Category: 100 Word Wednesdays
100 Word Wednesdays – Argument
A 100 word story based off an item in the police blotter of my hometown of Burlingame, CA.
Argument
By Grant Baciocco
“It’s 16704 kbps.” David yelled from his room. “That’s what the website is saying.”
“Well it’s wrong!” Gloria yelled from the kitchen. “I’m getting 23408kbps here in the kitchen.”
“That’s because you’re closer to the modem.” David yelled.
Gloria clenched the glass in her hand and threw it against the wall. Grape juice and glass shards rained down on the kitchen floor. “Don’t tell me what I already know! My point is that it shouldn’t drop off that much! You’re only in the next room!”
“Are you saying I’m lying about my speed check here?” he replied.
“Yes, I do!”
—
Wednesday Words – The Job Part 4
The Job – Part 4
By Grant Baciocco
Link To Part 1
Link To Part 2
Link To Part 3
Dr. Levitt returned to his position behind the desk, swiping his fingers along the touch screen. Stopping to make calculations on a pad with a pencil. Patrick watched as he worked. After a few minutes, the Doctor stood still watching the screens then nodded and reached forward and tapped the screen. Patrick craned his neck in the chair to look behind him as he heard a large machine start up in the room behind him. He turned back and saw Dr. Levitt staring intently at the monitors and once the machine in the next room hit its peak momentum, he nodded and then came around the desk and crossed to Patrick.
“Okay. We’re all set. It’ll just take a quick tap on the screen over there and then a ten second countdown and we will be on our way.” He smiled and adjusted his glasses, “Or, you’ll be on your way.”
Patrick forced a smile.
“Still want to go through with this?” Dr. Levitt asked.
“Yes.” Patrick said without hesitation. “Just nervous.”
“Well, you shouldn’t be. There’s really no harm that can come to you. If my calculations are correct.”
Patrick smiled again, “I hope they are.”
“We are simply beaming the information in your brain back two years. That’s all.”
“I just hope I’m not driving a car or anything like that when the information hits me. You could wind up with a corpse here if I veer off the highway.”
Dr. Levitt chuckled. “No. I don’t believe that would happen. I think it will hit you like a case of very strong Deja Vu. Once your past brain receives all the information, it will be smart enough to process it. I believe as soon as the machine here fires, your life here is going to be different and, if your past brain makes the right decisions, I think it’ll be different in a good way.”
“Let’s hope you are right.” Patrick said. He hunkered down a bit more in his chair, then had a thought, “Dr. Levitt, can I see that envelope for a second?”
Dr. Levitt nodded and took the envelope with the $3000 cashiers check out of his lab coat pocket. He handed it to Patrick.
“Can I borrow that pencil?”
Dr. Levitt handed him the pencil. Patrick took a minute and scribbled down a name and address on the front. He handed the envelope and the pencil back to Dr. Levitt.
“If something happens to me, can you get that cashier’s check to the name on the front there?” Patrick asked.
Dr. Levitt read the front of the envelope, “Mary Harcourt?”
Patrick nodded.
“Relative of yours?”
“Girlfriend. Ex-girlfriend. Can you just see that she gets it?”
Dr. Levitt nodded with a smile and then put the envelope back in his pocket. “You ready?”
“I am ready.”
Dr. Levitt crossed back to the screens and double checked the information whizzing by on them. “We are good to go. Shall I initiate?”
“Initiate.”
Dr. Levitt nodded and tapped the screen. The lights in the room flickered as the machines prepped themselves.
Dr. Levitt looked back at Patrick, “Countdown begun, ten seconds.”
Patrick gripped the edges of the chair tightly. Contemplating bolting from the chair before the countdown hit one. He was seconds from doing so when he thought about her. Mary. How she said he never committed to anything. He was going to commit to this. Behind him, Dr. Levitt’s voice came into his consciousness counting down.
“5…4…3…2…1.”
There was a bright flash of light.
—
One more part to go.
100 Word Wednesdays – Negotiations
Another 100 word story based off an item in the police blotter of my hometown, Burlingame, CA.
Negotiations
By Grant Baciocco
Things were tense. Megan stared across the table at them and they stared back. The mediator tapped his pen on his large yellow legal pad.
Megan sighed.
One of the three sitting across from here leaned over towards the mediator and whispered in his ear. The mediator nodded and then turned to Megan.
“They would just like the opportunity to feel as if they are part of the family, that is all they are asking for, Megan,” he said.
Megan regarded the three sets of black eyes staring back at her. She smiled. “Fine. I will agree to their terms.”
—
100 Word Wednesdays – Tyvek
Tyvek
By Grant Baciocco
He sat there, nervous. Shifting in his seat.
He was scared. Shivering, but not from the cold night air, from the situation in which he found himself. His insides a cauldron bubbling over with excitement, fear, nerves, tension. A million thoughts about this moment. How’d he get here? What did it all mean? The power of the moment was not lost on him. After this moment, everything would change. Forever. He knew this.
Something deep inside him told him to jump. Jump and it’d all be okay. Eventually.
He closed his eyes.
Nervous, he jumped.
Nothing was ever the same.