Time Travel discussion

What's a Drabble?

100 words no more no less...try to tell a story or the thought of an idea of a story in exactly 100 words. Its a lot more difficult then it sounds.

I got turned onto Drabbles by reading 31 Days Of Halloween

Here is a sample Drabble from the book:

"This is amazing!" Marley exclaimed, wiping the Autumn mist from her camera lens.

"Yeah. I still can't believe we got this land so cheap," James said. "It's perfect."

"Times are rough," said Marley "They seemed desperate to sell."

The couple crested a ridge and Marley turned to photograph the view, her camera clicking away.

"Hey, an old cabin!" James said, excitedly rushing down the hill and onto the decrepit porch.

"A cabin?" Marley asked, turning from the view to see what James was talking about. But when she did, all she saw was an empty, overgrown pasture. "What cabin? James....?"

I figured with all you talented authors out there you might have fun with this challenging writing exercise...If you want to put a time travel theme on them that would be a bonus but not essential. The sample one I put up is a Halloween themed one but that's the cool thing about Drabbles they are open to interpretation...is it a ghost cabin? Time travel the cabin existed there previously? My money is that the cabin is a Covex...

Anyways...I hope you have fun both writing drabbles and discussing them.

A good idea, Lincoln.

We're in. Give us a bit to write our story.

What's a Covex, Lincoln?

Nathan wrote: "What's a Covex, Lincoln?"

Glad you asked. Its an invention of mine...I used it in the never ending time travel story that a few of us wrote a few years back now...

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Feel free to read the whole story if you wish but the Covex is mentioned by me in Message 7 near the beginning of the story.

THE RETIREMENT PLAN

Prior to his retirement, my husband spent ages scribbling on the sofa with pencil, paper and slide rule. When he retired, he shut himself away in the garage only emerging for meals and to sleep.

It took a year but finally he said, “I’ve designed and built a car for you, my love.”

The single seater looked a little strange, rather like a rocket on wheels, but it was comfortable inside. On my first outing, to the supermarket, I noticed a remote control in his hands.

Caesar glared at my explanation and gave the thumbs down sign. The lion roared

Anna,

Thanks for being the first to take the Drabble Challenge!!

Now we discuss the drabble...The husband built her a rocket car to get rid of her? get in and blast off and go away?

Or he is upset as a lion because it was such a strange rocket car and he can't handle the criticism of his design?

Did you enjoy writing your drabble?

On my first reading I thought she had returned from the supermarket and was criticizing his design while he held the remote of the TV...My mistake...he held the remote to the car...Interesting.

Does this mean he is to drive via remote and she simply rides along...she wants the remote and he disapproves like trying to take a TV remote away...

Yes, drabbles are fun.

You're right as far as he has remote control of the car.

Edit: It does involve time travel - please let me know if this is not clear.

Erica

“I have no idea what I am doing!” Alfred exclaimed while at the same time smashing his fingers into his day old school lunch Jello.

Letting out a sigh of utter frustration and at the same time, admiration. He loved her, he could not help himself, but he also respected her. She treated him so wonderfully, even though Alfred knew he did not belong in her class, she was always friendly and quick with a smile. She radiated beauty that Alfred could not sense in himself. How does she maintain such confidence? Would he ever get a kiss? Maybe…Possibly? Never.

Anna wrote: "Yes, drabbles are fun.

You're right as far as he has remote control of the car.

Edit: It does involve time travel - please let me know if this is not clear."


Anna,

Did the husband build a time-travel capsule, trick his wife into getting in, and push the remote control sending her to the past where she would be seen as a danger to society and fed to lions?

Anna wrote: "Yes, drabbles are fun.

You're right as far as he has remote control of the car.

Edit: It does involve time travel - please let me know if this is not clear."

You have to imply so much but now that I know the car is a time machine I read that last line completely different...I had assumed the husband name happened to be Caesar.

You are talking about the coliseum and actual lions...

Very scary. Sorry I did not get it at first...that is why I thought discussion would be fun.

The idea was that the wife was living an ordinary suburban type retirement doing the shopping and cooking the meals and so on yet hubby's retirement dream taking shape in the garage was how to get rid of her.

Trying to convince a Roman emperor how she had turned up at the Coliseum proved too difficult.

Yes, it is very good to discuss the drabbles, especially if you don't quite get it because that is what the writer needs to know. Even if the writer is forced to use no more and no less than 100 words, the outcome should be something that can be understood - at the very least.

So the idea you had - to write drabbles - is made even better by suggesting we discuss them.

I agree, the discussion is part of the game. Seems to us, the story is much like a riddle, that the readers then take turns guessing the answer to.

Lincoln wrote:

“I have no idea what I am doing!” Alfred exclaimed while at the same time smashing his fingers into his day old school lunch Jello.

