A couple in their early stages was walking the mall. She pulled him into a Victoria's Secret store and picked up a frilly red nightie.
He scowled. "You aren't wearing that for me."
"But Babe, red is for love and romance."
"Blood and anger," he retorted.
"You said you left the service five years ago. You gotta let it go."
"You hold your buddy on the battlefield with blood gushing out of his guts and get over it."
"It's in the past..."
"It's every night in my colorful nightmares." He stormed away, leaving her there with no way home.
January 2, 2024, prompt from Charli Mills at Carrot Ranch Literary: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story using the color red. It can be a descriptor, a setting, a character, or a metaphor. How far can you get in a story by expanding “red”? Go where the prompt leads!
The conversation at the No Thanks was about parachute jumping. One veteran said he couldn’t wait to get the chance because he loved bungee jumping and wasn’t disappointed by the adrenaline rush of stepping into thin air. Another admitted it wasn’t his favorite thing to do but had learned to accept it as part of his job. Mac was quiet until asked directly. He collected his thoughts before speaking. “Parachuting into a safe landing zone is beautiful and reverent. But, floating through a hail of bullets or hopping off a hovering helicopter in a hot zone was absolute hell.”
Note: Mac is a Vietnam veteran that owns the No Thanks Needed bar and grill.
Written in response to June 13, 2022, prompt at Carrot Ranch Literary: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about a danger zone. It can be an exciting plot-driven story (think “story spine”) or a situation a character must confront. Play with different genres, and use craft elements like tension, tone, and pacing. Go where the prompt leads!
Sue Spitulnik 