A Month of Prompts

[Medium he/they]

1/5/23:

The Chickens Got Their Way...:

Spoiler

Deep in the forest, away from humanity, a group plotted.

Plotted the downfall of humanity.

They clucked and cawed, pecked and scratched, planned and debated.

Someday, Humanity would fall.

At the hands of the Birds In White.

After all,

The Chickens Always Got Their Way.

 

[Edema Rue she/her]

1/5/23: The Chickens got Their Way

Spoiler

Chickens don’t get what they want. It’s in the rules every chicken gets when they choose to be a chicken, right between ‘lay eggs’ and ‘if your head gets cut off, you may continue to run around’.

But not all chickens follow those rules. See, some chickens don’t follow them at all! Some chickens die right away when you cut their heads off, and some chickens don’t ever lay any eggs at all!

And some chickens…some chickens get what they want. I think that’s pretty easy, seein’ as all they must want is not to be my dinner. But I think it’d be nice to be a chicken. Cause chickens, they don’t hafta worry about nothin’. But we can’t all be chickens. They have their way, and we got ours. And I don’t think I’d want to be a chicken anyway. I certainly wouldn’t wanna be someone’s dinner.

 

[Szeth's Facepalm]

1/5/23: The chickens got their way.

Spoiler

I always collect the eggs.

It's not something we- our little family- ever discussed, not something that we decided upon. It just is. Every night, after dinner, Corey- my witty, agreeable older brother- takes the plates and does the dishes,  and my mother sweeps the floor, and I- uncomplaining- put on my green boots and go on the very short walk to the back of the house where the chicken coop is and unlatch the little door and get the eggs from the nests. the next day, we eat them scrambled, or fried, or in a cake, or in a waffle mix, or however we want. I've done it for as long as I can remember. it just is.

I never mind it, except when it is cold or windy. I do love the chickens. my girls. there are 7 of them, and they are beautiful: one has lovely shimmery black feathers that are green in the sunlight, and another's are a shade of comforting caramel brown and are very soft. i love to hold them and put my head against their backs and feel their soft feathers on my cheek. Corey, as a joke, named them after the seven deadly sins, and it has stuck. It was without malice and done affectionately because of their number, and it is quite funny.

Though I don't mind getting the eggs, the chickens are sometimes unsettling in the dark. i can't see them very well, except for their beady eyes, which are sometimes trained on me as i shine my flashlight into their nests and collect their eggs. our chickens are loud, always clucking and shrieking, but occasionally when i enter, they go completely silent. it is those nights that i sometimes leave the eggs and run, and wake up early to collect them before school, when the bright morning light dispels any chill that might creep up my spine as their eyes fix on me and they don't make a sound. it did occur to me one night that i was collecting and eating their children, and they had every right to stare at me silently, but i still don't like it. I like to think of myself as their friend. And besides, they are all hens, so none of the eggs could ever be chickens.

but it's not often that they do this. usually, they are chatty and sweet and normal.

    * * *

i pull on my boots. it's chilly tonight, and the icy wind rushes into me as i open the door, making me want to slam it shut again. i don't even need a coat, though; i'm just going to the coop. i shove one hand in my pocket so it does not freeze- the other is resigned to its fate, holding the flashlight- and think about Corey. he seems very tired lately. i reach the coop and smile as i hear the girls clucking, but i unlatch the door, and all goes still. when i duck inside, it is warmer in the coop than outside in the cold night. I can feel the eyes of the silent birds on me, and i shiver, but not from the cold. i hate the silent nights.

when i reach to take an egg, a chicken bursts from a nest in a huge flutter of wings and feathers and squawking. the girls begin to shriek and cluck, all together. they're so loud. genuine terror blooms in my chest as they get louder and louder, and i try to crush it down. they're your chickens!! why would you be scared of them? They're just your girls! but i'm undeniably scared. oh god. it's like a Hitchcock movie. they're going to start pecking out my eyes any second.

suddenly they stop. all together.

my heart beats out of my chest. I shine my flashlight on the floor, where one of the girls had jumped and started all the noise. Gluttony sits there, a pretty black and white hen whose feathers go all the way to her feet. i gently pick her up and feel her familiar weight in my arms. I lean my head against her warm feathers for a moment. i wait till i can hear her teeny tiny heart beat, and my own heart calms. i put her in one of the cubbyholes where the hens nest, and she doesn't resist, but her eyes follow me as i quickly collect the eggs and run inside.

