Show Notes
[00:00:00] What's up everyone and welcome to episode 69 of the Promptly Written podcast where every
[00:00:24] month we usually take a writing prompt provided by you, write stories based on it, and then
[00:00:29] break them down for you.
[00:00:31] My name is Ian Lewis and once again I'm flying solo, Promptly Written, still on hiatus, and
[00:00:36] my usual co-host Matt is taking a much needed break.
[00:00:39] However, today I'm back with some short fiction based on an unused prompt from a past poll.
[00:00:45] For this episode, the prompt I chose is, We can't keep going if you don't stop.
[00:00:50] It was provided a while back by Utah Shoe, so thank you Utah for yet another prompt.
[00:00:57] Today my story is a strange little tale born of memories and serendipitous spontaneity, sort
[00:01:03] of a mix of seemingly unrelated ideas that somehow found a way to dovetail.
[00:01:07] So here it is, a 939 word story titled, Pocket Watch.
[00:01:14] Tommy Buckner sat in the stands right along the third baseline.
[00:01:17] It was a crisp spring day but the brilliant sun warmed the air that was full of the
[00:01:21] sounds and smells of baseball, the freshly cut grass, the crack of the bat hitting
[00:01:26] the ball.
[00:01:27] The smack the ball made when it hit the pocket of a glove.
[00:01:31] He could almost feel the chalkiness of the dirt on his fingers, the dusting that transfers
[00:01:35] from ground to ball to hand, but instead he held a pocket watch, the one his grandfather
[00:01:41] gave him, the one he always carried.
[00:01:44] The case was engraved with an intricate design.
[00:01:47] It was a floriate weave encircling a cramped but picturesque scene of a cabin on a
[00:01:51] prominent point.
[00:01:53] There were pines creeping off at the left and a cliffside on the right that fell off
[00:01:57] to the sea upon which a gallant sailing ship neared.
[00:02:00] Tommy always thought it was a vibrant scene.
[00:02:03] It seemed alive as if someone might approach the cabin or perhaps walk out the front door.
[00:02:07] He often imagined his father might be that someone.
[00:02:10] There was magic enough in the scene, he thought, just like the magic in baseball.
[00:02:15] It was a pastime, as much as a sport baseball was, a summertime ritual,
[00:02:20] a religion learned in backyards.
[00:02:24] His father taught him the game the same as anyone's, though not everyone's father
[00:02:28] played as well as Tommy's.
[00:02:29] It was that talent and love of the game that was shared between them,
[00:02:33] and it's what remained after his father had left to go find bigger and better games.
[00:02:37] Tommy didn't understand it at the time and wasn't sure he ever would,
[00:02:41] but he still loved baseball all the same.
[00:02:44] With keen eyes, Tommy watched the game before him, thoroughly enraptured.
[00:02:49] Sarasota Floyd was at bat, a fastidious fellow who practiced a lengthy pre-pitch routine,
[00:02:54] twisting his grip, patting his belt buckle, tapping the toes of his cleats with the bat,
[00:02:59] rolling his head round his neck, and thumbing the bill of his cap.
[00:03:04] The umpire was an impatient man, however, and after the third go-around,
[00:03:08] he put his hands on his hips and said,
[00:03:10] We can't keep going if you don't stop.
[00:03:13] Sarasota Floyd took the chiding and stride and soon found himself on first.
[00:03:18] Billy Beener was next, a tall, strong-jawed farm boy with straw-colored hair.
[00:03:24] He moved in a relaxed sort of way, and you wouldn't believe he'd so much as jogged
[00:03:28] to get out of the way for anything, but he could hit and did hit the ball like nobody's business.
[00:03:34] He'd come to town the same as Sarasota Floyd when he heard there was baseball to be played.
[00:03:38] All the players had come to town when they'd heard there was a game.
[00:03:42] They signed up to play on the team on which Tommy's father used to play.
[00:03:45] Nobody could hit like your dad, they'd say, no matter how good they were.
[00:03:50] Tommy would take it to heart and smile, squeezing his father's old glove,
[00:03:55] broken in and well-worn and soft with leather conditioner, and countless hours of games of catch.
[00:04:01] But now he squeezed his grandfather's pocket watch.
[00:04:04] It was his grandfather's team after all, and his grandfather had first brought the game
[00:04:08] to their town when no one else would or perhaps even could, and so Tommy continued
[00:04:13] to believe there was still latent magic in the watch if only by association.
[00:04:17] There was another crack for the bat, and Billy Beane ran to first.
[00:04:22] This brought Jack Ballone to the plate, and he was a real slugger with forearms that popped
[00:04:26] and biceps that ballged like the lot of tobacco tucked inside his cheek.
[00:04:30] He connected with the first pitch and sent it over the shortstop's head,
[00:04:34] and then the bases were loaded.
[00:04:36] On Deck was a new fellow, a quiet drifter with a mysterious way about him.
[00:04:42] Reggie Two-Tone Taylor was his name.
[00:04:45] He came in with the breeze one day, no one knew where from, but he had a knowing look,
[00:04:51] a look that he shared with Tommy each time at bat.
[00:04:53] He spit and dug his cleats into the batter's box, and then he stared down the pitcher
[00:04:57] from beneath the brim of his cap.
[00:05:00] Time seemed to stop, and Tommy wondered if it wasn't the pocket watch clenched in his grip.
[00:05:05] But then the pitcher let loose, and the ball came sailing toward home.
[00:05:09] Two-Tone stepped forward and swung, sending the ball flying toward the outfield.
[00:05:14] Up up it went, soaring until Tommy lost sight of it.
[00:05:19] Then he was standing and jumping up and down.
[00:05:21] He lay to the grand slam.
[00:05:23] He watched the players round third on their way home,
[00:05:26] and Two-Tone gave him another knowing look as he passed.
[00:05:29] And then Two-Tone did a curious thing.
[00:05:32] After touching home plate, he rounded back down the third baseline to where Tommy sat.
[00:05:37] Jogging up, he leaned in and with a twinkle in his eye said,
[00:05:41] That one was for your father.
[00:05:44] Tommy smiled. He positively beamed at that.
[00:05:48] Then he looked down, somewhat saddened at the same time.
[00:05:52] His eyes found the pocket watch and they widened when he noticed a new detail in the scene.
[00:05:57] Just outside the cabin door there was a small round object.
[00:06:01] Closer inspection revealed it to be a baseball.
[00:06:04] He looked up at Two-Tone with awe and surprise.
[00:06:07] Two-Tone grinned back, nodding at the watch.
[00:06:11] There's still magic Tommy, he said.
[00:06:13] Magic enough to see you through.
[00:06:15] Your father's still out there.
[00:06:17] You've just got to keep looking for him.
[00:06:21] The end.
[00:06:23] All right, I hope you liked that one.
[00:06:26] It's hard to really get all the vibe across in a story,
[00:06:29] and maybe I went a bit too field of dreams.
[00:06:32] Perhaps it could have used a longer treatment,
[00:06:34] but sometimes I like some ambiguity.
[00:06:36] The story sticks with you that way.
[00:06:39] As always, thank you for listening.
[00:06:41] Don't forget to visit our Facebook group at facebook.com
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[00:06:46] You can also contact us via Twitter at p-written pod
[00:06:50] or email us at promptlywrittenpod at gmail.com.
[00:06:53] See you next time.