COLLECTED DRABBLES

2017 – 2026

by JoAnn Baca

Posted on BBTV for Vincent’s birthday 2017

Snow was falling on the balcony, so Vincent and Catherine hadn’t lingered there. They were ensconced cozily within her apartment, a cheery fire casting flickering light. Slices of birthday cake lay on plates beside them.

Catherine snuggled close and asked, “Did you have a nice day?”

“Mmmmm…yes. But my night has been better.” He kissed the top of her head as he hugged her tighter.

She laid her head on his shoulder. “I wish I could’ve taken you….”

“Out? No. This is nicer. Being here, inside, with you. Only one thing would make it better….”

His lips found hers.

Posted on BBTV for Vincent’s birthday 2020 – A Story in Four Drabbles

“Shhhh…they’re sleeping.” Jamie tiptoed out of Vincent’s chamber backwards, effectively pushing Mouse out behind her.

“But…” he started, the word barely out of his mouth before he earned another shush.

“Move!” she hissed, dragging him away from the entryway bodily.

When they reached a fork in the corridor, he shook free of her grasp.  “His birthday,” he mumbled crossly. “Always first to say ‘happy.’”

Jamie tilted her head knowingly. “Yeah, well, I think he got his birthday greeting already…from Catherine. And his birthday present!”

“Huh?”

“I’ll explain later.” Grinning, she linked arms with him and guided him away.

***

The breakfast dishes were already cleared by the time Vincent and Catherine ambled into the Dining Chamber. Neither of them noticed that everyone was still in their seats, waiting. The shout of “Happy birthday, Vincent!” startled them both, and they looked around in shock, realizing they were the center of attention.

William brought a large sheet cake in. “Just the one candle these days,” he said. “You’re getting too old for more!”

“What did Catherine give you for your birthday?” Samantha asked as the sound of good wishes died away.

Everyone said they had never seen Vincent blush so red.

***

Father waited as Vincent considered his next move on the chess board.

“You seemed a bit distracted this morning when your birthday cake was served.”

Father’s lips twitched with humor as Vincent stiffened, his fingers hovering over a pawn.

“I didn’t mean to keep everyone waiting,” Vincent mumbled, moving his hand away from the board.

“Didn’t you…sleep well?” Father couldn’t control the smile that blossomed at Vincent’s obvious discomfort.

Vincent made a choking sound and a hasty move with his queen.

Father’s heart leapt as he surveyed the board – was it true? “Checkmate!” he crowed, finally winning a game.

***

Was your birthday afternoon fun?” Catherine murmured, nuzzling his ear beneath the fall of his long mane.

Vincent shivered with delight and desire as he fought to form words, anticipating what was to come. “Barely,” he admitted. “Father…beat me at chess.”

Catherine smiled as she trailed kisses across his throat. Vincent groaned hoarsely. “Oh! I hadn’t thought of the repercussions.”

“Repercussions?” His voice was strangled.  He tried to focus on talking, a losing battle.

“What us…being together…might do to you.”

“If it means sometimes losing at chess…I can accept that. Aaahhhh…”

And then they abandoned conversation.

Posted for CABB-NC’s April 12, 2024 ANNIVERSARY GIFTS Drabble Challenge

Prompt: Vincent, Dr. Wong’s shop, an anniversary gift

OLD FRIENDS

Dr. Wong turned the “Open” sign around and locked his shop door.

“Is Father out of his tea?” he asked Vincent, who was in the back of the store.

“No.” He handed the older man a note. “I’ve come with an invitation.”

After reading it, Dr. Wong looked up with tears in his eyes. “A dinner…to honor me?”

“You were the very first Helper, saving strangers from hunger that day. Saving the community to come. We owe you much.”

“It’s unnecessary,” Dr. Wong demurred.

“It’s an anniversary gift to ourselves, as well – the day we met our oldest friend.”

Prompt: Catherine, Mouse’s chamber, an anniversary gift

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

Catherine saw the perfect gift for Vincent – an intricately inlaid portable writing desk – in the window of an antiques store as she rushed to a luncheon. But when she returned afterwards to buy it, it was gone.

Later, Below, she mentioned to Mary she was still looking for something special for Vincent, with their anniversary only days away.

Mouse waylaid her as she was leaving. He’d obviously eavesdropped. “Perfect gift! Promise!” Mouse’s expression was confident.

She followed him with desperate hope.

Amid the chaos of half-built mechanical “somethings” stood the antique writing desk.

Grateful, she didn’t ask.

He didn’t tell.

Prompt: A Classic character, a location Above or Below, an anniversary gift

CHANGES

“Grab your coat. I’m takin’ you to lunch, Radcliffe. Happy anniversary!”

She obeyed with a confused smile. “Anniversary?”

Shoving the office door open, he grinned. “You came on board three years ago today!”

“Oh!” She grimaced as he pushed the elevator button. “Joe, maybe we shouldn’t go.”

“Why not?”

She sighed. “I was planning to tell you later. I’m quitting.”

“What? Why?!”

She could say nothing about Vincent, their plans. “Uhhh…reasons.”

“‘Reasons’?”

“You’re not one of them!” She hesitated, then added, “A private practice has been my dream.”

He studied her, assessing. “Gotta follow your dreams. Let’s eat anyway!”

Posted on BBTV for the September airing anniversary 2020

“Wake up, sleepyhead.”

His eyelids fluttered open. The night still held fast, only one flickering candle pushing back the darkness.

“I know, it’s early. But…it’s ‘today’!”

He smiled. His unusual lips curved upwards more easily these days.

Warm arms wrapped around him, and eagerly he returned the embrace.

“Happy anniversary!”

Her lips found his. A deep kiss followed, thrilling him to his core. They lingered within it, savoring each other, the moment, the memories.

How long had it been since that golden evening? It didn’t matter. They had each other, and all was right with the world.

Always and forever.

Posted on BBTV for Halloween 2020

“My goodness!” The old woman stared at one particular carved pumpkin, her eyes beginning to mist over with tears.

“What is it?” her grandson asked, alarmed by his grandmother’s sudden tug on his arm, halting their progress through the Pumpkin Walk.

“That pumpkin.” She pointed, her arthritic finger curved at the knuckles but aiming true.

He looked in the direction she indicated, his eyes scanning the carved faces until his gaze settled on what had caught his grandmother’s attention.

Smiling with understanding, he nodded. “All your stories. That world Below. Sort of like a dream?”

She shook her head. “Better.”

Posted for WFOL 2021 daily drabble challenges

Prompt: Joe, Catherine’s umbrella, a concrete chessboard table in Central Park

“Here.” Catherine handed Joe her umbrella. “If you’re going outside, at least be prepared. They’re calling for rain.”

He pointed to the window. “It’s sunny out.” Joe waved her offer away.

He thought about his stubbornness as he hunched into his jacket when raindrops started to fall.

Isaac was waiting at one of the concrete chess boards in Central Park for their usual Friday game. “You look like a drowned rat,” he observed as Joe arrived.

“I’ll take black,” Joe said grumpily, resigned to getting soaked.

“Fine.”

Without another word, Isaac leaned over so his large umbrella covered them both.

Prompt: Edie, a manila envelope, Catherine’s apartment

The knock on her door was insistent. “It’s Edie! I know you’re home! Where else would you be?!”

Bleary-eyed, Catherine roused herself. Her apartment was in disarray, the flu having temporarily knocked all desire for neatness out of her. She stumbled to the door, mumbling, “Hold on.”

Edie surveyed the apartment. “What a mess!” She tossed the manila envelope Joe had insisted she bring onto a couch. No way the sick woman should bother with it.

