Forum / "I took a deep breath and turned the key."

• 
  Erica Hoskins Mullenix

  Dec 10, 04:00pm

  That's the opening line of this week's flash fiction challenge at the speakeasy. Entries must also incorporate into the narrative the provided image of a dead bird.

  Please join us this week! 1,000 words or fewer, beginning with the line "I took a deep breath and turned the key."

  If you can write it as a humor piece, we will love you forever. Our beginning writers tend to get hung up on drama.

  http://www.yeahwrite.me/speakeasy/87-badges/

  Thanks!
  Erica M

• 
  Mathew Paust

  Dec 10, 04:42pm

  I took a deep breath and turned the key. I pushed the door open just far enough to see. I backed out, closed the door and turned the key again. I walked to my car, knelt down and placed in front of the right front tire the little box with the holes in it that held the parakeet I had brought to her as an anniversary gift. I got into the car, slammed the door, started the engine, drove over the little box with the holes in it, looked in the mirror to make sure the little box was squashed flat, and headed downtown to find a divorce lawyer.

• 
  Adam Sifre

  Dec 10, 04:45pm

  That was brilliant.

• 
  Mathew Paust

  Dec 10, 04:47pm

  Your turn.

• 
  Erica Hoskins Mullenix

  Dec 10, 04:47pm

  Mathew, are you going to submit that tomorrow? That would be awesome. I know it's a challenging opening line due to its boredom factor; we didn't chose it. But I'd love to have some fresh voices join in the fun.

• 
  Mathew Paust

  Dec 10, 04:50pm

  Sure, Erica. I'm flattered. Thanks.

• 
  Erica Hoskins Mullenix

  Dec 10, 04:52pm

  Once submissions open at midnight, leave a comment on that upcoming post or on today's post letting us know if you need a walk-through for submitting it. There will be a little blue button that says something like: "add your link." I'm excited you responded.

  http://www.yeahwrite.me/speakeasy/87-badges/

• 
  Mathew Paust

  Dec 10, 04:55pm

  The link doesn't work for me, Erica.

• 
  Erica Hoskins Mullenix

  Dec 10, 05:00pm

  Do you mean it didn't open at all? I clicked and it worked fine, but don't worry about it. Write and refine your story, and I'll return at midnight with the link to the actual writing challenge that opens in 12 hours. Thanks!

• 
  Mathew Paust

  Dec 10, 05:02pm

  K!

• 
  Adam Sifre

  Dec 10, 05:47pm

  I took a deep breath and turned the key. The chastity belt stuck a little and Bertha cackled as I struggled with it. I looked up but a cloud of stale smoke and a night of tequila shooters made it difficult to see.

  "Youse got to work to earn my reward, sugar."

  Part of me, the part we all ignore, was begging me to leave. But the important part of me was saying 'Put some muscle into it!"

  I turned the key and pulled with all my beer muscles. The doorway to heaven popped open and I rocked back on my knees.

  A scream caught in my throat. I expected to see a pussy, but instead a bird fell out.

  There was more cackling and other noises.

  I wish I could tell you that I left right then. I really do.

• 
  Mathew Paust

  Dec 10, 05:53pm

  Tantalizing start, Adam. You realize the better part of us won't let you quit now.

• 
  Mathew Paust

  Dec 10, 05:54pm

  Then again, after a second read, the important part of us says, this is just fine and dandy as is.

• 
  Adam Sifre

  Dec 10, 05:55pm

  I should title it, "How I Met Your Mother"

• 
  Adam Sifre

  Dec 10, 05:56pm

  I didn't mean to imply that the story is about anyone's mother. Just a father telling his child a story.

• 
  Erica Hoskins Mullenix

  Dec 10, 06:06pm

  Oh, my, Adam. Please post this with us tomorrow. I'll be back with the link and I'll message you and Mathew with some form of bribery.

• 
  Mathew Paust

  Dec 10, 06:08pm

  Maybe we could merge the stories, yours and mine. The part of me I should ignore can see an almost seamless juncture here.

• 
  Mathew Paust

  Dec 10, 06:15pm

  You know, the part of us that knows better should be over on the other thread engaging the academics in their agonies over the definitive definition of "the novel: all that it has been, is and should be".

• 
  Adam Sifre

  Dec 10, 06:16pm

  Oops. I posted it as a comment on your website.

• 
  Adam Sifre

  Dec 10, 06:17pm

  The comments on the novel thread are too long for some one of my modern internet intellect.