Letting out a sigh of utter frustration and at the sa..."

Lincoln,

Is Alfred a kid in school, and the radiant beauty a girl in a higher grade, or an honors student, or just in a 'class' within the school's social structure that he thinks is above his own.

Yeah its wide open...it could be different ages...or different classes like a freshman crushing on a senior.

I perhaps should of used the word "station" to indicate she is the beautiful popular girl and he is the insecure, overweight geek...of course its more implied.

My first ever Drabble!!

And a good one too, Lincoln.

I'd put the 'Never' on a new line to give it even more impact and emphasize the pathos.

Thanks for the compliment and your suggestion to move the never to its own line is a good one...because obviously it is never going to happen.

Lincoln,

Excellent work and a fun game.

We still haven't come up with our own drabble yet, but I wanted to share a famous 6 word drabble with the group.

It has been attributed to Hemingway, but that has never been proven.

The entire story, told in six words is _
For sale: baby shoes, never worn

That's so sad!!

Try to lighten the mood with one of my favorite poems:

Fleas

Adam Had'm

“Your call is very important to us.” Cynthia heard repeatedly as she waited for an Arizona Department of Motor Vehicles representative to learn why the great State of Arizona had placed a hold preventing Cynthia from renewing her Oklahoma driver’s license.

“Ms. Garrett, you have failed to pay a $10 ticket we issued in 1991.”

“But I last drove in Arizona in 1989.” Cynthia said.

“I’ll check on that for you.” the representative said, and then placed Cynthia on hold for ten minutes after which the call was disconnected.

“Did I time travel to 1991 Arizona?” Cynthia wondered while redialing.

"Hello," Nigel said staring at his double.
Looking at the time machine he was about to test, he guessed it worked.
The other blushed. "I wasn't expecting there to be another me' when I came back."
Suddenly another version of Nigel appeared with a crazed look on his face. "This must end! No more!" With that he pulled the pin out of the grenade...

Oops totally missed the 100 word thing...

I was going to say this hits a bit to close to home in its realism...However, it hits to close to work...I spend my life on the phone waiting on hold and on computers. I often tell those I talk to, that I am a professional computer waiter.

Thanks for participating in the Drabble challenge...very complete and well told story in the required 100 words.

I would jump to the conclusion, that you are simply a victim of DMV bureaucracy, or even identity thievery...but in opposite of Occam's Razor...Sure you were time traveling...but if that was the case why did you stay in the time line where you got a ticket...I suppose you can't blame yourself if 88 miles per hour is required for time travel.

All and all awesome Drabble Michael and Cynthia...(who gets real credit, or was this a team effort?)

Also, was this written while being on hold?

Timothy wrote: "Oops totally missed the 100 word thing..."

Its ok Timothy...interesting story...Can you turn it into a drabble and maintain what you wish to convey?

Lincoln wrote: "I was going to say this hits a bit to close to home in its realism...However, it hits to close to work...I spend my life on the phone waiting on hold and on computers. I often tell those I talk to..."

YES! Lincoln, yes, it was written while I was on hold, again. And yes, it was just typical DMV red tape. They claim it was for not having attended a class after receiving two tickets in one year, and it just took them until 1991 to assess the charge. Of course, they couldn't tell me when I got the tickets, or what for. But I do remember getting a couple of tickets during the 4 years I lived in AZ. So, I paid.

Or, they clocked me before I reached 88 miles per hour since it only cost $10, perhaps it was while I was sliding into 1991. Wonder what I went back for?

"Hello," Nigel said staring at his double.
Looking at the time machine he was about to test, the original Nigel guessed it worked.
The other Nigel blushed. "I wasn't expecting there to be another me when I came back."
"Must be the alternative universe theory of time travel that applies then."
Suddenly, another Nigel appeared with a crazed look on his face. "This must end! No more!" With that he pulled the pin out of the grenade...
"Stop!" shouted the other two Nigels.
"Sorry. This is the only way to save the world!," cried the manic Nigel. The grenade exploded.

Thanks for taking the Drabble challenge Timothy...good job taking your original idea and turning it into a true Drabble. I suppose we don't contemplate the consequences of time travel, especially when you remove the linear aspects of reality. That went bad very quickly.

DUBER TIME

He must’ve passed the doorway a hundred times on his way to work. The sign read “Duber Time.” Below was noted, “This isn’t a watch store.” He’d never seen anyone enter or leave. Today I’m going to try it, he thought, reaching for the handle. Mirrored glass reflected his image back to him, determination on his face. A bell jingled as he opened the door and saw the most astounding world inside. Smiling, he stepped forward and onto cement sidewalk. He turned to look at the door. He must’ve passed the doorway a hundred times on his way to work…

Nice Nathan!!

