#99Word Stories; Dishes & #SSS; Blur

The January 30, 2023 story challenge from Charli Mills at Carrot Ranch is to: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about the dishes. It can be the every-single-day activity, a precious collection, or any other interpretation of dishes as objects or activities. Who is stuck with the dishes and why? Go where the prompt leads! Submit at Carrot Ranch by February 4, 2022.

These two scenes feature characters who debuted in The Verge and who have shown up for Six Sentences and 99 word challenges off and on. The word from Denise for this week’s Six Sentence challenge is “blur”. Link HERE to join in.

Breaking Tradition (99 words) by D. Avery

“House warming gift,” Aunt Helen said.  Daddy lifted paper from the box.

“You said you could use some dishes.”

“Momma’s China set! We were never allowed to touch these. I don’t think they ever got used.”

“Not even at Christmas.”

“What am I supposed to do with these?”

“Use them!”

“What if they break?”

“What if?” And Aunt Helen raised a plate over her head and smashed it down on the floor! “I’m not going to be stuck with these dishes.” She let me break one too.

“Every day,” she said, looking right at me, “Is to be celebrated.”

Seeing Straight  (Six sentences in 99 words) by D. Avery

Me and Aunt Helen picked up takeout while Daddy walked to the package store, then we set the little table in our new apartment with those fancy dishes. We shared lo mein out of a dish Helen called a tureen and we all drank out of tea cups with saucers.

Katie called and Daddy told us that Katie said dirtying dishes missed the point of takeout. Helen laughed and said that was the point. She laughed even more when Daddy said Katie said he was blurring his words.

“Splained it’s a family celebration of clean slates and dirty dishes.”

Be sure to go to Carrot Ranch to read the complete “Optimism” collection from last week. And there’s always the Ranch Yarns with Kid and Pal’s responses HERE.