Chuck Wendig Flash Fiction Challenge

Howdy!  If you’re an aspiring author, like me, you should definitely check out author Chuck Wendig’s blog TerribleMinds.  Last Friday he posted a flash fiction challenge in which the writer must compose a flash fiction story (1,000 word or less)  based on the Sza’s lyric, “Why is it so hard to accept the party is over?”. Check out the challenge here.

Below is my stab at the flash fiction challenge.  Buuuut, before you read it, please note this is my first ever attempt at writing flash fiction.  I believe my story is actually around 1,100 words, so I kind of cheated.  Also if it feels a little rushed, that’s because I wrote about 3/4’s of it this morning at 7:00 am (It’s due at noon).  However, I had fun writing it and I hope you have fun reading it.

“Why is it so hard to accept the party is over?”

For the fifth time Celeste snaked her way in between the racks of bikinis in Target’s junior department.  Every so often Kiley would throw one over the dressing room stall in a pre-menstrual teenage rage.

“Gaaaawd, this one doesn’t fit either!  Why couldn’t I have been born like Chelsea Fitzpatrick?  It’s not faaaair.”

This was Celeste’s third trip to Target this week in search of the perfect bikini for Kiley’s first spring break trip with her dead-behind-the-eyes teenage friends.  Celeste grabbed the last of the bikinis that Kiley hadn’t tried on yet, and headed back toward the dressing room.  Toby, her two year old son, was in the cart, happily playing with a small plastic hanger.  A pang of guilt shot through Celeste as she glanced at Toby’s sock-less feet.  Four loads of laundry waited in her apartment foyer, ready for her to take it to the laundromat.  There was no chance she would be able to drag both of the kids along with her peacefully.

“Moooom?” Kiley yelled from inside the dressing room. “Can you look at this one?”

Celeste lightly tapped on the door and Kiley unlatched it quickly.  Celeste scanned her daughter’s doughy, cellulite-dimpled body.

“That looks nice, Kiley.”

Kiley looked back in the mirror at her breasts that poured out of the top that was too small, “Do my boobs look ok?”

Celeste caught a glance of herself in the mirror.  Her eyes looked muted and worn, and her hair frizzed on top where she hadn’t brushed it yet that day. Her clothes were the same she wore to bed the night before.

“Hello?” Kiley rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, that’s nice,”  Celeste muttered.

Celeste hung up the four bikinis that were left and closed the door.  Toby now had the plastic hanger in his mouth, biting it viciously with his few teeth.  Celeste grabbed the hanger from him, instantly inciting a wail.  Another bikini top and bottom flew over the dressing room door.

“Ugh!” cried Kiley.

Celeste rubbed her hands over her eyes.  This can’t be it, right?  She left Toby there, crying in the cart, and wandered in and out of the racks.  She wanted to leave the store without them.  She wanted to go somewhere, anywhere.  Feeling another pang of guilt, she made a step back toward the dressing room, but stopped when she heard a giggle.  The laugh was heart-felt with a crisp, light tone. Celeste didn’t see anyone so she moved in the direction of the laughter.  Against the back wall was a group of four twenty-somethings, two guys and two girls.  The laugh came from a girl who had her back rested against the wall with one foot propped up against it.  She wore short jean shorts, boots, and a flannel shirt that was tied so that her perfectly toned midriff showed.  Purple and silver hair cascaded down her shoulders and framed her oval face and soft features.  She was the most gorgeous woman Celeste had ever seen.  She didn’t understand why, but Celeste was magnetized to the group.  She wanted to join them.

Suddenly as if she was in some kind of feverish, tunnel-vision state, her son’s cries and her daughter’s tantrums melted away.  Celeste followed the group as they strolled around Target, keeping her eye on the girl with silver-purple hair.  In the electronics section the girl ran her hand through her hair and laughed while touching her hand to her chest.  Celeste, a safe distance behind, did the same.  Near the bedding and bath section, the girl did a little twirl in the aisle in front of her boyfriend.  When they weren’t looking, Celeste did the same in her worn black leggings and baggy sweatshirt.  Celeste caught the eyes of some confused shoppers, but she didn’t care.  This was her chance.

Finally, without purchasing anything, the couples walked out the store with their I don’t have to be anywhere, floating strides.  Celeste froze behind them as they slowed down in front of a black, topless Jeep.  She hadn’t felt this good in years.  She had missed out on all of this.  On them.  She had to do something. She couldn’t just leave them.

“Hey!” Celeste called after them.

The four of them stopped and looked at Celeste.  Three of them stood with their brows furrowed and wide-eyed, but the girl with the silver-purple hair looked relaxed.  The girl didn’t smirk, but smiled lovingly, as if gazing at her own child.  Celeste waited for them to laugh or yell at her, but they didn’t say anything. They just waited.

“Um,” Celeste was coming to now.  Her tunnel widened again. She took a deep breath, “Can I go with you all?”

They didn’t move or say anything.

“Ma’m?” a voice called from behind Celeste, “Ma’m? Are these your kids?”

Celeste felt a sharp pain in her chest as she whirled around to see a security guard standing with Kiley, arms crossed and red-faced, and Toby, still in the cart playing with a bikini top in his mouth.

“Mom? What are you doing?” called Kiley, exasperated.

Celeste rubbed her forehead and hung her head.  It was over. As she took a step toward her family, suddenly she felt warm fingertips touch her hand.  It was the girl with the silver-purple hair.  Celeste turned to face her and looked into her deep blue, almost lavender eyes.  The girl gently brushed a piece of hair away from Celeste’s face.  Her touch produced a calmness that infected Celeste down to her bones and made everything still.  Celeste grasped the girl’s hand and held it to her cheek as tears fell down her face.

“You will always be with us,” whispered the girl in Celeste’s ear, “but for now, it’s over.  You have to go back.”  Celeste shook her head, and two tears dropped to the concrete.  The girl walked away slowly and stepped into the jeep.  Celeste watched as they pulled away, the sharp pain in her chest slowly receding.  She would never see them again, but she could feel the girl within her, like an electrical shock bringing her back to life.