“Let’s get you back to bed.”

An hour later, the apartment was neatened.

“What’s this?”

Edie had brought her a bowl. “Good soup.”

Prompt: Devin, Father’s fedora, the Crystal Cavern

“Lookit what I found!” Devin perched the dusty old fedora he’d unearthed from Father’s armoire atop his head. The hat was way too big for him, and it slid comically down below his ears.

“Silly!” Vincent’s lisp made the word sound even funnier, and Devin crowed with laughter.

“Can’t wear it now,” Vincent reminded him. “Old Pascal’s taking a group to the Crystal Cavern. I wanna go. Can’t if you get us in trouble.”

“Okay.” Devin drew out the first syllable, grumpy now. Slipping into Father’s chamber, he put the hat back, where it accumulated two more decades of dust.

Prompt: Kristopher, Vincent’s toy carousel, the ice-skating rink in Central Park

The snow had been falling all day, turning every sharp edge into a soft mound of white. Now, in the wee hours of the morning, streetlights glinting off the snow turned the city into a soft-focus fairyland. Vincent and Catherine stood under the shelter of the tunnel entrance.

“It was a good plan, but the Park’s skating rink and carousel are under a foot of white stuff.”

Vincent nuzzled Catherine’s temple. “New plan then. Come Below. My toy carousel can substitute for the real thing.”

What happened next Below was seen only by Kristopher’s painting, and it would never tell.

Prompt: Vincent, the scent of warm chocolate, the Whispering Bridge

“It’s amazing,” she murmured, transfixed by the voices floating down to the Whispering Bridge. “Can they hear us?”

“Who knows?” Vincent’s voice rumbled softly in her ear, sending shivers through her.

Suddenly, a shout filtered down. “That smells like hot chocolate! Hey, Ernie!”

They both smiled.

“Now I want some!”

Catherine nodded. “Me, too! Come with me.”

An hour later they were on her balcony, each nursing a mug of instant cocoa. She’d had no marshmallows to melt on top.

“I wonder if Ernie’s was better?” Catherine sighed. “This cocoa’s not the best.”

Eyes glittering, he replied, “The company is.”

Prompt: Vincent, a face mask, Above

Catherine slipped her face mask off as she and Joe exited the smoldering remains of a terrible crime scene. Attempting to lighten the mood, she said, “Whew! I’m glad I don’t have to wear this all day!”

“I hear ya, Radcliffe!” he replied, then grew pensive. “Now you see what we’re up against in this case, right?”

She nodded, determined. “Right.”

Later, she fell gratefully into Vincent’s embrace. After telling him of the horrors she’d seen Above, she sighed. “Here Below, it seems like a bad dream.”

“Each world has its nightmares, Catherine. And its beauties. Remember that.”

“I’ll try.”

Prompt: Narcissa, candle, Great Hall

They descended the windy stairs to the Great Hall, Catherine carrying her Winterfest candle in one hand with her other wrapped firmly around Vincent’s bicep. Gusts blew her words into the void, but Vincent’s keen hearing captured them.

“I wonder, after last year, if Narcissa will attend.”

“She’s always welcome,” he replied, “but rarely comes. If she stays away, we’ll visit her to be sure she’s all right, if you wish.”

Catherine sighed. “Yes, please.”

In her chamber, Narcissa heard their exchange in her mystical waters. She smiled. “Such loving children.” She picked up her candle and left for Winterfest.

Prompt: Arthur, teacup, Father’s library

A teacup crashed to the floor in the library. Father turned from the stacks at the sound. He saw the shattered remnants near the carpet, the spilled tea leaking into the fabric. It would leave a stain.

He glared at Mouse. “I don’t suppose you put that racoon in its cage before you came?”

Mouse bridled. “Arthur likes Father! Wanted to come!”

“He likes the cookies that accompany teatime, you mean,” the older man grumbled. “Come.”

Arthur chittered at Father’s approach, greedily grabbing the cookie he held out. “Sometimes you act just like a racoon,” Father murmured, petting Arthur’s head.

Prompt: Arthur, beach ball, bathing chamber

No one would admit to bringing the enormous beach ball into the Tunnels. William grumbled that the kids were being reckless, tossing it around until glasses were knocked over in the Dining Chamber. Mary was unhappy that the children weren’t soaping up properly in the Bathing Chamber due to their focus on keeping the beach ball aloft. Father’s class was disrupted when it sailed into the Library, provoking instant mayhem, little hands scrambling to poke it around.

Then Arthur scurried in. Intrigued, he took one swipe and his sharp claws punctured it. Deflate-gate.

“Thank you, Arthur,” Father murmured in relief.

Written for the Cleveland Virtual Con 2021

Prompt: Catherine just discovered Joe’s guilty pleasure.

PRINTER PROBLEMS

The office printer was out of paper, as usual. When Catherine filled it, it printed a page that had been in the queue. She glanced at it.

His mouth descended upon hers, their kiss sending fireworks coursing through them both.

Somebody in the office was writing erotica!

Catherine took the page to Joe’s office, intending to laugh with him over it. He was searching frantically through papers, consternation on his face.

The light dawned.

“Missing something?” She waved the page.

He blushed purple.

Catherine handed it to him and left.

It was nice to have a little leverage…for someday!

Prompt: Pascal has a secret ambition he’s never confessed to anyone.

SECRETS

Renting the karaoke machine for the party was an inspired idea, Catherine thought. Even the most off-key singing was met with great applause. The evening was long over now. After some “alone time,” she and Vincent returned to the Great Hall to retrieve the machine. As they approached, they heard a marvelous tenor singing “Danny Boy.” Peeking inside, they saw…Pascal!

Why hadn’t he sung when others were around?

The song cut off mid-word, their presence sensed.

He’d disappeared before they entered.

“A secret passion?”

He shrugged. “Then we must keep his secret.”

“As we keep ours?”

He touched her stomach, where new life grew, smiling. “Yes.”

Prompt: Jenny has another one of her dreams.

JENNY’S DREAMS

Lunch was pleasant. Then Jenny dropped a bomb.

“Cath, you’ve got to tell me. Do you know someone on the run from the law?”

Catherine set her fork down. Carefully, she asked, “What?”

Jenny sighed. “Someone in the Weather Underground? Domestic terrorists from the 1970s, still in hiding?”

Laughing, relieved, Catherine replied, “What? No! Why?”

“My dreams. I think my subconscious is being too literal with an actual underground community, but you are there!”

Forcing a smile, Catherine said, “Weird. But no, no domestic terrorists are my friends!”

“OK. But if you ever go underground, tell me!”

Catherine just smiled.

Prompt: Vincent is tearing his chamber apart looking for something.

SEARCH AND YOU SHALL FIND

Catherine was astonished. Vincent’s chamber, normally so neat, was a shambles.

“Have I come at a bad time?”

Vincent looked up from tearing through a drawer in his wardrobe. “Samantha hid her gift for Father’s birthday here while visiting her grandmother Above. She asked me to wrap it for tonight’s party but neglected to tell me its location.”

Soon Catherine, too, was scouring the chamber.

“Found it!” She held a clay pencil holder aloft.

“You are a lifesaver.” Vincent hugged her.

One thing led to another…

They barely made it to the party, flushed, smiling guiltily. But…present in hand.

Prompt: Dr. Wong has a problem in his shop.

WHAT MATTERS MOST

It had been weeks.

Renovation work in Catherine’s basement and Vincent’s responsibilities Below conspired to make meeting impossible. The plan to meet at Dr. Wong’s shop was an act of desperation: a few minutes of closeness before much more time apart. When they finally embraced, hesitation melted away. Lips caressed and pressed to cheeks, to eyelids, to mouths…

The shop door opened to admit a customer. Dr. Wong smiled in greeting. A special blend of rare herbs was requested.

