This was my first freewrite on Hive. I went over the 5 minutes a little because otherwise, it was not much of a story. I think I wish it were a 10 or 15 minute freewrite, but I did my best to contain myself. Ha ha.
This is fiction. Mostly. The prompt I chose (there was a choice!) was positive development. Please feel free to comment, and, since I am new to Hive, please point out if I have inadvertently done anything insane.
Positive development is a step in the right direction. That is what I always believed. After all, it is positive and development. Those are both great things.
The Dog Ate My Corn Flakes
Imagine my surprise when the positive development that occurred was that Matthew ate my corn flakes. Okay. So how is that positive? Well, first off, you need to know how much I despise corn flakes and how much I adore Matthew.
Photo by JJ Shev on Unsplash
Matthew is a large St. Bernard. I got him when he was a puppy, and I really did not think it through. Does he fit in my home? Yes. But only barely. I mean, he fits, but we don't really both fit at the same time. That is why I leave the patio door open. And that's how Matthew ended up running out through the door.
Matthew's Great Adventure. My Panic.
You'll forgive me if I did not see it coming. He is quite lazy and it is so rare that he actually, you know, moves. At all. I am lucky if I can drag half of him over the threshold so that I can comfortably put my feet up in the living room while I watch television.
He ran out the door. I spent the afternoon chasing after him, yelling, "Matthew! Please, come back!!!"
But it was no use. It turns out that dog can run when he puts his doggy mind to it. I think it is only fair to tell you that I am not in good physical condition. Although I ran as fast as I could, soon, I could not see my dog.
Perspiration is Next to Godliness?
I began to panic. However, I needed a rest. I doubled over and started breathing heavily. If someone were to walk by, they might see me, a sweaty, middle aged lady, huffing and puffing, and they might think I was about to die.
"Miss, are you alright?" A male voice. An Australian accent. I looked up. Deep blue eyes. Handsome face. Rugged good looks. Embarrassing. Bad timing.
"I was just out-- my dog," I panted.
"Is this your dog, Miss?" asked Blue Eyes. That's when I noticed Bad Matthew next to him. I was so relieved!
Delighted to Have Bad Dog Back!
"Doggo!" I cried and bent down to hug him and then cringed as he washed my face with his large, slobbery tongue. I thanked Blue Eyes and took Matthew home, regretting that this encounter with a beautiful stranger had to end so abruptly.
Imagine my surprise the next day when Matthew ate my corn flakes. Well, that was not surprising. He eats everything. Why do I even buy corn flakes when I hate them so? Cheap and healthy? Are they even healthy though?
Why Would I Buy Cereal I Despise? Self-hatred Might be a Viable Explanation.
Since Matthew ate it all, I had to go to the store to get more of the hated cereal. It's hard to explain.
At the store, whom did I meet up with again? Mr. Blue Eyes. "I neglected to ask you for your telephone number yesterday," he said. "You know, if you wouldn't mind my calling you."
Calling me? The handsome stranger wanted to call me? Okay, this definitely was a positive development.
Does Matthew Have Powers Beyond My Comprehension? Perhaps.
I started to suspect that Matthew had planned this whole encounter from the moment he first ran out the patio door. How could he have known, though? And, eating the corn flakes?
It's spooky. I have a date with Blue Eyes for Saturday. Maybe I should find out his name before then. I'll bet Matthew knows!