This week’s prompt for FF comes from An Elephant Can’t. After last week’s fairly literal take, I’ve gone right off the deep end this time – kudos and gratitude to Rochelle for continuing to challenge me every week. If you’ve got time, do head over to her blog and take a look at the other stories linked there.
In the meantime, enjoy mine…
No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems
She’d always dreamed about it: knee deep in the sea; pina coladas on the rocks and absolutely nowhere to be. The songs of escape tempting her regularly on her daily commute.
In the end, it had been so easy. Leave the car – with the keys in – on a busy street. Leave the apartment door open. The only really tough bit had been parting with her housemate, Alfie, but he’d find somebody else’s window box to nest in soon enough.
When the money ran out she’d have to decide what to do, but until then she’d gone coastal on them all.
***
If you’d like to share some of the music from Jess’ daily commute, have a look here, here, here and here. If you don’t like country music, don’t click on those links!
elmowrites 
How tempting this sounds Jen. You captured that ‘getting away’ moment beautifully. One phrase kept niggling at me though I’ve no alternative to offer… ‘leave the car with keys in on a busy street’. It was the ‘in on a’. Nice story though.
Hmm… I take your point, Sandra, but reordering doesn’t work. Maybe just a comma would help – “keys in, on a busy street”?
Wouldn’t we all like to do that sometimes. I’ve never heard the phrase ‘gone coastal’ before. Lovely laid-back story.
I suspect it was made up by Kenny Chesney, or whoever writes his songs – see one of the links for the song – but I love it.
What a great fantasy. I’ve had it many times myself.
I love term “going coastal”.
Oh yeah! That would be awesome Jen 🙂 I’ve often thought about it, but then I think of my eight grandchildren and how much we’d miss each other.
Wonderful take on the prompt!
I liked this idea of change as if it outweighed all other considerations. The notion that it is important for you to do.
I too sometimes wish I could do something like this. Lovely tone!
Don’t we all, Gabriella, but it’s hard if you’re leaving anyone behind.
Apart from a pigeon, that is!
Great. A wish well told.
Dear Jen,
I’d be lying if I said this thought has never crossed my mind. Of course this water-baby would love to “go coastal”. Nice one no matter where it came from. Again, applause for stepping outside the box…in this case…diving. Not sure how you arrived at this story from the prompt, but that really doesn’t matter as I’m often asked the same question. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
I always love it when you explain so I’ll reciprocate. The bike gave me a feeling that its owner was never coming back. At first, I thought maybe a murder mystery or a disappearance at least. Then I saw the bar behind and I thought, what if its owner had chosen to disappear? After that, I started doing a conversation between her and the barman at the beach bar, but it wasn’t working for me, so I switched it up. Then she ended up with a car not a bike and the tenuous link was well and truly severed!
But I’m glad you liked my little slice of dreams. I nearly put “Genre: Fantasy” after the title, but I thought that might confuse some people!
It all made perfect sense to me. A writer after my own heart. Well done.
I’ve nearly gone coastal three times this month. If only I were ten years younger, darling.
Going coastal is much better than going postal, that’s for sure, and kudos to her for making the move. A story to awake yearnings in many of us (especially those facing selling a house and moving!)
janet
“to awaken” And I think a comma might help or maybe two…”the car, with keys in, on…”.
Going coastal — a new phrase for me. And it’s such a nice thought!
I would love to go coastal. This was great.
Coastal sounds so much less bloody than its close cousin.
Reminds me how of how desperately ready I am for a vacation. Fine story there, Jen.
A change of environment every now and then is always refreshing. A drastic change of lifestyle is another thing altogether. To this I say, “You go girl!”
Ahhh, some day…
Love the freedom in your story – and the Alfie nesting in someone else’s window box – all the little details seen to – going coastal looks very inviting.
AH, not so far out there…good one.
Scott
Mine: http://kindredspirit23.wordpress.com/2013/07/18/5078/
Gone coastal. I like that. Sometimes you just have to take a sabbatical. Great work.
Great story. Everyone’s dream from time to time. Struggled with the lonl until I read further up.
lonl?
What freedom – guess a winter is not in her plans.
I want to go coastal!! Loved it.
The first paragraph reminded me of the Pina Colada song, I think it was called “The Escape”? It would take a lot of courage to make that leap, but who among us hasn’t had that dream? A great Flash, Jenn.
I know the one, Russell. I imagine that was playing on Jess’ radio occasionally too. I had so many songs for this, the ones I linked are just a snippet!
Sweet! And in this lovely weather I’m sure a lot of us feel like joining her. Lovely, carefee tale.
Well written, as always!