6 Random Words Story-- Dec 12, 2021
By: Colleen Holmquist
“How cool was that?!” Ned exclaimed as he and Jess, both dressed in blue jeans, emerged from the beaver slide deep in Lewis and Clark Caverns. He felt something tickle his nose and saw a tine fluorescent yellow-green grasshopper fly past. He swatted at it then followed Jess further into the cave.
Suddenly the lights went out and they were enclosed in absolute and deafening darkness. Deafening darkness? No that wasn’t it—haunting was more like it. Images of newspaper articles reporting his and Jess’ ignominious deaths exploded all over in his brain like the propaganda bombs from WWII and Korea.
They really should have stayed with the group. But being adolescent males, they thought it would be a brilliant adventure to tag along with the last tour, then hang back and explore on their own.
It seemed like a good idea at the time. In fact, it was never a good idea.
The two boys sat down to wait out the longest, darkest, coldest night of their lives.
By: Carrie Keiser
Dressed in her favorite blue-jeans, Jeri headed out to her new job at the Haunted Ice Cavern. This is a new adventure restaurant and bar that is located in an ice cave, Jeri’s job was tour guide through the ice cavern before the guest sit down to their meal and drinks. At 23, Jeri was excited for this new chapter in her young life. She’d recently graduated college with a degree in interior design and had been the brains and talent behind the decor and idea of the haunted cavern walk. She couldn’t wait to see how the patrons found her creation. If this was a success, she hoped it would launch her career in design.
As the time approached for the first tour, she felt a tickle run up her spine and a cool breeze brush her cheek. A shiver of excitement or was this cavern actually haunted as the rumors suggested? Jeri gave herself a shake and a nervous laugh escaped her lips as the first diners walked up. In her ear she heard a faint whisper reminiscent of her grandfather’s words: “Be strong, young grasshopper. Take this leap and have faith you’ll fly!”
December 12, 2021
Story Slingers
Myrna Flynn
Six Disconnected Words Tell This Story
It starts in Indianapolis. Walter Williamson felt his life had ended. not physically, but grief stricken. His family was gone from him forever. Acar filled with drunken and high occupants slammed into the vehicle holding his wife and children. they died immediately, so he was denied the Opportunity to tell them he loved them and to say "goodbye".
He had to get away from all the haunted memories that disturbed his sleep every night. His feeling that if only he had been in the car, they would all be together now in the afterlife.
He sold his law practice that was slowly dying because he could not keep his mind on his clients and their needs. He sold his house (it was no longer a home) and all of his furnishings.
Always, when he had, a break, he would pack up the family and camping equipment, and head into the back country. They would spend the few days they had hiking, exploring and fishing.
He remembered one place where he saw what looked like the entrance to a cavern. He packed up his great and headed to the closest town, drove into a used car lot, took out all of his camping gear and supplies, then sold his Jeep Wrangler.
Luckily, he got there early in the day. He was sure that he could get to the cavern before dark. In case he didn't, he was prepared to sleep on the ground, which it turned out, he ended up doing.
The next morning, anxious to be on his way, he ate only some granola bars and drank a bottle of water. After walking for about 4 hours and about to think his memory was faulty, he saw the brush that he was sure hid the entrance. Careful not to reveal the access, he brought all of his paraphernalia inside.
He got everything arranged as best he could and decided to explore to see what the cavern had to offer. He selected his strongest flashlight and eased his was through a tight squeeze. The first thing he saw was a hot spring pool, just the right size for soaking in.
There was a small hole in the ceiling that let in fresh air and a little light. He was glad that of one of the things he had brought was a reclining water float. He decided to grab his swim trunks, a head lamp a book and relax. He was hot and tired from his long walk. This would cool him down.
When he was recuperated and dressed, he propped his sleeping bag and his pillow against the wall of the cave and made a list of items he needed make a home.
He set up his camp stove, camping table and chair. He placed his cooking and eating needs on the table. He realized that he was hungry, so he fixed his first meal in his new abode.
Tomorrow, he would look for wood with which he could build shelves and furniture. Also, he would look for edible plants and berries to add to the food he was able to to bring in his pack.
The days and weeks flew by. He had been so occupied with the many things he had done. He was marking off each day on the calendar, but not really paying attention to the date. Keeping so busy, his grief and loss had faded into his sub conscience. But now the unwelcome dreams and feelings were tickling his sleep again.
He knew he needed to hike back to town to resupply his larder. He picked up his empty backpack and headed down the mountain. He took only enough money to pay for his purchases.
There was a woman watching him and wondering who he was. She decided to follow him when he left. An experienced hiker and survivalist, she was able to track him unseen.
Again, that night had to be spent sleeping on the ground. "Where in the world was he going that it took a day and a half to get there?" she wondered.