 

 

   * * *

 

 

I wake up and stretch, then roll out of bed to brush my teeth. it's been a week since the chickens scared me. I've been a little spooked by the girls before, but never genuinely scared. I did something unheard of, which was trading after-dinner jobs with Corey, but i'm just bad at dishes, and he comes back inside every night looking like he's seen a ghost and saying "god, i don't know how you do that every night, they're terrifying."  he just doesn't love them as much as me, and i'm just not as good at dishes as he is, so i guess we'll trade back.

I knock on Corey's door on my way to the bathroom. "Corey, school, get up." no sound emits from his room. i'll check on him again when i'm done. i enter our shared bathroom, brush my teeth, style my hair. i go knock on his door again. "Corey. get up. you have to drive and we'll be late."

no answer. i bang on the door. "Corey! I'm coming in!" still no answer. i open the door.

nothing. he's not there. "COREY!" maybe he's up early? rare, but not unheard of. i go downstairs. he's not there. i don't want to wake my mother unless it's necessary, so i grab my bag and rush outside to see if he's attending to the girls, or if he's in the car already, or something like that. "Coreyyyy!"

there's a weird smell as i step out. it's a little metallic. i do not care for it.

i round the back of the house to the coop, still calling for Corey, but my heart drops as the coop door gently swings in the wind. oh no. it's every chicken owner's nightmare. Corey must have left it unlatched last night. my heart pangs for the girls. if anything happened to them ... he'll never, ever be forgiven. the metallic smell is stronger back here and my mind conjures a hundred images of empty nests pillaged by predators, Sloth, my favorite hen, half eaten on the ground, a fox running into to the night with one of my girls dead in his mouth. i'm going to kill Corey.

i quickly duck into the coop.

all the girls are there.

so is Corey.

the girls are fine.

Corey is not.

a strangled scream escapes my throat. i hit my head on the low door frame in my frantic rush to exit. i cannot get far away enough from everything inside that coop. i run to the front of the house and collapse onto my knees, palms in the gravel. tears are streaming down my face. this is not happening this is not happening this is not happening this is not- choking, rasping sobs are leaving my throat and i can't make them stop. Corey. oh my god. Corey. they did that to him. the girls. they did that to him.

    * * *

 

 

The funeral's over.

I can't stop sobbing.

 

no eggs. no eggs ever again. no feathers, no chickens. no girls.

no Corey, but that one isn't a choice.

 

when i get home, i burn the empty coop.

I'm pretty proud of myself for putting this together in a day, i'm always terrible at finishing stories when i start them so this was a huge accomplishment for me I loved writing this cause i used to have chickens and i remembered how much i loved them <3 <3 <3

read after:

Spoiler

sorry about all the capitalization errors and such. and also sorry (not sorry) about avoiding writing the gore, it's late here and i don't wanna have nightmares by thinking about it lol (wat. i am a sensitive soul. a special snowflake. i do not want to write gore so i will not.)

also, it's really late, and i'm just gonna post it even though i am positive the quality shall go down when i read it in the morning. whatever. love y'all byeeeeee

edit from the morning: wtf

Edited January 6, 2023 by Szeth's Facepalm

[Odiumiumium he/him]

1-4-23: Spirit Speaker

Spoiler

Spirited sat in their chair, feeling the beating of the tides lapping the shores of the island, almost like a heart. The feeling of being connected to the island in such a way was a beautiful thing, a talent they had gained after merging with a very powerful spirit. They were now a conduit between the spirits and the humans, custodian to both but attached to none.

