FIST FIGHT - Part 2 - The Stories

Flash Fiction Improv Inspired by Steemit stories woven together in a living room of friends.

Preface

Everything is homage.  In Fist Fight Part 1 I shared the story of a young improv team’s rehearsal night.  During that night they improvised a piece which, had it had an audience would have been a wonderful show with rich improvised stories. I can not do their work of art justice.  This is but my humble attempt to share those stories.  For the team’s opening and inspiration, I wove together bits from a couple of Steemit Stories,  “Ships at Anchor” by @zthomasolson and “Windows of Perception” by the @Krnl. What follows is my attempt to translate those stories into some flash fiction for your reading amusement.  Everything is improvised, everything is homage. Enjoy.

                     * Fist Fight ~ Drew, Josh, Maddie, Michael, Paula & Coach Katie *

Opening

I've talked about the "spark" many times before. She lay with her head across his lap asleep in the front seat of the car. He liked her best when she was not asleep, but nearly so, because it was then that she would take his hand and hold it in earnest. When she was tired she let the loneliness show, and that’s when she needed him. Consciousness is a double-edged sword.

Truth takes time, a catalyst to awaken consciousness to care more. It’s strange country we’re driving through, he thought, although it wasn’t so strange at all. The land was flat and grassy with long roads more gray than black, and the thick, dark tar patches rattled the wheels in a random way that kept her from completely drifting off for more than a moment or two at time. As they hit the rough patches she would wake up and squeeze his hand like a ship tugging at its anchor.  Chaos is a teacher, if we pay attention to it. He was thankful for the strange country.

The Living Room 

"I remember Iran and the long Van rides across the country.  I can remember the smell of the air and being with my family over this alien terrain.  I was young so the memories are like dreams but the van was real and my family still is."

"In church I would crouch below the pews and play with toys that I brought in my pockets. Occasionally I would bump into people’s feet and wonder if they noticed.  It was my own little world while the adults were living in theirs."

"I used to worry that my parents would find me trapped behind the ladder in the family pool.  We had a pool and I used to like swimming between the ladder and the wall.  I don’t know why , maybe it was the danger."

"My boyfriend used to drive me home from school.  Sometimes he would take a different route and I did not know why.  I would ask him where he was going and he would tell me we were on an adventure."

"We would play Hide & Seek at Grampas. Do you remember brother?  There was always a place to hide. The house seemed so big back then."

Kids Games

“Jeremy, thanks for helping me build the fort.”

“Yeah. It’s cool Melissa, and then maybe we can go roller blading.”

“Mom never let’s me build a fort in here.  Look!  I took her blankets from her room.”

“Yeah.  That’s cool.  Here’s a flashlight and I brought rollerblades.”

“I feel like, safe in here.  Look at all these couch cushions.  This one is my fort table.”

“Mmm mm.  I want to go roller blading.”

“What?”

“We always build forts.  We never go roller blading. I got new roller blades for Christmas.”

“OK, we’ll go rollerblading after we play in the fort.”

“We’ve been in the fort all day.”

“I hate rollerblades!  Jeremy.”

“What?”

“I just like forts ok?"

"I just thought...  ok."

The Backyard

“OK Son, I see the problem, you’re glove is new.”

“I want to catch it Dad. I just can’t close my hand. Watch!”

“I see. We gotta oil your glove. Let me see the glove.”

“I can do it. Like this?”

“You have to put the oil in first, then you rub it.”

“Right. Like this?”

“Not too much. Where's your mother?”

“Like this!"

“That’s way too much. Here why don’t you let me-”

“I can do it. See?”

“I’m watching.”

“Now what?”

“Now you rub it in. But..”

“Yeah?”

“What are you doing?”

“I’m rubbing it.”

“Yeah but just, do it normal.”

“I can rub it.”

“Son...”

“I’m doing it!”

“This is chaos! Let me have the damn glove... please.”

“ok.”

“Ok. Like this. Are you watching?”

“Where's mom?"

New Life, Old Home

“Denise, I wanted this to be special, so I hid something under the carpet.”

“Yes Michael. What could be more special than our new life together.”

“Well, I hope you find it. I hid it pretty good.”

“I’m looking. I found it. Oh Michael, my grandmother’s ring!”

“Yes dear, I found it when I was cleaning out the fireplace.”

“Oh Michael, it’s beautiful and everything.  Thank you so much.”

“I love you Denise. And I made us pudding.”

“What? My favorite! How could this day get any better…”

“It can’t. Not as long as you are here, with me, in this house.”

“I’m so glad we decided to move into this old house. It’s meant so much to my family.”

“I remember.”

“Where did you get the pudding?  The kitchen isn’t even ready.”

“It was in the van.  Here, it’s chocolate. Be careful.”

“Be careful?  Why… Oh Michael!  There’s something in the pudding.”

“Go on.”

“It’s… another one of my Grandmother’s rings.”

“I found it when I was cleaning out the pool.”

“I remember when she lost this.”

“Oh.”

“We found her trapped behind the ladder...”

“I’m…”

“She survived.”

“Oh! Right.”

“That’s when she lost it.”

“Denise.”

“Michael. Have I told you, you're my spark?”

“Many times before.”

                                                                BLACKOUT

~

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