Guards on Duty

~ Nicole Horlings

The balloons swayed from the bumper, seemingly cheerful, to the muffled loud music. However, their eyes were slightly narrowed, scanning the parking lot for danger.

“Attention, squad,” the commander said, his face grim, “We have a drunkard stumbling out of the east entrance.” The fellow zigzagged across the parking lot, seemingly towards the Honda Civic, until he veered off towards the taxi whose driver called out to him, and the balloons all let out a sigh of relief.

Some of the younger balloons relaxed and started bouncing. “Stay alert!” their commander reprimanded them, “until the bride and groom arrive.”

.

This story was written in response to these prompts:

Girlie on the Edge’s 6 Sentence Story prompt: Guard

Carrot Ranch‘s September 12, 2022, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about balloons on a bumper. Is it a spectacle, an occasion, an eccentricity? Why are the balloons there? Who is involved? Go where the prompt leads!

42 thoughts on “Guards on Duty”

  7. Same here*

    Fun and useful (in my own efforts to learn the craft)

    *with all of the insightful comments**
    ** especially, Jenne’s as I am one of those who re-read with the expectation for discovering more on the second go-around. In my pre-defense, this is more a function of the quality of the writers I read than my capacity to focus.

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  17. Pingback: Balloons on a Bumper Collection « Carrot Ranch Literary Community

    1. That sounds like a fantastic story. Was it written from the rug’s perspective?

      … Now I also want to write a story from a rug’s perspective and have it also purposefully trip up the bad guy! It’s a really great concept!

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