Spirited frowned. The steady rhythm of tides had been disrupted. They could feel a large presence in the water, something monstrously large. They stood up, walking calmly but quickly. Passing through the small village they lived in, they walked until they reached the shore. Spirited gaped at the ominous steel behemoth resting in the water. Impossible! Something so large would sink immediately! Yet they could not deny what they saw, nor could the spirits. The nebulous wind spirits whirled around them, whispering warnings in their ear.

"We sense danger. Flee! Scatter! Disappear, but by all means, fear," the spirits cried, darting away like surprised minnows. 

Spirited was no longer anxious; they were terrified. Who could possibly construct such a thing, a floating beast of metal the size of a mountain, and what would they want? Nay, what would they demand? 

----------------------------------

Spirited discovered that the steel beast was a machine, a massive seacraft that had traveled an inconceivable distance from unimaginable lands. People came from the craft in smaller boats, faster than any on the island. Spirited, along with other powerful individuals, met with the people from the boat. They spoke with an unusual accent, slow yet harsh. They said the island was very valuable, containing riches they wanted. Spirited asked what would happen to the inhabitants of the island. The strangers said nothing. They left as the sun began to set, returning to the dominating silhouette of the boat. 

Spirited sat with the other islanders who had merged with a spirit. They all agreed that the strangers could bring nothing good. Each had received warnings from the spirits, but few spirits seemed willing to help. They thought in silence, feeling the trees of the island, the stones, the tides, the winds. Spirited broke the silence.

"Fellows, we must chase away these strangers. Already, they have begun to dig. Small holes now, but I know they will grow. Soon, our home will be nothing but a hollow stone."

Most agreed, proposing solutions to drive them away. However, one plan stood out to Spirited. 

"We should not seek to drive away these strangers. They will not leave because we ask them to. They will return, even if the very tides push them away. I say we sink their metal boat. The wind spirits are scared, and the tide spirits are aloof, but together, we are strong. Together, we can convince the spirits, and we can raise a storm and sink their metal beast, along with every greedy stranger in its belly." 

The man's conviction swayed the group. Together, they drafted a plan to slay a monster.

1-5-23: The Chickens Got Their Way

Spoiler

Marvin sighed as he heard another round of clucking from the coop. Ever since he started feeding his chickens fruits, they demanded them constantly. They were pretty smart, he figured. They knew that if they annoyed him just enough, he would give in and treat them. He also figured he was being trained. Just feed us fruit every so often and we'll shut up. Simple as that. He shook his head as he tossed a handful of strawberries into the coop. Almost immediately, the incessant clucking stopped. He shook his head again. Got their way again. 

 

[Medium he/they]

Prompt for day 6:

An Approaching Storm

Hope no one minds i did that

Edited January 6, 2023 by CalanoCorvus

[The Bookwyrm he/him]

55 minutes ago, CalanoCorvus said:

Prompt for day 6:

An Approaching Storm

Hope no one minds i did that

You're fine! I might have forgotten if you didn't

Time for my first prompt response...and I was the one who started this thread!

Jan-6-2023:

(An Approaching Storm) Harbored Horrors

Quote

The frozen night air stung Akevri's face as he gazed up at the stars.

He found the one he was looking for, nestled in the constellation of the Serpent. The first star of the neck from the head. It shone with an innocent white light, twinkling softly. 

To someone who hadn't seen what Akevri had, the star would have seemed normal. Not out of place among the glittering nightscape that hung above.

But Akevri knew that the warmth of that star harbored horrors.

A soldier came up and tapped him on the shoulder. 

"General," she said. "We have a messenger arriving from the north. With news."

"Thank you, soldier," Akevri said. "I'll be there shortly." The soldier saluted and jogged into the camp.

Akevri spared one last glance at the star, which hosted a world. A dark world, despite its proximity to its sun. The source of his enemy.