They were in the storeroom.

Right beside Vincent and Catherine.

Dr. Wong hesitated, thought, then apologized. “I’ll get them in tomorrow!”

Posted for WFOL 2022 daily drabble challenges

Prompt: Catherine, fountain pen, Bethesda Fountain in Central Park

Catherine picked up a little paper bag lying on the ground. Opening it, she smiled. Finding a fountain pen beside Bethesda Fountain: talk about synchronicity!

There was no receipt, and the bag had no logo. How was she to return it to whomever dropped it? She looked around. No one was hurrying toward her. Perhaps she should regard this as a gift from Above?

Hah! Another synchronicity, as it would make a lovely addition to Vincent’s small collection. And who knows? Tonight he might have found it himself, walking alone through Central Park.

“Thank you,” she whispered to the universe.

Prompt: Vincent, balloon (or several balloons), Mirror Pool

Mouse had found a large package of balloons, and the children had spent Sunday morning blowing them up, filling the nursery with multi-colored “air bags” (Mouse’s term).

“Now we send them!”

Excited voices echoed Mouse’s declaration.

“Mirror Pool first. Then…everywhere!”

Vincent, bemused, was asked to help gather the balloons, catching the strays as they marched to their destination.

Geoffrey confided, “We put messages in each one. Be the change, or You can! Try! or Follow your heart.”

Released, the balloons followed the air shaft into Above, seeking anyone needing an encouraging word – or three, sent from the children Below.

Prompt: Paracelsus, Alka-Seltzer, Joe’s office

Joe plopped an Alka-Seltzer into a glass of water and guzzled it. What a night!

He was glad he’d returned to his office after the class reunion instead of going home. At least he was spared the headache of morning rush hour. The headache he had now was bad enough – that and the upset stomach he was clutching.

He growled when there was a knock on his door.

“Whoever it is, go away!”

Wow, Catherine thought. Grumpy as Paracelsus on a bad day. Aloud, she announced, “Court’s in half an hour. Shall I tell the judge to go away, too?!”

Prompt: Jamie, a ticket (of some kind), Brooklyn Bridge

Jamie was excited. The city had created a skate park under the Brooklyn Bridge. A place to do crooked grinds and kickflips with no cops to care, no chance of getting a ticket for skateboarding where she shouldn’t. Nirvana!

“Hey, Zach, heard about the Brooklyn Banks? Come on!”

For one afternoon, they weren’t Tunnel kids, they were just part of the Manhattan skateboarding community, challenging and cheering each other’s efforts.

“Man, that was great!” Zach didn’t mind the ripped jeans. He’d had fun.

“Sure was!” Jamie rubbed her bruised shoulder. She’d ache tomorrow. It was totally worth it.

“Next Saturday?”

Prompt: Samantha, homework assignment, Whispering Gallery

“Miss Jackson?”

The little girl looking up at her with such adoration touched Samantha’s heart. Ever since beginning to teach, she’d marveled at the way her young students seemed to put her on a pedestal. But then, hadn’t she done that with Vincent and Father, her own teachers?

“Can you ‘splain the homework assignment to me?” the girl asked.

“Of course! You just go to page four and…” Her explanation continued. Simple, direct, concise.

The rest of the conversation was lost to the winds swirling in the Whispering Gallery. Vincent turned, smiling. Sometimes the world compressed into a beautiful shape.

Prompt: Mouse, raspberry jam, the Great Falls

Alone with his contraband, Mouse was singing loudly, off-key. Luckily, he was crouched near the Great Falls with nobody to hear him.

“Raspberry jam, hey!” he warbled, sticky fingers in a stolen jar of William’s raspberry jam.

“Those aren’t the lyrics,” somebody said.

Mouse almost dropped the jar. Caught!

A man wearing a Mets baseball cap crouched beside him on the rocky outcropping.

“Prince’s lyric is ‘raspberry beret’ not ‘jam, hey’.”

Mouse shrugged. “Doesn’t fit then! You back? For good?”

“Nope. Just visiting. Have a special project.”

“Neat!”

“See you after?”

“OK good!”

Mouse waved goodbye to his old friend.

Prompt: William, book of poetry, Mirror Pool

Moonlight glittered, delighted with its reflection in the Mirror Pool. It spoke of beautiful, impossible things, things seemingly close but always just out of reach. You could look but couldn’t touch, like so much in life.

As he closed the covers of the book of poetry he held, William snorted. He was glad he was alone while in this state of mind. It made him sappy. He hated being sappy.

Still, the moonlight did look lovely, shimmering in the water in a way it couldn’t in the sky. Something those Below could appreciate. He surely could.

Hidden depths.

That’s us.

Prompt: Father, candy bar, Catherine’s apartment

Catherine locked the door to her apartment, dressed for Below. She’d taken only a few steps when she remembered the bag. Back inside she went. The paper bag sat on her couch, filled with the kind of chocolate bar Vincent loved. She grabbed it and headed back out.

Below, her first stop was Father’s library. Hiding the chocolate bars in places Vincent would find them meant in the library, too. She explained her plan.

Father waited until she left. He found one of the candy bars and cadged it. Got to pay the toll, he thought as he ate it.

Prompt: Rebecca, a letter, Central Park

Why this particular bench in Central Park? Long ago, some instinct had led Rebecca to this one, out of all those dotting the Park. It was a nice spot, at a crossroad of paths, near the theater, facing the statue of Romeo and Juliet. She didn’t feel so alone Above while sitting here.

The letter was tucked into a pocket of her tunic. Words she’d longed to read for decades. An uncle found. Family, at last. Well, a blood relation. But real family? That was the community Below.

She rose, tossed the letter into a trashcan, and returned to them.

For the Wichita Con 2022

During the annual B&B convention, held in Wichita in 2022, several fans contributed drabbles during a writing panel hosted by Angela McQuiston, Laura Goist, and me. A major influence for the drabbles was Carrie Newcomer’s “Gathering of Spirits,” which has become like a second theme song at our conventions. Here are my contributions:

LIFE’S A TWINKLING

“He left us too soon.” Mary wiped her tear-swollen eyes.

“Ninety is a ripe old age,” Pascal reminded her, mopping at his own tears.

Vincent nodded. “True, but…it’s always too soon when we love someone.”

Father’s bones were now entombed beside his beloved Margaret’s.

“I’m glad we finally became friends,” Catherine said, her voice trembling.

William rubbed his eyes. “We’ll remember the good times. There were tons of them.”

The Tunnel community slowly left the Catacombs. Silence descended on the graves of those who had gone before. But it wasn’t lonely. The spirits were gathered to welcome their newcomer.

LIGHT THROUGH COLORED GLASS

Candleflame flickered and fluttered, casting flaring light onto the stained- glass window in Vincent’s chamber. The glow threw colorful reflections across the chamber, highlighting furnishings with cheerful yellow tones, like rays of sunshine underground.

Vincent looked up from his journal, watching the play of light and shadow. A smile graced his unique lips. It was peaceful tonight in the Tunnels. No one needed his help. Father was occupied with a visit from Peter. Catherine was safe in Albany, attending a conference.

He was alone but not lonely, in the company of the shifting glory of the light from his window.

THE THINGS WE HOLD INSIDE

He’d held these feelings, this pain, inside his whole life. How could he reveal them, the deepest secrets he’d carried alone for years?

She came to him, arms held wide, her eyes shining with her love for him. She was open, accepting.

Sunlight to his shadows.

He took the leap. Down into the depths. He wrestled his demons into her light.

