Tuesday 4 June 2013

Poppy


(A writing prompt from Write on Edge:  Bubblegum)




Crack
ChewChewChew

Pause

Crack
ChewChewChew

The noise was disgustingly organic and impossible to ignore especially in the tome-silent atmosphere of the university library.   This was time I’d set aside for studying organic chemistry.   Naturally I was reading a text on psychological aberrations instead (all work and no play etcetera) but even so I didn’t want distraction.

The girl was too young to be here anyway.   She looked about ten years old, pudgy with straw coloured hair in pigtails.  She had a band aid on her knee on which she’d drawn a piratical skull and crossbones in blue ink.  And she chewed bubblegum.  I watched her as she blew a hideous pink bladder of gum from her mouth, let it pop with a loud crack and then chewed it liquidly back into her mouth and masticated it into readiness again.

Ignore her, I decided.   I tried to lose myself in the labyrinth of sociopathy.

Crack
ChewChewChew

I looked again, she was grinning as she chewed.  And blew.  And chewed.

Nobody else seemed bothered by her.  I knew why.

“Alright,” I said, “If I promise to find out who killed you, will you leave me in peace?”

“Maybe,” she said.

Crack

ChewChewChew

20 comments:

  1. This was fun, I hate snapping gum!

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  2. So fun! And the number one reason I don't care for bubblegum (not the dead people bit, but the noisiness)!

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    1. But the dead person bit runs a close second I'm sure :D

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  3. Super fun twist. I was so busy trying to figure out why a young girl would be in a university library that I didn't even see it coming.

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  4. Ha! I was already laughing after the second Crack, ChewChewChew. Smart ghost though, there may be no more annoying sound in all the world. And the "Maybe," was perfect.

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    1. So glad you liked things - and that "maybe" could come back to haunt our narrator.

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  5. OH I loved this. Like Ghost Whisperer meets Law & Order. I thought of "Moaning Myrtle" from the Harry Potter series as soon as I realized she's just trying to annoy him, to get under his skin.

    the twist was wickedly fun.

    :)

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    1. Thanks Kir, I'm really glad you liked this.

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  6. Great twist! And I love the language you use to describe how she blew the bubble and sucked it back in. Bravo.

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    1. I've always found bubblegum bubbles vaguely disturbing, I think that may have come through here

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  7. SOOOO GOOOD! The "bladder of gum" was genius. Captured my feelings about gum exactly.

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    1. Haha, it sounds as though lots of people react to gum the same as me, I'm so glad. Thanks for the feedback too, I'm pleased you enjoyed things.

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  8. I couldn't believe there was no paranormal activity in this post and Viola - there it was. Good read, crack, chewchewchew.

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    1. I shall write a normal day at the office next time just to surprise people. Mind you, since my boss is a voudon loa riding a wooden idol in a top hat that may not really work. Glad you liked it.

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  9. This was fantastic. I love the supernatural twist, the crack, chew, chew, chew, liquidly pulling it back into her mouth. The image it brought was equal parts annoying and somehow endearing.

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  10. Oh no....dead people crack gum? So thought it would be peaceful when dead. Really nice twist there. "I see dead people". Well done!

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    1. "I get irritated by dead people" - that's the way :D Glad you liked it

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