The source of the enemy on his doorstep.

Akevri turned and walked into the warcamp. Tents in the red and white of the Kingdom of Malkali's colors were arranged in a orderly fashion. Even though it was the dead of night, soldiers were out and about; caring for mounts, cleaning weapons and armor, cooking food, memorizing spells. The general hustle and bustle of the camp calmed Akevri, somehow. 

Yet that calm was disrupted by the sense of gloom that seemed to hang over the camp. These men and women understood the threat, even if they didn't understand its true nature or origin.

They understood that there would be consequences if they failed.

Akevri made his way to the center of the camp, where the command tent stood. He stepped inside. His second in command, Shria, was talking to a young man - little more than a boy - clad in the blue and purple uniform of the Te'tali army.

As soon as Akevri walked in, the Te'tali messenger saluted him with the Te'talian salute, crossing his hands at the wrist over his chest, with three fingers extended on either hand. The agreement between kingdoms had detailed that though soldiers of one army should respect the officers of another, they were free to use their own methods of doing so.

"At ease," Akevri said. "What news do you bring?"

"Nothing good, sir," the young messenger said. "Most of the Te'tali forces have fallen. The portal is open, and the enemy is leaking through. We need Malkali's help."

Akevri bowed his head, solemn.

"Send word," he said finally. "We will aid you in your fight, to protect all our lands." 

The messenger nodded and left the tent.

Akevri turned to Shria. "Send messengers to the other Malkali armies, and to the Queen; the invaders have breached the portal between stars and will advance on our lands if they are not stopped. We need help."

Shria nodded, determination in her blue eyes. "Are we waiting for them to arrive?" She asked.

Akevri shook his head. "No. We need to help Te'tali." 

He tried to push down a sense of doubt as he said, "Mobilize the army."

Shria saluted and ran off.

So, we go, Akevri thought, likely to our deaths, to fend of the approaching storm.

I can only hope our efforts are able to save this world for those that come after...

Sweet and simple. I didn't put too much thought into this, but it's a scenario that would take place in my connected universe.

[Medium he/they]

Ooo good idea. Gives me a chance to flesh out how stuff works on-world.

1/6/23:

The Approaching Storm:

Spoiler

Thela looked across the Sea, wondering why storms always had to slam into this specific point on the western coastline. The Western Islands defended against the storm surge, but did nothing for the wind, rain, and lightning.

She could just make out those Islands, barely sticking out of the sea on the horizon. Thela lived south of the Capital, south of the Stempair, but close enough that politics and stuff involving the Capital were still mostly relevant.

The wind picked up for a second, and Thela leaned down, pressing her hand into the soft soil. She thought for a moment about what to grow before growing a small fern. It took the loose, fluffy shape of a cloud.

An offering to the Approaching Storm, common on the coast. 

She walked back towards the village, where people were running around like ants on a branch, preparing for the storm.

People all over were creating barriers of vines, growing stockpiles of food for everyone, and non-Verdur users were running water between everyone using Verdur, so they didn't collapse.

Same as every storm, moving like a river through a forest, the people accomplished their jobs quickly and efficiently.

 

[Edema Rue she/her]

Wow you guys are all such amazing writers. Good job humans!!

1/6/23, An Approaching Storm

Spoiler

Aela floated on the wind, nearly dizzy with excitement. A storm, a storm! The other wind spirits were just as gleeful, zipping around rapidly. 

"Aela!" One of the breezes, as they were nicknamed, called excitedly.

"Fliyn!" She said, floating over.

"There's a storm coming, a big one!"

She sighed. Fliyn had never been the brightest. "I know! Everyone does! It'll be the biggest one we've had in years!"

Fliyn bobbed excitedly, and Aela breathed in. This...this was what life was about. This was what made it worth living. Friendship, warmth, and the promise of an approaching storm.

If no one minds me doing the next one...A hungry soul.

[The Aspiring Archivist any]

Oh no, I forgot about this! Someone remind me tomorrow to get caught up.

