Take the long way home...

Be my tribe, be my people, be my safety port Be my crowd, be my crew, be the place I belong. Give me shelter and warmth, make me be part of us make me rest, make me welcome, make me drop down this mask. For every step I take is riddled with doubt Was it right, was it wrong, too little, too much Was I being too blunt, was I being unclear, Did I get them offended, disgusted, in fear? Be my tribe, be my crew, help me put down this mask Let me rest among peers: never an easy task

I woke up to the sun shining hot on my face. I couldn't get my eyes to open, and my head was pounding as if a whole sound system had taken my skull hostage of its deep baseline. It took me a bit longer than usual to remember who I was. Who I was supposed to be. When I felt like I had it, I decided to open my left eye. The green canopy of a well trimmed tree appeared to quiver against the blue sky. I opened the right eye and the field of view widened to enclose a slice of a beach umbrella. The sounds around me suggested I wasn't at the seaside. Rather than the sloshing of waves in the low tide, I could hear a buzzing and some occasional splash. Birds chirping, too, and maybe a lawn mower in the distance. I sat up and saw I was on a tanning bed in front of a strangely shaped swimming pool. The buzzing noise was produced by one of those cleaning machines constantly at work to scrape the gunk off the pool tiles. And right in the center of the pool, opened and floating upside down, ...

Theme: a conflict between two character. Reason: one of them has a candle under her desk and it is a risk for the rest of the workers. Sentences that could be used to address the conflict: - I was waiting for you last evening after work... **** First prompt: Put the characters in their environment, setting the stage for the conflict to erupt The truth is, nobody liked her. And that evening, after work, the younger woman in charge of the desk next to hers decided she'd had enough. Stealing others' food (although nobody had real proof, just converging suspicions) was one thing. Casually dropping containers from the Indian takeaway in the paper bin, for them to sit there for days and educate everyone in the wide open-space office about the subtle modifications occurring in butter chicken sauce as the various ingredients change their molecular structure, was one thing. Coming to work without the decency of a shower, with a musky aura getting brighter and wider from Monday through F...

  It was a strange session, where we all brought objects and prompts as a source of mutual inspiration. To make it even more interesting, we got a prompt from a different person for each of the three parts. *** [Prompt: I listened to some music that reminded me of rain, hence the title] Their last meeting was under a heavy rain. The subway was clanking on its rails above them, water dripping down the metal beams. There had been better meeting places and moments throughout the long time they had known each other.  - So you're going back? - I am. Tomorrow. - Are you really, absolutely sure? - As sure as one can be. I know what I have to do, and I will take pride in doing it. The rain was pattering and splashing, spraying from under the cars, bouncing off the leaves of the few trees and bushes tasked with oxygenating that corner of the big city. The rain was singing as they hugged, a strong, long hug on each other's shoulders, no grabbing by the waist for them. The rain was singi...

– Oh, it's been so long since I last saw him – said the grandma with a sudden blush, and turned to stare at the flames in the fireplace. The evening was still young, but in the middle of winter, night embraced the world well before dinner time. The soup was simmering and spreading its hearty aroma around the room. Claire asked her:  – Please, granny, tell me, how was he? – He was charming, my dear. A real prince with no castle or crown. He had eyes as deep as the deepest wells, but they would light up like stars when an inspiration struck him. – Was he handsome? – Yes, I guess you may say so. I never really considered that aspect. – Oh, c'mon… – Ok! Ok! Yes, to my eyes he was the most handsome in the world. – But what about grandpa then? – No, grandpa came much later. I wouldn't have noticed him, like you don't notice a fluffy dust bunny in a corner until you get very close and look right at it. – Tell me about the pendant! Adèle, Claire's grandmother, stood up with...

  Prompts: A different bed Closed curtains with light shining through A messy room left messy After a long walk A person got lost, disappeared, went away I woke up rested, with no idea where I was. The light was filtering warmly through the closed burgundy curtains (mine were green(), and my bag was resting on the floor next to the unfamiliar but unbelievably comfortable bed, wide open, its contents strewn around the room as if someone had been desperately looking for something in there. I yawned and stretched. Hadn't had a good sleep like this in ages. If it wasn't for the nagging thought of how on Earth had I ended up here, I'd have called it a perfect start to a beautiful day.  I looked around the room: besides my belongings carpeting the floor, a small desk, a chair. A little stool with an electric kettle on it. I sat up, shook my head and stretched my hand towards the curtains. Outside, the morning was shining in its full glory. Trees carefully groomed and equally spac...

  Darkness Oct 6, 2022 Prompts: The call of adventure Aloneness Subtle fuzz of alcohol Sleep Being lost Someone meets a person or creature that is an embodiment of these characteristics Nala was on the bridge watching the boats go under it and reappear lazily on the other side. She would have liked to jump, land onto one of them on her feet, knees flexed, hide in some safe storeroom and just be gone from there. – You wouldn't do it.  A voice teased here from nearby. She turned around and saw this teen hovering on a bathroom carpet right across the handrail. He was holding a flask and briefly sipped from it before repeating: – You wouldn't do it. And that's a pity, because you know what you're missing. And yet… – And who might you be, kiddo? – she grinned. – Oh, I'm no kiddo, darling! 542 years I've been traveling the land, seen it almost all. – 542, yes, sure, and what would it be that I wouldn't do? – Jump in the darkness. Easy to dream about it, but would ...