I finally took the leap and signed up for the weekly challenge at Indie Ink. I was nervous to do so because let me tell you kids, the writers at Indie Ink don't mess around. There is some serious hardcore talent running things over there. But they were nice enough to feature my piece "Concrete" there last week so I do have some mad love for them right about now.
I received my challenge from Cope at Voluntary Tourettes's and the challenge posed to me? Write a story in which nothing happens. Sounds easy enough but I really struggled with this one. Regardless, it was nice to be challenged by such a worthy blogger in such a great format. Here is my take on it. I should probably mention this is a fiction piece so no sympathy needed..... Enjoy!
Indie Ink Challenge from Cope @ http://voluntarytourettes.wordpress.com/
A Story in Which Nothing Happens
Ring. Ring. Ring.
I will not answer that call. I refuse to play in this game. I will not entertain yet another excuse, a pleading apology, or an angry invalid accusation that it was my fault that it happened. I don’t want to hear it. It doesn’t even really matter at this point. Nothing he could say to me would change what he did.
There used to be a time when I wouldn’t dream of not taking his call. I lived to hear his voice and the words he filled me with. He was my everything and I was always there waiting for him to need me, to validated me again for just another moment. Without him, I was nothing. With him, I felt I could do anything, my life was complete. We were in love and we were getting married.
Our wedding was planned for exactly one month from today. It was to be a grand affair with all of our friends and family there to witness our proclamation of our ever-enduring love. It would be a picture perfect day, I had already lived it a hundred times in my mind.
Every time I looked at my dress hanging on the back of the door, I was instantly transported to the end of the ivory clad aisle as the heavy double doors slowly opened, a bouquet of lilies in my hand, their fragrance strong and sweet. I could feel my dad’s arm linked through mine, see him smiling down at me, hear him whisper “you will always be my little girl” as he leans down to kiss my cheek before we begin our walk towards my love, my future.
I see him standing there, waiting for me. God, he is so handsome! Smiling at me and shifting his weight nervously, he never looks at anything but me as I make my way towards him. I know that look, it is the look that I have grown to know so well, the look that made me feel like a real, whole, loved person. He takes my hand as I approach and tells me how beautiful I am. And so begins the rest of our lives together, at least that’s how it goes in my head.
In reality, that day is not coming. Not now. Not with him. Not ever.
The reality is that he decided he needed to fuck someone else. Not just anyone else of course. Anonymous would have been far too easy. No, he decided he needed to have sex with his ex-girlfriend, you know, for old time’s sake. He said it was just one last time before he committed the rest of his life to me. It really didn’t mean anything, he’s told me so a thousand times. And had I not had the audacity to walk in to our apartment at just the perfectly wrong time, I would have never known and we could have just gone about our perfect little lives just like we planned. It would have been my fairy tale.
This should have been a story about my happily ever after. But it’s not that story. This is a story where nothing happens, nothing at all. Just like the phone that keeps ringing but will never be answered.

It's like Seinfeld! The blog about nothing!
ReplyDeleteAnd I don't know why, but us guys love nostalgic fucks. I think it's wired into our DNA.
Amazing as always Randy Girl! You are truly talented. I love the new look too! Very cool.
ReplyDeleteWhat's the deal with this story? Nothing is happening yet I'm reading it again. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
ReplyDelete*bad Seinfeld*
Very entertaining
This is brilliant, my darling! I LOVE how you not had nothing happen in the story itself by being internal monologue, but also ABOUT nothing happening in the character's life when it should have. Truly, this was inspired. Bravo, love.~
ReplyDeleteYou lead the reader along then deliver a twist despite this beng about nothing. Nice one.
ReplyDeleteNice piece. I was actually rather turn on at the voyeuristic part of the encounter.
ReplyDeleteYou should expand the story :P
I see Kat's point...but me...I saw something happen there. I saw a woman not answering a phone and growing stronger...taking charge of her life...and moving on. Bravo, sweetie. Loved this post about nothing and everything.
ReplyDeleteawesome story :3
ReplyDeleteUh, Random Girl? There's some serious hardcore talent running around here, too. I'm just saying. This was fantastic. It said everything and nothing happened, all at the same time. Really, really super job.
ReplyDeleteI could not have done this challenge. All of you guys are seriously amazing writers. I feel embarrassed throwing my word vomit in amongst all of you guys.