[Szeth's Facepalm]

@The Aspiring Archivist get caught up dude

Can i do today's prompt? i'll put it here in case, and if i'm not supposed to i'll just edit it out of the post.

Prompt for day seven:

The children are gone. Something took them.

[The Bookwyrm he/him]

10 hours ago, Aes Sedai said:

Wow you guys are all such amazing writers. Good job humans!!

1/6/23, An Approaching Storm

  Hide contents

Aela floated on the wind, nearly dizzy with excitement. A storm, a storm! The other wind spirits were just as gleeful, zipping around rapidly. 

"Aela!" One of the breezes, as they were nicknamed, called excitedly.

"Fliyn!" She said, floating over.

"There's a storm coming, a big one!"

She sighed. Fliyn had never been the brightest. "I know! Everyone does! It'll be the biggest one we've had in years!"

Fliyn bobbed excitedly, and Aela breathed in. This...this was what life was about. This was what made it worth living. Friendship, warmth, and the promise of an approaching storm.

If no one minds me doing the next one...A hungry soul.

 

2 hours ago, Szeth's Facepalm said:

@The Aspiring Archivist get caught up dude

Can i do today's prompt? i'll put it here in case, and if i'm not supposed to i'll just edit it out of the post.

Prompt for day seven:

The children are gone. Something took them.

We seem to have two prompts for day seven. When you combine them, a vivid image comes to mind....

Write a story based on both these prompts.

Edited January 7, 2023 by The Bookwyrm

[Szeth's Facepalm]

43 minutes ago, The Bookwyrm said:

We seem to have two prompts for day seven. When you combine them, a vivid image comes to mind....

*le gesp* whoops! didn't see that, sorry. but yeah, they do combine rather well...

[S. Stormy she/her]

Jan. 2, 2023 An Old Relic

Spoiler

"Are you crazy? That boy's a fool. We can't give him this thing. It's so fragile..."

"Do you have anyone else?"

"No... Just do not let him touch the... you-know-what on that thing. It will be gone, and then nothing will be the same."

"You know I can't tell him that. It'll just make him do it quicker."

"...All right. Go. Do it. It'll just end the world, that's all."

Janice knocked on Carlo's door. 

"Be careful with this," she said. "It's an antique."

And she left it on his desk.

He stood up and went over, running his fingers over it. When he touched the sculpture's tail, he heard a click.

The thing ex--

 

Edited January 7, 2023 by Shallan Stormblessed

[Medium he/they]

1/7/23:

A Hungry Soul. The Children Are Gone. Something Took Them.

Quote

"Allan!" Rik shouted, banging on the door of Allan's house, "Allan! Get out of bed, get out here!" Thunder cracked above, the rain and wind ferociously blowing down the street.

Allan opened his eyes groggily, and Rik shouted his name again, banging on the door. Allan got out of bed, then stumbled down stairs, pulling on a robe.

"What?" He said as he opened the door, "It's the middle of the night."

"Allan," Rik said, eyes wide and fearful, "Allan, where are my children?"

Allan raised an eyebrow. "Your children? Aren't they at ho-"

"No!" Rik shouted, grabbing Allan by the front of his robe, "No, they're not! I don't know where they are, and their rooms feel cold, and dark, and there are bad spirits there."

Allan looked at Rik.

"A Hungry Soul, searching for something it lost, will come in the night, and cause others to become lost." Allan said, then threw on a thicker coat.

"Come on," He said to Rik, "We're going to go find your kids."

 

[Edema Rue she/her]

1/7/23 A hungry soul...the children are gone. something took them. 

Spoiler

A scream cut through the air. A mother's scream of misery, terror, and fear. After several minutes of frantic conversing, an old man finally stated the truth. "The children are gone. Something took them." Several voices cried out in protest, but not many. They knew it was true. The crowd dispersed, the various villagers heading back to their homes. Then I came out, sitting in their town square. I howled, and the children who followed me into the woods began to appear, one at a time. 

