“They say our origins dictate our path in life, our fate,” Henry says. He looks at the homeless tent city around them. “The son of a teacher and a CPA, upright churchgoers, shouldn’t end up without an old-age pot to piss in, wouldn’t you think?”
Jane laughs ruefully. “I was conceived on a hot summer night, in the blaze of forbidden teenage passion, in the backseat of a ‘64 Mercury Comet,” she tells him. “Shouldn’t that make for a charmed life?”
Henry tops her wine cup, his grin brilliant. “Maybe, maybe not. I’d love to have that car, though.”
Every week at the Ranch, Charli Mills hosts the Rough Writers and Friends flash fiction challenge. This week’s prompt: “In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about a comet. You can consider how it features into a story, influences a character, or creates a mood. Go where the prompt leads.”
I’ve always thought Mercury was the coolest name for a car make, being the Roman god of travel, and I had one that I drove literally to pieces. I was a bit sad when Mercury discontinued not too long ago. And the whole time I was writing this and looking for pictures, I was hearing the Steve Miller Band’s “Mercury Blues.” (Can someone tell me why this video has a Mazda ad in front of it? That’s just wrong.)
99 Monkeys 
Yes, the Mazda ad just shows how out of touch cars have become! Great flash, Deborah. Perhaps the Mercury Comet was not the best omen for Jane’s future. Or perhaps the best is yet to come. Whichever, let’s pour another glass of wine and crank up the tunes!
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That’s never a bad idea. 🙂
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Mercury comet appears to be preferred by authors. Nice take.
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Thanks!
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