Today I started a challenge with my partner for August. We will be doing creative drawings/writings every two days that have themes. Jokingly, I wrote this haiku on the spot. I have never created one before, but I felt pretty witty.
My name is Turan, and I present to you my summer haiku. -ahem-
It is hot outside.
I am a fair skin ginger.
Mortal enemies.
Thank you. -snaps self offstage-
Writing prompt from the book 5000 writing prompts: Any person who kills her will inherit her power.
This originally was a writing prompt that turned into a longer story. I have no regrats.
– Turan
________________
Running through the woods, Alex tripped over a stump and rolled across the leaf-covered ground. Dirt and rocks cut and bruised her skin as she tumbled. With a hard groan, Alex pushed herself up. She couldn’t waste a single moment. They were hunting her.
Wiping the tears off her face, Alex stifled her pain. There was no room for error in her escape. Who knows what power they possessed in return. She pushed herself to her feet, not even bothering to brush herself off. Picking up the pace, Alex forced into a light jog. Her body ached and screamed at her. How long had she been running? Internally she cursed. If only she never killed that stupid boy, she could be free.
It was two weeks ago when she took the shortcut home. It was a small path through the forest beside a small flowing stream. Alex had taken this path every day since starting school, taking it to and from home. It was a beautiful, forgotten, beaten path: overgrown from years of neglect. She had stumbled upon it one day when she was running from her dad.
He was drunk, yelling at her for something her mother did or didn’t do. Alex couldn’t remember the reason anymore from how often it happened. Since then, she’d explored each pathway and where they led. It was a convenient secret, leading her across town to just about any place she needed to go. It wasn’t long until Alex had each path and section of the forest memorized.
Even more surprising was how no one ever knew about the connected ways, nor did she bother to tell them. Her biggest fear was that more people would find them, ruining her only solace away from the forsaken town.
Only today, it was the first time she had ever come across something on the path. Alex froze, feeling the adrenaline kick in, chilling her to the core. Should she run back to the school and wait? She never needed a backup plan for this type of situation.
She shuffled awkwardly. Looking forward and then back down the path to the school, she debated her options. A small yowl caught her off guard. She jumped at the sound. Was it a wounded animal?
Alex waited a moment longer before clenching her fist tightly with determination. Taking a small breath in, she decided to step forward. Timidly approaching the body, Alex spotted reddish fur, glowing from the flashing sunlight that broke through the tree coverage. It was a fox, a large one to boot.
With more confidence, she rushed to the beast’s side, checking to see if it was still breathing. The fox whimpered at her touch, shivering in fear weakly. It broke Alex’s heart.
The fox must have been afraid she was a predator. With a soft voice, she stroked its fur gently. “Shh. Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you.”
The creature pulled itself up weakly and tried to run away. Right then, Alex spotted the blood-soaked fur on its leg and shoulder. She gasped with concern. Who could have done this to the poor animal?
Tenderly, Alex slid her arm under the fox’s body and lifted it. The poor creature yipped, struggling against her hold.
“Please, be still. Your hurt, little one. I just want to help you.”
Placing it down again, she touched her fingers to the frightened fox’s cheek, stroking it softly to ease them. The fox’s eyes widened, almost human-like. It panted heavily and stared back at her, scanning her eyes for a moment. Alex continued to rub her finger along the fox’s jaw line. Again Alex reassured the poor mammal.
“It’s ok. You’ll be safe in my care.”
Her words were enough for the beast to relax. Letting go of its resistance, the fox slumped into her arms. Alex waited a moment before slowly moving her hands towards the fox’s paws. She checked to make sure no bones were protruding or any missing chunks. The fur was matted and dirty, some of it with dried blood.
Poor thing, Alex thought. Without hesitation, she swooped the fox into her arms tightly and ran. If she could get to her tree house quick enough, she could get provisions for the little one before getting caught.
Alex prayed that her dad was still out so she could sneak about without being questioned. Time was of the essence. Weaving through and down the path, Alex made quick haste.
Before she knew it, the view of her backyard was in sight. She slowed down, kneeling behind a bush to quickly scan the house windows. The lights were all off, and there was no movement that she could see. Perfect, she thought with a smirk.
Alex bolted out of the forest to the base of the tree house. There was a small ladder that led to the top. It took a bit of manoeuvring to keep the fox tightly to her chest and ascend the shaking ladder.
Thankfully the little creature was light that it posed no real difficulty. Reaching the top, however, was the real struggle. Balancing as much as possible, Alex grabbed the latch above to open the trap door. It was a little tricky, but after years of sneaking full arms of food, clothing, and toys from her room, Alex had become a bit of a pro.
Once she flipped the trap door, she climbed the last few rungs enough to pull herself up, sliding to her bottom first, then brought her feet in before closing the latch. It was a small room; with a small bed in the corner, a battery-operated lamp, a travel-sized oven attracted to a solar panel battery, and a table with books, papers, and pens. From the roof hung a hammock full of clothes, bags of snacks and a few other blankets in case of cold nights.
Alex placed the poor animal beside her bed and reached for a towel. Grabbing an old shirt, she ripped it into shreds for bandages.
There wasn’t much she had to offer the fox, and there was no fresh water to clean the wounds. Alex reached for a small cushion and placed it under its head. It was all she could offer for comfort until she returned from inside the house. Petting the foxes face, she reassured it.
“I have to leave you for a moment. You’ll be safe in here. I will come back in a moment with fresh water and supplies to take care of your wounds.”
She knew the animal couldn’t understand her, but it gave her comfort. If she could help it feel at home, it was worthwhile. Grabbing her backpack from a hook on the wall, she swung it on her back and kicked open the trap door.
With a small jump, Alex skipped a few ladder rungs and descended quickly. Running towards the house on high alert, Alex opened the door silently.
Without turning on a light, she crouched low and tipped-toe to her bedroom. First, she needed a small blanket and towel. She rolled them up quickly and shoved them into her bag.
Next, she reached the bathroom, pulling out her cellphone to turn on the light. Quickly opening the drawer, she grabbed band-aids, gauze, and soap. There also was a white trash bag roll inside that she ripped off a few bags. It was just for precaution and to throw away what may have been too soiled by the fox’s blood.
Lastly, she headed back to the kitchen. Spotting the clock, she watched the hand strike 7 o’clock. The chime rang as a flash of light crossed the wall. Ducking further, Alex sped to the kitchen pantry. A diesel truck pulled into the driveway, music blaring. It clunked hard, the gears grinding into park to stop. She was running out of time.
Grabbing several water bottles, Alex shoved them into her bag until full to the brim. With a tight pull on her bag strings, she lifted the bag and booked it to the back door.
The front door opened when she closed the back, hiding the noise. Ducking behind the door, she could hear the staggering steps of her father.
Just by the uneven pattern, she could tell he had been drinking. Figures. Alex waited a moment longer as the steps took down the hall towards the bedrooms. She pushed off and ran back to the ladder, climbing it gracefully. Lifting the trapdoor carefully, Alex slid inside the house and closed the door silently. She waited before sitting up with a heavy sigh.
Turning her attention back to the fox, it had drifted into a deep sleep. Hopefully, she was not too late to help the little creature. Setting up the supplies she gathered, she began to work. Pouring water on the small towels, Alex cleaned the blood and dirt away.
It took time to clear all the wounds and the discolour from the blood. Taking the gauze, Alex pressed them into the open wounds, then wrapped the shreds of t-shirt around the fox’s body to hold them in place. She covered the rest of the injuries on the fox’s legs and neck.
It looked like whatever was trying to attack the poor animal intended to kill it. What would have happened if Alex decided to pass it by and do nothing? She shuttered at the thought. It was better not to think about it.
Finish dressing the wounds, Alex slumped back, stretching out her legs. She watched the fox sleep peacefully in a deep slumber. She discovered his gender while cleaning his legs and thought now about what to name the little guy. Would it be ok to keep him until he recovered enough to leave on his own?
Tapping the bottom of her chin, Alex thought for a moment. The fox slept peacefully, curling up into the blanket she wrapped around him after she finished washing his fur. Despite the bandages, he didn’t look to be suffering much. It made her happy.
Alex had never owned a pet before, and the thought of keeping a secret pet fox from her dad made her giggle mischievously. She would be like the character in a comic she read once, where a girl found a magic rabbit. They got into all sorts of trouble on their adventures. It was one of Alex’s favourite books.
“I know,” Alex rolled to her stomach, crawling in closer to lay beside the sleeping fox, “I will call you Flax. It’s the name of the rabbit in the stories I used to read.”
Giving the small fox a head scratch, Alex smiled. Flax stretched sleepily, flicking his bandaged paw before lazily leaning his head into her hand. Alex giggled. Her head close to his, she whispered in a low voice.
“I wish I had magic powers, you know? At least then, I could leave here and take care of myself. Leave this terrible house. Leave this awful town. I hate it here.”
Her smile faded. If only she could leave. With a small sigh, Alex closed her eyes. “Will you be my magical sidekick, Flax?”
With that, she drifted off to sleep.
In the morning, she woke up with Flax still sleeping in her hand. He was awake, staring at her, waiting for her to wake up. Never did he complain or cry. Thankfully, Alex had some snacks stored away to feed them both breakfast. She sat on the floor, breaking off small chunks of her granola bar to feed Flax.
He was feeling much chipper, gleefully taking the small bites to chop down. After eating, Alex unwrapped the bandages to clean the wounds with fresh gauze. Only, when she pulled them away, there was no sight of any cuts.
In a bit of confusion, Alex chuckled. “Well, I don’t know if I made the whole thing up or if foxes just heal fast, but you’re all better now.”
Petting the fox behind the ears, she frowned. “Does… this mean I need to let you go free?”
Flax sneezed in response. He looked upset and almost disagreed with her. Alex put her hands on her hip. “What, does that mean you want to stay?”
With a yip, Flax replied. He sat straight, flicking his bushy tail.
“Alright, if you insist. Welcome to Castle El’forte. It’s my home away from home. Cause the real one sucks.”
The alarm on Alex’s phone began to ring, pulling her attention away. “Oh, shoot! I need to get ready for school! Come, let me take you in. Dad’s gone early in the day for work and always comes home late. If I time it right, I never have to see him. He doesn’t bother to seek me out either.”
With that, she offered her shoulder, and Flax hopped on. It was a start of a beautiful relationship.
Each day Flax would follow her to school, wait on the path until she returned and then they would play until it was time to sneak back up into the tree house. Alex finally found hope, living her days happy alongside Flax. But with everything in Alex’s life, it never lasted. Two weeks had gone by, and this time when she came out of school towards the path, Flax wasn’t there. Odd, Alex thought, calling out for him a few times.
“Flax? Flax! Where are you hiding?”
Maybe it was a game? Alex scanned about more before taking a few steps into the forest. Could it be a new game he was playing with her? Smiling weakly, she decided to play along.
“Alright, I guess I am just going to keep heading home! Don’t try to sneak up on me!”
Alex continued, walking for a while, waiting. Nothing came after several minutes, which caused her to worry. Where did he go?
She stopped to look back towards the school with a frown. Did Flax maybe stay at home today? Facing homeward bound, Alex broke into a hurried jog. There was only one way to find out.
The forest was a blur when the tree house popped into view. Not wasting time looking for her dad, she dropped her bag to the ground and called out for Flax. Her voice laced with concern and fear. Looking up to the tree house, she climbed the ladder in a rush. The trap door was unlocked, making it easy for her to pop open.
“Flax, are you-“
All the blood drained from her face. Her body shook with rage as she dropped down the ladder in a frenzy. Racing the back door, she ripped it open and stomped inside. She didn’t have to go far. Sitting on a chair in the kitchen was her dad. His back to her as she stormed in.
“What did you do?”
He was lighting another cigarette, taking his time to reply. He deliberately took a deep breath of the smoke and exhaled, meeting Alex with an indifferent attitude.
“What the hell did you do to all my stuff?!”
Finally, he glanced at Alex. “I cleaned it out.”
Flabbergasted, Alex shook her head. “Cleaned it out?! That was all my stuff! You had no right!”
Her dad slammed his fist against the table. “Don’t tell me what I have a right to do in my own house! With my property! You’ve been wasting your time up there when you are supposed to be living here! Your lucky I haven’t taken a chain saw to the tree to cut it down! You are too old to be playing games! Time to wake up!”
Alex shook with anger. How dare he tell her she needed to wake up.
“I need to stop playing games? Who’s getting pissed drunk every night and wasting all the money on alcohol? Every day I need to fend for myself because my useless dad-“
Alex felt the dread trickle down her spine at how fast her dad shot out of the chair. His face was menacing. Puffing his chest out, he towered over her.
