Timed Prompt

It was Christmas Eve.  Fog stuck to the tarmac at Lindbergh Field.  As my family and I are waiting to board our plane, a sense of uneasiness came over me.  I express my concern to my father but, he reassures me everything will be fine.  But still, I had such a negative feeling about boarding that plane.  Our flight number was called along with the gate number.  My parents began gathering their bags.  I was hesitating.  I knew something bad was going to happen and I was not going to allow my family on the plane.  My parents began to show great frustration when I refused to board the plane.  They did not understand why I was refusing to board to plane since I had flown countless times.  I expressed to them how I felt as though some thing very bad would happen if we got on that plane.  I begged them to take a later flight.  Unwillingly, they agreed. As we waited for our evening flight, my family and I were grabbing something to eat. On one of the televisions over head in the airport, I had noticed a breaking news segment on the news.  It was about a plane crash that had happened earlier that morning.  My parents looked at me in disbelief.  My Dad was trying to find out the flight number.  Surely enough it was our flight. I was just as shocked as they were.  How did I know something was going to happen to the plane?  Why did I know but no one else did? A sense of panic came over me.  Was this how I was going to be for the rest of my life?  Am I always going to know something will happen before it does?

one act play (draft)

Mother: what time is he supposed to come over?  Your father should be home around 7 and dinner should be ready by 7:30.

Daughter: Probably 7.  Do you think Dad will like him?

Mother: You know your father honey, he just always wants the best for you.

Daughter: Well hopefully he doesn’t ask him a million questions.  I don’t want to scare him off.

(The doorbell rings.  The boyfriend arrives to meet the parents for the first time. Daughter rushes to check her appearance in the mirror before answering the door.)

(Daughter to the boyfriend)

Daughter:  Hi my mom’s upstairs in the kitchen, are you freaking out because I cannot stand still.

Boyfriend: Well yeah obviously.  I just want them to like me.

(The couple proceeds up the stairs into the kitchen where the mother is preparing dinner.  She turns around quickly to see the boy standing behind the dinner table waiting to introduce himself.)

Daughter: Mom, this is Alex.

Boyfriend: It’s very nice to meet you, thank you for having me. 

Mother: It’s very nice to….wow….meet you Alex, we’ve heard a lot about you….didn’t hear about the full beard and tattoos..  I hope you guys are hungry, I’ve got a very nice meal planned.  Your father should be home soon…yeah we will see how that goes….  Give Alex a tour honey.

(The couple exits the kitchen quickly the daughter almost in a panic just awaiting the arrival of her father.)

Boyfriend:  You didn’t tell them that I had tattoo’s?!  Oh my god your dad is going to hate me! Why didn’t you tell me to shave my beard?!  I should’ve worn long sleeves,  I look like a bum!

Daughter: yeah that wasn’t exactly the reaction I was hoping for… I didn’t think they were going to mind the tattoos..

(father arrives home finally.  Everyone is on edge.  Alex jumps up to greet him at the door.)

Father: (coming through the garage door) No one brought the trash cans up from the side walk? I've told you, Jenna.. Oh hello!! I forgot we were having company tonight! I'm Jim. 

Alex: (putting out his hand to meet Jim's) Hello, I'm Alex. Nice to meet you, Sir. 

Father: (glaring at his arms and raising an eyebrow, sarcastically) Wow, that's some fancy craftsmanship you got on your arms.. 

Daughter: Dad... Are you kidding me? I would never be so ru-

Alex: (cutting her off) No, Jenna, it's fine. Don't be disrespectful to your after in front of me, please. (To the parents) I know I may not appear to be your idea of an ideal boyfriend for your daughter, because you want what's best for her. You want her to be with someone who will love her, cherish her, & treat her with nothing, but the uptmost respect. I can promise you both, I can be that. That's all I have been to her since the day we started talking 3 months ago. 

Father: Well a person who cares about my daughter that much I admire..come on son let's have a beer.