She wasn’t afraid. She didn’t hesitate. She embraced them fully, as she had always done with him.

The things he held inside were hers now, too.

They were fully a part of each other.

Light filled him at last.

WHEN WE ALL MEET AGAIN

Mouse brushed the last few crumbs from the floor of the Great Hall and out the doors with his broom, into the windy stairway. “All done!”

Jamie wiped her forehead. “Tables are covered, too.”

“Gotta do it all again next year,” Cullen remarked sarcastically, pushing the last stack of chairs into a corner.

“It’s always fun.” Jamie’s memories of Winterfest made her smile.

Cullen nodded. “And it seems like no time’s passed when it’s Winterfest again.”

“We pick up conversations, recall stories. We take up where we left off,” Vincent said. “We’re lucky to have such friendships, such gatherings. Blessed.”

Posted for WFOL 2023 daily drabble challenges

Prompt: Brigit, piece of jewelry, a bookstore in Manhattan

Smythe’s Bookstore was empty when the woman opened its door.

The shop owner looked up as she entered. “May I help you?”

“My friend Catherine told me about this place.” She smiled coyly. “I’m here to browse and possibly meet someone.”

“I see.” He eyed her with curiosity. “And who might that be?”

She leaned across the counter and whispered, “Is Kristopher nearby?”

“I’m not sure who you…” he began.

Suddenly, a voice within the stacks called out, “Your earrings are as green as your eyes, my dear Brigit.”

Mr. Smythe smiled. “Ah, well, it looks like you’re in luck!”

Prompt: Mary, a tote bag, the threshold of Catherine’s apartment building

“It’s right where her note said it would be!” Mary smiled at Rebecca, her escort to Catherine’s threshold. Mary rarely ventured out of the Home Tunnels anymore, and this part of the underground was unfamiliar to her.

As they returned home, Mary clutching the bulging tote bag to her chest, Rebecca didn’t ask the obvious question. It was Mary’s business. Yet she couldn’t help but speculate. A request filled? Mary never asked for anything. A gift sent? Not her birthday. What then?

Mary slipped into her chamber, leaving Rebecca none the wiser.

You want to know, too? Don’t be nosy!

Prompt: Jamie, an old photograph, Winterfest

Winterfest was over. Only a few Tunnel dwellers remained, drinking up the last of William’s ale before cleaning up.

Jamie, finally deemed old enough to partake, didn’t want to miss out. She was sipping her second mug, tired but happy, when her sharp eyes caught a glimpse of something on the floor of the Great Hall: a worn, wrinkled photograph.

Bending to pick it up, she was startled by a hand brushing hers away to grab it.

“Sorry.” William fumbled the photo into a pocket. “My sister.”

“Looked like a young Mary.”

William hesitated then nodded, finger to his lips.

Prompt: Vincent, a box of tissues, Father’s library

“What’s this?” Father gestured towards a cardboard box labeled Kleenex.

“Tissues,” Vincent replied, mystified at his father’s lack of recognition.

Grumpily, Father said, “I know what it is! What’s it doing Below? We use handkerchiefs here, everyone knows that!”

“A Helper donated a case. It seemed prudent to place a box here in your library. Youngsters with colds visit you. Perhaps these are more sanitary than a handkerchief,” he smiled, “or a sleeve.”

Father nodded. “Well, yes, I suppose. Then place a box…”

“In the hospital chamber? I have.”

“Excellent foresight. Should have thought of these myself.”

Luckily. Catherine had.

Prompt: Catherine, an old trunk, an empty chamber Below

Catherine pushed deeper into the unclaimed furniture chamber, stacked shoulder high with items waiting to be repaired or needed.

“Keep going,” Vincent said.

Past an armoire she found an empty side chamber. No, not empty. Holding her lantern high, Catherine approached the one piece of furniture in the space: a battered old trunk with steamer stickers all over it. It had traveled far and wide.

Vincent caught up. “What do you think?”

“It’s perfect! A coffee table with more than one purpose.”

“For our chamber.”

She turned to him, arms opening for an embrace. “For our own journey of discovery.”

Prompt: Olivia, a pair of shoes, the dining chamber

Catherine was drenched, her feet making squishing sounds with every step in her running shoes. The unexpected rainstorm had caught her halfway to the Central Park entrance, with nothing to do but run for it.

Vincent had given her a towel to dry her face and hair, but she still looked like a bedraggled puppy. Mary arrived with an outfit she could change into. Olivia delivered a pair of soft suede boots, and William came from the dining chamber with some hot tea.

“I’ve never felt so coddled! Thank you, everyone!”

Her face was wet again, with tears of gratitude.

Prompt: Joe, a wrapped sandwich, Catherine’s office desk

“Not another tuna on white!” Joe eyed the lunch cart with disdain.

“Not seeing what you want?” Catherine asked as she passed him, carrying a large sack.

“Tuna or tuna. Oh, and there’s tuna,” he grumbled, following her back to the office.

“So you’ve got nothing for lunch?”

He shrugged, despondent.

“Come with me.” They got to her desk and she opened the sack, pulling out a wrapped roast beef on rye. She handed it to him and watched his eyes light up.

“Love ya, Radcliffe!”

After he left, she pulled out her own wrapped sandwich. A tuna on white.

Prompt: Zach, a Halloween costume, a classroom chamber

“That’s for kids.” Zach sniffed, his newly minted teenage dignity precluding him from deigning to wear a costume for Halloween. He turned to a fresh page in his notebook as he sat in the classroom chamber awaiting Vincent’s arrival.

Samantha frowned. “For kids of all ages,” she snapped, stung by his rebuke of her request. She’d imagined his Robin Hood to her Maid Marian, and now he was being such a BOY about it. “You’d get to carry Jamie’s crossbow.” She wasn’t above a little bribery. Jamie would be OK with it, right?

Magic words.

Zach wavered.

Then gave in.

Prompt: Mouse, a box of crayons, Father’s study/library

“Now, where did these come from?” Father said aloud, eyeing the pristine carton of crayons on his desk. It was rare they got a brand new box of anything Below, let alone a full carton.

A voice responded, “Didn’t steal. Could have! Didn’t.” Mouse appeared from around a bookcase with an unopened box emblazoned “Crayola”.

Sighing, Father took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Where exactly did you…’find’ them?”

Catherine came around the same bookcase. “I found and took them.” She grinned. “Right off the shelf at Toys R Us. Straight to the checkout counter!”

CABB-NC’s September 25, 2023 Anniversary Drabble Challenge

Prompt: Mouse, an invitation, Greenwich Village

GET THE PARTY STARTED

“Found it. Going!” Mouse insisted.

Jamie tried to explain. “It wasn’t meant for you. You can’t just use somebody’s invitation to something.” She read the address. “It’s in Greenwich Village.”

“Close. Going.”

At a loss, Jamie suggested, “Let’s ask Vincent.”

But Mouse snatched the invitation and ran off. Sighing, she followed, hoping at least to help him get out of trouble.

***

“Welcome!” The smiling doorman ushered Mouse into the house.

Jamie, shocked, waited on the street.

Hours later, Mouse came out. “Only guest! Made birthday kid happy! He’s like me. Mom cried.”

How had he sensed it? Jamie hugged him.

Prompt: Catherine, sheet music, the Dining Chamber

THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGING

“Here you go.” Catherine deposited a box filled with sheet music onto a table in the Dining Chamber. “Every copy of the songs for The Sound of Music I could find.”

Rebecca clapped her hands. “This is wonderful! Mary will be thrilled!”

“It’s her first time directing a production. I have to support her however I can! Like the song says.”

Rebecca frowned, confused. “A Sound of Music song?”

