Here it is; Writersdigest short story contest called Your Story ends in less than an hour and I successfully uploaded this month's submission this evening. I hope that one of these times I get to be in the top 5 and heck I'd be beside myself excited if I actually won!
The short story contest rules are that the story must not exceed 750 words, and that it must be based off the prompt they provide. This month's prompt was:
Something bizarre occurs at the table next to a couple on their first date.
This story was submitted for the purpose of the above short story contest. Copyright rules are in place. You may not reduplicate this story without the author's permission.
Overpriced
ReplyDeleteAs the waiter approached and offered an overpriced bottle of wine to the couple they stared into each other’s hopeful eyes and smiled.
“Yes, we’d love a bottle,” he said with a charming smile. His smooth baby-face was clean shaven, and his bright blue eyes sparkled in the flicker of the candle that centered their table. The light glow of the candle held them close as they leaned in for a small kiss. She looked at her date, and was just as nervous as he, but both of them knew they would enjoy a wonderful night together. Captivated by the instantaneous hunger for each other’s accompaniment the conversation at their table fell to a humble silence.
The waiter returned to their table and uncorked the bottle in front of their eyes with an echoing pop. The light wisp of cold vapor rose from the top of the bottle as he began to pour a large glass for each of them. He left the bottle at the end of the table with a folded napkin cradling the long neck.
“I see a happily ever after in store for us,” he said as they chimed their glasses.
The background came into focus as the lighting grew brighter as the bizarre scene arrived. A large wedding cake stacked nine layers tall sat on a rolling cart as it crossed the threshold of the room. The waiter rolled the cake into the dining room and many of the other guests took notice. The young couple smiled at the large cake, just as many of the other guests did. The waiter stopped the cart a few feet from their table as the young couple looked around with inquisitive eyes.
The music was very low in the ambiance of the room but changed drastically to a symbol crashing, guitar playing solo which caught the attention of the remaining house full of diners as the cake began to burn. The top of the cake sprouted sparklers that roared to a bright flame at the top. As the music played the sparks fell from above in a mesmerizing rain. As the sparklers dissipated the music played at its highest playing notes. The cake’s top tier flung off and landed behind him frosting side down with a heavy thud. The smell of burnt frosting hung in the air.
Two arms entwined together rose from the cake as a beautiful woman climbed from inside and out of the top. Provocative and curvy, the woman was helped down to the floor by two waiters from the restaurant. She danced to the twine of the guitar solo as she captivated the eyes of the room and approached the young man at the table with his date. She flailed her arm around and knocked the $278 bottle of wine from the table and onto the floor. With a quick step she approached him and swung her open palm to the side of his face. The music stopped at the moment of contact so the entire restaurant could hear the smack. With a gasp of several others around the room and the utter silence from the wide-eyed date seated across from him no one spoke a word.
As he pushed himself in his chair clumsily he tilted the legs of his seat. Two of the legs of his chair left the floor and he tumbled back onto the top tier behind him.
A small laugh from a few of the patrons broke the silence as the woman before him stood with a wide stance. Holding her hands on her waist she began to speak.
“We are gathered here today to spare this man and this woman from adultery. He knows he has already taken his marriage vows and thrown them out the window, so I’ve come to spare you my dear,” she said as she pointed to the young woman at the table.
“Leaving me at the altar was the biggest mistake you will make! I will never forget the embarrassment that I felt and I hope that hot red feeling is crossing your own cheeks right now. The price I paid for this wedding cake was well worth it. It was how much I paid for our cake for our reception that never happened. But knowing that I saved her from the same expense; it will be well worth the overpriced price tag. And don’t worry, your wife will get a big kick out of this too!” she laughed.
I hadn't heard of this contest. Thanks for writing about it. First time to your blog! :)
ReplyDeleteWhy thank you Scobberlotcher! I'm always trying to find more tips of the trade for contests, and small publishing realms! Thanks for checking in!
ReplyDelete