Friday July 22nd, 2011

The exercise:

Four lines of prose that revolve around the word: complimentary.

Long day of harvesting and preparing for the market. Kat's dad is coming with me to the market tomorrow, which I believe is a first for him. Should be fun.

Mine:

He walked around the hotel room, his stunned eyes struggling to take it all in. There was a price tag on everything: ten cents per flick of the light switch; five cents every time the channel was changed on the TV; a dollar for the tiny tube of toothpaste; and on and on.

"Well, at least the toilet is complimentary, right honey?"

His wife didn't need to say anything - the look she gave him from the dark confines of the bathroom was all the answer he required.

6 comments:

Greg said...

I was going to ask you today who was going to help you out at the market this weekend! I hope it all goes nice and smoothly for you both.
Hah, I don't think I've yet stayed at a hotel that charged you for using the facilities, but I've certainly stayed in five-star hotels where it seemed the only things included in the price of the room were disdainful looks from the hotel employees.

Complimentary
"What are you eating, Green, and did you bring enough for everyone?" asked Dr. Septopus, annoyed by the sucking, slurping noises coming from Green's mouth.
"Alimentary candies," said the Green Lightbulb indistinctly, pointing at a paper bag on the table in front of him.
"...Alimentary canals?" said Dr. Septopus quietly, a look of horror on his face.
"Complimentary handlebars, I think," said Sylvestra, also looked horrified.

Anonymous said...

I never was any good when it came to relationships. Maybe because I always picked the wrong guy, or maybe it's because I just suck at emotional things - I mean I always was better at math than writing or art. Math has never let me down before, it's so straight-cut, universal, so unchanging, splendid. I thought that me and him were like complimentary angles, but no - my protractor reading was off; you're too obtuse.

Denin said...

The complimentary shampoo is high quality, top-of-the-line stuff. BUT, at the front desk, we have the world's best for the Gaga in all of us. For only $19.99, you can get 4 ounces of the finest soap we can afford to offer. Make sure your hair is full and lush, to make sure you emerge from every scene.

Marc said...

Greg - ah, Green. Always to be counted on for lunacy.

Anon - unfortunately it looks like you mixed up complimentary and complementary. Fortunately, you did such a great job with it that I've no room to complain :P

Also, I was considering making the prompt complimentary/complementary, so it's like you were in my head.

Denin - that last line is rather sinister. I like it.

Andrew said...

My family always wanted to stay in the dingiest hotels and motels, for some reason. Well, at the latest one, we were told the cockroaches and ants in our rooms we're complimentary. What we weren't expecting was that the creepy guy hiding in the bathroom with a knife in his hand was also a gift from the staff.

Marc said...

Andrew - um, maybe knife dude was there to kill the insects? Maybe? :P