The celebratory vibe continues this week at the ranch, where dreams are coming true. Carrot Ranch 
March 22, 2018, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story using the theme “follow your dreams.” Bonus points for throwing a badge into the tale. Go where the prompt leads. I have come up with two different and unrelated responses to the prompt and am posting them together. Please enjoy both and do go to the ranch to see other writers’ responses or to join in yourself.
Render by D. Avery
“It’s too tight”, Marlie complained as her mother hurriedly strapped her into her car seat. Today she’d made her mother late because she’d been absorbed watching a moth ensnared in a spider web, hopelessly struggling, its wings rendered useless.
Craft time was underway when Marlie arrived. Though unsure what the others were making she quickly got herself some sticks and yarn too. Her thoughts swam in the colorful weave of her careful work.
“Nice Dream Catcher, Marlie. It looks just like a colorful spider web.”
Marlie paused, then loosened the yarn, undid each wrap and weave, dismantling her creation.
###
Deferment by D. Avery
All schoolmates, they were drinking, again. Billy was talking again about how he was going to go out west, see the sights, settle down in California and grow grapes, run a vineyard.
“Jeezus, Billy, you still on that? You and Stevie- ‘We’re gonna have a vineyard, get rich farmin’ wine’-”
“Whatever happened to Stevie?”
The bartender, their former coach, laughed, showed them a bottle. “Look at the label.”
“I’ll be damned.”
“Shit.” Billy guzzled the rest of his beer, grunting as he stiffly got to his feet. “Gotta get back to the wife and kids.”
“See ya tomorrow, Billy.”
####
(By the way, the book has been written on dream pursuit. Look to your right and click on Chicken Shift.)
ShiftnShake 
Hmm, Two sad stories about dreams lost. Life steps in the way sometimes and side-tracks us, as it did for Billy. The dream remains but without action it’s not a real dream. As long as bitterness doesn’t develop, the side-track can offer a reasonable alternative. I feel saddest for Marlie who didn’t want to have her work pigeon-holed, though I’m not quite sure why the teacher would have labelled it a Dream Catcher.
You’re right – Chicken Shift is a great book about dream pursuit.
LikeLiked by 1 person
No, Marlie is fine. She dismantled the dream catcher to save her dreams, to keep them from having the moth’s fate. (she didn’t know that they are supposed to trap only bad dreams) Dream Catcher. google it.
Billy is just lazy. All talk. Remember I shared that video about the skateboarder who said there’s wishers and talkers and doers? Billy talks. His friend Stevie got up and did.
Thanks for coming by Norah. I always appreciate your visits.
LikeLike
A fine pairing of dream statements. One protects her dreams and the other gave his up to be caught by another. I’ve read that when the muse gives us stories to write, we are not the only ones — so write up! We need to follow where the chickens lead! (Fine book of chicken poetry straight from the muse, past the web and the grasp of other).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you kindly for your visit and kindly nagging.
Bad news, Boss, the muse has left no stories with me. Thank Goodness for you and your weekly prompting. I write, 99 words at a time. 198, 297, 396, 495…
(PS, Wordsmith, check out those numbers, do you see all the patterns?)
LikeLiked by 2 people
It’s okay to hear silence from the Muse. We never stop hunting for stories and word arrangements in the quiet places between the last one and the next.
Rumi wrote, “In silence there is eloquence. Stop weaving and watch how the pattern improves.” I see the pattern! Thanks for pointing it out. It reminds me of backward subtraction.
LikeLike
Pingback: Follow Your Dreams « Carrot Ranch Literary Community
You made me think a tad to wonder if anyone I knew actually ‘made it big’ by following their dreams.
I may not have ‘made it big’ but frankly, I’m darned happy with where I am. 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Jules, if you are happy where you are, you made it. Big time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
These are both interesting pieces. Quite opposite thoughts.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I suppose they are opposites. But both ideas brought on by Charli’s prompt… i just let the ideas out to play here. (Like your puppies tumbling across the keys?) Thanks for coming by!
LikeLiked by 1 person