Mandyevebarnett's Blog

I had a dental appointment today – boo! Once back home and waiting for the feeling to return to my mouth a short story began to form. I used some writing prompt words from my circle’s newsletter and this is the result. Inspiration truly comes from anywhere at anytime and in any form. I may use Jennifer’s character in another piece of work or her situation but even if I don’t she was fun to create.

November and December Magazine Words.    Clichés, tree, bus, school, detention, roadside

Hasty Trip to the Dentist

A quick glance at her watch confirmed Jennifer was pushed for time. She said a silent prayer that all the traffic lights would be green along her route to the dentist. She should have left that last phone call to go to answer phone but it was an automatic action to pick up the receiver. It had been a frustrated customer wanting printed details of their account – immediately. Jennifer had rushed to their account screen, clicked print and then tore the sheet out of the printer, quickly placing it on the fax machine to send it. She swore when she realized the customer’s fax number was on her computer screen not the print out. Back to her desk and after quickly making a note back to the fax machine where Sandy was busily piling in a thick pile of paper.

“I was using that, it’s just one page, please can I send mine first?”

“Well, really Jennifer why didn’t you do it before?”

“The fax number wasn’t on the print out, I had to go back to my desk to get it. Please Sandy.”

“Well as you have asked so nicely, go ahead.”

Jennifer sighed with relief but kept her thoughts tightly behind her teeth. Sandy could be such a jobs-worth, her attitude made Jennifer feel like a school kid again summoned to detention. With the fax sent Jennifer grabbed her purse and ran down the stairs and out into the parking lot. With all the rushing she had forgotten to start her vehicle and now she sat in a frozen seat with frost covering the windshield.

“Damn, damn, damn.”

A quick flick of the key had the car start. Jennifer got back out to scrape the screen, well at least a small hole to peer through. Shivering Jennifer cranked up the heater in an attempt to warm up the interior. She pulled out of the lot and waited impatiently at the roadside for a gap in the on-coming traffic. She saw her opportunity and pushed the accelerator to the floor, her tires squealed as the vehicle swerved in front of a bus. The driver showed his anger with a prolonged sounding of his horn.

“Yeh, yeh, yeh, whatever…”

Tension gripped Jennifer’s shoulders as she drove over the speed limit, hoping there were no police cars on route. As she approached the first set of traffic lights they turned amber. Should she chance it? Jennifer looked left and right both sides of the junction were full, no she would stop the way her day was going she was bound to have no luck. Fingers tapping on the wheel in anticipation, she waited for the lights to change. At last they turned green and Jennifer floored the pedal. Wheels spinning Jennifer’s main focus on getting to her appointment changed in the blink of an eye as the back end of her car swung to the right and then overtook the front end. The vehicle spun in a full circle, jumped the curb and hit a tree.

All thoughts of the dentist disappeared as fear gripped Jennifer. The sound of sirens broke her dazed thoughts.

“Now, Miss let’s take it easy.”

“I was on my way to the dentist, the tires didn’t grip.”

“In a bit of a rush were we? Maybe next time less speed and more haste but also driving to the road conditions would help.”

Jennifer ignored the cliché she really wasn’t in the mood.

Please feel free to comment or share a short piece of inspiration.

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