Writing Prompt 16

[Tommie Lyn]

In this week's prompt, a man finds an object which transports him to another time and place. Who is the man, what is the object, where is the place and when is the time?

Bonus cyberpoints for using these words:

barette
corn
Yorkie
sieve
river

(Yuck! Why do I do these things to myself??)

[melw]

The Pocket Watch
501 words

Jack walked over to the window, on the sill sat a watch. It was an old fashioned pocket watch; he noticed detailed markings on it. He turned it over and pressed the button to click it open.

A flash of light and a whirring sound and Jack was pushed to the ground. He pushed himself of the ground; he saw a river next to him. It was clear and so tempting to take a swim, but first he had to find out where he was.

He walked up the hill and could see a village in the distance. There were fields of corn, barley and some other crops. He was hungry so decided to just grab himself an ear of corn. Normal people wouldn’t begrudge him that.

He walked down the hill. He wondered through the fields and picked an ear of corn. He has just started to husk it when he heard some barking. He knew it wasn’t a big dog, but he just knew any dog could bite.

He heard movement ahead of him and saw a little Yorkshire terrier come right up to him. He jumped when he heard a sweet Irish voice say “Honey where are you?”

A young woman with red hair pushed back with a barrette come through the cornstalks. She saw Jack and just stared. She saw the corn in his hand and put her hand on her hips. “And Mister what do you thing you a-doing? Stealing our corn?”

“Miss, I only took one ear; I haven’t eaten for a while.” Jack held out his hand. “Jack Bower and you are?”

“Mary McDougall, come on I can cook you something more substantial. My father would expect it.”

Jack smiled, something warm would be nice, also the wind has whipped up some clouds you could smell the rain. He followed Mary and saw her hips swaying the way women’s hips always seemed to sway. He mentally shook himself. He didn’t know where he was or when he was.

He already knew it wasn’t 2008 he hadn’t seen a single car and the cottage he was coming to wouldn’t be called much more than a hovel. He wondered if it rained did it leak like a sieve?

He put his hand in his pocket and felt the watch. Did he want to stay here? Should he see if he could go back into his own life? His own life wasn’t really much to go back to. A dead-end job with no friends. A family that disowned him.

“Mr Bower, come on in and I will cook you up a meal. My Da will be wanting his too.”

Jack entered the low door and looked into the dim cottage. He saw a man watching him from the other side of the room. This man had sharp eyes and suddenly Jack knew he was seeing the man he ws meant to meet.

“Mr Bower,” the man said, “I have been expecting you. Do you have my watch?”

[kshsj777]

Witness
469 words

Kevin stood in his backyard staring calmly as a rip in space formed before his very own eyes. He had known that one day this moment would come, and stretched out his hand toward the anomaly.

The next thing he knew, he appeared in the middle of a street. A car headed straight toward him and he just barely managed to roll out of the way as the driver slammed on the brakes.

As Ken got up, he heard the car door slam and a pretty brunette woman wearing a fifties hairstyle and dress rushed to him with a concerned look her face. “Are you all right? I'm so sorry; I didn't see you.”

“It's my fault. I'm sorry.” He took a look at his surroundings; a pale green '57 Chevy was parked right next to him, and several buildings sported signs that his father grew up seeing. He knew right away that this was 1958.

“I ought to take you to the doctor and make sure you're all right.”

He noticed she regarded his modern clothing with a strange look. “All right,” he agreed and climbed into the passenger's side.

“I'm Mary Lou,” she introduced herself, as she pulled back out into the road. “What's yours?”

“Kevin.”

“Kevin... that's a nice name. So you where are you from?”

“Not too far from here.”

“I see.” They drove about half a mile to the clinic in silence.

The doctor checked him out and gave him a clean bill of health.

“Do you need place to stay?” Mary Lou asked he came out of the doctor's office.

Kevin nodded.

“Well, I run a boarding house here. You're welcome to stay the night if you like.”

“I'd like that, thank you.”

The next morning, Kevin came downstairs and enjoyed a homemade breakfast prepared by Mary Lou. Afterwards, he asked to use the telephone.

She indicated to the rotary dial phone and he dialed the number of the place where he knew his father used to live.

“I know what you've done,” Kevin announced, as soon as he was greeted by his father's young voice. “And you will pay. Justice will be done.” Then he hung up without waiting for an answer. He turned to notice Mary Lou staring at him, but he just gave her a nod. “Thank you, ma'am.”

