3 Words: Token, Gather, Rounded (October 5, 2012 prompt)
The Fourth Wall – The Final Chapter
(Part1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4)
“Now is the time to walk a dangerous road.”
Henchman one and two gulped. Joe the dark frowned at them for such an annoying sound then thought better of it as he realized for once he wanted that kind of a tone.
“Listen up you two. I’m going to monologue the plot of this whole thing now.”
Henchman number one raised his hook, “Um, why now, boss?”
3 Words: Stock, Amass, Cloudy (September 21, 2012 prompt)
The Fourth Wall - Part 4
by Quentin Thayn
“I swear you two are the stupidest people I know,” said Joe the Dark One. “I’m glad for your sakes that you said all of that before now. If you had spoken just three seconds later much of what we’re doing, which is nothing more than working on this train set I might add, would be out in the open for all the do-gooders to read.”
“Huh?” said henchman one and two in unison.
Joe hit them both with a flyswatter. “Shut up! You almost said something leading again! Just don’t talk! ‘Kay! No talking, no asking questions, and no doing anything other than what I tell you!”
“Joe! Joe!” yelled a woman down the stairs. “Do you and your friends want some Hot Pockets or Cheetos?”
“Damn it, Ma!” screamed Joe the Dark. “I told you not to bother me!”
3 Words: Motivation, Fear, Fourth (September 14, 2012 prompt)
The Fourth Wall – Part 3
by Quentin Thayn
Joe the Dark sat at his worktable. The pair of jeweler glasses made the Dark One’s eyes look four times bigger than normal. Although the effort taxed Dark Joe beyond anything he’d like to admit, he made his best attempt to seem like he was bored.
“What’cha doing with the ammo and explosives, boss?” said henchman number one.
“First off, I told you a million times to call me Joe. Second, I thought I told you to play Plants vs. Zombies or something. And last of all, if you try to make what I’m doing sound interesting again, I swear I’ll punch you in the nuts,” said Joe. The Dark. One. Continue reading →
3 Words: Flight, Change, Optimum (September, 7 2012 prompt)
The Fourth Wall - Part 2
by Quentin Thayn
(Read Part 1 here)
Ed was a nobody. He didn’t know who his mother was, or his father, and he certainly didn’t know who he was. When the basket was left on the doorsteps of the orphanage, all that was on the pathetically short note beyond a self exonerating excuse was the footnote that mentioned his name.
Since then Ed busied himself with his biblical studies and helping old ladies cross Main Street. Ed’s window overlooked the intersection with the heaviest traffic in all of the tri-city area. It seemed when he wasn’t running down to help some poor walker-bound citizen traverse the asphalt to concrete, he was helping the other less fortunate children in their studies.
3 Words: Comma, Unite, Gradual (August 31, 2012 prompt)
The Fourth Wall – Part 1
The Dark One smiled in grim satisfaction as he sealed the last of the Narration Plasma in the lead-lined cask. A flick of his head and the henchmen pulled a lever. The cask descended into the depths of some unnamed and uncharted cave.
“Do it,” the Dark One said.
Explosives on the mouth of the cave pulverized the rock into nothing more than dust. Even through the choking filth that almost blinded him, the Dark One could see that no one would ever enter that cave again.
“Dark One,” said the henchman with a hook for a hand.
“My name is Joe.”
3 Words: Dump, Squash, Ideal (June 22, 2012 prompt)
Forest Friends
by Quentin Thayn
The evil Smoker the Bear cackled. The greenish toxic slime gurgled out of the fifty-five gallon drum into swirling stream, and Smoker the Bear laughed louder. The maniacal plan to poison all of Happy Sunshine Mountains was proceeding as planned despite all of the meddling efforts of those pesky brats.
“Yes, all of Happy Sunshine Mountains will bow down to me,” Smoker the Bear said. Shuffling away from the tipped over barrel as evilly as he could, Smoker the Bear stopped as he thought he heard footsteps. “I know you’re there,” he growled.
3 Words: Sagebrush, Fuse, Grizzled (June 15, 2012 prompt) Part 1
Memento – pt. 2
by Quentin Thayn
Crouching behind the cluster of sagebrush Rhett surveyed the oasis. The desert melted away into patches of thin grass which grew thicker inside the small valley with the spring in the center. The pressboard houses clustered around the spring like men huddling around a fire to escape the night’s chill. Somewhere in the mess of people and livestock Rhett’s sister, Ellie, waited to be rescued.
With any luck Dan had been shouting out empty threats, but in his gut Rhett knew that Dan had been waiting for a chance. Rhett involuntarily touched the holster and the ammo belt at his hip. Next, Rhett looked to the shiny, smooth case of the relic. The little light flashed, as it did every minute or so. Perhaps he might storm in and take his sister then ride on fresh horses to the next oasis. Surely one of the other farms might take him in?
3 Words: Apostrophe, Induce, Wrong (May 18, 2012 prompt)
Submissions
by Quentin Thayn
Tired and weary the KOA sat at his computer, ready to check on his beloved website: Three Suggestions One Thesis. The day had most certainly had been awful and the KOA was ready to blow off some steam in his favorite pastime of laughing at others’ horrid use of punctuation.
Maroon pen in hand the KOA grabbed the stack of freshly printed submissions and flopped down on his fluffy couch. “Let’s see, the first submission is from Don Clapper. This should be good,” the KOA said to himself.
3 words: Purpose Change Tasteless (May 11, 2012 prompt)
The First Kopi Luwac
by Quentin Thayn
Author’s Note: This is a true story ripped from the very pages of history. I’ve taken something like five minutes in meticulous research to shed light on the mysterious origins of the famed drink Kopi Luwac.
“Dude, I’m so high.”
“Yeaaah… man, me too.”
Jared and Trey sat on the dingy sofa laughing for five minutes, then stopped wondering why. They looked at each other and burst out in hoarse giggles.
“Man, you’re chewing on your dreds,” Trey pointed out.
“He ha uuugh,” Jared replied. “Dude, I thought I was eating the wax of the birthday cake that President Lincoln gave me.”
Trey coughed then wiped his nose on his hand, “Man, you’re stupid. We’re in the middle of Montana. I don’t think Lincoln would come out here. Sides, not even your birthday.” Continue reading →
3 Words: Skater, Encompass, Supportive (April 6th, 2012 prompt)
Memento
by Quentin Thayn
He would die for sure. It was also possible that it might make him really rich. Only one way to find out. Rhett’s fingers balled and flexed making the battered leather gloves groan in protest. The small red light blinked again from out of the layer of dust.
Rhett knelt down in the sand; the heat warmed his knees even through the chaps. His horse’s hooves clicked on the stone as it shifted. He knew no one had followed him, but he still found his hand resting on the handle of his six-shooter. “Get a hold of yourself, Rhett,” he said to himself.
Deadline: January 31
Here at TWOS, we love what can happen when a writer lets a few words lead him or her on a new adventure. This site is a writer’s journal, of sorts, which allows writers to post their short stories inspired by weekly prompts. Three random words provided each week are what drive the story telling.
The story types and topics are unrestricted, so come back often to see what people have come up with. They’re short and raw and just the kind of thing to spark the imagination, cause a smile, brighten the day, or just kill some time. Enjoy!
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