Tag: #Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie

Fiction, Mindlovemisery's Menagerie, Saturday Mix, Writing

#Lucky Dip – Saturday Mix, 22 June 2024

Tessa

Rules for prompt!

lucky dip (noun). a game in which small objects are concealed in a container and chosen at random.

Your story cubes this week are:

CCube pictures: car, egg and bacon, crayon, tent, aerosol, passports, body outline, filmstrip.

Use these in your response, which may be either poetry or prose.

Good luck with your ‘Lucky Dip’ – I can’t wait to see what you come up with! Don’t forget to tag ‘Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie’, ‘Saturday Mix’, and hashtag #LuckyDip.

As always, make sure you link to your fabulous creation via the comments or pingback.

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As I watched the egg and bacon cook for my breakfast, I looked at the tent with a rental car parked beside it. We arrived late last night and still had the car to unpack. We were traveling from another country, so we had to keep our passports handy at all times in case we were asked to present them at the border.

I finished my breakfast, my anticipation growing as I reached for the pile of books. The one on top, with its intriguing body outline, was a clear sign of a mystery, a genre that always keeps me on the edge of my seat. The cover, adorned with a piece of filmstrip and the promising words ‘coming soon to a theater near you, ‘heightened my excitement. I couldn’t wait to see how the movie would bring this captivating story to life and how different it would be from the book.My daughter, Candy, stumbled out of the tent with her box of crayons and coloring book. She was ready to start coloring, but I had to talk her into breakfast first. She finally agreed to a bowl of cereal and milk. Once she was finished, I got out the aerosol can of sunscreen and applied it liberally to her body so she wouldn’t get burnt when we headed over to the lake for the morning.

**********

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses

New Author’s Website – http://www.tessadeanauthor.com

Author – Old Writing –  http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com

About my life –  http://www.tessacandoit.wordpress.com

#Saturday Mix, #StoryStarter, Fiction, Mindlovemisery's Menagerie, Prompt, Story Starter, Writing

Story Starter – Saturday Mix, 15 June 2024

Tessa

Prompt Rules:

Welcome to the Saturday Mix – Story Starter, 15 June 2024!
You will be given a sentence to start off your response. It is your choice whether you write using poetry or prose.

Your story starter for this week is:

  • Gary pushed “send” on the email and hoped for the best…

Good luck with your ‘Story Starter’ – I can’t wait to see what you come up with! Don’t forget to tag ‘Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie’, ‘Saturday Mix’, and hashtag #StoryStarter.

As always, make sure you link to your fabulous creation via the comments or pingback.

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The Not So Private Email

By Tessa Dean June 2024

Gary pushed send on the email and hoped for the best. There, that’s done, Gary thought, unable to suppress a sigh. He worried Maggie would be upset since they had never discussed this. He just wanted out of all the drama before someone else found out about them, especially his wife, who worked in the office next to his. Way too close for comfort. 

Just then, his wife, Lori, barged into his office crying. What’s she upset about?

“What’s up, Lori?” Gary asked his sobbing wife.

“How could you do this to me? Everyone knows our business.”

“What do you mean everyone knows our business? What business?”

You sent a personal email to everyone at work. You told Maggie that you loved her and were going to divorce me. When were you going to tell me? I know things haven’t been ideal, but you never let on that you were so unhappy that you were leaving me for another woman, especially Maggie, who is the company whore.”

“Whoa there, Lori, she is not a whore.”

“What would you call a woman who will sleep with anyone, especially her boss?”

“She doesn’t sleep around. We have been seeing each other for 2 years now. Besides, you have your own boyfriend. Did you think I didn’t know about him? I have known about the two of you since I started seeing Maggie. Your seeing him was the reason I started to date Maggie. You hurt me when you did that, so we started talking and dating.”

Lori shut up. She hadn’t realized that he knew about her boyfriend. He never said anything, but she could see why now since he had been seeing Maggie. “We might as well see Maggie now and get this over with. I am not going to contest the divorce. It will be great to be out of this marriage. I will have my lawyer contact yours once we each have a lawyer. Let me know who you choose so we can get different lawyers.” She left his office, still sniffling and blowing her nose on a tissue, and headed down the hall to Maggie’s office.