Unreliable Narrator(Final Exam Selection)

I had absolutely no idea what was going on.  I was standing there, absolutely petrified for my well being and having little to no eye sight was really was not helping me.  My brother and I had stopped at a convenience store gas station on our way home from work that night.  As I was standing in line waiting to buy my coffee, I hear a blood curling scream and my brother tells me to hit the ground. I'm face down.  I cannot see.  I don't know whats happening.  The store is being robbed and I have no way of escaping the store.  As I'm laying there silently I feel adrenaline and fear. I jump out and run and try to find my way out of the store as quickly and safely as I can. I cannot find my brother. I cannot see him.  I start screaming for him but there's no reply.  All I can hear is the chaos of the cash registers opening vigorously and and the store clerk screaming for the cops.  I know I have to get out of the store but my sight is so horrible and I am so unaware of my surroundings.   I need help. The gun shots go off.  I can't see from which direction.  The robbers and the sirens are overwhelmingly close.  I feel a set of hands grab my  shoulders and lift me up.  It's my brother.

Peer Reviews

Sean Eykel- "The Most Harmless Thing"
I really enjoyed this piece because it was so easy to relate to what the writer was saying and what they had gone through at that particular time in their lives  and how at some point everyone has gone through a similar situation.
Rachel B- Short Story
I really enjoyed reading this and it had me very focused on the story and I just wanted to read more and more.
Collen M- "Lost" i really enjoyed this story especially the cliff hanging of an ending.

Short, Short Story(Final Exam Selection)

I felt my blood, your cold hand, my palms begin to sweat. Someone, or something, was behind me, a warm breath forcing sweat down my neck. I could feel my heart grow heavier and heavier, these weights of chilling fear. I closed my eyes and began to beg that this was all just a twisted dream. I didn't know where I was, I didn't know who was left with me.  All I knew was that I was by myself, and it was up to me to stay alive.  I opened my eyes to see I was face to face with a dark figure that I couldn't quite make out.  It appeared to be a human-like sillouette, but it was faceless. "Who are you?" I whimpered with a single breath, I couldn't even fathom the kind of person that would do something like this, as I was struggling to retain oxygen in my trembling lungs. There was a loud silence. A single tear rolled out of my left eye. I knew this could be my last day and this thing was going to kill me, likely in the most gruesome way possible. I closed my eyes again and took a deep breath. I saw a flash of light through my eyelids. Never had I ever peeled my eyes faster than that instant. I was alone. I began running. The direction was unknown. Someone, or something was chasing me. I then knew I wasn't going to make it out alive and that nothing could save me. I was grabbed intensely from behind and couldn't release this heavy grasp, I began screaming and no one could here me. I was helpless.

Wish I Didn't Say That...(Final Exam Selection)

What the f*#ck are you talking about?  Why are you being so rude and disrespectful?  Shes a new teacher and you're an arrogant football d*uche bag that thinks he's gracing the earth with spontaneous wisdom every time he opens his idiotic mouth.  How about you shut your mouth and sit down and let the actual teacher do her job." Though the above italicized statement above was definitely thought and said, I was never one to filter my thoughts or comments when it came to something I found profound or just merely ridiculous.  Growing up, I don't think I ever comprehended the idea of a mental and verbal filter, therefore I was stuck in time outs pretty often.  I've always said the first thing that's come to my mind regardless of the vulgarity and volume of the statement.  There he is again with his stupid man band around his stupid football player flow, trying to one up everyone in this classroom.  News flash buddy,  you aren't that great and neither is you're hair. Oh and by the way, you're not right about everything, you're opinion isn't the only one that's relevant or correct. God, I don't even understand how people deal with you.  I'f I wasn't surrounded by several faculty members at this current point in time, I am pretty sure everyone in that classroom, including the teacher was waiting for round two of my loud tangent on the big meat-head of a football player. I needed to filter my thoughts, words, and actions before my luck of not getting severely reprimanded for absolutely verbally destroying that one student regularly for his selfish remarks and actions slowly ran out.  I began to think to myself how unladylike I had started to sound thinking of how vulgar I may come off to others. I didn't know whether I had a problem or people just really pissed me off, and I didn't know how to hold back. That doesn't sound very nice coming out a young girls mouth...Please don't swear Nicole it's very unbecoming.  Some days I walked around constantly with

the voices of my mother and grandmother in the back of my head telling me to watch my mouth. It did help..sometimes, but then I really had those days when I was the ultimate truck driver and let the swears fly.  I mean hey, that's just how I feel most days. 

During the period of time following the unfortunate death of her brother, Violet Parks, twenty-three years young, subjects the law into her own hands to humiliate and punish traffic law violators; this is resulting in her untimely death.  Violet was on a life high at this period in her life.  Fresh out of college, starting a brand new job and her boyfriend finally popped the question.  Everything was looking up until that one horrific day.  Her brother had died and it was up to her to find out who did it and why.