Then Kevin walked out into the street, down to where the sheriff's office was. “The murder weapon you're looking for is in the garage, in a hidden compartment built five feet from the door to the house, three feet from the ground.” With that, Kevin turned to leave.

“Wait!” the sheriff protested. “How do you know all this?”

“Because the killer told me.” He left the building, turned the corner and stepped into the rift carrying him home to the present.

[Tommie Lyn]

Good job, Mel and kshsj777. I like both your stories.

[melw]

whoa, got me going and wondering what is happening? There are places that if we had more words need expanding. Sorry i am not meant to critque.:confused::(

MEL

[Tommie Lyn]

Unscarred
Word Count: 500


George stared at the barrette for a moment. It looked like one Amy had worn so long ago. Could it be . . . was it . . . Amy's? His hand hovered over it, as if he could somehow feel her essence emanating from it. It couldn't be. And yet. . .

He turned it over, rubbed a thumb over it. The air crackled and sizzled. A blinding flash made his breath catch in his throat. His vision returned with splotches and blobs of reversed color obscuring his view for a moment. He squeezed his eyes shut, opened them. But didn't see what he expected.

Where was his car, which had been sitting at the curb just a moment ago? Where was his house? His breath became panic-stricken, rapid and shallow. What could have happened? He gulped, swallowed. The early morning sunlight which had bathed him in an early-day glare had become golden and slanted from the western sky.

Okay. Somebody, something, is goofing with me.

He shut his eyes, rubbed them, blinked them open. To the same odd scene. It was the street where he'd lived as a child. As though it he'd been tumbled through time to a day from his childhood.

He shut his eyes, shook his head, opened them again. And heard a yapping dog. He turned toward it.

No! This can't be!

“Corn Tassel? Is that you?” The Yorkie who'd been his pet when he was 9 years old came barreling down the street at top speed to him, as he'd always done when George came home from school each day. George squatted and lifted the squirming bundle of black and tan.

“You know me, don't you, Cornie?” He closed his eyes and reveled in the heart-felt greeting, all warm and wet and loving. “But . . . how?”

He opened his eyes looked down the street where his boyhood home had once stood before the fire. And saw it there, as it used to be.

A river of tears poured down his cheeks and he choked back a sob. He looked at his hands, then, at his arms, where scars had puckered the skin, and saw only a smooth surface. He hadn't been burned! Somehow, he'd been transported to the past, to a time before he'd lost everything important to him.

As he watched, his grandfather's car stopped in front of the house, and his cousin Amy jumped out.

This is the day of the fire! Maybe . . . maybe I can stop it!

He ran toward his home, Cornie tucked under his arm. And when he reached Amy, he snatched her purse. The purse containing the book of matches Amy had stolen from her father's smoking stand. The matches he and Amy had played with and started the fire.

And as he ran, he rubbed Amy's barette again. The air crackled and sizzled, but he kept running, ran through time as though it were a sieve. He stumbled, bumped into his car. He was back in his own time and place.

Unscarred.

[kshsj777]

Wow! *******

[Laina]

Ken Yeshua Bah
Word Count - 500

Chink, chink. Susie’s coins hit the jar. Almost overflowing, Susie fumbled for coin wrappers. She overturned the jar onto the carpet.

Susie plunked to the floor. “What’s this?” She flipped the silver coin over. It’s not Canadian they’re lighter. Not American. "Hmm."

Susie scooted and reached for her reading glasses. Date, 2020. The coin’s inscription: Olam (Eternity), Yerushalayim (Jerusalem), Ken Yeshua Bah (Yes Yeshua come). Corn stalks grew along a river on one side. On the other, sat a sieve beneath grapes, an olive branch and a Menorah sat in the middle.

Susie cocked her head and her barrette fell from her hair. Kasha, her Yorkie puppy grabbed it with her teeth and bobbed out of the room.

Susie noticed a golden gate embossed next to the river. She rose to go show Mike. Mike's thumb touched the golden gate.

A flash of light blinded them while wind sucked at their breath. They landed within the Temple in Jerusalem.

Two men prophesied, two olive trees and candlesticks behind them. “Repent, for the kingdom of God has come.”

Clothed in sackcloth, barefoot, but clean they ate, drank and slept within the temple. Fire from their mouth devoured a man that tried to stab them.

Cries from the people complained of the bloody waters, the lack of rain and the plague of boils they suffered from.

“Susie, these men are the two witnesses in the book of Revelation. The Lord’s coming very soon.”

“What are we doing here, Mike? How can we get out of here?”

