Welcome to the Weekly Challenge Number One Hundred And Seventy-Four, 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… was…. um…
It’s Over the falls in a barrel.
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):
Lynda
I killed my fifth husband on our wedding night. You know how it is.
To cover it up, I thought I’d take him to Niagara, do the whole traditional over the falls bit. People die doing that all the time.
The hippie by the side of the road guaranteed his magic barrel would change my life. Didn’t tell me it would bring that old bastard back from the dead and keep me from dying when we hit the rocks. The doctor tells me I’ll probably be like this for the rest of my life. My husband visits me every day.
Josh
The power was off, so were our computers. Management was telling us that we can go home, in my mind I’m already gone; paddling through the break, warm saltwater and sparkling sunshine bathing my body. Dolphins leap from the aquamarine and urge me to join them. Throwing our heads back we laugh and click at our good fortunes. Suddenly A dark wave rises and barrels above us enveloping and sucking me over the falls. I surface gasping and see to my horror that someone had harpooned the dolphins ,a shark gnawed my leg and the power was back on.
TJ
One of my favorite short-lived productions ever was Bryan Fuller’s “Wonderfalls,” centered around Niagara Falls souvenir shopgirl Jaye Tyler, a post-grad slacker with an undemanding job and a highly demanding family. There’s a twist of fate regarding a Maid of the Mist who went over the falls to save her tribe with the words “I surrender to destiny.” When inanimate objects – or “muses – begin to talk to her, Jaye finds she too must surrender to destiny to help those around her in her own unique and quirky way. The DVD set brings great closure to some fantastic storytelling in “Wonderfalls.”
Guy David
I should have guessed it was a bad idea to sneak up to a live show in a barrel. First of all, I couldn’t see a thing. What’s worst, my barrel was hanging by a thread and I could feel it slowly snapping to the sound of throbbing guitars. As I fell on Mark E. Smith, I discovered how tough his head really is. After they took both me and the barrel to the emergency room, the live show continued as if nothing happened. I later saw the pictures in the newspaper. I did take The Fall much too seriously.
Jeff
This was nothing new to Jack. He had done crazy things all his life. In the 1920’s he had even gone of the falls in a barrel. But, that was before the world had gone sue crazy. How had his wife put it? “Look I did something stupid, and you didn’t stop me, it is your fault.”
But, this was a new one even for him. He never thought he would do something like this. His right hand still ached some from the book worth of waivers he had to sign to pull this off as he gripped the plunger.
Danny
“…. he crawled in and sealed it up from the inside. I kicked him right into the river like he told me. Right has he went over the falls though, a flying saucer appeared and beamed him up. It was the craziest thing. Never saw Kirby again.”
The grandchildren rolled their eyes.
“They came for me the next night and …. where are you going?”
“Outside to play Grandpa, we are too old for your stories.”
Kickball in the backyard was short lived when the lights appeared in the sky. Grandpa put on his foil hat.
Anima
Go ahead – nail the lid shut!
I sit on the edge of Niagra Falls, getting closed into a wooden barrel. How do these things happen to me? Don’t answer that, I KNOW how they happen. If I live, remind to never EVER play “Truth or Dare” with the Knievel clan again.
I picked “Dare”, because I didn’t want to risk having to tell the truth about which of the show girls I had been sleeping with (none of them). Or worse, that Uncle Evel might ask which of the show horses I fancy… (all of them…). Minor peccadillos ….
Norval
Students milled through the University cafeteria unaware of Andrew sitting alone a table.
He spoke to his food. “Low calorie meals taste ok if you put enough butter on them.”
He watched her approach, balancing a large green salad in one hand, an armload of books in the other.
They both wore the uniform of the perpetual dieter; sweat pants and a loose t-shirt. Though hers were a feminine pink.
“May I eat lunch with you,” she asked?
He looked into her eyes. His heart felt like it went over a waterfall in a barrel.
He fell deeply in love.
Justin
One day boredom had sucked away several hours, so I decided to make a flying barrel. When I finished it, I decided to fly it to the river and go fishing. I dropped my line in the deepest waters. I fooled all the smart fish because I had no boat. I caught a huge fish. It pulled me like a balloon down the river. I saw it when it leaped down the waterfall. I soared, scales glinting in the sun. I shot skyward, fish in tow. Ocean bound, I hoped to use my prize to catch an even bigger fish.
Planet Z
Yuri of Kyyv, inventor Iron Beak of Baba Yega, great cannon of empire. Make boat for soldier, swim underwater like sturgeon fish
He call it submarine.
Soldier get in barrel, barrel go in river, not sink but buoyancy. When barrel get to city, soldier come out and burn city.
War is win.
He get five hundred troops to storm Karelia.
Submarine placed in Suna River, troops float downstream.
Kivach waterfall break barrel, drown all soldier, and Yuri executed by Tsar Rudolva.
Yuri funeral very popular, good times. Much vodka drink, much barrel of pickles.
Surprise barrel have drowned soldier.
Disgusting!
Wow, the crowd has most resoundingly spoken. Which is weird, since the guide given for these things recently is write a word, and repeat 99 times (or write “a word” and repeat 49 times — a bit repetitive and lacking in narrative). Stories it is ;)