Photo courtesy of Lora Mitchell
Happy New Year to all Friday Fictioneers. Hope it’s a good one!
This Year, Next Year…
(Genre: Humour, I hope) 😦
Jackie had procrastinated for ever; and now it must be done, before it was too late.
The building was well away from the fireworks display, though the noise of the revellers rang clearly across the frosty night air. Entrance was quickly and quietly gained, and the door locked.
Silk slid silently across skin, feverish fingers fumbled.
Finally, the moment had arrived and it felt so right.
And then…the lock on the door jammed.
Jackie flopped despondently onto the toilet seat and sighed, listening to the crowds counting down to 2013.
He wouldn’t be coming out this year either, he realised.
castelsarrasin 
For a second there, I thought you’d mistaken erotica for humor, but yes, humor it is!
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So glad you thought so! 🙂 Thank you.
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P.S. Thank you for not naming your character Pat! 😉
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I considered several names for the misdirection, but Pat didn’t occur to me 🙂
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Yes, you got humor and your last line is perfect!
In your first sentence, I think you want “forever”, instead of “for ever” (and another word gained, although that’s not the purpose.)
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Thanks for commenting Janet. Glad you liked it.
Re ‘forever’ and ‘for ever’: I’m a Brit – that’s the way we do it – for ever 😉 If you google it there are endless justifications for either form, but in the US, Canada and NZ I understand the strongly preferred form is ‘forever’. These differences are always interesting to investigate and reflect upon.
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Thanks for letting me know. This is one of the more obscure difference of which i wasn’t aware. I learn something new every day.
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The funny thing is that we do (or at least I do) draw a distinction between the two. I’d say ‘he lived for ever’ but I’d also say ‘he was forever hitting me’. I suppose in the second one I’m using the form as an adverb.
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I think it was Winston Churchill [though it might have been Mark Twain?!?!] who said that the U.S. and England were two countries separated by a common language.
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You should have realized when she spelled humorwrong, Janet.
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🙂 🙂
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Sandra,
I think I am a little confused with this one…..
Tom
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Well maybe it lost a little in being pared down to 100 words Tom. He’s a secret cross-dresser (or as we would say a ‘closet’ cross dresser (get it?:)) who’s been yearning for years to ‘come out’ openly. He goes to the fairground NY Eve, changes into his female clothes in the toilet, ready to go public, but then gets locked in and can’t ‘come out’. Sorry it didn’t work for you. 😦
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Sandra,
I wasn’t sure if I should wear the red shoes or the silver ones….
Tom
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Frankly, I’ve always felt silver is so over-stated. 😉
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But it’s the New Year! I’m still confused!
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I was holding on to see how it would end. It was perfect. Yes I did chuckle. Very good.
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Thank you! Glad it made you laugh.
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It sure did.
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I had to read this three times to get it. [I think I got it.]
Funny.
Cheers!
JzB
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Dear Sandra,
I hate it when that happens. Hope Jackie gets a pardon and is released from his malodorous prison soon. Meanwhile I’m laughing.
shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks Rochelle.
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I chuckled to. Poor guy who knows how long he was going to be stuck in the bathroom.
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Glad it made you chuckle. Thank for commenting.
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Oh poor thing! It was good humor Sandra. Wish you and your locked up muse a very happy new year! 🙂
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Thank you! and the same to you. 🙂
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Yes, humor wins. What a place to be stuck for the new year!
Scott
Mine: http://kindredspirit23.wordpress.com/2013/01/02/friday-fictioneers-historical-fiction/
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Thanks Scott. Happy New Year!
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I’m with Tom on this one, Sandra. I think he is a guy ready to come out as gay and missed the moment. ??? Or was he going to be Baby New Year?
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Hi Ted, explanation above on Tom Poet’s post. It must be Brit humour, right? 😉 Thanks for dropping by.
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“Come out, come out, wherever you are …”
Funny story, Sandra, thank you!
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Thanks Perry, Happy NY.
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Dear Sandra,
Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. Smooth, perfectly written and funny to boot (not the trunk type boot…). I love your British spelling and sensibilities. You never put a foot wrong in all your varied and wonderful stories. Great way to start the new year.
