Here's the last one for today, I'll put the rest up tomorrow (don't want to overwhelm you at once!).
2/22/10
"There were exceptions for everything else...except for this."
Clarissa lived her life with exceptions to rules. She was done with men, but always managed to meet the exception. She was going to stop eating so much sugar—with the exception of chocolate and cappuccinos. She was going to start exercising—with the exception of rainy days, weekends, days she worked, and days she didn't feel like it. Everything had its exception...everything, except this. The one thing Clarissa knew there was no exception for, was the simple fact that shit happens. That was her justification for her terrible day. Even though she made exceptions, she knew that life didn't, and even though she tried to keep her Karma bank full, sometimes, it was overdrawn.
“Oh, shit!” She looked mournfully down at the puddle she currently stood in. Why? Why did it have to be raining now, on the one day she decided to dress up? Her one expensive skirt had coffee stains now, after a clumsy co-worker had spilled an espresso on it, and now, her one pair of designer boots were ankle deep in sludge. “Shit!” she reiterated, then stomped up the sidewalk to her apartment. First she dropped her key, then, just as she picked it up, someone flew past her on their bicycle, sending a wave of muddy droplets splashing up her back. She scowled, and shoved her key into the lock, where it promptly got stuck. She jiggled it futily, cursing the rainy skies above. It was all their fault.
Finally, a very wet, very stained, very upset Clarissa made it into the dry apartment building. She shook most of the water off her hands, and wrung out her hair in the foyer. Fortunately, no one was there to see her bedraggled state. A sniffle started, then a single tear, but she wiped it away quickly. No use in crying over something you can't change, she scolded herself. Squaring her shoulders, she made her way to the elevator. Naturally, it was out of order, so to the stairs she went. Perfect, she thought to herself. I know the rent is better, but why did I have to pick the thirteenth floor?
She started grimly up the narrow stairwell, grumbling to herself the whole way. Finally, she made it to her floor. A loud clap of thunder and the flickering of the building's lights showed that the storm was getting worse, and she scowled even more. Nothing was going to make this day better. Nothing.
She angrily opened the door to her apartment and slammed it behind her. Then she froze. Soft strains of music filtered through the air, and the whole place was filled with the flickering glow of candles. She made her way slowly into the dining room to find the table set for an intimate dinner for two, complete with vase full of crimson red roses. A man came out of the kitchen, smiling at her.
“I thought you might have had a bad day, so I thought I'd make it up to you.”
Clarissa smiled through the tears that were welling up. “Mark,” she breathed as she stepped into her fiancé's open arms. “Thank you so much.”
After all, there are exceptions for everything else, but when it comes to comfort, only the one you love can provide that.
Total Time: 16 minutes
Word Count: 547
Sunday, February 28, 2010
One of my Favorites
This is one of my favorites...I'm not really sure why, but I hope you enjoy it!
2/21/10
"The bassoon lay tattered in the lonely corner"
Detective Crady pushed open the door and stepped into the derelict apartment. The stench was nearly overpowering, emanating from the crumpled heap on the sagging bed. A rat scurried across the floor, followed in short order by another, smaller one. Crady stepped over the debris littering the floor, trying to hold his breath while he inspected the scene. Death was nothing new to him; he'd been on the police force for over ten years. He smiled grimly, at least this was no homicide. He was sure that the coroner's report would show that victim had died of natural causes, or at least self-inflicted causes.
Habit took over as he took another step, and he began scanning the debris. Empty take-out boxes were piled in one corner, and the next corner contained a stack of molding cardboard boxes. The third corner held the bed, and the fourth—well, that was interesting. It was nearly empty, the one clean space in the entire apartment. All alone on it's grimy stand, a battered bassoon stood sentinel. Beside it lay one other object, an ancient tape recorder. Crady pulled on his latex gloves and picked it up. Curiously, he pressed play.
His eyes shut in wonder as the first strains of music filtered through the death-ridden air. Clear and beautiful, the dead man's last legacy played through the static of the forgotten recorder. Crady looked over at the tattered bassoon, where it lay in the lonely corner. A single beam of sunlight shone through the broken window, illuminating the instrument, and for just a moment, Crady could see an image in the dust, of a young man in his prime, sitting on a stage before hundreds, his precious bassoon cradled in his lap.
Total Time: 11 minutes
Word Count: 289
2/21/10
"The bassoon lay tattered in the lonely corner"
Detective Crady pushed open the door and stepped into the derelict apartment. The stench was nearly overpowering, emanating from the crumpled heap on the sagging bed. A rat scurried across the floor, followed in short order by another, smaller one. Crady stepped over the debris littering the floor, trying to hold his breath while he inspected the scene. Death was nothing new to him; he'd been on the police force for over ten years. He smiled grimly, at least this was no homicide. He was sure that the coroner's report would show that victim had died of natural causes, or at least self-inflicted causes.
Habit took over as he took another step, and he began scanning the debris. Empty take-out boxes were piled in one corner, and the next corner contained a stack of molding cardboard boxes. The third corner held the bed, and the fourth—well, that was interesting. It was nearly empty, the one clean space in the entire apartment. All alone on it's grimy stand, a battered bassoon stood sentinel. Beside it lay one other object, an ancient tape recorder. Crady pulled on his latex gloves and picked it up. Curiously, he pressed play.
His eyes shut in wonder as the first strains of music filtered through the death-ridden air. Clear and beautiful, the dead man's last legacy played through the static of the forgotten recorder. Crady looked over at the tattered bassoon, where it lay in the lonely corner. A single beam of sunlight shone through the broken window, illuminating the instrument, and for just a moment, Crady could see an image in the dust, of a young man in his prime, sitting on a stage before hundreds, his precious bassoon cradled in his lap.
Total Time: 11 minutes
Word Count: 289
Mayan Hot Chocolate
Have you ever had Mayan hot chocolate? It's amazing, rich hot chocolate steeped with a little cinnamon, vanilla, and chili pepper. Absolutely amazing, the food of the gods, and the inspiration for this little story.
2/20/10
"It was too deliciously spicy to resist."
She sighed, breathing in the heady aroma. It floated through the air, assailing her senses deliciously. Her hands closed around the cup and the warmth seeped through the thin paper cup into her cold hands. She couldn't take a sip yet, it was too hot, but the scent itself was enough to drive her nearly mad with longing. Hot chocolate on a cold winter's day, made in the traditional Mayan style. Rich, creamy chocolate melted into hot milk and beaten to a froth, then mixed with a little vanilla, a dash of cinnamon, and, last of all, just a hint of chili pepper.
Mmmm...it was too deliciously spicy to resist.
Word Count: 110
2/20/10
"It was too deliciously spicy to resist."
She sighed, breathing in the heady aroma. It floated through the air, assailing her senses deliciously. Her hands closed around the cup and the warmth seeped through the thin paper cup into her cold hands. She couldn't take a sip yet, it was too hot, but the scent itself was enough to drive her nearly mad with longing. Hot chocolate on a cold winter's day, made in the traditional Mayan style. Rich, creamy chocolate melted into hot milk and beaten to a froth, then mixed with a little vanilla, a dash of cinnamon, and, last of all, just a hint of chili pepper.
Mmmm...it was too deliciously spicy to resist.
Word Count: 110
And Another...
2/19/10
"The air was cool and crisp, smelling of fall."
Jaq stood on the hill, breathing deeply. The sun shone brightly, but the air was cool and crisp, smelling of fall. In the distance, she could see the brightly colored leaves dancing in the wind, the court jesters of October's palace. She loved autumn. Out of all the seasons, fall was by far her favorite. She didn't know why, exactly, but she assumed it had something to do with the cool air and the russet hues that covered the landscape. That may have been part of it, but it was definitely not the whole reason.
Jaq was not entirely human. Sure, she looked, talked, and acted human, but she really wasn't. She didn't know that, but somewhere, deep inside her soul, lived something else. Her human skin, the skin she'd lived in nearly her entire life, wasn't really hers. It was a gift, a gift from her loving parents who didn't want her to grow up in a world nearly ruined by war and radiation. They pooled their innate talents and gave her a new skin. She was too young at the time to remember the event; all she knew was that her name was Jaqueline Harpy, and she lived in Northern New England with her aunt and uncle, Rob and Marsha.
I'm sure you guessed already that they weren't truly her aunt and uncle. They were wholly human, but they didn't know that Jaq wasn't. They had been conveniently convinced that Jaq was the daughter of Marsha's sister, who died tragically in a car accident. Jaq never questioned the story, but now, at age 19, she had begun to wonder why there were never any pictures of her mother, and why no one knew anything about her father. Her musings were soon to be answered, and Jaq's life was soon to be turned upside down.
Word Count: 306
"The air was cool and crisp, smelling of fall."
Jaq stood on the hill, breathing deeply. The sun shone brightly, but the air was cool and crisp, smelling of fall. In the distance, she could see the brightly colored leaves dancing in the wind, the court jesters of October's palace. She loved autumn. Out of all the seasons, fall was by far her favorite. She didn't know why, exactly, but she assumed it had something to do with the cool air and the russet hues that covered the landscape. That may have been part of it, but it was definitely not the whole reason.
