What If? - The Shambling Man

Sometimes I wish I was the kind of person who saw a field of pretty flowers for what it was and not as an excellent hiding place for slithering, slobbering creatures. Or who saw an old man at a garage sale as just that and not as a sinister Stephen King character shambling toward me . . . .

Scenario: You're wandering around a big neighborhood garage sale. It's a beautiful day, lots of people are out and about, and everyone is friendly. An old man - tall, thin, gangly - shambles toward you on the sidewalk. He moves as if his joints don't quite fit together, his limbs loose like a scarecrow. Hedge clippers - large, dull - hang heavy from his left hand. He doesn't smile, but he nods, says hello, shuffles past.

What if . . . he's on his way to take down more than the hedges around his property? What if he's going after his wife? A neighbor? Why?

What if . . . he believes he must protect himself from a time traveling murderer lurking in the woods beyond his fence? Or that he must slay a monster living in the bushes around his house? What if he's crazy? What if he's not?

What if . . . plants, weeds, spindly trees are growing where they shouldn't? In the attic? In the car? From the carpet in his living room, in his bedroom? What if they're starting to grow inside of him, sprouting out of him? What if he's the only one who can feel them, see them?

What if . . . the hedge clippers are cursed and everything they cut grows back faster, thicker? What if whatever they cut into actually bleeds? What if the people who sold them to the Shambling Man know exactly what they are, what they do, but this was the only way to free themselves?

*****

Your turn! What is this man's story? Did you ever make up stories about people at garage sales? Imagine the history behind the items being sold? Ever wish your imagination was wired differently, like in a way that would actually let you sleep at night? 

What If? - We All Float Down Here

Since my imagination likes to take a seemingly innocent, random scenario and twist it into something with slithering shadows and skittering claws, and because I often scare myself, I would really appreciate some company as we once again play the What If? game.

Scenario: You're driving along a quiet road when you notice a lone balloon bobbing and swaying in the grass near a drainage ditch, a sewer opening nearby. It's a Get Well Soon balloon - big and shiny - anchored in place by a plastic disc.

What if . . . the balloon was placed there to lure curious people over, and once the people were near, someone - or something - dragged them off into the woods, into the sewer?

What if . . . the balloon didn't land there but grew there? Is it the start of an alien crop, one where the balloons will burst into horrible monsters at harvest time?

What if . . . the balloon got loose, drifted from another time, another place? What if there once was a hospital on that land and something very, very bad happened?

What if . . . the balloon is like a grave marker and cannot be moved or popped, no matter how hard anyone tries? Who is buried there? What kind of magic - good or evil? - keeps the balloon in place?

*****

Your turn! And feel free to create some "nice" tales. Believe me, I already gave myself nightmares, thinking about egg-balloons hatching hideous monsters along the sides of roads . . . .

Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A What If? Post

Scenario: You place an order for some odds and ends. A few days later, a huge box arrives. Aware that sometimes the packaging is deceiving, you're not too concerned as you pull the box inside. After all, it's from the same company and the mailing label has your name and address on it. You open the box . . . .

It's definitely not what you ordered.

What if . . . the item in the box is something you've desperately wanted for a long time? Something incredibly expensive and extravagant? Something you've never told anyone about, ever. Who sent it? And why? And what do you do about it?

What if . . . the box is full of baby-related items, all monogrammed with the name Ella? You don't have children, and you don't know any children named Ella. You contact the company. Yours is the only corresponding order placed. It's bought and paid for by you. But the date on the invoice? Two years in the future. 

What if . . . the item in the box is a little on the naughty side? Maybe something you've been curious about but too embarrassed to check into. Do you call the company and complain or do you keep it?

*****

Come on, let's get those creative muscles sweating in this summer heat! What's in the box? What do you do? And hey, notice I didn't take us down the overly creepy or gross path? And I so could have . . . . 

The Store With The Snacks: What If . . . ?

SCENARIO:  Inside one of those big warehouse stores, at one of the food sample tables . . . .

