Surprise!!! by Todd Folstad
3. The Society by Rebecca
4. Fooled by Randall Lemon
5. The Best worst Birthday Ever by Lynette
6. The Planned Surprise With the Unplanned Storm by F. Burwick
HOW TO VOTE: Please send me your votes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place either through a private message here on Goodreads or by emailing me at furyanhound@gmail.com. Voting is open until April 30th and I will announce the winners on May 1st in this thread.
Stephanie. I have just emailed my votes to you. I did have a question and a comment included in the vote.
I'm sorry I've been completely out of touch this month. I hope to be back in May!
Hello everyone! Happy May! The moment you have all been waiting for is upon us - time to announce April's winners!Before I do, I'd like to congratulate those of you who submitted a story despite this month's unusual prompts!
Okay, that was weird - I wrote a long post announcing the winners and it looks like Goodreads only posted the first paragraph and a half...?Let's try this again, shall we?
In first place, we have "The Society ", by Rebecca.
The tie for second place goes to "Fooled", by Randall and "The Best Worst Birthday Ever", by Lynette.
And last, but not least, third place goes to "Jake's Red Car", by Mirta.
Congratulations to the winners, certainly. But if you ask me, congratulations goes to all of you - you all handled my prompts this month with ingenuity and creativity and I was impressed by what each of you came up with! Well done!
Congrats to Rebecca, first place, and to Lynette and Randall for their second place tie.Thanks to those who voted for my story's third place.
Congrats to Rebecca who won first place and to Lynette and Randall, who shared second place. My story achieved third place... thanks to those who voted.
Congrats Rebecca! It was an excellent story. Randall, we have tied again. And once again, it is an honor to be considered your equal. Congrats to you, Mirta, for a great story. I have been thinking about something that amazes me time and time again. I make it my utmost rule with this group that I NEVER read the stories until mine is posted. I feel it avoids any influence. Yet, when I finally read the stories I always come across echoes of my own.
Every person who is, and has been, in this group for the last four years has their own style of writing and own interpretations of the challenge. Yet for those brief moments we are of one mind. Anyway, maybe it is just me but I find that amazing. Off to finish the next story for the Halloween anthology.
Congratulations everyone. Excellent stories!
Thanks, Lynette. Like you, I do not read any stories unless I have posted mine and mine are usually the first or second to appear; however, I go a little further in trying not to read them till the end so that I can have the stories fresh in my mind. I believe the reason why you may find minute similarities here and there, among the various stories, be it the plot or segments, has to do with all of us adhering to the same guidelines, plus to a max word count. This system works for me and, based on so many group followers, it must appeal to others as well.
Rebecca, I chuckled when I saw the names Myrtle and Olive in your story. For a while I had wanted to use a pseudonym so as not to be "so public," something similar to my name like Myrtle Oliver; however, all my paintings and my first two books bear my full name, plus I did not want to lose my entire identity. I opted for M. Oliva (to hide the gender) and now I must cross reference both my full and short name in Amazon - when I find the time. LOL
Thank you for the votes. I'm honored. Congrats to Randall, Lynette and Mirta. Great stories!!You made me smile, Mirta.
So, in June, the garden clubs in the town were we live are having a tour of gardens. Ours is on the list. This story was inspired by the HUGE amount of work it is taking to get ready for this lovely honor.
Rebecca, I hope we will see FB pictures of your garden and events. Mr. L will be there, camera in hand, for sure. Congrats!
I apologize for the delayed posting of April's contest. Here it is!
Your stories must include:
- A fool
- A birthday wish gone awry
- A snowstorm
Stories will be due by April 25th. Voting will begin on April 26th to April 30th. Winners announced May 1st.
Same rules as always:
- 750 to 1,000 words.
- No profanity
- All genres accepted except erotica.