19 march 2025, @mariannewest's Freewrite Writing Prompt Day 2680: not my jurisdiction

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Photo by the author, Deeann D. Mathews, March 6, 2021 at Alamo Square Park
PANO_2025-03-06_14-47-05.jpg

“Is it is just me, or did you take a extra chill pill up here in Tinyville, Cousin Harry?”

Nine-year-old George Ludlow, though he was rarely still long enough for people to know when he was picking up on things, was very attuned to the people around him. On the first morning of what he thought was a vacation (nobody burdened him with a voluntary evacuation and all the reasons why), he noticed Col. H.F. Lee, his cousin, coming out on Wednesday morning in something like a Hawaiian shirt. The colonel almost always appeared calm, but George had picked up on the subtlety.

“I work in Big Loft and at the Veteran's Lodge,” he said, “so I am in my mind always on duty there. But it is 7:00 in the morning, and my cousin and closest friend, Major Ironwood Hamilton, is on watch over Tinyville, so I am a little more relaxed.”

“Yeah, being with Milton my best friend helps me chill out too,” George said, “and so do Papa and Grandma when they have time to just hang out, and you and Cousin Maggie too, and my sisters Amanda and Eleanor, and my little brother Grayson is real chill, and Milton's dad is real chill too. But I got a question; aren't you a police officer everywhere?”

“On weekends, all Lofton County police officers are on call for the county for serious matters,” Col. Lee said, “but I am on furlough in Big Loft again, so I am off duty until the weekend, when I will go check in at Tinyville's police department.”

“So, what if there is like attempted murder in front of the house?”

“Although Tinyville is not my jurisdiction, every citizen has the duty to prevent such acts if he or she can. I am a peace officer at all times, and I am also a U.S. army officer, so it is triply my duty to prevent such an act from occurring if I become aware of it.”

“Good, Cousin Harry, because Milton and I were kind of looking at how close the roofs are on our vacation houses, but then, Papa is not feeling well and kind of extra growly, so then, if we missed a jump, things were probably going to get bad on the ground, so, it's good to know that you're still kinda looking out for stuff that might happen because maybe some people might get mad.”

“As a public safety officer, it is my duty to inform you that jumping from roof to roof is completely illegal in this jurisdiction for both you and Milton, and the law will be enforced.”

“Oh, snap – I just told you the whole plan!” George said.

“But I appreciate that we are real chill and can have good conversation,” Col. Lee said as he opened his arms.

“Well, yeah,” George said as he came and enjoyed his hug.

“Want some tea, George?”

“Yes, I would, and thank you, just as soon as I leave a note for Milton that we don't have to get the ladder out after all.”

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5 comments
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I always try to guess how you will use the prompts and who they will be about, I got this one all wrong, I thought it was going to be about the sinkhole land but I loved the way you went with it.

I have a friend who grew up in NY, she said they used to jump from one roof to the other on their apartment buildings. I told her that makes the things I did as a kid seem like childs play.
!ALIVE
!LOL

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(Edited)

I had friends whose brothers did this growing up ... but in San Francisco, where a miss is as good as a mile ... 2-4 stories, easy!

Oh, we'll get back to the sinkhole today and tomorrow ... Col. Lee is chilling because he knows he has got to get himself ready for another meeting with the county supervisors who don't get it although there are hundreds of lives at stake, and he is triggered about it. Major Hamilton is very glad he is in Tinyville so they can hike and talk every day ... because Major Hamilton has been there more than once, helping to keeping the word "chill" and not "kill."

The Ludlows, cousins to the Lees, have their home in the potential path of the disaster to come. That's a trigger comparable to what convinced a certain other Lee to position himself to order some killing, from 1861-1865. His great-great-great-great-nephew is chilling, just as triggered, but doing his best to stay calm because unlike his historical antecedent who did not know he had it in him, Col. Lee knows what he can do. But also, staying calm means he can come up with other creative solutions with his Ludlow and Hamilton cousin both there, and Sgt. Trent right there too ... a colonel, a major, a captain, and a sergeant might be able to work some stuff out...

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We as kids do stupid things if left unsupervised.

Wow that was a lot. I knew their homes were in danger but was not thinking of them being a trigger for Col Lee. I like chill instead of kill.

I hope you are feeling better.
!ALIVE
!LOL

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