Potluck - SOS2022 - Just for fun

Potluck

As an archeologist, I was brought on to a curious dig in south central Ohio. What was peculiar about the site was that it was a circular clearing with a diameter of about 85-100 yards within a dense conifer forest of what appeared to be longleaf pine. A tree that is not native to Ohio, but would been of tremendous benefit for the tribe for coiled baskets, bundles of roof thatching or general insulation materials.

But what had me curious was the pottery shards. There was an unusual amount of drinking bowls as they appeared to be too small for eating bowls. They were glazed with unusual mineral salts that didn't stand out as readily identifiable. The quality and colors seemed like they could be done as part of modern ceramics and regulated firings rather than primitive kiln construction techniques. What's more is that there seemed to be hundreds, maybe a couple thousand or more...all smashed and broken. And far more than should have been in a small village.

After doing a search of the surrounding areas, I discovered a shallow creek with a moderate flow where the clay was harvested. Downstream ended within a mile into a small pool which must have drained into the ground in some eroded hole. Upstream, no more than a mile and a half from the end was a spring from which was the source. Likely this game of hide and seek between above ground and below ground would continue on southward until emptying into the Ohio River at some point.

It was at the headwaters I noticed the rocks in the creek bed had unusual colors stained upon them. Here I was able to gather five different mineral salts from different places adjacent to the spring. And with some clay and a simple kiln of flat rocks I should be able to replicate some of these drinking bowls.

After weeks of experimentation, I finally started having some success in replicating the actual colors. None of the colors used just a single salt or even just two. But always had combinations of three or more in varying percentages. These were always on the drinking bowls whereas the storage container pots and urns had basic single and double salts to their glazes. Some of these were found intact or with chips or broken due to age or other circumstances. The drinking bowls were always smashed deliberately. Eventually I made myself a coffee cup.

After letting water sit in the coffee cup overnight, I congratulated myself for the success of it holding water without leaking and used it to enjoy myself a cup that morning before starting to fix breakfast. I generally have three slices of bacon, but today had four as it was the end of the package. Both of the last two eggs in the carton were double yolks and I managed to not break any making them over easy. Just enough butter for the toast as well. Seems that I will be going to the grocery store today. Leaving for work my neighbor's car wouldn’t start. I offer to give him a jump but he couldn't find his cables and I never owned any.

The first part of the day was great. But after lunch, the workday seems to drag on a bit. Stopped at the store on the way home and bought groceries as well as stuff for steak fajitas for dinner. Fed the cat and used the coffee cup to refill his water bowl. While cooking the steak, peppers and onions I noticed that I forgot to buy the tortillas. So I had to be satisfied having them over a bed of rice. Unfortunately when I went back for a second helping, Jasper had noticed that I hadn't covered the skillet and had a fortunate feast of his own. Sans tortillas as well, but I don't think the cat was as disappointed about it.

I washed the dishes and later in the evening had coffee and and a slice of pie to make up for the short dinner before going to bed. That night I had a strange dream about the village in the pines being attacked. Only so many warriors could be roused, like most of them were sick or something. The village was razed. The few survivors smashed the drinking bowls before abandoning the village forever.

THE END

Author Notes:

My original idea was for a blend of herbs that was smoked or wrapped into smudge sticks as potluck is a potpourri of meal choices. But after a minor bit of thought, I figured it would be taken as a marijuana tale and that isn't really a ATS topic. So I sat on the idea all month long thinking of a work around or a different story altogether.

I wanted to do a little something offbeat thematically because it is Halloween coming up. So why not a story of making a cursed item that grants the user good luck by causing bad luck to those around them? And of course I leave it to the reader to figure out rather than forcing that conclusion. In a longer, more developed tale that would be more apparent by continuous examples.

a reply to: Ahabstar

I enjoyed the story, had pictures in my head while reading. I thought it might be the salt being the reason for the shattered drinking pots from the beginning, you gave the reader a chance to get behind it and offer another experience already knowing that.

I would not mind a continuation

a reply to: Ahabstar

A smooth and engaging read.

Thank you for your submission.


We all appreciate the efforts!
Johnny

a reply to: xpert11

I am glad that it came out smoothly as I can see the jump cuts from the editing down to a shorter story from what I had worked out in my head ahead of time. The ending is abrupt because the dream was originally about the 2/3 - 3/4 mark. I had intended the end being him smashing the coffee cup after his neighbors were killed during a burglary. But I wanted to tone that down as well.

As for the original idea, it was going to end with him not finding all the weeds for the last one and making a bad luck one and burning down the house. But the change to ceramics (and that hit me Friday as a work around) before sitting down Saturday to write needed a couple different elements as a change.

a reply to: TDDAgain

Expanded, would had been maybe 3 posts. With themes of promotions at work at the expense of a colleague being let go. Making it through an intersection ahead of a car crash. A trip to a casino which caused the above mentioned burglary of his neighbors. And so on until I felt the gaining of good luck and the expense of others was quite hammered home.

As to why the workday dragged on after lunch and forgot the tortillas…he drank from something other than the coffee cup. Which is why the cat ate his dinner the water in the bowl came from the cup. Good luck for the cat.

This is also a departure for me in writing style as there are no conversations. I usually use conversations to establish a character sketch. I don’t like exposition narrative as it tends to drone on and on, which is why I am not a fan of Stephen King. I can accept that a person is socially shy by saying they don’t like public speaking, I don’t need to know it was because they farted when bending over to blow out the candles at their tenth birthday party and Sammy the Bully shouted “You’re blowing out the wrong end.” to squeals of laughter and sardonic mockery from what would be soon forgotten friends around the table…then name and give their tale of woe to each one for the next two chapters. When you will only ever meet one of them, as an adult 10-15 chapters later, in passing. And with no real reason other than to give the reader and protagonist someone to remember and remark about.

We used to call that: padding the story to get your 10-15 pages. As you can see by the length of that paragraph. It also has the nasty side effect of causing paragraph sized run on sentences.

I also prefer basic serial style writing like the Chinese classics Water Margin or Journey to the West in which each chapter is a story and the next chapter builds upon that or starts a newer part of the tale that is later called upon.