A 1000 word flash fiction written from three prompts on Natalie Locke and Chandra Arthur.
Prompt #1- “A haunted House” 10 required words- silver, relativity, watercolor, Copper Beech, limited, affect, broccoli, politician, arsenal, cufflink Prompt #2: "Something Bad is About to Happen, But Nobody Believes the MC" - words to include: Andromeda, stop sign, dandelion, iceberg, spectacle, poet, candlelit, keyboard, bumble, robotic Prompt #3: "A Writer with Noisy Neighbors" - words to include: dentist, rainbow, explosion, horizon, cactus, palm, Saturday, latte, beets, sampleWatching the news, the
politician’s heart ached as his memories heard her laughter again and felt the
warmth of those autumn afternoons. It was the only time of solace he’d known
since his desperate quest and voluntary exile began. He had not known she
painted it.
“The silver-framed watercolor
painting of copper beech trees by a lake with a man and a boy fishing was found
in the wall of the allegedly haunted, historic Arsenal Grove Manor. Time has
not seemed to affect the condition of the lost masterpiece as the manner of its
storage limited its exposure to air and light. According to M.O.M.A. chief
preservationist…”
Carson scowled as a closeup
detail of the painting was shown and the embellished history of the home built
on the waypoint was given. Putting on his coat and broccoli-shaped cufflinks,
he sighed again, remembering those afternoons.
“Dad, did you see?”
“Yes. We’ll have to get it
declared a fake and destroyed.”
“But Mom left it for us.”
“We have been through this,
Icarus. They can’t find us if we are going to change things. The future isn’t
fixed; the Council of Relativity knows this, and they have my research. If they
see that painting, they will know when and where we were. We can’t warn
ourselves.”
“Don’t you mean so you can
save the world and prove your father wrong?” His petulant, defiant look
returned, accusing, “I’m just your luggage.”
“Your mother…”
“They didn’t find us then. It
was a car accident.”
~~~
The spectacle of another green
campaign event was too much after seeing his mother’s painting on the news.
That his father wanted it destroyed bothered him on the deepest level, despite
the risk it posed. Grieving, Icarus left. Waiting at the crosswalk, his
attention fell on a dandelion growing in the crack between the curb and the
pavement. Its cheerful yellow head bobbed in the wake of passing cars huffing
out the fumes choking the world.
A bumble bee landed on the
precarious perch, hanging on to it like a child riding one of the horses from
the Central Park carousel. Looking past Battery Park, he could see the Hudson
River on the other side of the buildings. One day, icebergs would be floating
there with ash-tainted snowflakes in the air instead of bees skimming above the
grass. It was all so beautiful and would become so terrible. One well-meant
mistake would start the chain of events ending in an extinction level event.
The bumble bee flitted toward the park. He held his breath, watching it
navigate the busy traffic to safety. One more day for the bug that didn’t end
up on a windshield.
That’s all Earth was to the
Council, a bug on the windshield of humanity’s arrogance. When his father found
the way through time, they refused his suggestion, but he went anyway. He found
and lost love. Now Icarus was doomed to be dragged through time with Carson. He
would have thought his father mad, but he’d seen the robotic implants like
those on the one who almost found them the day his mother ran a stop sign. The
world was fated to die, and the Council of Relativity would let it, but his
father was slowly affecting changes in the flow of events, like putting stones
in a rushing river. In the close future, were those who resisted fate and
governmental edicts. They believed the Martian colonies were enough; they
wouldn’t be. His father forced the memories of the future events beyond them
all on Icarus, because it would be his job to finish his father’s work if...
Candlelit hopeless whispered
it’s almost too late.
Fumbling to type on his
phone’s keyboard, the buzz of the crosswalk prompted him to step off the curb,
but a hand pulled him back before he ended up another bug on the bumper of the
bus.
“Thank you. You saved me,” he
stammered to the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. “I’m Ike. I owe you my
life.”
“You do.” She grinned,
“Andromeda, but you can call me Andy. You shouldn’t text and walk.”
“I wasn’t. I was writing a
poem,” he admitted.
“Oh, you’re a poet, I’ve never
dated a poet before.” Tossing her long dark curls, she asked, “Would you like
to go for coffee?”
“I don’t drink coffee, it’s
bad for…” He stopped, suddenly embarrassed by his father’s environmental
rhetoric coming out of his mouth.
“For the environment, I’ve
heard, but it still tastes good.”
~~~
With his neighbor’s party
starting early, Ike couldn’t write, so he decided to surprise his girlfriend.
Juggling cups and keys, he hesitated before putting his ear to her door. It sounded
like a dentist’s office, oddly but terrifyingly familiar. Hand shaking, he
turned the key then went in. Setting her latte by her cactus and succulent
garden, he tiptoed to the loft stairs. The hum ceased suddenly then the access
door to the roof slammed. He hurried to catch up. The chandelier crystals
hanging from her giant palm plant splayed whimsical rainbow patches on the
walls, mocking his fear.
On the roof, he crept between
planters of beets and chard. He’d never known anyone who took rooftop gardening
as seriously as Andy. The hanging tomato plants, and corn stalks hid him from
the man arguing with her. The familiar stranger’s arms glowed with robotic
implants like Ike’s father’s.
“Andromeda, we have given you
a year. It is time to come home. We are ending this problem today. Our
ancestors sealed our planet’s fate generations ago.”
“I need more time. Dr. Carson
has a public speaking engagement at the U.N.,” Andy pled, “Just give me until
Saturday.”
“We saw the Arsenal Grove
painting. Where’s the boy?”
“Dead in an accident with his mother,” she
lied.
Nodding, the man turned toward
the fiery explosion above the cityscape horizon. Andy noticed Ike peeking at
her.
She mouthed; ‘I love you.
Carry on.’
Weird light glowed like an
aurora around them as they vanished.
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