After every storm, the crews come out with their chainsaws and their big trucks and they chop up and move any trees and branches that fall on the road. And there are guys that go from house to house knocking on doors. And for a few days or a few weeks there’s a few chopped up trunks over the bike paths or the curbs and a few cherry pickers in yards trimming those branches that should’ve been trimmed back years ago. By the time things are cleaned up, and the roads are clear, the forecast calls for yet another storm.
Raul
Raul was the life of the party. He led the room with music, singing, dancing, drinking, and merriment. He kept the party going. And then, when he was tired, he grabbed his coat, scarf, and cane, and gave a loud cheer as he walked out the door. Music, singing, dancing, and everything stopped. Everyone just stood there staring. All the life was gone from the party as Raul left, then came a knock at the door, it was Raul. The party started back up, but he said I forgot my hat. He put it on and left, the party stopped.
Richard – The Grandfather Clock
The Grandfather Clock
The old grandfather clock in the hall stands silent, as it has for many years. Hands paused permanently at two minutes to midnight.
That’s when it happened. And those hands bear silent witness to those awful events, all those years ago.
I’ve grown up with it, and just as my parents did with me, my kids are told to go look at the clock whenever they’ve misbehaved.
It’s a solemn reminder to them of the penalties of naughtiness.
There’s no truth to the story of course, my parents made it up, but it doesn’t half keep the kids in check!
Weekly Challenge #1069 – Midnight
- Lizzie
- Lisa
- Norval Joe
- Serendipidy
- Tom
- Planet Z
The next topic is PICK TWO
Pulling
Frost
Mod
Bitter
An empty glass
LIZZIE
Midnight. Everyone was sleeping. Except for the village ghost. He liked to pretend he was still alive so he wore a top hat. As he walked past one of the houses, he saw two candles burning. Weren’t they all asleep? He wiped the window with his ghostly sleeve and peeked in. Empty. He swayed inside through the wall. Empty. He swayed back outside. Nobody. Suddenly, someone tapped on his shoulder. He shrieked, his top hat hanging on for dear life. Millie, the four-year old, was looking at him, snickering. Yes, this one would keep him busy for years to come.
LISA
Late Start.
Midnight crept silently into the bedroom. Curtains still open. The watchful smile of a nail clipping moon. She didn’t stay long, two followed one, four followed three. Dawn brought a subtle seam of red on morning’s skirt.
Still they both slumbered.
Cow heavy and aching she woke with a start. Relief leaking immediately at his first cries. A shock to hear them here at this hour. Familiar but disorientating; cars on their way to work. Not the still of night; unsettling until realisation hits:
A first night sleeping through.
Needed.
A milestone.
Presaging a better day beginning for them both.
NORVAL JOE
“It’s nearly midnight,” Mandi said, walking out of the kitchen with a hotdog on a plate. She had spilled ketchup down the front of her t-shirt and trying to clean it off, she only smeared it, making a bigger mess.
Billbert jumped when Sabrina looked at Mandi and screamed, “Stop her. She’s going to kill Billbert!”
Mandi jumped as well, the hot dog slipping from her plate.
Billbert grabbed Sabrina’s shoulder. “It’s ketchup, Sabrina. It’s not blood.”
“Oh,” Sabrina panted. She put a hand to her forehead. “I’m going to be sick,” she gasped, and she ran for the bathroom.
SERENDIPIDY
I’ve never figured out why it’s called the Witching Hour.
What self-respecting witch will be out and about at midnight? You can’t go shopping that time of night, and there’s no-one about to frighten and torment.
Late afternoon is when you really want to hit the streets. Ample opportunity to frighten kids on their way home from school, lots of people crossing to the other side of the road to avoid you, and plenty of unsuspecting victims to creep up upon.
And the best thing of all?
Coffee shops are still open after a long afternoon of witchery!
TOM
I went to a Catholic grade school, dam near ended up in the minor seminary; but that would be another story including Pope Leo. In those days one had a severely limited choice of clothing. Green shirt, green tie, black pants. The only optional clothing was a gray sweat-shirt, worn in the cold months. When the boys reached fifth grade we showed are distain for the dress-code by turning the sweat-shirts inside out. We rebels, the Sisters of Mercy were not. They thought they could wear us down. I saw a picture of 2010 eighth grade class inside out forever.
