One of my favorite writing games is something I call three words. I post three words and encourage you to write a flash fiction piece containing those three words. If you would like to challenge me – post three words for me and next week I will post a piece of flash fiction using your words. Enjoy!
Three Words
Flash Fiction
Using the three words: Mac & Cheese, People Magazine, and Chevy Nova (from J. A. Bennett) I flipped through a copy of People's Magazine. It was six months old and I probably had the whole thing memorized. But it was the only thing in the house to read that was above a first grade reading level. It had been a while since I had been able to grab a new magazine from the stands. Usually I had to leave the grocery store in a hurry and would forget it.
I heard the familiar sound of the pot rattling on the stove and went to go check. Sure enough the water was boiling. I ripped open the box of Mac & Cheese and fished in the noddles for the cheese pouch, spilling the contents on the counter in the process. I brushed the stray noddles back into the box and then dumped it over the pot of water.
"Mommy!" My son, Nicholas, called from his room. "Is it ready yet!"
"In a minute!" I call back to him, smiling. He never could wait for his dinner. "How are your brother and sister doing?"
"Fine, they are playing with my truck."
What four year old shares with is siblings so well? I asked myself. He sure is a special kid.
Just then I heard the garage door open and the sound of the Chevy Nova pulling in. My husband was home early tonight.
John came in and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Hello dear."
"Hello!" I told him. "Your home early."
"You said you wanted to have dinner as a family more often. What's cooking?"
My heart warmed, it must have been hard for him to get away just to fulfill a silly request of mine.
He looked in the pot and smiled. "Mmmm....."
I heard a loud beep and the edges of my vision started to turn red. With I sigh I reached up and removed the reality device from my head.
The scene around me vanished and was replaced by plain black walls. I stripped the remaining sensors form my clothing and collected them in a ball. Exiting the alternate reality chamber I found an attendant waiting. I handed him all the equipment.
"I always wonder," he told her, "what people go in their to experience."
I smiled sadly and walked away from him, out the building, and into my waiting hover car. As I sped toward my sterile, lonely apartment I thought of the attendants comments. Our dreams. I thought. We go to the alternate reality center to experience our dreams, to have what we do not.
