OLWG #279- Charlene

This week’s prompts are at the bottom. Feel free to seize the prompts, twist them, form them, play with them as you will. All comers are welcome. The words below are just practice for me. I had a lot of fun writing them, and you know what I always say, “Practice makes perfect.”

Here’s how to play along, if you are unsure.

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Charlene’s mother passed away when Charlene was not quite ten years old. It was early on a winter morning and still dark outside. Mom was making breakfast when a thick slice of sourdough bread got stuck in the toaster. Charlene was pouring orange juice as her Mom retrieved a fork from the drawer to help. There was a loud CRACK, and the lights went out in the kitchen. Charlene jumped and turned; her mother was lying on the linoleum floor, flat on her back. She was unnaturally still, but tendrils of smoke wafted from her hair toward the ceiling. There was the odd smell of ozone in the kitchen.

Charlene later felt that she might have briefly lost consciousness because the next thing she remembered, she was dragging her mother across the garden to the ivy-covered shed with the dark green door in the back of the house. She sat her mother gently on a stool in the corner, kissed her cheek, and tiptoeing softly, made her way back through the garden and into the house.

Returning to the kitchen, Charlene retrieved the piece of toast for which her mother had sacrificed her life. She buttered it, squeezed a bit of honey from the bear-shaped plastic bottle and ate her breakfast in silence.

When finished, Charlene gathered up her plate and utensils. She sat them on the counter next to the sink – she would wash them later.

Best not to be late for school.

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This week’s prompts are:

1. soft liquor
2. discount fireworks
3. when I’m fast asleep

 You can start writing whenever you want, just write, get the words down – and have fun!

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