Creative Writing Prompt #3 (And Some Housekeeping)

Hi everyone! M. here with a new story!

(By the way, I love this site. It's where I get most of my writing prompts, including the one for today. You should check it out. Seriously. Right now. Like, stop reading this and click on the link already!) ;)

For those of you who didn't obey that last sentence (you know who you are!!) here's the prompt for today's story. (Sorry in advance for the length. I find it difficult to be concise sometimes.)

Writing Prompt #3 - Tell this story: There it was, finally. Our island. Our very own island. It looked beautiful above the waves of fog, but there was still one question to be answered: why had [he] sold it to us for only five dollars?

I'm still not really sure why we bought it, either. Tim and I had been married for two years now and looking for a place to settle down. He was a physician who had just finished his PhD, and I had received my degree in psychology. When the young agent met with us in Los Angeles, we had almost settled for a flat that would have put us severely in debt and left us dissatisfied.  He promised that he had a deal for us that we couldn't resist.

Tim was suspicious, but the man seemed honest enough. He showed us pictures of a house, beachfront property. It looked like heaven to me. As he pulled some other pictures out of his bag we realized that the house was, in fact, on a private island. I shook my head, knowing immediately that there was no way we could pay for a house that extravagant, but the agent quietly offered the property for five dollars.

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"We're going to land soon, Claire." Tim walked up to the rail beside me as his voice cut through through my distracting thoughts. His eyes were longing to explore the island, to set foot on our own little paradise. To actually have our own island; the words sounded so foreign in my mind. We had been at sea for the past 6 or 7 hours, and the sun had set a while ago. The stars were beginning to peek out at us from the world's ceiling.

I noticed a small house on the far left, near the sandy, beachy-looking side. The main amount of the land was rocky or covered with forest greenery. Tim sighed impatiently and walked back to the wheel of the boat. "We'll finally be there; we're only few minutes away!" He informed me. I slowly faded back into the memories of the past two months.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

My jaw had dropped as my ears had tried to reprogram what I had just heard. Five dollars for an island? Ridiculous. Impossible. "Why on earth would you sell us an island for five bucks what someone else would pay millions for?" Tim demanded.

The agent put both palms outward. "No questions. Five dollars and the island is yours." He pulled a contract out; everything looked legal. "Hope you both enjoy it!" The agent shook our hands and was gone, leaving his half-finished coffee, a copy of the contract, and a slip of paper containing the address of, now, our island.

It was all a blur after that. We packed the few belongings we owned, bought a used boat that could take us to the island, and tied up our loose ends within five weeks. Tim was ecstatic, as was I, but a question had begun to bother me. Why did that agent want to sell us this island?

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

The sand glistened in the moonlight as we walked hand in hand. I shivered, noting that the temperature had dropped considerably in the past two hours. The house stood just across the beach from us, almost seeming to be out of place where it was set. The vegetation on this side of the island was simply charming, with several types that were foreign to me. "Where exactly are we?" I wondered aloud, breaking the sweet silence that wasn't dared to be otherwise interrupted except by the softly whistling breeze. 

"I believe we're about  400 miles east of San Francisco." Tim replied. We had reached the house by now, and were standing in front of it.  "Ready?" He asked me. I nodded.

Tim stepped onto the porch with me, pushing the door open. It creaked loudly with protest. But why did he sell all of this for five dollars? The question now refused to leave my mind. I flipped the light switch on, trying to push back the waves of fear that began to creep over me. Everything so far that had happened to us had the trademark feeling of a horror story. A deal that was too good to be true. An abandoned house in a remote area. The two of us together in an unfamiliar place.

It was then I saw the picture on the wall. A young and elegant woman, with intense hazel eyes and chestnut hair stared back at me. The rest of the room was entirely empty. No furniture, no rug on the floor. Just that picture. I flinched, keeping close to Tim. His brow was creased as we walked through the rest of the house. Other than a solitary bed in one of the rooms, the entire building was empty.

Tim and I quickly moved back to the front room, where I began to pace. Why did that man sell us this island for five dollars? What does this picture mean? Who is this lady? The waves of fear crashed over, and I became irrevocably certain that someone wanted to at the very least, terrify us, but likely worse. So many questions.

