Change is Coming #99WordStories

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When I read Charli’s prompt at the Carrot Ranch this week to In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story to reflect the theme, “ready for a change.” Who is ready and why? How does the change unfold? What happened to initiate the change? Go where the prompt leads! I immediately thought of this Cat Stevens song.

As a young adult, I loved Cat Stevens’s songs and their messages of hope for better days. As an older adult, I still do. We could certainly do with some changes around the world at the moment.

I was lucky to see Cat Stevens in concert in 1972, which must have been about the same time as this video was recorded. It was amazing. So much wisdom. Sadly, we don’t seem to be any closer to the vision of these lyrics 50 years later.

‘Don’t you feel the day is coming

And it won’t be too soon

When the people of the world

Can all live in one room’

It took me a while to get past the Cat Stevens musical memory lane, but this is where I ended up. I hope you like it.

Change is coming

‘Get up,’ Pauline whispered.

He rubbed his eyes. ‘Why?’

‘Shh! He’s here.’

He trembled. ‘Take Rabbit?’

Out they crept, sliding against the wall to the door. A shout from downstairs. They froze. Pauline turned the knob. Quietly. Quietly. She pushed the door. Gently. Gently. Then cool air. Silent toes pattered down the stairs. Across the grass they ran and ran. All three, hand-in-hand. Pauline in front. Rabbit behind.

Finally, they banged on a door. ‘Grandpa! Grandpa! He’s come.’

Grandpa was in the doorway, ushering them into Grandma’s arms, picking up the phone.

‘Hush,’ said Grandma. ‘Everything will be alright.’

Thank you blog post

Thank you for reading. I appreciate your feedback. Please share your thoughts.

Note: The collection of stories made in response to the previous prompt Free Pie can be read at the Carrot Ranch here.

60 thoughts on “Change is Coming #99WordStories”

  1. Margaret

    Poor Pauline, having to be so grown up to protect herself and her brother. They’ve obviously had to go through this routine more than once. I feel the tension in their home, and the refuge they find in their grandparents’. ‘Rabbit’ is a lovely touch, too.

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  4. Marsha

    So whoever “he” is he scares them to death. “Out they crept, sliding against the wall to the door.” They were very quiet. The person or thing that came in was shouting. Probably normal. One parent at least is missing because no parent accompanies them only Rabbit, unless Rabbit is a person. They live near to Grandma and Grandpa. Grandpa calls the police, and voila, things are going to be all right. Apparently Grandpa is not too scared of this person, and since they live close, I’m guessing that the “he” is either their son and the other parent is out of the picture, dead or alive. It looks like poor rabbit in the photo got dropped along the way. Excellent mystery, Norah. It’s not one that can be skimmed. Bad Marsha!

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    1. Norah Post author

      Thanks for your detailed assessment, Marsha. Most of what you have extracted is what I intended, but not all. My intention was that ‘he’ is the bad father turning up with evil intent. The shouting is not normal, but the mother’s parents (Grandpa and Grandma) are ready and the call will be made to save the family. The children were primed and knew just what to do if he turned up.

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          1. Marsha

            Okay. That makes it even more frightening. I just watched an interesting Netflix film called the Kindness of Strangers. The mother took her two children and ran to NYC to get away from an abusive man who was also a policeman. Very powerful. Your short story could almost be an intro to that except that she did not have parents who could help.

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            1. Norah Post author

              It does sound like that Marsha. I appreciate the time (and number of times) that you took to fully understand my story. That is a wonderful affirmation for me. Thank you. 💖

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                1. Norah Post author

                  I don’t think so. In fact, I know you don’t. We’re just busy people and try to read more than we can by skim reading. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t work quite so well. You’re always appreciated. 💖

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  5. Gloria

    You see it brought me back to when we were children; always a puppy or a kitten following close behind. We did have rabbits and guinea pigs too. Hamsters and mice….oh and a duck! 🤣

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  13. Marsha

    I haven’t heard that Cat Stevens song either. I got lost about who “he” was who was coming. Was it the Easter Bunny? I am linking this post to your comment for Story Chat Summary this month. Thanks for your wonderful participation.

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  14. Hugh W. Roberts

    So many possibilities as to what or who ‘He’ is, Norah. At first, I thought it was Father Christmas, but (other than my sister), who would want to run away from Santa? Then my mind went to the story of the three little pigs and the big, bad wolf.

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  19. Prior...

    I like how you led us there with the Memory lane of music (that concert mus have been great) and then the idea of humanity in one room…
    In the fiction –
    Liked how you repeated quietly, gently and ran! Had such a nice effect….
    And now – who has come? Hmm

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    1. Norah Post author

      Thank you, Yvette. The concert was amazing. One of my favourites.
      I’m pleased the repetition has the desired effect. It’s hard to know which words to choose sometimes when the number is limited.
      That’s the question – who has come? I was hoping readers might share their thoughts to see if they matched mine. 🙂

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      1. Prior...

        Well
        I think the bad guys came!
        –
        And the first repetition was quiet (to me) – the second one slowed me down and I felt like I was hunched over taking tip toe steps
        And by the third – I smiled
        I was still immersed in the flash of fiction but felt the beauty of the doubles
        It worked so well
        And my least favorite flash fictions are ones that overuse conjunctions –
        Especially the “but”
        Word

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