“Shush, there are soldiers coming, c’mon.” Mike pointed to an olive tree a couple yards away. Let’s hide behind it.” He grabbed Susie’s arm.

The soldiers approached, but fire no longer spewed from the prophet’s mouths.

“Uh, oh.”

“What, Mike, what?”

“They’re going to die Susie. Their three and a half years are over. They will lie there for three and a half days. The people are going to party. They’ll eat and drink and give gifts. These are holy men of God and they prophesy repentance and new birth, but the people don’t want to hear it.”

“Mike, we need to get out of here.”

“Susie, remember all the scriptures that tell us not to fear. God is an ever-present help in time of trouble. He’s our refuge and strength.”

“Yes, Mike, you’re right. I’m just so scared.”

Mike shifted to get a better view. “After the three days, Susie, they will come back to life and the people will be afraid. Then God takes them up to heaven.”

Mike rubbed the coin.

Bright light. The wind blew again. Mike and Susie found themselves kneeling on the bedroom floor. Shocked, they stared at one another. They bowed their heads in worship and prayer.

Mike felt for Susie’s hand. “Lord, we know the time is short, that you will be returning very soon. Please forgive us for wasting our time on fleshly pleasures – put us on the road that leads to righteousness and ever-lasting life. Amen.”

[jacks girl]

I was tempted to read others first but I wanted to write mine before i did that. I absolutely positively love this one. I'm saving it!!! I see some mistakes i'm soo tired I'll fix them later.



Duel Mcall was riding his bay at the edge of a corn field. He was so used to being chased that he seldom rode without feeling the need to look over his shoulder. He'd ridden all night but wanted to cross the river before resting.

The sun was starting to rise and the river had a misty look about it. Squinting he wasn't sure what he was seeing. A fog like wall was ahead of him. No matter, he'd be careful in crossing. As the horses hoofs touched the water it began to sieves. He wanted to hurry the horse but the bay had a mind of his own and went at his own pace.

"What’s going on?" He spoke but grew quite as he heard something. A yapping sound, was it a wolf pup. The mist was beginning to clear and he felt strange. Everything looked different than it had from the other side of the river.

the bay went his own stride walking now at a steady pace for the shore. The water no longer was parted and he swallowed hard as he looked at the young woman who was waiting on the shore. She was beautiful and her hair was pulled back with gold barrettes. A small dog sat at her feet. He could see her face she was smiling and she looked up as the bay came to stand before her.

"I knew you would come home." She said with a smile but Duel quickly knew she was speaking to the Bay. He dismounted feeling strange in this place. She wasn't dressed like any woman he'd ever seen, and he too must have looked strange to her for she looked at him taking him in from head to toe.

"Hush Yorkie." she said to the small barking fur ball and then she looked up at Duel. "Hello. You look like you've came from a great distance."

"I think I have."

"Well as long as you stay on this side of the river, you'll be okay."

"I'm not getting back in that water."

"I don't blame you. My bay went into that river a year ago today. I see he brought you home.”

"Home? Where is Home?"

"Texas, Red River Texas."

"Well I'm in the right place but I'm not sure if I'm dreaming or what."

"What? Is more like it.” She said with whisper.

"Do I dare ask what year it is?”

"What year do you want it to be?"

"1854?"

"Sorry. It's 2004." She said taking his hand.

”Am I lost.”

“You’re not lost. You’re right were you’re supposed to be.”

Duel smiled and tipped his head down and stole a kiss. He leaned back, her eyes were twinkling. If he didn’t know better he’d think she’d sent the bay to find him. His brow slowly rose, as he remembered waking up one day to find the bay standing over him as if he was waiting.

Waiting to take him home.

[Tommie Lyn]

Cool, Laina and Jacks! Y'all both did a good job. I like your stories.

[Laina]

Great job Mel and KS. I know I always say this, but I just love the prompts. I love all the different angles that come forth from each one of us............so different and yet sometimes quite similar. Jacks I'm surprised that you weren't first. LOL I'll read the rest later.

[jacks girl]

I been busy LOL. i did get the next one first i think. I love going back in time stories. All of them are very good and also very different. I only wish more people would join in on the fun.

talk soon
jacks
OH yea Duel Mcall was the Character from the movie Desperado I fell in love with him when i was 16 or so. I've used him several times and love his name. Anyone see the movie. There was several of them.

[Laina]

Sorry I'm so late on commenting. I really enjoyed your story Tommie. You too Jacks. I've been busy lately. I might have to pass on doing the next prompt too. Sorry!