Jaq was not entirely human. Sure, she looked, talked, and acted human, but she really wasn't. She didn't know that, but somewhere, deep inside her soul, lived something else. Her human skin, the skin she'd lived in nearly her entire life, wasn't really hers. It was a gift, a gift from her loving parents who didn't want her to grow up in a world nearly ruined by war and radiation. They pooled their innate talents and gave her a new skin. She was too young at the time to remember the event; all she knew was that her name was Jaqueline Harpy, and she lived in Northern New England with her aunt and uncle, Rob and Marsha.
I'm sure you guessed already that they weren't truly her aunt and uncle. They were wholly human, but they didn't know that Jaq wasn't. They had been conveniently convinced that Jaq was the daughter of Marsha's sister, who died tragically in a car accident. Jaq never questioned the story, but now, at age 19, she had begun to wonder why there were never any pictures of her mother, and why no one knew anything about her father. Her musings were soon to be answered, and Jaq's life was soon to be turned upside down.
Word Count: 306
Time-Saver
Alright, in the interests of time, here are some prompts that I wrote when I first discovered the wonderful world of writing prompts. While they're not exactly from this year, I figure it balances out since I started a month late :). I'll catch up in other ways, probably slipping bonus stories in here and there, but I hope you enjoy these!
*I'm putting them up one at a time, for ease of reading :)
2/18/10
“I want to go home…” (NaNo)
It's dark and wet, and I don't understand why I'm here. Why was I ripped from my cool, breezy heaven and thrust into this hot, wet world? I can't breathe, oxygen must be coming to me through the thick sac that encases my fragile body. Where am I? What's happened to me? I've been trapped here for months, never understanding why, why this was done to me. There's no one around. I have been without contact for months. I can hear some sounds, but they're distant, coming from outside the fleshy walls that surround me. I miss my world, my heaven, with it's open expanses and dry air. I hate wet. I hate dark. The sun never sets in my world, never.
Time passes, I feel myself growing bigger, stretching the walls surrounding me. I'm trapped, too big for my prison. I try to move around, kicking and hitting, trying to escape. Nothing works. Finally, I feel something, some sort of loosening. I'm turned upside down, a most uncomfortable position, but I can feel air on my head.
Oh God, now it hurts! I'm being forced through a horrible tight tunnel, being squished between those walls that have held me in for so long. The next thing I feel is cold. Cold air, and ghastly bright lights. It hurts, oh, it hurts so bad. I don't want to be here, why did I choose to come back? I want my heaven back. I want to go home.
Word Count: 247
*I'm putting them up one at a time, for ease of reading :)
2/18/10
“I want to go home…” (NaNo)
It's dark and wet, and I don't understand why I'm here. Why was I ripped from my cool, breezy heaven and thrust into this hot, wet world? I can't breathe, oxygen must be coming to me through the thick sac that encases my fragile body. Where am I? What's happened to me? I've been trapped here for months, never understanding why, why this was done to me. There's no one around. I have been without contact for months. I can hear some sounds, but they're distant, coming from outside the fleshy walls that surround me. I miss my world, my heaven, with it's open expanses and dry air. I hate wet. I hate dark. The sun never sets in my world, never.
Time passes, I feel myself growing bigger, stretching the walls surrounding me. I'm trapped, too big for my prison. I try to move around, kicking and hitting, trying to escape. Nothing works. Finally, I feel something, some sort of loosening. I'm turned upside down, a most uncomfortable position, but I can feel air on my head.
Oh God, now it hurts! I'm being forced through a horrible tight tunnel, being squished between those walls that have held me in for so long. The next thing I feel is cold. Cold air, and ghastly bright lights. It hurts, oh, it hurts so bad. I don't want to be here, why did I choose to come back? I want my heaven back. I want to go home.
Word Count: 247
Friday, February 26, 2010
Slowly But Surely :)
And another! This one would have been posted on my little sister's birthday...and I'd thought about doing something sort of dedicated to her...yeah, it didn't happen. By the time I wrote this, her birthday had long since passed, and now I'm just trying to catch up. I will, I promise, it just might take me a little longer.
I'm actually quite proud of myself...this is month two, and I'm still committed to maintaining this! Usually I'd have given up by now, found myself distracted by something else, but my determination is holding strong! And so here you go, my next (very belated) post!
2/17/10
“Pink. Why did it have to be pink?” (NaNo)
Charley moaned as she beheld the frothy confection her sister had chosen for a bridesmaid’s gown. Pink. Why did it have to be pink? Charley hated pink, loathed it, despised the vomitous color. And now she had to walk down the church aisle, in front of a hundred people, wearing a pink gown. And it wasn’t just any pink gown. It was a pink princess gown, with a tulle overskirt, and ruffles edging the underskirt. She felt like throwing up. But she wouldn’t, she couldn’t. It was her sister, the one person for whom she would actually wear that hideous color. No one else, not even her mother, could manage to convince her to wear pink, in any shade or quantity. But for her sister’s wedding, Charley would wear it. She wouldn’t like it, but she would dress in the frothy confection, feeling like a badly dressed Barbie doll, and she would do her best to make her sister’s wedding the best day ever. After that, however, all bets were completely off. And she would have a blast getting back at Amie for the humiliation. A mischievous grin spread across her face as she began plotting her revenge. It would be harmless, harmless but hilarious. She laughed quietly. Oh, she couldn’t wait.
Total Time: 7 minutes
Word Count: 212
I'm actually quite proud of myself...this is month two, and I'm still committed to maintaining this! Usually I'd have given up by now, found myself distracted by something else, but my determination is holding strong! And so here you go, my next (very belated) post!
2/17/10
“Pink. Why did it have to be pink?” (NaNo)
Charley moaned as she beheld the frothy confection her sister had chosen for a bridesmaid’s gown. Pink. Why did it have to be pink? Charley hated pink, loathed it, despised the vomitous color. And now she had to walk down the church aisle, in front of a hundred people, wearing a pink gown. And it wasn’t just any pink gown. It was a pink princess gown, with a tulle overskirt, and ruffles edging the underskirt. She felt like throwing up. But she wouldn’t, she couldn’t. It was her sister, the one person for whom she would actually wear that hideous color. No one else, not even her mother, could manage to convince her to wear pink, in any shade or quantity. But for her sister’s wedding, Charley would wear it. She wouldn’t like it, but she would dress in the frothy confection, feeling like a badly dressed Barbie doll, and she would do her best to make her sister’s wedding the best day ever. After that, however, all bets were completely off. And she would have a blast getting back at Amie for the humiliation. A mischievous grin spread across her face as she began plotting her revenge. It would be harmless, harmless but hilarious. She laughed quietly. Oh, she couldn’t wait.
Total Time: 7 minutes
Word Count: 212
Another Belated!
Again, sorry it's taking me so long to get this done...I've got fafsa/school/taxes/work on my plate...basically, a whole bunch of un-fun! But it's the life kind of un-fun, and it's pretty unavoidable. Anyhow, here's the next one!
2/16/10
“…you want my number?” (NaNo)
“Well, it’s kinda complicated. The directions, I mean. The event is pretty simple. Alright, first you go down Route 26, heading north—you’re coming from I95, right? Okay, so you take 26 through Gray and Oxford, then you turn off on 117, it’s right after—” She shook her head in frustration. “Here, you want my number? Then you can call before you leave, and I can give you the exact directions…it’ll be simpler.”
David watched his newfound acquaintance with a slightly bemused expression on his face. Taryn was a blur of ideas and thoughts, her mind jumping rapidly from one subject to another. It had been a chance meeting, totally a fluke, but he was exceedingly glad he’d decided to let the young woman go before him at Starbucks. It had been merely a courtesy at first, but then they’d started talking, and now, two hours later, they were just finishing up their coffees.
He took down her phone number, still smiling. She grinned before hopping out of her seat and dancing over to the trash to dispose of her coffee cup. She seemed to either bounce or dance everywhere she went, always full of life and energy. She was never still, her hands constantly flying through the air as she tried to illustrate a point. He found it oddly attractive, especially as he was usually reserved, and surrounded by people who were as reserved and studious as he. It was refreshing to be around someone who was so filled with zest for life, and so eager to try new things.
He pocketed his cell phone and smiled as she suddenly looked at the time and frantically bade him goodbye, hastily mentioning something about a class, and how she always forgot what time it was at. She backed out of the coffee shop, waving, before turning and dashing down the sidewalk towards the campus. David watched her go, still grinning. He was definitely looking forward to getting to know her—she seemed to breathe joy into everything she touched, and maybe some of that joy would rub off on him.
He finished his coffee with one last swig, then tossed the cup into the trash. He chuckled softly as he caught himself in a half-skip as he exited the Starbucks. Looks like she was rubbing off on him already.
Total Time: 12 minutes
Word Count: 390
2/16/10
“…you want my number?” (NaNo)
“Well, it’s kinda complicated. The directions, I mean. The event is pretty simple. Alright, first you go down Route 26, heading north—you’re coming from I95, right? Okay, so you take 26 through Gray and Oxford, then you turn off on 117, it’s right after—” She shook her head in frustration. “Here, you want my number? Then you can call before you leave, and I can give you the exact directions…it’ll be simpler.”