Tim slowly pulled the picture off of the wall and a piece of paper fluttered to the floor. I snatched it with slightly trembling hands and began to read aloud. If you've found this note, good for you. I am the agent who likely sold you this island. This portrait is of my sister, Anastasia. She disappeared from this island, which she owned. The authorities believe she is dead, and I was the heir to this home given in her will. I can't bear to keep it. Feel free to do what you like with it. If you ever happen to find my sister, I would be indebted to you. I wish I could assure you that this island is safe, but I am not certain. Thank you and the best of luck to you. (any information on Ana, call 415-395-5486) 

The paper fell to the floor. The first question was now solved, and my fears were unfounded, but with this answer came new questions and new fears. I looked at Tim and he nodded. "We need to find her." He stated.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

That was the day we unknowingly decided to become detectives, and the beginning of our first of many cases. His medical background and my degree in psychology made us a fairly decent team and gained us a reputation, along with a few enemies. I could tell you the rest of Anastasia's story, but I believe I'll save it for another time. It is a quite a tale, and one worth listening to.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Hope you liked it! I may or may not continue the story, a good plot line seems to be eluding me at the moment, and this prompt is long enough as it is. E. told me she is planning to join me with these writing prompts, so look forward to those in the future! :)

I've noticed that I haven't necessarily kept this blog to the original idea of the "simplex" but I am planning to, for lack of a better word, try to organize or plan better what I'll be posting. Then again, I may leave it the way it is. Random is pretty easy for me!

In other news, I got my senior pictures done recently! I am also starting school again next week, so I will probably end up posting a lot less than I intend to. I'm super excited to see what this upcoming year will bring. See you next time!

-M.

Creative Writing Prompt #2

Hi Everyone! Happy New Year! It's M. here to do another creatively written story. Or try, anyways. :)

Writing Prompt #2: You receive a dozen minions for a week. (Yes, the minions from Despicable Me!) What would you do with them and why?

I completely understand Gru's many resourceful uses of his minions. (e.g. being their boss, micromanaging their lives, etc.) I, however, have other plans. 

The first thing I would do with my new friends is take them to the carnival or state fair. The looks on their faces, and the giggles of delight would be worth more than anything. 

I would also get to know each of them personally and give them gifts throughout the week. I would give them ice cream after lunch every day, and compliment them on their sense of fashion. 

Of course, all of this friendliness would be for the sole purpose of getting information about their kind. Because that way, I would be able to more or less kidnap them all... and who doesn't want a million minions?

Well, that's about as much you'll get from me today! Hope you all have a wonderful day!

-M.

Christmas, Magi, and Charlie Brown

   Hey people!;) it's E here!

   

   Well Christmas Day has come and gone, but Christmas isn't over yet (we still have two more days!). I'm talking about the Twelve Days of Christmas (no not the song).

   

   The Twelve Days of Christmas is the festive Christian season, beginning on Christmas Day (December 25) and continuing on to January 5. It celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. This period is also known as Christmastide.

   The Twelve Days of Christmas are immediately followed by the Feast of the Epiphany, which celebrates the coming of the Wise Men (Magi) and their bringing of gifts to the child Jesus. In some traditions the Feast of the Epiphany and The Twelfth Night overlap.

   

   Currently The Twelve Days and Nights are celebrated in varying ways around the world. Some give gifts only on Christmas Day, some only on the Twelfth Night, and some each of The Twelve Days. In many Latin American countries, the Feast of the Epiphany is accorded a great celebration. 

    

   In the Gospel of Mathew 2:1 & 11 it says 'now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,....and when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshiped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.' These are only two of the verses that tell of when the Wise Men came. It's quite interesting when I think about their meaning. 

   

   For the longest time, I never even new what Myrrh was or Frankincense. For those of you who don't know, Myrrh is a fragrant gum resin obtained from certain trees and used in the Near East in perfumery, medicines, and incense. Frankincense is much the same; an aromatic gum resin obtained from an African tree and burned as incense. Also called Olibanum. And I always thought that they were some kind of gem or precious stone! Just goes to show how much I know..;) 

   Another thing that's quite interesting is this: the Bible never specifies how many Wise Men there were! It has normally been portrayed as there being three. This is probably because there where only three gifts given. But there could have been four Wise Men or two or even ten! It does say Wise Men so there was obviously more that one. For me there are so many things in the Bible, even in all the well known history in the Bible, that is still to learn and understand.

    This is getting to be a really long post! So I will wrap it up with this: my favorite version of Christ's birth happens to be the 'King James Version,' which is also the version that Charles Schultz used in 'A Charlie Brown Christmas'. After Charlie Brown asks if anyone knows the true meaning of Christmas. Linus says 'sure Charlie Brown' he steps forward, cues the lights and quotes:

   

   'And there where in those days shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you, You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'

   

 ~E

   

Creative Writing Prompts - Dec. 27th (First story!)

Hi again! 

I've decided to force myself to blog more often by doing creative writing prompts. I give myself a word, phrase, or idea, and have to craft a story from it. It's always fun to do this, but I love sharing these too! Any comments and feedback are welcomed! I will try to post these at least three or four times a week... If I ever find that priority list... ;)

December 27th, 2013

Writing prompt #1: Someone experiences snow for the first time. 

