Welcome to the Weekly Challenge Number One Hundred And Five, where I post a topic and then challenge you to come up with a 100 word story based on that topic.
The topic this week was selected by Evamoon, who is going for broke with…
It’s Taboo.
The excellent theme music is by Guy David
VOTING
Go ahead and listen to them and then vote for your favorites (multiple selections are allowed):
CALEB
Alright fellas, listen up! This bread is my body. And this grape jelly, this is my blood; my sweet, congealed blood. And this peanut butter is my uh” my holy spirit? Put them all together like so and”
mmmm” I am DELICIOUS!
Wow, you have got to try this!
“but uh Jesus, we can”t have bread right now, it”s Passover!”
Oh come on, that old taboo? Don”t be so superstitious, Pete.
“But Jesus, won”t your father smite us?”
It”s the holidays, I got my boys right here, I”ve got this awesome sandwich, what could go wrong?
“Praetorian Guard! Open up!”
ALMO
Traffic on the beltway was a maze stuffed with hundreds of rats. The civic cut me off to move three car-lengths. When I got beside him, I flipped him the bird and felt better.
The bar was hot and crowded. They guy next to me elbowed my beer, sloshing it on my shirt. “Asshole,” I said. I felt better.
The convenience store line crawled. The kid in front of me was turning out his pants pockets looking for change. “C’mon,” I said, finally exasperated. “You’re holding everyone up.”
I felt better. Then he turned around and shot me.
GUY DAVID
Here at Taboo unlimited, we concentrate on creating the most modern and up to date taboos, ranging from technology driven superstitions to new age health food misconceptions. Right now, we are working on a very special set of taboos, ordered especially by a wealthy martian tycoon. We use the latest technology to create this taboo that makes people think robots are immoral and deplorable. It’s amazing what you could do using social networking and other web 2.0 techniques. It works like clockwork, only, we just discovered clockworks are the weapon of robots. I think we might be done for it.
TOM
Maria set the easy bake in front of the steamer truck. Allan opened the lid to reveal wafer upon wafer of titanium conductors. “Here”s the deal Mave we will bleed the time goo you got in that tin into the Hub and up to the topside. It”ll take about 35 years. According to the Book it”s got a steep draw back, major fertility drop.” “What”s this going to cost Allan?” ask the wearier time travel. “Inter family mating.” Cervantes Victorian sensible heaved at the breach in taboo. “In fact you might want to leave a little something before you go.”
TERRY TEE
Launch Director Haroldson pushed his secretary’s slim body off his, wrapped a towel around himself, while turning up the sound on the TV. He heard the announcer speak of substandard workmanship and materials as being the main causes to the Phoenix’s demise. All of which, where traced back to the Chinese manufacturing plants that had won the rights to building the spacecraft’s landing module.
Well, that was nothing new, he thought, but as everyone knew, the current administration had made it taboo to criticize the Chinese in order to gain their support and their money for the mission to Mars.
EVAMOON
“I thought they”d be round, like apples!”
“Better than apples,” came a languid reply from the branches.
She peered into the dense foliage of the tree, trying to make out the
sinuous form hidden in the shadows. The branches were heavy with ripe fruit.
Her hand barely reached around the long, fleshy cylinder as she plucked it.
Its bulbous end released an unfamiliar aroma that filled her head.
“Would you like to know how to properly enjoy the fruit of this tree?”
She hesitated for a moment, but her appetite was stirred.
“I really shouldn”t.”
The long body uncoiled and rose. “It will be our little secret.”
PLANET X
As he paced along the HMS Resolution deck, Captain Cook stared at his first officer and shouted, “It’s tapu to eat that damn fruit?”
“No sir”, Lieutenant Clerke responded, “The chief said it was taboo or forbidden to eat the fruit from the sacred tree”
“Taboo or not, that fruit is essential to preventing scurvy amongst the crew, why look at Old Murduck Mahoney on the last voyage” Cook replied.
“Sir, the chief said, no one was to eat that fruit, and sir, they don’t have the taboo of making a sandwich out of me or you” Lieutenant Clerke replied.
JD
John 316 steps into the corridor.
Behind him the hatch, with a quite click, slides closed.
His calloused feet absorb the cold of the steel deck as he shivers in the darkness, eyes adjusting.
To his left and right pitch black meet his searching gaze.
Before him, illuminated by the dull red glow of a bulb in the overhead, a ladder stretches upward into darkness.
The boys, his brothers, in cratch 17-C-34 had taunted him because of his frailty.
