Write a Twist (Writing Night)

Prompt: Write a story backwards that contains a plot twist

No Cameras

Two people sitting next to each other accidentally bump their forearms, and it’s sticky. Now this, but times 30. The bus’s air conditioning has broken, and outside is a hot summer rain that fogs up the windows. People fan themselves and repeatedly glance at their watches with disappointment that more time hasn’t passed. A 6yo and an 8yo are draped over one another, learning the virtues of stillness and patience. This is not the summer vacation moment anyone hoped for. The tour guide gets up to announce arriving shortly, and that cameras are absolutely and strictly prohibited. The kids wipe the windows with their hands and peer out to see an open field with neat rows of figures. The 8yo squints and her attention is drawn in by one in particular. It’s bent over, as if getting up from the ground. The guide explains this is a memorial of statues honoring fallen soldiers. The bus halts at a stop sign. The 8 yo lifts her camera and finds the figure through the viewfinder. Shocked, she gasps and drops the camera. Once out of sight of the lens, the figure stops lifting its head.

Every month my writing group convenes for 90 minutes. 30 mins of shooting the breeze, 30 mins of creative writing, and 30 minutes of sharing. This is the result.