Amongst The Soft Green Stocks

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I’ve definitely been slacking on posting some stuff. So, here’s one of my writing exercises. I don’t think I’ve ever done this before, but somehow I crammed all three words into the same sentence. I think it was the desperation of getting all of the required words in before the timer went off!

Spirit
Streak
Horse

The field glistened in the sun, the grass waving in the breeze and sprinkled amongst the soft green stocks were yellow sunflowers. Kai loved this place and stepping foot in the oasis drained away the stress of the day, but today he wasn’t alone. The spirit of a white horse streaked past him and then stopped right in his path. The horse stared at him intently. Kai knew that the peace he longed for was not going to be found today.

Offering

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Honeypot
Dark
Exquisite

Rex rode up through the canyon and paused when the structure up ahead looked familiar. He pulled out the map from his saddle bag. This was it, where the dark shadow of the arched rocks will point the way and he made it just in time. The sun slowly moved to the right and the shadow stretched across the river past his horse and stopped on the red rock wall behind. Rex dismounted from his horse and walked over to the cave that moments ago wasn’t visible. Cautiously he entered, and the cavern was exquisite, with gems strewn across the floor, but nothing could be taken until he appeased the god of this place. Very carefully he placed the honeypot, filled with the golden liquid, on the pedestal in the center of the cavern and he held his breath while waiting for a sign to see if his offering was accepted.

Hellish Dimension

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So here’s my writing exercise that relates to Nicole Dragonbeck’s. To reiterate, we didn’t know what each other were writing about. Yet, somehow in five minutes, we managed to write something that seemed to fit almot perfectly together. All I would have to do is change Paul to Daisy!

Cockroach
Cat
Thesaurus

Paul quickly thumbed through the thesaurus. He had to find the exact right word, but it had to be fast. The derelict library was crawling with cockroaches and it sent shivers down his spine. Twice now, he had to brush them off his pant legs. “Come on, come on, where are you?” He said to the red book in his hands as he flipped through the worn pages. Paul zeroed in on the page, “No, it can’t be”, he breathed. The page had been torn out. Without knowing the synonym for cat, he would never be able to free himself from this hellish dimension.

Completely Alone

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Apparently, I was a fan of fires the night these exercises were done.  There’s something other worldly about fires, don’t you think?

  • Stuffy
  • Cold
  • Perceive

Sam walked into the stuffy room and immediately removed the blue and black striped scarf that was wrapped around his neck. From the way it felt in this old rickety house, it would be hard to believe that it was blistering cold outside. Sam walked over to the roaring fire, its flames snapping and popping as if angered by his presence and warmed his hands. The ache in his bones was disappearing when he perceived movement coming from behind him, but that couldn’t be possible because the land lord assured him he’d be completely alone.

The Summoning Spell

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Magic and a lost love in five minutes. What would you write?

  • Feather
  • Light
  • Swirl

The red and orange leaves swirled in the air around Gabriella. She loved the autumn, it was her favorite season even if the light of the sun shined for less time. She looked down at the fire by her feet, the flames strong, and dropped the golden feather into its center. The feather turned to ash immediately and Gabriella waited with bated breath to see if the summoning spell worked.

“Hello,” she heard a strong voice say behind her. Turning around, Thomas stood before her, but something was wrong, because she could see through him.

Three Great Pyramids

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I have to confess that I had recently watched Gods of Egypt before writing this story. It was entertaining and it left an impression. I love stories that bring ancient Egypt and its mythology to life.

  • Avulsion
  • Mug
  • Eternity

Alric was walking down the sandy alleyway, entranced by the silhouettes of the three great pyramids in the distance. He was too enthralled by the scene before him to notice that he was being followed and taken by surprise when these men shoved him to the ground and mugged him. They were covered in black tattoos that honored the destructive god of Set and with no explanation, they tore his heart from his chest with their bare hands, as if through avulsion. Alric lived just long enough to see his still heart in the hand of his murderer.

He thought that was going to be the end, until he found himself at the silver scale ready to weigh his soul to see if he was worthy to enter the afterlife, where he’d live out his eternity. Alric, didn’t think it was possible to feel this nervous when he was dead, but the white feather on the left side of the scale suddenly looked very heavy.

