My Short Short for the Day

 Happy Birthday to you

You live in a zoo

You look like a monkey

And smell like one, too!

“Carl, that is not appropriate!”  Mom scolded.

Carl smirked and when Mom turned to cut the cake, he made a funny face at Abby.  Abby giggled.

“Ok, first piece for the birthday girl.”  Mom set a tiny slice of cake in front of Abby.

“Huh?”  Abby was confused.  Where was the rest of the cake?  This piece would take about 2 maybe 3 forkfuls to eat.

Carl shoveled his cake into his mouth as if someone might steal it from him.  When he finished, he got up and winked at Abby, took a breath and yelled before shooting across the room running wildly and flailing his arms.  He was great at faking a sugar rush.

Abby immediately crawled across the table towards the yummy chocolate cake.  The candles weren’t lit anymore but Mom hadn’t taken them out.  No problem, Abby thought.

Carl made several laps around the yard, weaving through the swings, racing up and down the slide, hurdling toys and pausing for a moment to pet Butters.  Butters watched Carl’s antics, smiling and wagging his tale.  Mom was chasing him all over the yard, but Carl was too quick.  After about 5 minutes of running around, Carl turned back towards the house.  He ran into the living room and through to the dining room.  He reached the table and plopped into his chair.  He was breathing heavy but smiling at Abby.

“Abby!”  Mom stopped short. 

Abby was covered with chocolate, frosting and sprinkles.  There as a candle stuck in her hair and a large, chocolatey grin on her face.  One hand was in the cake and the other had a fistful of cake heading towards her mouth.  She froze.

“Honey, no!  Oh, dear.  What a mess.”  Mom stepped towards the table.  She carefully picked up Abby.  “Looks like bath time will be early today.”  She headed towards the bathroom.  “Don’t think I forgot about you Carl.”

Carl leaned forward, grabbed a handful of cake and leaned back in his chair.  He was a good big brother.

My Short Short for the Day

“How fast do you think you can go on that thing?”

Eddie looked at his surfboard.  “As fast as the wave will carry me.”

Eddie had loved surfing ever since he was able to sit up and watch his dad surf.  He used to sit in his playpen on the beach, cheering his dad on and wishing he could be out there too, on that magical, sparkling place of serenity. 

He still could remember his first time on a surfboard.  His dad sat him down on the board and waded out so that he was waist deep in the ocean.  It was a calm morning, so there were only some gentle, little waves making the board rock a little.  But Eddie loved it.  The smell of the salty air, the chill of the water, the sun smiling down on them.  Eddie was in heaven. 

It was only a matter of time before Eddie was standing and balancing on his own surfboard.  And as he grew, he began to catch up to his dad.  Soon they were riding the waves every morning, competing for the same waves and cheering each other on.  There was no one Eddie loved more than his dad.

Eddie walked out into the ocean and jumped on his surfboard.  He paddled out to the group of surfers and sat up, waiting for his wave. 

“Hey kid!  Little late this morning.”  Eddie’s dad grinned with a twinkle of mischief in his eye.

“Yeah, my alarm didn’t go off for some reason.”  Eddie smiled back.

“See you on the other side!”  Eddie’s dad called as he paddled quickly catching a huge wave.

Eddie watched as his dad sailed across the wave, moving and shifting.  After all these years, he still made it look so easy.  Eddie ignored the waves behind him and watched, quietly cheering his dad on.  Suddenly his dad froze and a moment later collapsed into the water.  Eddie yelled and paddled into the next wave, riding it as fast as he could.  When he got to the beach, his dad was being pulled up onto the shore.  He yanked off his ankle strap and knelt by his dad.  Someone was doing CPR.

“Dad, wake up!  Dad!”  Eddie’s heart thundered in his chest. 

The next several days were a blur as the family prepared for the funeral.  The service was solemn and then everyone went to the beach and had a bonfire.  People told stories about Eddie’s dad.  Eddie listened struggling to keep the tears away, then Al, his dad’s best friend, came over and sat down. 

“He went out the way he wanted.”  Al took a sip.  “I can’t think of any better way to go, then riding a wave to the great beyond.”

