Category: Prose

Short prose

Six Sentence Story: A Look Around Room 215

When I opened the door to Room 215 of the Six Sentence Cafe & Bistro I was surprised to see the tall, thin man who said he got here before I did because he took a mathematically complicated short cut inspired by his proof of the Collatz conjecture he didn’t think I’d be able to follow (which was probably correct). In the back the red-headed writer with her new friend, Moxie, got into the dumbwaiter to take a ride to the roof to see the ocean.

In the room I noticed a black and white TV console on the side of which was a bookshelf with children’s books and a complete World Book Encyclopedia, but as I walked about I almost stumbled over a four-foot tall bellhop trying to hand me a Bible who quickly displayed a sign saying, Watch where you’re going! Having no plan specifying what to do with all this old stuff I sat down wondering where the story was that I was hoping to receive.

After a while, since nothing much was happening and I had already acknowledged the existence of everything my mind would let me see, I decided to leave. As I stood up, the door to Room 215 quietly shut – all by itself – and a soft voice coming out of nowhere in front of me asked, Leaving so soon?

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Denise offers the prompt word “plan” to be used in this week’s Six Sentence Stories.

Six Sentence Story: The Chance of a Lifetime

Although Timothy treated no one badly, neither was he very kind. He plan was to keep himself busy looking for the chance of a lifetime that kept slipping from his grasp.

His view of God wasn’t all that different from his view of anyone else he didn’t pay much attention to. Should someone ask him if he loved his neighbor as himself, he’d say, Sure, why not?

One day it was Timothy’s day to go through the pearly gates. Although he got through (perhaps by the skin of his pearly teeth or perhaps because there really is Someone who generously hands out unmerited mercy – if the heart can handle it – rather than gotcha karma with interest), he regretted all he could have done differently when he had – all along – that chance of a lifetime.

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Denise offers the prompt word “plan” for this week’s Six Sentence Stories.

Six Sentence Story: Room 215 Found!

When I failed to find Room 215 I went back to the Six Sentence Cafe & Bistro to ask for directions again. I was told to take the first hall to the left and then the second hall to the right and then I could charge right in to capture the mysterious story I was looking for.

When I returned unsuccessful again, the tall, thin man asked me to raise my left hand and when I raised my hand, he said, “I thought so.” He tied a waiter’s towel around the wrist of my other hand and told me to not overthink it but this time take the first hall in the direction of the hand with the towel tied to it and then take the hall in the direction of the hand without the towel tied to it.

I went back, overthinking it all the way, and I found Room 215! I took a deep breath and opened the door.

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Denise offers the prompt word “charge” to be used in this week’s Six Sentence Stories.

Six Sentence Story: Sky Blue Joy

The best burden to bear is one that is light. I mean, who wants a heavy load and no one wants one so light that he floats away. Gravity has its advantages, you know, as long as joy keeps your hearts afloat.

And so the babbling, like a charge of Don Quijote, went on and on and on, but eventually – thank God – it was over.

Larry wondered what Maggie and he were going to do next. He looked at her and she smiled back.

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Denise offers the prompt word “charge” for this week’s Six Sentence Stories.

Six Sentence Story: Room 215

The amazing thing about Room 215 at the Six Sentence Cafe & Bistro is that no one knew it was there until the red-headed writer opened its door and just walked in. Then the tall, thin man followed her to open a secret chamber hidden in that delightfully mysterious room.

After hearing about the room’s mechanical machines and the strange, very short man that emerged from it I went to look for myself. I was wondering if maybe I might find a story there, marvelous and melancholic under its ancient dust, about King Arthur’s Camelot or the Starkeeper’s Carousel to tell others back in the cafe.

However, no matter how many times or how slowly I went up and down the hall where the wonderful room was supposed to be, I couldn’t find it though I had no doubt it was there. Although I came back empty handed, at least as far as marvelous stories go, I still could tell about how I was not going to give up the search.

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Denise offers the prompt word “dust” for this week’s Six Sentence Stories.

Six Sentence Story: The Duel For Peaceful Valley

The demons were up to no good in Peaceful Valley, but what else would demons be up to? No one in his right mind liked them.

That’s when a new sheriff came to town. The meanest, the toughest, the nastiest demon of the lot challenged the sheriff to a duel over who would rule Peaceful Valley.

The sheriff accepted the challenge. At high noon the town watched as the meanest, the toughest, the nastiest-of-the-lot bit the dust and demons fled.

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Denise offers the prompt word “dust” to be used in this week’s Six Sentence Story.

Six Sentence Story: How To Write A Love Poem

I told Mark to put a lid on his sarcastic babbling and write a love poem. The problem was Mark didn’t know how (which is why I’m writing this tale). Betty, Mark’s nemesis and master at setting off needless fireworks, was as bad as – no, let’s face it, she was even worse than – Mark.

Who would have thought those two would ever come together since by every natural law on the books you need more than self-exertion to do the impossible. But when the impossible happened to them, in spite of their exercising every option they had to stop it, Mark and Betty got what is called a miracle.

So, all you have to do to write a love poem is let heaven get near enough (like right inside you) so heaven can do through you (since you’re no longer a bystander) what heaven does best: lovely miracles.

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Denise offers the prompt word “option” to be used in this week’s Six Sentence Stories.

Six Sentence Story: Don’t Rush Through Paradise

Sometimes it is best to slow down, I told a tall, thin gentleman who was sitting at a table with me at the Six Sentence Cafe & Bistro.

Usually it is the fastest way to get anything done right, the gentleman said in agreement.

Of course, those who like to go fast would object, but what do they know? I added.

They know nothing, the gentleman said adding the fourth sentence to our marvelous tale.

After drinking our coffees and eating the croissants I asked him, What should the title of our story be?

He said, Let’s call it: Don’t Rush Through Paradise.

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Denise offers the prompt word “table” for this week’s Six Sentence Stories.

Six Sentence Story: Golden Setting Sun

The wind moves mysteriously like the Spirit holding all together at the table of love.

They met in spring and were married in June. It is autumn when leaves turn. The children and the grandchildren run their many ways.

Right now for one of them the sun is setting. Years from now in splashing golden light it will set for the other.

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Denise offers the prompt word “table” for this week’s Six Sentence Stories.

John 3:8 KJV – 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Six Sentence Story: Daily Bread

Joe did his best to save his pennies, but considering that pennies weren’t made anymore, he saved his nickels with interest. He didn’t mind inflation as long as he could still buy his daily bread.

But enough of this babbling about pennies (or nickels), because this is supposed to be a story about something real. However, Joe couldn’t think of any story to tell.

He asked his muse to please, pretty please, pretty pretty pretty please, include a story once in a while with his daily bread. His muse, a malnourished pixie, demigod or whatever it might have been, told him to ask Someone who actually had a clue.

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Denise offers the prompt word “interest” for this week’s Six Sentence Stories.