Unblinking Stares

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I had to write about a creepy porcelain doll…

  • Nine
  • Curly
  • Porcelain

Gabby stared at the nine porcelain dolls lined up along the white shelf above the fireplace. Their faces were cracked with age and abuse except for one. This particular doll had blond curly hair and a blue dress that was tattered, which was the only indication that it had seen years of use. Gabby never liked dolls, they gave her the creeps with their unblinking stares.

“Max,” she called out toward the upstairs bedroom. “Can you hurry up? I want to get out of here.”

“I just need a couple of more minutes. A few more tugs and this old lock will give way, I know it.”

“Great,” she muttered to herself. She cast her gaze over the dolls once again, but this time the blond haired doll was missing.

Coming to an End

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I had a lot fun creating such a dire situation in a short amount of time.

  • Pensive
  • Silver
  • Tomorrow

“If we don’t figure this out now, tomorrow will never come,” Dorian said in a dire tone as he banged the table in frustration. The pages of the open book in front of him fluttered at the disturbance.

Lara looked pensive, “What about silver?” she blurted out.

“What?” Dorian asked. “What did you just say?”

“Silver,” Lara repeated.

A wide smile spread across Dorian’s face, “Perhaps, the world won’t be coming to an end after all.”

Slender and Red

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Everyone had a lot of fun fitting the word “stapler” into their exercise. It seems like such a mundane word, but even the mundane can add richness to a scene.

  • Stapler
  • Pot
  • Keen

Gavin slowly circled the wooden table and looked at the objects strewn across it. Carefully, he picked up the item that was slender and red, “What is this?” he asked.

“A stapler,” Sandra replied in an exasperated tone. She yanked it out of his hand and put it back on the table. “Look, I know you’re keen to learn all about Earth, but we don’t have time right now,” she pushed Gavin over to the pot that was on the stove. The water was just beginning to boil.

Gavin looked at the pot and its contents then back over at Sandra, “Are you sure you want to proceed? There is no reversing the spell once it’s begun.”

Sandra looked the elf directly in his big green eyes, “I’m sure.”

Feathers Within

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Feathers floating to the floor always makes me think of magic, so I had no choice other than to put a magical bent on the exercise response below.

  • Basket
  • Spinning
  • Feather

Malia accidentally dropped the wicker basket on the ground causing the feathers within to stir in the air. “Wonderful,” she said sarcastically as she watched the beautiful white plumes gracefully float to the floor. Slowly spinning around, she assessed whether anyone else was in view, but she was alone. Malia then closed her eyes and started to chant, her words quiet and invoking the power of the wind. The feathers began to rise and whirled around, gently settling back into their proper place. Malia straightened her skirts and picked the basket back up, whistling all the way back home.

Long Slow Blinks

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Okay, I was getting tired by the time we got to this writing exercise, so I was happy that I managed to get all of the words into a coherent blurb.

  • Trip
  • Blink
  • Coffee

Castile took long slow blinks as he let his eyes adjust to the darkness. He really wished he had had that last cup of coffee the barkeep offered. He stared at the golden idol sitting on a stone pedestal at least twenty feet across from him. The trip had taken much longer than he anticipated, two days to cross the Barren Valley, to the base of the Raven Mountains. Now he

It Was Unlike Anything

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  • Shell
  • Address
  • Soap

Lucian eyed the shell casing of the bullet with great interest. It was unlike anything he’d ever seen. It was intricately carved with symbols that wrapped around it from top to bottom. The casing itself, appeared to be made of silver. He stood up from his crouching position and adjusted his badge as he looked over the crime scene. There were no bodies, only seven pools of blood, and the ground littered with casings just like the one in his hand. Only one person could help him, so he drove to the address. It was an apartment tucked down a dark alleyway, which smelled of soap thanks to a shop a few feet away. After climbing four flights of stairs, he came to an arched doorway decorated in similar symbols to those on the casings.

I Mean We’re Criminals!

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When donkeys and criminals end up together, all I can think about is the old west and that something must have gone wrong.

