#CharliMills

Crickets in the House

When Tessa came home from shopping, Jester raised his head and thumped his tail once. Rainbow opened one eye, and Michael waved from the couch.

Tessa asked, “No energetic greetings. What’s been happening?”

Michael mumbled, “Crickets.”

“What?”

Michael sat up. “Two crickets chirping in here. Jester was running around trying to find them, and then Rainbow got in the mix. I swear, those insects did it on purpose, moving from place to place. I saw them hopping, but I couldn’t catch them either. We’re exhausted from the chase.”

Tessa laughed, and a cricket chirped. “It’ll be a noisy night.”

Note: Jester is the family mutt, and Rainbow is an older cat.

Written in response to Charli Mills September 12, 2023, prompt at Carrot Ranch Literary: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about the insect nation. You can focus on a particular insect or all insects. Is your story one of acceptance and understanding? Scientific knowledge? Or apocalyptic horror? Get bugged and go where the prompt leads!

09/18/2023 3

A Still Life

The battered blue bowl sits empty by the well-loved green bottle of oil. The burning orange canister holding the flour has no dusty fingerprints on it this year. The items form a still life on the marred wooden work table. There is no reason to make the dough, for the young ones have left and are not there to enjoy the festival bread. The wine bottle remains capped, and the pumpkin sits unused. The elderly, too old to walk hundreds of miles, have no interest in celebrating, and they too, sit still, back in the dark shadows of loneliness.

Note: This week’s flash is my interpretation of the shared artwork.

09/09/2023 4

Brownie’s New Nickname

When the door of The No Thanks opened, Scottie said, “Crap, here comes the weatherman.”

Mac asked, “How did Brownie become the weatherman?”

“I call him that because he always has a smile on his face, just like a forecaster, but you don’t know if his temperament will be sunny, cloudy, or close to a tornado.”

Mac started chuckling and tried to escape to his office.

Brownie noticed Mac’s attempted departure and shouted, “What, I’m not good enough for a hello today?” His smile never changed, but he sounded angry.

Mac turned, “Howdy, you old grump.”

Everyone laughed together.

Written in response to Charli Mills August 22, 2023, prompt at Carrot Ranch Literary: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about the arrival of the weather. It can mean any kind of weather event meteorological or mythological. Is the weather personified, random, or calculating? Where does it arrive? Is it typical or epoch-changing? Who is involved? Go where the prompt leads!

08/28/2023 3

A Quilt Comes Home — True Story

Twenty years ago, I made a quilt for radio station WBEE’s fundraiser using T-shirts that each on-air personality had signed.

This morning, a listener knocked on the station door and gifted that quilt to Terry Clifford as a retirement present. I don’t know where the quilt has been, but today, it came home to a lovable lady who has given so much to the community for the last forty-five years. Terry will cherish all the memories it holds from the maker, past fellow employees who signed it with her initially, her time on the radio, and at WBEE events.

08/21/2023 6

Grounding Roots

Michael said to Tessa, “When you left college for marriage, did you ever think about moving home one day?”

“No. I thought my marriage would last and couldn’t see that far ahead. I didn’t know about people growing apart.”

Michael replied. “I had no intentions of returning before I lost my legs. A counselor suggested my mother needed me to and then I heard you were getting divorced. That took care of any indecision.”

Tessa’s eyes watered. “I longed for the hills and colorful seasons. But it’s you and the other vets who ground me because of our experiences.”

Author’s Note: Michael and Tessa were high school sweethearts. She married an Army Officer, and he was enlisted Army. He lost his legs above the knee in an IED bomb in Iraq. They both moved back to their hometown and are now married to each other. The series is three years old.

Written in response to Charli Mills August 8, 2023, prompt at Carrot Ranch Literary: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about roots like a mountain. Feel free to play with both concepts of roots and mountains. How can you create a story from the combination? What character (or traits) come to mind? Where and when does the story take place? Go where the prompt leads!

08/14/2023 3

Michael’s Secret Collection

Seeing Michael get a box out of the van when he got home, Tessa opened the door. “What do you have?”

“It’s the best collection ever that I kept secret while in grade school so I didn’t get teased.” He set the box down and opened it.

Tessa looked inside. “Rubber Ducks?”

“I loved these things. They’re all sizes, colors, and characters, yet still qualify as ducks. Now that we have two grandchildren, I figured it was time to share my passion.”

Tessa grinned. “You might have to convince Jester they aren’t his.”

“Dang. Didn’t think about the dog.”

Written in response to Charli Mills July 18, 2023, prompt at Carrot Ranch Literary: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about a rubber duck. Where is this duck — somewhere typical like a tub or somewhere surprising like a roller derby. Who is with the duck? What is happening? Go where the prompt leads!

07/24/2023 2