This is a freewrite inspired by this prompt
A freewrite is a writing exercise designed to open the creative forces and to quiet down the inner critic. Sometimes, they are great - and sometimes not.But always beneficial to the writer.
The Smell of a Dumpster
The smell of a dumpster takes me back to San Clemente and to our small 1 bedroom apartment where my daughter was born. I don't remember if she was born at this point or not, but the apartment was close to the freeway. and it was in a yellow house.
At that time, there was a murderer in the area who came at night, broke into a house and tortured and killed everyone in the house.
The only thing the houses had in common is that they were close to the freeway and that they were yellow.
That was a scary time and I can't remember what the guy was called. He had one of those names the papers give killers like that. All I remember was that it was a scary time. It was hot outside and what made things worse, the garbage people were on strike.
The dumpsters of 2 apartment building were pretty much right under our window - we were on the first floor.
And it stank. The smell of rotten garbage and the memories of the real fear we all felt in the county - Orange County - that is where all the murders occurred, was real. Everyone talked about both of the events.
Well, the garbage strike only lasted 2 or 3 weeks. But boy, it really brought home the fact that garbage people are so much more important than so many others.
I think we can survive better without a brain surgeon than without garbage disposal workers.
Arghh, I tried to look up the name of the killer and found out that he was called the Night Stalker and was actually never caught. Yikes.
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Scary indeed! I do appreciate my garbage guys...speaking of which. It's garbage day and I'd better get mine out to the curb! 💯🆙
They for sure are! GArbage can cause all kinds of problems!
Richard Ramirez was known as the Night Stalker. He was captured in LA after killing several people throughout the city, including the grandparents of a brother and sister who went to school with me. Crazy time. I remember scary nights wondering if he would try to break into our house, too.
I thought that he was caught and yes, Ramirez rings a bell. Now I remember how disgusted I was that he got all these offers of marriage - what is wrong with women?
And I really remember the fear vividly. I think the whole county was impacted.....
Thank you for reminding me. I had googled it and saw the article saying he was never caught...
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atmospheric and chilling. well written.
Wow the Night Stalker sounds like a name from a movie. Sounds like really scary times.
This post was so full of death, garbage, and decay that it probably killed the clean image of serial freewrite blog posting! Now you may call me yellow or a chicken, but comparing brain surgeons and garbage collectors is downright scary and an insult to all who have ever bravely ridden the streets of America on the back of a big loud truck. I refuse to say more! 😄
Good one @mariannewest, you told me not to be sorry on here but you might change your mind after this latest corny attempt at humor lol. 😉
Those were indeed scary times. But perhaps times haven't changed that much...
Garbage collectors are very important. Having garbage piled up for weeks in the heat is not only awful it attracts all kinds of rodents and grows all kinds of bacteria.
I don't lose if I pick a random one of your topics to freewrite on five days afterwards do I? ;-P
I just did "gullible". It was really fun to try and restrict myself to a short time and I felt so great when I read it and it wasn't crap even though I didn't have time for editing!
You can pick any prompt you want. Just make sure to post a link under the prompt - easier to find for me and we have a collection of all the different freewrites for the same prompt. Welcome!!