Written 6th April 2020. Lockdown.
"I haven't seen this for a long time."
"What is it, Dad?"
"An owl," replied Dad. "It says, 'Class of 2092' on it."
"Don't you mean, class of 2002?"
"Kind of. I was meant to say 2002. The year I graduated. But, now that I've mentioned 2092, I think we should tell a story."
"What kind of story, Dad?"
"A time travel story. We could go to the year 3,000."
"Will the world be nice in 3,000?"
"That's up to us," replied Dad. "It's a story. We can make it how we want it to be."
"Maybe we can make it not so nice."
"Why?" said Dad. "Why would you not want it to be nice?"
"Because it probably won't be by then."
"What makes you say that?" asked Dad.
"Because, right now, the world is scary. How do we know that it is all going to be ok?"
"You have to have faith," said Dad. "We are not in a situation that will last forever."
"It doesn't feel like that. It feels like it will last forever."
"It will change," said Dad.
"I hope so."
"Shall we make the year 3,000 a bit nicer?" asked Dad.
"No."
"Why not?" asked Dad. "Don't you believe that things will be ok in the year 3,000?"
"Yes, I do, Dad. I believe it now, thanks to you."
"Then, what's the problem?" asked Dad.
"Because, if it's nice straight away, we won't be able to have a good plot for the story."
"Shall we go then?" asked Dad.
"I'm ready, bye bye, see you later."
Written as a freewrite, prompt by @mariannewest
Hahaha! Cool story! Love that ending - start off nice and there is nowhere to go. I love how you used the prompt. I'll be back tomorrow with the Tuesday prompt.
Thank you, it's amazing what a typing error can do.
A typing error? A lot of amazing things happen during a freewrite. I am so happy you are writing with us.
Yes, about 5 minutes after abandoning a story because it was crap. :-)
Nice story. I can't imagine being a parent right now and having to keep the kids Happy And schooling and maintaining the peace. Take care.
It's tough on the children, especially my 3 year old. He loves running. Take care too.
I can't imagine what the little ones feel with the containment. My grandkids get to go out and ride their bike once in awhile when nobody's outside. It feels like an orwellian phase. I can't wait for it to go away
The bright side, is that we have a balcony, but it is no substitute for a run in the park. But, my biggest pain is seeing what is happening in the UK right now.
I emphasize and I feel the same about what is going on here in the US. Be well.
Very interesting discussion. It's something I think we should consider as storytellers: what kind of future are we creating by saturating the human mind with conflict-based narratives? Or maybe we should start by asking, are we reflecting reality or creating reality in storytelling? And then, can a 'good' story be told without conflict?
You raise a lot to think about. What I do know, is that in March, my stories were much more experimental and darker than I usually write. So I decided to make all of my new stories for children. That, in itself, changes how I may start or end a story.
That's a cool way to shift away from dark themes. I've found myself writing more about romantic love and starting a family. Still using conflict/obstacles to create rising action though.
I'm here to deliver the Tuesday prompt so please write us another!
https://peakd.com/hive-161155/@mariannewest/day-900-5-minute-freewrite-tuesday-prompt-words-of-love