Okay a new one -600 words this time
write a disaster story, but something good out of it
Words to use
Impossible
Amazing
Service
Location
daddy.
MEL
jamespwillis
02-09-2009, 08:01 PM
Well, this is my first try at a prompt, so please overlook the fact that I went over by about 800 words.
Something happens to a man when his whole world walks out on him. Something inside changes, shifting his focus from the real world to the world that once was.
Jack stared at the stewardess as though she had two heads. This was not going to be easy.
“Sir, may I see your boarding pass please?” she asked for the second time. Her impatience was showing.
“I’m sorry,” Jack said, shaking his head to clear the fog. “I’m afraid I’m a little preoccupied.”
“That’s okay sir,” she said in a tired voice. “You may go ahead and board now.”
On the plane, Jack tried to focus long enough to find his seat. It was a window seat, and fortunately, it appeared no one was in the aisle seat so far. He hoped it would remain that way.
He stowed is one bag in the bin above his seat, and settled in for the ride. It would be at least three hours before he reached Atlanta. Perhaps now, he could find the time to contemplate the future.
##################
Sandi’s hands were still shaking as she pulled her car onto the freeway. Traffic was moving smoothly, and she hoped she could be in Seattle by the end of the day. Carmen was in the back seat, engrossed in the movie on her DVD player. Sandi hoped the movie would keep her daughter from noticing the tears she couldn’t stop.
A tanker truck passed them, causing Carmen to look up from her movie. Looking at her mom in the rearview mirror, she saw the tears.
“Why are you crying, Mommy?” she asked as she pulled her headphones off.
Sandi quickly wiped her face. “There was a sad song on the radio,” she lied. “Don’t worry about it honey.”
It was easier to convince a four year-old than it was to convince herself. Sandi had tried so hard for so long to get Jack to spend some time with her and Carmen, but it hadn’t worked. She had prayed for months that God would help her to reach Jack, but her prayers had gone unanswered.
This trip was the last straw. Jack never even realized he would be gone for Carmen’s fifth birthday.
Lord, she had prayed, I’ve prayed for him to change. If he goes, I will take that as a sign that this marriage is over. If he goes, I will too.
##################
It was just after eight a.m. when Jack stepped out of the shower and toweled off. He shaved in a hurry, and threw on his traveling clothes. His best suit lay neatly pressed in the bag on his bed, and his luggage waited by the front door. He had just 5 minutes to get his things together, say good-by to his wife and daughter, and head to the airport.
With his suit bag over his shoulder, Jack grabbed his cell phone and dropped it into his shirt pocket. He never could get used to having it on his belt. As he stepped out of the bedroom, he was surprised to find Sandi and Carmen standing by the front door, luggage in hand.
“Hey, what’s up? You guys decide to come with me?”
“No Jack, we’re going to Seattle,”
“Seattle? What’s in Seattle?”
“Our new life” Sandi said. “I can’t take this anymore Jack. You can’t be married to me and your job.”
With that, she walked out, leaving Jack stunned and alone.
##################
Jack fastened his seatbelt a full ten minutes before the signs came on. He wanted to settle in and let his mind go without being interrupted by the little things. A girl who looked to be about twenty had taken the seat beside him, but she was too interested in her Ipod to make conversation, which was fine with him.
Jack closed his eyes and tried to ignore his surroundings. Of all the days for this to happen, Sandi had chosen the worst one possible. She knew he had to make the meeting in Atlanta, or his business would be ruined. She could have at least given him another couple of days before she deserted him.
His wife had been harping on him for months about traveling so much. He couldn’t seem to make her understand how important it was for the family that he make these trips. She had been especially upset about this trip for some reason. He tried to tell her that it was necessary, but she had just clammed up and wouldn’t talk to him.
He thought about Carmen. His daughter was the brightest part of his life; how dare she take Carmen away from him? A four-year-old just wouldn’t understand…
Jack groaned as he realized his daughter would be five tomorrow. No wonder Sandi was so upset with him. If she had only reminded him, he could have postponed the trip.
Could he postpone the trip? Jack though about it. Yes, he could have; if he had only been honest about it. He simply hadn’t wanted to. What an idiot he had been.
##################
The plane began to whine as the engine speed increased to provide thrust. Picking up speed, the 757’s nose began to lift off the ground. Soon the landing gear left the concrete, and began to fold into their stowed positions.
The noise from the engines changed suddenly. The starboard engine died altogether, and the port engine strained to provide the extra thrust needed to keep the plane flying. Ten seconds later, it too went silent.
##################
Sandi tried to focus on the road ahead, but her mind was elsewhere. She was taking a huge chance, moving to a city so far away. She had enough money to keep her going for a while, but she would have to find a job soon. It had been just over five years since she had left the job market.
The song on the radio had once been their song; it was the one the band was playing when he proposed. Hearing it brought on new tears.
Suddenly she realized the song had stopped mid way through, and a news report was on. She reached to change the station, but stopped when she heard the announcer say the words, “…flight, bound for Atlanta.”
