Blog Chain: Here’s a story….

Today’s super creative idea comes from Michelle. Her orders: In 100 words or less, write a story using the words ride, post, soulless, local, dehydrator, girdle. Your story may take on any form you wish. The only two rules are 1. you can’t simply list the 6 words; you must actually craft them into something creative, and 2. you must use ALL six of them.

Here goes….

“You knew what you were getting into,” said my mother. This was her way of not saying “I told you so” when that’s exactly what she wanted to say.
I pretended I didn’t hear her. Joe’s practicality was what drew me to him. When we met, I was the girl who would run around her street half-naked on a dare. He said he needed someone like me to loosen him up. I needed someone like him to avoid another fine for indecent exposure. Match made in heaven. Our first date was a ride to the local used car dealership to trade in his gas guzzler for a more economical vehicle. “Big step for a first date,” said my friend Cathy. “Not every guy lets his woman give him an opinion on the car he drives.” Inwardly, I gloated. He had big plans for me! I should have paid more attention who the comment came from. Cathy’s boyfriend bought her girdles for every occasion. The only thing he switched up was the color. For Valentine’s Day, he bought her a girdle decorated with pink hearts. “I think the hearts are his way of saying ‘I love you’,” said Cathy squeezing into the monstrosity.
My mother’s eyes bore into me. “Honey,” said said, voice soft, contradicting her soulless eyes. “A fruit and vegetable dehydrator is not love.”
I opened my mouth to speak, and she put her hand up–her signal she wasn’t finished. “I know after he bought that horrendous, used, puce punch buggy, he drove you to Trader Joe’s to pick out a snack for your picnic. I know you both reached for the dehydrated strawberries at the same time. Getting you the dehydrator is still not romantic.”
“You don’t understand,” I said. But she did. Maybe it would have been romantic if he remembered reaching for the strawberries at the same time, but truth was he didn’t. Maybe it would have been romantic if he didn’t also buy a packet of beef jerky to meet the necessary monetary amount that would qualify him for free shipping. Maybe it would have been romantic if he had not attached a post-it to the box that said, “To the girl who understands how not to suck the life out of someone.”
But Cathy teared up when I told her. ” That’s the best compliment a guy can give. I think it’s his way of saying ‘I love you’,” she said.

OK, so it’s more than a hundred words, but I got into it. 🙂

For more tales from the blog chain, read Kat’s entry from yesterday and tune in tomorrow for Sarah’s creation.