- Lewie
- Lizzie
- Richard
- Tom
- Serendipidy
- Norval Joe
- Planet Z
LEWIE
As the tour guide brought the group through a museum, a cheesy cover band was in one room playing ambient music of slicing, shredding, and melting cheese on a grill, another member was stretching mozzarella, while another was intensely focused curing a wheel of cheddar.
The exhibit itself was full of various sculptures of hats, swords, animals, flowers, and more. They were colorful and seemed to wave in the air. It almost seemed as if static electricity drew them towards you. In each room, the artist could be heard twisting, rubbing, and shaping new sculptures made of vibrant, colorful balloons.
LIZZIE
Slow down, she cried. The streets were empty. A strict curfew was in force. We can’t slow down, he whispered. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward. He couldn’t leave her behind. She was his world. She had taught him to believe that everything could go back to what it was. That’s when he saw them. The three red orbs, scanning the alleyway. He instinctively covered her body with his, right before they fired. Years later, she told their child, now the leader of a democratic country, the story of that day when they had to run and hide.
RICHARD
I’m with the band
He was in a cover band; they called themselves Fan Halen.
He played guitar. In his mind he could shred like Eddie, but to be absolutely honest, his two-handed tapping was just a mess of fumbling fingers and he was the only guitarist I knew who routinely ended up with pick-related injuries.
The rest of the band were pretty awful too, and behind their backs we used to refer to them as Van Failin’!
I drove them to all their gigs, and despite the dreadful music, I always stayed for the whole show.
Why?
Two words – the groupies!
TOM
1040
by my reckoning this week is the 20th year at the challenge. So thank to L for what was a long strange trip it’s been.
Dawn patrol
It was 4-a-clock in Montmartre. The locales were hosing down the street from the debris of the swarms of Germans and Russians had pasted. I had slowed down to a sub-stroll among the glittering empty streets. Circling out from the main square I came upon a rather shabby structure and it’s garage. In a dormer window was this abstract stick model. A small sign in front of the build quietly stated this was Pabla Picasso’s studio. No fanfare, just acknowledgment. Best sculpture gallery in the city of light. If you ever get a chance to visit, throw away the guidebook, wander.
SERENDIIDY
Slow down!
I know it’s late, and the empty streets are dark and deserted.
You’re scared, and that’s understandable. You’re rushing, focussed on getting to your destination as quickly as possible.
You walk briskly, glancing over your shoulder, avoiding alleyway entrances, ears attuned to any unexpected sound.
But, there’s really no need to rush. Slow down, take it easy, savour the moment, you can afford to take your time, I promise you.
You see, no matter what you do, whether you dawdle or sprint, I’m going to get you anyway.
So, make the most of the time you have left.
NORVAL JOE
“Slow down, a minute,” Sabrina said. “You don’t expect Loony Bin to come on a special mission like this. I don’t mean to shred your hopes about a happy little threesome heading off on a great adventure. But she just doesn’t fit.”
From the first time he met Sabrina, she had insisted on making all of his choices for him, and now Billbert was fed up. “First of all,” he growled at her. “I want you to stop calling Mindi names. And second of all, she’s been a friend of mine for a long time, and she fits to me.”
PLANET Z
When I was very sick, I kept extensive notes and every receipt and doctors report.
I deducted all of the healthcare expenses, and eventually I got better.
After a while, the notes and receipts were taking up a lot of space in my closet.
So I dragged out the paper shredder and fed the documents in one by one.
A few minutes later, the shredder slowed down.
The overheating light came on.
I went out for a walk, came back, and continued shredding.
Until the light came back on again.
Eventually, the bin was empty.
And I got sick again.