• 
  Mathew Paust

  Dec 10, 06:19pm

  True dat, but I'm copying them to a Word file to whip out in future discussions or to memorize as interview material.

• 
  Lynn Beighley

  Dec 10, 07:30pm

  Magnificently twisted, Mathew and Adam. You've set the bar high. But not high enough. *cackles like Bertha*

• 
  Mathew Paust

  Dec 10, 07:38pm

  I gather, then, Lynn, you are working on one, too. You are taking an awfully long time...

• 
  Lynn Beighley

  Dec 10, 08:16pm

  I took a deep breath and turned the key. The door knob turned, but I paused when I heard a car approach. It drove past and I remembered to breathe again. I pushed the door open, quickly, knowing I didn't have much time before my parents would be back.

  My sweet Merlin had died a few weeks ago, and I missed him terribly. Focusing on finding my hidden presents was the first thing that had taken my mind off of him.

  I'd only noticed that this closet was locked a few days ago and hadn't managed to find the key until this morning. This was the first chance I'd had to get in and see if they managed to pick up my hints and get me what I wanted.

  I crept in to the packed closet and stood on my tiptoes pull the chain for the light bulb. At first glance, it was full of old clothes and boxes, but nothing obviously a Christmas present. I pushed some furs out of the way to investigate further. They just had to be in here, I was certain.

  And then, in the corner, I spotted several gaily wrapped boxes. I picked up the first one and shook it. Sounded like a jigsaw puzzle. I put it down and went through the rest of the stack. Predictable, mostly. Books, games.

  But there was one that wasn't very heavy and didn't make any sound when I shook it. This one warranted further investigation. I carefully, oh so carefully, peeled back the tape and didn't tear the paper at all. It was going to be easy to rewrap it, and no one would ever know.

  A plain white box with a lid sat in my my lap. Not breathing, I opened it.

  Merlin stared up at me, all glossy feathers and beady eyes. I put the lid back on the box and rewrapped it. They figured it out. It was the first, but not the last, time I was happy to be the child of taxidermists.

• 
  Erica Hoskins Mullenix

  Dec 10, 11:14pm

  Lynn, are you posting this in the challenge tomorrow? I'll be back with the link and I'll send you a message. Thanks for diving in, dead bird and all!

• 
  James Claffey

  Dec 10, 11:19pm

  ooh, dead bird!

• 
  Mathew Paust

  Dec 10, 11:48pm

  Lynn, I am verklempt **fans self frantically**
  I grieve for Merlin, of course!

• 
  Erica Hoskins Mullenix

  Dec 11, 01:35pm

  The challenge is now open for submitting your story, everybody! Follow the instructions given in the post, then look for the little blue button that says "add your link."

  http://www.yeahwrite.me/speakeasy/87-open/

  Thanks and have fun!

• 
  Adam Sifre

  Dec 11, 02:13pm

  Three questions:
  1. How do we vote? Is it by leaving a comment under the story we like?

  2. I put it on my blog (it's in draft mode right now). Should I wait until voting starts to publish it on the blog? I ask because I know blog posts have a very short lifespan.

  3. Have you read "I've Been Deader" and how much did you love it?

• 
  Erica Hoskins Mullenix

  Dec 11, 02:55pm

  @adam

  1. On Thursday, the Inlinkz app will switch to voting mode and you will vote by clicking the yellow star that appears under each thumbnail.

  2. Publish right away to your blog then add it to the other submissions by clicking the blue button that says "add your link"

  3. I did spent some time over at I've Been Deader and I loved it very much

• 
  Darryl Price

  Dec 12, 05:40pm

  "I took a deep breath and turned the key. The first shadow I saw on the wall in front of me looked exactly like a dead bird,fallen,frozen,permanent.For a brief moment this made me feel terribly sad,not just for the faint little bird shape I hadn't expected,but also for all of us who fall from grace, but then I thought to use my own pouring through the doorway shadow to also paint another sign with and I was able to suddenly see something young and alive jump through tall grass and scamper out into the light and this gave me the courage I needed to continue on. Nobody wants to be in this position, but if the town was to be saved then I had to go all the way in and down those curving old steps and confront whatever had made this mess to begin with. Of course I was shaking all over."

• 
  Mathew Paust

  Dec 12, 10:45pm

  Mein Gott! The birth of Ironmensch!

• 
  RW Spryszak

  Dec 13, 08:02pm

  I took a deep breath and turned the key. Then I gave it back and put the key in my pocket.

• 
  Mathew Paust

  Dec 14, 02:10am

  Get the dead bird in there, Bob, and we have a winner.

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