Saturday Centus - A Childhood Memory

Oh glorious Saturday. My favorite day of the week. It's the day we get to play with words and join the fabulous Jenny Matlock at Off On My Tangent for Saturday Centus!
Won't you join our merry band of Centusians and write a story? I won't tell you it's easy, because it's not. But it is fun! And it may just be that kick in the pants you need to start writing. The premise is simple. Jenny provides us with a prompt. We then take that prompt and write a story of 100 words or less, exclusive of the prompt. The only rules are that the prompt must be left intact, no pictures, and no profanity. Simple, right? And to sweeten the pot, Jenny leaves the link live for a solid week, so you've got plenty of time to craft a story.

The other benefit to joining us is the amazingly diverse group of writers who participate. And this is the most supportive and fun gang of people you will ever meet. I have yet to see a single snarky comment. Other than those from Tom. But he's just cracking wise about us Southerners, not about the writing. I think the ghost of Flannery O'Connor needs to visit him and straighten that boy out, don't you? I try to visit every link, every week because the stories are so great.

This week's prompt is in bold, blue font. Enjoy!


Gazing out the window, Eva sighed. It was going to take all weekend to rake those leaves. She remembered her first glimpse of this old place, falling in love with the magnificent trees guarding the house like benevolent sentinels. Now those same trees were the bane of her existence.

Eight grueling hours later, she looked around. Heaps of fallen oak leaves lay scattered like ancient burial mounds.

The early November sunshine cast golden rays of light over her handiwork. Laying the rake aside, she smiled. She couldn't resist. Laughing, she took a flying leap, landing in the largest pile, casting hours of work to the autumn breeze.












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Saturday Centus - Danny Part 2

This is my second contribution to Saturday Centus this week, hosted by the lovely Jenny Matlock at Off on My Tangent. This started as a memorial to a very good friend, mixing some fact with some fiction. 100 words was not going to cut it, so this is part 2 of my story "Danny". The prompt is in bold blue font. Hopefully this story stands on it's own, but if not, read Part 1.


"... Storm of the Century. Let's look back at some images from that day..." Turning off the television, she didn't need pictures to remember. Waking to a wind so fierce it rocked the house. Ancient trees snapping like kindling in the early morning tempest. Looking out the kitchen window as Frankie's bike flew past, cartwheeling through the heavy air like a lunatic gymnast.

She warned Danny to stay home. Devil's Hollow was surely washed out. Even if it wasn't, no one could handle those hairpin turns in that storm.

For most, it was the 11th Anniversary of the storm. For her, it was the day Danny died.


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Saturday Centus - Danny Part 1

Time for Saturday Centus hosted by the lovely Jenny Matlock at Off On My Tangent. We are back to our regularly scheduled program, after last week's detour into brevity. You know the routine by now, right? Jenny provides a prompt, and we fashion a micro story of 100 words or less exclusive of the prompt. Last week, Jenny shook things up and allowed us only 50 words. 50 words! Guess she got tired of all the complaining - "100 words is not enough, I can't possibly write a story with only 100 words" whine, whine, blah, blah, blah. After last week, this is going to feel like writing an epic!

This story is fiction mixed with some fact, based on a dear friend from high school. I couldn't do it justice in 100 words, so this one's a two parter. And before Tom starts his Southern bashing, I will tell you that I never could stand "The Devil Went Down to Georgia". But now I do at least smile a bit when I hear it, because it reminds me of my friend... The prompt is in bold, blue font.


The morning broke clear and crisp, frost sparkling like fairy diamonds. Oh, the irony. Amazing how something as simple as the weather could change everything.

She closed her eyes, remembering Danny. A gentle giant, his laugh booming through a room like happy thunder. The way he danced whenever he heard "The Devil Went Down to Georgia". Good Lord, that boy could NOT dance, but his sheer joy infected everyone. His bear hugs, lifting her off her feet as he sang "Short People", grinning like a loon. She smiled, wiping tears from her face.

It was the 11th Anniversary of the day she lost her best friend.






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