One in Six Chance YSM2023

It is practically taken as a truism that there are only 7 stories ever told. Individual stories are merely variations of those seven. It is unfortunate for you, the listener, that I only have 5.

Those same five stories, I have told over and over again. My associates have grown quite adept at groaning "Oh, not that again." My collection has been quite stagnant these last 20 years, as if the drama, intrigue, adventure, and romance are now a thing of the past. And here I am again, going through the endless loop of an ended collection.

So here's the deal. I've got this spinner wheel from a board game with six colored, numbered sides. Five stories, one blank. If the arrow lands on the blank, you will be spared the misery of hearing one of my stories yet again. Here goes.

The Girl in Blue

Nice. It's been so long since I've told this one that I can only expect a few groans. This time, I will tell it differently by leaving out the fantasy, the fancy, the heroics, and the imaginary connections to persons and places of the past. Just the straight facts free of embellishments.

A long time ago, more than 20 years ago, I lived alone in a dark, dingy apartment. I wasn't really alone though because I had my typewriter, my coffee pot, and an overflowing ash tray not far from the typewriter, and a spider in my bathtub.

This time I state quite clearly up front. It was a spider. No one, and I mean no one, liked the story I wrote about my room mate who I left for three days, unable to get out of the bathtub, with no food, no water, until finally, in need of a shower, I ever so gently picked her up and placed her next to a rotting banana so she could feed on the fruit flies hovering around.

So that's why the sixth color is blank on my spinner wheel. I permanently erased it from my memory.

I was sitting in front of my typewriter in a sort of fugue state when the invisible sprite excitedly got my attention and indicated that I should look at something. So I looked, and a portal of about 14 inches appeared very near my face. I looked and saw the girl wearing a blue dress of a Medieval style looking at me with a rather distressed expression.

Don't get distracted by the invisible sprite. She's invisible. There's no way to notice her. The important point is the damsel in distress; in a stone cell, in a stone tower. The portal closed. The air in front of my face back as usual, slightly smoke filled.

The adrenalin kicked in, "what to do? What to do?" Quite beside myself I attempted to re-open the portal, helplessness, despair gradually settling over me. Eventually I admitted defeat. I could not rescue the Girl in Blue.

Sure, I imagined this strategy and that tactic. But I know now that those were purely imaginary. And now that I have told this story free of imagination, sticking to the cold hard facts, I must admit the probable truth.

Her distress could very well have been caused by seeing, for no apparent reason or discernable mechanism, my ugly face.

The End

Weird but well done !

a reply to: pthena

Fascinating story, pthena!

There are various perspectives in there and I like how you immerse the reader into a one-on-one interaction.

I like spiders and let them do their thing around the house, so applause for that detail.

a reply to: 727Sky
Thank you.

and a tip of the mug back

a reply to: Encia22

Just trying to engage the audience.

a reply to: pthena

Yes, mission accomplished!

a reply to: pthena

Nice story, pthena; well done!

a reply to: nugget1

Thank you,
nugget1

a reply to: pthena

Love it!!!!

a reply to: JJproductions

I'm glad you love it.

a reply to: pthena
I liked that one 1/6th seems a pretty good chance to me.

a reply to: SprocketUK

Now that you mention it:

I could have used a die, 6 sided,
but people usually think dice,
but that's plural.

I didn't want to cause confusion,
and I wanted to meet
the spinning parameter
for the contest.