"So, there I am, standing in front of the mirror, going about my business... I must have just taken a shower. I shave, I comb my hair, apply deodorant, and I brush my teeth. Then I can't find the floss. I dig through the medicine cabinet and finally I locate a giant, absolutely oversived container of dental floss. At this point, I'm in such a hurry to finish and get to work that I try to use this stuff. I pull out a piece and I swear its the size of my pinkey, but I still try! I wrap it around my wrist like some kind of rope and I jam it in my mouth and try to fit it eetween my teeth. At this point, my gums are bleeding, the teers are flowing, but I just keep going. It's like I'm compelled by the dream. I can't not try to do this, I know it's going to hurt, I know it's not going to work, but I push on. I make the effort. And man, what a failure."
"What do you think it all means, doc?
"I think you should probably find a psychiatrist, I'm just a dentist. Now open up."
He lifts what would be a comically oversized scalpal if not for the razor sharp glint and moves towards me. My arms are restrained, and I really, really hope I wake up soon.
Today's freewrite is a little different from other free writes I've done. Once I finished it, I headed over to @miniature-tiger's #fiftywords stories for today with a theme of dreams and nightmares to get a two for one deal.
I worked on it further, fixing mistakes and absolutely gutting it so it would also work for that. The result was... Interesting! If you're curious, check out my fifty word story version of this.
I highly encourage everyone to go try to do a fifty word story. It's a lot of fun, and I think it was a great exercise to use my free write like this.
As an aside, I find it interesting that I typed "oversived" instead of "oversized"...
Here are some of my other free writes:
- 5 Mintue Freewrite - Prompt: ducks
- 5 Minute Freewrite - Prompt: callous
- 5 Minute Freewrite - Prompt: feet soft as fog
- 5 Minute Freewrite - Prompt: Flash
The original post with today's prompt from @mariannewest is here.
"Artwork" is my own.
...Like going to the dentist isn't bad enough...😱 What a creative idea with a weird prompt. I'd want to wake up too!
Normally there's a quick word association, but the two together got me nothing. So I separated them and the association of floss to dental floss and tears to pain formed, and then I started the timer... then this monstrosity came out.
Edit: Also, just FYI, I keep going back and reading your Ducks freewrite... I can't get enough of it... I even resteemed it just so it would be easier to find.
I feel like I've read this somewhere before! I think it's scarier in the shorter version.
I'm standing in for Marianne today on the linking - freewrite 82:
https://steemit.com/freewrite/@mariannewest/day-82-5-minute-freewrite-prompt-stetson
Yeah, having the extra time combined with the need to shorten it really distilled it down into the essentials. Then it was so bite sized that when you read it, the ride is quicker and you're just dropped into the nightmare. The longer version builds up to it a bit more, which to me feels like it gives you more room to avoid the uncomfortable parts.
Also, thanks! For the comment, the link, and for helping out with the freewrite stuff. I certainly would if I had more time, but such is life.
Wake up!! Wake up!! It's all good. Dentists are nice guys and gals lol