#100WordChallenge – Future

Happy Hump Day!

I’m having an oddly productive week. It’s a welcome change from the last few, but I’m not sure how long it’ll last. Don’t want to jinx myself by saying I’m back, but here I am. Today’s post comes from a prompt series I haven’t played with in a while – Tara’s #100WordChallenge over at Thin Spiral Notebook. If you’ve never seen it, give it a shot! It’s a fun time and always a good exercise.

Prompt: Future

~~~

Before this whole immortality fiasco, I never gave the future much thought. At least, not any more than the average high school student does, you know? And now it’s all I can think about – it keeps me up at night.

What happens when my dad dies?

What happens when hundreds of years go by, and I’m still here?

I don’t want to think about millennia.

Max is the only one that I can talk to, but even they’re at a loss as to how to comfort me. Angels never give their own lives or eternity much thought. They just are.

~~~

And that’s a peek into Paola’s anxieties. Stay tuned for where the story goes next!

As always, think happy thoughts!

#ThursThreads -Moving forward

Hello!

Looks like this momentum is here to stay – how awesome is that? While I’m kind of forcing myself to write, I’ll never be able to break out of my current slump-ish writing mood if I don’t put words down, so here we are. Today’s prompt comes courtesy of #ThursThreads.

Prompt: “Is it done?”

And we finally get to jump back into Videl’s head! Woo!

~~~

It’s awkward, knowing Paola is sitting downstairs as we wait for Marcus. She’s the first human I’ve interacted with other than my siblings, and the fear in her eyes when she saw my hands wasn’t helping. As long as Max is here, though, I have to deal with my mark being on display for all to see. I give her some space, choosing to check on my siblings, making sure they’ll be asleep for a while.

I’m careful to be quiet, and only linger long enough to be sure they won’t wake up and come downstairs. As I make my way down, the front door opens.

“Is it done?” I’m not really sure what ‘it’ is – Marcus wouldn’t tell me what the boss had him go out and do – but given Marcus’ apprehension when he left, it couldn’t have been easy.

“Yes. Took me longer than I thought it would – sorry about that.” He takes two steps into the house, triggering the change in his eyes. They finally notice my bloody arms.

“Max is here?”

“Yeah – they brought reinforcements. Some kid. Wouldn’t tell me much else.” We meet at the bottom of the stairs.

“A kid? A human one?”

“I guess.” I shrug.

Marcus follows behind me as we enter the living room. As expected, Paola freezes, eyes wide, at the sight of my partner. What I didn’t expect is the way Marcus reacts – he stops in his tracks, terror and pain in his eyes at the sight of her.

~~~

And we finally got here! I got lucky I was able to work the prompt in. Hopefully some day I can add some more work to these serials and make them available as novellas.

Don’t forget to check out the other responses at the prompt!

As always, think happy thoughts!

#TuesFlashFicTrain has a new home!

Image courtesy of Our Write Side

Hello hello!

So it has been quite some time since I’ve done anything for this flash prompt series. A combination of being overwhelmed with work and just not having the time to dedicate to it led to its being neglected. However, I have good news for those of you hoping it would come back! The Flash Fiction Train is reborn!

If you’ve been following my social media, you’ll know I’ve been doing some work with the wonderful people of Our Write Side. Well, that’s where the Flash Fiction Train is headed next! Its new home is on Fridays as part of Our Write Side’s writing prompts. Though it has a new home, it’ll still be hosted by yours truly 🙂

So, head on over to the link on Friday and check out the new rules & prompt. Looking forward to seeing you there!

As always, think happy thoughts!

 

#ThursThreads – Cross-Over!

Happy Thursday!

Didn’t think I’d get around to actually writing a post for today, but here we are. It’s a special treat – a cross-over! Today’s prompt comes courtesy of #ThursThreads.

Prompt: “We are being watched.”

Happy reading!

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“We are being watched.” The sensation drips down the back of my neck, every hair standing on end with the awareness of someone’s eyes on me.

