Forced Consciences


The Lady walked through the restaurant of the Elixir Spa Resort Hotel and Leisure Complex, noticing Bubblegum sitting at a table in the corner eating a bowl of cereal. She walked over and sat down opposite; Bubblegum glanced up and then continued to eat.

“Tell me, my dear,” The Lady spoke regardless, “what could possibly play with your young mind that leaves you with such a wicked temper?”

Putting her spoon into her bowl, Bubblegum looked at The Lady, thought for a moment, and then said, “I didn’t sign up for this… I didn’t sign up for taking people prisoner… but that’s OK, it’s what we have to do for the Dropped Apostrophe’s insane plan for world domination.

“Remember those sweets that were on the counter when we first came into the hotel,” The Lady nodded, “well, I put them there… they were my own recipe – made with my subliminal control formula, I put them there and everyone took one – and I need to say just one phrase which alters the mind of the person I’m speaking to.

“The phrase is ‘I’ll be right as rain tomorrow’ and the person I’m speaking to forgets everything for the last five minutes, which sometimes changes everything that they are about to say or do…” her voice trailed off; The Lady, looking somewhat confused, smiled and gently asked, “Tell me, my dear, what could possibly play with your young mind that leaves you with such a wicked temper?”

***

So the ongoing story featuring The Co-ordination of Supervillains continues. Posted for Six Sentence Stories, the prompt word this week being ‘Play’.

Click the image below for more details:

24 responses to “Forced Consciences”

  1. Diane Henders avatar

    LOL! Was that an ‘oops’ or an ‘on purpose’? 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Tom avatar

      With these criminals, Diane, your guess is as good as mine! 🤣

      Like

  2. Spira avatar

    Very cool scene, Tom!
    I am wondering…what actress would you cast for that scene?…one that seems believably as prey, only to be revealed the predator!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Tom avatar

      Thanks, Nick.
      Your question is an interesting one.
      I’m looking at past and present when I answer, and for the two characters in this tale, I think I would choose either Jennifer Aniston from the first series of Friends or Renée Zellweger from the first Bridget Jones movie to portray Bubblegum, and Joan Collins from her Dynasty days to play The Lady.
      Bubblegum needs to be sweet, but can turn at any given second, and The Lady is just Alexis.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. clark avatar

    Nice hook! (Didn’t actually see it coming as I’m a total fan of restaurant/bars/and any other public ‘eating-places’ as scenes.)

    Plus I was (as Spira comments, busy casting the characters, visualistically-speaking).

    so, even before the end of my comment, the part of my Reader-nature is all-kinds of waving appendages and such.
    A time(ish) loop!
    v cool but …but! how do you propose to control it, in the sense of the overall narrative… (we had a discussion last weekend, Denise and Nick and myself, a part of which dealt with the ‘seat-of-the-pants vs outliner’ approach to writing. as the former I love the idea of ‘the sweets’ in this Six but shudder at the thought of the resource needed to keep track as one writes)

    Fun Installment, yo
    (welcome back. Mimi’s totally had your back at the SSC&B this whole time)

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Tom avatar

      Thanks, Clark. And don’t forget that some of these characters may be turning up at the SSC&B some day soon…
      These stories are led by the characters, so are written from a Braccaneer* perspective.
      Each of the supervillains have some kind of wacky super power, so knowing the character means they will be using them as and when needed, or as in the sweets, just as and when!
      I think the Six Sentence Stories are easier to keep track of than the longer ones, as they are more scene-specific, and as they are character driven it’s easier to look back if say, for example, a character hasn’t appeared for a while.
      However, these characters don’t always use their powers, so the stories are also around their interactions with each other. It will be interesting to see if their personalities stay the same as time goes on!
      I just write what they show me, after all!
      * Braccaneer – this is a term Chris came up with. There’s a link on my side menu to my post, which links to Chris’s post.
      ** This reply is now starting to look like one of yours, Clark! 😀
      *** Entirely coincidental, of course!

      Like

    2. Tom avatar

      Oh, and thank Mimi… not sure when I’ll be written back into the SSC&B just yet! 😀

      Like

  4. europasicewolf avatar

    Cool twist on that one Tom! 😎 Fascinating characters you dream up! 😃

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Tom avatar

      Thanks, Icewolf… I’m sure the characters already exist before they come to me! 🤔

      Like

      1. europasicewolf avatar

        Of course they did Tom!

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Tom avatar

          Yep… more are knocking on my mind’s door as I type!

          Liked by 1 person

  5. imnobodywhoareyou avatar

    A great plot twist and I just love the name Bubblegum for a superhero.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Tom avatar

      Thank you, Len.
      Bubblegum’s actually a Supervillain, but I suppose she is a superhero to some in this villainous group! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      1. imnobodywhoareyou avatar

        Just shows me I have some catching up to do.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Tom avatar

          No worries… if you keep following the stories, the blanks will be filled in. Probably with more blanks, more than likely, but a bigger picture should emerge regardless.

          Hopefully…

          Like

  6. GirlieOnTheEdge avatar

    Simple scene. Effective. Bubblegum always makes me smile, Tom. Well executed “twist”!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Tom avatar

      Thanks, Denise. These Supervillain Sixes can get quite busy at times, so nice, easy, simple scenes seem a nice little break. Simple may be the way forward, I think… although the characters have other ideas.
      Bubblegum indeed seems to be a popular character… I hope it doesn’t go to her head!

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Sue Dreamwalker avatar

    Another great image Tom and I think maybe a lot of those subliminal thought formulas have been doing the rounds lately.. I think I may have had one of the sweets this morning when I went all the way upstairs and then back down again.. as I forgot what I went upstairs for.. Only to go and reach for the tea towel that I had put in the laundry earlier as I was about to wipe dinner pots, and then the Subliminal formula must have worn off as I had that Light Bulb moment of Ha ha!!!… Yes it was the Tea-Towel I went up stairs for.. And off I climbed the stairs again. LOL… 🙂 😂🤣😂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Tom avatar

      That happens to me too, Sue. It’s funny after the occasion, isn’t it! 🤣

      Like

  8. Frank Hubeny avatar

    Those subliminal control sweets seem to work. Her victims even forget what she just told them.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Tom avatar

      That’s Bubblegum’s plan, Frank. Well, one of them…

      Liked by 1 person

  9. messymimi's meanderings avatar

    Nice way to tell if your plot is working!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Tom avatar

      I suppose it does help somewhat, Mimi! 🙂

      Like

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