“No, no!” Catherine recounted the lyrics to a hit recently on the radio. “‘Standing on their own two feet and ringing on their own bells. Sisters are doing it for themselves’!”

An R-rated drabble for this prompt is next

I LIKE THE SOUND OF YOUR SONG
by Jo Fredericks

The 2 a.m. chime echoed on the pipes. The Tunnel community slumbered.

Catherine gathered stray sheet music in the Dining Chamber, leftovers from the Christmas pageant. A swish of cloak behind her and the sound of boots on paving stones prepared her for his arms a moment later.

Head back, she received his kisses as his lips grazed her neck, his hands stroking her languidly. Quivering, she turned, sheet music fluttering to the ground. Kissing, teasing him, until he lifted her to a table and brought them both to ecstasy.

“Merry Christmas,” he murmured.

“You’re the perfect gift,” she whispered.

Prompt: William, a subway car, a Nathan’s hot dog cart

LOST IN THE WORLD

“Which subway car should I get on again?” The nervous tourist gazed up at the oddly dressed man in desperation.

William, the oddly dressed man, sighed. The tourist looked frazzled, hungry, lost and tired. His tour bus had left without him, his luggage on it.

William remembered what the scared and hungry part was like. He’d been there.

“I’ll take you to the DA’s Office. Lady there will help.”

He spied a Nathan’s hotdog cart. “But first – lunch.” He had enough to pay for a dog and a Coke for his charge. Didn’t really need mushrooms for tonight’s stew anyway…

Answering an informal challenge to write an R-rated drabble about a certain character

TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE
by Jo Fredericks

The 2 a.m. chime echoed on the pipes. The Tunnel community slumbered, but for one who entered stealthily.

He had missed supper. There’d be hell to pay, but he didn’t care. The Nathan’s hot dog cart provided sustenance enough, his stomach happy with two he’d bought before riding a nearly empty subway car en route home.

He trod toward his chamber, his thoughts on the woman he’d left in bed Above. She said she loved the feel of him, the weight of him, his deft hands arousing her. It thrilled him, how she moaned his name when she came: William.

Prompt: Samantha, a loud sound, Father’s Library

IT’S JUST ONE OF THOSE DAYS

The crash was unexpectedly shattering. Trying to slip one volume from a tottering pile of books in Father’s library, Samantha had caused the entirety to collapse, sending tomes scattering across a table set for his afternoon tea. Mug, pot, plate of cookies… it all went tumbling and sloshing to the carpet.

In the ensuing silence, she heard Father clear his throat.

Samantha was immobilized with fear. She oughtn’t to be here; she was overdue for kitchen duty.

“I was quite clumsy. Will you inform William for me?”

“Yes. Sorry!”

She heard him chuckle as she slipped away… book in hand.

An R-rated drabble for this prompt is next

SOMETHING IN THE AIR TONIGHT
by Jo Fredericks

The 2 a.m. chime echoed on the pipes. The Tunnel community slumbered but for a few who should have been abed.

Samantha, sleepy but determined, tiptoed into Father’s Library to “borrow” a certain manual Father had declared off limits to youngsters. She was sure she was old enough to read it.

She heard giggling and shushing. Hmmm…

Samantha approached the bookcase cautiously and plucked the manual off the shelf. Through the now open space, she glimpsed someone’s bare backside. She gasped, dropping the book, which elicited a scream from both her and someone else.

Samantha ran. Maybe Father was right!

Prompt: Devin, a lost wallet, the Brooklyn Bridge

A CHANGE IS GONNA COME

The dashing man with intriguing facial scars halted his practiced spiel. He turned to the tourists he was leading on a bike tour across the Brooklyn Bridge. “Lower Manhattan sparkles in this sunlight, doesn’t it?”

As the tourists stopped and pulled out cameras, Devin smiled. What had begun as a desperation business hustle had morphed into a great little tourism opportunity, a niche that others would undoubtedly exploit soon, but until something else came along, it’d do.

He looked down. A wallet.

“Reward if found.”

He caught the name: Joseph Maxwell.

DA’s Office? Hmmm…

Life was full of happy accidents.

Prompt: Father, a notebook, Chinatown

THE MEMORY OF LOVE WILL SEE YOU THROUGH

Lin closed the door of her grandfather’s store and turned the “Open” sign to “Closed.” She sighed heavily and bent her head, tears spattering her apron.

Behind her, the tap of a cane alerted her to Father’s presence.

“He was beloved throughout Chinatown,” Father reminded her, patting her shoulder. “He will be long remembered.” Father handed her a notebook. “He wanted you to have this.”

She paged through it, amazed, her grandfather’s handwriting recounting her life, describing her milestones, his pride in her, his dreams for her future. Clutching it close, she smiled.

Love, in its deepest and purest form.

Prompt: Vincent, a trinket box, the tunnel entrance in Central Park

I STILL HAVEN’T FOUND WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR

Something sparkly caught Vincent’s attention in the Central Park drainage tunnel. He brushed some autumn leaves away, exposing a trinket box, an engagement ring inside.

Somebody would be desperate to find it. How to get it back to its rightful owner?

Catherine …

* * *

“It hasn’t been lost long,” she said, smiling.

He nodded. “The metal is still shiny. Could you find the owner?”

Her smile widened. “It’s me! You see, Cullen wants to propose to Rebecca. I offered him Mom’s ring but dropped it somewhere.”

“Your heirloom?”

“Why not?” Her smile grew wicked. “Unless you have a better use for it?!”

Posted for WFOL 2024 daily drabble challenges

Prompt: Vincent, Central Park, snowstorm

The young man dreams. It’s always the same. He is crossing Central Park on a summer night when suddenly he is engulfed in a terrible snowstorm. In moments the Park is a glacial wasteland. He is nearly frozen, and far from the shelter of the Tunnels. Then a honey-haired woman appears. Opening her arms, she enfolds him within an embrace. The heat of her body banishes the cold. Her warmth suffuses him, rescuing him from a frigid, lonely death.

Vincent awakens, panting heavily. He rises, careful not to awaken his brother. What could the dream mean? Perhaps someday he’ll know.

Prompt: Father, the kitchen chamber, a complaint

“What’s this I hear, William?” Something about oatmeal again?” Father’s smile reduced the question to a joke. He had entered the kitchen chamber hoping to snag the first of the corn muffins the cook was making to have with stew for lunch.

“Opinions are like noses, everyone’s got one,” William grumbled.

Father nodded, muffin crumbs on his lips.

“I know who complained, too.”

“How do you know who it was?”

“Got my ways!” William chuckled. “Mouse loves to talk.”

“Well, forgive and forget,” Father suggested.

“Yeah, right! And just so you know,” William added, “Cullen’s getting oatmeal for lunch, too!”

Prompt: Joe, Catherine’s apartment, a gift

Catherine tied the bow and smiled. She was meeting Joe for a birthday lunch. Weekends were normally reserved for Vincent, but for Joe, she’d make this exception.

She slipped on her coat and left her apartment.

As she cabbed to the restaurant, she wondered if the gift was a good choice. Was it his taste? Well, who didn’t like Queen?!

“What’s this, Radcliffe? You taking a chance on music for me?”

She grinned. “I was ‘Under Pressure’.”

“Is that ‘Innuendo’?” He smirked. “Well, ‘I Want It All’!”

He opened the package. “Volume II. Thanks!”

“‘Friends Will Be Friends’, Joe!”

Prompt: Mary, the Pipe Chamber, a piece of clothing

Pascal visited Mary’s chamber during his work shift in the Pipe Chamber. He pulled something from inside his vest with two fingers and handed it to her.

