The exercise:
Your prompt today: renovations.
I had a long day at work today, so that's all you're getting out of me.
Mine:
It was supposed to be so simple.
“We’ll just take out this wall and it’ll open the place right up!” The contractor had been so convincing in his charming confidence. How could we not trust him?
Three destroyed walls, two floor removals and installations, three coats of paint, and one black eye later, I really wish we’d found a way.
So, is this inspired by renovations going on at work, or at home? I hope that your little story isn't too close to the truth in either case!
ReplyDeleteWe're moving offices at the end of May, over the bank holiday weekend, but everything's new there, so it should all be pretty much right when we get there. It'll be nice to have an air-con system that doesn't break whenever the temperature changes....
Renovations
"So how's this supposed to work again, Vince?" Dave's voice had an aggrieved tone, like someone who's just discovered the paint is wet, or the concrete's not quite dry yet.
"Simple, Dave. We dress up as workmen, get us a clipboard, walk into the building and get the site plans from the building manager's office. They're renovating, so no-one'll suspect a thing."
"So, tell me, Vince," Dave's tone dripped with so much sarcasm it was almost visibly pooling around his feet and rotting his metal-toe-capped boots, "why are we actually labouring here as workmen?"
Vince and Dave, dressed in overalls, hard hats and boots, were stood at a wall. Vince, his overalls paint-smeared and dirt-stained, was busy plastering; Dave, in pristine deep blue overalls that still had the creases in from being folded for sale, was gingerly holding a paint-roller and looking affronted.
"Well, he was short-handed," said Vince easily. His hands made wide circular motions smoothing the plaster out to a silken finish. "Can't let a man down, now, can we?"
"Yes Vince," said Dave. "We're here to steal a poodle, not to plaster a wall. And since when did you learn how to plaster anything?"
"When you kidnapped that kid for the ransom money last year,--"
"Shut up, Vince."
@Marc Your prompt reminds me of the movie The Money Pit. I think I shouldn't dig that DVD out again and watch it.
ReplyDelete@Greg Too fun! :) Nice characterization in such a short piece and the sarcasm dripping and rotting out his shoes is brilliant.
Renovations
Pa-tink
And the house tensed.
Pa-tink
And the coins of irises whirled,
Resisting - Please, no -
And stilled.
Pa-tink
A nightmare - What was it -
Pa-tink
The Tell-Tale heart
Steadily dripping, seeping, leaking, losing,
Costing every ounce of -
Pa-tink
Sanity?
Pa-tink
That sound! That sound
Of the house's vitals bleeping, bleeding
Pa-tink
Into the carpet, like a mold,
The wiring, like bundles of spiders,
The -
Pa-tink
End is nigh.
Pa-tink
A drip hit the flesh of his wallet's leather
And slid
In the wrinkles
Like a single, sad tear.
That was weird. But it's kind of early in the morning over here. And guess what? I get my glasses today!! YAY! :D
Greg - more by potential renovations at a potential new home :)
ReplyDeleteAh, good old Vince and Dave. Good to hear from them again!
Archi - weird but good! I liked it muchly, particularly when the sound interrupts the poem.