Prompted Shorties

Simile But Different

Prompt:

Pick an item from each column in the chart below to create a simile. The odder the simile, the more fun it is to invent a story around. If you want, generate a few similes and use them all. Examples: crooked like a yo-yo in a debate; wild like a rocking chair in sneakers.

check the website for the full list, it's in jpeg I think, so I couldn't copy paste the list here. www.writersdigest.com/prompts/simile-but-different-writing-prompt

Story:

Billy's stare was cold like bricks in summer as he lie eyes wide in the open midday streets of Burbtown. Life and blood slowly dripping from his body on that corner road from his home; sirens from the ambulance drenching the sky with its monotonic hum, people staring and taking pictures at the soon to be corpse and a dog smelling his inhumanely bent knee, but what led him to this peculiar dilemma you ask?

Let's trace back to this morning.

Billy is a pre-school teacher for two dozen kids at Burburry Academy – a two block walk from his home. He was loved by his two kids, wife, students and as well as the faculty, nobody held a grudge against our kind protagonist.

This morning marks the first day of summer vacation, he had the whole day planned for him while his wife and kids are still at their aunt Charlotte's – Billy's younger sister – planning Billy's surprise birthday party tomorrow.

He woke up at 8:07 precisely. For snoozing the alarm takes five minutes until it rings again and two minutes for him to take the morning in before actually getting up from the bed.

On the way to the bathroom, he trips over the plush toy of Garfield that Annie – his first born – plays with, tipping over the key bowl where he usually puts his keys in as well. He was very clumsy, his wife always says, but it was one of the qualities that she loved about him.

After showering, right as when he was putting on his pants for the day, a part of the fabric, near the buttocks area had ripped open. It'd been three months by now since he last wore this pair of pants. I must be putting on some weight; Billy thought as he quickly removes the pants and rummaged his closet to find a new one – a usual one that he usually wears.

Having completely dressed, Billy went straight for the kitchen to fix himself up his usual breakfast - Cheerios. It was typically a slow day, seeing as it's the first day of summer. No school, no kids to teach, just a day of alone time for Billy.

Or at least, until he got a text. A text from his wife, saying they'll be home sooner than anticipated, at around "one-ish". Billy's mind immediately thought, why not go for pizza? As if the ripped pants in his bedroom meant nothing to him.

As Billy finished his breakfast he decided to clean his bowl, which he never does. Thinking he might get laid tonight if he did the dishes or something to make the wife happy before bed.

With that in mind, he proceeded to clean the entire living room filled with toys and toys from his two daughters, gum in some furniture and hair from Barbie dolls. She'll be very pleased, Billy thought.

He finished everything as the clock approached one in the afternoon. He felt his left wrist and noticed that he forgot to wear his watch which was upstairs in their bedroom. Forgetfulness – another quality that Billy's wife loved about him.

As Billy wore his watch, he proceeded to go to the key bowl, but it wasn't there anymore. Then he remembered that he tripped over this morning and must've knocked the bowl over, but he didn't hear any keys dropping at that time.

Billy looked behind the cabinet where the bowl was on, but the keys were still hiding for some mysterious reason. He went back downstairs to see if his wife had left the keys on the counter since she sometimes goes to the grocery before dinner. Sure enough, the keys were in fact just sitting there, waiting to be picked up.

He wore his sneakers, and proceeded to the door. But as he was leaving, the phone rang. He was forced to pick it up, it might be important, he thought to himself.

It was just his parents calling, says that they'll be there before lunch time for Billy's birthday. That's the only time it hit Billy, it was his birthday tomorrow. He didn't know until his parents told him. Classic Billy – is what his wife would say.

With a smile on his face, Billy locks the door behind him and proceeded to walk around the corner to the back parking of the compound. Their car was usually parked there since they barely use it. Billy argued one time that the car would be a nuisance if they parked it in front of their house when they just rarely use it and that it could even help someone else that needs the parking space.

As the lights on that corner turned green, a kid's ball went into the oncoming traffic. Billy didn't underestimated the way how kids would think, Billy ran as fast as he can towards the kid. His instincts were right though, the kid did follow the ball.

Billy heard a woman screaming, as he grabs the child and throws the kid back to the side walk and quickly dodges the bus. The bus stops in the middle of the crossing, the driver going down, trying to make sure that everything's alright.

And it was, for that moment at least. Until the fruit cart that the kid landed on, lost its break which was a brick holding the cart from rolling down and with gravity doing the work, the cart collides with Billy, sending him back onto the oncoming traffic and slams head-on with a black sedan.

With everyone in shock, the bus driver calls for an ambulance and that was that.

Was saving the kid worth it? He asked himself in that tiny moment he had left with his brain still processing the pain and everything all at once.

As his vision started to fade, he thought: would I still be alive if I did things differently? What would happen if I got up at 8 like I should've? Or if I was careful enough to watch where I'm going on my way to the bathroom? Or if I just picked my regular pants to wear? Or if I didn't cleaned the dishes or the living room? Or if my wife hadn't texted me that they'll be coming home earlier than expected? Or if I hadn't forgotten to wear my watch before I went downstairs? Or if I remembered where the keys were in the first place? Or if I didn't picked up the phone to talk to my parents because I had left earlier than I should?

Would I still end up where I am now?

Would things be, at all, different?

Questions. All questions, but no answers.