Deal with the devil
So, I’m standing at the cross roads, hunter’s moon above, round about midnight. I figure appear at a distance slowing moving towards me. “Son, you inquired about my services?” said the shadowy figure. I nodded my head. “Well, a contract seems to be in order before we proceed. What you’ll will to be putting up for the gift I would richly can reward.?” I thought for a second then figured what the hell. “My brother Rudy’s soul.” The figure laughed, “You are a dick, but I like your hutzpah, son.” “I want to the greatest Kazoo player who ever lived.”
PLANET Z
Of the black cats I’ve owned, I’ve never named one midnight. I mean, it’s as bad as naming one ironically Whitey. Now, I’ll call my old black cat Missy midnight murder mittens now and then, but it’s not her real name. And she doesn’t respond to it. She barely responds to her own name. She usually responds to good kid or breakfast or lunch. Or shaking the treats. You know that kind of stuff or if I’m petting her and she decides to bite me, she’ll respond to me yelling in pain. By biting more of course. Because cats suck.
Pops
Back in the day, Pops played for state. The thing is, he can’t tell you which state. And it turns out there’s more than just state universities and colleges. Lots of places end in state. He can’t even tell you what he played. He just knows he got knocked around a lot, ran a bunch, hit a few things with something. Probably his head, he jokes, and then stares off in the distance like he does. We called around and sent emails, but nobody will confirm it. he doesn’t have a diploma, he never graduated, considering his awful brain damage
Lots of tennis courts
The school had lots of tennis courts, but Edgar didn’t like tennis. There were two full-size gyms, but Edgar wasn’t in a basketball either. There was a running track around an immaculately kept football field with a huge scoreboard, but Edgar didn’t do either. The two swimming pools had no appeal, and multiple baseball on softball diamonds weren’t of interest. The varsity, junior, varsity, and practice soccer fields or full every year, but Edgar never went out for any of those. And yet, he lettered all four years. Nobody knew what he lettered in, the jacket still fit really snazzily.
The Doris races
It’s kinda hard to compete in soap box racing when you live in a flat village. No hills, not even a high road or overpass. The kids of Doris, Indiana went to the next town over to try out their vehicles on Carson Street. It didn’t have much of an incline, and it was not quite long enough for regulation. And it ended in Parson McPherson‘s driveway. He put up a bunch of hay bales in front of his garage for the kids who didn’t have brakes on their cars. Eventually, Doris rigged up a track using high school bleachers..
The best in town
Darwin runs the outpost in the pipeline sector. He jokingly calls the tavern, the best beer in town. He brews his own out back, and it’s pretty bad. And he makes the absolute worst pizza to go with it. I mean, the dough and the sauce and cheese it makes you nostalgic for that horrible sheet pizza they made in the cafeteria at school. If you don’t like it, he says, he points out the door. The next town is more than a week hike through the snow. We all laugh. This is why I have whiskey flown in monthly.
The town lottery
Back in my day, when we held the town lottery, we didn’t use foam rubber rocks to throw at the sacrifice for the harvest symbolically. We used real rocks. Actual people got sacrificed and killed. None of this dodgeball crap where the kids are laughing and the sacrifice gets up and the mayor hands them a basket of cookies or a new toaster. There was real blood. There was real fear. And the crops, they came in much better and bigger and tastier. And the way you kids act, I wouldn’t mind hucking a rock at your damn fool heads.
A little lucky
Every day, Dan showed up at the shelter with his daughter Sarah. She’d pick out a black cat, name it Lucky, and take it home. She was so happy, petting and feeding Lucky. While she slept, Dan drove Lucky to the shelter, where Dan would show up with Sarah to pick out Lucky again. A new volunteer asked about this, the shelter coordinator said look at the girl’s head, it wasn’t quite right. Her hair covered… something. A bump? A divot? There was a crack in Dan’s windshield, a dent in the bumper. It’s all she knows, so play along.