My Short Short for the Day

“Do you think we are there yet?”  Marge trudged on.  Hope was slipping away as the never ending land stretched out before them.’

“Not much further, I don’t think.”  Stan had to believe they were almost there.  Doubt was beginning to seep in, but he was able to push it down.  They had to be close.  His calculations were right, he knew they had to be. 

Stan looked over his shoulder to see the string of people plodding along behind them.  He knew they were close.  He had to keep going. Keep them going.  He took a deep breath and turned back and began walking with a new determination. 

Marge took a deep breath and let it out.  She trusted Stan and would keep her faith in him.  He was the bravest man she’d ever known, now was not the time to doubt him.  She smiled, hitched her bag higher onto her shoulders and moved on. 

The hill looming ahead looked difficult, rocky and steep, but Stan has a good feeling about it.  There was something on the other side.  Something good, he just knew it.  He turned back and gave Marge a quick smile.  Even sweaty and tired, she looked beautiful to him.  He watched her hike and admired her grace.  She caught his eye and smiled back.

“Not much further.  This should be our last big hurdle.”  Stan said before facing the rocky slope.

Marge and the others, using hands and feet to pull themselves over rocks and shrubs, followed Stan.  So focused on the climb, Marge didn’t realize she’d reached the top until she almost bumped into Stan.  He was standing perfectly still, staring out.

She hauled herself up the last little bit and straightened.  She looked at Stan and seeing his intent stare, followed his gaze.  It was beautiful.  The golden sandy beach, the shimmering water gently rolling up to shore, the cliffs wrapping around the cove, the trees swaying in the warm breeze, the chatter of birds rustling in the treetops.  Marge couldn’t help the tears that slipped down her cheek.

“Are you ok?”  Stan looked worried.

“Yes, this is perfect!”  Marge wiped away the tears smudging her face with some dirt.  Her laughter bubbled up and out.

Stan smiled and carefully wiped the smudge off her cheek.

“You did it Stan.”  Marge said.  “You did it.” 

My Short Short for the Day

“Alright Max, you can do this.”  Max bolstered up some courage, crouched down and pushed up and out.  He imagined himself as a kangaroo.  Strong, powerful legs propelling him into the air and over the sand.  He felt like he was soaring for so long before he touched down.  When his feet made contact, he instantly bent his knees to ‘absorb the shock’ as his coach would say.  He made sure to throw his arms forward so he wouldn’t lose distance falling back.  He made a solid landing and when he was steady, he straightened up.  He beamed at his coach and teammates who had been cheering him on.  He was so proud.

Slowly it began to dawn on him that everyone was looking at him strangely.  They were smiling but it seemed awkward, not nearly as enthusiastic as he expected from such an amazing jump.  The judges asked him to step out of the long jump pit. 

His coach came over and clapped him on the back.  “At a boy Max.  You really give it a go on that one!”  His smile was off as he lead Max away, talking about what the next event was.

Max stopped and looked back.  Why was everyone acting so weird.  Max watched in disbelief as the judges measured out 1 foot.  1 foot!  He couldn’t believe it.  He had jumped 1 foot.  “A whole foot!”  He shouted.  “I jumped a whole foot!  I’ve never jumped so far in my life!”  Max danced around and laughed.  Then he sought out his parents and saw their smiling faces as they stood and cheered.

When Max twirled around in joy, he saw the smiles on his teammates and coach’s face light up.  Now they were smiling right. 

My Short Short for the Day

The sky lit up with the flashing light.  The air swelled with heat so hot it burned through the treetops.  The wind gnashed at the water, making it froth and churn.  The rumble of thunder boomed like a cannon firing across the sky. 

“Run!  Quick!  Inside!”  Cal shouted, his voice sounding like a whisper as it reached Fran’s ears. 

She was only a foot away but struggled to hear him.  Fran grabbed Ellie and Tommy’s hands, pulling them with her.  Leaning into the wind, she inched her way to the storm shelter’s doors.  Cal yanked the door up and held it as they stumbled down the steps.  Fran landed first and Ellie and Tommy tumbled onto her.  Cal slammed the doors shut and bolted them.  He staggered down the steps as Fran and the children were dusting themselves off. 

