Wednesday, June 13, 2018


Life carried me away.

I didn't keep up with documenting each MasterClass as I got bored and let life carry me away.  Not with listening to Judy Blume's fascinating lectures about her writing process-- I just got bored with the whole thing. MasterClass is a great idea if you are someone who has the time to sift through everything.  After I completing all the lessons, I got an email that the "Hub" had new notifications so went back in and saw this challenge.  The challenge was to write a short story and there was a word limit for 500 if you were writing poetry and 250 for short stories and it wasn't just for Judy Blume's class it was for anyone taking a writing class. I decided to give it a try because there is something about limited story word challenges that I really like. There was a picture of an elder man and woman smiling at each other and the story was to be based around that picture.
Since I read the directions to quickly I thought that the story was 500 words.  Once I realized that it was 250 words, I made many cuts and changes  hoping not to lose the story-line.  I will post them both here.

Enjoy...
“Come this way,” she said, moving the group along.  “We think you will love the recreation room and we have activities that are truly inspirational.”  She motions to the group to come along.  “We think you will agree that living here is akin to being on vacation every day.”

He’s barely listening.  Instead, he is thinking that this is what it’s all come down to—senior living. He sighs and glances around the atrium then stepping away from the group, he walks into the sun room.  It was light and airy.  A woman sits facing the wall of windows and the wide expanse of grass beyond.  


He looks, then turns to looked again.   He wakes up the woman.  Her eyes are closed.  “Martha?” he said. She doesn’t respond.

“She’s probably sleeping.” He turns to see a tall thin woman standing behind him dressed in a light blue tunic. 
“She sleeps a lot lately,” she said.
“Is this Martha Holmes”, he said. 
“Why yes. It is,” she said.  “Martha has been with us for about 10 years now.  Lovely lady. Do you know her?”   
“I believe I do.”  He said, bending down.  “Martha,” he whispered.

The woman opens her eyes.
“Harry.  Harry-- you came.”
“And you still have the bluest eyes,” he said. The man took a deep breath and then smiled.

“I just knew you would come.  I’ve been sitting here waiting.  They said you weren’t coming.”

He feels a hand on his arm and a voice says, “I’m sorry.  My mother gets confused a lot lately. Mother, it’s me you were waiting for.  Remember?”
He turns to see a face that brings back a flood of memories.“It is all right,” he said, “She’s an old friend. You look just like your mother.” 

“I thought we would be late.” Martha said.  Then trying to stand, she turns to the tall thin woman in the blue tunic, “I hope you don’t mind.  I won’t be here for dinner.  We are going to the prom.  Aren’t we, Harry?

In one swoop, he reaches across the table, plucks a rose out of the vase and hands it to her.  
“Are we going now?”
“I believe we are,” he said. 
He reaches down helping her to stand.  She takes his hand, “I think they are playing our song,” she said.
“Why I think they are.” he said, the words catching in his throat. 
She reaches up, her fingertips lightly brushing across his cheek.  “I am so glad you came.  I knew you would.”

He folds his arms around her--the years crumble away as they sway to music only she can hear.  A tear spills from his eye as they waltz across the floor.
“We should go away together—tonight like we planned,” she said, looking up at him.  “Away –far away from here.”

“Tomorrow,” he whispers, “We’ll talk tomorrow.”
The two women stand by the wall of windows and watch as Martha lays her head upon his chest and they move together ever so slowly.  (500 wrds)

-------------

“Come this way,” she says, moving the group along. “We think you will love the recreation room and we have activities that are truly inspirational.” She motions as if to hurry the group. “We think you will agree that living here is akin to being on vacation every day.”

He’s barely listening. Instead, he’s thinking that this what it’s all come to—senior living. He sighs and glances around the atrium then stepping away from the group, he walks into the sun room. It was light and airy. A woman sat facing the wall of windows and the wide expanse of grass beyond. He looks, then turns to look again. Slowly, he walks up the woman. Her eyes are closed. “Martha?” he says. She doesn’t respond.

“She’s probably sleeping. She sleeps a lot lately.”
He turns to see a tall thin woman standing behind him.
“Martha has been with us for about 10 years now. Lovely lady. Do you know her?” the woman says.

“I believe I do,” then bending down, he whispers. “Martha.”
“Harry—is that really you?”
“And you still have the bluest eyes,” he says.

She reaches up, her fingertips lightly brushing across his cheek, she says. “Let’s go inside—they’re dancing already.”

He helps her stand up.
“I think they are playing our song,” she says.
“I think they are.” he says, the words catching in his throat. He folds his arms around her. A tear spills from his eye as they move together across the floor.  (250 wrds)


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Inside Creative Writing- 31 hours free to watch - find it on YouTube or here 
A video series on "YouTube" following the creative process of short story writing.   It records Pulitizer Prize winning author, Professor Robert Olen Butler of Florida State University, in real time writing a short story from inspiration to completion.  I found this encouraging because writing is difficult.  It can be talked about lectured about but to watch the process as it happens is inspiring.  It helped me immensely to become more comfortable with my own writing process. If you are filled with stories and characters and wonder where they come from then this series is for you.  



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