Flash 500 - Day 1: Joe Joe Jump

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This is part of a thirty-day writing challenge. I'm calling it Flash 500. Each day there are two writing prompts for a one-page story, 500 words or less. And here we go!

Flash 500 Day1 – Prompts:

Beginning

Person in a wheelchair

Joe Joe Jump

Luke struggled to reach the box of Joe Joes on the shelf above him, his fingers stretching forward so hard they trembled, only to fall short only a centimeter or two away. Growling in frustration he banged the lower cabinet way too hard with the side of his fist, which made everyone in the kitchen jump.

“Here, let me help you with that,” his mom said as she jumped up from the table.

“No, I can do this, dammit. Just leave me alone!” 

Luke’s mom stepped back and sat down as she gave him “the look.”  He knew what that meant. Her feelings were hurt, and he'd have to find a way to make up for it later. Nobody else at the table said a word as they awkwardly poked at the remains of their dinner. 

Way to go, jerk. Luke sighed. Being in a wheelchair sucked. And not being able to reach a stupid box of cookies was only the beginning of the suckiness. And making the people around him miserable was even worse!  

Luke hated feeling weak, and he missed his legs. He missed being active and physical. Football, track, baseball. You name a sport and he’d tried it. And he was really good at most of them . . . but not anymore.  Not ever again. Stupid, stupid drunk driver!

Chest constricting with frustration, pain, anger, and a host of other emotions, he gave the cabinet another good whallop. The response from the dining table wasn’t as dramatic, but he did earn himself another version of the look from his mom.

It looks like all I still have left of any use are my arms . . .  

In a moment of inspiration Luke used his arms to launch his body upward, and flung his hand towards the box of Joe Joes. He saw everyone at the table move upward as gravity took hold and his body reversed course.

His legs didn’t register the jolt as his body crashed back downwards, but his back shoulders and head sure did!

Slamming into the wheelchair arms, and then the foot rests, hurt like hell, but it felt good too, in a strange sort of way. Feeling an odd sense of success and power Luke lay on the floor surrounded by family members in various stages of shock and horror, laughing in between bites of Joe Joe. He knew he’d be okay now. It was a good beginning.