So today my pediatrician says, “Influenza,” and I say, “Are you thinking H1N1?” and he says, “I AM thinking H1N1 because it is the only strain out there right now,” and I say, “But H1N1 isn’t supposed to be real…it’s supposed to be a construct of my imagination that slowly drives me insane until April,” and he says (paraphrased), “Give Toots lots of fluids. Any and all fluids,” and Toots says, “Does that include chocolate milk?” and she has been abusing the fluids privilege ever since.
Now Booger has a fever.
This type of crap ain’t good for worryworts and hypochondriacs.
But let me just say that Toots’ fever is going down and she was dancing on the couch (albeit googily and unsteadily) earlier today, so the swine flu prognosis is looking up (or down?)…
At any rate, I was reminded today how much I love my little hooligans. And I remembered a recent trip to the beach, where this happened:
And this.
And then things in my heartal area started to ache and I remembered how the girls and I saw this:
…right there on the beach. Leading into who knows where. There were shells strewn. Footprints sometimes (until the ocean got at them). Shards of sun when it reached the nooks. And it was dark and mysterious and they wanted me to tell them about it, so I said something lame ass like “there’s fish people in there,” and they were pretty unsatisfied with that, so please make it up to them.
Please tell a story about this cave. Does something lurk in there? Is it a princess grotto? A pirate cache? A teen-age hang-out?
Please post your submission in the comments OR post in your blog and leave a link to your blog in the comments.
First time to PROMPTuesday? Read a bit about it here.
Want to see what’s been written in the past? Catch up on the PROMPTuesdays archive here.
I reckon the chocolate milk monster, the abominable snowman’s (non-identical) twin brother, lives in there.
They sat enraptured, enthralled, engrossed, engaged, dancing in their minds with the shadows. Leaping, lurking, lounging, laughing the images moved in a steady stream.
Seeing themselves or others or no one at all doing something or nothing or everything and they watched.
Imagined and projected and cogitated and considered but never thought. Never examined. Never gazed within.
Didn’t wonder about the source of the light. Didn’t think about what or why or how. There was no meaning. There were only shadows, misty murky ephemera wandering in and out of their consciousness.
Without wanting or needing or deciding that participation might be possible, they looked forward, at the prancing dancing silhouettes on the wall of the cave around them. And they sat.
Knowing that they were alive. Unaware that they were merely sitting, while living was just a few feet away. If they would only turn around. And look.
****
(With thanks to Plato and Socrates for the idea…. and to the Big Cuter for explaining it to me so well. It’s nice when those dollars for an undergraduate education come back to wrap their arms around you and give you a great big hug.)
Just think–now you won’t have to worry about them getting H1N1 because they’ve ALREADY HAD H1N1!
Several cases of Pediactric H1N1 on base here. Monitor closely as you would any illness and report any changes to the Doc. Beyond that, TLC is AOK, Mom!!!
Once inside the girls held their breath as the darkness surrounded them. Surprised by the sudden movement under their feet they let out a scream. Valerie quickly moved her fingers to switch on the flashlight. Celia’s eyes struggled to focus and soon discovered that they were indeed moving. The sand beneath their feet flowed as the tide across the sand outside. They were being drifted away further in the cavern.
With little air the girls struggled to yell out for help.
Valerie waved the light in all directions hoping to find something, anything that would save them or at least give her some sign that this was not the end for her and her sister.
“LOOK!” whispered Celia. Directly infront of them was a white glittering light. Then it was gone and the sand stood still.
All at one bats from above flew over them revealing the open sky lights. The sun filtered in through the gaps. Once all was silent the girls took a good look around to find them selves ankle deep in guano and a foot away from the most amazing collection of seashells. There they lay in all sizes, shapes and colors. Some as big as Celia and just as wide as the bicycles they rode to the beach. They spent hours discovering every nook and crany along and inside those shells. Until they were exhausted. They stepped back into the guano waiting for the earth to move once more. Nothing happened. In the distance they could hear the bats making their return. They followed it to the entrance of the cave and were soon carried away by rescue teamsters who had spent the last 10 hours searching for the girls.
Be gentle, it’s been a while.
http://hippiemonkeymama.wordpress.com/2009/10/21/promptuesday-78-the-secret-cave/
Here is mine. I wanted something mythical and magical, but my brain doesn’t listen.
Hey, Deb – I was just thinking about PrompTuesdays the other day, going thru my back posts and realizing that some of the best things I’ve done were from your Prompts. I don’t know why I’m unable to do them these days – perhaps something about my work schedule has changed, or I’m just not open to creativity as much, but I hope to change that.
I wanted to tell you that I’m so grateful to you for posting those prompts, because they really, really inspired me.
Catch you this Tuesday.
Thanks everyone for participating! And thanks G…those words mean a whole heck of a lot to me, esp. coming from a writer like yourself.