Suddenly, Maggie became aware of the rumble of talking through her closed door. Wondering what was going on, she walked to the door and opened it. Mark and his wife, Lori, were standing there looking very unhappy. Lori was crying. “What’s going on?” she said to the pair.

“How could you?” Lori asked her with tears running down her face. 

“How could I what?” she asked the pair standing before her.

Lori reached over to slap her on the face. “How could you sleep with my husband?” 

Maggie rubbed the spot where the slap had landed. Boy, that hurt, she thought.

“What are you talking about?” Maggie asked her, and she knew he had done something wrong by the look on Mark’s face. And how did Lori find out? They had been so discreet.

Mark said between clenched lips, “I mistakenly sent that email to the whole company, not just you. Thanks to that stupid email, everyone knows about us.

Maggie sucked in her breath as what he said got through to her. The whole company? How had he managed that? What email? She hadn’t checked her email yet this morning.

She looked at the couple before her, Lori sobbing and Mark furious, just standing there with a confused look on his face. “I haven’t checked my email this morning, so I don’t know what you are talking about.” She wished she were anywhere but here. This wasn’t her fault, except that she knew sleeping with the boss was never a good move. She had been there before. Why did she think this time would be different?

“I will pack up my things and go. I never meant for this to happen.”

“Maggie, wait! The email said that I loved you and was going to divorce Lori. That is why she is so upset. She doesn’t love me and has her own boyfriend. She just doesn’t want to lose my money. I want us to be together. Please don’t leave.”

“Maggie looked at Mark and said, “You really are leaving Lori for me?”

“Yes, I love you, not her.”

Maggie rushed to his outstretched arms to kiss him. She couldn’t be happier, although she still felt bad for Lori and would have preferred more privacy. Now, they didn’t have to sneak around anymore.

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses

New Author’s Website – http://www.tessadeanauthor.com

Author – Old Writing –  http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com

About my life –  http://www.tessacandoit.wordpress.com

Fiction, Mindlovemisery's Menagerie, Photo Challenge, Photo Prompt, Prompt, Writing

Photo Challenge #519

Tessa
Image credit Sarah Whiley

Use the above image as inspiration for a poem or short story.

Alternatively, if you are an artist or photographer, use this as an opportunity to showcase your own work.

You have 1 week to complete this challenge.

When you’re done, TAG the post ‘Photo Challenge’ and ‘Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie.’ Create a pingback and add your link to the comments for others to read.

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Mind Love Misery’s Menagerie’s Instructions

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Skull!

By Tessa Dean June 2024

Ronald had a man cave that he built himself out of all kinds of junk. It wasn’t fancy, but it would do. He had his own place and that is what he wanted. Somewhere he could call his own and keep everyone out unless he gave them permission to enter. He put a skull on a post right outside the door. He knew Sara would not enter because she was deathly afraid of skulls and thought them to be evil. When he put the post up she said, “Eww, what do you need a secret space for and why the evil skull to guard it.”

“Just make sure you stay out. This is my place and you and your stupid friends aren’t invited.”

“I wouldn’t think of entering that filthy place,” she said. She turned and walked away toward the house. She called over her shoulder, “I haven’t seen Priscilla since yesterday when she said she was coming over to visit me. I told her that you had forbidden us to enter your filthy man cave, but she just laughed and said we’ll see. Let me know if you see her.”

Ronald opened the door once she was out of sight and entered. He switched on the fairy lights he had strung around the building and plugged into a heavy-duty extension cord that he had run out to the man cave from the house. There was just enough light to see the body in the corner, mostly covered by a blue tarp. She wouldn’t be snooping around here anymore. He had to finish digging a hole in the ground so he could bury the body and avoid the smell of decay. He couldn’t take a chance on trying to move it out of there without Sara seeing it and freaking out. Luckily he had a dirt floor in there. “Priscilla had been warned,”  he muttered to himself. “She had no one to blame but herself.”

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses

New Author’s Website – http://www.tessadeanauthor.com

Author – Old Writing –  http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com

About my life –  http://www.tessacandoit.wordpress.com

Fiction, Photo Challenge, Photo Prompt, Prompt, Writing

Photo Challenge #518

Tessa

Use the above image as inspiration for a poem or short story.

Alternatively, if you are an artist or photographer, use this as an opportunity to showcase your own work.

You have 1 week to complete this challenge.