Her heart started pounding and she turned the volume up. The announcer was saying that the plane was in burning, and no one expected to find survivors. Looking into her rearview mirror, she saw a black plume of smoke rising on the horizon near the airport.
Oh Lord, what have I done? I’m such an idiot. Please forgive me, and please let Jack be okay.
##################
The drive to the airport was a wild one. Ignoring the “Reserved Parking” sign, she slammed the car into park and ran with Carmen toward the terminal. She had to know for sure.
Scanning the crowd, Sandi spotted an airport employee.
“How may I be of service to you ma’am?” the man said.
“My husband was on that flight, where do I go?”
The look on the man’s face was telling. Fear gripped Sandi even tighter as she followed the man’s directions. She arrived at the location he gave her in time to hear the airport spokesman say the words “I’m sorry, but there were no survivors”.
Like nearly everyone in the room, Sandi broke down in tears. God, please let Jack come back to me. I can’t lose him now. I’m so sorry I left him Lord. If you’ll just let him come back, I’ll stay with him forever.
Slowly, Sandi began to walk away from the crowded room. She had heard all she needed to know. Nothing they had to say now really mattered. All around her, people were living their lives, taking care of business. She felt invisible and more alone than she’d ever been.
Carmen was tugging on her hand. “Mommy, mommy,” the girl called insistently, trying desperately to get her mom’s attention. Sandi suddenly realized she was going to have to explain to her little girl that her daddy was dead.
“Mommy, can I go sit with Daddy?” she said.
Sandi struggled to speak. “Honey, I’m sorry, but Daddy’s gone.”
“No he’s not, Mommy. He’s over there,” Carmen said, pointing.
Sandi glanced in the direction Carmen was pointing. A man was sitting across the terminal, his head in his hands. Impossibly, it was Jack.
##################
Jack looked up just as Sandi spotted him. He stood and slowly walked over to where they were standing.
“I didn’t expect to see you again,” Jack said.
“I didn’t think I would ever see you again, Why weren’t you on the plane?”
“I got off when I remembered tomorrow was Carmen’s birthday. I’m sorry honey.”
“I’m sorry I left you Jack,” Sandi said as she hugged him and wept.
Jack wrapped his arms around her. “I’m glad you left, Sandi. If you hadn’t, I would have been on that plane.”
Bethical
02-10-2009, 02:08 PM
This is my first response to a prompt. It certainly was a challenge to keep it to 600 words, but it is exactly 600 words. :)
Bob surveyed the damage. The hurricane had leveled trees, blown bits and pieces of other people’s homes around, and left pools of water within foundations that marked where buildings had once stood. He turned to gaze at the one home that was still standing – the home where he and Marilyn had huddled in a closet, praying.
“You were lucky.” He turned to the speaker, an elderly man leaning on a cane. “Everything else is gone. Except your house. Amazing.”
“Do you live in this area?” Bob had never seen this man before. He pushed his wire-rimmed glasses back up his nose, where they framed eyes the color of the Caribbean Ocean on a calm day. The light breeze ruffled his thinning brown hair.
“Just down the road apiece.” The man pointed, and Bob looked in that direction and saw only devastation.
“Not much left of the town. The electric station is totally gone. Won’t have service for at least a week, according to the sheriff.” The stranger looked back at Bob’s house. “A miracle.”
Bob smiled. “More of a miracle than you know.” He opened his front door. “Why don’t you come in and rest a while?”
The men entered the dark home. A candle on the kitchen counter gave a feeble light. A baby cried.
“You stayed here? With kids?” The visitor sounded almost angry. “Impossible!”
“Well, the baby wasn’t here when we decided to stay. He was born while the eye was over us.”
The man nodded. “That’s why they recommend that women in the last trimester go to hospitals during hurricanes. The change in pressure sometimes brings on labor. Is everything OK?”
“We think so. I was just on my way to find a doctor or paramedic or something.”
The man smiled and pulled an object from his pocket. “Here. Use this. It’s a walkie-talkie. You can get the sheriff’s office on this.”
Bob gazed at the radio for a moment before taking it gratefully. He spoke into it and gave the dispatcher his name and location and told her that his wife had had a baby during the storm.
“We’ll send a unit out there right away,” she assured him.
The two men went to the couch, where a young woman sat holding the baby to her breast. The child was wrapped in a blanket, and the woman’s face glowed with motherly love.
“Hi, Daddy,” she said to Bob.
“Hi, Mommy.” He bent to kiss her. “How’s the wee one?”
“He seems fine, but I hope someone comes soon. I want to be sure everything’s right.”
“Well, someone is on the way, thanks to our new friend here.”
She smiled sweetly at the visitor. “Oh, thank you so much! Are you hungry or thirsty?”
“I need nothing from you,” he said gently. “I just want to assure you that God is looking after you.”
“Oh, we were sure of that. We prayed the whole time. The louder the wind blew, the louder we prayed.”
