Hey all, and welcome to another month of Promptly Penned. This month’s prompt is rather… unique, lol. I can see so many great ideas cropping up from this one. So… here’s the prompt and the resulting story… note, this month won’t have the actual prompt appear as a line in the story. It’s more of a setup.
While cleaning up the attic, he/she finds a box of glass balls with names on them. One drops and, as it shatters, a person appears.
“Call me crazy, Barry, but when you asked me out on a date, I pictured something more exciting.”
Barry Jamieson released a weary breath, glancing back at Michael, wondering if he’d just blown his only chance at a possible relationship with the one guy who’d had him tied in knots since the semester started. That after three months of awkward gatherings amidst friends, and one poorly executed invitation, Barry had given Michael the excuse he needed to walk out the door before Barry had done more than try not to trip over his tongue.
He shook his head, turning to face the dusty room. “I know, I know. This sucks ass, but… What was I supposed to do? My mom’s having a hard time dealing with…” He waved around the stuffy attic. “This. I know my grandma was old, but… I don’t think any of us ever truly pictured her dying. She just seemed so…” He exhaled again. “When she asked me to clean this out…”
A hand landed on shoulder before he was tugged against Michael’s chest, his other hand sliding around Barry’s waist to rest on his hip. “I’d have kicked your ass if you’d said no just so we could go watch a bunch of redneck boys smash cars with their monster trucks. Besides, maybe we’ll find some priceless antique in here, and then I can date you for your money instead of your body and the amazing sex we’re going to have…” He leaned in and breathed against Barry’s neck. “As soon as we’re done here.”
Barry’s breath lodged in his chest, making the room feel overly hot before he finally managed to drag in a lungful of air. He wet his lips, cursing under his breath when Michael released him, winking at him before walking over to one of the walls lined with boxes. Had the man really just said he not only wanted to date him, but that there would be sex? After Barry had cleaned out the attic?
Michael whistled, tapping on one of the boxes. “Wow. Your grandma sure did love odd things. Are those crystals hanging by the window?”
Barry laughed. “Crystals. Orbs. Little jars of eye of newt or something. If I believed in witches, I would have sworn she was one.”
“You don’t believe in the supernatural?”
Barry stopped a few feet away. “Do you?”
Michael shrugged. “Let’s just say I’ve witnessed a few…odd things in my life. So, I consider myself open minded.”
Barry grinned, closing the distance between them. “Odd things?” He skimmed his fingers down the front of Michael’s shirt, toying with the fabric. “Like what?”
Michael glanced down at where Barry’s hands fisted his shirt, a hint of a smile lifting the corner of his mouth. “Just…things. Like having stuff move around. Hearing noises. Nothing earth shattering just odd—”
Barry tugged Michael against him, slanting his mouth over the other man’s and swallowing whatever else he was going to say. Spicy male mixed with coffee filled Barry’s senses, and he couldn’t stop from taking another step toward Michael, crushing the man’s hands against his chest when Michael grabbed Barry’s shirt.
Warm breath caressed Barry’s cheek, Michael’s heart strumming against Barry’s palm as he held Michael close, reluctant to release him. One touch, one fucking kiss, and it felt as if Michael had flipped a switch inside him.
Michael arched a brow. “I thought we had to clean the attic?”
Barry leaned in, brushing his lips across Michael’s. “We’ve got all day. Pretty damn sure we can make out for a bit, first, and still get it all done.” He smiled. “Unless you weren’t serious about dating me or having mind-blowing sex.”
“Mind blowing, huh? You’d just better hope you can live up to your hype because I’ve been imagining this for months.”
“Months? Then why didn’t you ask me out instead of waiting for me? Surely you knew I was interested?”
“Right, because you were all over me.”
“I was trying to determine if you even knew I existed. To be honest, no one was more surprised than I was when you said yes.”
Michael pulled Barry closer. “Then let’s make up for lost time.”
Michael crushed his lips to Barry’s, backing him against the row of boxes as he ate at Barry’s mouth, sliding one hand up to fist Barry’s hair as the other settled on the small of his back. Barry moaned into the kiss, trying to smooth his hands down Michael’s chest to grab the hem of the man’s shirt, when one of the boxes shifted behind him.
The movement threw off his balance, and he took a stumbling step toward the wall in an effort to remain upright, dragging Michael with him. The other man palmed the boxes, obviously trying not to fall onto the entire row, knocking the top one onto the floor. The impact billowed up a cloud of dust as the top flew open, scattering a number of glass balls across the floor.
Michael pulled back, cursing under his breath as he released Barry and turned, freezing when one of the balls hit a chair leg, stopping amidst the sound of breaking glass. “Shit, Barry, I’m≥”
The man’s voice trailed into a gasp as the ball broke, releasing a blinding flash of light. Barry grabbed his buddy, tugging him back then behind him as Barry took a step forward, squinting against the glare. The light seemed to gather strength, melding into a bright blue before finally winking out, leaving the room dimmer than before.
Barry waved his hand to disperse the lingering bits of dust, blinking in an attempt to focus before his breath lodged tight in his chest. Michael mumbled something that sounded like, “holy shit,” but it got lost to the frantic pounding of Barry’s pulse in his head. He rubbed his eyes, wondering if this whole interaction was nothing more than a vivid dream when Michael slapped him on the chest.
“For the love of God, Barry, tell me you see the guy standing on the other side of the attic. Because if it’s just me…”
Barry shook his head, still trying to find his voice. “I…I…”
“Yeah. That.” Michael bent over, retrieving another glass ball off the floor. He held it out in front of them, a series of black letters stamped across the surface. “This one says Derek. What the hell does that mean?”
“I… Christ.” He took a step forward, stopping when the man turned, their gazes clashing. Barry inhaled, trying to keep his mouth from gaping open. “You. I know you. You’re in the photo albums. You’re…”
Michael slapped him, again. “Finish the damn sentence. Who the fuck is he?”
Barry looked at his buddy, wishing they could go back to kissing because this… He shook his head. “His name’s Jason. And I think he’s my father.”
And that’s it for me. At least this week wasn’t 4000 words 🙂 Please check out the other tales this week…
Ooooh, his dad? I’m intrigued. 🙂
Okay, so I really want to know why his dad was trapped in an orb. Will you tell us? Was he a bad guy? Was his grandmother just cray-cray? We really want answers