#sixsentencestories – Page 24 – Poetry, Short Prose and Walking

Alternative – Six Sentence Story

Brian was self-reliant enough to do whatever was good in his own eyes. Eventually he’d have to repent of much of this goodness, but right now the mountain he expected would hold the weight of his imaginings began sliding due to an avalanche of truth.

Down he went clutching onto one esoteric branch of conjectures after the other discovering that every alternative he grabbed onto failed to stop his fall. He could see the smiling mouth of nihilism lick its lips and open its jaws below him.

It was as he absent-mindedly looked into this dread that he was hit by a bus and rushed to an emergency room where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Whether the expert opinion was wrong or whether hell didn’t want him, Brian’s heart began beating with no desire to climb fantasy mountain again.

Denise offers the word “alternative” to be used in this week’s Six Sentence Stories. This story continues with Bowl – Six Sentence Story.

GirlieOnTheEdge Denise Farley's six-sentence-stories icon — GirlieOnTheEdge Denise Farley’s six-sentence-stories icon

Remnant – Six Sentence Story

The door of the boat was shut from the outside.

The fountains of the deep opened and the rains began. The earth quaked sending tsunamis over the land in wave after devastating wave burying living creatures successively in higher and higher mucky graves. In a few months there was no place to hide as the entire surface of the earth became a sea. When the waters retreated dry land emerged, eroded and tortured, above the waters.

The remnant left the boat.

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

For details related to my story see Genesis 6-9. Dr. Georgia Purdom provides even more details.

Quarter – Six Sentence Story

With less than a quarter of his pieces remaining and seemingly desperate John moved his queen to a square adjacent to Tom’s king tempting Tom to capture her.

“Although I could win this game right now,” Tom announced as he took the bait removing John’s queen from the board and giving the plastic piece a messy kiss, “I’ll take your queen, you senile fool, just like I took that Miriam of yours long ago.”

After Tom’s capture of John’s queen, John moved a pawn to Tom’s edge of the board with a diagonally unobstructed view aimed right at Tom’s newly exposed king and with the right to exchange that pawn for any piece he wanted. John replaced the pawn with a diagonally powerful bishop as nursing home aides entered to wheel them back to their respective rooms.

“Why didn’t you get another queen, idiot?”

“I had one, Tom, until you took her away, but I only needed a bishop to checkmate you.”

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

Presence – Six Sentence Story

After worrying whether he should or not, Tom called his father telling him that he saw the ghostlike presence of Aunt Janet after his classes that afternoon.

“She said she was sorry, but she didn’t say what for,” Tom added.

“What did you say?”

“I told her it was OK and then she vanished.”

Tom didn’t believe in ghosts, nor did his father, but he felt obligated to pass on this message not understanding what actually alienated his father from Aunt Janet over a decade ago. He was relieved when he heard his father say, “I’m glad you told her that.”

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

Powerful – Six Sentence Story

Saul consented to the stoning of Stephen outside of Jerusalem. Little did he realize that years later he himself would be stoned in Lystra, stoned to death so his enemies thought. And perhaps it was to death, but after being dragged out of town and left for dead by men who supposedly knew what they were doing, he would stand up.

On his way to Damascus, Saul once again was up to no good. This time the Lord Himself knocked him down, or rather, he fell down unaccustomed to the blinding light. When his blindness left, so too did his powerful delusion.

Denise offers the prompt word “powerful” for this week’s Six Sentence Stories. The story is a recounting of some events from Acts 6-9,14.

Rivalry – Six Sentence Story

Bernard’s confidence returned as he began drinking the last can of his six-pack. He was ready to point out every nit that needed picking from the members of a social networking community he frequented.

In righteous rivalry he led his own charge condemning the “freaks, flakes and morons” to fiery hells that he himself didn’t believe in. They knew he was drunk.

Eventually his demons, unforgiving accusers themselves, led tired Bernard to bed one last time. As a reward for his long service, they prepared terrifying dreams.

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

Improvise – Six Sentence Story

Although Rebekah told Isaac of the prophecy she received that Jacob, the second-born of her twins and her favorite, was to receive the blessing, as the boys matured Esau, the first-born and Isaac’s favorite, seemed to Isaac better able to carry any burdens his blessing might require.

In his old age with failing eyesight, Isaac decided to give the blessing to Esau rather than Jacob without telling Rebekah, but she overheard his plan and improvised one of her own. She prepared the meal Isaac requested from Esau, covered Jacob’s arms with fur to imitate Esau’s hairy skin and dressed him in Esau’s clothing to deceive her husband. Not even Jacob, willing though he was to go along with it, thought her plan would work, but it did.

After realizing he had been fooled, Isaac reluctantly remembered the prophecy and remained faithful to it reaffirming the blessing he unwittingly gave to Jacob. Esau, however, wanted revenge and so Rebekah convinced Isaac to send Jacob off on the pretext of finding a suitable wife, not one like Esau found among the locals, knowing that she would likely never see Jacob again.

Denise offers the prompt “improvise” for this week’s Six Sentence Story.

A more complete and accurate description of what happened to Isaac, Rebekah, Esau and Jacob begins at Genesis 25:19. The insight that Rebekah did not see Jacob again came from Pastor Colin Smith’s sermon last Sunday.

Connection – Six Sentence Story

Rafael walked home with his daughter, Celia, to bring her back to her mother. Celia told him about Derek, and she wondered how he knew so much about him? Rafael didn’t think he knew much at all.

They climbed the stairs to the second story apartment wondering what Celia’s mother would say or do when she saw her daughter again after two years. The silence of their searching eyes overcame the hardened words and deeds from their memories. Then tears restored their lost connection.

Denise offers the prompt “connection” for this weeek’s Six Sentence Stories. This story continues from Walk – Six Sentence Story.

Pawn – Six Sentence Story

Helen heard an infant crying, slid down to the river and found a newborn, an expendable pawn, abandoned to die and be washed away near a drain outlet. She wrapped the baby in her coat and then almost fell when the ground shook from the explosion while hearing Bill yell from above, “Helen, get out of there!” The water from the burst dam crushed her against vegetation on the bank as she protected the infant until her team reached them.

Bill and Rose adopted the child Helen rescued and invited Helen to stay with them indefinitely since she lived alone and could no longer take care of herself given her injuries which gave Helen days, months and then years to read to and guide Little Helen from her wheelchair.

When Little Helen was three years old a man gave her a permanent marker to write a message while Rose held her so she could reach the top of the casket. As she carefully made her marks she suddenly looked up with astonishment and proclaimed loud enough for all to hear, “Mommy, Auntie Helen is dancing with Jesus!“

Denise offers the prompt “pawn” for this week’s Six Sentence Stories. This story continues from Effervescent – Six Sentence Story.

Effervescent – Six Sentence Story

Eventually Bill stopped giving Rafael excuses and entered the revival tent hoping his doubts wouldn’t dampen the effervescent joy in others should a miracle occur. He stood at the back where he met a missionary who had scars across her cheeks, lips, ears and nose. She explained that the militia overpowering her town a decade ago carried off the pretty girls for prostitution and mutilated the ugly ones or killed them, like her sister, to demoralize the surrounding communities.

Bill went back often and at one point disclosed to her as a warning that his work was dangerous. In turn she reminded him that she was one of the ugly ones.

She loved it when he called her Rose and they were married under the revival tent.

Denise offers the word “effervescent” to be used in this week’s Six Sentence Stories. Continued from Filter – Six Sentence Story. Next: Pawn – Six Sentence Story.