Janet Flash: Sacrifices

by Michael Seese

I had a busy day yesterday. Kids activities in the morning. Paying bills in the afternoon. And a party at night. (A friend was celebrating his conquest of Mount Kilimanjaro.) I really hoped I would be able to find time to write something for Janet Reid's latest contest, and ...

I had come up with the idea for this story a day or two prior. And while getting ready for the party, I took a look at the words:

week
rag
creak
snag
peak 

Realizing that creak fit in perfectly with that idea, I started writing it on my phone. In about 10 minutes, I had "sacrifices."


I'm not allowed to speak when I'm hiding in the closet, though sometimes I talk real quiet to Raggedy Ann.

“How are you, Best Friend?” I ask her.

“I had one hell of a week.”

“You said a bad word!”

“Momma says that all the time.”

Raggedy Ann is right. Momma says lots of things I don't understand. Like money being tight.

But Momma loves me, even when she's nagging me. I know, because she says she'd do anything to keep me.

Once the bed stops creaking, I know he'll be leaving soon. Then Momma buys me a new toy.


We'll know tomorrow around 7:00 a.m. how I did.

Flash! Friday: Sacrifices + One And One

by Michael Seese

Hoping to build off last week's Flash! Friday win (I did mention I WON, right??) I tried to come up with two strong entries for this week's contest. (As if I don't always.) You can decide if I succeeded.

Our prompt was Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan's allegory that follows the adventures of eager, oft-stumbling but good-hearted Christian as he leaves his doomed native land in a quest to reach the glorious golden shores of the Celestial City.

The story elements to use were:
* Conflict: man v man, man v self (not gender specific)
* Character (choose at least one): a pilgrim; Beelzebub; a man whose mission is to help others; someone who talks too much; someone who loses his/her life for standing up for what is right; a corrupt mayor; someone whose primary purpose in life is avoiding hardship; a cheat
* Theme (choose one): salvation; good v evil; the value of true friendship; the dangers of temptation
* Setting (choose one): a doomed city; a corrupt and wealthy city; a long road; a palace guarded by lions 

And this photo:

 













The idea for "Sacrifices" came to me while getting the kids ready for school.  I pretty much brain-wrote it on the way to work.

"You take it, Mike. Save yourself. I'm a goner anyway."

Jacob was right. I just hoped my face wouldn't betray my concurrence.

At 10, we played war. Fifteen years removed, this was no game. Our enemy treated prisoners like shit. Wounded prisoners worse. He'd last a week if he was lucky. Two if he wasn't.

"Hell, I was hurt worse that time you winged me hunting in Harper's Woods. We'll make it."

Above us, gravel crunched under foot.

"Take it!"

"No. I'm not leaving you."

I kissed my best friend's forehead, aimed through the tears, and gave him our last bullet.

Then I set out to do something fun, using Beelzebub as the character. At the gym I wrote "One And One." I came up with the second line first, and the rest flowed pretty easily.

"Come on, lucky sevens!"

Einstein’s opinion notwithstanding, God does play dice. And at the moment, He was losing.

Badly.

Satan smiled. Satan always smiled.

The Creator rolled. The Prince Of Darkness waved his hand, freezing the bones in mid-air.

"I’ll make you a deal. You’ve already lost love, music, art. And now you’re wagering the animals. I’ll give all that back. In exchange for one thing."

"What?"

"Man, of course."

"You’re on!"

The dice resumed their rendezvous with destiny.

"Snake eyes. You lose, old friend. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to go for a stroll in my Garden."

 
I am SO going to burn.

Until then, there is a Janet contest, which I have not yet begun. But I have 24 hours.