Spinning Portals

Deadlines can wreak havoc on your life, be they personal or professional. Ever since I closed the poll for May’s genres, I’ve been toiling with the three storylines. After a few days, I turned my attention to the first genre and started delving into the idea for my latest fairy tale. Having done a few recently, I wanted to alter my regular formula for the style. With my latest structure in place, I headed to NYC Midnight to fill out the meat of the story.

My random prompt for this tale required me to place the narrative in a laundromat and feature a rain jacket. With a little more thought, and a pair of false starts, the story took shape. Come on and follow the link to hear the tale of a young child dashing into a laundromat as he tries to escape his pursuers.

A child enters a laundromat frightened, searching for someone to help him. He finds the only person in the building. Will this man help…

Spinning Portals

A frail adolescent boy shouldered the laundromat’s door open and slammed it shut. He slid down the glass, gasping as his body shuddered. When his breathing evened out, the child rose and stared outside. He turned around and ran his fingers through his hair as he registered the rows of washing and drying machines. His head swayed as he darted across the aisles. When he came to the last one, his eyes widened.

The man standing at the end of the line of appliances leaned against the walls reading a newspaper. The boy’s tongue licked his lips as he glanced back at the door. He ducked into the row and shuffled toward the individual wrapped in his rain jacket.

Without looking, the older man turned the page and cleared his throat. “What do you want?”

The child cringed and backed away from the towering man.

“Don’t flinch, I won’t bite.”

“I’m sorry,” the boy whimpered.

The man folded his broadsheet and opened his slicker and slipped the paper into the inner pocket. He turned to the child and drifted toward him and kneeled next to him.

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