He forgot.

 

When the alarm buzzed, James realized that he was an idiot. He had forgotten a big day.  Even after Annie got that diamond on her finger, there are still certain actions a guy must take:  Buy gift, buy large obnoxious card, search for flowers, find… Oh, he is so dead

Throwing on clothes and grabbing his wallet, James flew out to the nearest store, a CVS pharmacy.  List in hand, James checked off each gift. 

Anything wrapped sticky, chocolate covered? Check. Obnoxious glittery card? Check. Flowers? A little shy on that supply. What else? What else?  James’ chest constricted.

This gift had to be something she wouldn’t expect. 

Frustrated James looked around him and giggled. Grabbing a basket, he walked along each aisle, tossing whatever he found into the basket.  Animated teddy bear? Oh yeah.

 Hello kitty plush in a mug?  Yup.

James lost control.  Aisles rolled by a supply of miraculous items he threw into the basket. Water pistols? Heck, yeah. Six pack of Diet Coke? Hello Kitty bath toy? Better believe it.

James was exhausted. At home, he wrapped up the haul with Christmas paper, and finished just in time.  Annie walked in, giggling with delight.  When she got to the Hello Kitty, James sensed the moment passing.  Desperately, James handed her a gift bag.

Annie pulled out a red and pink wood chip wreath (good price, $25). Life was good again. Until next time. 

 

Here’s what Elephant’s Child writes to explain the Wednesday Word meme: “Essentially the aim is to encourage us to write.  Each week we are given a choice of prompts: which can be words, phrases, music, or an image.  What we do with those prompts is up to us:  a short story, prose, a song, or a poem… We can use some or all of the prompts, and mixing and matching is encouraged.” Writers may post at the word site, and/or at their own blog site. Be sure to tell the world that you wrote something really good."

I didn't underline that week's words, back in 2017, for some reason.

Elephant's child for this week.

rivioli, serenity, marble, bridge, soccer  and/or  foliage, nepotism, lectern, gorgonzola

Night Watch in Fairy Land.

                                                                         Fairy life

Sleep sweet fairy? Really? 

I am a man fairy, a guy who slogs through life, miserable at every minute of it.

While all those cutie flower fairies are curled up in their teacup flowers, here I am trudging along, guarding them from some unknown terror. Like anyone is going to attack our little piece of unreal heaven in the middle of the night.

What did I do before? I used to be a fairy who crafted little stuff. You need a box? I can do that. Just give me a walnut, and it's done.

But when age shut that down, well, here I am, just a bent over old fairy with crumbling wings, cursing every step.

 

                                                                         Fireflies

Life sucks. 

Catching lightning bugs to blink-blink-blink a bumpy path? That is a life no one never ever should have to do. Those damn bugs have no brains. Their only gift to the fairy world is their shiny butts. They die at the end of night, new bugs pop out and I, a former artisan in fairy art, have to catch 'em, lock 'em up. Mindless buggers.

When the sun comes up, those damn flower fairies will practice their songs. I'll head on to my shabby home, where my old fairy wife will make my life hell. 

Thank you, dear Fairy Goddess, for fairy nectar fermenting into a healing liquid. 

I need every drop.

                                                              old fairy couple

I wrote another fairy story, using Wednesday Words as the base, back in 2017.  This is one I never published, from 2020.

Earlier "Fairy in Mud Hell" can be found thecontemplativecat.blogspot.com .