ReplyDeleteDafeenah
The challenge was awesome and really gave you very little to work with. You stepped up brilliantly. This is a story in which so much happens although the story in the story is where it all comes to an end. Nice metaphysical traipse. :)
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this! It was about everything and nothing at the same time. You drew me in and kept me captive! Good job! :)
ReplyDeleteWrite a story in which nothing happens. Sounds easy enough but I really struggled with this one.
ReplyDeleteSadly I find it all too easy and manage to do it week in week out in the BlackLOG…..
It reminds me of a great song by a Scottish Group Del Amitri
“Nothing ever happens“
Post office clerks put up signs saying position closed
And secretaries turn off typewriters and put on their coats
Janitors padlock the gates
For security guards to patrol
And bachelors phone up their friends for a drink
While the married ones turn on a chat show
And they'll all be lonely tonight and lonely tomorrow
Gentlemen time please, you know we can't serve anymore
Now the traffic lights change to stop, when there's nothing to go
And by five o'clock everything's dead
And every third car is a cab
And ignorant people sleep in their beds
Like the doped white mice in the college lab
Nothing ever happens, nothing happens at all
The needle returns to the start of the song
And we all sing along like before
And we'll all be lonely tonight and lonely tomorrow
Telephone exchanges click while there's nobody there
The Martians could land in the carpark and no one would care
Close-circuit cameras in department stores shoot the same video every day
And the stars of these films neither die nor get killed
Just survive constant action replay
Nothing ever happens, nothing happens at all
The needle returns to the start of the song
And we all sing along like before
And we'll all be lonely tonight and lonely tomorrow
Bill hoardings advertise products that nobody needs
While angry from Manchester writes to complain about all the repeats on T.V.
And computer terminals report some gains
On the values of copper and tin
While American businessmen snap up Van Goghs
For the price of a hospital wing
Nothing ever happens, nothing happens at all
The needle returns to the start of the song
And we all sing along like before
Nothing ever happens, nothing happens at all
They'll burn down the synagogues at six o'clock
And we'll all go along like before
And we'll all be lonely tonight and lonely tomorrow
When I came up with this challenge, that's what I wanted to provide: a challenge. And you know what, you nailed it.
ReplyDeletenothing and everything. also, choices.
ReplyDeletelove it. so glad you are in the challenge!
@Lost & @Lance: I know, sometimes things about nothing are the hardest things to write because so much has to happen. And Seinfeld had not crossed my mind but probably would have had a much different post if it had
ReplyDelete@Hannah: Thanks love, glad you liked the story and the new RG look.
@Kat: thanks my sweet Kat for your encouragement as always, you are so supportive
@Tony: Thanks for riding along
@Porkstar: perhaps the walking in on the fiance with the ex will resurface as an additional piece, there is a lot I could do with that
@Jewels: I see your take on it, hadn't really thought it through to that level but I think you are exactly right.
@Mac: Thanks darling!
@SuperMaren: That is quite the compliment! Thank you so much. I had a blast doing this challenge, you may never get rid of me now.
@Dafeenah: Listen here, I read your challenge post and you more than hold your own on it! Your piece was brilliant! Thanks for checking out Random Girl
@Karla: Thanks so much for the great encouraging comment. This one had me thinking for a few days before I could even attempt it, he did good!
@Yvonne: Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for continuing to check out my stuff!
@Blacklog: I love these lyrics and they completely nail the nothing happens theme, thanks for sharing!
@voluntarytourettes: This is all your fault you know... you and your tricky challenge! It was frustrating but fun to tackle so thank you for giving me such a great one! Glad you are pleased with my take on it.
@Marian: Thanks so much! The challenge was fun, I'll be back for more
If this is an example of what you do with nothing, please keep coming back every week! I think I might have had a hard time with this one, but you managed to pack a lot of information in between the phone ringing and not picking it up. Well done.
ReplyDelete@wendryn: I am glad you liked my take on it. I think its so interesting how everyone sees each prompt/challenge so differently. I will be back... it will probably be hard to get rid of me now!
ReplyDeleteHoly cow, what great job! You made nothing read perfectly.
ReplyDeleteI think you exceeded the challenge! Well done! I would have been half-tempted to leave a blank space the size of three paragraphs with a nice neat "The End". LOL! Well done, nicely written...
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome. Really well done. So glad you're part of the challenge.
ReplyDeleteThis was great! Good job with that prompt! It was a perfect interpretation!
ReplyDelete