When you’re done, TAG the post ‘Photo Challenge’ and ‘Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie.’ Create a pingback and add your link to the comments for others to read.

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Mind Love Misery’s Menagerie’s Instructions

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Audition!

By Tessa Dean June 2024

I wandered around backstage before the auctions started. I was here to audition and was supposed to be outside in the line waiting to get in, but I slipped through the entrance and made it backstage without anyone seeing me. I looked at the set I was on. I wondered what show they were using this one for. 

It had a psychedelic-patterned floor, and red curtains lined the makeshift walls, creating a corridor. I looked around at the other sets and then snuck into an office, looking for a script or a poster for the show. I was really curious about this brightly colored set, and it would be great if it were part of the show I was auditioning for. 

I heard voices and looked for somewhere to hide. I ended up behind the curtains in the makeshift corridor. Little did I know that my feet were sticking out. Suddenly, the curtain was flung open, and I was in full sight of a small crowd. 

“What are you doing here?” the man in charge said. “The auditions haven’t started yet, and you are supposed to be out in the line formed at the side door.”

“Umm, I was just curious. I wanted to see the scenery. I meant no harm.”

“Please go back out in line and make sure you go to the end of the line. No cutting in front of anyone.”

“Yes, sir,” I mumbled as I started to make my way back outside.

When my turn came to enter the building, I walked inside and hoped no one would recognize me. My audition went on without so much as a remark about them seeing me inside, so I hoped I was in the clear, and it wouldn’t hurt my audition.

“You there,” I hear as I wait for the final announcement. “You were the one wandering around back here. We have decided to disqualify you for trespassing. There wasn’t a good reason for you to be inside the building wandering around unescorted.”

“But, sir, I was curious and didn’t see any harm in looking around. Please don’t disqualify me for that. If I wasn’t any good, I could see you disqualifying me, but not simply because I was curious about the sets.”

They talked and finally decided. “Okay, since you were one of our favorites, we will allow you to audition for the second round, but no more sneaking around.”

I thanked them with a smile of relief and joined the group for the second audition.

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses

New Author’s Website – http://www.tessadeanauthor.com

Author – Old Writing –  http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com

About my life –  http://www.tessacandoit.wordpress.com

Fiction, Mindlovemisery's Menagerie, Prompt, Writing

Puzzle This – Saturday Mix, 1 June 2024

Tessa

Rules for this prompt!

Welcome to the Saturday Mix – Puzzle This, 1 June 2024!
You will be given one piece of a puzzle. Use the picture parts or clues contained within the piece to craft your response. It is your choice whether you use poetry or prose.

Your puzzle piece this week is:

Use this creatively in your response.

**********

As I entered the room I was surrounded by the largest doll collection I had ever seen. I tried to look at every doll in the room, but I found myself drawn to dolls that were dressed in an outfit from the Elizabethan Era. The one that caught my attention was wearing a dress made of silk and was purplish and blue in color. I found myself studying the other dolls in the collection from the same era. They were all so lovely and I would love to have one of the dolls for my own collection.

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses

New Author’s Website – http://www.tessadeanauthor.com

Author – Old Writing –  http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com

About my life –  http://www.tessacandoit.wordpress.com

Fiction, Mindlovemisery's Menagerie, Photo Challenge, Photo Prompt, Prompt, Writing

Photo Challenge #517

Tessa
Image credit Sarah Whiley

Use the above image as inspiration for a poem or short story.

Alternatively, if you are an artist or photographer, use this as an opportunity to showcase your own work.

You have 1 week to complete this challenge.

When you’re done, TAG the post ‘Photo Challenge’ and ‘Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie.’ Create a pingback and add your link to the comments for others to read.

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Mind Love Misery’s Menagerie’s Instructions

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Peacock!

By Tessa Dean May 2024

We lived in an apartment complex in Africa surrounded on two sides by a park. The park had some birds and small animals, so I wasn’t totally surprised when one morning, I woke up and found a peacock on the balcony of my apartment, which faced the park. This was a male peacock as opposed to the female peahen, and it was beautiful. The feathers were long and looked absolutely lovely when spread out to their full width. The main colors of the bird were blues and greens. I watched the bird as it was content to sit on the balcony rail.