“I know.” Marcus whispers his response, though if someone’s watching us, they can probably hear us, too. Both of us maintain an image of relaxation, as we continue to lounge on the couch- my siblings are asleep upstairs. My partner continues to read through some files, while I browse the same old copy of Faustus.

~~~

“And you expect me to work with a pair of demons?” The two people seem normal enough – a man and a woman, both sitting in a living room, wrapped up in their own work – and I wouldn’t have thought them demons if Max hadn’t told me so. At my question, the angel removes the scene from my television screen with a wave of their arm. What appears next is a scene in a bedroom with two sleeping children.

“Yes – they’ve been tasked with taking care of these children. They’ll need all the help they can get when it comes time to return them to their mother.” Max leans back in their seat, eyes thoughtful when considering the children on the screen.

“Why were they taken away in the first place?”

“It’s a long story, and you’re not here to ask questions. This is your assignment. I can’t be there when the exchange happens – you’ll be attending in my place.” Really? My mother took my place in purgatory for this?

---

And we kill two birds with one stone! Hooray for updating Provisional Freedom and Secondhand Soul. Still not sure how I’m going to introduce Paola to Videl and Marcus, but the moment draws nearer.

Be sure to check out the other responses at the prompt throughout the day!

As always, think happy thoughts!

Update: Got an Honorable Mention! Woo!

 

#100WordChallenge – Secret

Happy Thursday!

So last night, I accomplished what felt like an impossible task when I started – I made progress (actual progress, oh man!) on Withered Legacy. Can’t begin to describe how excited I am – I sat down for a whole hour and wrote nonstop, thanks to The Most Dangerous Writing App. It was the first time I was able to finish a session without losing my work, so hooray! My muse has been reinvigorated by this progress, meaning another session of panicked writing awaits me tonight!

Anyway, to break up the panic so all my writing doesn’t get done in stress-filled bursts, I’m cooling down with one of my usual prompts! This one happens to be Tara’s #100wordchallenge.

Prompt: Secret

~~~

I’ve never liked keeping secrets, not really. My whole life, I’ve tried to be an open book, and yet here I am – hiding my existence from most of my village and keeping the vampire attack on Layla, and my subsequent murder of said vampire, from my family. I wish I could at least tell my dad, but Niklaus asked and I can’t say no. Our situation is dangerous enough – I don’t need to make it worse.

Niklaus took the body – at least I didn’t have to deal with that. Still, finding the silver lining will only take me so far.

~~~

Ariella’s life sucks (ha! no pun intended) – but then again, it’s not like she’s the only one. Emma went through her fair share of issues, and Videl and Paola are currently no better off. Here’s hoping things start looking up for her soon.

As always, think happy thoughts!

#ThursThreads – Increased Security

Hello again!

Even as I write this I have no idea how I’m going to incorporate this prompt into one of my serials. Today’s #ThursThreads prompt is throwing me off, so here’s hoping for the best.

Prompt: “It meant increased security.”

Happy reading!

~~~

“Are you going to say something or just sit there watching me like a creep?” I couldn’t help the words tumbling from my mouth, but they were making me uncomfortable.

Max raised a thin eyebrow in response, a smirk lighting their expression before they waved a hand and turned off my TV, simultaneously flicking on the lights. I had to shield my eyes from the sudden change, ducking my head into my arms.

“That’s much better.”

“I was starting to think you’re not real.” Images of the angel standing around my hospital room, taking me from my mother in purgatory, already felt like long-forgotten dreams.

“Sorry – it’s not every day we let a soul out of purgatory. It meant increased security and delayed me longer than I anticipated. I could only drop by to check on you before having to run back and make sure the gap we used sealed properly and held up against opportunistic spirits looking for a way out.” They looked tired just thinking about it, running a hand through their hair while walking back and forth across the room.

“Speaking of my release, are you ever going to actually tell me why I’m here?” A part of me wanted to ask if they might know what led to me dying in the first place, but I stopped myself. It’s not like it mattered anyway. “And what abilities am I supposed to have, exactly?”

“I can already tell it’s going to be a joy working with you.”

~~~

Maybe next week Paola will get some answers! Be sure to check out the rest of the responses at the prompt link throughout the day – there’s always great stuff to read.

As always, think happy thoughts!

UPDATE: I won with this one! Woo!

Demonic run-on

Hello!

First post of the day, but it’ll be a short one! I’m kicking myself because I missed out on last week’s #100wordchallenge. However, I’m going to participate this week and incorporate last week’s prompt into today’s response. It works out, too, because last week’s prompt, Demon, is more theme-based. This week’s prompt is to write a 100 word run-on, so hooray for playing with format!

Here goes nothing!

~~~

Max sits in the dark with me, quiet, observant (expectant?) and though we’re both lit by the light of the TV, it makes them look ethereal, every bit an angel, or even a demon, asking of me what may be an impossible task I don’t yet understand – but I do know that, whatever they want from me, whatever the reason they had for making my mother replace me in purgatory, I’m not going to like it – at all – and I’m going to regret agreeing to it for the rest of my life, however long that may or may not be.

~~~

I’ve never worked this hard to write a run-on sentence. It was fun! Plus, it gave me the perfect breather before picking up Provisional Freedom again.

Stay tuned for #ThursThreads later!

As always, think happy thoughts!