They had always forced him to their will.
Now they had dared him.
He had broken the first taboo.
CRAIG
Ellen glided through the patio door without a sound till she was almost touching me.
Placing her hand on my shoulder she turned me to gaze deeply into her eyes, her hands then grabbed my collar pulling me closer.
With her silken honey voice Ellen said “engage me”.
Normally I reveled in her little challenges, I mean what else could create such delightful friction in my life.
This time however I was unnerved even a bit frightened as I sank deeper into her her eyes.
Ellen repeated “engage me” her words invited me on a road I knew was Taboo
THOMAS
” A screamer, she had to be a screamer”, John thought, looking at his new bride. Providence gave him her so he could bless her and she him. He believed this marriage was ordained of God, but she didn’t seem to . Only eleven she’s a woman sooner than his other wives, however youth was no excuse to resist.
The Prophets knew. He knew. Soon she too would know the truth, submitting to him as unto God.
She sobbed as he wiped the blood from her mouth, gave her a long kiss, then forced himself onto her, eager for the next lesson.
STEVEN
Samantha always knew the exact location of the door. She knew the
ways to exit any room. She knew when to run, when to hide, when to
agree, when to be silent. These lessons were her mother’s gifts.
His rampages were a time for silence.
She did not flinch as bits of smashed vase skittered across the
kitchen floor. The vase was her mother’s. A shard came to rest
against her toe.
She looked up at him, angry in the kitchen doorway.
Samantha always knew the exact location of the door.
She also knew the exact location of the icepick.
DAPHNE
Thing that are taboo down here aren’t on the surface and some the things that were taboo up there… well no one really cares about anymore. You just need to learn how things are different and respect the society we have going here. Most of our taboos are about personal space and privacy. We welcome all new comers, we are very happy you made it here safely. Just treat ever living creature down here with respect and you will fit in okay. And I mean every living creature… do you get that? Yes, even the rats and mice.
ANIMA
Crudites. Chateaubriand. Cheesecake
Sumptuous meals are her waking thoughts. Savory dishes she would eat, once she could fit into her wedding dress. It would mean so much to mother.
Mum was aghast when Sandy ballooned to a size 6. All those summers at fat camp, for naught. Never mind that Chick Corea could trade licks with Gary Burton on her ribcage. Or that she broke her ankle slipping thru the sewer grate.
Sandy pulls her feeding tube to go puke again. She’d look good in that Vera Wang confection, even if it kills her.
Only 5 more pounds”
LAIEANNA
Big city, little light, and a whole lot of people moving around.
Momma squeezed my hand tight as she dragged me through the crowds. We
raced past drunks and browsers, and pushed through groups watching
street entertainers. The best attracted the most, only having to
compete with the shocking. Like Naked Art, a group of unclothed men
and women who did things to each other right on the street. All the
appalled people couldn’t stop watching. Momma whisked me away as fast
as we had come to them, but I promised myself one day I would come
back for more.
MIKE A
“…and so, Jarrod Rasmun, by reason of your repeated
and willful violations of our people’s strongest
taboo,
this council finds you guilty of violating the honor
of our village. The ancient penalty for this crime is
– death.”
“Most High Chief, I respectfully submit myself,” and
here Rasmun motioned to a nearby slave, “represented
by…”
“Not this time, Mr. Rasmun,” the elder interrupted.
“Your contempt for our laws and customs is clear.
Your
previous transgressions have cost five men an eye and
a hand each; it is they, who will carry out your
sentence.
You see – matters of honor are always personal.”
SOUGENT
Body parts lay scattered around him.
Zombies are tough customers all right, they keep coming even when all that’s left of them are pieces.
With a crunch, he stomped on a disembodied hand that was attempting to climb up his pant leg.
What a mess. At least he didn’t have to worry about the locals making a fuss, zombies were taboo in this neck of the woods, there would be nothing said and shortly after sunrise there wouldn’t be any sign of this conflict, the locals would see to that.
He’d sent a pointed message tonight, but would anyone listen?
PLANET Z
It’s game night tonight, but we can’t decide on a game.
I want to play Monopoly. But nobody ever lets me be the banker.
My wife’s got great eye-hand coordination, so Jenga’s her choice.
Bobby knows all sorts of useless trivia, so Trivial Pursuit’s his game.
And Little Suzie, well, she’s only six, but what a mouth she has on her! I don’t know where she learned all she knows for playing Taboo, but she hasn’t lost a match yet.
This is how fights start.
I guess I’d better fill up the pitcher and get out the quarters again.