A Time loop trap?

This was a fun one to write because this is an actual place in my town. I have always wanted to write something about it. It's near a restaurant where I frequently eat lunch. The door is always locked and I've never seen anyone go in or out. I love to guess what goes on in there. It's been 'open' for years. The sign and note are true to life. If you smush your face up against the mirrored glass you can see some people at computers. I'm sure there is a logical explanation to the place, (they would have to have a cover story) but I am convinced it's something time travel related.

look at that...using reality...guess no explanation on the name Duber time? Well written. Computer game studio...They are using computers to edit movies in production...they obviously don't need customers...or at least not in this time line.

Nathan, great story, and I think you're on to something. An Internet search reveals that Duber Time is owned by a man who also has companies that deal in, and/or finance, fine art. Duber appears to be a wholesaler of fine watches such as Ball (railroad time) and Marvin. Perhaps he travels back in time to find hidden art and these high end rare watches are the means by which he travels.
Or, perhaps he is just a nice businessman whose customers are spread around the world and he doesn't need a store front.

Didn't realize the Drabble challenge would generate an augmented reality game as well...What else is happening here...in fiction...but also in non-fiction. I love it!!

Drabbles in time travel do lend themselves to addressing alternative realities and paradoxes. Hard to do much more in 100 words.

I was rereading my entry, quadruple checking for typos, and after reading it continuously a couple of times, end to beginning, while imagining the character looping through the process, I realized that maybe he does step through the doorway into an astounding world (our world) each time, but keeps wondering what's elsewhere, so he doesn't ever appreciate it. Hence his immortal looping of stepping through doors. It hadn't occurred to me when I wrote it, but maybe that is what the story could be about. One interpretation anyway. I feel like I just accidentally psychoanalyzed myself.

Did another version of him step through the doorway the other way at the same time? Maybe with a beard for easy differentiation.

Maybe a mix of both Nathan and Timothy's Drabble...Have himself both entering and exiting at the same time...bumping heads...

I am glad a fun little writing exercise is generating good discussion. Perhaps a single drabble will inspire you to write a full length story.

Yes, some good ones here.

Do you know about Indie-Book-Bargains? It's a British website which will send you bargain books each day and it also includes a drabble. Anyone can send in their drabble and it might be included.

Most seem to feature ones with a punch line at the end.

Anna wrote: "Yes, some good ones here.

Do you know about Indie-Book-Bargains? It's a British website which will send you bargain books each day and it also includes a drabble. Anyone can send in their drabble ..."

No I have never heard of the site, but yeah it might be fun to see if we can make it into the drabble big leagues.

Anna wrote: "Yes, some good ones here.

Do you know about Indie-Book-Bargains? It's a British website which will send you bargain books each day and it also includes a drabble. Anyone can send in their drabble ..."

Here is today's drabble from there:

The Bag Lady

by Kath Middleton

She wandered around the town centre all day and spent the nights in a doorway, wrapped in her thick old coat, insulated with newspapers. She always clutched a plastic shopping bag, never putting it down or letting it out of her sight. Her husband had disappeared years ago and she'd been evicted for defaulting on the rent. Now she was just another tramp with no home and no income other than the small change she could beg. She was barely hanging on to life and a harsh winter finished her off. In her bag they found her husband's mummified head.

Anna,

You are right about those punch lines...I read this and I felt sorry for a homeless lady...and then I read the last line WHAT?!

Without A Whimper

They’d finally broken in, prying the door open with a crowbar they’d found in an outbuilding. The ladder led straight down into the abandoned silo for what seemed like years. Jeb dropped his flashlight on Skeeter’s head.

“Ow. What’d you do that for, ya big galoot?” yelped Skeeter.

“I was eatin’ a Twinkie. Ya want some?”

“How could you be eatin’ now? We’ve gotta hurry if we’re gonna get any good footage before security arrives. Ah. Here’s the bottom finally.”

Jeb pointed his dented flashlight at a dusty panel and started filming. “Hmm … I wonder what this button doe...”

Are Jeb and Skeeter contenders for the Darwin award? I feel like this silo might be less than abandoned...

My guess #1: Jeb and Skeeter are now riding a missile straight up into the sky, where it will take a sharp turn to the east and drop somewhere it should not.

Guess #2: Jeb and Skeeter, now zombies like the creatures they released, are lurching along at the front of the horde on it's way into town.

Anyone read the "Wool" series? people live in underground silos and the surface is radiated...I like to think they open the door to an entire population living below and showing them it is safe now to return to the surface...

I liked the Wool series. Good tie in, Lincoln.

Oh, Lincoln. You're way too kind. I like to think Jeb & Skeeter started World War III.