2018-09 Double Dip Story Contest

Songbird

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I curtsey for the audience as the thunder of their applause breaks over me, a pounding, re-echoing surf so deep you could drown in it. I keep a bright, happy, grateful smile fixed on my face as I do so. I'm Ireland's sweetheart after all, the songbird of Kerry. My shows are sold out, my albums top the bestseller lists ,I'll be appearing at the Abbey Theatre as Kathleen Ni Houlihan at this year's festival and I'm tipped to be the next Rose of Tralee.

Corey's Last Concert

It’s 1981, and Corey Glynn has spent the past two years portraying junior high cheerleader Bonnie Bright, with great success: hit records, a movie series, national concert tours, and lots of Disney merchandise featuring the Bonnie character.

But Corey knows that there are changes occurring which mean that the end is coming soon.

Synchronicity

Synchronicity

Synchronicity: “The simultaneous occurrence of events which appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection”

Author’s note: This one is a little different. Rather than being inspired by one song, I got inspired by several at once ... if you cant tell, its my submission for the "music" part of the double dip contest.

Scene 1: Walking in your footsteps

Petticoat Acres

Petticoat Acres
by Jennifer Sue

Benji was small and slender for his age. On top of that he was a late bloomer, looking more like a ten year old than his true age. As a result he was a frequent target for bullying in middle school. Now fourteen year old Benji Joe Carson forlornly sat in the seat of the World War Two vintage twin engine DC3 airplane. Three weeks after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr, his parents had died in a car crash in Chicago. With no nearby relatives he’d been temporarily placed in an orphanage until they were able to reach his great uncle, Joe Carson. While he’d been bullied in school, the orphanage had been far worse. Fortunately Benji Joe was an ace student, so when he was pulled from his suburban school they gave him passing grades for the year. As a result the orphanage didn’t try to enroll him in their local school.

Now here it was June 1 and he was on the flagship aircraft of Trans Pixley Airlines heading toward their main hub, the Pixley International Airport. Having flown out of Chicago Midway Airport he was leaving the upper middle class Chicago suburbs that had been his lifelong home. He’d never heard of Pixley. It sounded like some place in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe on that new kiddie show, Mister Roger’s Neighborhood, that had debuted in February on the National Educational Television.

I'm Still Standing

I’m Still Standing

by Jennifer Sue

Harry was a top notch auto mechanic in northern Lebanon County, Pennsylvania just outside the town of Fredericksburg. By twenty five he had started his own quite successful business, Blue Mountain Auto. Emma ran the office with the assistance of the daughter-in-laws while both sons and their daughter worked in the four bay shop with their dad. The son-in-law joined the business as a body man in a smaller two bay body shop annex. It truly was a family business. The business originally sat on a ten acre plot that was divided into two acre plots, one for the business and four for their homes. Needless to say, it was a solid, often profane, gearhead family.

The extended family was finishing their annual Thanksgiving feast, relaxing, as they enjoyed warm homemade pumpkin pie. Several of the men had to loosen their pants to handle their expanded girth. Everyone sat back smiling as the turkey induced lethargy spread.

As usual, Emma asked her grandchildren what they wanted for Christmas. The explanation was that Grandmothers had a special hotline to Santa. One by one she asked each excited kid as the adults chuckled at their excitement and anticipation. That was about to change.

Music to My Ears – Call me Leah

Music to My Ears – Call me Leah

Lenny was politely enduring yet another phone call of manly advice from well meaning Uncle Dave about his appearance.

“Lenny, people are gossiping and the family is getting very concerned. You need to butch it up a bit and get a haircut. You've got your mother in a whirl. She's not sure if you're a boy or a girl. When we were fishing last week the bait store owner said “that dude looks like a lady”… and he was referring to you!"

Hidden Talent

Hidden Talent – September Contest entry

Monday’s were always a trial for Tristram Morris. He worked in a TV Advertising sales office with three women. Monday was the day when his female colleagues recounted in glorious (or should that be gory?) Technicolor detail their respective weekends.

Most of the chatter was about men and who did what to whom in bed and how much booze they’d consumed in how short a time…

For much of the time that they were chattering, Tristram was simply ignored because he wasn’t a woman. Add to that, he wasn’t particularly interested in their frankly juvenile antics. He considered them just silly and immature even though they were almost the same age as him.

The only time his presence was recognised was when one of the three recounted a particularly intense or lurid sexual act. Then they sent their jibes in his direction in the hope of seeing him get embarrassed.

It's curtains for me

It’s curtains for me
my little entry in the double dip contest. Its for the "performance" side, if you cant guess by the title ...

Sis, honest to God, I never planned on being a performer, much less the lead in a school musical.

I mean, you know I loved my drama classes, and was part of the drama club, but I always figured I’d be behind the scenes rather than on stage, unless it was as an extra.

I mean, it’s not like I look as handsome as the boy who played the male lead. (Geez, did I really just say that out loud?)

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