David watched his newfound acquaintance with a slightly bemused expression on his face. Taryn was a blur of ideas and thoughts, her mind jumping rapidly from one subject to another. It had been a chance meeting, totally a fluke, but he was exceedingly glad he’d decided to let the young woman go before him at Starbucks. It had been merely a courtesy at first, but then they’d started talking, and now, two hours later, they were just finishing up their coffees.
He took down her phone number, still smiling. She grinned before hopping out of her seat and dancing over to the trash to dispose of her coffee cup. She seemed to either bounce or dance everywhere she went, always full of life and energy. She was never still, her hands constantly flying through the air as she tried to illustrate a point. He found it oddly attractive, especially as he was usually reserved, and surrounded by people who were as reserved and studious as he. It was refreshing to be around someone who was so filled with zest for life, and so eager to try new things.
He pocketed his cell phone and smiled as she suddenly looked at the time and frantically bade him goodbye, hastily mentioning something about a class, and how she always forgot what time it was at. She backed out of the coffee shop, waving, before turning and dashing down the sidewalk towards the campus. David watched her go, still grinning. He was definitely looking forward to getting to know her—she seemed to breathe joy into everything she touched, and maybe some of that joy would rub off on him.
He finished his coffee with one last swig, then tossed the cup into the trash. He chuckled softly as he caught himself in a half-skip as he exited the Starbucks. Looks like she was rubbing off on him already.
Total Time: 12 minutes
Word Count: 390
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
A Long One...
Alright...sorry it's taken so long, but here's the next one. I'm slowly but surely catching up...emphasis on the slowly :P. Anyway, I'm just going to post the link to this one, as it's exceedingly long...upwards of 1,600 words (oh my!). It hasn't gone through the complete editing session that I plan on giving it, but I definitely plan on tweaking it to perfection. It's interesting, and definitely more thoughtful than most of the other prompts...and I feel that it expresses a point deeper than just the story.
2/15/10
Prompt: "Don't come in yet, I have to put my face on!" (NaNo)
Total Time: n/a (wrote half longhand)
Word Count: Somewhere around 1,616 words
Link: http://gipsyfingers.blogspot.com/2010/02/masks.html
2/15/10
Prompt: "Don't come in yet, I have to put my face on!" (NaNo)
Total Time: n/a (wrote half longhand)
Word Count: Somewhere around 1,616 words
Link: http://gipsyfingers.blogspot.com/2010/02/masks.html
Monday, February 22, 2010
Happy Belated Valentine's Day!
Here's a gushy mushy happy-feely one for Valentine's Day! Nevermind that I wrote it a week late :P.
2/14/10
Prompt: “She felt his heart hammering warmly against her back…” (NaNo)
With a little shriek, Alesca toppled backwards, off the high ladder. Instead of landing on the hard floor as she expected, she crashed into a softer surface with a loud whumpf.
“Easy, girl, you alright?” The voice was low and masculine, and the owner slowly helped her to her feet, keeping his hands on her arms so she didn’t lose her balance again. Instead of letting go immediately, though, he held her gently, letting his fingers massage her biceps lightly. She felt his heart hammering warmly against her back, and she knew he’d been worried when he saw her mishap.
He pressed a kiss gently to the top of her head. “You are not allowed to worry me like that, cariña,” he cautioned softly, his hands sliding lower to caress the slight rounding of her stomach. “Do I have to keep you in a padded room to prevent such mishaps?”
Alesca laughed, turning her head slightly to kiss him quickly before wriggling out of his embrace. “I’ll be careful, Zak, I promise. It was just an accident, and I’ll leave the climbing up to you now.”
Zak nodded. “Good. Now, what was it you were reaching for, mi querida?”
Alesca unconsciously slipped back into his arms as she pointed out the book she’d been trying to reach. Zak smiled. Trust his Alesca to climb the ladder, barefoot and pregnant, to reach the largest book on the highest shelf in the whole room. But he couldn’t fault her for that. He couldn’t fault her for much, to be honest. She was his love, and every quirk and independent streak only made him love her more. After all, without those little quirks, she wouldn’t be the Alesca he loved so dearly. So he would make sure he was there to catch her when she fell, support her when she needed it, and love her throughout it all. He smiled and tacked on a mental addendum, for now there were two for him to love and cherish, his Alesca, and their unborn child. He smiled with pride and joy, reveling in the simple bliss of having someone to love.
Total Time:12 minutes
Word Count: 356
2/14/10
Prompt: “She felt his heart hammering warmly against her back…” (NaNo)
With a little shriek, Alesca toppled backwards, off the high ladder. Instead of landing on the hard floor as she expected, she crashed into a softer surface with a loud whumpf.
“Easy, girl, you alright?” The voice was low and masculine, and the owner slowly helped her to her feet, keeping his hands on her arms so she didn’t lose her balance again. Instead of letting go immediately, though, he held her gently, letting his fingers massage her biceps lightly. She felt his heart hammering warmly against her back, and she knew he’d been worried when he saw her mishap.
He pressed a kiss gently to the top of her head. “You are not allowed to worry me like that, cariña,” he cautioned softly, his hands sliding lower to caress the slight rounding of her stomach. “Do I have to keep you in a padded room to prevent such mishaps?”
Alesca laughed, turning her head slightly to kiss him quickly before wriggling out of his embrace. “I’ll be careful, Zak, I promise. It was just an accident, and I’ll leave the climbing up to you now.”
Zak nodded. “Good. Now, what was it you were reaching for, mi querida?”
Alesca unconsciously slipped back into his arms as she pointed out the book she’d been trying to reach. Zak smiled. Trust his Alesca to climb the ladder, barefoot and pregnant, to reach the largest book on the highest shelf in the whole room. But he couldn’t fault her for that. He couldn’t fault her for much, to be honest. She was his love, and every quirk and independent streak only made him love her more. After all, without those little quirks, she wouldn’t be the Alesca he loved so dearly. So he would make sure he was there to catch her when she fell, support her when she needed it, and love her throughout it all. He smiled and tacked on a mental addendum, for now there were two for him to love and cherish, his Alesca, and their unborn child. He smiled with pride and joy, reveling in the simple bliss of having someone to love.
Total Time:12 minutes
Word Count: 356
Belated Catch-Up
Sorry it took so long to get this caught up...it was school vacation week, so I wasn't haunting the teacher's room, stealing their internet. But school is back in session, so I've regained my honorary cubicle position across from my mother's. It's funny, when I graduated, I thought I'd never come back, I was so very done with high school, but now...boredom has set in, so I'm back in the teacher's room, and hanging around the AP English class. I can't wait until this fall, when I can start school in full, and engage my brain in continuous intellectual activity.
2/13/10
Prompt: “She was worried by the excited look in his eye…” (NaN0)
Start Time: 5:20
She got into the car slowly, trepidation evident in her moves. Jason was a little more cryptic than usual when he’d called, just saying that he’d pick her up in half hour, so be ready. Now, with most people, one might think of lovely surprises, or romantic dinners, but with Jason—let’s just say that the last time he’d done something like this, it was to take her eel-fishing…and somehow, the thought of having to swallow live eels hadn’t occurred to him.
As she buckled in, she glanced over at him, worried by the excited look in his eye. Still, she tried to act calm, as she asked, “So, where are we going?”
He just grinned. “It wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you.”
She rolled her eyes, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like “That’s the point.” He just laughed, and pulled out of the driveway, turning onto the main road. The music played quietly, and they chatted amicably.
After a while, the car stopped outside a small diner. Jessie furrowed her brow, slightly confused. Jason helped her out of the car and led her into the diner. She moved to sit in one of the booths, but he tugged her further into the room, to the booth on the far side of the small space. Realization slowly dawned on her as she took in the pseudo-familiar red coverings on the benches and the quotes painted along the wall.
“Isn’t this—”
Jason grinned and nodded, effectively cutting off the rest of her question. After he’d seated her, instead of sliding into the opposite space, he dropped to one knee, his hand deftly reaching into his pocket. As he slipped the ring on her finger, glee bubbled up in her chest. He’d finally succeeded and given her the perfect surprise.
Total Time: 7 minutes
Word Count: 301
2/13/10
Prompt: “She was worried by the excited look in his eye…” (NaN0)
Start Time: 5:20
She got into the car slowly, trepidation evident in her moves. Jason was a little more cryptic than usual when he’d called, just saying that he’d pick her up in half hour, so be ready. Now, with most people, one might think of lovely surprises, or romantic dinners, but with Jason—let’s just say that the last time he’d done something like this, it was to take her eel-fishing…and somehow, the thought of having to swallow live eels hadn’t occurred to him.
As she buckled in, she glanced over at him, worried by the excited look in his eye. Still, she tried to act calm, as she asked, “So, where are we going?”
He just grinned. “It wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you.”
She rolled her eyes, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like “That’s the point.” He just laughed, and pulled out of the driveway, turning onto the main road. The music played quietly, and they chatted amicably.