What if . . . the old woman elbowing people out of the way knows this is her only chance to really eat today? What if she gives the little food she has at home to her sick husband? What if he doesn't know how dire their circumstances are?

What if . . . a fistfight breaks out between two women over the last sample on the tray? What if the women know each other and they're really fighting about something else, like one had an affair with the other's husband? What if their kids witness the fight?

What if . . . the middle-aged man handing out samples has a deadly virus that will ultimately cause the apocalypse? What if he doesn't know he has it? What if he does, and spreads it on purpose? 

What would you do with this scenario? Who are all the people who could become characters? Does it trigger an idea for an essay, a blog post, a flash fiction story, a scene in your novel? 

[Thanks to my niece and nephew for the title of this post!]

Shopping and Smoking: What If . . . ?

SCENARIO: A very pregnant woman, mid-twenties, stops on the sidewalk outside a strip mall and struggles to light a cigarette. After a couple of tries, she's successful and continues on her way.

What if . . . an old woman accosts her, scolding her about smoking while pregnant? What if the pregnant woman pushes past the old woman, knocks her to the ground where she cries out in pain? Was it an accident? Was it on purpose? 

What if . . . a homeless man tries to bum a cigarette off her? What if she gives him one because something about him reminds her of her father? What if she gives him the whole pack? Why?

What if . . . she's not even aware she's pregnant? What if she's suffering from a mental or physical condition that keeps her from recognizing reality? 

What if . . . this is an alternate reality where smoking while pregnant is actually good for unborn babies? What if it's a sign you're taking care of yourself or a symbol of your wealth and status in this society? 

What would you do with this scenario? Does it trigger an idea for an essay, a blog post, a flash fiction story? Could this woman become a character in your novel? Who is she and why is she doing what she's doing? Let's think outside the box!

What if . . . ? The Beach Version

In last week's Motivational Monday post, I mentioned taking a blogging break with the goal of actually starting one of my many projects, one of which was being a tourist in my own town. So, last Friday, my husband and I had breakfast down at the beach then went for a nice, long walk before the heat and the crowds rushed in.

I love walking on the beach for many reasons but one of my favorites is the sheer amount of things to see and people to watch. It is an ever changing landscape of nature, of humanity, and it is an amazing opportunity for creative exercises and story ideas. Here's a few scenarios that sparked my imagination: 

* In the parking lot, two elderly men in matching t-shirts, carried marked sticks with fluttering tape, the kind that mark where sea turtles came onshore and laid their eggs. Hmm…were these mean really volunteers for the local aquarium? What if they were trying to impress some ladies and knew they were too old to pass for lifeguards? What happened to the turtle's eggs? Did they hatch? Were they eaten by animals? Stolen by humans? Part of some sick scavenger hunt?

* A middle-aged couple walk on the beach. The man yaps loudly on a phone while the woman walks quietly next to him. Does she wish he was holding her hand instead of his phone? Are they married? Is this trip a second honeymoon? Is she contemplating divorce as she stares down at the crushed shells beneath her feet? Or…what if they're on a first date? What if he thinks talking on the phone makes him appear more important, more interesting? What if he's only pretending to talk to someone? What if she really is impressed by his antics? 

* Two boys, tan and skinny, about 10 years old, stand in the water up to their hips, fishing lines cast, no adults nearby. Why aren't these boys swimming and splashing and having fun? Why are they so serious? What if the fish they catch will be their food, their families' food, for the day? What if the boys are homeless? What if they plan on cooking the fish over an illegal fire later that night? What if the police who patrol the beach don't turn them in, give them sodas instead? 

Those three examples only focus on people. Think about the wildlife, like pelicans and sandpipers. Think about the shells - broken and whole. Think about the debris that can - and does - wash up on shore. What about a child's yellow plastic sand shovel, bobbing in the surf, its owner long gone? That image can elicit sadness or shudders. (I'm sure you know which of those I'd go with if I was writing a story….)  

What stories do you find at the beach? Or, if you're not a beach person, what do you see in the woods? The mountains? At the neighborhood pool? Do any of the "What if?"'s in this post spark any ideas for you? Go ahead and share in the comments!