Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Writing Prompt Wednesday: QWERTY

As you may remember, the rules for Writing Prompt Wednesday go as follows: Read the prompt and then write your own before reading what I wrote. Then read mine and post your version in the comments below along with some feedback on my version. It's lots of writing fun!



"Quit hounding me! Will you just let it rest already?!"

"Eric, stop! Running isn't the answer and I think you know that."

The summer evening was warm and still apart from our shouts. Yards around us slowly started to fill with neighbors, curious at the commotion. Underneath an oak tree, across the street, sat a wide eyed girl, frozen, staring right at us and clutching a well worn doll. Instead of noticing the ever growing crowd, however, we continued to fight with increasing volume. Our normally quaint street kept to itself. People in this part of the country may smile as they pass you walking your dog, but they don't really want to know their neighbors. Although, when you can hear the shouts from the comfort of your toilet seat not knowing your neighbor isn't much of an option.

Secrets are what brought us together, Eric and I, and now those same secrets were tearing us apart. Day after day he would look at me and no longer see the woman he loved, but instead be reminded of what we did. Facing that fact was too much for him to bear and for whatever reason today was the last straw. Granted the guilt wasn't easy for me either but it would be a lot more manageable if we stayed together.

Heat from the sun was suddenly glaringly apparent as it settled down in the sky for the night. Jeers spilled from neighbors mouths and made their way toward our ears as we stood staring at each other. Keeping my lips tight, eyes narrow, I grabbed Eric's arm and yanked him behind the garage, away from prying eyes.

"Last time I checked," I hissed, "the best way make a secret lose it's peppy name is by broadcasting it to the entire neighborhood."

Zipping up his hoodie, he just stared at me with eyes that seemed to reprimand me for bringing up the 'S' word in the first place. Xenophobia, as it turns out, is a legitimate fear that shouldn't matter in this part of the country and wouldn't have if it weren't for that traveling salesman. Cautiously I slipped my hand into Eric's and led him back inside the house to calm him down; the last thing we needed was another accident. Vowing mentally that I would never let our reoccurring argument escalate to the outdoors again, I settled Eric on the couch and watched out the window as our nosy neighbors meandered back into their homes. Being this careful was a lot of work, it consumed me entirely but I had to ensure that no one would ever find out about what we did, what we had to do. Nor would they find the body. Mr. Poe's imagination has got nothing on me.

****

This would have been so much easier with a physical dictionary. I actually found this pretty difficult and I think mine turned out kind of dumb. But it was a good exercise to learn how to write sentences that start with something other than 'the' or 'a'. I'd love to see what you wrote and be amazed by how you did WAY better than me (Jessica).

9 comments:

  1. Okay, I know I sorta cheated. Rather than start each sentence with the next letter, I started each line with it instead. Also, the rhyming is simplistic but it's more about the story ; )

    Quietly she walks through darkening vale,
    Weakened by wound soon turning stale.
    Enthralling beauty despite her mar,
    Rank not preventing assault nor scar.
    Timid and scared - makes for the fount.
    Yonder salvation beneath that mount.
    Unsettling wind speaks through the leaves,
    Insisting she hurry – “Make haste and flee!”
    Only, her foe is drawing near…
    Petrified she halts frozen in fear.
    Alone the wraith slips through the trees,
    Stealthy as death - so quick it grieves.
    Despite her fear she pushes on,
    Fast and faster till wraith is gone.
    Gasping for breath - enters the grove
    Hallowed far more than church or trove.
    Just as her touch breaks waters face,
    Knowing this pool will wounds erase,
    Life stirs anew that slept beneath -
    Zealot of darkness, killer, thief.
    Xiphoid limb breaks forth and round
    Catching our heroine from off the ground.
    Violent its grasp upon her now,
    Breathing no more – it pulls her down.
    No more she fears the wraith to see,
    Most safe from him she’ll surely be.

    I was hoping to tie the story up a little differently but ran out of letters haha.





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    1. That was incredible! Color me impressed. Who knew my husband was a poet and totally outdid me too! I'm glad you did it Chris

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  2. Oh and I'm trying to use the word "xiphoid" as an adjective meaning "sword shaped" I don't mean it as "xiphoid process". That would just be silly. Stupid X words.

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  3. So impressed you are able to tell your story so poetically Chris! Jocelyn, yours is great, you sell yourself short. I loved the part about the neighbors hearing the argument from their toilet seats.

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  4. "Quiz me again."
    "Why are we still doing this. Everyone else is asleep."
    "Right now I don't care what everyone else is doing. You and I are going to learn this thing. Unless you have some other idea of how we are going to get out of here."
    "Instead of focusing on this impossible game of brain twister, perhaps we should find a way to escape outright."
    "Oh, that's a great idea, maybe we should simply use that plastic spork to pick the lock. Perhaps we could try flushing ourselves down the toilet as well."
    "And what do you suggest."
    "Saying the words right. Don't you realize that is the only hope we have. Forget escaping. Getting the words right is the only way they will let us leave this cell."
    "Have you thought about what they will do to us if we really can't work magic...."
    "Just focus on the words, on the spell."
    "....kill us. Like they did Zoe."
    "Zoe is not dead."
    "Xavier is. Can you claim you didn't see him drown."
    "Very good. Believe exactly what they want you to believe."
    "No, we saw it...we all saw it happen."
    " Maybe we shouldn't trust anything we see, magic remember. "

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    1. I really liked this. I could actually picture characters in a cell haha. Even though you didn't describe them or anything, just the dialogue totally set the scene. I'm impressed once again. :) (And also impressed that you did the whole thing in dialogue.)

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  5. I cheated by making the Z and X words names. I just couldn't think of any good words. Ain't nobody got time for that.

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  6. I totally cheated first...it's all good. Only problem with these small excerpts is that I'm left to make an ending on my own...and I always assume the worst. So naturally the story ends with both characters drowning in the toilet bowl after having figured out how to magically shrink themselves, but being unable to flush the toilet at such a small size. Sad : (

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