After a while, the car stopped outside a small diner. Jessie furrowed her brow, slightly confused. Jason helped her out of the car and led her into the diner. She moved to sit in one of the booths, but he tugged her further into the room, to the booth on the far side of the small space. Realization slowly dawned on her as she took in the pseudo-familiar red coverings on the benches and the quotes painted along the wall.
“Isn’t this—”
Jason grinned and nodded, effectively cutting off the rest of her question. After he’d seated her, instead of sliding into the opposite space, he dropped to one knee, his hand deftly reaching into his pocket. As he slipped the ring on her finger, glee bubbled up in her chest. He’d finally succeeded and given her the perfect surprise.
Total Time: 7 minutes
Word Count: 301
Friday, February 12, 2010
Twofer One
Well, no time-stamp on this one, it was written in longhand (in the middle of a staff meeting :D), so it was sort of on and off writing...anywho, I got bored when I finished the first one, and just wrote another shorty that you guys can have as well :).
Have fun with it!
2/12/10
Prompt: "He would have said it was all Greek to him, except he understood Greek..." (NaNo)
He would have said it was all Greek to him, except he understood Greek, so it would kind of defeat the purpose. In fact, he not only understood Greek, he could speak and write it fluently--along with Spanish, Russian, Arabic, and a smattering of several others. But these writings in front of him...these numbers...they were completely foreign to him.
He sighed, running his fingers through his thick black hair. God, he hated numbers. Words, languages, he excelled at, but numbers...numbers were enough to make him break out in a cold sweat. Even growing up, in high school for example, he made it through the basic math classes, barely, yet ended up with four years' worth of classes in three different languages. In college, he'd taken the minimun amount of math and science, while bulking up on languages and histories.
He sighed again, turning his attention back to the numbers scrolling across the computer screen. He shook his head and winced. There was no way he'd be able to figure it out on time. With a groan of defeat, he picked up the phone and dialed quickly. It rang twice before a perky female voice answered.
"Hey babe, how's it goin'?"
He couldn't resist a smile when he heard her voice, but couldn't help the note of embarrassment that crept into his voice as he replied. "Um...numbers, me...not great."
She laughed, the sound floating across the phone lines like a burbling brook. "Okay, I'll be right over. Love you!"
He hung up the phone and sighed in relief. A quick glance at the clock showed that there was enough time to run to the store and pick up some chocolate before she got there. Maybe there'd even be time to catch a movie or something when they were done.
He smiled as he grabbed his jacket. Looks like today was shaping up to be a wonderful day.
Word Count: 317
!!!BONUS!!!
She sighed softly, staring out the window, her palm gently cupping her chin. It was a beautiful spring day, with birds singing among the cherry blossoms, but she didn't notice. Although her eyes were fixed on the window, her mind was focused elsewhere, an elsewhere so very far away.
In this elsewhere, she was walking barefoot down a beach, with the warm salt water lapping at her toes. A bouquet of wildflowers dangled loosely in her fingers; her other hand was clasped warmly in Travis's calloused one. How she missed him! It had been two months since he'd left, and she missed him more and more every day. She couldn't imagine how she'd feel if he was a soldier or translator shipped off to Iraq or something--she was blessed to have a fiance who was overseas for other reasons, business reasons. He was in England, only for three months, to work with his advertising firm on a major deal. He'd offered to take her with him, but she couldn't leave school and work for that amount of time. But still, when he'd left, he'd taken a piece of her heart with him, and she felt the loss every day he was gone.
They talked every night, not always on the phone, sometimes they could only manage a chat on Facebook or something, but if they got lucky, they were able to chat on a webcam. Those were the best conversations, but they still didn't replace face-to-face interaction.
The doorbell rang, and she sighed as she walked down the stairs. It was probably the landscapers, they were scheduled to do the garden and lawn this afternoon. She checked the peephole, then squealed in shock and delight. The door couldn't open fast enough, then she threw herself into Travis' arms.
"You're back! You're back!" She kissed him, then hugged him even tighter. "How! Oh my god, I can't believe you're back!"
He laughed and twirled her around. "We finished the job early, they said I could come home. I missed you, sweetie," he grinned. "Did you miss me?"
She kissed him again. "Of course I did! By the way, you are not allowed to leave for that long again, not unless you take me."
"Hey, I offered..."
They both laughed, and walked inside, arm in arm, both overwhelmed with joy. Love was such a wonderful thing, and surprises, especially ones like this, were the things that made life delicious. The birds still sang outside, but somehow, their songs became clearer. The sun shone brighter, the cherry blossoms smelled sweeter, and life in general, smiled a little more.
Word Count: 436
And so goes the beginning of my 'Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!' weekend :). Enjoy!
Have fun with it!
2/12/10
Prompt: "He would have said it was all Greek to him, except he understood Greek..." (NaNo)
He would have said it was all Greek to him, except he understood Greek, so it would kind of defeat the purpose. In fact, he not only understood Greek, he could speak and write it fluently--along with Spanish, Russian, Arabic, and a smattering of several others. But these writings in front of him...these numbers...they were completely foreign to him.
He sighed, running his fingers through his thick black hair. God, he hated numbers. Words, languages, he excelled at, but numbers...numbers were enough to make him break out in a cold sweat. Even growing up, in high school for example, he made it through the basic math classes, barely, yet ended up with four years' worth of classes in three different languages. In college, he'd taken the minimun amount of math and science, while bulking up on languages and histories.
He sighed again, turning his attention back to the numbers scrolling across the computer screen. He shook his head and winced. There was no way he'd be able to figure it out on time. With a groan of defeat, he picked up the phone and dialed quickly. It rang twice before a perky female voice answered.
"Hey babe, how's it goin'?"
He couldn't resist a smile when he heard her voice, but couldn't help the note of embarrassment that crept into his voice as he replied. "Um...numbers, me...not great."
She laughed, the sound floating across the phone lines like a burbling brook. "Okay, I'll be right over. Love you!"
He hung up the phone and sighed in relief. A quick glance at the clock showed that there was enough time to run to the store and pick up some chocolate before she got there. Maybe there'd even be time to catch a movie or something when they were done.
He smiled as he grabbed his jacket. Looks like today was shaping up to be a wonderful day.
Word Count: 317
!!!BONUS!!!
She sighed softly, staring out the window, her palm gently cupping her chin. It was a beautiful spring day, with birds singing among the cherry blossoms, but she didn't notice. Although her eyes were fixed on the window, her mind was focused elsewhere, an elsewhere so very far away.
In this elsewhere, she was walking barefoot down a beach, with the warm salt water lapping at her toes. A bouquet of wildflowers dangled loosely in her fingers; her other hand was clasped warmly in Travis's calloused one. How she missed him! It had been two months since he'd left, and she missed him more and more every day. She couldn't imagine how she'd feel if he was a soldier or translator shipped off to Iraq or something--she was blessed to have a fiance who was overseas for other reasons, business reasons. He was in England, only for three months, to work with his advertising firm on a major deal. He'd offered to take her with him, but she couldn't leave school and work for that amount of time. But still, when he'd left, he'd taken a piece of her heart with him, and she felt the loss every day he was gone.
They talked every night, not always on the phone, sometimes they could only manage a chat on Facebook or something, but if they got lucky, they were able to chat on a webcam. Those were the best conversations, but they still didn't replace face-to-face interaction.
The doorbell rang, and she sighed as she walked down the stairs. It was probably the landscapers, they were scheduled to do the garden and lawn this afternoon. She checked the peephole, then squealed in shock and delight. The door couldn't open fast enough, then she threw herself into Travis' arms.
"You're back! You're back!" She kissed him, then hugged him even tighter. "How! Oh my god, I can't believe you're back!"
He laughed and twirled her around. "We finished the job early, they said I could come home. I missed you, sweetie," he grinned. "Did you miss me?"
She kissed him again. "Of course I did! By the way, you are not allowed to leave for that long again, not unless you take me."
"Hey, I offered..."
They both laughed, and walked inside, arm in arm, both overwhelmed with joy. Love was such a wonderful thing, and surprises, especially ones like this, were the things that made life delicious. The birds still sang outside, but somehow, their songs became clearer. The sun shone brighter, the cherry blossoms smelled sweeter, and life in general, smiled a little more.
Word Count: 436
And so goes the beginning of my 'Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!' weekend :). Enjoy!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Kinda Creepy...
Here's an interesting one...I blame it on the fact that I watched Bones all morning. Getting inside strange or creepy character's heads is an interesting experience...one I can't say I like or dislike. I guess it depends on the character...this one was creepy, especially since I got all the background stuff...the stuff that shows up in between the lines. Anyway, the next one will have much nicer characters :), no serial killers among them, lol.
2/11/10
“The window was positioned so perfectly, a person looking out could know the business of every person on the street…”
He sat back in the overstuffed armchair and smiled. It was an odd smile, rather unsettling, but there was no one there to see it, so he wasn’t worried. He surveyed the small apartment, much like a lord surveying his manor. Not a single thing was out of place. He’d finally found the perfect abode, with the perfect location, and the perfect view.
In fact, it was the window overlooking the street that he found most pleasing. It was positioned so perfectly, a person looking out could know the business of every person on the street. And how he loved knowing people’s business. You might say it was his life’s blood.