“What did you call me? After all, I have done for you? I’ve given a roof over your head. Even allowed you to spend night after night in that tree house: and for what? This disrespect? I know you think you are so clever. I saw the bags of bloody rags in the trash and the tiffs of fur all over the yard. You are hiding a damn mutt from me! You know the rules around here: no pets allowed! So, from now on, you are no longer allowed up in that tree house, and you’re getting a job to start paying for things around here!”
Alex took several steps back towards the wall as her dad yelled at her. His face was blistering red as spittle flung out at her. Her body did the one thing it could. It turned towards the door and fled. Her dad reached out, grabbing her shirt to pull her back before she could make it. It tore just enough for her to escape his reach. He may have been stronger than her, but she was nimble.
Opening the door with great force, she managed to slam it into his face. He collided hard with it, falling back to the floor with a roar. Alex didn’t bother looking back, running full force towards the forest. Before she hit the tree line, she heard a yip from Flax.
Alex whipped her head towards him, spotting him jumping near a different pathway. She pivoted on the spot and bolted in his direction.
“Flax!”
The second she caught up, he turned and led her down the pathway. It was the pathway that took them out of town. Alex’s heart was pounding, her legs weightless. Leaves, twigs and branches flew past her in a blur. All she could see was Flax sprinting like a golden light guiding her.
Ahead of them was a clearance leading them just outside of the town. Once on the other side, Alex would be clear from the town’s borders and into the wilds. Her spirit soured. Finally, she was leaving this horrible place.
Reaching the edge of the treeline, Alex almost tripped over Flax. Stopping stiff in his tracks, he paused with focused eyes. Alex collapsed to her knees while panting. “What… what is it… boy?”
She wiped the sweat streaming down her forehead before looking into the clearing. Covering her mouth quickly to mute the startled scream, Alex spotted dark figures out in the opening. They were younger kids calling out, all taunting some being.
“Here, little weasel! We know you are trying to escape here! No use hiding! Come out and face your fate!”
Alex’s eyes widened. Were they talking about her? How did they know she was trying to escape. A tug on her sleeve made Alex jump. Flax was trying to get her attention, pulling her off the path to the right. His eyes were wide with fear as well. Was Flax scared of the teens as well?
She had no choice but to follow. Alex did her best to sneak through the thicket. They slowly made their way downwind of the kids before Flax looked back at her. With a nod, Alex understood. They were going to try and run to the other side. It was the only way to freedom.
Reaching out to Flax, she gave him a soft pat. “We can do it. We are almost free of this place! We’ll start our own adventure.”
It wasn’t a reassuring speech, but it was enough to gear her into the ready. Alex looked across the field, listening carefully for the sounds of the kids in the distance. With a deep breath, she readied herself. “Alright, on the count of three. One, two…, Three!”
Both Alex and Flax bolted from the tree line. The open breeze greeted Alex, cooling her down from the sweat and heat of running. The field was longer than she thought. Just passing the halfway mark, she finally heard the cries of the teenagers. “Look! Over there! There it is! And there is another person with it!”
Alex looked over her shoulder to spot several kids running in their direction. Panic erupted over her, pushing her to run for her life. The last words she heard echoing in her mind rang clear as day.
“What do we do with the other one?”
“Kill them, too.”
Alex glanced down at Flax running ahead of her. He looked at her with terror, sprinting in front of her to lead the way.
What was going on? Why did they want to kill them?!
A sharp whistle glanced by her ear suddenly. The noise made her veer off a little from Flax’s path as she tried to dodge whatever it was. A second one flew past as she looked over her shoulder. The kids had enormous slingshots that harnessed to their forearms. One of the kids loaded it up again while running and shot it towards her. Unable to avoid the rock in time, it hit her square in the shoulder. “Ow!”
Stumbling a little, Alex now realized what had caused the wounds to Flax’s body. It wasn’t her they were after; it was him. Flax slowed down, meeting up to her side once more. He couldn’t help her with the pain, only encouraging her to run faster. Alex choked back her tears and focused on the tree line.
They just needed to outrun them all and hide. On the other side of the wilds, there was a river. If they could get to it, they might have a chance to escape them. “Flax, if we can get to the river, they won’t follow us!”
The fox was more intelligent than he should have been. With a nod, he ran in front again and sped up. They were nearing the wilds quickly when the kids began to slow down. Alex laughed excitedly. “Flax! They slowed down! We might lose them before-“
SNAP.
The loud crack of a metal machine shot out of the ground ahead of her. Alex slowed down, realizing they ran straight into danger. Traps laid all over. Thankfully Flax was not caught, but he too crocheted low.
Leaves covered the ground heavily, covering any sights of metal that could glint in the low sunrise. It was the twilight hour, making it nearly impossible to scan for danger.
Laughter carried from the kids as they walked the rest of the way towards them. They needed to keep moving! Slowly Alex hopped about, avoiding large bundles of potential traps. A few times, Alex saw the teeth of the traps peeking out, but not often enough. Bumping her foot against the edge of one, it slapped, catching the edge of her pant light. Alex cried out, afraid that it would trip her to fall into another one.
Ripping her pants quickly, she needed to make her way faster. A rock smacked her head with a hard thud. A burst of laughter was short to follow as they all cheered. “Good shot!”
Several loud cracks began to follow closely behind them. Alex looked to catch the kids triggering several traps with sticks, catching ground behind them. What was wrong with these guys? Alex fought from sobbing.
Looking ahead, she spotted Flax yipping at her. He made it past all the traps and was waiting for her. He moved left to right, attempting to give her directions to weave through the traps. Her eyes were blurry with tears as she stumbled through the landmine field.
Again a rock hit her hard, this time in the leg, successfully tripping her. As she landed, the rock triggered a trap beside her. The snapping teeth caught her arm, cutting her.
Thankfully it only caught the outside of her arm and didn’t catch the entire thing. The power of the snap could have broken her bone. There was no way Alex would get out of the field in time to avoid the hunting kids. The taunt of an older boy confirmed her feeling.
“I got you now, you bitch. What kind of powers are you going to give me?”
“Powers? What are-”
Before she could finish, the boy raised his arm high, holding a knife tightly. It plummeted towards her in slow motion, her body frozen with fear. Is this how I’m going to die? A flash of red flung in front of her, colliding with the boy as it pushed him back. Flax sacrificed himself to save her, biting at the boy’s face and arms.
The teen cried out, grabbing Flax and throwing him off towards the side. Alex watched in fear, everything slowing down as Flax landed into a trap. The teeth jumped up, snapping into his side. With a horrifying crunch, Alex could hear the deep grunt from her friend.
Blinding rage took over. Alex grabbed at the ground, picking up a trap by the chain. With a painful roar, she turned towards the offender, flinging the chain towards him with all her might.
The trap flew in an arch, colliding with the teen’s head, triggering the trap to snap shut. Alex stood stunned, watching the boy gurgled blood from his mouth. His eyes stared at her in disbelief.
It was the first time Alex experienced death firsthand. The body slumped to the grass, lifeless. Alex felt bile in her throat but swallowed it down.
Running to Flax’s side, she pried the trap open and picked up his weakened body. Holding him close, she glared back at the other kids; they stood speechless. Without a word, she slowly trumped through the rest of the traps and ran into the wilds.
She didn’t stop for a while until she saw the river. Stumbling over the rocks, she placed Flax’s body down to look at him. He was still alive, barely holding on. Alex sobbed, petting his face.
“No… Nononono! Don’t die on me, ok? Let me get some water, and I can clean this up for you…”
Pulling off her button-up shirt, she prepared to rip it into strips when a voice stopped her.
“Alex. Don’t.”
Looking down at Flax, Alex blinked in shock. He looked her dead in the eyes, speaking once more.
“Listen. Please. Kill me. Those kids, they won’t stop until they take my powers. I want you to have it instead. If you don’t and I die, it will be devastating to the town. You need to contain it.”
Alex dropped her arms, shaking her head. “Flax? Kill you? No! I didn’t mean to kill the other boy, but kill you? I can’t!”
Flax lifted his head weakly. “You must. Please. Take the rock, and bash it against my head. Do it. Just think, you get to have your wish. You get to have magical powers and leave this place. Like you said you wanted, remember.”
Tears streamed down her cheek as she stroked the top of Flax’s head. Voices in the distance rang as the kids continued to chase them down, accompanied by several adults. One of which Alex recognized instantly.
Clutching at her heart, Alex closed her eyes tightly. The pain swelled her chest. She didn’t have much choice. She killed someone, and now if caught, she’d be in much worse trouble. Running her hand slowly against the ground, Alex fumbled to grab a rock. Opening her eyes once more, she looked into Flax’s fading eyes. “I love you, Flax.”
“I love you too, Alex.”
Clenching her eyes shut a final time, Alex raised her arm high and struck down against the ground. She did it several times, over and over, until the sickening sound became thuds against other stones. Or at least that’s what she made herself believe.
Tossing the rock aside, Alex rolled herself to the side, turning her back to the corpse of her friend. The cries of people searching for her echoed close by while she sat. All the things Alex experienced in a short period; losing her closest friend, running away from home, killing the boy? None of this was like her adventure book. All she wanted was a friend, but now she had to do it alone.
“Good bye Flax.”
Pushing herself up, she walked towards the river. Where should she go now? Alex was a wanted person for murdering the boy no matter where she went. All she could do now was run deeper into the wilds. Looking at the ground near the fox’s body, she pondered his words. “Magic powers, huh? Guess I’ll have to find out what they are on my own.”
Stepping into the water, she began her new life.
End.
I decided to do a writing challenge called, “Don’t say the word.” I write a short story about one word and then do everything in my ability as a writer to not write the word once. I am trying to learn how to write with more descriptions and in an active voice. So to keep from a dull story, I am expanding my skill to challenge myself. They won’t be always perfect, but hey, writing should be about the fun and magic, not just the end result.
Please enjoy the fun little story as much as I did writing it.
– Turan
Challenge word: Sleepy
Groggily, Tim walked towards his bed. Each bone in his body creaked and popped from each step he took. Fog blurred the shape of the room, making it hard to distinguish the furniture around. A yawn held his mouth hostage, forcing its way out like a lion’s grand roar. His legs dragged across the wooden floor, thudding hard against the surface with the slap. Tim moved at a glacier pace, unable to move the mountainous body any faster to reach the comforts of the pillow mattress. The feeling of the silken sheets, warm blanket embrace, and heavenly cloud ascension into dreamland called to him in a siren’s song. The lulling melody crushed the worldly events of his day hard against his shoulders and back. The burden he carried of stress from work shot pain down his spine into his hips. Soon he would be whisked away, refreshed to start his day anew tomorrow.
Alas, he could not enjoy the wonders of his sleeping solitude. The phone rang moments before his towering body could collapse into the sweet abyss. Thunderous shrills cried out to him from the table in the other room. The cold tendrils of dread crept up his shoulders, grasping at his neck and face. Who dare called him at this hour?! Moments before his rest and graceful slumber? Slowly turning his furious gaze towards the door, the rings continued for a few more gruelling minutes. Finally, the shrieking calls stopped, leaving his home in a peaceful state. With a smile, he returned to the gentle tug of the bed sirens to be swayed into sleep once more. Tolling bells of alarm clashed with the soothing singing of his pillow sheets when the phone began to ring once more. This time Tim’s eyes shot wide with anger. His mouth sunk hard into his chin and his eyes shot wide.
With a swoosh of wind, Tim’s body found the strength to fly out of the room into the living room. The phone shook and shuffled from the vibrations, the ringing of the basic tones screaming for him to answer. Towering the table, Tim loomed over the wretched machine. The name flashed across the screen, blinking with a flashy dance of lights. Grim and brooding, Tim watched the name until it finally stopped. The moment the name dissipated and the booming ring tone died down, Tim grabbed the phone with lightning speed. No one was going to stop him now from his slumber. Opening his screen with his password, he held the buttons on the side of the phone. The most magical words on earth popped up on the screen, “Shut down.” Yes, this was what he wanted the most in the world. A smile broke on his face, his eagerness at large as he reached with a shaky finger towards the button. Soon he would be in bliss!
With a powerful force downward, he aimed directly for the power off button. Before he could achieve his goal, the button disappeared and the name of his tormentor flashed once more on the front screen. The alarm of chaos flooded the shadowy room. Internally, all Tim could do was whimper as his finger slammed against the talk button. Fear enveloped him and adrenaline shot through his veins. He now had to deal with the wild beast on the phone. Shakily, he raised the phone to his ear and spoke with a grumble. “Hello, mother.”
Writing prompt: Start with the truth and end with a lie.
Samuel crossed his arms in a huff. “I would never leave you just on a whim. It would need to be something absolutely devastating and traumatic that I could never forgive you for in order for that to happen. Being a bisexual is a good thing. I am mildly irritated that you thought I would leave you over something like that.”
