Saturday, April 16, 2011

100 Word Challenge: An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bookstore

Velvet Verbosity's 100 Word Challenge refuses to return Theo Epstein's phone calls offering a contract to join the Boston Red Sox as a starting pitcher. This week's word is "imp", and my story, in a nod to the great Ambrose Bierce, is called "An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bookstore".




"Dad-deeeeeee!" His voice was sharp, full of anger. His face was screwed up in puzzlement. "What's an imp?" 

I scanned my mental dictionary. "It's a little devil, or it's a word for a naughty boy. Why?"

"That lady called me one." A dark haired woman was glaring at him from the science fiction section. I put down the Foster Wallace I was perusing. 

"I just asked her when her baby was going to come!", he protested. "She has a big tummy just like Mommy does."

"That's not something we ask strangers, buddy," I told him as she stormed away. 

7 comments:

  1. Out of the mouths of babes, huh? Great story!

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  2. LOL ... kids always tell it like it is. Fun take on the challenge!

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  3. I chuckled - which made hubby look askance - ahhh, she's just reading 100 words again. :)

    I've been on both ends of this one. Well done. (poor little imp) And - poor daddy.

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  4. I guess he's lucky 'imp' was the only thing she called him. Fun 100 Words.

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  5. Hilarious 100.

    Godo job Michael

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  6. Oh dear. A grown woman made this mistake with me once. It's been 25 yrs but it came back in a rush. You did a good job evoking that emotional response.

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  7. Ha! This reminds of that time I devastated my mother by pointing out that her boss had a mustache. Her female boss.

    Oh my poor mother, and oh the things children will say.

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