This time it was as if he had a premonition that someone was following him. He got a head start, hid in some bushes to see if he was being stalked. Then this beautiful lady, dressed in blue jeans appeared. He found a way to get ahead of her. When he arrived outside his cavern, he hid behind a tree. Soon she came into sight.
He came out and confronted her. "Why are you following me?"
Caught off guard, she jumped in surprise and gasped, "I was just curious and wanted to find out who you are."
Walter suddenly realized that he was hungry for company and conversation. He told her, " I am a man who lives in solitude away from the noise and disillusion of the world. Now, tell me who you are."
After talking for awhile, observed only by a grasshopper, he determined that it was okay to let her into his special place.
He asked, "Do you have anything in you pack that would serve aa a swimming suit?"
"Maybe, why?" she replied.
He took her by the hand and showed her the hot spring.
I could go on about what happened from there, but let's just say, his sorrow and grief were healed. They married and lived happily ever after in the cool cavern in the wilderness.
Story Slingers Prompt
Story using the words:
grasshopper, cavern, bluejeans, haunted and cool
12/10/21
A SUMMER ON THE FARM
Daren Flynn
It was a warm, sunny summer morning with a slight westerly breeze. Young Cindy, a scintillating girl of eleven years of age was awakened by the crowing of a rooster in the nearby chicken pen. She opened her eyes, stretched, then rolled over onto her back contemplated the day ahead of her. What would she do today, she wondered. What exciting adventures were waiting for her? This would be the first day on her Grandparents farm. Her Mom and Dad had left her with her grandparents last night on their way to the airport. They, both of whom were doctors, were on their way to South Africa to serve a three month medical mission. Cindy was to spend the summer with her Grandma and Grandpa on their farm.
Being a city girl and having never been to the farm, Cindy thought it would be really cool and had been looking forward to the summer, and had imagined all sorts of adventures would be in store for her.
When the rooster crowed his second wake up call, Cindy jumped out of bed, pulled on her favorite bluejeans, selected her favorite T-shirt, slipped into her sneakers and started downstairs. That's when the aroma of frying bacon got her attention and she realized she was hungry.
Her Grandmother greeted her with a "Good morning, Dear, fill your plate and have a good country breakfast." She filled her plate with bacon, eggs, and hash browns and had a large glass of fresh raw milk. Then after polishing off the biggest breakfast she had ever eaten, Cindy asked her Grandmother if she could help with the dishes. She was told that she should just go on outside and do some exploring and get acquainted with the farm.
She found her Grandpa in the barn milking the cow. Grandpa said, "Watch this!" as he squirted milk into the open mouth of a big fluffy cat. She had never seen anything like that before. That was just the first of many new experiences she was to have that day.
Following a trail to the small creek which ran through the farm yard, she was accosted by a huge grasshopper which flew up into her face. Stopping at the creek and looking down from the footbridge she saw trout swimming around for the first time. Cindy wandered around the farm and found an old abandoned farm house, which was the original homestead. She started to go in through the front door but the door squeaked loudly when she tried to open it so she backed off and decided the place was haunted
Later she stumbled on to a cave like opening a hillside near a grove of trees. She cautiously entered the cavern and found that it had been set up as a playhouse by someone, with a small table and chairs and a toy kitchen stove. She spent some time there playing make believe.
When she got tired of that, Cindy started back to the house and was met by her Grandpa who gave her a tour of the farm implements, explaining what each was and what its purpose was. It was all very interesting and she felt she now had some idea about what it takes to produce the food you can buy at the grocery store. Grandpa left her at the barn where she had fun in the hay playing with a mother cat and her litter of kittens. Petting and tickling the kittens was enjoyable Cindy. These adventures of the first day of her stay on the farm were just the beginning. There were many more and she noted each in her journal so she could regale her friends back home when summer came to an end.
Her parents returned from their mission. Cindy hugged her Grandparents and thanked them for the best summer she had ever had, got into the car and went back home to the city.
The End
By: Hosanna Tabor
“It’s time for another fantastic adventure,” Lita thought to herself as she poured a glass of orange juice from the pitcher on the table. She took a big swig of her juice, and then she proceeded to sweep her curtain of dark hair up into a bun and secured it with a set of pretty black and silver chopsticks.
Her sister glanced up, watching Lita through startlingly bright emerald eyes noticing the excited air around her. “What are you up to now?” she asked Lita.
“Oh, well, you know. I’ve been contemplating the great, wide world and its many mysteries and wonder,” Lita responded vaguely.
“Enlightening, as always,” her sister said drily. “Care to elaborate?”
Lita chuckled and said, “Fair enough, Mila. Do you remember when Uncle Min visited last week? He mentioned finding horse-feathers at the bottom of his stairs. I keep wondering if it’s possible they still exist.”
“The horse feathers he claims he found?” Mila asked.