Ryan let out a hard breath. He didn’t even realize he held it in so hard when he finally told his boyfriend his secret. It had been a year now since they started dating. Ryan was so scared to lose him that he didn’t know how to tell him. “So you don’t care if I ogle at women in a sexual fantasy way?”
Samuel sat on the couch next to him. “I don’t mind at all. You can think about her body and I can think ‘where did she get that blouse?’ It’s absolutely fine and normal to be interested and attracted to people. All I care about is that you come home to me every night. It’s not like I never noticed you looking before either. You are not subtle when you flirt. Even a straight man could figure it out.”
Ryan blinked hard with a shake of his head. “You knew?”
“Oh Hunny, I knew from the first few weeks when you took me to all those straight bars with all those fruit flies. I can see now why they had a hard time accepting me as your new fling. I even thought for a while that you could have been a pansexual by how flirty you are.”
Ryan relaxed into the couch, the relief hitting him like a freight train. “Do you know how freeing this is? I am so sorry that I felt I couldn’t come clean and tell you.”
“Baby, I got you,” Samuel wrapped his arm around his waist, snuggling into Ryan’s side. “If there is ever something heavy on your heart, you can always talk to me. Even if it starts a fight, we can get through it. I don’t want you to ever feel like you need to burden those hardships away.”
Ryan felt the tears welling up in the corner of his eyes. Wrapping his arms tightly around Samual, he kissed the top of his head. “Thank you. I will try to pull my stubborn head out of my ass from now on. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me.”
Samuel chuckled, kissing Ryan on his stubbly chin. “And you are too.”
“I love you, Samual.”
“I love you, too.”
_________
Thank you so much for reading this short story prompt. The inspiration came from a blog post where they talked about using real-life situations and experiences and writing them into a short story to help with writer’s block. This was not a personal experience but one borrowed from a friend who had struggled with coming clean about his sexuality. If you ever need a friend or support, feel free to reach out and message me. You are not alone and there are people who have had the same struggles as you.
I hope you enjoyed this story and the little twist. Let me know what you think by leaving a comment or by shooting a message at Turanturnip@gmail.com
Turan
This writing prompt was originally from Reddit. Occasionally I take on a challenge to post on there and I’ve decided to share it here for all of you! It’s been revised since I wrote this back in September 2021. I’ve made a little progress with how I have been styling my writing and learning to change how I write. As always, I wrote this as a self-challenge and to help with my creative writing. Mistakes and errors are to be expected.
-Turan
____________
[WP] You can read subtitles in real life, which is pretty handy for translation, in bars and when dealing with people who mumble a lot. One day suddenly you read a subtitle that just says: {Boss Music Starts Playing}
Duke hardly had to listen to the conversation to keep up. After getting his power to read subtitles mysteriously one day, it changed his life. Sometimes for the worst and for the better. Every conversation had become a text that he could read while listening. At first, he found it irritating since he missed most social cues or body language. However, as time went on he adapted to reading the bracket events. It also came in handy when he wanted to see what was happening around him. Most people believed he was nonchalant about everything or uninterested. But in reality, it was mostly due to the constant distractions. Eavesdropping had become significantly easier, especially if it was problematic. If he was bored with the current conversation, he could read others around him like switching a channel on a tv.
Duke wasn’t one for gossip or drama at all, it just was a mild form of entertainment. This particular day was one of those days as he sat with his good friend Stew. Stew was an old faithful, reliable friend. He was very plain and predictable. It made it easier to keep his friendship. There were no complicated texts, undiluted situations, or foreshadowing. Just simple and easy conversation. One of the shared interests Duke had with Stew was that he also enjoyed people-watching. He was the perfect sidekick to have around while they sat at the peaceful cafe, enjoying their brew.
Duke took a sip of his coffee, taking in a deep breath. He’d already been following a few strands of text from a couple sitting across the way. A current breakup was escalating in front of him when he let out a slow exhale. Placing his empty cup down, he turned his attention back to his friend.
“You know Stew, I’m gonna bounce. Catch you later.”
{Happy grunt.} “Yeah mate, see you around.”
Without delay, Duke stood up and left. It was nice knowing his friend was so chill. Nothing was more freeing than to know you can get up and leave with no quarrel. At least Stew would enjoy the sudden scene of the breakup unfolding, which was mostly the reason why Duke left. Screaming and crying women were not his thing. Even with his ability to read subtitles, he still couldn’t understand women. There were so many hidden meanings and contexts he didn’t know. At least he was considered a good listener, even if he didn’t understand everything all the time. Heading towards a park, Duke tucked his hands into his pockets. It was a perfect day for a casual jaunt through the peaceful pathways surrounded by grass, bushes, and trees. Small subtitles still popped up around him with the different sound effects of the area, it wasn’t a huge bother.
{Chirping birds. Wind rustled leaves. A distant dog barks.}
Duke took in a deep breath of the cleansing air. With a pause, he scanned the area to observe the activities. Out towards the open space were some college kids tossing a freebie. Along the pathways were several chairs sprinkled with people and occasional runners jogging by. Everything was serene and calm when suddenly a bold subtitle popped in front of him. It was startling at first. He had never seen such a text before. Shortly after it appeared, a small daunting hum of a dark melody began to play out of nowhere.
{Boss music starts playing}
Frozen, Duke stood with wide eyes. “What.”
Cautiously, he turned to look behind him. The feeling of a cold breeze began to swirl around him in slow motion. He spotted a shrouded being several feet from him in the shade of the trees. “No… It can’t be…”
He was unarmed, with no weapons to battle the beast before him. How could he be caught so off guard? With a stern yet seductive tone, the shrouded figure stepped forth out of the shade of the tree to reveal themselves.
“Hello, Duke. It’s been a while.”
The sun reflected off her strands of golden hair, shifting the dark looming cloud of despair into a halo appearance. Her deep blue ocean eyes were fierce locking onto his. With an unamused frown, she crossed her arms comfortably a few feet away from him. She was magnificent to behold despite that they were at odds. Subtitles appeared beneath her name, ones he didn’t need to read to know what they said.
{Ex Girlfriend: Melissa Normen.}
Oh no, Duke thought while grinding his teeth. The one who left me for a d-bag in university. My first love.
“What do you want Melissa?”
{Exaggerated gasp, she feigned being hurt} “Is that a way to greet an old friend?”
“Ex, not an old friend. We haven’t spoken since you dumped me at a freshmen party.”
{Fake surprise} “Really has it been that long? I don’t remember dumping you.”
“You were making out with Tony Snider, the leader of the biggest frat houses on campus. Right in front of me.”
{Painful realization} “Ah. Right. Look, I’m sorry about that. I made a huge mistake and was being so naive back then.”
Melissa stepped forward, closing the gap between them. Duke swallowed hard, he was taking critical damage with the look of regret plastered across her face. No! He had to stay strong! This was a boss battle for crying out loud!
{Sincere commiseration} “I feel like there’s a reason why we ran into each other here. Do you think we could go for coffee sometime? Maybe try again where we left off?”
Duke was at his limit. She was beautiful and he had never gotten over her. Was she really telling the truth? Yeah, sure, she was feeling sorry for what she did. But was it enough to go through all the pain again? Duke was never good at saying no to people in the first place. Mostly because he was never sure of what would be the right thing to say in any circumstance. Sure he could read subtitles, but it wasn’t like they ever offered a selection of words to say either. With a heavy sigh, he nodded.
“Yeah, sure. Why not. I know a good place we can go to.”
{DEFEATED: KO}
“Oh really! That’s amazing!” She linked her arm around his, pressing close to his body. “Lead on!”
Man, I am a huge sucker, Duke thought. Well, at least he could go back to join Stew and see what ended up happening during the breakup that unfurled earlier.
{Tragic death music starts playing}
Hello, you beautiful Raga’s! Sorry, it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything new! I’ve been dealing with new medications and adjusting to the changes in my lifestyle because of them. But don’t you fret! With those changes, I’ve actually been writing more! I am still practicing different writing techniques and seeing what works for me. Some have been fun while others have been frustrating.
On that note, I have decided to switch some things around a bit with both my website and posting schedule. I will return to posting once a week, but alternating between a shorter and longer story. One week may be a writing prompt or one shot and the other will be a longer or reoccurring story. I may also have several titles going at the same time. I have changed my main website to house all the lists of stories with links so you can go back to it and read any of the stories in order since it will be harder to navigate the blog posts alone. Not all of them have been edited to a link to the previous chapters which will take some time for me to add.
Until then, please enjoy this writing prompt story which I had a lot of fun writing!
– Turan
———
conspiracy
Writing prompt from the book, “5,000 Writing Prompts: A Master List of Plot Ideas, Creative Exercises, and More” by Bryn Donovan.
In a dystopian future, college admissions boards have access to video footage of students’ entire lives.
Watching the screen with her arms clasped behind her back, Desirae frowned. It was the fourth time in a row she was forced to watch the suppression and abuse of her star pupil. He held such high expectations to excel in not just college, but his future career. Desirae bit her lip, knowing that this was more than just abuse from students who were jealous of his excellence and attention. It was an experiment the government-held under the guise of protection and obedience.
Over 60 years ago, a law passed that any student who attended college was to be monitored heavily in order to cut down on accidental death rates caused by overdoses, alcohol poisoning, and occasional sexual abuse. The law proved to be successful, forcing more strict rules for such monetization. Tracking bands were soon implicated, followed by cameras in every area. Several petitions had fought the fast-moving expansion of privacy invasion, yet the results of its success pushed for more control. Students who graduated under these restrictions excelled in modern society, accelerating the digital era. Within 20 years, the system had worked its way back into every grade and school; if the effects could be implicated at a younger age, how much more could we improve the world?
At least that was what they told everyone, although Desirae knew better. As she watched her pupil defend himself against the aggressive opposers, she knew exactly what consequences would be delved out; any by her hand as well. Sighing heavily, she leaned over the console, adjusting the cameras, glancing at the receptionist who was watching the sector. “How long ago did this begin?”
“About 10 minutes ago, Ma’am.”
“Good. Please log this in each of their academic records. Each of them will receive points accordingly. If I am not mistaken, one of them will be dropping their current classes and moving into special force training. Let’s see how well he fairs being the small fry of the class.”
The receptionist nodded, returning to her duties as Desirae continued to watch the camera. Secretly she prayed, “Don’t strike back, Mathers. Please don’t…”
She wanted nothing more than to rush down there and stop the fight from happening, knowing full well that this was part of the experiment. It was the same training she had received unknowingly when she was in college. The difference was she found out the truth, and the government saw it. Learning the truth behind the shadows of the college put her life in danger as they watched her every move, waiting for her to make one little mistake; to tell someone or to escape. She had done neither and was rewarded into the position she had now, the Dean. Still, she felt the eyes staring through her back as she watched Mathers. He had a chance to escape the dangers where she could not.
Only able to watch, she wished she could do more to help. He didn’t deserve this torture and the only way it would stop is when he reached the top. Thankfully he only had one more year to endure. Desirae could only encourage him from the sidelines.
From the screen, she saw Mathers keep his head down, unspoken while the others around him swore and yelled. Physical violence was untolerated but it didn’t stop verbally taunting until someone snapped. Mathers breath was fast, his fists clenched tightly until they were white. He was close to losing his temper when suddenly the bell rang. The yelling had stopped and the boys ganged up on Mathers turned white. The bell was bad news for them.
“Ah. I see the security has finally noticed. Excellent.”
Desirae stood up, folding her hands behind her back once more with a smirk, one she knew she shouldn’t have so publicly. It was no secret to anyone her adoration for Mathers and that she favored him the most. It was still seen as unacceptable, although Desirae didn’t care. Mathers succeeded this time, the uppers could suck it. Turning from the screen, Desirae spoke to the receptionist as she walked away.
“Inform the chair about this encounter. They will be thrilled to hear the news of his victory.”
Her voice was laced with sarcasm. She knew the chair would not. All they wanted was to see the results of their hidden agenda and experiments. This was just one of them. Leaving the room, she turned down the hall and kept a steady pace. The sound of her heels echoed off the walls, loud and confident as she continued down a series of halls. All students had been in class or in their dorms leaving the halls open for her to strut. Only when she arrived at an open courtyard did she stop and wait. Her back to the opening as she stared at the tree in the circle of the enclosure. It towered over the building, giving shade to the blazing heat. With a smile, she stared at the light that peeked through the leaves.
“Causing trouble for the uppers again, Mathers?”
Looking down from the sky to her left, she knew he was taking refuge on a bench. It was a habit of his to come and calm down, one she was very familiar with. He shuffled in his seat, embarrassed.
“You saw it, didn’t you?”