My daughter came running out to the balcony, yelling for breakfast. She startled the peacock, and he rose to leave his perch. I scolded her, and after she stopped crying, she looked at the pictures I had found online to show her what she had missed. She wasn’t really interested in the peacock and ran off to play. She and her friends headed down to the park, where they loved to play almost all day. I kept checking to see if he would return, but he never returned that day or the next. I wish I had gotten a picture of him before my daughter startled him. Maybe one day, he would return.

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses

New Author’s Website – http://www.tessadeanauthor.wordpress.com

Author – Old Writing –  http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com

About my life –  http://www.tessacandoit.wordpress.com

Mindlovemisery's Menagerie, Prompt, Writing

#Lucky Dip – Saturday Mix, 25 May 2024

Tessa

Rules for prompt!

lucky dip (noun). a game in which small objects are concealed in a container and chosen at random.

Your story cubes this week are:

Cube pictures: puzzle pieces, trophy, gaming controller, umbrella, book, passports, umbrella, snowflake, body outline. (umbrella was listed twice)

Use these in your response, which may be either poetry or prose.

Good luck with your ‘Lucky Dip’ – I can’t wait to see what you come up with! Don’t forget to tag ‘Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie’, ‘Saturday Mix’, and hashtag #LuckyDip.

As always, make sure you link to your fabulous creation via the comments or pingback.

**********

Cassie loved puzzles, especially those that depicted snowflakes and winter scenery. They reminded her of her childhood, when she used to spend hours with her family, building snowmen and making snow angels. But today, she could see that some pieces were missing as she always started with the outer edges, and she could tell some were definitely not there. She searched frantically through the puzzle pieces spread out on the table.

She chose this particular puzzle out of the remaining puzzles as she hoped to win the trophy for the first to complete their puzzle and shellac it to hang it on the wall. The picture on the puzzle was of a body outline surrounded by passports, an umbrella, and a gaming controller. It wasn’t her favorite type of puzzle, but she was determined to win. She gave up and returned to her book to read since she could not win the contest with missing pieces. She was glad she found it out before getting the whole puzzle together.

**********

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses

New Author’s Website – http://www.tessadeanauthor.com

Author – Old Writing –  http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com

About my life –  http://www.tessacandoit.wordpress.com

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Fiction, Mindlovemisery's Menagerie, Photo Challenge, Photo Prompt, Prompt, Writing

Photo Challenge #516

Tessa

Use the above image as inspiration for a poem or short story.

Alternatively, if you are an artist or photographer, use this as an opportunity to showcase your own work.

You have 1 week to complete this challenge.

When you’re done, TAG the post ‘Photo Challenge’ and ‘Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie.’ Create a pingback and add your link to the comments for others to read.

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Mind Love Misery’s Menagerie’s Instructions

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War!

By Tessa Dean May 2024

I was told to meet them at the top of the hill in Ramsey’s Park. I followed the directions and after climbing a series of hills I came across a stone wall. There was silence which was unusual for the middle of the afternoon. The sun would be setting in approximately 5 hours and I had no idea what Richie and Mark were up to.

Something whizzed over my head and landed behind me. Ducking I looked for a place to take cover. I spotted a large tree and dived behind it. “Hey Richie, what are you guys up to?” I shouted towards the wall of rocks.

“We’re at war, man. You won’t get away with messing around with my girlfriend.”

“What are you talking about? I haven’t seen Rochelle in weeks.” Frantically I looked for some rocks to use as ammunition. Obviously they had this planned and built a wall and who knew how many rocks they had in their possession.

“Listen man, Mark here says he saw the two of you together and he wouldn’t lie to me. So what gives?”

“I’m telling you man, I haven’t seen her in weeks and you were with her. I am not seeing her behind your back. I promise.”

More rocks headed in his direction and the tree wasn’t much protection. He threw a few rocks at the top of the wall and heard a yelp. He must have hit one of them.”

“Hey stop that,” Richie yelled.

“Listen, you can’t aim at me and not expect retaliation. I’m telling you I haven’t been with Rochelle. Did she tell you that we were seeing each other? Because if she did, she’s lying.”

“No she denies it too.”

“Then I suggest you believe us over Mark. I don’t know why he is lying, but this isn’t funny.”

Whispers came from behind the wall. Mark yelled, “Stop! I’m sorry. I thought it would be funny. I figured you wouldn’t believe it and it would blow over after a little while.”

