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Wednesday, October 31, 2007

3WW LIX



HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Hopefully, this week's words will be a treat.

Welcome to Three Word Wednesday. Each week, I will post three (or more) words. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to write something using all of those words. It can be a few lines, a story, a poem, anything. I'll also attempt to write something using the same words.

Leave a comment if you participate. Many fun and interesting people might visit your blog.

This week's words are:
Phone
Stumbled
Windy


You never realize how ear-splitting the ringing of a phone can be until it rings in the middle of the night, piercing the formerly silent darkness and causing the mind to race and the heart to pound.

Kari fumbled around on the nightstand until she felt the phone. She didn't recognize the number. She looked at the clock. It was 2:18. She sat the phone back down.

Out wasted again, she thought to herself. Needing a ride. Or needing money for bail.

He called again. And then a third time. She fought the urge to answer, then waited for a fourth call. But it never came.

She lied awake wondering if he would get a ride, if he would have a place to sleep. A tree brushed against the house, reminding her the night was chilly and windy. The urge to give in one more time was continuous. But he had gone too far. He had pulled a knife on her. He was out of control.

Still there was no satisfaction in knowing she had made the right decision. She wasn't even sure she had. The only thing she felt at that moment was pain. Immense, unbearable, sleep-depriving pain.

Miles away, he stumbled out of a phone booth and sat down on the pavement. Out of change, tired, weary, but completely sober for nine days and twenty-two hours.

"I haven't had a drink in nineteen days. My eyes are clear and bright without that haze..."

65 comments:

  1. In this week's episode Simon seems to be in grave danger. Will he escape?

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  2. Wow, I'm amazed I am posting so early this week.
    Rock Bottom part two

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  3. It's a continuation of my story. Will be going on for sometime

    I have much going on in my personal life, so....

    Happy Halloween!!!

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  4. This time it won't make ANY sense!

    But it not like last time, I promise!

    click
    pencil stub

    or cut/paste http://firmlyrooted.blogspot.com/2007/10/pencil-stub-3ww.html

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  5. Embarrassing, but true... here is my entry.

    http://greengrassramblings.blogspot.com/2007/10/3ww-phone-stumbled-windy.html

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  6. I love it when these random words seem to frame an idea. Anyone who has been around soccer moms will probably relate to this one. *grin*

    This is my last 3WW until December - I'm doing the NaNoWriMo thing. Keep on writing!

    Be good while I'm gone, Bone. *grin*

    Something's Blowing In

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  7. An attempt at scary, but turns out more funny when I read it. But here it is -

    Ring-Ring

    Happy Halloween!

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  8. Hi everyone. I am back from my holiday to London and Paris and very busy working on my travel book. I am planning to write during November and have a finished book by the end of the month. Wish me luck. :)

    My story today is called "Turn Back! and is scary but not horror.

    Rose

    xo

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  9. I seem to be singing the same song again! Thanks for the words Bone.

    3WW

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  10. Mine is up. I'll be back later to comment. Even N&S has a bit of a ghostly theme.

    --Gay

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  11. I wrote this at work in miniminzed windows, so I apologize beforehand for the shoddy proofreading job.

    http://www.herburban.com/?p=2451

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  12. Gautami, UL--I had screwed up my copying of the story. Apologize for that

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  13. a lighter more poetic entry today... happy halloween... and look forward to sharing nanowrimo with anyone else that may have entered!!!!!

    "dried roses"

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  14. HAPPY HALLOWEEN BONE! :D

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  15. I tortured those three words into a limerick. :)
    Joys Of Winter

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  16. Happy Halloween! I got here too early this am and you werent up with the words... now its probably too late (seeing that its Halloween and I will be up and down with candy calls! lol

    I will try to get something done, or at least I will have a peek at all the others sites!

    Have a great night! Not too much chocolate!

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  17. Here's my Effort after a long break.

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  18. Wrote a poem this week. Don't know that it's much good, but wanted to do some figurative imagery.

    Can't wait to read yours. Can I get an advanced copy?

    Sylvia's Neverland

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  19. Here's mine:

    http://havingwrit.blogspot.com/2007/10/transplant.html

    and if I get this right, click
    The Transplant

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  20. Life, after children's bedtime All those cute little kids tonight put me in a non scary mood, a motherly mood.

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  21. Mine's finally here. Hope you had a nice day. I tried to link this time.
    "Prank Call"
    Hope it worked.
    Michelle

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  22. My Halloween offering

    http://a-mus-ing.blogspot.com/2007/10/strangers-in-night.html

    Happy Halloween!!!!

    Christy

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  23. Hi Everyone -- Happy Halloween! Here's a little story:

    story

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  24. It's late (literally for both time of day for me and for publishing), but done.

    I won't be around until sometime tomorrow night to read everyone's :)

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  25. I will do a short short story for the Holiday. Happy Halloween everyone!

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  26. I had some fun with this prompt - thanks!
    http://scrunchydumpling.blogspot.com/2007/11/three-word-wednesday.html

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  27. I'm a bit late posting this, but here's my attempt:
    Walking home

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  28. haha...hopefully this week will be a treat...funny bone...:) I've finally posted and am now RUNNING to class...later!

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  29. It wasn't windy out at all- which is why I had to laugh at myself when I stumbled walking up the stairs while talking on my phone. Guess I can't multitask. :o)

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  30. Argh, did it again, posted on the previous week. OK, now I'm in the right place.

    Bone, I can't tell you how much I look forward to these prompts. Thanks for keeping this thing going. And thanks to all the contributors for being a part of this virtual community.

