Household Item Wrangler

Photo by Jess Bailey on Unsplash

Prompts = Paperclip, Accent, Stalk

There’s this one YouTube channel I’ve been watching; a super strange guy with a really bad Australian accent:

‘G’day mate! Household Item Wrangler here, giving you advice on how to manage wayward items in your house.

‘Today we focus on the Common Paperclip. Normally they swim together in large schools, but individuals manage to slip into the backs of unused drawers, the bottoms of jars… they end up everywhere.

‘When stalking the Common Paperclip, sift through papers and other items where they might be hiding. Use compassionate capturing techniques to reunite them with their families.

‘Household Item Wrangler, signing off.’

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These Old Bones Blues

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

Prompts = Daisies, Pancakes, Pillows

Breakfast in bed. That’s what these old bones need right now.

The hospital place doesn’t have the creature comforts I wish to be accustomed to: comfy pillows (the cat thinks they’re his, but he’s mistaken), pets when I want them, and as many pancakes as I can eat.

And it always smells weird in there. Why can’t it have proper smells?

But I’m home now. The food is in the other room but with the proper whimpering I can get it much closer. Then I’ll take stroll through the flower beds, dig up the daisies.

These old bones’ll like that.

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Facebook = https://www.facebook.com/Parzival-Sattva-427507144484255

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Medium = https://medium.com/100-word-or-less-stories

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Expectant Mom Interlude

Photo by Ömürden Cengiz on Unsplash

Prompts = Zoo, Xylophone, Question

Two more months, and you, Mr. Kicky, will be out of my tummy and in my arms. I’m looking forward to seeing you, loving you, being your Mom.

I remember growing up with music. Not just listening. Oh no. Playing. A little xylophone was my first instrument; it’ll be yours too. There’s no question those few tinny notes helped make sense of a new and big world. I learned the alphabet while playing the song; we’ll do that too.

So many people are like zoo animals; locked up, caged, trapped within colourless circumstances. Let’s dance, sing, love, and be free.

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Facebook = https://www.facebook.com/Parzival-Sattva-427507144484255

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Medium = https://medium.com/100-word-or-less-stories

YouTube = https://www.youtube.com/user/parzivalsattva

The Taste Of Innovation

Prompts = Scrape, Vanilla, Worker

In the bowels of a French winery, a winemaker paced. The old oak casks were nearing the end of their useful lives. Stainless steel vessels were on the way, but how could they produce anything of quality?

A young worker, sweeping up, saw the anguish and wondered if he could help. ‘Monsieur, what if we put the old casks inside the new ones?’

‘If only we could. But mais non.’

‘Can we scrape the oak insides and put shavings into the steel casks?’

‘Sacrebleu!’

*****

Worker and Winemaker clinked glasses of award-winning vintage (with hints of vanilla, fruit, and oak).

Links to other sites where I publish:

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Medium = https://medium.com/100-word-or-less-stories

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The Smell Of Heaven

Prompts = Corner, Bacon, Former

Agatha and Martha, best friends for over fifty years, constitute what passes for a neighbourhood watch in the quiet town of Borington, Ohio. Every evening they walk around the block and gossip.

They were making their round when they came upon an older man they’d never seen before, sitting on a street corner, obviously tired. Curious, they approached and greeted him.

Within minutes, they knew he was a former insurance salesman who’d smelled the essence of Heaven and was going door-to-door to preach his religion based on bacon.

They invited him in for tea.

Links to other sites where I publish:

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Medium = https://medium.com/100-word-or-less-stories

YouTube = https://www.youtube.com/user/parzivalsattva

Retired On Active Duty

Photo by Matthew Brodeur on Unsplash

Prompts = Existence, Shade, Holiday

Dreams of retirement, a permanent holiday: lawn chair under the shade of a palm tree looking out at the gently rolling Hawaiian surf, sipping iced drinks and contemplating a life well lived. All the cares of the world left behind. Plenty of time to contemplate life, ponder existence, discover the meaning behind It All.

Sea, sky, and a good book.

‘Hey! Rookie! You coming?’ The sergeant grabs me by the shoulders, looks me in the eye. ‘I’ve seen that look before. You’ve got forty years before you earn that look!’

Tomorrow it’s thirty-nine years, three-hundred-sixty-four days.

Links to other sites where I publish:

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Facebook = https://www.facebook.com/Parzival-Sattva-427507144484255

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Medium = https://medium.com/100-word-or-less-stories

YouTube = https://www.youtube.com/user/parzivalsattva

A Shady Deal

Photo by Alexander Schimmeck on Unsplash

Prompts = Refuse, Serial, Divert

‘You Fred Durmph, President of Third National Trust and Loan?’

‘Says so on the door. What can I do you for?’

‘I’d like a loan. A big one.’

‘One of my associates can help with that.’

‘When I make a payment, you can divert a portion to an account of your choice. Perhaps overseas.’

‘But…you see…how much?’

‘Five figures. Monthly.’

‘Great! Now all I need are some documents and…’

‘I may not have valid documents, serial or social security numbers…’

‘Now sir! Unless you have considerable collateral, I must refuse.’

’50 gold bars. I didn’t steal them.’

‘Perfect!’

Links to other sites where I publish:

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Facebook = https://www.facebook.com/Parzival-Sattva-427507144484255

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Medium = https://medium.com/100-word-or-less-stories

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Bragging Rights

Photo by Melissa Keizer on Unsplash

Prompts = Turtles, Treats, Adventure

The race was over. Not the famous “tortoise and hare” contest, but the earlier “turtle and rabbit” one. The rabbit slunk away to a nearby juice bar to drown his shame with carrot cocktails.