"Pretty wolf!" The first one said. I sat back, my tail twitching. She walked closer. I felt my stomach rumble. Even the dead can be hungry. Especially the wolves with neither pack nor mate. She walked up to me, and I opened my mouth, revealing sharp fangs. My meal had begun.

Sorry that was kind of vicious...

Edited January 8, 2023 by Aes Sedai

[Szeth's Facepalm]

1/7/23: A hungry soul. The children are gone. Something took them.

Quote

Seeli wakes.

It is dark, and she is cold. Seeli doesn't like cold. Jak gave her extra blankets tonight so she would not be cold because of the storm. Why is she cold?

Thunder booms outside. Seeli reflexively pulls the covers over her head. She hates thunder. It is probably why she woke.

Seeli listens to the splashes of rain for a minute until her quickly beating heart stills. It is getting colder by the second. She is getting scared. Why is it so cold? She slowly pulls the covers down till she's peeking out. She can't see anything in the dark. She thinks she will make a dash to Jak and Veric's room, and risk being scolded for waking them. It must be very late. It is so dark. And so cold...

Suddenly lighting flashes and brightens the room, and Seeli's heart jumps painfully in her chest as a person is illuminated, standing next to her window. It is only a burst of light, but she sees a tall shadow with a loose cloak. the light seems to shine through it somehow, as if it is insubstantial, not all there. Her scream is drowned by the huge crash of thunder that follows almost immediately. She jumps up, but suddenly, another flash of lighting, and it is in her doorway. it reaches a gnarled hand towards her. She can feel the cold, freezing air radiating from the shadow, the thing. She is frozen in place- almost literally- as long shadow fingers reach through her chest and extract a long glowing string: her soul.

Seeli feels it consume her. It's horrific. She can sense her body, still standing, inches away, but her soul, the stuff that makes her herself, is trapped. Trapped in the shadow being. She can sense others here too- other children, like her. Their souls are dim and weak. They are trapped here as well. She can feel the thing becoming fuller, less shadowy, as she fades more and more quickly away. It grows warmer as she grows colder. She is dimming. She is weakening. Why has the creature done this to her? She can sense that it is leaving back through the window, away from her warm bed, her parents, her own body. She senses Jak and Veric dash into her room, and she tries to scream for them, but she can't. She is just a weakened soul with no lungs, no mouth. She wants to cry, but she has no eyes with which to do so.

     * * *

Veric shot up in bed. "Did you hear that?" He blinked through the darkness. Why was it so cold?

Jak groaned and rubbed his eyes groggily. "What, the thunder?"

"No, it was coming from Seeli's room. I think she screamed."

Jak was alert as well now. He reached to light a candle. Veric stepped out of bed. "Seeli? Seeli, are you alright?"

The only answer was the sound of a window slamming shut.

Veric shoved the door open and they ran down the hall to Seeli's little room. "SEELI??" Jak pulled her door open. "Seeli!! What's happening?"

She stood right there, staring at the door. She was motionless.

"...Seeli?" Veric's voice was soft. He and Jak were used to gently guiding her back to bed after she wandered the house in her sleep. Jak chuckled softly. "Seeli, you scared us." The words weren't meant for her, as she probably couldn't hear them. He gently steered her towards her little bed, and Veric, relieved, started to make his way back to their room. A false alarm. He could sleep.

He could have sworn he had heard her scream...

"Veric... Veric, something's wrong." Veric frowned and turned back. Jak's tone and the words chilled him. "What? What do you mean?"

"She... just... look at her eyes. Seeli? Seeli, wake up." Jak knelt and gently shook her shoulders. "Seeli, please wake up." Veric looked at her blank expression, her motionless form. She stood there, rigid. Unmoving. And her eyes...

Empty. No vibrancy, no emotion, no light. It was like they were made out of glass. Veric's stomach dropped.