“Of course. I am charged to make sure your every move is monitored. Including the boys who were cornering you.”
The boy smiled meekly. “Every time it occurs?”
Desirae couldn’t help but scoff, turning to face him. He looked so young. Too young to be a pawn for the government’s corrupted games.
“Maybe I am just a little more invested than required. How are your studies going?”
“You know the answer. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here to cheer me up.”
“Is it that obvious?”
He looked up at her with a cheeky grin. “You are always obvious, Professor.”
“Ah well, can’t always be careful. Care to join me this evening for tea and chess? I know it helps the nerves. Besides, I have been practicing so I might score the chance of beating you this time.” Mathers smiled brightly. It warmed her heart that she could offer him a small glimmer of hope from the darkness within the halls.
“I’ll be there at 8.”
“Excellent. I will send you the pass required to head to my office. Can’t have them look for an excuse to dock you points.”
Desirae nodded, taking her leave towards the halls once more when Mathers stopped her just at the edge of the grass.
“Professor…”
She paused, waiting for his response.
“Do they watch us in your office as well?” Desirae’s smile diminished as she stared at the wall in his response. Looking at the small black hole, she glared at the camera knowingly. Unable to tell him anything, she could only reply with the knowledge he already knew.
“They will always watch you as long as you’re in these halls.”
The rest of the words she wanted to say only stayed within her mind. They will never stop watching you. With that, she continued her pace. We will never be left alone.
Thank you everyone for all the follows and supports! I am so glad to have slowly gained returning readers to the stories and posts I have been doing since last year November. Can you believe it has almost been one year since I started posting?! Between the word prompts, story writing competitions, and my ongoing stories and shorts, I have been feeling more and more confidence in what I’ve been sharing and it’s all thanks to you guys! As a thank you, here is a short writing prompt I have written up.
Hope you enjoy and check out Whispering Death (part 8) now released!
[WP] You can read subtitles in real life, which is pretty handy for translation, in bars and when dealing with people who mumble a lot. One day suddenly you read a subtitle that just says: {Boss Music Starts Playing}
Duke hardly had to listen to the conversation to keep up. After getting his talent to read subtitles, most people believed he was nonchalant about everything. At first, he found it irritating since he missed most social cues or body language. However, as time went on he had adapted to reading the bracket events. It also came in handy when he wanted to see what was happening around him. Eavesdropping had become significantly easier. If he was bored with the current conversation, he could read others around him like switching a channel on a tv.
He wasn’t one for gossip or drama at all, it just was a mild form of entertainment. This particular day was one of those days as he sat with his good friend Stew. Stew was an old faithful, reliable friend. He was also very plain and predictable. It made for an easy friendship. There were no complicated texts, undiluted situations, or foreshadowing. Just simple and easy conversation. Stew was also one to enjoy people watching alongside Duke. He was the perfect sidekick while they sat at the cafe, enjoying their brew. Duke followed a few strands of a current breakup unfolding in front of him when he took a deep breath in.
“You know Stew, I’m gonna bounce. Catch you later.”
{Happy grunt.} “Yeah mate, see you around.”
Duke stood up and left. It was nice knowing his friend was so chill. At least he would enjoy the sudden scene of the breakup unfolding, which was mostly the reason why Duke left. Screaming and crying women were not his thing. Even with his ability to read subtitles, he still couldn’t understand women. There were so many hidden meanings and contexts he didn’t know. At least he was considered a good listener though, even if he didn’t really understand everything all the time. Heading towards a park, Duke chugged the rest of his coffee before tossing it in the trash. It was a perfect day for a casual jaunt through the peaceful pathways surrounded by grass, bushes, and trees. Although subtitles still popped up around him with the sound effects, it wasn’t a huge bother.
{Chirping birds. Wind rustled leaves. A distant dog barks.}
Duke took in a deep breath of the air, pausing to look out towards come college kids tossing a freebie. Everything seemed calm when suddenly the subtitle popped in front of him. It was startling as the small hum of a dark melody began to play out of nowhere.
{Boss music starts playing}
Frozen, Duke stood with wide eyes. “What.”
Cautiously, he turned to look behind him. The feeling of a cold breeze began to swirl around him as he spotted a shrouded being several feet from him. “No… It can’t be…”
He was unarmed, with no weapons to battle the beast before him. How could he be caught so off guard. With a stern yet seductive tone, the shrouded figure stepped forth out of the shade of the tree to reveal themselves.
“Hello, Duke. It’s been a while.”
The sun reflected off the strands of her golden hair while she stepped out. Her deep blue ocean eyes were fierce as they locked onto his. With an unamused frown, she crossed her arms once out into the dazzling sun. She was magnificent to behold despite that they were at odds. Subtitles appeared beneath her name, ones he didn’t need to read to know what they said.
{Ex Girlfriend: Melissa Normen.}
Oh no, Duke thought while grinding his teeth. The one who left me for a d-bag in university. My first love.
“What do you want Melissa?”
{Exaggerated gasp, she feigned being hurt} “Is that a way to greet an old friend?”
“Ex, not an old friend. We haven’t spoken since you dumped me at a freshmen party.”
{Fake surprise} “Really has it been that long? I don’t remember dumping you.”
“You were making out with Tony Snider, the leader of the biggest frat houses on campus. Right in front of me.”
{Painful realization} “Ah. Right. Look, I’m sorry about that. I made a huge mistake and was being so naive back then.”
Melissa stepped forward, closing the gap between them. Duke swallowed hard, he was taking critical damage at her look of regret plastered across her face. No! He had to stay strong! This was a boss battle for crying out loud!
{Sincere commiseration} “I feel like there was a reason why we ran into each other here. Do you think we could go for coffee sometime? Maybe try again where we left off?”
Duke was at his limit. She was beautiful and he had never gotten over her. Was she really telling the truth? Yeah, sure she was feeling sorry for what she did but was it enough to go through all the pain again? He was never good at saying no to people in the first place since he was never sure what was the right thing to say. Sure he could read subtitles, but it wasn’t like they ever offered a selection of words to say either. With a heavy sigh, he nodded.
“Yeah, sure. Why not. I know a good place we can go to.”
{DEFEATED: KO}
“Oh really! That’s amazing!” She linked her arm around his, pressing close to his body. “Lead on!”
Man, I am a huge sucker, Duke thought. Well, at least he could go back to join Stew and see what ended up happening during the breakup.
{Tragic death music starts playing}
Authors disclaimer:
*This story is based on and inspired by the music and music video of Katy Perry’s “Cry about it later”. After listening to it a few days ago for the first time, I had this overwhelming urge to write the rest of the story out since I felt it was an amazing concept. I was consumed and all I wished for was more about the story line that in the end, I created my own. Please enjoy and also check out the song. Katy Perry has always been an inspiration to me, so I hope you enjoy this as much as I had while writing it.*
******
The flight back to her house was devastating. Katy’s mind was blank as the slow dawning realization of what had transpired settled in. It’s over. The long relationship she had with the person she loved was over. Plopping down into her chair, she crossed her arms, holding herself tightly as tears streamed down her face. It was no shock really since she knew this day would eventually come. Being a witch was both a blessing and curse in the world. Many came far and wide looking for her skills and charms, yet there was still the stigma that witches brought bad omen. She was used to the ridicule and superstitions, but it didn’t matter while she had that person beside her. Now without them, the void in her chest gnawed as it grew.
Relaxing her shoulders, Katy was determined. What was the use crying over the pain she expected? If she was easily discarded then it was their loss. No point wasting her tears or her energy. She was a young talented witch! Standing up she grabbed her wand, flipping her book to see what she could do about her plain long black gown. Too long she hid her looks behind unflattering dress codes, all so that she would be taken seriously and not seen as an enchantress out to steal hearts. Flipping pages, she finally found the quick chant and swished her wand. Tendrils of power whooshed out from within as her clothes slithered away like ribbons. The scratchy cloth softened into silk as it shapened around her torso, flaring into a cute black sundress. Adding the final touch of a black ribbon, it pulled her blond hair back with a bow.
Katy didn’t have to check into the mirror to know she looked smokin, adding a little pink lip gloss before flicking her wand once more towards her broom. The last of the ribbon wrapped around the bristle, adding a cute bow to her ride. If she was going out, her trusty broom needed to match. Heading for the door, she realized she was missing one last thing. With a swish of her hand, her black rimmed hat floated towards her hand. Although she could leave home and easily trick anyone into thinking she was a human, she wanted everyone to know who she was. For the last dozen years, she hid silently by the side of her lover. No longer was she going to stay in the shadows and this time she wanted to live with no regret. This witch was free to go and do as she pleased and there was no use if she couldn’t be proud of being a witch. Placing her hat down on her head, she closed the door behind her with a smile.
Kicking off the ground she took to the sky, no idea where to go or where this night would take her. Nothing was going to stop her from having fun, all her troubles would just have to wait. The sun had just finished cresting past the horizon as the cool summer breeze flowed through her hair. Scanning around she looked for the best place to start the night. In the distance she spotted a castle with lights flickering with activity. Turning her course she buzzed with excitement as music grew louder to her approach. Carriages lined the road leading up to the dazzling building. Katy bit her lower lip, she had never been to a castle party before! Spotting a balcony door leading to the ballroom, Katy flew over and landed. Leaning her broom against the wall behind the door, she brazenly walked into the room.
Bright colors of gold and silver lined the ballroom from head to toe as several dancers swirled around in a dance of brilliant colors. Katy stared in awe, walking around the outer wall at the sight. A butler approached her, offering a glass and wine. Taking it to avoid suspicion of crashing the party, she nodded to accept the pour. Her glass now filled to the brim, she sipped at the liquid with delight. A ballroom dance and free booze? This girl was gonna get wasted. The song playing finished as she found a place along the wall to lean against. The crowd clapped before the next song started. Several couples shuffled from on and off the floor, some heading for fresh air while others to the buffet. This was the fanciest place she had ever been, feeling suddenly a little underdressed. Just as her nerves began to get the best of her a masculine voice startled her.
“Would you like to dance, Madam?”
Removing her hat to get a better look at the man, Katy kept from yelping out loud. Not only was she asked to dance, but it was by the prince himself! His eyes sparkled as brightly as his smile while he offered out an extended hand towards her. Her heart fluttered at how gorgeous he was up close. Dark honeyed hair, deep ocean eyes, if rumors served her well this was none other than Prince Casper. Extending her hand out, she accepted his offer.
“Yes.”
Gracefully, he led her to the dance floor. People parted allowing them to get into position before he began to lead. Thank goodness Katy had taken ballroom lessons, who would have known that after years it finally came into good use. It was hard for her not to swoon as the prince smiled cheerfully at her. The room blurred around her and all she could see was him.
“Are you from around here? I have not seen you before.”
Katy smiled bashfully. “I am not actually, I’m from the swamp lands to the east of here.”
“The free lands? What is a beauty like you doing out there?”
With a hard swallow, Katy was unsure how to answer that. He must have known she was a witch, her hat was a dead give away. “It’s not uncommon for a witch to take up residence there.”
With a quick swirl and a dip, the prince kept his gaze on her. The look of attraction was one Katy was familiar with. Pulling her up slowly from the dip, their faces came in close. Katy’s heart was pounding as she couldn’t help feel the chemistry between them. Maybe it was the booze or maybe the atmosphere, either way she could feel herself falling. It was like a fairy tale, playing out all too perfectly. As he leaned in to kiss her, she closed her eyes to reciprocate. It was just like a dream where she could see herself happy, even if for a little while. It was all so fast yet in that moment as she felt his breath on her face, the image of them popped into her mind. It wasn’t them she was kissing. Shooting her eyes wide open, she realized that he didn’t even know her name. Maybe she was a little hasty to be hooking up with a prince, one who was wickedly famous too. Raising her hand to block his lips, she bopped him on the nose awkwardly.
“Hey, thank you for the dance and the wine. I had a lot of fun and I will for sure be back here again some day.” Breaking from his arms she rushed to grab her hat and headed for the balcony. What a close call, Katy thought. The prince broke from his daze and followed her out onto the balcony.
“W-wait, I didn’t even catch your name!”
Katy smiled cheerfully, placing her hat neatly on her hair. “That’s ok, you don’t need it. May you find your storybook princess, because I know I’m not her.”
With a side saddle on her broomstick, she kicked off before he could say anything more. She waved goodbye to her sweet prince and as the distance grew she finally dropped her smile. The pounding of her heart ached more than before. Why at that moment did she think of that person? Threatening tears once again crept up as it swelled. No, she wasn’t going to let this ruin her night. It was still so early and there was much to do. Of course, it was for the best that she left the prince since the last thing she wanted was a strong commitment. Shaking her head from those thoughts, she clenched her fist with renewed determination. Katy was going to push her feelings aside, for now she was going to focus on having fun.