He sighed and took a long, slow drink from the glass bottle of beer he held. It was warm, but he liked it that way. He liked many strange things, things no one knew about. Things no one could know about. And he liked it that way. He stood, moving over to the window, staring out at the people hurrying quickly to and fro. Who would he choose? He didn’t know yet. It would take time, maybe months, before he made his decision, and he enjoyed taking his time. It was all part of the process, the long, delicious process. His process. And he loved his process.
Total Time: 4 minutes
Word Count: 218
2/11/10
“The window was positioned so perfectly, a person looking out could know the business of every person on the street…”
He sat back in the overstuffed armchair and smiled. It was an odd smile, rather unsettling, but there was no one there to see it, so he wasn’t worried. He surveyed the small apartment, much like a lord surveying his manor. Not a single thing was out of place. He’d finally found the perfect abode, with the perfect location, and the perfect view.
In fact, it was the window overlooking the street that he found most pleasing. It was positioned so perfectly, a person looking out could know the business of every person on the street. And how he loved knowing people’s business. You might say it was his life’s blood.
He sighed and took a long, slow drink from the glass bottle of beer he held. It was warm, but he liked it that way. He liked many strange things, things no one knew about. Things no one could know about. And he liked it that way. He stood, moving over to the window, staring out at the people hurrying quickly to and fro. Who would he choose? He didn’t know yet. It would take time, maybe months, before he made his decision, and he enjoyed taking his time. It was all part of the process, the long, delicious process. His process. And he loved his process.
Total Time: 4 minutes
Word Count: 218
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
The Last "Abbie" Prompt....
Well, Abbie, thanks for getting February off to such a great start! Here's the last one, hope you enjoy it!
2/10/10
Prompt: “And then, Abbie ran out of ideas for sentences.” (Abbie)
And then, Abbie ran out of ideas for sentences. That was it, there was no more juice left in the imagination. After writing out 10 different sentences for her student, she just couldn’t think of any more ways to use Mom, Amy, Lindsay, and Ashley, all in the same sentence. There weren’t any left, and it was late. She sighed, and closed the notebook. Sushi was calling, along with her date. Maybe they’d make less gay babies this time…she grinned. Here’s hoping!
Total Time: 2 minutes
Word Count: 82
2/10/10
Prompt: “And then, Abbie ran out of ideas for sentences.” (Abbie)
And then, Abbie ran out of ideas for sentences. That was it, there was no more juice left in the imagination. After writing out 10 different sentences for her student, she just couldn’t think of any more ways to use Mom, Amy, Lindsay, and Ashley, all in the same sentence. There weren’t any left, and it was late. She sighed, and closed the notebook. Sushi was calling, along with her date. Maybe they’d make less gay babies this time…she grinned. Here’s hoping!
Total Time: 2 minutes
Word Count: 82
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Third Time's the Charm!
Well, well, well...I'm pretty darn proud of myself today! This is the third day in a row that I've updated on time! I'm on a roll here, hope it lasts!
2/9/10
Prompt: “I thought it was weird when she told me she enjoyed reading about decomposed bodies found in San Francisco Bay." (Abbie)
Dear Diary,
I had several interesting conversations today, most notably, one with Marcie, my friend in math class. We were watching an episode of Bones after school today, and it was about a body being found in the Delaware Bay. That reminded her of an article she’d just read, and I must say, I thought it was weird when she told me she enjoyed reading about decomposed bodies found in San Francisco Bay.
But then she explained it all, and said that she was reading this article about an actual body that was found, from a murder that took place like three years ago. It was pretty interesting, but anyway, I gotta run, bedtime.
Toodles!
~ Jessica
Total Time: 2 minutes
Word Count: 116
2/9/10
Prompt: “I thought it was weird when she told me she enjoyed reading about decomposed bodies found in San Francisco Bay." (Abbie)
Dear Diary,
I had several interesting conversations today, most notably, one with Marcie, my friend in math class. We were watching an episode of Bones after school today, and it was about a body being found in the Delaware Bay. That reminded her of an article she’d just read, and I must say, I thought it was weird when she told me she enjoyed reading about decomposed bodies found in San Francisco Bay.
But then she explained it all, and said that she was reading this article about an actual body that was found, from a murder that took place like three years ago. It was pretty interesting, but anyway, I gotta run, bedtime.
Toodles!
~ Jessica
Total Time: 2 minutes
Word Count: 116
Monday, February 8, 2010
I've been inspired...
Inspiration comes in many shapes and forms. This inspiration came from my older brother, and is not, as you may think, connected in any way, shape, or form to this particular blog! It is, in fact, connected to the book I'm just starting to write, entitled "Breaking Up With God: A Girl's Guide to Leaving Religion." You see, I tend to start many projects, but I rarely finish them. This one however, I will finish. Partly because it will justify having taken a year off school, but partly because of the aforementioned inspiration.
Joshua was talking to my mom online, something she does more and more frequently, and he mentioned my idea, saying that once I finished it, I'd be famous--people would see me on the Tonight Show, with the heading "Controversial New Author Talks About Book." Now, I'm not a particularly arrogant person, but come on, that concept does have some merits. And so that is the focus that will allow me to finish this book (I hope!). If not, I get to post a lovely retraction in a month, when a new project has caught my eye.
Anywho, the real reason I'm posting: today's prompt!
2/8/10
“He walked ever so quickly to the toilet paper aisle.”
He walked ever so quickly to the toilet paper aisle, ducking behind the tall shelves. Damn her. Every where he went, he saw her, even if it was just the reflection in the glass as she left a store. He couldn’t get her out of his head, no matter how hard he tried. No matter how many times he told himself that it was over, she haunted him. Her face, her voice, the ethereal scent of roses and lavender that trailed behind her every step. The sound of her laughter as she saw something particularly amusing. She would never leave him.
He breathed heavily, peeking out of the aisle to see if she’d gone. She had, moving along to haunt some other unsuspecting man. He cursed under his breath, and finished his shopping quickly. He was never safe, not even in his own house. He could lock himself in his bathroom, and still, her taunting laughter haunted him. No wall, no door, no curtained window could keep her out.
Nothing could keep out a ghost.
Total Time: 3 minutes
Word Count: 175
Joshua was talking to my mom online, something she does more and more frequently, and he mentioned my idea, saying that once I finished it, I'd be famous--people would see me on the Tonight Show, with the heading "Controversial New Author Talks About Book." Now, I'm not a particularly arrogant person, but come on, that concept does have some merits. And so that is the focus that will allow me to finish this book (I hope!). If not, I get to post a lovely retraction in a month, when a new project has caught my eye.
Anywho, the real reason I'm posting: today's prompt!
2/8/10
“He walked ever so quickly to the toilet paper aisle.”
He walked ever so quickly to the toilet paper aisle, ducking behind the tall shelves. Damn her. Every where he went, he saw her, even if it was just the reflection in the glass as she left a store. He couldn’t get her out of his head, no matter how hard he tried. No matter how many times he told himself that it was over, she haunted him. Her face, her voice, the ethereal scent of roses and lavender that trailed behind her every step. The sound of her laughter as she saw something particularly amusing. She would never leave him.
He breathed heavily, peeking out of the aisle to see if she’d gone. She had, moving along to haunt some other unsuspecting man. He cursed under his breath, and finished his shopping quickly. He was never safe, not even in his own house. He could lock himself in his bathroom, and still, her taunting laughter haunted him. No wall, no door, no curtained window could keep her out.
Nothing could keep out a ghost.
Total Time: 3 minutes
Word Count: 175
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Sorry it took so long...
Well, it's official. Not having internet on my laptop totally sucks! Abbie, here's a whole bunch more of your prompts! I must admit, I took the easy way out on the loincloth one :). Out of curiosity, where did that one come from????
Well, here goes!
2/3/10
“When I asked Mr. Bush where he was heading, he replied ‘Area 51’”
When I asked Mr. Bush where he was heading, he replied “Area 51,” with a joking smile.
I laughed at his reference to the Book Room, which teachers referred to affectionately as Area 51. The reasoning behind this was somewhat convoluted…but I believe it had something to do with the fact that no one really knew what was actually in the Book Room, and hardly anyone actually knew it existed—only the English teachers really used it. The books were rotating…sometimes you’d find only Ray Bradbury-esque books, because the other teachers had the rest out, and sometimes, it’d be packed to the ceiling with everything under the sun…from “Heart of Darkness” and “Billy Budd,” to “Einstein’s Dreams” and “Things Fall Apart.”
The Book Room was my favorite place to be in the whole school. Mr. Bush had given me a key to it, so I could hide out during my study halls. I would sit in the corner, poring over Shakespeare, Plato, and Ayn Rand. I loved it. Honestly, it was probably the only place in the whole school that I actually missed when I finally graduated. Ah well, maybe someday I’d have a Book Room all to my own. Someday, I definitely would.
End Time: 7:41
Total Time: 5 minutes
Word Count: 204
2/4/10
“The poor Hispanic worker scooped up a bucket loader full of rotting animals and dumped it into the grinder.”
“The poor Hispanic worker scooped up a bucket loader full of rotting animals and dumped it into the grinder. The cogs churned, and ground up the carcasses, processing it into a gruesome paste, where it was then dumped in a giant vat.”