    * * *

The Ancient Shadow watches the men descend into hysteria. He does not care for this part. The horrified families, seeing their children dead and empty even as they breathe on. But when the cold hunger strikes him, he has to eat. He has to consume the youth that keeps him alive and warm. He has to live, even if it means another will suffer. Even if it means hundreds have to suffer.

If you are blessed with immortality, it would be foolish to give it away, no matter what it costs. Wouldn't it?

Hehe i needa write more this is fun

Spoiler

@Elf can u read this, i'm kind of proud of it :3

 

Edited January 8, 2023 by Szeth's Facepalm

[Elf They/them]

Sure! Just give me some time. Im studying for my english prelim right now which is tomorrow

[Szeth's Facepalm]

2 minutes ago, Elf said:

Sure! Just give me some time. Im studying for my english prelim right now which is tomorrow

Oop!! Good luck, you can do it! Make sure to drink water (that is important and i often forgor hydration when i study).

[Elf They/them]

okay 

WOW 

that was...chilling. Especially the last line, it just sent a shiver down my spine in the best way possible.

Super well written, imagery is strong, the motif of coldness really adds to the atmosphere of the story and serves to enhance it. for such a short piece the characterization is also strong. I want to know what happened to Seeli and I feel pain for Jak and Veric which is difficult to do in a short piece. and the way you kind of added that thread of humanity to the monster in the end, it was delightful.

Nice job! You should definitely write more 

okay heres my two cents. i wrote this in like ten minutes so its not that refined but yeah 

Quote

I am hungry.

I have always been hungry. Hunger is the only thing I know, the only thing I will ever know.

Perhaps it has been years, or perhaps centuries, or perhaps mere minutes (What is time to immortals?) since I have been searching for something to fill the void in me.

Everyday I feast. Everyday I starve. Everyday I leave behind traces of me.

You find me in the salty tears of a widow; in the hysteria of a father, who finds his children gone. Who screams at an unseen entity to bring them back.

Sometimes you accept me, and sometimes you bemoan me. But always, always you hate me. Because in filling myself, I leave you empty.

I am grief.

And I am hungry.

 

 

Edited January 9, 2023 by Elf

[The Bookwyrm he/him]

I think we missed the eighth. Whoops.

Here's the prompt for January Ninth!

The Eye of the Storm

If you want, you can build off your story in Calano's "approaching storm" prompt.

[Medium he/they]

Oooooo i get to continue it

1/9/23:

The Eye Of The Storm:

Spoiler

Thela looked up from her spot in the cellar. Vines covered the walls, reinforcing them against the ferocious winds of the Storm.

This was going to be a bad one.

Then, Thela heard something.

A whispering on the wind outside, travelling down the vines, and into her mind.

She stood, despite the complaints and hushed shouts of those around her, and walked up the cellar steps. She opened the doors,

And stepped into the Eyewall of the Storm.

She listened very carefully, despite the wind threatening to topple her like a sapling, and rain like frigid knives, biting into her skin.

Thela faced into the wind, leaning forward. And she heard it.

The whisperings of a God.

The whisperings of a God in fear.

The whisperings of a God in fear, cheering on her champion.

It was terrifying, and beautiful, and hopeful, and scared.

And then, the Eye of the Storm passed over the village. Silence. Blue sky.

And the energy. The Essence of Lyfe was permeating the air.

Thela's sister raced outside. "Thela," She hissed, "Get back inside, you're lucky you weren't immediately killed."

"Don't you hear it?" Thela asked, looking at the sky, the clouds ringing the eye, "Don't you feel the Lyfe around us?"

"No," Her sister said, "It feels the same as always. What's gotten into you?"

Thela looked at her sister, feeling the Essence surge. "The world just changed, sister. For the better."

 

[Szeth's Facepalm]

8 hours ago, Elf said:

okay 

WOW 

that was...chilling. Especially the last line, it just sent a shiver down my spine in the best way possible.