Up ahead she spotted a small town lit up with activity. Maybe it was another party? Lowering down towards the outskirts where it was calmer, Katy spotted a boy in overalls leaning against a fence. He looked over towards the street where a festival was in full bloom. Looking around, he seemed to be alone. With a small landing, she placed her broom and hat down and approached him. With her hands on her hips, she called out to him.
“Hey why are you so far from the fun?”
Startled, he turned towards her, his eyes wide at the sudden appearance. With a playful smile, she waited for him to reply.
“I didn’t have anyone to go with me.”
It was such a simple reply that Katy couldn’t help but bite at her lip. Walking towards him, she leaned in to kiss his cheek.
“Well now you do.”
Katy interlaced her hands into his, pulling him towards the busy streets. It was a small festival for what looked like a celebration of the recent harvest. It was common for the farming communities to throw such occasions as Katy had seen a few in the past. Where there was a celebration, there was more booze! Turning to her companion, she wrapped her arm around his.
“What is your name?”
The farmer boy blushed, turning away to hide it. “Jacob.”
“Do you know where the drinks are around here?”
“Yeah, I helped set up the booth for it. Got a few drinking tickets in return. Let me get you one!”
Jacob pointed towards the stand just past the center of the town. Together they walked through the crowd, several men and women glancing towards them. Of course it would be normal since she was the new comer, yet it was not uncommon for travelers to join in on the festivities. The dancing and music was centered in the middle of the market-like street with a blazing fire in the middle. The smell of cooked meats and pastries filled the air as they approached the beer stand. Jacob let her hand go as he stepped up to the counter and grabbed two drinks for them to enjoy. Taking her mug, they clinked before sipping the frothy brew. Farmer community beers were the best since everything they had was homemade. With a few deep swings, Katy closed her eyes with enjoyment. The music had a lively beat while the crowd cheered and danced.
Opening her eyes, she took a moment to appreciate her surroundings. It was day and night from the party at the Princes castle. From formal to absolute freedom. As much as the elegance of the castle had been, there was so much to offer in the less restricted attire and dance form. Looking back over at Jacob, Katy watched as he took a swig of his beer then wiped the foam with the back of his hand. It was uncouth, which was entirely fine with her. Maybe what she needed was not that of a new relationship but that of good company. Kissing the prince would have chained her from one relationship to another. Chugging her beer, she slammed her glass to the counter behind her with an exaggerated exhale. Jacob was dumbfounded that she had already completed her drink, causing her to raise a brow.
“Well, are you gonna catch up or not? We have dancing to do!”
With a hearty laugh, Jacob raised his glass to the challenge and downed the rest of his beer. Katy cheered him loudly, raising her arms above her head in excitement at his display. Slamming his now finished beer down on the counter in the same fashion as her, Katy clapped as he pounded at his chest. He clearly was not used to drinking quickly, yet wanted to impress her. With a giggle, she placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Way to go, I didn’t think you would do it!”
Standing up straight, he rubbed at his nose to brag. “What, chugging a beer? It’s not so hard.”
The current dance had just come to an end as the next one began to set up. Katy looked over as several people began to hold hands in a circle, dancing around the fire in a line. Dropping her hand from his chest, she watched with piqued interest. The dance seemed pretty simple as she studied the steps. Interrupting her thoughts, Jacob grabbed at her hand.
“It’s an easy dance if you want me to teach you. Come let’s go!”
Now being the one dragged behind, Katy laughed as he pulled her towards the circle. He broke the chain, grabbing at the hand of the stranger to add to the link. Looking back at her with a charming smile he helped her join and began to show her the foot work at a slower rate. It was a little bumpy at first, breaking the rhythm of the dancers beside them as she tried to watch him. It wasn’t long before she completely synced with the line, not having to watch at their feet as the dance pattern repeated. They danced several times around the fire, the pace slowly picking up as the musicians played faster each segment. The challenge was to go as long as you could before getting tired. Several people began to break from the circle as it got smaller and smaller. Katy laughed alongside Jacob as they stayed until the last final stanza of the song. Several other dancers had survived and as the song came to its close, the crowd erupted into an overwhelming cheer.
Katy was patted on the back by several strangers she had just danced alongside before the tempo of the music started up into a jig. Jacob thankfully was a great dancer, showing her the steps before they began to twirl and twist through the other dancers. This had gone on for several hours before the crowd began to thin out. The festival would still go on for hours more as the dancing died down to just the drinking crowd. Katy decided this was when she would take her leave. Hugging Jacob, she said her goodbyes.
“Thank you for an incredible time. I am going to head out.”
Shyly, he held her hands. “Will I be able to see you again?”
Katy was unsure once more how she was to reply. Instead of false promises or heart breaking words, she cupped his cheek and brushed it with her thumb. With a smirk, she pulled away from him in silence. Swishing her wrist, her broom flew over towards her. She grabbed her hat and plopped it on her head with one hand while grabbing the broom. With a fluid motion, she took off, leaving him unanswered behind. Surprisingly Katy felt no guilt. Jacob was a sweet boy, however she was not for him. At least she had been able to finally take her mind off the pain she felt before. Looking up at the moon at its full brilliance, she closed her eyes as the breeze cooled her. Even though she had danced for hours, she was still full of energy. Maybe one more stop before finding a place to sleep. Besides, it was the weekend and she had all the time in the world.
Scanning around, she was unfamiliar with the area. A large tree caught her eye as it twinkled in the distance. Sticking her tongue out she decided to check it out. The light grew as she approached it. Instead of circling it, she glided silently past the branches and cruised between several tree houses. “Oh, this is a fairy kingdom.”
There were several fairy folk playing and dancing in clusters around several branches of the tree houses and limbs. Slowing her pace, she giggled at the folk enjoying themselves.
“Not often does a witch stumble into these woods.”
The voice startled her as she turned to see a fair and handsome fairy folk drifted down to stand on the front of her broomstick, holding a drink in hand. Katy had heard how mischievous fairies could be and was curiously attracted.
“Not often does a fairy sneak up on a witch. What if I turned you into a toad in defence?”
With a contagious laugh, the fairy smiled playfully.
“Then I would hope that kissing you would break the spell. Care to join me in merriment?”
He lured her, leaning in to offer a cup full of sweet smelling dew. How could she turn down a drink with such a charming creature? Caution to the wind, she took the leafy goblet and took a sip of the fluid. It was sweet like honey, the nectar leaving her feeling warm within her core. It was welcoming since the breeze had chilled her from the dancing earlier. With a smirk, the fairy extended his hand.
“Feliander.”
Katy mimicked his smirk, reaching for his hand to hold. “Katy.”
Lifting off the broom, Feliander let go of her hand and waved to follow. He flew down towards a plant near the base of the tree. Drifting down she followed. The tree was buzzing with laughter, light music and several drunk flying fairies all playing pranks on each other. Touching down on the ground, Katy took her hat off and placed it on her broom. She was unsure if the pranksters would try and steal it, hoping they would know better than to mess with a witch. They didn’t seem malicious by any means, giving her a sense of comfort as they waved with kind smiles. Stepping closer to Feliander, he stood beside a large budding flower that protruded from the plant. The stem of the plant seemed to run through the entire tree as Katy spotted several of these buds over the kingdom. Touching the bud, Feliander used a bit of his magic which caused it to open into a bright colorful flower. Several stamens within the flower held the cup like nectar similar to the one he had given to her.
Plucking the goblet off the plant, he returned beside Katy with a lifted glass. Katy’s eyes filled with wonder as she lifted her cup towards him, drinking it as they cheered. Who would have thought such plants existed! Katy would have to find out the species of plant later, having something handy nearby would be convenient at home. As they began to drink beside the flower, they told stories and jokes, laughing as they sat close. She told him of the party at the castle, then how she danced at the farmers festival. Katy rested her head on Feliander, feeling warm and well past tipsy as she placed her now finished cup by several others they had finished. Feliander turned closer to her, touching lightly at her chin.
“Sounds like you’ve already had an eventful night! But what caused you to venture so far from home?”
Katy’s judgement was impaired as she thought on the question. Her smile fell as she now thought of the heartache she began her night with. “I suppose you could say I am running away from something.”
She stared into Felianders dark violet eyes. What would have made her heart melt and flutter away only brought back the gaping void in her chest. How easily she could just kiss any of the men she met tonight, alas she couldn’t push herself to do it. He waited patiently, expecting her to say more. A small tear pushed through as it streamed down her cheek.
“I had some bad news told to me earlier today, so I wanted to just drink my sorrows away.”
Feliander withdrew his hand from her chin, his face concerned as he adjusted to properly face her. Taking her hand into his, he offered comfort as he spoke softly.
“I am sorry to hear. Was it a loss of someone close?”
Katy broke away from his gaze. “In a way, yes. It’s more of a broken heart rather than the death of a loved one. They broke it off with me.”
There was a moment of silence as Feliander sighed lightly in thought. Katy finally looked back at him, realizing she had affected the mood.
“Ah, don’t worry about it so much. I don’t want to be a downer so let’s enjoy ourselves. I will be alright.”
Sitting up, Katy offered a wide grin. Feliander scoffed, nodding at the realization that she needed a friend more than anything. Reaching up towards the flower, he grabbed the last two cups and passed her one.
“Then here’s to you! The adventurous witch who’s looking for fun!”
“Hell yea!”
They clinked their cups and drank deeply. They continued into the early morning as the sun began to peek over the horizon. It was only when the chirping of birds did Katy finally wake up, unaware that she had even passed out at some point in her conversation with Feliander. Sitting up, she felt the material of a grassy blanket slip off her shoulder. Looking around in confusion, there was no sign of fairies as the tree was lit by sunshine. It seemed the entire tree was desolated as several of the fairy folk had drank themselves into a deep slumber. With a great deal of surprise, Katy woke up with no hangover. She rubbed at her face to clear the sleep from her eyes, spotting a small basket of fruits and nuts. Beside it was a note.
“Hope you slept well. Here is breakfast. May we meet again.”
There was no name, yet she knew Feliander was the one who left her the gift. Taking the basket, she ate the fruit while enjoying the peaceful environment. The flower that they had drank from had fully wilted, and the several goblets within were shriveled. Katy felt a little bad about killing such a beautiful flower, yet in its place a new bud had begun to bloom within the shell of the withered blossom. Katy really needed to find out what plant this was if it was able to recover so quickly! No wonder the fairy folk drank freely from the plant. She laughed at the thought of how cheerful and laid back they had been. Why she never had traveled the world like this made her wonder. All this time she had been in her swamp, spending all her time in the clouds and she could have been traveling the world. What other sights and views would she see?
She finished her meal, taking the card left from Feliander. Kissing it, she left the mark within the basket, hoping that he would receive her thanks. Thankfully on top of it all, her broom and hat sat untouched where she left it. Seems she had the wrong idea of how fairy folk were. Maybe she should come here again in the future. Taking her hat off the broom, a startling croak came shooting out of her hat as she turned it to place on her head. Screaming from the surprise, she fell on her bottom as the frog slapped her face. Pulling the frog off, she roared in laughter. Several giggles could be heard from the treetops where the houses all stayed. Turns out they were definitely pranksters. Standing up, she brushed her dress off and placed her hat on her head. Two could play at this game. Pulling her wand out of the pocket of her dress, she whispered a small chant. On a stump nearby, she conjured a large pile of muffins. Giggling to herself, she hoped the small prank would work.The small muffins were not just yummy treats for the fairies, but also would give the eater hiccups for a short time. All in good fun, she thought as they might get a kick out of it. Hoping on her broom, she chuckled at herself as she passed through the leaves into the open sky.
Now into the full sunlit air, she could tell that she was well past midday. She studied the land, making a mental note of the area so if she happened to be in the neighbourhood, she would stop by again. Tapping at her chin, she realized just how much of the world was left to explore. Even though she started the trip in hopes to forget her pain, she was beginning to feel the sense of adventure calling her. She turned to the west, knowing that home layed just beyond. What would be farther to the east if she continued? Excitement bubbling within her, she looked on.
“Look out world, here I come!”
Bending close to her broom, she zoomed off with great speed. As the landscape changed from farmlands and forest, it gradually became rock and mountainside. Slowing down her pace she spotted a large patch of trees with a hole in the middle. Curious, she turned towards it, taking high to the sky to get a better look. It was breathtaking as Katy now realized the hole was much deeper than she thought. It was a dwarven city! Brightly it glowed as the sun began to set, the twinkling lights bouncing off the river that ran down into it. Along the walls were buildings and housing layering on top of eachother as it ran deeply into the earth’s crust. Lowering down into it, there was a steam that battled against the mist of the water fall. It was humid and refreshing as hot and cold droplets of water tickled against her legs. Drifting away from the middle to avoid getting wet, she circled just outside of the street ways deeply embedded into the stone wall. The carvings and architecture was stunning. Several dwarves spotted her with surprise, few offering her a smile and wave.