“Go sit on the cots while I get you some blankets.”  Fran moved over to the shelves by the bathroom and pulled down two wool blankets.  She shook the dust off and handed one to each child.

“Are we going to die?”  Ellie asked, tears spilling down her cheeks.

“Of course not, stupid.”  Tommy nudged Ellie then put his arm around her.  Even at 10, Tommy acted like the protective big brother. 

Ellie leaned on Tommy.  He’d always been there for her.

Fran smiled as bravely as she could.  “Ok, who wants some popcorn?”

“Me, me, me!”  Ellie and Tommy chimed in together.

Fran walked over to the cupboard and Cal followed.  “What is it Cal?”

“I don’t know.”  Cal rubbed the back of his neck.  “It’s nothing like I’ve ever seen before.”

Fran saw the fear in his eyes, and she shivered.  The hair on her arms stood up.  She quickly unrolled her sleeves to cover them up.  Cal looked at her questioningly.  “Just goose bumps.  It’s kind of chilly down here.”  She forced a smile as she filled a bowl with already made popcorn.

“Here you go!  Fresh from the bag!”  Fran laughed as she tossed a piece into the air and caught it.  Ellie and Tommy laughed, trying to imitate her.

Cal watched his wife.  Something was wrong.  This storm wasn’t right, and Fran knew it.  What was she hiding?

My Short Short for the Day

Once upon a time there was a little girl who, more than anything else, wanted to be a superhero.  So, one day she became that superhero.  The End.

“Dad!  That’s not a story.”

Or was it The End?  No, in fact, it was just the beginning.  She not only became a superhero, but she became the best superhero in the world!  The End.

“Dad!! It has to be longer than that.”

But that wasn’t The End, it was only the beginning.  Once she had become the best superhero in the world, she decided to travel out beyond the planet.   Since it was totally safe from all criminals now.  And so, she flew out to the nearest planet and made sure it was all safe.  Then to the next planet and the next until all the planets in the universe were totally safe.  And the people lived happily ever after.  The End!

“Seriously Dad?”

And of course, that was not The End!  She got married and had a child and taught that child all the ways of the superhero.  So, when that child grew up, she too became a great superhero to carry on her mother’s superhero-ing. 

“Don’t forget about Sparky.”

One day, when this younger superhero was patrolling the streets of Saber City, she found a scruffy, bundle of fur shivering in a dark alley.  She carefully approached it, talking softly as she moved.  When she was close enough, she saw that it was a puppy.  It looked so sad and scared.  She gently picked it up, carried it home and with her mother’s help, nursed it back to health.  It no time it became the greatest superhero sidekick ever!  The End!

“Dad!!!”

Or was it?

My Short Short for the Day

“If you could fly, where would you go?”  Eldin looked intently at Sari’s face.

“Well, I would fly as high up as I could into the sky.  Beyond the trees.  Beyond the clouds.  Beyond the stars.  I would keep flying for as far as I could.  For as long as I could.”  Sari looked down at her hands as she talked.  Her voice was soft and wistful.

“Would you visit other planets or universes?”  Eldin looked up at the sky imagining distant worlds.

“No.  I would just fly out into the inky, darkness of space.  I would keep flying until I could fly no more.  Then I’d stop.  I’d close my eyes and let go.”  Sari tilted her head upwards.  A gentle smile settled on her face and her eyes sparkled.

Eldin looked over.  He could see the sadness in her eyes.  He could hear the sadness in her voice.  But her smile was so peaceful and serene.  He wanted to touch her cheek, caress it.  He raised his hand.

“I would let myself drift until forever ends.”  Sari slowly turned to look at Eldin. 

He dropped his hand and stared helplessly.  Her sparkling eyes undid him.

“I should go now.  Mother will be worried.”  Sari stood.  She was still smiling as she looked down at him. 

Eldin stood abruptly.  “I can walk you.”

“No, thank you.  I should go alone.”  Sari turned and took a few steps away, then stopped.  “Same time tomorrow?”

“Yes, of course.  I’ll be here.”  Eldin blushed slightly and watched her walk away.  He stared for a long time, even after she had disappeared from view. ‘So much sadness and wonder.  What was it like being her?”