These 10 Random Words came from Alfred Hitchcock's Sinister Spies.
We closed our eyes and flipped the pages, stopping randomly and pointing at a word. We wrote the word down and repeated the process nine more times, alternating who picked the word. The words don't have to be used in the order they were found, but that is what we did. There are no rules other than using each of the ten words, exactly as they appear on the list.
(Example: if the word is "loved", you can't use "love" in its place.)
Have fun, and leave your submissions in the comments!
1. landlady
2. addressed
3. Valparaiso
4. couple
5. the
6. Kurt
7. loved
8. calm
9. were
10. tapped
I wish I had tried to do a theme piece since these words came from a book called "Sinister Spies"... maybe something a bit more mysterious. Next time I might try to tie my piece to the book's title/subject along with using the words.
ReplyDeleteHe could see there was an envelope taped on his front door even as he pulled into the parking lot. His eyes scanned the other apartments, but his neighbors' doors were blank. He ripped the letter down as he unlocked the deadbolt and pushed his way into the black apartment. He stood there for a moment, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness, the single bulb from the hallway casting a weak semicircle of light around his feet. He closed the door behind him and made his way by memory to the lamp on the side table.
The note was from his landlady. He knew because of her handwriting, and because it was addressed to Mr. Valparaiso, not because it was on official apartment complex stationery. It was actually scribbled on lined paper torn from a spiral notebook.
Being called "Mr. Valparaiso" made him feel like part of a couple, even though he had always lived alone in this apartment, had lived alone ever since he loved out of his mother's house. He didn't need a girlfriend, or a boyfriend, for that matter. The companion he had now was enough.
Kurt was always there for him, waiting when he came home from work or a visit to the museum or a blind date his mother set him up on. Kurt never asked questions, never clapped his hands together, voice raised several octaves while inquiring if a good time was had, visibly deflating when the result was less that satisfactory. Kurt didn't care. And Mr. Valparaiso loved him for it.
Whenever someone new met Kurt, which was rare these days, Mr. Valparaiso told them to keep calm. That was it. That was the big secret. That was what slipped everyone's mind as soon as they met Kurt's eyes.
Girls were creeped out, even the ones who acted tough. They shuddered to keep their disgusted squeals from escaping, lips pressed tight as they made excuses and rushed to the safety of their cars. Guys were creeped out too, in a way, if only because it clearly kept the ladies away. Men didn't understand why he'd rather have Kurt than get any action.
Mr. Valparaiso let the landlady's letter drift to the floor and trudged to the spare room to see Kurt. He flipped on the overhead light and tapped on the glass, even though he knew Kurt had escaped. That was why he had been evicted.
As I was laying on the bed, the world spun flawlessly around me. I had heard about this trick once that would make it stop: place a foot on the floor. I did so to no avail, so I decided to place a second foot on the floor. It produced the same result. I would have tried a third if I could. I decided to try standing, thinking that would help. It helped, but not me. It helped the landlady find out that I had been drinking away the rent money again. She lived directly below me. She could hear everything I did normally anyway. She definitely heard the thump that my head made on the floor.
ReplyDeleteThe last time that I failed to pay the rent (last week) I had already had the apology letter addressed to her for not having paid it the week before. I had put the filled out check and the letter in the same envelope to slide under her door. I ran into her in the hallway and before I could hand her the envelope, she started to talk about her cat, Valparaiso, and some sort of illness that made him rip at the furniture and get into her cabinets and shit just outside of the litterbox and try to run out her door every time she opened it and...
Just then, as she was talking, she unlocked her door and opened it. Valparaiso darted into the hallway. She followed. Just as well. By then I had already decided that I needed a couple of drinks more than I needed a place to live; at least if the cat talk was what I would have to live with.
A knock on my door brought me back. I was still laying on the floor in my apartment, next to my bed. I had been able to avoid the landlady since the night Valparaiso ran out. She now knew that I was home. Thanks a lot, fifth of Jack. I knew it was her at the door and she would want the rent. When I told her I didn't have it, she would know where it went and she would give me an eviction notice.
