Normandy #9: Keep your eyes on your own paper
Write for three minutes about…
…your lucky pencil. You use it for every test, quiz, and exam. It hasn’t failed you yet. Thirty seconds into Mr. Dobson’s history class, he announces a pop quiz. No problem. You reach for your lucky pencil—disaster! You left it in your locker! Mr. Dobson’s not the sharpest pencil in the box, and your desk is right next to the door, so you decide to slip out to get your lucky pencil. But it’s not a hallway of lockers you find outside the classroom. You’ve stepped into another place and time. It seems familiar, though, like something out of your history book. Yes, that’s it. And holy cow! Check out who’s using your lucky pencil…
Email what you wrote to woof at bright dot net by the end of this Sunday (put “Norman is Modest” in the subject line). I’ll post as many of my favorite entries as I want next Monday. Include your first name (or, even better, use a pen name) and age (unless you’re tortoise-old). If you’re a published writer, include a biography to be posted with your entry.
Here are the entries from last week when I asked you to write for three minutes about this photograph.
Bigfoot
Knock knock.
Who’s there?
Snow buddy.
Snow buddy who?
S’nobody’s business.
Knock Knock.
Who’s there?
Two Eds.
Two Eds who?
Two Eds are better than one.
Knock knock.
Who’s there?
Icy.
Icy who?
Icy you’re starting to melt. Good-bye Ed.
Good-bye Ed.
Unknown
Wow! A two-headed snowman. What a delight! Oh, what fun those kids must have had rolling those snowballs until they were big enough to make the body, then the two heads. Oh, I remember, it was not too many years ago right in my front yard. What memories! My children all grown up and still having the time of their life playing in the snow. I hope to see them again playing in the snow. Perhaps they will add another head this time. Say, isn’t that my hat and scarf?
Kelly Bingham
author of SHARK GIRL and Z IS FOR MOOSE (coming out in March 2012)
Snowman 1: Hey. Hey, hey. Look at that guy’s hat. WOW. It’s all striped and stuff. Why does HE get the good hat?
Snowman 2: Gosh, I really hate this hat.
Snowman 1: And what’s up with the attitude? I’m right here, and he can’t look at me?
Snowman 2: I mean, I really, REALLY hate this hat.
Snowman 1: Hey, pal! Look at me!
Snowman 2: In fact, I wish it would go away.
Snowman 1: Back here, guy. HEY!
Snowman 2: You know, it’s weird, but…I have this funny feeling I’m being watched.
Snowman 1: So that’s how he wants to play it. That’s how you want to play it, Mr. Stripey Hat? Fine. That’s just fine. Two can play at that game.
Snowman 2: I really, really feel like two stone cold eyes are boring into the back of my hat. If only I could turn my head and look. Maybe if I try really hard, I could…move…my…face……aghh, no. Nope, not going to work. I’m just a frozen lump of snow. Totally immobile. And unfortunately, I’ve been sculpted without ears. I wonder what else I’m missing?
Snowman 1: Look at that moron. Totally ignoring me. What a stuck up blob of foof. And to think I was going to offer him some of this hot chocolate I’m holding.
Snowman 2: I mean, I hate to go on about it. But I really wish this hat would disappear. And you know what? The other crazy thing is, I can SWEAR I smell marshmallows. And…bacon.
Snowman 1: Yeah, bud. How do you like them snow apples, huh? You don’t bother to look at me, or speak to me, you don’t get any hot chocolate OR this super scrumpty bacon biscuit that I……HEY!!!
Snowman 2: What??? Some kid just shoved a bacon biscuit into my mitten!
Snowman 1: TOTALLY UNFAIR!!
Snowman 2: SCORE ONE FOR SNOWY!
Snowman 1: What a freakin’ RIP. Hey wait…kid, no. What are you doing? No don’t……Hey!!
Snowman 2: Hey???!
Snowman 1: Holy Icicles!! YES! I get the GOOD hat!!
Snowman 2: The kid took that awful hat. And gave me a……wow. A totally cool pointy hat! And it’s blue!! I love blue!
Snowman 1: Merry Christmas Mr. Standoffish. Who’s got the cool stripey hat NOW, huh? Who’s the big guy NOW, huh? Yeah, that’s right. You may have gotten the biscuit, but I got the STRIPES.
Snowman 2: Wow, this worked out great. I got rid of the ugly hat, got a new one, and now a biscuit too. I guess it just goes to show. We’re not as alone as we think we are. Somewhere, someone is listening. And sometimes, we even get our wishes granted.
Snowman 1: I got the good hat and I still got my hot chocolate. So……I guess this worked out okay, after all. Not a bad day at all.
Snowman 2: This may be the best day I ever remember.
Snowman 1: Think I’ll power down for a nap now.
Snowman 2: In fact, this may be the ONLY day I remember……
Snowman 1: Night, night, stripey hat. I love you.
Snowman 2: Now if only I could lift my arms and take a bite of this biscuit……
THE END
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