“Don’t know when this got left, or by who,” he murmured, face red with embarrassment, “but I can’t look at it anymore.”

Mary’s eyebrows rose in shock. It was a bra. She said, “Thank you, I know whose it is.”

“Don’t tell me,” he mumbled, and fled.

Old Sam had overnight pipe duty and it was always quiet. Mary had visited last night. They’d had a lovely time. How had she forgotten this?!

Prompt: Rebecca, the Staten Island Ferry, a Winterfest candle

The Staten Island Ferry docked. Workers and tourists poured off. One among them was neither. Rebecca was last to debark, reluctance slowing her steps. She always saved this Winterfest candle delivery for herself, yet she didn’t look forward to it. Sighing, she hailed a cab, using precious funds to take her to the house she barely knew.

The woman had raised her Below, but had returned Above when Rebecca was young. A Helper now, but a stranger, too. She’d left for a new life, leaving Rebecca behind.

Rebecca’s gratitude for that abandonment was deep.

The door opened. “Your candle, Mom.”

Prompt: Kipper, Museum of Natural History, a pair of ice skates

The children’s trip to the Museum of Natural History had been arranged by Peter and Catherine. This way even the younger ones, who could not be allowed to go Above on their own or even in small groups yet, could enjoy the adventure. Kipper, as one of the eldest on the trip, took his job of keeping the children organized and not too boisterous very seriously. Catherine was impressed.

As they headed back Below, Catherine said, “We appreciate your help, Kipper. Might I offer you a reward?”

Hesitantly, he replied, “Ice skates?”

Come Winterfest, the skates appeared by his bedside.

Prompt: Pascal, the underground river, a bright light

The underground river. Vincent’s “nameless” place. Pascal blew out a breath and sat heavily on a rock outcropping, setting down his lantern, a bright light in this intense darkness. Finally here!

Working in the Pipe Chamber, some said he was “holed up” or “stuck” – although he never considered it a burden. As he always said, it was his legacy, a mantle he had gladly assumed. But this vacation, urged on him by Vincent and others, was nice, too.

This place was like another world.

No pipes.

Hmmm.

He squirmed.

He fidgeted.

He paced.

Finally, he gave up and left.

Nope!

Prompt: Catherine, Chamber of the Winds, a key

Vincent led Catherine forward, shoulders hunched against the heavy drafts which blew ceaselessly through the Chamber of the Winds. Why anyone would reside nearby was a wonder.

Suddenly, Narcissa materialized before them. “Children! Come, come.” She led them to her chamber.

Vincent set a basket down. “From William.”

Narcissa nodded. “And you brought Cat’rine. Welcome!” She smiled, her milky gaze fixed on Catherine’s face. “No need to ask. You wish a key? To unlock your future, no?”

Surprised, Catherine merely nodded. How had she known?

“The key is in your heart.” She tapped Catherine’s crystal. “Love opens the lock, child.”

Prompt: Jamie, Father’s library, a flower

“I don’t remember the title or author,” Jamie confessed to Father. “But there’s a flower on the cover. Can you help me find it?”

Sighing, Father closed his eyes, mentally reviewing the library’s contents. At least once a week, someone came in with a similar request.

“I remember the cover is blue.”

“The title is in fancy green letters on the spine.”

Now Jamie had added to the catalogue of queries with floral imagery.

A memory surfaced. Taking a chance, he led her to a shelf and pointed. “Isabel Allende’s Of Love and Shadows?”

“Yes!”

He watched her leave, smiling.

Posted for CABB-NC’s “On New Years Eve” 2024

“Know what’s resolutions?” Mouse asked Vincent.

“It’s a decision to do something, or not to do something. For instance, some resolve to stop swearing.” He thought about Winslow making that resolution every year…and needing to…every year.

“What’s yours?”

“I haven’t made one.”

“Should.” Mouse nodded firmly.

Intrigued, Vincent asked, “What do you suggest?”

“Marry Catherine.”

Vincent’s eyebrows rose. “You think I should?”

“Everyone does. Mouse asked.”

“Who’s ‘everyone’?”

“Not Father. But everyone else Below. Helpers, too!”

Catherine arrived. She smiled, seeing them together. “Do you know about his ‘resolution’ survey?!”

“I do.”

“I do, too.”

So, they did!

***

The clock sounded the countdown:
Bong…

She grasped his hand as they walked into his chamber.
Bong…

He turned to her, a question in his eyes.
Bong…

Her eyes held pleading.
Bong…

His widened in surprise.
Bong…

She tugged at his vest.
Bong…

He bent at her urging.
Bong…

She lifted her face to his.
Bong…

His mind reeled with doubts.
Bong…

She stood on tiptoe, so close he felt her breath.
Bong…

His indecision warred with restraint.
Bong…

Her lips parted with a silent plea.
Bong.

His lips took hers hungrily, ceding his old inhibitions to the old year.

***

High above the city streets, a couple wrapped in a voluminous black cloak stood at the parapet of a balcony.

She sighed. “What a lovely last night of December.” Then a thought dampened her mood. I forgot the mistletoe! So much for my big plan.

He felt her emotions, guessing the reason behind them, and murmured, “Imagine the magic a new year brings.”

Suddenly, the city erupted. The sounds of honking horns and voices shouting “Happy New Year!” rose to them.

In celebration, a tawny golden mane bent toward destiny. Lips quivered…then touched at the last stroke of midnight.

Posted on BBTV for Vincent’s birthday 2025

“Wake up!” Catherine’s gentle tone wasn’t necessary. They both knew he was awake, only enjoying the warmth of their cozy bed…and her beside him.

“No,” he murmured, cuddling closer to her, his fingers straying down her shoulder to her hip.

She smiled. “They are all waiting for you. If you don’t get up now, they will come in here. Who knows what they might see then!”

He chuckled. “As usual, you are practical…and right. And, as usual, we have tonight, when everyone is asleep, to have our own celebration.”

“It’s a promise,” she whispered. “Happiest of birthdays, Vincent!”

Posted for CABB-NC’s Multi Media Challenge for WFOL 2025

Prompt 1 – Winslow, main Pipe Chamber, a newspaper clipping

MEMENTO

A newspaper clipping, folded, soft with age, fell out of Pascal’s pocket when he reached for a high pipe.

Winslow caught it as it fluttered through the main pipe chamber. “What’s this?” He began to unfold it.

“Gimme!” Pascal lunged for it, startling Winslow.

“OK, take it! Sheesh!”

Embarrassed, Pascal stared down at it as he explained. “My Mom’s obituary. Only thing I have of her. After the fire, Dad came Below. I was three. Devin found this years later in Father’s files.”

“You don’t need the clipping,” his friend said gently. “Got her here.” He tapped on Pascal’s chest.

Prompt 2 – Mary, a concert by the children’s choir, a photo

HEAVENLY VOICES

The voices of the children’s choir filled the Library, the concert for Mary’s birthday nearly over.

She felt in her pocket for a tattered photo, kept with her always. Her child. Gone now these thirty years. A child who would have been as old as Vincent now, if only….

Noticing her tears, Catherine leaned over. “The music is beautiful, isn’t it?”

Nodding, Mary focused on it again. “Heavenly.”

“But the voices call to mind another child?”  She squeezed Mary’s hand.

“The grief strikes me fresh sometimes, when I hear youthful voices.”

“You always do!”

“Yes. But it’s a sweet pain.”

Prompt 3 – Eric, a bathing pool, a canvas bag

THE ACCOMPLICE

“Whatcha got there?”