I had to split my story in half and post it as two comments. Sorry for the intermission.
DeleteWhen I answered the door, I found Kurt standing on the other side. Kurt was my younger brother. If he was at my door, I knew he needed something.
ReplyDelete"I loved her," he said. He had tears in his eyes.
"Who?" I had no clue what he was talking about.
"Janet," he said.
"The Landlady?" I was surprised because she was at least fifteen years older than him, and I had never seen them together. Had he ever even seen her?
"She's dead," he said, "I didn't mean to do it, she just wouldn't stop meowing."
"Are you talking about that stupid cat of yours?" That calmed me down some. By that point I was only annoyed. I hated to hear him talk about that cat like it was the only thing in his life. In reality, it was, but it was his own fault. I put up with him though. He was my brother after all. "Why did you name it Janet? After my landlady?"
"She's not...she wasn't a stupid cat. She was smart. Cats can't be stupid." He idolized all cats. He thought they were the most pure creatures that ever existed. He should have been an ancient Egyptian.
Then, I did what any good older brother would do. I pawned him off. I told him that if he tapped on the door of the apartment below mine, Janet would talk with him all night about that stupid...that uh...cat. I thought that, maybe, a tragedy like that would get her mind off of my lack of rent payment. At least for a couple of days, until I could find a way to continue drinking and pay rent.
Amazingly, it worked. The next week was the first time that I saw either of them again. The cat conversation allowed them to hit it off more than anyone ever could have known.
The day after I took him to her apartment, they went into town and eloped. I tried, but failed, to avoid them in the hallway as I was leaving for the liquor store with the last of my rent money.
"I...I'm...I'm sorry. I d...I don't have your rent m...money yet..." I stumbled, half over my words, half over the liquor.
"You know," Janet (the landlady, not the cat) said, "since you introduced me to the man of my dreams, you can stay here as long as you want rent free. I'm not going to charge family."
Needless to say, to this day, I am still drinking my life away.
"Shit!" I turned over and threw a tissue box at the cat. Why on earth must that demon pounce my head in my sleep? As I assessed the back of my head and felt around for scratches I heard a knock at the door. Now what! It was turning into one of those mornings.
ReplyDeleteThrowing back the covers, I shot another angry glance at Sir Whiskers before grabbing my robe. "Hello?" And another knock. Great! An impatient visitor! As I unlocked the 3 deadbolts, and then the chain I paused and fought the urge to reengage all of the locks. I had been making progress, why all of a sudden did I feel this overwhelming urge? I cracked opened the door.
"Good morning Monica" came the familiar voice of Dr. Valparaiso. "What are you doing here?" I grumbled without opening the door so much as another inch. He shifted, attempting to peer into the apartment behind me, "I received a letter from your landlady Monica, she is concerned about you."
"Concerned?" I countered "Please. She is just mad I was late on rent this month".
"Actually, she didn't even mention you were late on rent, only that you have not left the apartment in over two weeks." Dr. Valparaiso replied kindly. Kind people bother me. He is insufferable.
"Why does she care? She got her rent". The way he made it sound the woman loved me. Pfft. He did not seem amused, simply continuing to peer at me through the crack.
Trying to keep my calm I addressed Dr. Valparaiso sternly. "Anything else?" He countered quickly "Actually, a couple more things Monica, may I come in?"
I tapped my fingers on the edge of the door frame before rolling my eyes and stepping aside to allow him into my apartment. "Be my guest". I hoped he could feel the sarcasm in my voice. I shut the door and religiously locked all three deadbolts. Just as I grabbed the chain to complete my ritual, the doctor gently touched my shoulder, sliding his hand farther down around my waist. "You can call me Kurt today Monica. Now go get dressed. I'll be waiting for you in the bedroom."
A chill ran down Monica's whole body the second he uttered the word Kurt. She swept past Sir Whiskers,
Suddenly excited about her date for tonight. Kurt. He sounded so dreamy...