She waved back, grinning ear to ear. Lowering down a few more layers, she finally landed on the floor. The streets were wide, lined with buildings of all kinds. The streets were busy with hustle and bustle as people shopped, carting goods and wares. A few dwarves were even riding on donkeys with small wagons. Taking a deep breath in, Katy caught a whiff of a delicious aroma. It was mouth watering, causing her stomach to rumble.
“Oops,” Katy thought. “I’ve been flying for a while and didn’t think about food.”
Rubbing at her stomach, she followed the scent, avoiding running into people as she explored. Eventually she came to a grand opening where several tables were set up within it. A giant oven-like structure lined the wall facing the forge and waterfall. It glowed brightly, cooking something within. Stopping a dwarven male close by she spoke.
“Excuse me, what is happening here?”
Hiding his initial shock, he switched to a grand smile. He spoke with a thick accent, rolling his r’s heavily. “My! Whadda day! Well youn’ Miss, today we holdin eh celebration. Te King Thane’s eldest son had’is first hunt. Will ye be stayin te honor him? Tis not oft’n we have eh witch visitin’ these parts, especially one as good lookin as ye.”
The stout dwarf’s eyes lit up with excitement, waiting for her response. Before she could reply, her stomach growled loudly. With a hearty laugh he planted his fists proudly on his hip.
“Ay, sounds like ye are. Come! Let me git ye something.”
Katy blushed a little, thanking him as she followed behind. Passing several tables, some with piles of plates of meats assorted. Bowls of fruits, vegetables and potatoes filled the other side as it held a defined line where the meat started and ended. Several tables had been arranged in such a way, and on each end were several kegs stacked on top of eachother. He eventually stopped in front of a table, grabbing at a plate of turkey. It looked thick with juicy meat and perfectly crisped seasoned skin. Kate’ sparkled as she stared starry eyed. The dwarf cackled, leading her to a table as he placed the plate down.
“Here, ye go Miss. And I’ll grab ye an Ale.”
Unsure if she should start eating right away or wait, Katy licked at her lips hungrily. What a lucky streak she was having! The dwarf returned, two grand pints brimming with ale. Some of the liquid sloshed out over the side as he plunked them down on the table. With a grunt he sat down on the other side of the table from her, sighing as he eyeballed the witch.
“Well, wut ye waitin’ fer? Dig in!” He chuckled as he watched Katy, rip the leg off the bird and chop away at the meat. With a moan of delight, Katy closed her eyes as she savored the meal. The plate had several buns stacked beside it as she opened her mouth to rip a bite out of one. Her mouth was still full when she grabbed at the pint, drinking deeply from it. The mixture of meat, bun and ale complimented each other exquisitely. This was the life, she thought as she swallowed it all. Looking at the dwarf, he sat quietly with a grin on his face while lighting up a pipe. He took several tokes of it before blowing a smoke ring. Katy realized she had been so distracted by her hunger, she forgot to thank him.
“Thank you…er.. Sorry, what is your name?”
The dwarf jumped, his eyes shooting wide. “My! ‘Cuse me fer bein rude, Miss! Names Gurk.”
“Nice to meet you Gurk. I’m Katy.” They nodded happily at each other as she continued to stuff her face. Slowly, the area began to fill in with several dwarven citizens. Several heading to different tables, then sitting at the tables in the same row. Katy leaned in to Gurk as she watched.
“Why are people selectively eating from certain tables and rows?”
Gurk took a deep drag of his pipe before answering. “Those be their Family house’s. Each house has eh Thane on te council. Ye can tell by te flag hangin on te roof.”
Katy looked up, never noticing the flags. Each was a different color and symbol. Intrigued, she nodded, looking at the banner they sat on. It was a dark forest green with a bow and arrow. On the string of the bow was a snake that wrapped itself around it. Gurk continued to speak, explaining his house banner.
“Each house represent eh cast. Te cast of each house is wut their job is, see? Me house cast is eh ranger. We hunt te food served here tonight.” As if he was boasting, Gurk wobbled with pride. Katy chuckled, given the feeling that the bird he served her was shot by him.
“Well, I must say, the hunter who killed this feast must have been very talented. I may want to meet them.” She offered him a wink, turning the dwarf bashful. He blushed crimson, figuring out that she caught on. Several other dwarves joined in at the tables as the feast was in full bloom. Cheers and song’s burst out at several points unprompted. Katy couldn’t help but to get caught up in the energy, clapping along to the chants she didn’t know. Each song was a tale of a house’s accomplishment as Gurk would explain them. The last song was of the Son who killed the beast plaguing the sheep pens. It was a wolf sang to be 10 times the size of a dwarf, mightier than a giant and ruthless as a tyrant king. How the King Thanes son bravely slew the beast without hesitation nor fear. At the last repeating chorus, all the dwarves sang in harmony, raising their pints towards the head tables where the son sat proudly by his father. Ale continued to flow as they drank heavily into the night. Arm wrestles and braggarts swarmed to different tables as they mingled after the songs. Katy was pickled by the time the dwarves around her began speaking of myths and legends. Some talked about the glory of golden treasures buried deep in the mountains nearby, others arguing it wasn’t buried but a dragon’s horde.
Gurk scoffed. “Id’ots all of em. Tis buried gold and jus a Dragon! Two diffen kinds!”
Katy leaned in, hanging on his words.
“Is there really a Dragon?”
“Ay, Tis. Near te boarder lands o’ te desert. Seen it meselves. Black as te dark’st nights! Beady evil eyes, is has.”
His eyes widened as he regaled the tale, swaying as he held his hands up to add to the story. His buddy beside him slapped him on the back, howling. “Can’ believe ye still tellin te tale! He was eh wee lad, claimin he saws it since we bu’ pups.”
Gurk slammed his fist angrily on the table, his face red with a vain popping from his forehead. “AY! I’s SEEN te dragon! Na eh soul believe me, eh!”
Sitting down, Gurk grumpily crossed his arms. Katy burst out laughing at the stout dwarves childish outburst. Reaching out, she grabbed his arm.
“I believe you, though! In fact, I will go see this dragon for myself!”
The dwarves around her burst out laughing, teasing her as she stood up, pint in hand.
“You all laugh, but I will prove Gurk is right! I’m gonna fly over there, ask him for a tooth, then come back here and show you all. In Gurks Honor!”
Slowly they looked to one another, deciding and nodding collectively at the strange quest the witch had set out. Who were they to judge if she wanted to prove someone’s honor? Cheering her on, Katy downed the rest of her wooden cup and slammed it down on the table. She led them towards her broom, her pointed hat sitting crooked on top of her head. With a wave of her hand she grabbed her broom and saluted the crowd. She hopped on with a stumble before kicking off in a wobbly line. The cries of the dwarves slowly drowned out as she raised into the sky. Everything was a blur, even while attempting to scan the mountain range she had a hard time staying right side up on the stick. With a hiccup, Katy pointed in the supposed direction. “Onwards!”
Sitting in the sky unmoving, Katy glanced down at her broom.
“Hey! Onwards!”
With still no movement, Katy planted her fist on her hip. “Listen here, twiggy. I made you, I can discharm you too!”
There was a small hesitation before the broom launched into a full jet. Katy gripped on tightly, grabbing at her hat at the sudden lurch. Grumbling under her breath, she tried to focus on the ever changing landscape. It was hard to keep balance as she swerved up and down, barrel rolling here and there as she nearly slipped off to the side. Still only holding the broom with one hand and her hat with the other, she leaned heavily over to squint at a mountain before colliding into the tip of a pine tree. The sudden slap against the boom and her leg caused her to plumid narrowly towards the ground, hitting several other branches and limbs along the way. Thankfully landing in a bush below, Katy groaned at the pain in her body. She took a few moments to catch her breath before rolling out to the dirt floor. Pulling out her wand, she swished for a magical swirl to clean off her dress, leaving her looking fresh. With only a few minor scratches, she considered herself lucky.
“Phew! That was a close call! Alright, take two!”
Waving her hand towards her broom, she watched as it hovered above her. The magical stick shook the top of it’s handle in a “No” like manner, the lantern attached swaying as it creaked. Flabbergasted at the outbreak of her broom’s disobedience, Katy stomped her foot while crossing her arms.
“Oh shush, this isn’t the first time I’ve drank and flown. Come on, let’s go!”
The broom avoided her attempt to grab it as she leapt out at it, swishing out of reach. “Listen, if you don’t come down here, I will use you to clean the floor of my house!”
A silky voice calls out from behind her, nearly scaring her half to death. “Troubles with your steed?”
Turning to face the voice, she came face to face with a unicorn. It was dazzling while with a glowing aura, unlike anything she had seen before. Years she had read about them, knowing them to be pure beasts, kind hearted and caring. It was hard not to feel ashamed of her behalver, now being in the presence of such a magnificent creature.
“Oh, I uh.. Maybe. I think it’s trying to say I am a little too drunk to be flying.”
Looking around, not only did she feel ashamed but she was also horribly lost. With a light laugh, the Unicorn readed her mind.
“Ah, yes. I think your broom is correct. I see you have lost your way as well. Would you like it if I gave you a ride back to town?”
With a droopy head, Katy frowned. “Actually, I was hoping to try and find the dragon’s lair. This might be a little silly, but after drinking alongside the dwarves and hearing their tales, I was looking for a little adventure. I promised to restore someone’s honor by finding it and proving it was real.”
Without looking towards the magical creature, she could feel the disappointment on his face. Crossing her arms, she looked to the ground. “I haven’t really been having the best of luck lately so I thought if I could find him, I would have an epic tale everyone would sing of the tale for years to come. At least something to replace… Ah, never mind.”
A small tear welled as she began to feel the pain boil within her. The unicorn felt bad, watching her sigh in defeat. Finally looking up at the unicorn, Katy offered a weakened smile.
“I will take your offer for a ride back to town. My broom is right, I am a little too drunk.”
Leaning down on one knee, he offered for her to climb up. Even though she felt her streak of fun had finally come to an end, never would she have ever dreamt of riding on a unicorn. Timidly she approached him, touching at his pure snow white hair. His mane was silky to touch, untangled while she pulled herself up. Taking off into a slow trout, his gate was smooth and unhindered. The grace and elegance of the unicorn’s movements were like a river seamlessly flowing, no matter which way he turned it was natural and effortless. Making their way through the rocky terrain, they began to speak.
“I am curious, Why would you want to do something so risky in the first place?”
Katy chuckled. It was risky. Everything she had done over the past few days was careless and unplanned. There was no real reason so she told him the truth.
“I was dumped.”
Dismayed, the unicorn turned his head to look back at her. “All this from a broken heart?!”
Katy gave a painful smile. It was time to finally come clean. No more was she going to avoid her pain. “I know, you’re not the first to say it. I had known them for years, we started as friends and lo and behold, fell in love. We never really officially dated, it was mostly kept secret because of their stature.”
Katy began to fidget, twirling the unicorn’s mane between her fingers.
“I can’t be mad. I knew from the beginning we were from two different worlds. I am a witch and they… Well, it doesn’t matter anymore. They are engaged now and here I am.”
The unicorn kept his pace as he listened. “So you are looking to replace that love?”
“I thought so at first, yet when I started this trip I came across a castle. I met a prince who took interest in me. We laughed, danced and as we leaned in to kiss, I realized this wasn’t what I wanted. So I fled. Every girl’s dream is to meet a prince and become a princess yet it didn’t feel right. So then I continued on. I met a farm boy at a festival, got drunk in the fairy kingdom and it was at that point I realized I just wasn’t looking for love. Here I had men at my disposal and I could have picked any one of them. Instead I thought, I didn’t know anything about the world. So I chased after adventure and to explore. Getting drunk with dwarves and chasing dragons enthralled me. All to chase my pain away.”
The subsisting resistance faded as the tears began to spill freely. The walls she had focused so hard to build were cracking, emotions leaking through she sought to fight.
“I just… wish I would have fought more for them, you know? Instead, once I found out they were having a celebration for the engagement, I ran like a coward. How could I face them being together? The one I loved with someone they didn’t. I couldn’t bear it.”
Wiping the tears quickly she slapped at her cheeks. “Nope! I promised myself I would not cry over this! Sorry for pouring my heart out, and also for the ride. Once we get back to the city, I will sober up and just head home. I am sorry to drag you into all this.”
With a change of heart, the unicorn stopped in a huff. After hearing her plight, he decided to help her.
