The Morning After

Lyssa Medana

It's been a long time since I've written anything.  I feel dull and rusty. But I desperately needed to jump back.  So I combined prompts, an old haunt of mine Lance Burson's 100 Word Song and a new place, Light and Shade Challenge, hosted by Thomas Marlowe and Lyssa Medana.  The song, Bigmouth strikes again, by the Smith's. And a photo from Light and Shade. So here are 100 words....



The sun's morning rays filtering through the trees massaged Jonah's cramped  muscles to wakefulness.  He sat up slowly, began to gather the shreds of the clothing he'd been wearing last night.

With a sigh, he looked about, trying to get an idea of where he might be.

Then he caught sight of a rabbit's remains only a few feet from the wall he had been curled against.  

Overcoming the nausea and sense of defeat, he wondered idly what the time was.  Eventually, he'd have to find his way back.  Pretend this was a bad dream, and rejoin the human race.

The Shopping Trip

The prompt: Introduce a romantic interest or opportunity and see what happens.


Part of Jonah's story is here, 












     Jonah took Katie’s advice and walked two doors north to the dollar store. The interior was bright. The light was welcome as the aisles were narrow and shelves packed with all sorts of items. There was pet food on one side of an aisle, vitamins and common over the counter medicines on the other.

    He picked up a new toothbrush and toothpaste, soap, deodorant, and after searching several shelves, found the underwear he’d thought of earlier that week. He also put a couple of new t-shirts into his basket. 

    He made his way to the cash register. The young woman behind the counter had short brown hair, and brown eyes behind black rimmed glasses. Her jeans were just tight enough without being trashy, she wore a fuzzy green sweater over her black t-shirt.

     She smiled as he set his basket on the counter. “Hi! You must be Katie’s new dish boy, uh guy.” She blushed and looked at his purchases, ringing them and bagging them. “I’m Shelly Harrison,” she said.

     “Harrison like in the hardware?” Jonah asked.

     “Yep, Uncle Randy has the hardware. I got the junk store. After Aunt May died, I came to see if I could help out. I used to spend a lot of time here when I was a kid. And I had just got laid off my job. So it was mutually beneficial.”

     “Well, you’ve got some useful junk here, and I hear your prices are the best in town.”

     Shelly blushed again, “Katie must’ve sent you, then. She spends a lot of time in here. She says Marshall’s is over priced.”

     Jonah grinned, “that’s about the same thing she told me. And I think the grocery store probably doesn't carry underwear.” She blushed again.

     “I’m sorry, I’m being a smart ass.” It had been a long time since he’d carried on a conversation with anyone close to his own age. “I swear it’s a defense mechanism, I’m working with some real characters at the Kitchen.”

     Shelly laughed at that, “Not to mention the crazy customers. Don’t get me wrong, they're my customers too, and I love ‘em. But, yeah, character is a good description,”

     “So you stay in town or do you commute from the big city?”

     “Oh, I stay with Uncle Randy. He’s got a big place outside of town. He’s not much for talk, but he treats me well.”  She finished his order and collected his money. “You're staying at Missy McKay’s, right?” he nodded. “It’s a small town. And most new comers end up with Missy, for a while anyway.”

     Jonah saw one of the other shoppers heading for the register, “It was nice to meet you, Shelly Harrison, I’d better go now. Or the characters will have something to talk about.” He winked and Shelly blushed one more time as he left.  

Evicted

This week we’d like you to stir up some conflict, using the following quote as inspiration.

It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of nonviolence to cover impotence.
Mahatma Gandhi (1869 – 1948)

The word limit is 300.  Come back Friday to link up and let us see those sparks fly.

(this is some more of my nano story, the other bits are here and here )

Jonah entered the hall, as he tried to remember the way to the bathroom, he heard Missy McKay’s voice, raised in anger.

“You ain't been here in five days!  You ain’t paid your rent in two weeks!  I don’t give a hoot who you daddy is, you’re out!”

A male voice yelled back, “Look you old bitch, I signed a lease, you cant throw me out!  My daddy’ll pay up my rent.  I gotta get ready for work.  So, you…”

Missy cut him off, “work where boy?  You find a new job these last five days?  Cause if you think you still gotta job at the Kitchen, you are mistaken!”

“Shit”, Jonah headed down the stairs.  “Missy McKay!  You need help?”  He turned to the younger man, “You have a problem, kid?”

The boy glared at him, “What the fuck do you care?”

‘I care that you are threatening my land lady.  I’m pretty sure I heard her tell you, you’ve been evicted.”

“Then you heard me tell her I signed a fucking lease and she can’t throw me out”

“Yes she can.  You broke your lease by not paying your rent on time.”  Jonah watched Missy back into the room behind her, he hoped she was going for a phone.

“Who the hell are you anyway?”

“Why, I’m the new dish washer at Katrina’s Kitchen.”  Jonah continued to bait the boy,  “Seems her help isn’t responsible enough to show up, and you’re going to make me late for work, kid.”

This took the boy by surprise.  “Like hell you are!  That’s my job!  Do you know who I am, asshole?  I’m Ben Marshall, my daddy owns the grocery in this this town!”

Missy returned with a phone at her ear, “Denny Clark, you get yourself over to my place!  Benny is back and in a bad mood.”  She turned to Ben, “the sheriff is on his way, boy.  We’ll see how impressed with your daddy he is.”