“Mark that is so mean man. I could have hurt him for nothing. I am not taking you home. You need to find your own ride home man. This is so not funny. Get out of here.”

Mark pleaded for him to reconsider and apologized, but Richie was having none of it. Mark came out from behind the wall and headed down the hill. Richie headed over to the wall and Richie. “I can’t believe you believed him man. I thought we were best friends. I am leaving too. You are on your own for the next few weeks until things blow over. I suggest you tell Rochelle what happened although I am sure she will be mad at you too.”

“Oh man, I am really sorry. Can’t you forgive and forget?”

“Not right now. Give me a few weeks to calm down and we’ll talk then. Good bye!”

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses

New Author’s Website – http://www.tessadeanauthor.wordpress.com

Author – Old Writing –  http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com

About my life –  http://www.tessacandoit.wordpress.com

Fiction, Mindlovemisery's Menagerie, Photo Challenge, Photo Prompt, Prompt, Writing

Photo Challenge #514

Tessa

Use the above image as inspiration for a poem or short story.

Alternatively, if you are an artist or photographer, use this as an opportunity to showcase your own work.

You have 1 week to complete this challenge.

When you’re done, TAG the post ‘Photo Challenge’ and ‘Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie.’ Create a pingback and add your link to the comments for others to read.

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Mind Love Misery’s Menagerie’s Instructions

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Lost!

By Tessa Dean May 2024

I was lost. I followed my sister’s instructions, but I found myself on what appeared to be a back road. My attempts to call her just produced more anxiety, as the phone showed no service where I was. I looked at the instructions I had written down but couldn’t spot where I went wrong. 

Undeterred, I made a decision. I would retrace my steps, determined to find my way. I turned the car around and headed back the way I had just come. The area was deserted, and I couldn’t even see a street sign telling me how far it was to Martinsburg. But I was not about to give up because I didn’t want to still be out here once darkness fell. 

Thankfully, I had the foresight to bring a small cooler with me, stocked with bottles of water and a salad. This resourcefulness was a small comfort in the midst of the deserted land, where I hadn’t even seen another car in the last hour or so. It made me wonder just how far off the beaten track I had ventured.

I pulled over to the side of the road and pulled out a bottle of water. I would save the salad for later since I didn’t know when I could get more food at a store or restaurant. 

Sipping from the bottle, I headed back the way I had come, looking for a street sign or even signs of civilization. I don’t know why I didn’t notice that the area showed no signs of a town before now.

I followed my notes in reverse and hoped I hadn’t gotten off on a wrong turn which would make it even harder to find someone to help me. 

I had been driving for about an hour when I came to what appeared to be a fork in the road and lo and behold there was a street sign on the other side of the road. I pulled over to the sign and looked for Martinsburg.

I shook my head in exasperation as the sign simply pointed left to City 2.3. I had no idea if they meant feet or miles, and there was no name for the city. The sign actually just said City.

I pulled out my phone to see if I had service yet. Thankfully, it showed 4 bars, so I dialed my sister’s phone number. She answered and asked me where I was. 

I told her I had no idea as I had been driving for hours with no sign of civilization, and the sign I just found didn’t tell me how far it was to Martinsburg. 

“Martinsburg?” she asked. “I don’t live in Martinsburg, I live in River Falls. What made you think I lived in Martinsburg?”

“I am sure that is where you said you lived.”

“I told you not to head toward Martinsburg. You must have heard me wrong. That town is a ghost town nowadays.”

“So now you tell me. Where should I go from here?” 

“I know the sign you mean. It was put up by pranksters, most likely. Take the right fork and go straight for about 30 miles, and you will come to River Falls Main Street. Put my address in your GPS, and you should be here in less than an hour. If you had been using the GPS all along you shouldn’t have gotten so far off track.”

“I hope you are right because this has been a terrible trip so far. I don’t know how I got so far off track and I didn’t think I needed the GPS since you gave me directions although I must have written something down wrong..”

“Relax, you are almost here. I can’t wait to see you.”

I decided I might as well eat my salad now before going any further. I was hungry and since I was sure I was now on the right track I should be able to get more food once I arrived at my sister’s house.

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses

New Author’s Website – http://www.tessadeanauthor.wordpress.com

Author – Old Writing –  http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com

About my life –  http://www.tessacandoit.wordpress.com