  • Criminal
  • Blurt
  • Donkey

Rickie and Jax were riding down the dusty road as quickly as possible, “Is this really the best you could do?” Jax gestured to the donkey he was now riding. “I mean, we’re criminals,” he blurted out with exasperation.

“Well, then the next time you get yourself arrested by the sheriff, make sure you don’t gamble away our horses first!” Rickie yelled back.

“Honestly, I don’t know why you’re the leader of our gang,” he muttered under his breath.

Tweed and Spectacles

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Books are doorways to other worlds, sometimes literally…

  • Absent-Minded
  • Glare
  • Brushing

The young man, wearing a tweed suit and spectacles, was absent-mindedly brushing the spines of the dusty books as he walked down the path between the bookcases. He was deep in thought, but a glare coming from his left pierced through the flurry of activity in his mind. Annoyed at the interruption, the young man came to an abrupt stop and turned to see the source of the problem. As soon as he did, he stood there transfixed. A fragile looking black leather bound book, entitled “Your Story”, which he’d never seen before, was glowing. Entranced, he picked it up causing the glow to become brighter. He opened the book, and the pages began to flutter in a sudden wind that grew to encompass him. He was gone, the book now occupying the spot on the floor where the young man was moments before.

Something’s Come Up

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These three words had beauty regime written all over them, but I couldn’t make it normal.

  • Nail
  • Tweezers
  • Shower

Tanya’s daily beauty regiment was strict. Every morning and evening it consisted of a shower, filing her long nails, and plucking unsightly hairs with tweezers. Tonight, however, proved to be increasingly problematic as she had a date and her evening plucking was taking, what felt like, forever. She scowled at herself in the mirror and then let out a groan as she noticed her fangs, which weren’t there a moment ago. Tanya, in a panic, unlatched the window in her green and white bathroom and peered up into the clear star speckled night sky. “Damn,” she said as she stamped her foot when she saw the full moon rising in front of her. With frustration, she walked over to the phone and dialed her date, “Hey Lucus,” she said when he picked up, “we need to reschedule. Something’s come up.”

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After visiting the Doctor Who Experience, I felt compelled to write a tribute to the character that inspires awe and adventure…

The ship whirred and groaned as it materialized upon its destination, a moment that always stirred excitement in the time traveler’s stomach. He allowed the butterflies to roam freely, reveling in the feeling. Over the centuries, his emotions have dulled due to the routine of it all, but not this feeling. That’s why he prolonged it for as long as possible. It reminded him that he was alive. The time traveler adjusted the beige duster hanging on his lanky frame and moved a young hand, that belied his age, through his gelled hair, mussing it.  The beige Converse sneakers he wore added to his youthful and eccentric look. He stared at the doors leading to the planet that lay beyond for a moment longer, then exited.

The noise assaulted his ears, but that didn’t matter. He loved the comings and goings of the race that occupied the planet. They were his favorite, imaginative and ingenious, their ability for committing atrocities outweighed only by their capacity for hope and love. “Humans,” he said with a smile. Viewing the universe through their eyes kept it new and vibrant, making him feel young again, so he visited as often as possible. The time traveler fixed his tie and brown pinstripe suit jacket. Then he allowed his legs, clad in matching brown pinstripe pants, to pick any direction they wanted and set off, certain to find adventure.

Her True Form

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I really loved the idea of the sunglasses being a way for someone to see things others could not.

  • Whine
  • Sunglasses
  • Rude

Anne glared at a woman wearing skinny jeans and a black flowing tunic top from behind her sunglasses. She could understand why everyone in the train station was staring. She was stunning, with her blue eyes and the striking contrast between her very pale skin and hair as black as a raven. It’s a pity they couldn’t see what the glasses allowed her to see, which was her true form underneath the glamour. The twisted frame, pot belly, and jagged fangs that protruded from the demon’s mouth were truly grotesque. It was stalking a little girl who was whining about the heat on the busy train platform, so Anne hurriedly pushed her way through the crowd and just as the train came into view, tripped the demon sending it tumbling in front of the train and kept on walking. Some hunters may think her nonchalance was rude, but she preferred to think of it as calculated efficiency.