“Ewww! Sarah, stop!” Jennie squealed in disgust, and her sister looked up from the website she was reading and laughed.
“What, too disgusting for you?”
Jennie nodded. “Yeah, not to mention it’s actually true.”
Sarah grinned. “Alright, fine, I’ll read something else. How about UFOs abducting cows to do rectal exams?”
She laughed and darted out of the room as her sister tossed a pillow at her in mock anger. Sometimes, a little sister just had to be annoying.
Total Time: 3 minutes
Word Count: 121
2/5/10
“She replied, ‘I wish loin cloths were made out of canvas’”
“If you could wish for anything in the world, what would it be?” Jason asked, a curious look on his face.
She thought about it for a minute before she replied, “I wish loin cloths were made out of canvas.”
He looked at her for a minute, not quite believing that she’d actually said that. “Why?” he finally managed to get out.
She grinned. “No reason, I just wanted to see your face.”
They both laughed at that, then the topic veered off on another tangent, as they sipped their coffee, simply enjoying each others’ company.
Total Time: 2 minutes
Word Count: 96
2/6/10
“On this day, God wants you to know that...”
“On this day, God wants you to know that you are absolutely nothing special, unless you factor in that you belong to the majority of people who believe in something totally fictional and absolutely ridiculous. If you laughed the minute you read ‘God wants you to know,’ then you belong to the minority, the ones who have tossed off the chains of religious imprisonment, and are now free-thinking, happy people.”
She put down the pencil and reread the paragraph. That was good. Definitely a good start to her blog for the day. She took a sip of water, then kept writing, eager to get the post up so she could move on to the next thing. After all, a writer never stopped at one project, she was always coming up with new ones.
Total Time: 3 minutes
Word Count: 133
2/7/10
“That night, at dinner, tons of gay babies were born.”
Did you know that for every awkward silence, a gay baby is born? I didn’t, until my first date with Patrick. I was nervous, and I think he could tell, for he consistently took steps to lighten the mood. After probably the fifteenth awkward silence, he laughed, and calmly informed me that every time there was an awkward silence, a gay baby was born.
We both laughed, and the mood was successfully and officially lightened. The first thing I wrote in my journal when I got home, was "That night at dinner, tons of gay babies were born."
It was a good thing too, because about a year and probably thousands of gay babies later, he was kneeling on the ground in front of me, holding out a little black box with a diamond ring in it. Thank God for gay babies.
Total Time: 4 minutes
Word Count: 142
Well, here goes!
2/3/10
“When I asked Mr. Bush where he was heading, he replied ‘Area 51’”
When I asked Mr. Bush where he was heading, he replied “Area 51,” with a joking smile.
I laughed at his reference to the Book Room, which teachers referred to affectionately as Area 51. The reasoning behind this was somewhat convoluted…but I believe it had something to do with the fact that no one really knew what was actually in the Book Room, and hardly anyone actually knew it existed—only the English teachers really used it. The books were rotating…sometimes you’d find only Ray Bradbury-esque books, because the other teachers had the rest out, and sometimes, it’d be packed to the ceiling with everything under the sun…from “Heart of Darkness” and “Billy Budd,” to “Einstein’s Dreams” and “Things Fall Apart.”
The Book Room was my favorite place to be in the whole school. Mr. Bush had given me a key to it, so I could hide out during my study halls. I would sit in the corner, poring over Shakespeare, Plato, and Ayn Rand. I loved it. Honestly, it was probably the only place in the whole school that I actually missed when I finally graduated. Ah well, maybe someday I’d have a Book Room all to my own. Someday, I definitely would.
End Time: 7:41
Total Time: 5 minutes
Word Count: 204
2/4/10
“The poor Hispanic worker scooped up a bucket loader full of rotting animals and dumped it into the grinder.”
“The poor Hispanic worker scooped up a bucket loader full of rotting animals and dumped it into the grinder. The cogs churned, and ground up the carcasses, processing it into a gruesome paste, where it was then dumped in a giant vat.”
“Ewww! Sarah, stop!” Jennie squealed in disgust, and her sister looked up from the website she was reading and laughed.
“What, too disgusting for you?”
Jennie nodded. “Yeah, not to mention it’s actually true.”
Sarah grinned. “Alright, fine, I’ll read something else. How about UFOs abducting cows to do rectal exams?”
She laughed and darted out of the room as her sister tossed a pillow at her in mock anger. Sometimes, a little sister just had to be annoying.
Total Time: 3 minutes
Word Count: 121
2/5/10
“She replied, ‘I wish loin cloths were made out of canvas’”
“If you could wish for anything in the world, what would it be?” Jason asked, a curious look on his face.
She thought about it for a minute before she replied, “I wish loin cloths were made out of canvas.”
He looked at her for a minute, not quite believing that she’d actually said that. “Why?” he finally managed to get out.
She grinned. “No reason, I just wanted to see your face.”
They both laughed at that, then the topic veered off on another tangent, as they sipped their coffee, simply enjoying each others’ company.
Total Time: 2 minutes
Word Count: 96
2/6/10
“On this day, God wants you to know that...”
“On this day, God wants you to know that you are absolutely nothing special, unless you factor in that you belong to the majority of people who believe in something totally fictional and absolutely ridiculous. If you laughed the minute you read ‘God wants you to know,’ then you belong to the minority, the ones who have tossed off the chains of religious imprisonment, and are now free-thinking, happy people.”
She put down the pencil and reread the paragraph. That was good. Definitely a good start to her blog for the day. She took a sip of water, then kept writing, eager to get the post up so she could move on to the next thing. After all, a writer never stopped at one project, she was always coming up with new ones.
Total Time: 3 minutes
Word Count: 133
2/7/10
“That night, at dinner, tons of gay babies were born.”
Did you know that for every awkward silence, a gay baby is born? I didn’t, until my first date with Patrick. I was nervous, and I think he could tell, for he consistently took steps to lighten the mood. After probably the fifteenth awkward silence, he laughed, and calmly informed me that every time there was an awkward silence, a gay baby was born.
We both laughed, and the mood was successfully and officially lightened. The first thing I wrote in my journal when I got home, was "That night at dinner, tons of gay babies were born."
It was a good thing too, because about a year and probably thousands of gay babies later, he was kneeling on the ground in front of me, holding out a little black box with a diamond ring in it. Thank God for gay babies.
Total Time: 4 minutes
Word Count: 142
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Mostly Fiction...
Alright, so this one, while technically fiction, has aspects of truth in it. While in Portland on a Girl's Night, Abbie and Amy did find a cell phone, and they did dial the number labeled 'Jackass' (yeah, that's just too good to be made up), and the girl did answer, and give a similar response. But the situation is different, and there's no way that Amy would ever park several blocks away from wherever she worked if it was snowing!
2/2/10
Prompt: “While walking along the snow covered sidewalk, Amy spotted a cell phone.” (Abbie Morrison)
It was late in the evening when Amy left work. She shivered as the snowflakes peppered her hair and jacket with tiny dots of white. Her car was parked a block or so away, and while walking along the snow-covered sidewalk, she spotted a cell phone.
It was lying there amid the falling snow like so many discarded pieces of rubbish chucked away by an unconcerned citizen. She picked it up, looked at it. It was a nice phone, still working, so she pocketed it and made her way back to the car. Once in the warmth, she opened it and scrolled through the contacts list.
Jason, Randy, Michelle…the names scrolled by. She called the number labeled ‘Dad’, but got no answer. Mom’s number yielded the same results. She tried number after number, but to no avail. Finally, she decided to go through the incoming calls, to see who the phone talked to the most. The first number that came up was labeled ‘Jackass.’
“What the hell,” she thought, and dialed the number. A woman’s voice answered, sounding confused.
“Hello?”
“Um, hi,” Amy replied. “I found this phone, and you were in it…do you know whose it is?”
The girl on the other line laughed. “Yeah, she’s sitting right next to me!”
Total Time: 5 minutes
Word Count: 212
2/2/10
Prompt: “While walking along the snow covered sidewalk, Amy spotted a cell phone.” (Abbie Morrison)
It was late in the evening when Amy left work. She shivered as the snowflakes peppered her hair and jacket with tiny dots of white. Her car was parked a block or so away, and while walking along the snow-covered sidewalk, she spotted a cell phone.
It was lying there amid the falling snow like so many discarded pieces of rubbish chucked away by an unconcerned citizen. She picked it up, looked at it. It was a nice phone, still working, so she pocketed it and made her way back to the car. Once in the warmth, she opened it and scrolled through the contacts list.
Jason, Randy, Michelle…the names scrolled by. She called the number labeled ‘Dad’, but got no answer. Mom’s number yielded the same results. She tried number after number, but to no avail. Finally, she decided to go through the incoming calls, to see who the phone talked to the most. The first number that came up was labeled ‘Jackass.’
“What the hell,” she thought, and dialed the number. A woman’s voice answered, sounding confused.
“Hello?”
“Um, hi,” Amy replied. “I found this phone, and you were in it…do you know whose it is?”
The girl on the other line laughed. “Yeah, she’s sitting right next to me!”