“You know what. Today is the day you find the dragon! I will help you and together we will get your song!” With a stomp of his foot, he pivoted into a gallop off towards the dragon’s den. Convinced, he decided to help make her small dream come true. They race off towards the mountain peaks, making great leagues with the fluid movement of the unicorn. Katy’s heart raced, and with a cheer, she hugged his neck. Planting a kiss on his neck, she thanked him.
The trip wasn’t long as they made their way to a cave entrance. With excitement, Katy hopped off his back and snuck up towards the rocky wall. The unicorn huddled in close behind as he whispered.
“How are you going to convince him?”
Katy nervously chuckled. Not once did she think of a plan the entire way here.
“No clue. Can’t I just walk up to him and just ask for a tooth or a nail?”
The unicorn nudged her hard on the shoulder with his nuzzle.
“Ok ok, stupid idea. Well, I can cast a quick spell on myself to turn invisible. It won’t last long though since I kinda didn’t do so well on those kinds of spells in school.”
Shaking his head, the unicorn huffed. “They can sense you so it won’t be much help. Dragons are also magical creatures who can sense magical presents. I would not doubt he already knows we are around.”
Katy leaned her back against the wall to pounder. Slapping her fist into her palm, she looked at her friend. “What if I cast a minor charm spell?”
Quizitorily the unicorn shrugged. Katy frowned, it could be that the unicorn didn’t know much either about dragons. It was common that each creature was just as secretive to another on what they were like or capable of. Which meant, he probably was unsure how effective her own magic would be. Dropping her hands to the wall, she thought deeply of the risk. Coming so far already, she wasn’t going to give up. What was the worst thing to happen? At the first sign of danger she could protect herself and flee. Turning to her friend, she touched the side of his face.
“Thank you for helping me get this far. Whatever happens, I will make sure I get out alright. For now maybe get out of here in case he comes out angry. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
For a moment he leaned into her caress before nodding. With a smile, she kissed him on the tip of his snout, parting towards the opening.
“Before you go,” The unicorn called out just before she stepped into the darkness, “Thank you for sharing your story with me. You are a kind witch. I hope the man you cherished knows what they lost.”
Katy sadly smiled, yet was moved. Unable to reply in fear of losing control of her emotions, she nodded. Facing the unknown, she moved forward into the tunnel aware that the unicorn stayed to watch until he could no longer see her. There was no longer any light source within the cave, leaving it frightfully eerie while Katy stumbled blindly through the tunnel. Reaching into her pocket after some time, she chanted a spell bringing light to the tip. It offered very little help however, since there was no sign of where the tunnel started or ended. All she could see was darkness. Confused, Katy turned back towards the exit, seeing the walls and dirt path behind. How was it possible not to see the end of the tunnel? A chilling shiver ran up her spine, realizing as she turned back towards the void. This time looking back, in the pitch black were golden orbs that reflected the light.
Petrified, Katy was only a few feet from the dragon. With a couple steps back, the beast grew in size as it stood. Towering over her it sneered, rumbling the entire mountainside as he spoke in a growl.
“How dare you wake me from my slumber!”
The tremor of the ground shook Katy to her core, almost knocking her over backwards. She held her wand up while trying to find courage to speak.
“I.. I uh, Hello! I am so sorry to wake you. Y-you see… I have a small miniscule request for such a … uh… Regal dragon as yourself.”
He took a step forward, leaning in closer with a distrustful look. Katy took this moment to continue.
“A lowly witch like me was merely trying to prove that a great exalted dragon lived up in these mountains. A-and uh… they didn’t believe me.” She chuckled nervously, backing up further before hitting a wall. “Ah, and well uh.. I wanted to prove that you are truly as glorious as I made you out to be! Which you are! Heh heh. S-so to correct the error of their ways, I-I wanted to ask if I could have a small tooth, nail or even a scale to bring back as proof.”
Snapping his teeth, the dragon lowered inches from her face.
“I will not! A slithery witch like you cannot be trusted. You would use our parts for your spells and potions.”
With his claws he pinned her to the wall, almost knocking the wind out of her.
“Don’t even try to use your spells against me either, witch! None will work.”
Katy swallowed hard while the dragon licked his chops. If she didn’t do something quick, she was surely going to be his next meal.
“No no, I wouldn’t dream of using any of your parts! I just wanted to prove that my dwarven friend was right! None of them believed him that you exist and I just wanted to help him!”
He pulled back his face with narrowed eyes, giving Katy confidence she might yet convince him. “Fly out over top of the city, just do a lap around to show that you really are real and how noble of a beast you are. It will show them your superiority and how all this time you have ruled over this dominion, allowing them to live as they please.”
Playing off the dragon’s vanity worked as he considered her words. He removed his claw from her sitting as he looked down at her.
“And how do I know this is no trick to slay me.”
Katy took a deep bow, removing her hat. “On my honor as a witch, I promise that no hard will come of you. If you want, take me with you. That way if you go down, so will I.”
Not moving from her bow for several painstaking seconds, the dragon finally answered her.
“Fine. The moment I see a knight or am attacked, I shall tear you to shreds and devour you.”
Although she had successfully convinced the dragon, Katy still was unsure if this was a win or a death sentence. She could not promise that his sudden appearance would not startle the kingdom into a frenzy, yet she was certain at least the dwarves were expecting it. Suddenly grabbing her, the dragon clutched her close as it rushed out of the tunnel. The startling rush caught Katy off guard as he began to run at full speed. Grabbing onto her hat tightly, all she could do was hang on for the ride. The dragon continued his pace and as the opening of the tunnel greeted them, he leaped off the mountain ledge. Spreading his wings, the sudden lurch as he flapped made her stomach churn. Flying on a broomstick was much easier than in the claws of a dragon. Without warning, he rolled and tossed her into the air to land once more onto his back. Holding on for dear life, Katy sat on the back of the wondrous beast as they circled the skys. It was exhilarating as the wind blasted her face at tremendous speed. In a grand display, the dragon cried out into the night sky. The call could be heard echoing on for miles, announcing his presence to the world. With a growl to the wind, he called up to her.
“Where are the non-believers?”
Shakily she pointed to the small circle of stone within the tree’s. They were farther into the sky than Katy could bear doing on her broom. She couldn’t even achieve half the speed they were going as he enclosed the distance within seconds. With a second thunderous cry, Katy couldn’t help but laugh. They circled the city several times before the dragon made one final call, heading off towards the mountain range once more. Looking back Katy couldn’t wait to return to see the praise the dwarves would sing of her accomplishment. Yet as they continued past the dragon’s den, Katy felt fear creeping up within her.
“Where are you going? Isn’t the cave back there?”
No answer was given to her as he continued deep into the dessert. The land shifted from sand to dried barren lands, the soil cracked and ridged with dead plants and shrubs shed their carcusses. Before she could think of a solution, the dragon dipped deeply towards a small thicket of trees. In a flash, Katy was ripped from the dragons back. For a short touchdown, the dragon dropped her harshly on the ground. Covering her face, Katy screamed for her life while wind assaulted her face. Fearing he was going to eat her even though no one attacked, she shoudded her face with her arms. Anticipating an attack that never came, she finally dropped her arms and looked around. The dragon was nowhere to be seen.
Shakely, she stood up and dusted herself off. The gust from the dragon’s wings had thrown her hat several feet from her. Retrieving her hat, she took a deep breath in and closed her eyes.
“Great. He ditched me in the middle of nowhere! I guess I should have arranged with him before asking to ride on his back where to let me off back with the dwarves.”
Tisking as she picked up her hat, she felt the presence of several entities around her. Slowly standing, she was surrounded by several creatures. Few growled and laughed while others stood staring. She couldn’t see their faces with the myst surrounding them adding to her fear.
“Look what we got here. Stray little witch.” The voice came from in front of her as a talk slender man stepped forward. He was pale with dark thin lips, framed with long straight raven hair. His smile almost glowed in the night, his fangs glinting from the moonlight. Vampire, Katy thought. There was no doubt about it. She was deep within the wastelands, far from home or safety. Unless there was a miracle, there was no getting out of here alive. Katy held her hat close as the looming creatures closed in.
“Come, don’t be shy. You’re coming with me.”
With no other options, she obeyed. The vampire turned to lead, his army keeping a close eye on her as they walked towards the castle looming close by. Within the castle, she was led into the main halls where the vampire dismissed his followers.
“Excuse me for my curtness earlier. I am Lord Mercial. I govern these lands and the creatures within them.” Turning he pushed back his cape to extend his arms out towards her.
“I see the black dragon Eurlun has brought me yet another gift.”
He paused to scan her head to toe, sending shivers up her spine.
“And what a gift indeed.”
Katy treaded carefully as she held the rim of her hat in her hands. “What do you want with me? Help you with household duties? Have brooms carry mop buckets around for you?”
Lord Mercial chuckled humorlessly. “To be my bride. I have been in need of one for some time since the last one.”
Katy swallowed hard. The last thing she wanted right now was to be in a relationship, yet being forced into a marriage she didn’t want? With widened eyes, it finally dawned on her. If by some how she ever made it out of here she knew what she needed to do. Coyly, she stepped up to him. Somehow she needed to find a way to distract him so she could flee. The monsters under his command were nowhere in the room so she could flee towards the balcony. Thankfully she had sobered up from the exhilaration of the dragon ride that if she could enchant some object, she could haphazardly fly out of immediate danger. How she would make it back home would be something she would figure out later. Right now she needed to save herself. Besides, she felt invincible after what she had been through so far. This was one crazy weekend and she wasn’t going to let it end like this. Submissively, she stood in front of him as he wrapped his arms around her.
“That’s it. Succumb to your fate. Don’t worry, I will give you thousands of children to spawn. And together we will rule over this kingdom.”
Caressing her face, Katy looked frantically around for something, anything to aid her. He pulled back her hair from her neck, preparing to bite her when she looked back at his own. That’s it! Launching quickly at the vampire’s neck, she chomped down as hard as she possibly could. Ripping a chunk of his neck, Mercial howled angrily and shoved her hard from his arms.
Katy hit the floor hard, spitting the rotten flesh from her mouth. It was so putrid, it almost made her ralph. The room suddenly darkened, drawing Katy’s attention back to the matter at hand. Lord Mercial in his rage called forth thousands of bats, looming above him as his eyes turned black.
“For your insolence, I will kill you instead!”
“Not today, but thanks!” Rushing to her feet, Katy turned towards the balcony and fled.
Mercial roared, sending his bats after her as he stumbled. Making it outside, Katy didn’t have time as several of the small winged creatures pelted her. Pain erupted in her arm from scratches and bites nicked at her. Losing her footing in disorientation, Katy backed up into the railing and felt backwards as it crumbled from her weight. The slow motion of her fall crushed her. She had still so much she needed to accomplish. With a small prayer, she closed her eyes.
“I just want to see them again.”
Unable to do anything else, she extended her arms to await her death. Memories flashed of her time she cherished with her love. How she wished she was braver back then. Smiling, she let the tears flow unrestricted. All that matters is that I loved them. The freefall felt unending, and as the sudden slam against her body winded her she gasped hard. Instead of being hitting the ground, she was in the arms of a brilliant shining angel. With his wings extended, he flew straight to the open sky. In a dumbfounded stuper, she yelled at him.
“Alex!”
Not expecting him to reply Katy leaned her head against his chest in relief. Exhaustion crashed her all at once from the rollercoaster of emotions and events. After they landed, she was never leaving her house again. Well, at least for a while. Several minutes had passed and yet he still said nothing to her. Thoughts raced through her head and when it was at its worst, she finally broke the silence.
“Why on earth would you save me? I thought you hated me.”
She knew who he was and even though she was sure he would never accept her kind, here he was protecting her as he flew off towards familiar grounds.
“We may never see eye to eye, and sure I despise your kind, However, if anything happened to you, we both know they would never forgive themselves.”
Katy was touched. She had been reckless with heart ache and not once did she think about how her love would react if she had disappeared.
“Wait, how did you know where I was?”
The angel kept his composure, never smiling yet never frowning. Such a typical thing for a warrior angel.
“After I heard what happened, I followed you to make sure you wouldn’t get into trouble like you usually do. I’ve seen witches do worse things than you have.”
His words were no more comforting, yet she was still grateful. Bright lights pulled her to the present as she realized they were not heading towards her home. There was cheering, music and flashing lights as they drew nearer.
“Where are you taking me?”
Alex said nothing upon lowering towards the outer ring of the cathedral. Touching down to the ground, he lowered Katy.
“You can’t choose who you love, and even though I shouldn’t be helping you I know they feel the same way.”
