I did a thing where I had to write a short story, <400 words, and it had to involve a toasted sandwich floating down from the sky on a tiny parachute. Don't ask. Anyway, it sounded like the perfect hook for a ridiculous and whimsical story, so I thought I'd share and see if anybody thought it was any good.
There were probably more than a few poor people who drove themselves to despair thinking about all the cash they would never have to buy all kinds of wonderful things they'd never actually own.
Me, I had money. I had a large pile of it in a box that I had collected during my excursions. At first, it was because I still held out hope that it would be worth something again. Turns out, it was worth something, because it burned and helped keep me warm for a little while.
The day before I decided to start doing that, I sat and counted it, for want of anything else to do. I had managed to scavenge exactly $11,872. Once, I'd offered a guy a thousand for a can of tomato soup. He declined the offer.
I remember seeing a tattered sign on what had been a car dealership which advertised brand new models for only $600 down. What kept me from freezing last night could have bought me two. That was the last of it. I'm broke.
It had rained for three days. Woke up to find my place had flooded. The water was dark and smelled bad. I left, to see if I could find somewhere new to hunker down.
I did, in one of those cars. Had to smash the window to get inside, though, which simply turned it into a wheeled refrigerator. I left the next day. Passed by a grocery store which still half-stood. I didn't bother checking it for food. I knew better.
I made my next home under part of a collapsed concrete wall. Wouldn't do much against the wind, but it would allow me to make a fire.
Snow. I'd freeze. Couldn't stay now. Couldn't remember when I'd eaten. Hadn't even thought about it until I saw the body. Might have, but it was blackened and looked as if it would crumble if I'd touched it. Tripped on a rock and stumbled.
The snow's pretty. Little white fairies dancing in a dead world.
Thought it was just a big snowflake, but snowflakes don't carry sandwiches. A tiny parachute? Crazier things to see these days.
Low, now. White bread. Lower. Green frills of lettuce. Bacon? Lower still. It was toasted. I ran after it. Fell. Got up. Fell again, harder this time. The rock was very sharp.
I saw the plastic bag touch down.
There were probably more than a few poor people who drove themselves to despair thinking about all the cash they would never have to buy all kinds of wonderful things they'd never actually own.
Me, I had money. I had a large pile of it in a box that I had collected during my excursions. At first, it was because I still held out hope that it would be worth something again. Turns out, it was worth something, because it burned and helped keep me warm for a little while.
The day before I decided to start doing that, I sat and counted it, for want of anything else to do. I had managed to scavenge exactly $11,872. Once, I'd offered a guy a thousand for a can of tomato soup. He declined the offer.
I remember seeing a tattered sign on what had been a car dealership which advertised brand new models for only $600 down. What kept me from freezing last night could have bought me two. That was the last of it. I'm broke.
It had rained for three days. Woke up to find my place had flooded. The water was dark and smelled bad. I left, to see if I could find somewhere new to hunker down.
I did, in one of those cars. Had to smash the window to get inside, though, which simply turned it into a wheeled refrigerator. I left the next day. Passed by a grocery store which still half-stood. I didn't bother checking it for food. I knew better.
I made my next home under part of a collapsed concrete wall. Wouldn't do much against the wind, but it would allow me to make a fire.
Snow. I'd freeze. Couldn't stay now. Couldn't remember when I'd eaten. Hadn't even thought about it until I saw the body. Might have, but it was blackened and looked as if it would crumble if I'd touched it. Tripped on a rock and stumbled.
The snow's pretty. Little white fairies dancing in a dead world.
Thought it was just a big snowflake, but snowflakes don't carry sandwiches. A tiny parachute? Crazier things to see these days.
Low, now. White bread. Lower. Green frills of lettuce. Bacon? Lower still. It was toasted. I ran after it. Fell. Got up. Fell again, harder this time. The rock was very sharp.
I saw the plastic bag touch down.