    Here's mine for LIX:

    JESUS AT THE SHAMROCK TAVERN

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  31. Here is mine. I'm going to catch up on everyone else's this weekend!

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  32. Thank you all for participating again this week. And thank you for reading and commenting on others. This has really become a nice little community, I think.

    I'll try to be around to read everyone's soon.

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  33. I love it.

    Sounds very noir. Great edge

    Tells a great story--and someplace many of us have been

    I love how she's so intent on thinking what she knew to be the truth,
    and he's living what she wanted, but in dire circumstances
    *****
    I will probably get to the blogs I missed on Monday--hope to be able to

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  34. Great story, Bone. I feel sorry for the guy left standard and sober, but I can understand where she is coming from too. We don't know how many times she wanted to believe in him and was let down.

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  35. At first I was really proud of Kari for not answering that phone. So many of us have let those that we love walk all over us, time and again, each time claiming “never again.” She was actually making good on that promise, so good for her. In the end though, I ended up with as little if not less satisfaction than she did for her actions.

    Still there was no satisfaction in knowing she had made the right decision. She wasn't even sure she had. The only thing she felt at that moment was pain. Immense, unbearable, sleep-depriving pain.

    This was amazing, Bone. Very heartwrenchingly (I swear it’s a word!) beautiful. The ending about broke my heart, as I sat there, wishing there had been some way for the two of them to reach a happy ending that wasn’t meant to be. I could quote some cheesy 80’s song about love not being enough, but I wouldn’t do anything like that O:)

    I really enjoyed your story this week. Thanks for participating in 3WW: it has to get a little old having done it for... uh... LIX weeks. :)

    I like the preacher from the Church of Christ. Sorry that I cried when I talked to you last night…

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  36. Great story Bone - Too late for the guy to change his ways I think!!

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  37. That was a good read Bone - I like stories with room in them for our minds to move about a bit!

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  38. Very nice again, Bone. I am really glad to see he is getting clean, it's never too late to change one's ways,I hope he continues to stay that way..it will only make her happier in the long run - inspite of the hurts she underwent.

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  39. Since I'd already done a halloween post, I decided to do something surreal, an on-the-plains dust bowl setting with pizza. I'm posting it now.

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  40. This is so boy-who-cried-wolfish to me. So human for them both.

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  41. Pia: Thank you. It seems noir is one of my natural inclinations, for some reason.

    Herb Urban: Thanks. I was definitely hoping to create empathy for both characters.

    TC: Thank you. I was trying to show two different sides of the same story.

    Cheesy 80's song lyrics are always welcome on this blog, by the way :)

    Truefaith: Thanks. It may be too late for "them" but hopefully not him.

    Lesley: Thank you. Yeah, I was trying to leave some of it open to the reader's interpretation.

    UL: Thank you. I agree. As long as he's still breathing, it's not too late to change.

    Sage: Thanks for participating.

    Lightheaded: Maybe I could write fables :) Hey wait, didn't that boy get eaten by the wolf?

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  42. You're getting so good at this! I will have to stop slacking and start participating again. BTW, you're tagged. Come by for a visit.

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  43. I think this is one of your best. I like the story line. Feels real to me...
    Made me sad for him (cause I accidentally read the last paragraph first) until I got to the part where he pulleda knife on her.
    3WW's that make you FEEL a certain emotion are always great.

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  44. Good story Bone. You always weave the character's emotions so well.

    Hope you have a great weekend and I'm sure you won't be rooting for the Tigers today. :P

    Rose

    xo

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  45. I love how much of this you left open to our interpretations . . . and how you keep us wanting more.

    Are they husband/wife, girlfriend/boyfriend or father/daughter? Will he find a way to get to her and prove that he's sober? Will love prevail or addiction?

    It's difficult, week after week, word grouping after word grouping to keep the fiction fresh and interesting. Thank you for doing such a good job of it.

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  46. Bone, I like this short story, it says a lot with so little words. I think Kari is strong and not answering the call is the right thing to do.

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  47. Nice piece, Bone. I like that he is sober now, but I have to wonder at his reasons for phoning in the wee hours of the morning. In light of the "history" you have given us, it makes me still a little suspicious of his motives.

    You definitely drew me in, though.

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  48. Great story, Bone! It's your story but, my life once upon a time. You done a nice job with this. Keep up the good work.

    Michelle

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  49. I stumbled while using the phone today. No, really, it was so windy, a piece of barn blew in front of me and next thing y'know, I was sittin' on the ground.

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  50. I love how she's heartbroken just by the sound of the phone because it reminds her of the decision she made to walk away from the pain.

    Even when the end reveals his change of heart, and it's too late, you still want to go "good girl for standing your ground".

    Thank you for this week's challenge, I wasn't ready for what would come from my fingertips.

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  51. I love this Bone! Wow...

    especially the end... he is finally sober and gets the smack in the face! You can so totally feel both of their pain!

    Hope you had a great weekend!

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  52. Since I've already commented on your wonderful work, I feel no shame or guilt in simply commenting:

    I've finally posted.

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  53. Love the lyric you choose this week, Bone. The way you wrote the story quickly got me intested in those characters and thier lives. Great job!

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  54. Somehow, 2:18 am is probably not the best time to call, sober or not... perhaps all the years of drinking damaged a few brain cells so that particular thought was lost on him.

    Great story, but I see her side.

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  55. wow...a little to late and not ever enough? nicely written!

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  56. Thanks for all the feedback, guys. I obviously got more than a little behind on responding to comments.

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