Katy looked up at the angel, then followed his gaze as it led her to the stage in the middle of the full packed house. There they were, the one she loved standing in front of thousands celebrating the announcement of the wedding. Katy hoped after hearing about the party that she could escape far enough away to avoid being here, and yet after everything she had gone through she had ended here. Fate was cruel as she spotted the flashy man beside the beautiful woman he was going to marry walk out from behind a curtain. With the words of the angel replaying in her mind and her prayer only moments ago, she knew exactly why he had brought her here. He wanted her to take her love back. Without further exchange with him, she knew what she needed to do. Grinning, she brought out her wand. With a flick of her wrist, she enchanted a broom nearby. Unsure where her old one was, this one would have to make due.
On the stage, the man’s attention was solely to the crowd. He was a superstar, known across the kingdoms for his innervation and talents. A bachelor well desired and wealthy to boot. And lucky for Celistain, she was engaged to him. As he stood to the crowd, he shoved his way in front of the women. Waving and soaking it all in, he completely neglected her. The women watched as he let his ego run while the crowd chanted his name
“Sabito! Sabito! Sabito!”
Of course he would be so arrogant, Celistian thought bitterly. Irritated by his display as he revved up the crowd, she rolled her eyes in boredom. How much longer do we need to continue this? As she looked towards the sky, her jaw dropped. Finally noticing just above her was Katy. Thoughts ran wild as she glared at her. What the hell was she doing? Didn’t she tell her not that long ago this was their engagement party? She may have been invited, yet here she floated above them in front of hundreds in the kingdom. The nerve of this witch.
In a harsh whisper, she waved her to leave. “What are you doing! Get out of her!”
Katy’s look of determination did not sway. “No. I am not leaving. Not alone anyway.”
Celistain’s eyes widened with a brief moment of fear. “He’s engaged to me, Katy. Please just give up.”
Katy reached down, offering a hand as Sabito turned to see what the commotion was about.
“Oh, don’t worry about her. The pathetic witch can’t take a hint when she’s not wanted. Let her be. She’ll learn her place soon.” Waving her off he returned to the crowd, as they laughed at Katy. Sabito only thought of her as a joke, he always had.
Celistain lowered her head, ashamed by his manner. Katy held strong as she held Celistain face with her eyes.
“Celistain, I love you. I always have. I know you don’t love him in return.” It was a soft whisper, only loud enough for her to hear as her eyes shot up. They stared longingly at each other for a brief moment as Katy continued. “Come with me.”
Torn between the arranged marriage and being with the one she loved, Celistain knew either choice could be devastating. Yet as she watched Katy, her hand slowly reached up to grab hers. There was no taking back her choice as Katy pulled for her, determined to not leave her behind. The crowd gasped, warning Sabito to turn around. Angrily he cried out.
“What are you doing?! This is to help save your kingdom from falling! You choose this now and our alliance with the heavens will end!”
Stretching out her wings, Celistain pushed off the ground speeding off behind Katy as she turned her broom to fly off into the sky. Flapping her wings hard, she could barely hear the cries of the man she almost married. She didn’t look back, she couldn’t even if she wanted to. Her attention was solely focused on how dazzling Katy looked with the moon in front of her and the wind blowing in the wind. She turned around looking back at Celistain with a shocked smile, laughing at how she really was holding her hand once more. Celistain knew the feeling as the settling idea of the choice she made sank in. Oh no, she thought, What are we going to do now?!
With miles placed between Sabito, They finally slowed down. Katy had flown them well past the clouds and all they could see was the moon at its peak and the stars. Celistain flew up to rest beside Katy as they sat on the broomstick. The cool breeze was welcoming as she took a deep breath. They sat in silence before Celistain spoke, her voice weak.
“I told you to let me go. Why couldn’t you just leave it be.”
Katy squeezed her hand, unwilling to let it go. “I love you. I could never let you go even if I wanted to. Trust me, I tried. And the story I have will astound you.”
Celistain sighed heavily. No matter what story she had, it wouldn’t matter. She knew there was no way Katy would have, because she too couldn’t let her go. The pain she buried deep down bubbled forith. All she wanted was to please her father by bringing unity between the alchemists and angels like he wanted. If only she hadn’t fallen for Katy already. Tears poured as she turned away from Katy.
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t let you go either. I am so sorry…”
Katy reached out, caressing her chin gently to pull her face towards her. “It’s ok. I would say don’t worry and that everything will be alright, but it won’t. And that’s ok because together we will figure something out. I know your kingdom needs resources but after the crazy weekend I’ve had, I may have a solution. For now, at least you are free from Sabito.”
Her words were comforting while mesmerizing Celistain. She was right, at least now she was free from him and all she could see was her. Leaning in she closed her eyes and when their lips touched into a tender kiss, Celistain knew at least with Katy everything would work out fine.
The end.
Writing prompt: All religions are real and the world just ended.
How did I get here? Jake looked around at the surrounding people packed into the white abyss. Slowly he was being shoved towards the same direction as the person in front of him. The last thing he remembered was a sudden blast then, Poof! Here he was alongside thousands.
There has to be some kind of mistake, He continued to think as he suddenly heard several shouts in front. The closer he got, the louder they had become as several people stood holding signs and waving their arms.
“Christians over here! Line up in the denomination once you’ve reached the markers!”
“Buddhists this way. You can choose your reincarnation after having tea and a group meditation!”
Jake stopped, allowing several people to push past as they began to herd towards the shooting men on stands, boxes and even rocks that lined against several gates, halls and building entrances. They were dressed in robes of different colours, sizes and even emblems related to each religion. To his belief, it reminded him of a university club week trying to recruit members for their activities. Jake made his way towards the closest man who was standing under a booth. The sign above was blurry as it shimmered with different symbols and characters before clearing up into a language he understood. It read, “Information booth.”
Jake waited until the man finished pointing to the lost soul before stepping up to inquire about his own fate. “Good Sir, I-“
The robed man interrupted. “Oh no no, I am not good. I am neutral. How may I help you?”
Jake bit his tongue a moment before giving it a shake. What an odd person!
“Hi, I am a little confused about what is going on here!”
Without hesitation, he replied to Jake.
“Well, you are dead. Which faith, belief or ideal did you follow in your life?”
Jake blinked for a moment. How could this man be so blunt!
“Wait what?”
The being before him gave a small sigh while giving a sympathetic smile. “This is the gates to your end. Everyone has different thoughts and believes and we are here to help direct them to the appropriate one.”
Jake shook his head. “What if they aren’t sure and change their mind?”
The man pointed towards a building behind them and to the side, one Jake didn’t see before on his way. “That there is a presentation where you can see the benefits and information clearly. Sometimes down on Earth, it gets a little muddied by changes and misinterpretations. For those who are still unsure, they can stand by the gates in a waiting area to observe until they have decided.”
Jake scratched at his head. “But what of those who believed in hell and satan? If they know they are going to be judged harshly and meet their demise, why would they choose that!”
The man chortled. “Oh, you mortals. Fear isn’t always the driving factor to the decisions made in your lives. That you can clear up when you meet the doorkeeper where he can judge your life. Either you believe you were “good” or “bad” is all placed on a biased perspective. All we care about is making sure you get to the right place you want to be.”
“Well can I leave if I change my mind?”
The man scoffed, throwing his hands up. “Well of course! Seems kind of silly to stay in one place forever! Of course, you need to meet the requirements or terms needed before making religion changeovers, but that will be covered by the gatekeeper as well when he gives you the pamphlet.”
Jake stood perplexed. Was everything really that easy compared to what they believed on earth?
“Well, what if I was an atheist?”
The being lightened up. “Oh, well if you didn’t believe in any of the religions, then you must be the new helper! Take a robe of any colour and see who needs help ushering the lost souls to the right gate. You will figure out things fine. If you need anything else, let me know!”
And with that, Jake looked at the lined boxes behind the booth and picked a robe. What a strange place this is. He donned his robe and off he went to help the people.
I decided to do a writing prompt I say, and this one actually made me giggle.
Please enjoy.
Writing Prompt of the day: Write about the one time you made a meal your mom used to make as a child.
Derek was quite certain he would get it this time. Pulling out the cookbook his mom used when he was a little boy, he carefully traced the spine. All of her famous recipes had been written within the worn and brittle book. Her cursive handwriting was clear and crisp, as you could tell she gave it all of her love into the page. With a soft hand, Derek traced the page with a sweet smile. Since her passing, Derek had missed her greatly. When he was clearing out the attic of his childhood home, he found the cookbook within a small box of her things. His mouth began to water at the memories of savoury flavours he craved. Heading into the kitchen, he flipped through the pages debating which one he should try this time.
Between stir fry, stew and a meat pie, he pondered which one would be feasible. He placed the book down on the stand before looking at his catch of the day as it hung to bleed out. He had taken special care to make sure the meat wouldn’t spoil in the cold room, pulling it down to begin cutting it. Stripping off the outer layer, he hacked and stripped the meat off the bone with precision. With talented handling, he managed to get decent cuts while discarding useless parts. Upon inspection of the cuts, he began to separate and pack several bits for different occasions. Holding a fatty bit, he decided to make a meat pie. The texture seemed right, and the amount he managed to carve would make for several other meals included. Taking the meat, he placed it into his meat mincer and turned the machine on. While he waited for it to process, he cleaned up the mess, making sure to keep the head of his trophy.
Once the meat was minced, he scaled and packaged the rest in which he would use later. With enough to make a few pies, he nodded with satisfaction. Derek headed to the kitchen with his bowl of meat in one arm and his mother’s cookbook in the other. First, he needed to cook the meat and boil potatoes. Starting up the skillet, he seasoned and spiced the meat to his mother’s instructions. Covering the meat, he began to peel potatoes and waited for the pot of water to boil. Standing back, he quickly tapped the book to read. Somehow he felt like he was missing something. Right, he snapped his fingers with a hand gunshot, the recipe called for some corn.
Brushing his hands on his chest, he headed to the panty. Usually, he kept a good stock of canned veggies and soups for this occasion, so having a small can of corn wouldn’t be a problem. He shuffled a few cans around, eventually finding one as he cheered with a happy grunt. It was cream of corn, which in his mind was a better option. Can’t always follow the recipe to a T, he thought with a chuckle. Returning to the oven, he checked the process of the meat before grabbing the can opener. After opening the can, he placed it down and turned the oven on. With a spoon, he mixed both the meat and the potatoes, making sure they were well on their way. The meat was partially ready as he pulled it off the stovetop. No point in over-cooking it when he was going to bake it all.
Derek pulled out a glass bakeware bowl, pouring three-quarters of the meat into it. Next, he took the cream of corn and created a small layer of it across the top of the meat. He took a small silver spoon to help smooth it all out, making sure it was covered entirely. Lastly, he checked the potatoes. They were the perfect cook to mash as he pulled it off the stovetop and drained the water. With a good mash, milk and butter, he whipped it up something fierce before globbing it up with a wooden spoon. Craftily, he plopped it on top of the layers in the glassware, covering the corn and meat without spilling it over the edge. With a fork, he fluffed the layer about, giving it a good texture to bake. With a small smile of delight, Derek was excited to see the potato crisp into a lovely golden texture. Placing it into the oven, he stood with his fists on his hip in triumph.
Now all he had to do was wait. Blowing as raspberry, he looked around at the dishes. Well, he had some time to waste. With that, he began to clean up his mess, then set the table. He had just finished lighting candles when the timer ran for the pie. Licking his lips at the delicious smell, he opened the oven to take a peek first. His expectation of the crispy potato design on the top was spot on. There it was, the beautiful masterpiece from his mother’s recipe. Pulling it out, he hardly could wait as he skipped to the table, placing it down on a cork trivet. Before sitting down, Derek quickly ran to the kitchen to grab a wine class and his finest red.
Oh, how he waited for this moment, rubbing his hands together he anxiously poured himself a glass before cutting into the meat pie. With a big scoop, he dished it to his plate and delicately picked up his fork. The moment of truth to see how well he was able to cook his own killed game. With trembling fingers, he loaded his fork with a bit of each layer and took a bite. The flavour swirled his taste buds. The tenderness of the meat, the creamy corn and potato perfectly mingling the juices and spices. The more he chewed, however, the more that there was something missing. It was everything he was hoping for but it wasn’t like his mother’s. He took a few more bites, his euphoria dissipating quickly as he frowned into his meat pie. What was he missing? Was it the cream corn? Maybe the meat was too fresh since she always just made it with store-bought products.
With a heavy sigh, he finished his plate using a bit of bread to scoop up the juices running amuck on his plate from the meat. Sitting back he smacked his lips, grabbing his glass of wine as he stared at the head of his prized kill sitting on the other side of the table. With a narrow glare, he took a sip as he stared into the eyes of the blue eyes of the man whose body he cut up. Maybe it was the meat, Derek thought as he swished the wine within his mouth to clear his pallet. With a crooked smile, he continued to stare darkly. Next time, I will get it right.
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Turan Turnip
Turnip Patch 