150 Words Plus A Sentence PLUS

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I’ve always wanted to combine two or more prompts into one. I don’t know why, it just seems like all the good, cool writers do this at one point or another.

Well, I finally did it, but not because I’m necessarily good and/or cool. No, it had more to do with my wasting one post this week entirely on pissing and moaning instead (thanks for allowing me to punch the wall for a bit, kids).

So, with that being said, here’s my “mash-up” for both the folks at Friday Fictioneers and Master Class 2013 (whose twist this week included that we end with the prompt, versus starting with it). I hope you enjoy it enough to tell me what I can do better next time, and I hope you decide to jump in on the fun.

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A19.

There was something about that damned gate and me. It seemed as if every time our paths crossed, I was sure to have to endure at least some sort of fuckery during my flight. And not the same sort of fuckery that usually occurs.

No, with A19 in the mix, I’d seen passengers die unexpectedly, brawls ensue over in-flight magazine possession, and even once a smoker – after getting trashed on overpriced airline booze – being arrested when we landed, for yanking out the toilet’s smoke alarm.

This last time however, was the kicker. I’ve no idea what happened, but as the plane was landing, it careened out of control, slamming right into the side of the building. The A19 side, of course. The side that I was dawdling in, waiting to board a flight that instead boarded me.

And now here I’m stuck, presumably forever, haunting stupid-ass gate A19. Oh well, maybe that’s the way it’s supposed to be.

•••

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(148 real words, 1 made-up word used twice, 2 dashes, and a sentence.)

This weeks story prompt was brought to you by Judy Blume’s “Tiger Eyes,” musical accompaniment by Mr. Frank Sinatra, of course.

93 thoughts on “150 Words Plus A Sentence PLUS”

  2. I don’t know why, but I feel like you were angry when you wrote this… I love that sentence “waiting to board a flight that instead boarded me” one of those things that make you say “Sucks to be you!” Wait. What’s you made up word? Not fuckery is it? Not a real word? What’s next, will you tell me there’s no such thing as mermaids?

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    • Marie, the secret is to always be (at least a little) angry.

      And sorry, m’dear but “fuckery” (much like my other favorite, “douchery”) is in fact made-up. There are, however, such things as mermaids =)

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  3. hi. i’m annoying. i take entries that are over 100 words and whittle them down to 100. i can’t help it. OCD i guess. was a great piece of work though. really enjoyed it.

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  4. Well, every word we speak was made up at some point so just because you haven’t coined the term in Websters yet doesn’t mean it ain’t real ;) totally loved this, sounded like a real cranky pants griping about his day and then haha oh yeah, he’s dead…

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  6. You captured the “fun” of flying perfectly. :-) Or not. But I loved this: “waiting to board a flight that instead boarded me.” Nothing worse than being boarded by a flight (not that I speak from personal experience, of course.)

    janet

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    • Much thanks Sandra! I think you’re the first to ever call my dialogue crisp – I may need to print this and hang it on my wall as a reminder =)

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  17. sounds like he and gate A19 were made for each other–eternally. Too bad he didn’t come back as a pigeon. I enjoyed the story, t. (Is that Mr. t, or lowercase t, or Mr. lowercase t?)

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  20. Fabulous! Your post is now an official note-to-self: keep at least one eye on the window near the gate at all times… This was very good use of your prompts! And anger is a many-splendored thing!

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    • Ha ha ha, you’re very right about that! I’m going to spend less time looking down next time I’m waiting as well – on the off chance that God’s up there right now, thinking, “So that’s the way you wanna go out now, is it t?” Thanks for popping in again!

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    • Wow – it was hard enough to work two together for me!

      So, unless the third prompt is something like “and insert a picture of a cat,” I can’t imagine I’ll ever be able to work that many angles =]

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  22. You have the dance with death, and the other side of death “fuckery” (I do love that word hehehhe) woven well through this tale. The perspective of being the one that is dead has become easy for you. I challenge you m’Friend to the next write… show me how you live! :-)

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  27. really cool piece!
    And not the same sort of fuckery that usually occurs. – laughed at that ^^
    waiting to board a flight that instead boarded me. – another fave line
    the ending’s just awesome — not for the narrator, but for the reader, i mean ^^

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  30. Ah, the irony of haunting that particular gate. Although, maybe it’s cursed because there are a lot of other ghosts haunting it too? Great story. :)
    I was wondering if there was any significance to A19. The closest I got was that “A” is the first letter, so (1)19=119, which is the emergency number in Korea, or the reverse of 911. Or I could be reaching. :)

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    • Thanks David!

      And, as I suck with photo prompts, the A19 came about as I was desperately trying to think of something to write for this particular shot. Not seeing much to start me off, I began looking at individual elements, and spied the gate number peeking at me from above the plane. That gave me my first sentence, and it just rolled from there. And no, I didn’t know he was going to die until the very end, when he did =)

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    • Thanks =)

      Much like the story itself, Frank just popped into my head at the last minute, and just made for the perfect song selection for today!

      (Please see my response to David for the overly worded reasoning behind A19.)

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  38. The angst works great with this piece. You packed it all in well. I too like the boarded me line and laughed at “fuckery.” Very clever. Now, tell me, was combining prompts as hard as you thought?

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    • Thank you very much, SAM! And, in all honesty, it was pretty tough, but I think a lot had to do with “relinquishing control” over the ending (as in, “dammit, now I have to make the rest of this thing entertaining, seeing as everybody already knows the punchline!”)

      That, and as it probably became pretty clear here, I don’t have to many fond memories or ideas about airports, a beautiful sunrise/sunset (how’s that screw your count up, Doug?) be damned!

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