Eric froze, canvas bag in hand. It was much too bulky to hide behind his slim frame. “Swimming gear,” he said, trying to brazen out the situation, taking his promise of secrecy seriously

Cullen frowned at the obvious lie but let it go. “Well, be safe.”

Nodding, Eric fled down the corridor, heading to the nearby bathing pool. He encountered no one else, and quickly emptied the bag, creating the tableau as instructed.

Minutes later, Vincent entered with Catherine. Candles lit, rose petals strewn. It was perfect.

Last chore: Eric set the unlit lantern by the entrance.

Prompt 4 – Vincent and Cather, her balcony, a sealed letter

BROTHERS TAKING CARE OF BROTHERS – PART 1

Catherine handed a heavy envelope to Vincent as soon as he arrived on her balcony. “Devin’s sent you something.”

“How unusual.” Vincent could count on one hand the number of times his brother had written to him. After slicing the envelope open with one sharp nail, he pulled a folded sheet from it, leaving the rest of its contents inside.

Heard you’re finally planning that trip to Connecticut! About time! Be safe!

“That warranted a letter?” Catherine asked, perplexed.

Vincent shook out the rest of the contents. They both stared and then began to laugh.

A dozen condoms fell out.

Prompt 5 – Edie, Central Park, a mask

YOU NEVER KNOW WHO IS WATCHING

Dangling her cat mask in one hand, Edie strolled down the Ramble, noting other Halloween revelers filling the benches and meandering down the wide path. The party had been wonderful, but loud and crowded, and she sought the gentle breezes and open air of Central Park before heading home.

Her gaze settled on one particular couple at the edge of the shrubbery. Was that Cathy? She angled toward her friend, then stopped, seeing she was with someone. A very tall, very well built someone – wearing a cat mask that put hers to shame. They disappeared from sight.

She had questions. Tomorrow.

Prompt 6 – Devin, the carousel, a key

BROTHERS TAKING CARE OF BROTHERS – PART 2

It feels like a spy movie, Devin thought. A midnight meeting at the Central Park carousel with a shadowy figure.

A hand reached out for an envelope full of cash, trading it for an elaborate key. The figure attached to the hand melted back into the darkness. Devin clutched the key, moving quickly, silently, to the Tunnels.

Entering Vincent’s chamber, Devin laid the key and a note on his pillow. Then he slipped away, completely unnoticed.

“Devin left a Christmas gift,” Vincent advised Catherine. “A custodial key for the New York Public Library.”

She shook her head, smiling. “Your brother!”

Posted for WFOL 2025 daily drabble challenges

Prompt: Joe, his office, a phone message

Joe slammed the door to his office. He dumped his briefcase. Grabbing his darts, he started flinging them at the dartboard. A tentative knock halted a throw.

“What?!”

Rita poked her head in warily. She waved a phone message slip at him.

He grabbed it.

She didn’t wait for a “thank you”.

Cathy called. Back at work tomorrow.

His ill humor evaporated. He dialed her number.

“Married your mystery man, I hear, huh? Honeymoon’s over and you’re mine again tomorrow, 9 to 5? Good.”

He hung up. Smiling now, he called, “Rita! Bring two dozen doughnuts in tomorrow, would ya?”

Prompt: William, Winterfest, a hat

He’d never been comfortable wearing a hat. His head was large. Hats usually didn’t fit well. But today William was wearing not only a slightly scuffed cowboy hat (found in the trash of a costume shop), but jeans, boots, and a fringed cowboy shirt. He felt like a rodeo clown. But a Helper had an emergency: the cowboy hired for his child’s birthday party had fallen ill. So here he was.

Setting the hat more firmly on his head, he rang the doorbell. Anything to get the money to buy more barrels for his Winterfest brew.

The door opened.

“Howdy!”

Prompt: Catherine, Father’s library, a list

She unfolded the list. Her heart sank. It’ll take hours to pull these from the stacks. She gazed at the shelves in dismay and mumbled, “Separate chores to keep us apart, Father?”

Samantha and Geoffrey appeared from the next aisle. “Need help?”

Embarrassed at being caught complaining, Catherine said, “I didn’t know anyone else was here!”

They both blushed.

Samantha shrugged. “It’s quiet…and usually empty.”

Geoffrey, anxious for it to be quiet and empty again soon, grabbed the list. “We’ll help”!

Quickly done, Catherine left the young couple to their “quiet time” together. “Quiet time” with Vincent coming up!

Prompt: Devin, Vincent’s chamber, a coin

The only light in Vincent’s chamber was cast by his brazier.

He sat alone, brooding. Many things had gone awry recently. His life was in turmoil. He needed… He didn’t know what he needed.

A nickel rolled in from the gloom, coming to rest against one booted foot.

“Don’t have a penny. That’ll have to do,” said a familiar, cherished voice.

Vincent’s heart lifted as he turned his head to catch sight of his unexpected visitor.

Devin strolled in. “What did I always used to say when you got like this?”

Vincent smiled, already feeling better. “You’d say, ‘Tell me’.”

Prompt: Vincent, the Great Falls, a broken lock

“Darn it!” She’d worried the rusty lock on the strongbox she’d found in her father’s basement until it came apart suddenly, scraping her thumb. She mock-pouted when all they found inside was the extra key to the lock.

“Come, I know what will cheer you up.” He took her by the hand and led her through familiar passageways until they came to their cozy retreat near the Falls.

Catherine snuggled into the pillows. Lying beside her, he took her injured hand and placed it on his belt buckle. “Here’s a lock you can undo. I promise you’ll like what’s inside.”

Prompt: Jamie, the children’s chambers, a piece of jewelry

“Sammie, may I visit?” Jamie always made a formal request, respectful of everyone’s privacy, even if a person lived in the children’s chamber.

“Sure!” Samantha’s idol, here to see her? The tough, strong, cooler than cool Tunnel archer?

Jamie entered, in her hand a small item. “Thought you’d like to have this.”

It was Jamie’s archery pin, won at some event Uptop. Her treasured keepsake.

Samantha was thunderstruck. “Really?”

“You deserve it. You’re working so hard in archery class. You’re gonna be better than me soon!”

Samantha accepted it reverently.

Memories…

Samantha, the Tunnel archer, contemplated the pin’s next recipient.

Prompt: Laura, her apartment, a journal

The third-floor walk-up was all they could afford, but to Laura it was a tiny slice of heaven.

Jerry had left early for his shift, and she didn’t have to be at the bookstore for a couple of hours.

Quiet time.

She took her mug of tea to the table by the window. Her journal was open, her fountain pen uncapped. She stared at the blank page. No words came to her. Her fingers seemed tongue-tied, unable to express themselves on paper the way they could to Jerry, to Vincent. Ah, well.

She sat and sipped her tea, content.

Prompt: Cullen, his workshop, a cupcake

Geoffrey was hiding inside when the Tunnel carpenter entered his workshop.

“’Sup, Geoff?” Cullen retrieved the dresser drawer he’d been fixing when he’d knocked off for lunch. “Playin’ hide and seek?”

The youngster put a finger to his lips. In a loud whisper, he said, “Eric’s after the last cupcake.”

“And this results in you under my workbench…why?”

Geoffrey dug into his pocket and pulled out a handful of chocolate crumbs that might have once been a cupcake. “Hiding it.”

Chuckling, Cullen scraped the mess off Geoffrey’s hand with a cloth. “You’re safe. Shoo!”

Hmmm. Crumbs were still cupcake.

Prompt: Mary, the Chamber of the Winds, a map

It makes him feel free, standing in the Chamber of the Winds. His hair wild in the gusts. His cloak flapping, snapping, tugged and twisted by the gale.

He looks down at the map, struggling to hold it flat, the currents flowing against it. It’s useless.

