You're The Inspiration

I responded today to one of those ubiquitous "iPod Music Survey" things floating around -- little did I know I was going to inspire brilliance! Christopher, a MySpacer I went to HS with, read my bulletin and was inspired to write the short story below. I in turn wrote one of my own, which appears below Chris'.

* * * * *


The goal was to take the 21 songs in order on my IPod shuffle setting and write a short story using as few words as possible that weren't part of one of the titles.This is a really a practice in creativity that my daily life doesn't always allow, so I thought I would take the advantage of an idea and an inspiration to find more creativity in my daily life. I hope you enjoy and if you feel inspired to write your own story please do.Thanks Kathe for the inspiration.

I was standing outside the BRICK and BEAUTIFUL front of my OLD LOVERS HOUSE. In the window I saw her painting of the BUFFALO SOLDIER, SITTING IN LIMBO. I only wished she would TALK TO ME, but I was told she was on a CHINESE VACATION. I headed down to THE NEW TIMER for a drink and I met ANNA MAY. She offered me REFUGE and I thought she was the one to SAVE THE DAY. She was the one who told me ANDY, YOU'RE A STAR, and I knew this was not the end of my story.In case you were wondering I'VE FOUND A NEW BABY, her name is MARTHA. We met in the park and talked for hours and I knew, she is SOMEBODY I could really love. I walked her home and she invited me in BUT NOT TONIGHT because we both knew this was SPECIAL. So, HERE IT GOES AGAIN. I have found in her my REDEMPTION SONG. Today I stand outside her house, holding 99 RED BALLOONS with a note saying I had long WISHED FOR YOU.

(So, it's a little corny but hey the IPod wrote it. ~Christopher)


* * * * *

My story... still thinking of a title for it...

I had a mean case of TRIPLE STAGE DARKNESS bearing down on my skull. I needed to get out of this WICKED LITTLE TOWN, and fast.

She had skipped three months ago with Jimmy "The KARPET KING" Webster. Gave me THE ANSWERING MACHINE BIT, let me come home to empty hangers and a collection of dust bunnies where our dreams used to be. Hell, even they knew she was leaving before I did -- they hear her record my "Dear John" message. In the beginning, she used to MAKE ME SMILE so much she nicknamed me MONA LISA. She told me I was her forever, then she left so fast it was like she'd been shot out of a MACHINE GUN. And now I'd finally tracked her.

"A letter arrived for you SINCE YOU'VE BEEN GONE." The motel clerk handed me a manila envelope full of pictures. Pictures that would make your mother blush. Pictures featuring MR WEBSTER and my wife. This whole thing was beginning to COME TOGETHER, but I needed to be road and fast if I was going to make it stick. I mean I LOVE CONDOMS, but you can't make babies wearing them, and I wasn't going to make her pay til I shrugged off this joke of a town. It's like my mama used to say, "YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT, but you can HURT those who hurt you first." So I was going to hurt her. I was going to hurt MY GIRL like she'd hurt me.

"HERE COMES THE RAIN AGAIN" I growled, as the drops began to spatter my rag top. I pulled THE PARKING TICKET from my windshield, and peeled away toward destiny.

Ten hours and two packs of Camels later, I pulled up outside the house. I could see her moving around inside. She was going to make an EXQUISITE CORPSE, and the best thing was that Webster was going to fry for it. While she was on that AIRLINE TO HEAVEN, the cops were going to find the life insurance policy he'd taken out. They were also going to find the murder weapon. I figured I'd plant it in his desk, piece of cake.

I focused on her silhouette there in the window. Shooting her was going to be the easy part. I'd been a SOLDIER BOY, after all -- dropped out in GRADE 9, and eventually enlisted. I'd been trained to shoot out a crow's eye from a hundred yards, and she was going to make a much cleaner target.

After three long months of absence, I finally felt the smile start to creep back across my lips. I was about to get my revenge... WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS Smith and Wesson.

This is exactly the kind of story my Noir-y car pix would fit -- just maybe they inspired the tone of this piece.