Total Time: 5 minutes
Word Count: 212
Monday, February 1, 2010
February Kick-Off!
A big thanks to Abbie Morrison for supplying the first 10 prompts of February! She did make it a little difficult to keep it fiction, though, seeing as how all the sentences pertain to actual real-life events :P. I did manage it, though, so here goes!
2/1/10
Prompt: “All of a sudden Abbie heard a knock at the door.” (Abbie Morrison)
It was late, almost midnight, when all of the sudden, Abbie heard a knock at the door. She sat up in bed, scanning the dark room, holding her breath. No one else was home, and any sane person would be home in bed, or at least out partying, not knocking on her front door. She got out of bed and slipped her fuzzy slippers on before creeping into the kitchen. The rolling pin was her first thought, and she eased it quietly out of the drawer before continuing on to the front door.
She peeked through the peephole, but saw nothing. She was sweating now, and her heart was thumping so loudly she thought it would bust out of her chest. Holding the rolling pin at the ready, she cracked the door open and peered outside. Nothing. She flicked on the light and looked again. A small package was sitting on the front stoop and she picked it up, then hurried back inside, locking the door as soon as it shut.
The package was thin and rectangular, wrapped in a cut-up paper bag. There was a post-it sticky note stuck to the packaging, and she squealed in indignation when she read it. It was simple, one word: Gotcha!
Muttering to herself, she opened the package. All things were forgiven then, when she saw the Little Debbie snack cakes sitting in the paper. Time for a midnight snack.
Total Time: 5 minutes
Word Count: 237
Alright, I kept it almost all fiction :)
2/1/10
Prompt: “All of a sudden Abbie heard a knock at the door.” (Abbie Morrison)
It was late, almost midnight, when all of the sudden, Abbie heard a knock at the door. She sat up in bed, scanning the dark room, holding her breath. No one else was home, and any sane person would be home in bed, or at least out partying, not knocking on her front door. She got out of bed and slipped her fuzzy slippers on before creeping into the kitchen. The rolling pin was her first thought, and she eased it quietly out of the drawer before continuing on to the front door.
She peeked through the peephole, but saw nothing. She was sweating now, and her heart was thumping so loudly she thought it would bust out of her chest. Holding the rolling pin at the ready, she cracked the door open and peered outside. Nothing. She flicked on the light and looked again. A small package was sitting on the front stoop and she picked it up, then hurried back inside, locking the door as soon as it shut.
The package was thin and rectangular, wrapped in a cut-up paper bag. There was a post-it sticky note stuck to the packaging, and she squealed in indignation when she read it. It was simple, one word: Gotcha!
Muttering to herself, she opened the package. All things were forgiven then, when she saw the Little Debbie snack cakes sitting in the paper. Time for a midnight snack.
Total Time: 5 minutes
Word Count: 237
Alright, I kept it almost all fiction :)
The Rest of January
Here's the rest of the month of January! Let me tell you something, it feels great to have finished something, even if it's only part of a larger thing.
*A little side note...there is a somewhat mathematical equation in 1/30/10, but I can't figure out how to make superscript numbers, so e squared looks like e2.*
1/29/10
Prompt: “He stared long and hard at the wall, trying to remember just what it was he had been thinking about…” (NaNo)
He stared long and hard at the wall, trying to remember just what it was he had been thinking about. It was something important, he knew that, and he’d been thinking quite hard about it before he’d been distracted. He was sitting in his favorite chair, thinking about it, when the doorbell rang. He’d answered it, paid the paperboy, then he sat back down. That was when he’d forgotten what he’d been thinking about.
He furrowed his brow, focusing harder. What had it been? A sharp ringing sound distracted him momentarily.
“Hello?” he said, rather irritated, as he picked up the phone. He talked for a couple minutes—it was his boss, he couldn’t very well hang up on her—then he sat back down, trying to remember what he had been attempting to do before the phone had distracted him. It must have been something important.
Total Time: 4 minutes
Word Count: 147
1/30/10
Prompt: “The numbers began to repeat…” (NaNo)
He blinked and rubbed his eyes as the numbers began to repeat, blurring together on the page. He’d been staring at the same problem for at least an hour, trying in vain to solve the stupid thing. He sighed and looked away, trying to remember what his professor always said about difficult problems. Always go back to the basics. Don’t over think things.
He took a deep breath and looked at the problem, the directions, the equation, all of it. There, sitting right underneath the directions, was the key. X = e2.
Wow. That made things so much simpler. This was the last time he tried to do math homework at 1:00 in the morning. Definitely the last time.
Total Time: 3 minutes
Word Count: 119
1/31/10
Prompt: “…did you just call me a ho-bot?” (NaNo)
Model number F86 Day-Z turned her attention from the cute M38 walking by and looked at her friend.
“Did you just call me a ho-bot?” she asked incredulously.
Daf-0-DIL, Day-Z’s best bud, laughed hysterically, the sound coming out of her speakers like feedback on a singer’s mic. “yeah, yeah I did,” she managed to get out between bursts of static.
“Why?”
“Because you’re staring at that bot like he’s a can of oil and you’re looking to get greased! I swear Day-Z, you’re so desperate for a guy that you’re willing to swap parts with just about any model that walks by.”
The two laughed at Daf’s comment, and walked down the street towards their hovercar. Machines whizzed by, other robots on their way home from work, or maybe heading to dinner with a date. Such was life in the 36th century. Such was life.
Total Time: 4 minutes
Word Count: 145
Hope you enjoyed them!
*A little side note...there is a somewhat mathematical equation in 1/30/10, but I can't figure out how to make superscript numbers, so e squared looks like e2.*
1/29/10
Prompt: “He stared long and hard at the wall, trying to remember just what it was he had been thinking about…” (NaNo)
He stared long and hard at the wall, trying to remember just what it was he had been thinking about. It was something important, he knew that, and he’d been thinking quite hard about it before he’d been distracted. He was sitting in his favorite chair, thinking about it, when the doorbell rang. He’d answered it, paid the paperboy, then he sat back down. That was when he’d forgotten what he’d been thinking about.
He furrowed his brow, focusing harder. What had it been? A sharp ringing sound distracted him momentarily.
“Hello?” he said, rather irritated, as he picked up the phone. He talked for a couple minutes—it was his boss, he couldn’t very well hang up on her—then he sat back down, trying to remember what he had been attempting to do before the phone had distracted him. It must have been something important.
Total Time: 4 minutes
Word Count: 147
1/30/10
Prompt: “The numbers began to repeat…” (NaNo)
He blinked and rubbed his eyes as the numbers began to repeat, blurring together on the page. He’d been staring at the same problem for at least an hour, trying in vain to solve the stupid thing. He sighed and looked away, trying to remember what his professor always said about difficult problems. Always go back to the basics. Don’t over think things.
He took a deep breath and looked at the problem, the directions, the equation, all of it. There, sitting right underneath the directions, was the key. X = e2.
Wow. That made things so much simpler. This was the last time he tried to do math homework at 1:00 in the morning. Definitely the last time.
Total Time: 3 minutes
Word Count: 119
1/31/10
Prompt: “…did you just call me a ho-bot?” (NaNo)
Model number F86 Day-Z turned her attention from the cute M38 walking by and looked at her friend.
“Did you just call me a ho-bot?” she asked incredulously.
Daf-0-DIL, Day-Z’s best bud, laughed hysterically, the sound coming out of her speakers like feedback on a singer’s mic. “yeah, yeah I did,” she managed to get out between bursts of static.
“Why?”
“Because you’re staring at that bot like he’s a can of oil and you’re looking to get greased! I swear Day-Z, you’re so desperate for a guy that you’re willing to swap parts with just about any model that walks by.”
The two laughed at Daf’s comment, and walked down the street towards their hovercar. Machines whizzed by, other robots on their way home from work, or maybe heading to dinner with a date. Such was life in the 36th century. Such was life.
Total Time: 4 minutes
Word Count: 145
Hope you enjoyed them!
Here's a Looooong One...
1/28/10
Prompt: “’I’m sorry,’ she whispered, but it wasn’t enough…” (NaNo)
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, but it wasn’t enough. She knew it wasn’t, yet she had no choice but to walk away, her hand slowly trailing off his cheek. She turned before he could see the tears trickle down her face, and her heart silently shattered as she felt the betrayal screaming through his mind. Damn her for being psychic. She didn’t need his pain added to hers, she didn’t need to feel the rage, the hatred screaming through his mind. He hated her now, she knew it, she could feel it, and there was nothing she could do about it. He wouldn’t believe that she loved him, wouldn’t believe that she was trying as hard as she could to save his life, all he believed was what he saw—his lover walking towards his worst enemy.
It took her days to finally set the wheels in motion, days of unbearable agony. She knew that somewhere, hidden from would-be rescuers, her love was being tortured. She only hoped that he would forgive her. That was the only thing that kept her going through the pain—he was still alive. They wouldn’t break him, they couldn’t, he was too strong, and he just had to hang on until she could get them both out of this mess…alive. But he didn’t know that. He thought she was the betrayer, but he was wrong. She had been betrayed in this just as much as he had, only she at least knew who the betrayer was. She couldn’t prove it, but she knew. And that made the pain even worse.
