Mudslinging

I got third in a writer’s contest! I get a $25 gift certificate and to sit with the author at our writer’s lunch. Free lunch! Whoo hoo! The rules of the contest were….you had to invent your own fad, it could be no more than 250 words, and you had to incorporate the following words: bellwether, flip and serendipity. Here’s the final result….

Susan met John at the door wearing donkey ears. “Welcome to the bellwether of political events!” She said.

“Thanks but remind me why I’m here? I like to keep my political views private.”

Susan rolled her eyes. “We’re in the wireless age, Honey. Nothing’s private.”

They walked into a gutted office building. Professionals stood in workout gear,
drinking beer and conversing. It looked like a typical gathering except for one odd fashion accessory. Everyone wore elephant or donkey ears.

A whistle blew and the referee called out. “Okay, grab your mud balls and go to your assigned sides. We’ll start slinging in two minutes.”

Susan rummaged through the mud balls. Each ball had a tag naming different political
issues; economy, Iraq, global warming. She took out oil dependence and juggled it
between her hands. “Are you going to take a side?” She asked John.

“I’m independent. Can I take you all on?”

The whistle rang. Susan turned with a flip of her donkey ears and hurled a mud ball
labeled Health Care.

“Hey Susan!” An elephant eared man called out and lobbed a gooey orb.

“What? Oh, ouch! I’ve been struck by Foreign Policy.” She wiped the sticky mud across her forehead and sat down by John.

“Physical political mud slinging?” he asked.

“We all have political angst. We have to get our aggression out somehow. It’s dirty but good fun.” She picked up a ball. “Ah, sweet serendipity; this is a good one, lipstick. I’ll be back”