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
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
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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