Stand Up for Yourself: Story Starter # 23 and March Writing Prompts

Patty and Jonathan attended Simon’s party. As they entered, Simon was giving instructions to his guests. “Each time you hear, ‘Simon says,’ you must do exactly what I tell you to do.”

Patty felt uncomfortable, for the house was filled with dimly lit distractions, including pillows on floors with alcohol of all kinds sitting nearby. She told Jonathan that she wanted to leave, disturbed at what might be required of them. He told her to chill out and just go with the flow, like everyone else.

Then, Simon announced through a megaphone, “Simon says, ‘Drink a beer and then make out with a stranger.'” Everyone laughed, except Patty, who wasn’t about to follow such orders. As she watched, all of the other guests were already downing bottles of beer and looking around to pick someone to “entertain.” One guy who looked as if he had not bathed in months smiled at Patty and headed her way.

She took Jonathan’s hand and told him she wanted to leave, but he just ignored her. She looked at him, and she realized that he was not the person she believed him to be, if he could allow other men to manhandle her in the name of fun.

As he finished his beer and started walking towards another woman, she knew he was intent on remaining there, excusing his behavior by saying that whatever Simon said, he had to do. Without a backward look, Patty headed for the door. Simon stopped her, telling her that she could not leave until he said so.

With all the disdain she could muster, she told Simon to get away from the door, or there would be consequences. He reached for her, and she planted a knee in a sensitive place. As he doubled over in pain, unable to “say” anything, she slipped out the door.

Patty walked the three miles home. Her father had always told her not to follow the crowd off the bridge, meaning to use her own mind and only do what she was comfortable doing. She thought, “Daddy was right! Sometimes you have to stand up for yourself and not blindly obey others, just to keep a man. Good riddance to you, Jonathan!”

Fictional story written for the Story Starter # 23 from The Haunted Wordsmith: Simon says. Also for the March Writing Prompts from Putting My Feet in the Dirt: Dimly Lit Distractions.