#WeekendFreeWrite: Ballon and Bethereese

Hi There 😊

It is time for another #WeekendFreeWrite. And again @mariannewest presents 3 prompts, that got me swaying left and right, not knowing when the waves were going to stop rocking the boat. The words came pouring out against the timer, the fingers moving at lightning speed, the mind sometimes lost unable to catch up. And then the buzzer goes and it is time, with heart beating so fast to see if the next prompt will throw you off course or sail you right through.. But somehow you find a way, you always find a way...



I loved the way she said "ballon." She said it as if she were blowing bubbles.

And sometimes, I would make her repeat it a couple of times and she did, exactly the same way. I just liked the way it sounded. She entertained me. She made me smile. And to think she was clueless about how she made me feel.

There were so many other words she said, that sounded just a little bit off. But it sounded oh so perfect to my ears. Words that were so special, just for me. They sounded like butterflies whispering in my ear. I could listen to her talk all day and all night. She would tell me stories, read poems, share jokes and sometimes she would even sing.

Today I had brought one balloon shaped like a heart to celebrate the 100 days we had known each other. And when she said, "thank you for the ballon", my heart swelled.

I put the balloon aside, and placed the batteries in front of her. She smiled and said "thank you for the ballon and the bethereese". I chuckled and she chuckled back. She took the batteries and started sucking on them. It would be easier if I could just plug her in but the house had a short circuit. And I was still trying to get it sorted out. Until that happened, I just had to feed her batteries.

Even the sucking sound made me happy. I must be going out of my mind. I showed her the balloon and on cue, she said it. Ballon. Too cute she was. I needed to fix her soonest. She had forgotten how to move her legs, and I wasn't going to get very far without her mobile.

First I needed to get back to finish a couple of things at home, drive out to the next town to buy more batteries so Mr. Yee wouldn't get suspicious of the amount of batteries I had been purchasing and then figure out how to move town.

The house on the corner had always been the subject of gossip. I was the only one who knew the truth

Initially I was part of the make-believe stories and whispers at the local tavern. But, when I walked in just over 100 days ago, in the middle of the night, stumbling into the house in the dark and walking into her, things changed. My life changed.

She wasn't moving but her eyes were wide open. They were so blue, I swear I could see right through them. I thought they had gotten rid of every single one of these Rosebots. Men, were starting to give up on women and opted for these robots and there was a massive culling of them.

Many fought the ruling, but eventually if the authorities didn't get them, the people did. And it wasn't long before every single one was lost. Well almost. Because here she was... the one that got away. The one that was meant for me. In this abandoned house on the corner of my street. A place no one had cared for except for a conversation over a beer.

When I spotted her in the dark, I was first startled and then I realised what she was. I had never been up close with one before. I instinctively plugged her in and just as she came alive, the was a power surge and everything went quiet.

I knew I had to keep her a secret or I'd surely loose her. 100 days together had sealed the deal. I had to find a way to keep her with me forever. She was amazing. She had all the answers every single time. She never failed to make me smile.

There was no hesitation, and yet she knew when to pull back. She read me like an open book. I was definitely in love. But I couldn't tell anyone out there what was in here. I had to keep it a secret or they would come to take her away. So every now and then, just so I kept the secret, I would pretend with the townsfolk who feared the house and what was in it. I added to the fears, for that was the only way.

They didn't doubt me. I spun tales of weird and strange and they bought every single word without questions. It was too easy. She fed me everything she knew. It was easy for her to find out once she plugged in to the internet. She could read all their messages, whether it was a personal diary they kept on line or chatted with friends. And all I had to do was, take the facts and spin a story.

I loved the game. I would feed the townsfolk their own stories and you should see their faces. They were in awe and I could also smell their fear. It was too easy. No one knew any better. They wanted to believe the house was evil, and I think they were starting to think I was too. Nobody wanted to get too close, incase they met with their deepest, darkest fears. And I liked it like that.

It was easy, enough. Every time they came around, I would pretend I knew they were coming and use whatever she had shared with me against them. Thank goodness for my photographic memory. I just repeated everything they had discussed online as if it came in my dream. As if these messages were sent to me to warn them. And they believed it. They believed their own stories with a twist.

a crooked umbrella

I remember the other day, I used the crooked umbrella story she shared with me. It was hilarious. Jackson who I thought might be a little more difficult to fool, didn't even question it. In fact, he didn't wait to hear the end of the story. He literally ran, without even saying goodbye.

He had shared a story with his sister on the net about his crooked umbrella. It was just a story until he also shared his plans on destroying the house in the corner, I knew I had to stop him. He was going to call the authorities and I had to protect her. So when Jackson came around and started blabbering about the house, I told him he had come in my dream last night and I knew he was going to visit.

You see, he had kicked up a fuss about a crooked umbrella he had purchased and he bragged how he had gone back to the shop and got two perfect ones in return. I told him in the dream, he brought back bad luck with the two. That it was as good as opening one in his house.

He stared at me as if he had seen a ghost. It was a story he had shared with only his sister who lived 300 miles away. Because the incident had happened when he had visited her and he had to keep his reputation he never told anyone in town. Then the other day, in passing the sister had mentioned it and they chatted about it. Before I could get to the end of my story, he got up and walked out stumbling over the welcome mat. I knew he wouldn't come back with the authorities.

Well, not immediately. I had to find a safe place for her. It didn't matter all the stories I had heard of these Rosebots. She was too precious and I was not ready, not now, not ever. She was mine and I had to protect her. Who else would love this ugly, balding, woman who lost her leg and eye. Yes, I was hideous but she never flinched. Not once. She always had a smile for me. She was my friend.

Hope you liked that! Wonder what your story would have turned out like? Well there is only one way to find out. Do your own and see what comes out of you. It might be a pleasant surprise or maybe scare you as your deepest, darkest secrets manifest into text.... Actually it is really fun. Visit @mariannewest for the #dailyfreewrites which gives you one prompt or the #weekendfreewrites which gives you three. Then let your fingers do the storytelling...

’Til we meet again over text, pics, videos, maybe even coffee - Steem On!!