He winked. “God hears a whisper in a hurricane. He heard the birth-cries of this precious little one, and He protected him. Have you named him yet?”
“No, we haven’t thought of anything appropriate.”
They heard the sound of a siren coming closer. “That’ll be the paramedics,” said the old man.
“By the way,” said Bob, “what’s your name?”
“Gabriel.”
“Thank you, Gabriel. I really do believe God sent you to us.”
Gabriel smiled, a warm, tender, understanding smile. “Oh, He certainly did.” He seemed to glow, and then he disappeared.
Bob turned to his wife. “We’ll name him Gabriel – God’s Messenger.”
Binbi
02-19-2009, 01:38 PM
Sorry this took so long! lol It took me awhile to think of what to write. It's a little longer than 600 but hopefully it'll be worth it.
Life is boring, John decided as he sat in his boring yellow cab stuck in the middle of a boring, New York traffic jam. He rested his elbow on the cab’s window and propped his head up on his fist as the drivers around him blew their horns and cursed at each other, as if that would make the light turn green any faster. How had he ended up here, stuck in a low-paying job with no social life and two goldfish for roommates? It wasn’t as if he didn’t have an education. He had gone to college. And majored in Jell-o shots. At least, he wasn’t responsible for his boring name. It wasn’t his fault he was born to such unimaginative parents. He sighed, tapped his horn, and waved at a red-faced driver waving his middle finger around like an American flag.
The back door of the cab popped open. John twisted in his seat to see a young woman jump in and slam the door shut.
“JFK, please, as fast you can,” she said breathlessly as she slumped down in the seat.
She kept her face turned towards the window as though she were looking for someone. From her profile, John could tell she was a knockout. Her light brown hair hung straight and long. Her porcelain skin and delicate facial features added to her vulnerable façade. She clutched a tattered canvas bag in her fine-boned hands. She was twisting the material around and her knuckles were turning white. Her head swiveled to meet John’s stare.
“Did you hear me? I said JFK.” Her tone was impatient, and John was embarrassed for being caught staring. He could feel his ears turning red.
“Lady, do you see the red light?” he mumbled, turning back to the windshield. “I can’t do the impossible.”
Suddenly there was an outbreak of loud pops. John heard glass breaking and people screaming. He recognized the sounds of gunshots. He slouched down and tried to see where the shots were coming from.
“Who’s shooting?” he asked.
The girl only screamed and covered her head as more shots rang out. John heard them ricochet off the cars around him. The passenger window of his cab shattered. He threw open his door and scrambled out onto the asphalt road.
The busy street has turned into a mob scene. The pedestrians were screaming and running around like chickens with their heads chopped off. If the situation hadn’t been so serious, John probably would have laughed until he cried. More bullets came flying from both sides of the street. John covered his head as more windows exploded, sending shards of glass down on him.
He pulled open the back door of the cab. The young woman stared up at him, her eyes filled with fear. He grabbed her wrist and pulled.
“Come on!” She scrambled out of the taxi. Suddenly her body jerked and she gave a loud cry. John hit the ground once again, pulling her down as well. The back of her shirt was beginning to turn red from the bullet wound in her back. John crawled under the cab and pulled the woman under with him.
John whipped out his cell phone and dialed 9-1-1. A woman with a perky voice answered, “9-1-1. What’s your emergency?”
“Someone is shooting! My passenger’s been shot!”
“Sir, calm down. What’s your location?”
John closed his eyes and tried to remember. “Fifth and Wall Street.”
“Emergency services are already on their way. Someone will be able to assist you soon.”
John clicked the phone off and listened. The screams had stopped and there were no more gunshots. He could hear footsteps crunching on the broken glass. One pair of feet stopped in front of his cab. A man crouched down and met John’s frightened gaze.
“It’s all right. They’ve stopped shooting,” the man said. With an amazing strength, the man lifted the front of the cab slightly. John cautiously crept out from under the car and gently pulled out the young woman. The wail of emergency vehicles reached his ears as they came roaring around the corner. He turned to the man who had helped him. The man was staring at the wounded young woman; his face ashen.
The girl’s eyes fluttered open and struggled to focus. “Daddy?” she whispered, frowning at the man. He knelt down next to her.
“Yes, sweetheart, I’m here.” Tears were tracing paths down the man’s weathered cheeks.
“Daddy, I’m so sorry,” the girl whispered again.
“It’s okay. I forgive you.” His daughter smiled and closed her eyes, breathing her last. The father gently cradled her head against his shoulder as his frame shook with sobs.
The paramedics hurried over with a stretcher and took the girl away. Her father stood shakily and turned to John.
“My daughter ran away from home four years ago. I’ve been looking for her ever since. Thank you what you did.” He shook John’s hand and walked away.
John was left standing in the middle of the glass-laden street, his own tears now falling. Sniffing, he pulled out his cell phone again. He had to call his parents and thank them for naming him John.