The turtles, the race winner along with family, friends, and fans, celebrated with lettuce rolls and other treats.

At the height of the festivities, the turtle announced, to great applause, the start of a great adventure: travelling the world to tell the world of his great victory.

When he was asked if it was wrong to humiliate the rabbit, to publicize his defeat, he’d reply, ‘Nope’.

Links to other sites where I publish:

Instagram = https://www.instagram.com/one_hundred_words_by_parz

Facebook = https://www.facebook.com/Parzival-Sattva-427507144484255

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Medium = https://medium.com/100-word-or-less-stories

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A Path Unknown

Photo by Kasper Rasmussen on Unsplash

Prompts = Trail, Dismiss, Solution

Twenty times I’ve gone to sleep; twenty times I’ve woken in a new place. I don’t understand what’s happening.

I went to a club twenty sleeps ago; maybe someone slipped some weird solution in my drink because when I came to, I was in a barn. I lived the day as a farmhand. The next morning I woke up in a tent deep in a forest.

I thought I was hallucinating, but after twenty times, I have to dismiss that thought. I’m living this. I’m on some sort of sleep trail, walking it every night.

How do I get home?

Links to other sites where I publish:

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Facebook = https://www.facebook.com/Parzival-Sattva-427507144484255

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Medium = https://medium.com/100-word-or-less-stories

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Wild Life Reporting

Photo by Anton Shuvalov on Unsplash

Prompts = Famous, Daily, Island

‘Today on our daily segment of life in and around the famous Phuket Island, we look at life for monkeys during this Corona virus epidemic.

‘Excuse me, sir, can you stop for a minute?’

‘Make it quick. Word on the street is someone found a warehouse full of bananas.’

‘Of course. Just look into the camera.’

‘It’s war! We’re hungry and everything’s looking like food.’

‘The camera’s there.’

‘You look like you’d be tasty, crispy with a side of fries.’

‘Now sir, that’s uncivilized… Hey! Stop it!’

‘C’mere ya big chicken!’

‘That was close. I’m Snagglebeak Redtoe for Seagull News.’

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Facebook = https://www.facebook.com/Parzival-Sattva-427507144484255

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YouTube = https://www.youtube.com/user/parzivalsattva

Boom Box Creation Story

Photo by Dave Weatherall on Unsplash

Prompts = Undecided, Blasphemy, Portable

It was 1970 something. We were designing a portable device that could play high quality music.

One design team insisted cassette tapes lack the dynamic sound audiophiles wanted. A turntable or reel-to-reel player, along with high-quality electronics and speakers, was a minimum and anything less was musical blasphemy. I could’ve put a strap on a 100-pound component system and they would’ve been happy.

Others wanted a box that could fit in a pocket.

The “boom box” I helped design was a step towards personal players.

Is there a good balance between portability and fidelity? I’m undecided.

Links to other sites where I publish:

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Facebook = https://www.facebook.com/Parzival-Sattva-427507144484255

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Shadowbox Theatre

Photo by Marco Bianchetti on Unsplash

Prompts = Roses, Popsicle, Silhouette

The art of storytelling at Shadowbox Theatre is all about evoking emotion through shadows cast upon the screen for the audience to see, all the while accompanied by music and effects that make the images come to life.

I remember one show where two young people were obviously in love. They danced in the rain, gave each other gifts, and obviously had a wonderful time. The company was able to use the silhouettes of actors and props to show her giving him roses, the sharing of a popsicle on a hot day at the park… incredible.

It’s always like magic.

Links to other sites where I publish:

Instagram = https://www.instagram.com/one_hundred_words_by_parz

Facebook = https://www.facebook.com/Parzival-Sattva-427507144484255

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Medium = https://medium.com/100-word-or-less-stories

YouTube = https://www.youtube.com/user/parzivalsattva

My Reality Is Far Above Yours

Photo by Aw Creative on Unsplash

Prompts = Insistent, Splendour, Drove

‘You ask, “What drove me insane”, and I must correct you on assumptions that lay within the question. You may think of it as an endless escalator carrying an infinite number of me, the me that exists within all time and space, that lifts me gently, smoothly, to the splendour which exists above and beyond the pathetic level the rest of humanity are doomed to inhabit.

‘Your incessant, insistent questioning is, quite frankly, insulting. But I forgive you, your ignorance, your arrogance.

‘But, I must admit my “insane” reality lacks snow cones. If I’m to continue speaking, I require strawberry.’

Links to other sites where I publish:

Instagram = https://www.instagram.com/one_hundred_words_by_parz

Facebook = https://www.facebook.com/Parzival-Sattva-427507144484255

Blogger = https://onehundredwordsbyparz.blogspot.com

Medium = https://medium.com/100-word-or-less-stories

YouTube = https://www.youtube.com/user/parzivalsattva

A Clever Plan

Photo by Pylz Works on Unsplash

Prompts = Orange, Catnip, Popcorn

It’s a plan. A clever plan. An “I’m going to laugh so hard when he finds out what I did” plan.

I know my older brother is going to watch his favourite movie tonight. I’m going to give him popcorn, and season it with catnip! Brilliant!

But first, I need to get some.

This is going to be so funny, watching him mindlessly eat the orange dust like it’s some sort of cheese!

I walk into the pet store and grab the packet…

It’s green. An herb. More like parsley than ground up Cheetos.

Drat.

Back to the drawing board.

Links to other sites where I publish:

Instagram = https://www.instagram.com/one_hundred_words_by_parz

Facebook = https://www.facebook.com/Parzival-Sattva-427507144484255

Blogger = https://onehundredwordsbyparz.blogspot.com

Medium = https://medium.com/100-word-or-less-stories

YouTube = https://www.youtube.com/user/parzivalsattva