Guided by Mary’s memory, related in secret, her tears flowing, her breathing labored, he moves through the force pushing him backwards toward one particular corridor. The wind dies away inside.

This is it.

There. A cairn.

Her lost child beneath.

Her last wish.

He tucks a packet of her ashes within it.

Together again.

Posted on BBTV for Valentine’s Day 2025

CANDLES OF LOVE

Valentine’s evening was winding down. The children were asleep. Couples had retired for private celebrations. Some of the older Tunnelfolk nodded to each other. It was time.

They assembled at the Mirror Pool, each clutching a heart-shaped paper boat. Rebecca handed out candles designed for the purpose, and matches. The boats were filled, candles lit.

Soon the water was alight with flickering candleglow as the boats floated in the still waters. Memories and tears flooded out as those gathered recalled lost loves.

Voices whispered names. “For Margaret.” “Martin.” “Ellie.” “Austin.”

“So many lost,” Father murmured.

“So many loved,” affirmed Vincent.

Posted for WFOL 2026 daily drabble challenges

Prompt: Olivia, Father’s desk, a box

Dust tickled Olivia’s nose. Clearing off the stacks of papers and random books to get to the actual top of Father’s desk was a ritual that never failed to irritate her. How the man could create such a jumble between weekly cleanings was astonishing. This time she was armed with secret weapons, courtesy of Catherine. She set them on the empty, polished surface: an in box, an out box, and a book return box. Let him mess things up now!

The next time she came to dust, the boxes were stacked on the floor, the desk as jumbled as ever.

Prompt: Vincent, Catherine’s apartment, a colander

Catherine harvested basil from her balcony herb containers, started from seeds from a community garden as thanks for fixing a landlord problem. Elliot was unsurprisingly deferential now whenever she brought up an issue in a place he owned.

Vincent arrived, careful to avoid the containers. “I’m returning your colander. William appreciated the thyme.”

“I’ll send it right back, filled with this basil.” She transferred the bounty and he replaced the colander in his carry bag.

“You hardly ever cook. Why grow so many herbs?”

She smiled. “Because Father can’t complain about me sending things down if I don’t buy them!”

Prompt: Laura, the Great Falls, a bracelet

The object in the shallows of the Falls caught Laura’s eye. She lifted it from the water, puzzled. A gold bracelet, intricately designed, obviously old.

She handed it to Vincent, then signed, “Whose? Do you know?”

His fingers flew as he replied, “No idea. But we find many odd things Below. The old ship, did you hear about it?”

She nodded, asked, “Maybe a Helper’s?”

He shook his head, smiling. “It’s yours now.”

Eyes sparkling, she signed, “I could sell it?”

“If you wish. You have a need?”

She shyly revealed her news. “Things for the baby, Jerry’s and mine.”

Prompt: Catherine, Narcissa’s chamber, a letter

The way was winding, windy. Catherine bent into the gale. She was steeped in questions for the mysterious Narcissa – why a letter for her had come to Catherine’s address chief among them.

Looming in front of her so suddenly she wondered how it was possible, the object of her search grasped her arm.

“Come, child.”

In two steps she was inside Narcissa’s chamber.

A cup of tea was exchanged for the letter. She waited for the old woman to explain. But Narcissa only smiled.

“All is well.”

Catherine nodded, resigned to not knowing. “Shall I mail a reply for you?”

Prompt: Father, the dining chamber, a large crystal

Catherine was assisting William with spring cleaning. She decided to tackle shelves way in the back of the storage area.

“Don’t bother, it’s mostly junk,” William said.

“Junk still needs dusting!”

In a dark corner she found something remarkable – a pewter goblet studded with large crystals. Intrigued, she showed it to William.

He was surprised. “Never seen it before!”

Later, in the Dining Chamber, Father found the goblet, filled with his favorite wine, sitting at his place at the table: a regal gift for the Tunnel patriarch.

He admired it, then sipped from it.

William and Catherine shared a smile.

Prompt: Jamie, the Abyss, a scarf

Everyone avoided the Abyss. The thought of it frightened the children. Most adults felt vaguely uneasy just passing it.

Not Jamie.

It drew her. It offered a kind of permanent banishment that appealed to her rigid sense of right and wrong, which was harsher than anyone Below suspected. Maybe it was because she had endured so much in her short life before finding this refuge. From men who had abused her, tormented her. It made her smile to think of them falling in, screaming, beyond all help.

She tucked her scarf more firmly into her jacket and moved on, planning.

Prompt: Devin, Central Park, a feather

Devin had something from his circus days: a cavalier hat in brown suede with a jaunty feather that curved down and around from cap to chin. Charles had liked it, so Devin had kept it.

“Whatever are you doing with that?” Father asked suspiciously, with only a hint of curiosity thrown in to try to soften the interrogation.

The Old Man never changes, thought Devin.

“Vincent’s a Musketeer this Halloween. It’s for him. Catherine’s planned a picnic in Central Park, a carriage ride, the works.”

“Hmmmm. He’ll look quite dashing in it. I approve.”

Father rather enjoyed Devin’s shocked face.

Prompt: Paracelsus, the carousel, a flower

Paracelsus stepped back and admired his handiwork. Vincent’s favorite carousel horse, the one he’d stood by and admired when Devin and Father reconciled, now bore Paracelsus’ carved sigil: a bleeding rose. The next time Vincent visited the carousel, he’d see it and know who’d defaced it.

In fact, Paracelsus was making it a priority to disfigure every place that was special to his Child. He had already painted the cement wall beside the iron ladder with blood. Not his, of course. And the tunnel inside the Central Park entrance.

Unseen, Mouse had trailed behind him, washing, sanding, erasing his marks.

Prompt: Mouse, main branch of the New York Public Library, a deck of cards

“Well, my young man, you have beaten me yet again.” Mr. Smythe shook his head ruefully as he put the deck of cards back into a drawer.

“OK good!” Mouse grinned. It wasn’t often he could beat anyone at card games. But he bested Mr. Smythe a lot.

“Ready to receive your winnings?”

Mouse nodded vigorously. Father would be pleased. Books for Below! Earned, not taken!

Mr. Smythe consulted Catherine’s list of needs. He kept a close eye on discards from the main New York Public Library. A friend there gave him first pick.

He selected three.

“Here you are!”

Two drabbles posted on BBTV in April 2026 during a discussion about Catherine’s cooking skills (or lack thereof)

Vincent stared at the food placed before him. “I wasn’t aware you could cook.”

“Rumors to the contrary are exaggerated,” Catherine replied, a distinct huff to her tone.

“Devin mentioned an unfortunate pasta dinner.”

She narrowed her eyes. “He was supposed to watch the pasta and drain it before it got too soft. I’m not responsible for his lack of attention.”

He cut and speared a slice of steak. Gingerly, he lifted the fork to his mouth.

He nearly groaned.

It was delicious.

As were the scrumptious mashed potatoes. the delightfully dressed salad.

Vincent: Member of the Clean Plate Club.

***

“So…my dinner passed muster?” Catherine smiled, returning his empty plates to the kitchen.

He blushed a deep crimson. “I’ll inform Devin he’s wrong about your skills in the kitchen.”

She brought out bowls of something creamy and dark. “Room for dessert?”

His sensitive nose identified the aroma. “Chocolate?”

She handed him a spoon. “Mousse. Homemade.”

With a satisfied smile, she watched his eyes roll as he ate. He licked his spoon clean.

“Have mine, too.”

He did.

“I took your dessert.” He didn’t look apologetic.

Smiling, she murmured, “No, love. You’re my dessert.”

He kissed her…then…

“Mmm…delicious…”