Live Love Laugh Learn … Create the possibilities

Roots Like a Mountain #99WordStories

This week at the Carrot Ranch, Charli Mills challenged writers to In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about roots like a mountain. Feel free to play with both concepts of roots and mountains. How can you create a story from the combination? What character (or traits) come to mind? Where and when does the story take place? Go where the prompt leads!

This is where the prompt led me. I hope you enjoy it.

A Dark Horse

The conversation between aunts and cousins stopped abruptly when an aunt exclaimed, “So, the prodigal son returns.”

Everyone eyed the stranger.

“Who is he?” Josie asked. “He’s hot.”

“The family’s black sheep,” whispered a cousin.

“Stay away from him,” said her aunt. “He has roots like a mountain.”

“What’s that mean?” asked Josie.

 “Don’t let that cool exterior fool you,” said another. “It’s just the tip of the iceberg,”

“A dark horse then,” thought Josie, her interest rising.

“Still waters run deep – and dangerous,” cautioned her aunt, but Josie didn’t hear.

“Hi, I’m Josie,” she said, extending her hand.

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 Immature, including mine, can be read at the Carrot Ranch.

Comments

33 responses to “Roots Like a Mountain #99WordStories”

  1. pedometergeek Avatar
    pedometergeek

    Makes me want to meet him, Norah. I’m like Josie, I guess. Loved all the sayings, but then I had a character in one of my stories in high school called Cleo Shay.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Norah Avatar

      I love that, Nan. So clever. I’d love to read your high school story. 🙂

      Like

      1. pedometergeek Avatar
        pedometergeek

        I have no idea where it got to or if I ever finished it. I remember one line though: Cleo Shay walks into the lab and sees a beaker on the counter and says to the lab technician looking at it, “A watched beaker never boils.”

        My best friend in high school and I used to write stories based on using random phrases we’d both come up with. She’d choose some and I’d choose some and then we had to incorporate them into the mystery. One of the phrases she chose was “a post card from Myrtle Beach with 35, 14, and 27 written on the back.” She was smarter than me because she knew what she was going to do with that, but I wasn’t. We wrote all day long, and continued even after dinner. One of our friends came over, and joined in and completed a story in about an hour. I still remember part of her story because she turned the post card into a card written by Myrtle Beach. I never hear about Myrtle Beach that I don’t think of a girl rather than a place. The power of multiple meanings. TMI!

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Norah Avatar

          Cleo Shay was so funny, Nan.
          I love how you and your friends had fun writing stories together. It must have been a real hoot. I thought Myrtle Beach was the location until I read further. What a beautiful name for a character. I’m not sure about the numbers – her measurements, perhaps?
          Yes, the power of multiple meanings, puns, nuances and even innuendo. Words are fun!

          Like

          1. pedometergeek Avatar
            pedometergeek

            Myrtle Beach is a location, Norah. Only our friend flipped it into a person. I don’t think she realized it was a real place. In fact, I remember Christy and I looked at each other with a “What?” type of expression on our faces. Christy used the numbers as a lock combination, and I really don’t remember what I used the numbers for (maybe a red herring). Ah, the memories of youth!

            Liked by 1 person

            1. Norah Avatar

              It sounds enormous fun, Nan. I’m pleased you stored, and shared, those memories.

              Like

  2. Festa #99WordStories | Norah Colvin Avatar

    […] my response, I’ve stayed with Josie and the aunts I introduced in two previous stories, A Dark Horse and Whether the Weather. I’m not sure where these characters have come from, but I’m having fun […]

    Like

  3. dgkaye Avatar

    Loved the end tying it up nicely. Well done Norah xx

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Norah Avatar

      Thank you, Debby. I appreciate your comment. 💖

      Liked by 1 person

  4. robbiesinspiration Avatar

    Hi Norah, this gave me a good giggle. Thank you.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Norah Avatar

      I’m pleased, Robbie. That’s a great response. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Bette A. Stevens Avatar
    Bette A. Stevens

    Well done, Norah!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Norah Avatar

      Thank you, Bette. It’s nice to see you again. 💖

      Like

  6. Sarah Brentyn Avatar

    Haha! Love it. 🙂 Trouble is brewing, as D says. Hopefully it’s the good, fun kind of trouble.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Norah Avatar

      I hope so too. Josie thought he was cute. Who knows?

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Jennie Avatar

    Excellent, Norah!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Norah Avatar

      Thank you, Jennie. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Jennie Avatar

        You’re welcome, Norah!

        Liked by 1 person

  8. Jacqui Murray Avatar

    Nothing wrong with that, is there!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Norah Avatar

      I hope not!

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Hugh W. Roberts Avatar

    This is a tale out of the ordinary, Norah. I like it a lot. It has a lot of tension in it.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Norah Avatar

      Thank you, Hugh. I’m pleased you enjoyed it.

      Like

  10. Miriam Hurdle Avatar

    I like that story, Norah! Good for Josie!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Norah Avatar

      Thanks, Miriam. I’m pleased you enjoyed it. I think Josie might be a bit rebellious. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Miriam Hurdle Avatar

        I think so, Norah! A way to get attention also. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Norah Avatar

          Yeah – shock all the old aunts by breaking the rules. 🙂

          Liked by 1 person

          1. Miriam Hurdle Avatar

            Ha! It works! 🙂

            Liked by 1 person

  11. D. Avery @shiftnshake Avatar

    Trouble’s brewing! Good one Norah. I’m wondering if the warnings are warranted. What happens next?

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Norah Avatar

      Of that I’m not sure, D. I really just had fun playing with the different sayings.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. D. Avery @shiftnshake Avatar

        I could tell you had fun! Careful, it’s contagious.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Norah Avatar

          That’s a good thing!

          Liked by 1 person

Leave a reply to pedometergeek Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.