Random Thoughts

Write Now Prompt: April 4, 2014

He walked by the garage and heard the sounds coming from inside. The sounds of some one tinkering with some kind of a machine. Everyone in the neighborhood knew about the new guy, he had moved in about a month or so before. First it was the delivery trucks coming day after day then the sounds coming from inside.

Of course they all talked the way people who lived close together do. “he’s working on a car” said one of the men. “He’s gotta be building something for the house” said a couple of the house wives. As the rumors flew about from all the neighbors non of them could have guessed what was really going on in that garage.

Dave was puttering around in his garage working on his mechanical masterpiece. When it is done it will change everything. His wife, always the supporting spouse, would make him dinner and serve it to him in the garage on the nights he was so disposed.  

On this night she brought Dave his dinner but he was busy working off to the side so she set his dinner on the work table. Not realizing it she hit a button on the table. Whirring and clicking started behind her, she turned to see the eye lights starting to glow. Dave dropped what he was doing and ran over to see what the commotion was and was started to see his mechanical beast starting to wake up.

Dave knew the programing was done and that it was very unstable. He ran to the power cord, hoping that the internal battery was not fully charged, unfortunately there was enough charge for the motor to start. The robot, not knowing what is going on but feeling threatened, crashed through the back wall of the garage, Dashing through the fence and off into the next yard.

They were enjoying dinner when they heard the crash. Running to the window they all looked out to see the robot crash through the fence. He got on the phone and called all the neighbors and told the what he saw, then he ran out after the crazed robot. All the neighbors where gathered in the cul-de-sac. The robot having crashed through another fence then through a house ran confused about all the people. Then they saw Dave running out with something in his hand.

Dave had the remote for the robot, hoping he could get the beast back into the garage and shut him down. Fortunately for Dave the robot was too confused not to allow the remote to work on him. He walked the robot back to the garage and shut it down. He turned to his wife, happy to see that she is ok, and dropped down on his chair. HIs wife sat down next to him also happy to see that he was ok as well. They were alone at last… except for the robot. Glad that no one in the neighborhood was injured or worse and all that needed to be done was to repair some structures, Dave decided to dismantle his mechanical masterpiece believing the world was not quite ready for a robot with a mind of its own.

Write Now Prompt: March 25, 2014

Bob is a happily married man, he has a good job at the local supermarket, two loving children and a tiny little problem. Mary, Bobs wife. has finally gotten fed up with Bobs little problem and has told him that if he does not stop she was going to pack up the kids and leave.  Bob promised he would.

As he left for work Bob thought about his problem and knew Mary was right it was wrong and if kept on this path it was going to lead to a bad place. He loved the rush, the excitement and the thrill but still it was not worth losing his family over.

During the work day Bob thought about what kind of help he could get and where he could go for support and decided he would check the internet when he got home for work. After work he stopped at the local bar with his friends for work for the regular after work beer and chatter.

Mike, one of Bob’s co-workers, called him aside to tell him about this deal he had heard about. “It’s a sure thing Bob, I got this friend of a friend that says the fix is in and  Barbies Dahl in the forth is going to take it.”   He knew he’d promised never to gamble again, but this…this was a sure thing. He couldn’t lose and Mary need not know anything about it.

So Bob, with all the confidence of a fool, went to the track with Mike. Bob went to the window to make his bet, Barbies Dahl at 55 to 1 to win. “Damn” Bob thought with the fix in and being a sure bet Bob plopped down all the money he had in his pocket, 280 dollars. When he won he could get Mary a nice gift.

Down to the grand stand ticket in hand, Bob found a seat right on the rail and sat down waiting patiently for the race to be over so he could collect his winnings.

The horses were lead to the gate and set to run, the gun goes off and their off. It was a close race at first Barbies Dahl keeping up with the pack and looking like she could not lose. Then it happened, Barbies Dahl stopped, just stopped running. The jockey on her was trying to get her to start running again to no avail. Then she bucked the jockey off and made a mad dash, right back to the stables.

Bob, now horrified at what he had just witnessed, looked at his ticket, sobbing and tore it up. What was he going to tell Mary. With his head hung low Bob made for his car and the drive home.

Write Now Prompt: March 14th

Aaron sat there watching the flames flicker and listening to the wood crackle and allowed his mind to roam. It went to that day he bought the 80 acres of farm land. He woke in the morning feeling really good about what was to come. He knew he was taking a big risk and that it could put him in the poor house if anything went wrong. But Aaron Stimple was not a man who wanted to sit on the side lines.

He got up early that morning, showered and had breakfast before he headed out for the two hour drive to meet with Mr. Camden, the owner of the property, and his lawyer to go over the proposal he had drawn up for the purchase of the property. Aaron felt it was a good deal for all involved and besides it was all he could afford for such a risky venture.

The land it self was way out of the way with only one way in or out but it was perfect for developing into a neighborhood community. Hoping it would attract people tired of living in the city and wanting a quieter place to live in to invest in property. Yes Aaron looked at this as a turning point in his life. 

Aaron arrived for the meeting and put on the presentation that he put together and he felt very confident until Mr. Camden and his lawyer stepped aside to confer. It was at this point Aaron realized the worst, there could be no denying it, the proposal was a complete failure.  Or at least that was what he thought. The two men conferred for what seemed like an eternity. When they finally came back Mr. Camden reached out his hand to Aaron and said “ it seems like we have ourselves a deal Mr. Stimple.”

Feeling good about himself and what the future held for him, Aaron walked back to his rubbing the chill off the back of his neck,

Aaron threw another log on the fire, it was a cold winters night and the oil had run out days ago. He sat there in the light of the fire as the electricity has been off for weeks now. As the warmth from the fire started to warm him up he sat thinking about what had happened.  It has been months since he has gone out of his house. All the savings used up just to keep the necessities and now that was all gone.

Aaron Stimple was a fairly prosperous contractor. Building and selling houses. It started when he got the new property. A single sale from a retiring farmer just selling out his unused fields. Simple  enough, or so it seemed. Then it started, slowly at first, glimpses out of the corner of his eye. Then quick, hazy views. It was when the ghostly images started to hang around that Aaron started to think he was going crazy. When they started to talk to him he knew he was over the edge. Home was the only place he felt safe, so home he stayed.

He was startled as the phone rang, which was strange, since they had disconnected it weeks before. He looked at it with a kind of stunned blank look, Was he imagining it or was the phone really ringing. He slowly approached the phone, reached out and picked it up.

“Hello Mr. Stimple” said the voice on the other end. “My name is Rick Spangle. Your application to the Paranormal Investigation Agency has been accepted for review pending a face to face meeting. Our interviewer will be out to see you in two days time,”

With a shaky voice, Aaron said thank you and hung up the phone. Paranormal Investigation Agency, he thought. I have never heard of them let alone applied for a job to such a company. He sat in his chair staring at the flickering fire and wondered if maybe he really had gone crazy.