It was hard to imagine one’s one brother, one’s twin, being responsible for such horror, but it was true. Her brother, her only family, had sold her and her lover to the enemy for mere profit. She supposed that the combined price tag was what swayed him, and he’d always been a greedy bastard, but she’d loved him, felt a sisterly connection to him, but that was long gone now. Now, she just had to bide her time until the last gear started turning.
It was eleven days, twenty-two hours, and fifty-seven minutes since he’d been betrayed. He’d endured countless agonies, but one thing had kept him going. Revenge. He would get revenge on the ones who’d done this to him, but mostly he would get revenge on her. How dare she! She’d pretended to love him, and like a moonstruck fool, he’d believed her, but when he’d been arrested, she hadn’t even been able to summon up a single tear. She’d just said “I’m sorry,” and that was all the confession he needed. Damn her! Damn her to hell.
The cell door opened, and he clenched his teeth, waiting for the first blow. It never came. Instead, the guard toppled over, a silver dagger sticking out of his back. Then she walked in. He scowled, about to hurl a curse at her, when he saw the tears streaming down her face. She moved towards him, her hands held out, reaching to cup his face.
“What have they done to you?” she breathed. He pulled away, pressing back against the wall.
“Why should you care?” he managed to bite out, his throat dry and aching.
More tears came, but she remained surprisingly task-oriented. “I care because I love you,” she said softly, reaching up to unlock the manacles that held him pinned to the wall. “I’ll always love you.”
He snorted angrily. “You have a fine way of showing it,” he snarled.
She froze. She’d known all along that he blamed her, but somehow, hearing it from him made the pain all the greater. She shook it off, focusing on the task at hand.
“I need to get you out of here before they find out the guard’s missing.”
“Why?” he asked harshly. “So they can capture me for trying to escape?”
This time, she stepped away. Glaring at him through the tears, she hissed her reply. “Do you think if I’d put you here, I’d be risking my life to get you out? Do you honestly think I could have ordered this?” She gestured to the filthy cell, to the raw wounds on his body. “I love you, dammit, now let me help you!”
He remained unmoved. “If you loved me, why did you let them do this?”
“Damn you!” she hissed. “Why are you making this so difficult! If I’d tried to stop them, you would be dead now, and I’d have a lot worse then scars on my back. It killed me, waiting for this moment. Killed me. I can feel everything you thought, every blow they struck. Do you think I would have put us through that on purpose?”
Turning around, she yanked her shirt over her head, exposing a network of barely healed scars crisscrossing her back. “I paid for it. I paid for trying to keep us alive. Not as much as you, and believe me, I would have gone through it for you if I could.”
She tugged the shirt back on and resumed unlocking the shackles. She had to catch him as he slid down the wall, unused to putting weight on his battered legs. She eased him out of the cell and down the hall. Glancing around, she slipped through a door, tugging him along behind her. A sudden explosion rocked the complex, and she urged him to move faster.
Finally, they were outside. Confusion and panic reigned as people milled about, trying furiously to put out a steadily growing fire on the opposite side of the lot. Moving quickly, she pulled him into an ambulance that swiftly pulled away and out of the complex, sirens wailing.
Seconds stretched by and she closed her eyes tight, praying that they wouldn’t be stopped. Finally, the sirens stopped, and the ambulance slowed.
She took a breath of relief, but still remained on edge. So was he. On edge, and still looking angry.
“So,” he asked, his tone slightly less vicious than the previous snarl. “If it wasn’t you, who was it?”
She winced at his condemnation. “It was my brother. Apparently we made him a billionaire.” The stream of curses that emanated from him was rather astonishing, and she winced again. “I second that.”
They sat in relative silence for some time, before the ambulance finally stopped. She moved the curtain and peeked out of the window, taking in their surroundings. With a sigh of utter relief, she sat back in her seat.
“We made it,” she breathed.
He still looked at her warily. “Made it where?”
She smiled, exhausted. “Out. We’re on our way home, love, we’re going home.”
Total Time: 25 minutes
Word Count: 1112
Prompt: “’I’m sorry,’ she whispered, but it wasn’t enough…” (NaNo)
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, but it wasn’t enough. She knew it wasn’t, yet she had no choice but to walk away, her hand slowly trailing off his cheek. She turned before he could see the tears trickle down her face, and her heart silently shattered as she felt the betrayal screaming through his mind. Damn her for being psychic. She didn’t need his pain added to hers, she didn’t need to feel the rage, the hatred screaming through his mind. He hated her now, she knew it, she could feel it, and there was nothing she could do about it. He wouldn’t believe that she loved him, wouldn’t believe that she was trying as hard as she could to save his life, all he believed was what he saw—his lover walking towards his worst enemy.
It took her days to finally set the wheels in motion, days of unbearable agony. She knew that somewhere, hidden from would-be rescuers, her love was being tortured. She only hoped that he would forgive her. That was the only thing that kept her going through the pain—he was still alive. They wouldn’t break him, they couldn’t, he was too strong, and he just had to hang on until she could get them both out of this mess…alive. But he didn’t know that. He thought she was the betrayer, but he was wrong. She had been betrayed in this just as much as he had, only she at least knew who the betrayer was. She couldn’t prove it, but she knew. And that made the pain even worse.
It was hard to imagine one’s one brother, one’s twin, being responsible for such horror, but it was true. Her brother, her only family, had sold her and her lover to the enemy for mere profit. She supposed that the combined price tag was what swayed him, and he’d always been a greedy bastard, but she’d loved him, felt a sisterly connection to him, but that was long gone now. Now, she just had to bide her time until the last gear started turning.
It was eleven days, twenty-two hours, and fifty-seven minutes since he’d been betrayed. He’d endured countless agonies, but one thing had kept him going. Revenge. He would get revenge on the ones who’d done this to him, but mostly he would get revenge on her. How dare she! She’d pretended to love him, and like a moonstruck fool, he’d believed her, but when he’d been arrested, she hadn’t even been able to summon up a single tear. She’d just said “I’m sorry,” and that was all the confession he needed. Damn her! Damn her to hell.
The cell door opened, and he clenched his teeth, waiting for the first blow. It never came. Instead, the guard toppled over, a silver dagger sticking out of his back. Then she walked in. He scowled, about to hurl a curse at her, when he saw the tears streaming down her face. She moved towards him, her hands held out, reaching to cup his face.
“What have they done to you?” she breathed. He pulled away, pressing back against the wall.
“Why should you care?” he managed to bite out, his throat dry and aching.
More tears came, but she remained surprisingly task-oriented. “I care because I love you,” she said softly, reaching up to unlock the manacles that held him pinned to the wall. “I’ll always love you.”
He snorted angrily. “You have a fine way of showing it,” he snarled.
She froze. She’d known all along that he blamed her, but somehow, hearing it from him made the pain all the greater. She shook it off, focusing on the task at hand.
“I need to get you out of here before they find out the guard’s missing.”
“Why?” he asked harshly. “So they can capture me for trying to escape?”
This time, she stepped away. Glaring at him through the tears, she hissed her reply. “Do you think if I’d put you here, I’d be risking my life to get you out? Do you honestly think I could have ordered this?” She gestured to the filthy cell, to the raw wounds on his body. “I love you, dammit, now let me help you!”
He remained unmoved. “If you loved me, why did you let them do this?”
“Damn you!” she hissed. “Why are you making this so difficult! If I’d tried to stop them, you would be dead now, and I’d have a lot worse then scars on my back. It killed me, waiting for this moment. Killed me. I can feel everything you thought, every blow they struck. Do you think I would have put us through that on purpose?”
Turning around, she yanked her shirt over her head, exposing a network of barely healed scars crisscrossing her back. “I paid for it. I paid for trying to keep us alive. Not as much as you, and believe me, I would have gone through it for you if I could.”
She tugged the shirt back on and resumed unlocking the shackles. She had to catch him as he slid down the wall, unused to putting weight on his battered legs. She eased him out of the cell and down the hall. Glancing around, she slipped through a door, tugging him along behind her. A sudden explosion rocked the complex, and she urged him to move faster.
Finally, they were outside. Confusion and panic reigned as people milled about, trying furiously to put out a steadily growing fire on the opposite side of the lot. Moving quickly, she pulled him into an ambulance that swiftly pulled away and out of the complex, sirens wailing.
Seconds stretched by and she closed her eyes tight, praying that they wouldn’t be stopped. Finally, the sirens stopped, and the ambulance slowed.
She took a breath of relief, but still remained on edge. So was he. On edge, and still looking angry.
“So,” he asked, his tone slightly less vicious than the previous snarl. “If it wasn’t you, who was it?”
She winced at his condemnation. “It was my brother. Apparently we made him a billionaire.” The stream of curses that emanated from him was rather astonishing, and she winced again. “I second that.”
They sat in relative silence for some time, before the ambulance finally stopped. She moved the curtain and peeked out of the window, taking in their surroundings. With a sigh of utter relief, she sat back in her seat.
“We made it,” she breathed.
He still looked at her warily. “Made it where?”
She smiled, exhausted. “Out. We’re on our way home, love, we’re going home.”
Total Time: 25 minutes
Word Count: 1112
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