The first thing Jason noticed was the echo of his footsteps.

Lindy had been at the hospice center for months, but Jason hadn’t noticed the echoes before now.

He walked to the bed and sank to his knees. He shakily opened the box she’d said was there; her tiny gold key fitting perfectly into the lock.

Cedar scent greeted his nose as he reached inside and drew out a tattered bundle of letters. On top was her loopy handwriting: Jason, I will always love you.

His shoulders shook and his sobs came in waves. Oh, Lindy, I already miss you.
————————————————————
Velvet Verbosity’s 100 Word Challenge for the week is BUNDLE. These are my 100 words about that.

Posted: December 10th, 2011 under 100 Words, Moose Nuggets.
Comments: 2

Along South Central Alaska’s coastal highways are posted signs that say ESCAPE ROUTE. Among other signs such as AVALANCHE AREA ENDS (I was in an avalanche area? Shiver), these can pull you up short if you are unaware.

Alaska has many earthquakes every day. Some might cause a Tsunami. In such a case it’s best to be aware of the perfect escape route.

Would that LIFE had such signs for us when we face “interesting” situations:

ESCAPE ROUTE
Do not pass GO
Enter here
EXIT ONLY
ONE WAY
TURN BACK

All too often I miss the “subtleties” of such signs.
———————————————————————————————————-
Velvet Verbosity’s 100 Word Challenge this week is ESCAPE. The above is my take on the word. Now, it’s YOUR turn. Ready? Set. Write!

Posted: December 3rd, 2011 under 100 Words, Moose Nuggets.
Comments: 2

You’re so lucky, she gushed. You have the perfect job, the perfect house, the perfect kids, the perfect husband.

Yeah, that’s what I call it. Lucky.

Little did she know that behind the perfect job lay a boss who gloated in my imperfections; behind the perfect house lay a too many years to be counted mortgage; behind the perfect kids lay orthodontia and medical bills, as well as delinquencies; and behind the perfect husband lay his mistress. Okay, the mistress lay beneath the perfect husband.

But at least I have my health.

Here’s to good health. It’s all I’ve got.
———————————————————————————————————
This piece for Velvet’s 100 Word challenge (LUCKY) is not quite (okay, nowhere near) as sappy as my last entry. Purely fictional for any family who might wander by and wonder what in the world is up with the moose.

Posted: November 24th, 2011 under 100 Words, Moose Nuggets.
Comments: 6

The CD played and she softly sang along: In the deep midwinter, snow on snow on snow.

Melancholy touched her spirit. It was this time of year, her formerly favorite time, when Roy had left for Iraq. He’d smiled and touched her forehead with his at the deployment center.

“Ah, my sweet love, I’ll be back before the deep midwinter. We’ll be together before snow piles on snow. I love you. I’ll see you soon.”

Her heart left North Carolina that day. She missed him terribly.

Roy’s rich tenor joined her alto and she looked up to find her joy.

———————————————————————————————————————————
I buy very little music, but one year I bought an album by an Anchorage couple with what is now my favorite piece of music, In the Deep Midwinter. The image of Snow on Snow on Snow is especially appropriate here in Alaska this year where we have had the aforementioned snows along with great winds. We are between power outages at the moment allowing me these few minutes to write. Ah midwinter!

This is in answer to Velvet Verbosity’s weekly 100 Word challenge: SNOW. You have time to write YOUR 100 words.

Posted: November 16th, 2011 under 100 Words.
Comments: 5

The raging storm caused by their boss left everyone shell-shocked. The office grew quiet; the only sound the clicking of manicured nails on keyboards. Rita thought she might have heard a sniffle or two.

She had lived through a BAD (with capital letters) marriage and a follow-up BAD relationship. She thought she’d never have to go through such firestorms again; certainly not in the workplace.

She quietly began packing her meager belongings; pictures of her kids mostly. There’s no reason to continue to occupy space in a place that shows no respect. Her resignation in hand, Rita entered her supervisor’s office.
————————————————————————————————————–
Velvet Verbosity’s 100 Word Challenge this week is OCCUPY. These are my thoughts on that.

Posted: September 24th, 2011 under 100 Words, Moose Nuggets.
Comments: 5