I blogged last week about writing prompts in general and invited readers to respond to either of the prompts I gave. I haven’t received any but would still welcome efforts! I’m sharing one below. It was fun how it turned out. I stopped at the ten-minute timer thinking I was just breaking off in the middle, nowhere special, but when I read it aloud, we both laughed at the last two lines. So it seemed almost like a proper, or good enough, closing. Here it is:
It’s the year 2060. I’m in my bed, breathing deep. Morning light has appeared, programmed in our dome. They’ve set the air to smell like hibiscus. I think that’s what the scent is.
I’m on a 10-day cycle as urban planner. I like that pretty well. I’ll ride my cycle around the streets, recording notes and imagining what improvements could be made, to present to the council.
I’m outside now. Do you like my outfit? They say it used to be called parachute material. A bright orange coverall. We have to be mostly covered. You never know when the air might get filled with something airborn and unpleasant. My second skin will tell me immediately, of course, but best to avoid contamination in the first place.
Oh, there’s Nantes. She prefers to wear a transparent coverall to share her beauty. She’s peddling along with her pet kopat, one of the primates they were able to repopulate. “Hello,” I call out.
“Dondy, you’re so … bright,” she says as float past each other on our pressure bikes.
“Don’t want you to miss me,” I smile.
Now tell me, while reading, which picture did you conjure to go with the story? Either of the ones provided next to it? Or your own in your head? Tell me about it!
If you’re now inspired to write one of your own to this prompt, feel free to share! Or write a prompt of your own in the comments and we might use it.
Instagram pics:
Marie Judson 