Caleb's Public Writing Journal

Hello you. So there was only one response to my last prompt and it was from my wife, so here ya go honey, I hope you enjoy your prompt!

—

Prompt: Write a scene where two characters meet at a zoo.

—

RESPONSE I:

Mark shook his head and went away from the thick glass that separated us from the great apes. There were a lot that day and Carol wouldn’t leave the glass.

Carol loved to watch the apes. She would clap and laugh and try to show me when she got one of the beasts to kiss the glass. She would laugh at that too.

“Tanya, come here, Tanya look!” Carol said. She was gesturing me to come over and I did. “Tanya, look at these two and their baby. Isn’t that wonderful?”

“Yes,” I said. “The creature is very nice.” Carol made a face and bit her lip.

“Do you see the baby?” Carol said.

“Yes, it is a little girl.”

“How can you tell?”

“Look at the hair and the eyes.”

“Oh, yes you are right.”

“What are they doing?”

“Oh my, the parents are loving eachother, ist’t that wonderful?”

“It looks aggressive to me.” I said.

“Well I know it looks agressive to you, but it’s wonderful to me. Look now they are loving the little one.” Carol swirled the hair on her dark chest sighed.

“You’ll have another one sweat hear.” I said. Carol’s eldest had moved out and she found herself with nothing to do since he left.

“It’s not just that.” Carol said. “I just want to see him. You see how these ape greet each other. That is how I want to be with my boy.” We both moved away from the glass, Carol held her head down.

“Listen to me Carol,” I said. “I’m asking Mira to keep an eye out for your boy in the male enclosure. She told me she would let me know how he was.”

“What do you mean? How did you talk to Mira? She is a great ape.”

“I know, but we learn together sometimes and we to signs with our hands to communicate.”

“You can talk to a human?”

“Yes.”

“That is wonderful. Thank you. That is very wonderful.”

“I will let you know if I hear something this evening after the humans all leave the glass.”

“Okay, thank you.” Carol said and put her forehead to mine.

“It’s okay Carol,” I said patting her strong shoulder. “It’s okay.”

 

I was supposed to replace that [X] and that [Y] down there with a very insightful topic and action, but that was the best I could do at 3:00 in the morning. Give me a break, okay? It’s only the second prompt and I’m already out of prompts.

—

Prompt: Write an [X] where [Y] happens…

—

[WARNING: I curse here again because these characters have potty mouths. Not for younger writers]

RESPONSE I:

“Why just,” I sniffed the air, threating to cry, “Why?” I looked at him in the eyes and waited.

“I told you,” Stewart said. “I didn’t, Do it!”

“You’re such a liar.” I said.

“I’m not fucking lying, alright?”

“Don’t curse at me stewart!” I said. I watched his face for any sign that he understood. Any sign that he cared. “Don’t you ever curse at me like that.”

“Oh, shut the fuck up.”

God, he wouldn’t stop. He wouldn’t stop, even after he sleeps with her. Tells her he loves her. I couldn’t do it. I was crying very deeply then. He just scowled at me. He just looked.

I had real tears then. Real, hard to breathe sorrow.

“Jesus christ. Why are you crying?” He said.

“Why am I crying? I shook my head in disbelief. “Are you serious? You’re not serious.”

“I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“That you didn’t do it!” I gave him a crying smile. He just looked.

“You know I did it,” he said. “Stop it with that crap. You know I did it.”

“I know,” I said, lipping the word as it came out. “I know you did it. I know you hate me.”

“Oh my Jesus Anne,” He said. “Oh Christ! What am I supposed to say to that huh? What am I supposed to tell you when you’re acting like this?”

“Acting like what you son-of-a-”

“Don’t, you say another damn word you hear me?”

“Or what?” I almost yelled. “What are you going to do to me? Are you going to lay hands on me?” I looked at his open arms in disgust.

“What the hell are you talking about, I’m not going to lay my hands on you.”

“You promised me. You promised you would never lay hands on me. I think I deserve that. At least I deserve that you bastard.”

“God dammit Anne!” He said, kicking the dinning chair hard and near the back. It hit the table and I heard something split.

“Stop!” I screamed.

“Anne.”

“Stop!”

“Anne, I’m stopped okay?”

I was shaking. “Get away from me!”

“Anne, stop it, will you stop it? Come on.”

“Why did you do this to me?” I begged in a sad sobbing chuckle.

“Anne.”

“Why did you sleep with her, baby?” I looked him dead in his pale little eyes. “Why did you sleep with her?” But he just looked. I shook my head, and went to my keys on the their ring near the door.

“You’re a son of a bitch Stewart.” I said, trying to savor any dignity I had left.

“I love you.” He said.

“Why?”

—

Okay, so I wrote an e[X]cuse where ‘wh[Y]?’ happened. Is that allowed or did I break something?

So I was thinking: can you write my next prompt please? Just leave a comment below with a prompt you think I should write and I will do it this evening. Use this template if you want:

Write an [X] where [Y] happens.

I hope more than one person comments with a prompt… Otherwise I could be stuck with an a[X]e at a w[Y]ne party? Please help.