Armed with the prompt of ‘dress’, my fifth short story for online writing group ‘Tuesday Tales’, below is the result (a second-person short story for a change).
Tuesday Tales provides a new prompt each week, the members write a story inspired by it and post it on our blogs / websites. Then we email the link and first two or three sentences to Jean Joachim. She then posts them on the Tuesday Tales blog (on a Tuesday 
), gives us the link then we go out and shout about it.
So, without further ado, here is my 162-worder which features with 22 other writers on the Tuesday Tales blog post dated 28 February 2012:
‘Small Steps’
It doesn’t bother you that you have to teach him to dress himself. All over again.
It doesn’t bother you that he doesn’t remember your name.
It bothers you that you’re the reason he’s like this.
A constant reminder that you didn’t take any notice when he asked you to slow down.
Begged, even.
Totally out of character, you chased the other car.
The driver.
The woman who’d cut you up.
The woman you recognised from the picture.
You were only supposed to be giving Andy a lift to football.
They weren’t supposed to be playing.
Didn’t usually in the rain but he’d had a text at the last minute, too late to walk or take his bike.
So he missed the game, and you missed the bend.
A lamppost slamming into the passenger door as the car spun.
The woman stopped then, ran back, helped you both, all the time crying.
“Jack loves you, Emma. We’ve only ever been friends.”
The links to the earlier prompts, and resulting stories, and the forthcoming prompts can be found on this blog’s Tuesday Tales page. Do go and check out the Tuesday Tales blog – it’s a wonderful idea supported by talented writers.
So, not only can you read these stories but you could also write your own using the prompts given each week. There’s no word count limit. Single-word prompts are something I regularly give my Monday night workshop and it’s amazing how different our stories can be.
You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore and Kobo.
And I have a new forum at http://morgenbailey.freeforums.org.
VeronicaThePajamaThief
February 26, 2012 at 10:36 pm
Tragic… a moment ‘out of character’… a lifetime to regret.
Very well written. I’ve written a fair bit of flash, but none with only a single word as the prompt. Sounds fun!
morgenbailey
February 26, 2012 at 10:42 pm
Thank you, Veronica.
The first line just came to me from the prompt and the rest spilled out from there.
I’ve put a load of one-word prompts on http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/exercises if you’d like to do some. Help yourself.
And of course do consider http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/flash-fiction-fridays for any flash you can’t place elsewhere (i.e. get paid for).
dakotatrace
February 28, 2012 at 2:13 am
wow….intense but sad and filled with the reality of regret.
morgenbailey
February 28, 2012 at 9:34 am
:*) Thank you, Dakota.
Christina Cole
February 28, 2012 at 4:05 pm
All it takes is a single moment in time, and lives can be changed forever. Very emotional piece.
morgenbailey
February 28, 2012 at 9:51 pm
Thank you, Christina. x
I’ve not forgotten your spotlight request – your email is no.5 of 112 so nearly there.
Yvonne Hertzberger
February 29, 2012 at 12:17 am
Morgen, I can certainly see why you write short pieces and in second person. You have turned it into a fine art. Bravo.
morgenbailey
February 29, 2012 at 12:20 am
:*) just practice. xx
Lindsay
February 29, 2012 at 2:42 am
Time. Only a moment can change the life of someone.
morgenbailey
February 29, 2012 at 7:22 am
And we get to write about it.
Thank you for stopping by Lindsay. x
Sherry Gloag
February 29, 2012 at 2:05 pm
Very poignant and powerful piece of writing, Morgen
morgenbailey
February 29, 2012 at 8:12 pm
Thank you, Sherry. You know how it is, it just spills out.