Connections and Write on Edge

This week's theme will be Connections. After the recent realization that I don't have as many blogging friends as I'd like, I will be striving to become more connected with other bloggers. I'd like to find more writing blogs to read and admire!

I'll be contributing short stories to various sites with the hope that putting myself out there into the universe will generate...something. Some kind of connection to other writers. To start the week, I'm contributing a short story to a linkie prompt from Write on Edge. There's only one other story there, but I'll read that one and comment. Hopefully, others will show up during the week, and I'll comment on those, too. 

The point is forge deeper connections with other writers. Writing can be quite lonely sometimes. And friends and family don't care about grammar, story plots and characters. (I'll admit; I don't care about grammar, either. I hate it, but I can't even share that hatred with them!)

The prompt includes a picture and a quote. It requires less than 500 words using the picture or quote or both as inspiration. 

Birthday Camera

Eight-year-old Sam asked for a camera for his birthday.

"Wouldn't you enjoy a skateboard or a new bike?"

His parents exchanged a look over his head.

"I'd prefer a camera, please."

Later that night, Sam's parents discussed his request.

"He's never going to make any friends with a camera stuck to his face." The burly man settled into his worn recliner and flicked on the football game.

In a delicate armchair, Sam's mother perched on the edge of her seat.

She let out a slight exhale that wouldn't alert her husband to her racing thoughts. "If he wants a camera, maybe we should get him one. He'd need to leave the house to take pictures."

"That coward will hide on the porch with it. Why waste my money on an expensive camera when he'll never produce anything good with it?"

In a soft whisper, she said, "We can get one at a secondhand store."

His attention shifted towards her with a speed that caused her to flinch. His eyes narrowed. "Are you taking his side on this?"

She hesitated for a split second. "Of c-course not. There's no side here. A camera will toughen him up like we want."

"Fine." The roar of the crowd pulled his attention from her. "I'm swamped at the jobsite. Can I trust you to buy this camera?"

Quickly, she said, "I'll take Sam shopping at Makley's Thrift tomorrow." She leaned until she spotted Sam on the staircase and gave him a thumbs up sign.

Flushed, she practically bounced from her seat and joined Sam on the stairs. With a beaming smile, she shooed Sam back to his room.

"Back to bed, Sam. We have some shopping to do tomorrow."

Makley's Thrift had three dusty cameras in its display window, but Sam knew which one he wanted. Sam walked past this window every day. The shopping trip with his mother took less than five minutes. The camera he wanted had been calling to him for weeks.

As soon as Sam touched the camera, he knew it was the answer to all his problems. He didn't take one picture all afternoon. The camera whispered insistently in his ear the entire time he sat on the porch waiting for his father.

His father revved the truck while pulling into the driveway. As he approached Sam, he said, "I knew you'd be hiding out on the porch like a scared rabbit. A camera can't stop you from being a coward."

Sam lifted the camera to his face, and whispered, "Maybe. But it'll stop you from being a bully." And clicked the shutter button. In a blink, Sam's father disappeared.

A weight immediately lifted from Sam's chest. This was the best birthday he'd ever had. He went into the house.

His mother called from the kitchen, "I thought I heard your father come home. Are you going outside with your camera, Sam?"

Sam replied, "I don't think I'll need the camera anymore, Mom."