Super well written, imagery is strong, the motif of coldness really adds to the atmosphere of the story and serves to enhance it. for such a short piece the characterization is also strong. I want to know what happened to Seeli and I feel pain for Jak and Veric which is difficult to do in a short piece. and the way you kind of added that thread of humanity to the monster in the end, it was delightful.

Nice job! You should definitely write more 

okay heres my two cents. i wrote this in like ten minutes so its not that refined but yeah 

 

Awwwwww thanks!!! That's super high praise from you

I love yours!!! The best part is how you think it's a terrible creature, but then at the end you realize it's a characterized emotion and that's really cool.

[Medium he/they]

Day 10 (woo day 10 :D) prompt:

Sounds From The Forest

[Lord Gregorio he/him]

1/10/2023

Sounds from the Forest

Spoiler

Jared's sweaty hands slipped on the handle. The axe slid free. Jared groaned and slouched onto his chopping log. It was a cold winter, the trees were white and the sky blotted out with a single large cloud. Winter was terrible. Jared should have left while he had the opportunity. 

Everyone else had left for the winter. Everyone but him and Matt, bloody Matt.

"Let's settle here, Jared. We've got to start building now," Matt had said.

"It'll be winter in three months! Let's come back early winter next year," Jared had said.

"Don't be a coward. We can survive the winter. We'll only need to hunt for us two. We've already got a cabin built and we've got plenty of wood."

Jared had presented Matt with a few arguments. They didn't have enough ammunition to hunt all winter. Matt decided he'd hunt with a bow. What if some of the equipment broke, they'd be stuck. They'd have to be careful. They had multiple axes. Eventually Jared had decided there was no way to dissuade Matt, and Ma would have killed Jared if he didn't stay to help Matt.

Jared sighed and bent down to grab the axe. Something stopped him. The cold nipped at his face, and a sudden wind pushed him a bit. With a shudder, Jared took off to the cabin cursing and swearing.

He only tripped a few times before he wrenched the door open. "Matt!" Jared yelled. He could already hear the howls from outside. "Matt!"

Matt wasn't upstairs. He must be outside. Jared grabbed the rifle and left the house again. Trudging back through the snow, Jared grabbed the axe and shoved it through the loops he'd sewed on his back. Matt better not be out hunting. Terrible timing. It had only been two months of winter. 

Jared checked the rifle. There were ten bullets. They'd better be fine. A yell came from somewhere in the east. Jared took off at the quickest pace he could. 

He hadn't gotten far from the house when Matt's stumbling figure came into view. He'd dropped the bow somewhere, but still had a few arrows. He held his hatchet in hand. Jared raised his rifle and popped the covers on the scope. Behind Matt came a flurry of gray fur. The wolves. Rabid and rotten, they were unlike any wolves Jared had seen. There were five of them, racing toward Matt. They must have just started chasing him, he wouldn't last long.

"Keep coming, Matt!" Jared yelled. He racked the bolt and shot a wolf in the forehead. It fell and the other wolves descended upon it, now ignoring Matt. 

It didn't take long for the wolves to finish eating their companion. Jared sneered in disgust. It was so unnatural. What was wrong with these poor beasts? He racked the bolt and aimed at the pack. "Matt!"

The shot missed, and Jared cursed. Waste. He racked the bolt. Matt had gone too far, maybe he'd gone for too many animals. Why couldn't they have settled in Utah? Or Florida. Where it was warm and there weren't rabid wolves. Perhaps that was why Matt was here, he is a scientist. Jared shot down another wolf. Matt let a scream loose. "Jared! Leave me!"

Jared snickered, unlikely. He wasn't going to let Matt leave him to do all the chores. Matt had gotten them into this mess, he'd help them get out of it.

(Haven't done this yet, so I'mma just wing it.)

This was fun to write. I generally enjoy writing the beginning of stories, not the middle and end.

Edited January 11, 2023 by Gregorio
I'm paranoid OkAyuh

[Medium he/they]

That was pretty cool to read. Def intriguing.