Aloha,
Doug
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Thank you Doug. I’m flattered – I was a bit nervous about this one. 😉
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Very clever how you get away without any personal pronouns until the very end. Loved it.
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Yes that was quite difficult Claire, and I think with that, and trying to remain within the word count, I may have lost some of the sense of it. But it was an interesting exercise. Thank you.
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i adore alliteration. 🙂
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I don’t use it that often, but it seemed right for this piece. Thanks for dropping by.
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Lol…i sure hope he can come out
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This year, next year… Thanks for dropping by Boomiebol.
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I needed a little humor. Poor man should just come out. Besides no one ever knows who we truly are, but God . I believe you put a smile on many faces.
Happy New Year Sandra.
Shenine
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Thank you. Happy New Year to you too.
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Hi Sandra
What aliteration in the line, “Silk slid silently . . . ” though is Jackie is a he and he’s wearing silk knickers, I have to wonder if it’s the closet he’s in! Ron
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🙂 Thanks for dropping by Ron. 🙂
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hahaha, yes, I could see it all as it happened. thanks for the smile. Poor guy.
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Thank you train-whistle. Happy New Year!
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Yes, I found it humorous, Sandra. I guess it’s just not meant to be for the guy. Those darn locks!
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Maybe he should reconsider? Thanks for commenting Amy.
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That’s a fun take. Hehe.. Poor soul, that wouldn’t be the way anyone would like to ring in the New Year. But so amazingly told. 🙂
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Thank you. Liked yours too. Happy New Year.
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Well, I got it on the first read, but then, my parents were British. Poor chap–all dressed up and stuck in the loo! Very Monty Pythonish, and, yes, very humourous. Good job.
Here’s mine: http://unexpectedpaths.com/indulgences/
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I think you may have been in the minority Maggie. I tested it on my OH and he’s not usually one to get on board with literal subtleties but he understood it immediately. But then he knows me… 🙂 Thanks for dropping by.
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Happy new year, Sandra! I’ll admit I found this one a bit challenging to interpret – I ended up with the idea that he’d just been desperate for the loo, holding on so as not to miss anything, and then stuck in there missing the fireworks. The only thing this version didn’t fit was the word “either” in the last line.
Still, I loved the misdirect of the erotica moment, and the description you used was very evocative too. Mine is slightly different and yet remarkably similar this week. Obviously something about being British!
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Enjoyed yours Jennifer. And thanks for taking the trouble to try to interpret it.
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Enjoyably quirky and vague, taking a little time to figure out, like a fun puzzle. I hope he finds his way clear soon!
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Hope so too Erin. Happy New Year!
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Over here they use porta-potties (little plastic toliets) at outdoor events and large parties. I was seeing him stuck inside one of those. It could have been worse. I’ve heard of people turning them over with someone locked inside. Great humour, Sandra. It made me laugh.
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Thanks for dropping by Roger, glad it made you laugh. 🙂
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Oh dear, another year in the (water) closet, how frustrating. I admit I had to read this twice before the lightbulb moment. Nonetheless, as erinleary said above, a quirky read that made me smile. Really felt for him and alter ego Jackie, hope they get to come out soon. A fun take on the prompt.
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Thanks Emma, glad you persevered. 🙂
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Maybe another year won’t hurt to stay in his or her little closet. Maybe it will give him/her time to rethink or reflect on his/her true self. It is never too late to make a change. 🙂
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Maybe you’re right Joyce. 🙂 Thank you for commenting.
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Well done Sandra, and made perfect sense to me. I was expecting something funny, but not that. Perhaps he’ll find another suitable occasion before next New Year.
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Thanks Anne. So relieved I can add another ‘understander’ to the list – restored my confidence a little. 😉
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that’s happened to them before? oh no. they have to learn by now, stay away from locks on NYE. well done. humor, yes.
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Thank you for commenting rich.
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Definitely counts as humour. Well done.
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A bit late reading and commenting as I’m crook, Sandra 😀 Very funny story – made me laugh. Poor Jack/Jackie!
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Haha yes, poor Jackie.
I enjoyed your post.
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