I shriek as I look out the window. Something is very wrong. It's 5:51 am and no one else is awake yet. 

Someone has done something horrible to the yard. It's completely white, covered with... Something. I have a bad feeling...

Wait, now Holli is awake, I guess my scream startled her. I am joined at the window. I hear a sharp breath drawn at the sight. "Addison... Our yard! What happened?" She questions fearfully. 

Why is she asking me about such matters? She's a full 572 days older than me, after all. She should know.  Of all the the things we've seen in Archlon, this is a first.

"Perhaps the biopracter is down and something fell through." My sister muses. "See, it's in the other yards too. I'll check the news." She turns away towards the desk and begins to look on the internet.  

My nose accidentally hits the glass and I gasp. It's very cold. Colder than it's ever been in this part of Archlon. "I think I'm going outside for a minute, Holli." I announce. 

She looks back in disgust. "Outside? Why bother?"

I don't know what I think about this new thing outside, but I want to decide if I like it or not. Which means I need to touch it. But of course, I don't tell Holli. She doesn't care about physical things. She'd rather read all day or design a new world in her head. I look at the screen over her shoulder. "Find anything?"

"The biopracter is broken, and that stuff is called snow, Addison." She informs me. "Apparently, before the Schism it fell from the sky all the time; but it's been blocked by the biopracter ever since 2036."

"Is it safe?" I question impatiently. I am no closer to an opinion than I was seven minutes ago and I don't want to waste another one. Another minute, that is.

"Yes, but the NATC advises wearing lots of layers, because the temperature is so low." She stands up and powers the desk off. "I suppose i'll come with you."

It's been a while since I've been outside. The blanket is very white, it stretches everywhere. But it's not big... It falls in microscopic pieces. It seems to burn my face, a little on my forehead, a speck by my nose. I rashly place a hand on the ground and pull back quickly; it's very cold. I set it down again, tentatively, and pick some of the snow up.

Holli is using her watch to analyze some of it. She's always liked conspiracy theories, historical science fiction, stuff like that. I understand now why she came outside with me. She wants facts. Always looking for them. "They're made out of individual flakes, Addison. No two will ever look alike. That's like, a billion unique types just in our yard!"

I don't really care about Holli's facts. Right now, I enjoy being outside. I've never felt like that before. To us, Outside is a necessity, covered with as many buildings as possible and avoided at all costs. The biopracter blocks harsh sunlight and keeps away polluted air.  Yards are simply decoration. We don't even have to put the flowers in ourselves; the wardens take care of that. But I think I like the outside - at least, like this, right now. I wonder if other things fell from the sky before the biopracter was installed.

It is now that I decide I want snow to be normal, like it used to be. I wish I had been around before the Schism. Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong generation. 

It is now that I realize I can't go back to before the Schism. But I can go forward... To having snow again. 

It is now that I decide that the biopracter must never be reinstalled again. 

And it is now that I realize that I am destined to be the one who will stop anyone who attempts to do so.  

(Stories will not probably always be this long! Depends on my mood. I will try to get E. to try this too!)

Thanks for reading!

-M.

It's Been a While... and On the Christmas Season

Well, I'm back. I've been away for too long! I have to remind myself to put blogging on my priority list... If I can find my priority list... :)

Anyway, Merry Christmas! The season seems to have gone by way too fast! I'm not absolutely obsessed with Christmas, because it's over-comercialized and too busy and, over all, too "loud" in a sense, though not literally. 

I do, however, love Christmas because of the doors it can open. What other time of the year do you hear songs about Jesus on secular radio?? When is a better time to go caroling and share a little of Christ's joy with others? (I did that several weeks ago with friends and had a blast!) 

And what better person to be focusing on during this season than the reason FOR the season? 

I love Christmas because it's just a reminder of how we should honor God EVERY day, minus the shopping and parties and rushed days. We celebrate his birth, but only because he came, as a child, to eventually die. It was his life's purpose was to die for me. For you. He came to save the world, but in a very different method than many thought he would. 

New Year is great, too! It's always fun to party until midnight, but it's also a chance to reflect on how you've changed in the past year. I have learned a LOT this year! I've grown much closer to God by starting a daily quiet time and pursuing time with Him. I've grown closer to some friends and away from some. I've made a lot of mistakes, but I've learned from them! One of my favorite things to do is to remember "God stories." These are stories of different things in my life that didn't seem to connect or make much sense when they were happening, but God used for His glory!

Talk to you later! Stay tuned for a new type of blogging I will be putting in soon (hopefully tonight if I finish!)

-M.