“No silly. Hippogriffs!” Lita exclaimed excitedly. Ignoring Mila’s skeptical look, Lita plowed on. “The last place legend mentions them being is in Kiribati, although I think that is probably just a fanciful thought meant to construe that they retreated to somewhere remote and isolated. Kiribati just seems a little too far fetched as the climate doesn’t seem ideal for them.”
“Right…Kiribati being their final refuge is the far fetched idea, not the idea of the actual existence of hippogriffs,” Mila said with a cynical raise of her eyebrows.
“Mock me all you like,” Lita countered, “But I’m going to investigate. It’s far too irresistible an intrigue. And I’m nothing if not irresistibly intrigued by something no one else believes possible.” And with that, she picked up her pocket knife that had been laying on the table and placed it in her pack next to her chair and headed to the door.
Mila watched her go with a feeling of exasperation mixed with a little trepidation. Lita tended to attack a mystery head-on with something that seemed a lot like reckless abandon. Mila worried about her, but she knew if she tried to express her worry it would come out clumsily and sound high-handed and superior. So she kept it to herself. Hopefully, this time Lita would be more prudent than usual.
Lita headed dow the street from her flat towards the bust stop, speculating more on possible locations to search if Kiribati proved a bust, as she suspected it might. She really thought Greenland and Siberia to be likely candidates, give their remoteness and the cold weather. So absorbed on her thoughts as she, that she didn’t notice the bicyclist careening down the hill towards her, clearly out of control.
The bicyclist managed not to hit her head on, but clipped her forcefully enough to send her stumbling out into the road where a car aws headed right at her, a collision seemingly imminent. Lita stood like a deer in the headlights, too stunned by the bicycle clipping her to realize that she was about to get by a car too. Then something knocked her back to the ground on the sidewalk, just as the car drove by. Lita registered a pair of eyes with the blue sky behind them before everything went dark.
As she lay on the ground, she felt a flutter of activity around her as her eyes briefly opened and closed. Everything felt far away and muted, and then she felt herself being lifted onto something and rolled away. The next thing she registered was the feeling of slight pressure on her chest. She opened her eyes again to see a head bent over her chest, apparently using a stethoscope to auscultate her heart. Her eyes closed again.
Next time her eyes opened, she was laying on a bed with an IV sticking out of her hand. Glancing around, Lita noticed a man sitting na chair to her left who seemed to be assiduously studying the life lines on his palm. She didn’t recognize him at first glance, so she decided to try and get a better look. His head was pointed downwards and not towards her, and she tried to unobtrusively peek up at his face. But in so doing, she unbalanced herself and gave a little yelp as she felt herself slipping sideways off the bed. The man quickly reached out and grabbed her. He gently resettled her on the bed, and as he leaned back into his chair, she finally got a good look at his face.
She definitely did not recognize him. He had hazel eyes with a light green ring around the edge of the iris. His hair was short and really dark auburn, slightly unkempt as if he’d rolled out of bed and rubbed his fingers through it a few times. His features were regular and unassuming, thought there was evidence of a regular smile around his eyes. He look at her now, expectantly, obviously waiting for her to say something. Lita thought this was odd, as she was the one who woke up to a stranger in the room and felt he ought to be the one to explain something first. He continued to look at her with that expectant air about him, so she sighed and said in a slightly croaky voice, “Apparently, I’m in the hospital. With a stranger.” She speared him with a look she hoped would make him feel a bit guilty and explain his presence in her hospital room. He remained silent though, so she pressed on trying to get him to tell her who he was or about what happened, anything really.
“I remember a bicycle hitting me. I guess it knocked me down. Were you the bicyclist?” she asked him.
“No,” he replied.
“Oookay….then, you aren’t the bicyclist, I guess… You don’t appear to be a nurse or doctor either,” Lita said with another questioning look at the man.
“No,” was his monosyllabic response.
Lita started to wonder if maybe something was wrong with him and looked around for a call button for a nurse, when finally he spoke.
“You didn’t fall when the bike hit you. You fell when I knocked you out of the road after the bike pushed you into the road,” he said.
“Ah. I vaguely remember that, now that you mention it,” Lita said thoughtfully. “So, you saved me, then? And also caused me to be hurt enough to warrant a hospital visit? Bit ironic that.”
“I suppose it might look that way to someone cynical. I only stayed to make sure you were okay. As it appears that you are and my presence is no longer required, I’ll be goin. My apologies for hurting you, “ he said as he stood to leave.
Surprised by his abrupt leave taking, Lita blinked rapidly trying to figure out if she’d offended him before saying, “Wait! Don’t leave. I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to break the ice. Badly, it seems.”
He stopped at the door and turned back. “Do you need anything? I can get the nurse on my way,” he asked.
“No, I just…I hoped you’d tell me who you are,” she said, somewhat lamely.
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