Tag / word prompts

by Janet

The Old Man

A Short Story

The old man showed up just after Billy Clyde knocked me out. School let out early and it was too hot to take the bus. Burt, the driver, always sweats real bad, and on days like this he would stink to high heaven.

I was outside of Cassiel Park when I saw Billy catching up to me, so I made a beeline for the gate. I figured I could lose him by the horseshoe pit. There’s a small hole in the chain link fence, behind the bushes, and nobody else knows about it. Even if they did, most kids are too big to fit. If Billy followed me there, I could squeeze through and leave him in the dust.

My plan didn’t work though. Billy disappeared after I crossed the playground and I didn’t see him again until I was at the bridge. I don’t know how he got ahead of me, but he was right there, just waiting for me. There was no way for me to get past him, and I didn’t want to look stupid by running the other way, so I put my head down and raced toward him just as fast as I could. Then everything went black.

Billy was gone when I woke up. My ears were ringing and my face was covered in dirt. The sun was so bright that I had to squint just to see. I closed them again, and started picking the grass burrs out of my hair when I felt his shadow over me, and the smell of orange and vanilla filled the air.

His voice was loud and deep. “Let me help you up son.”

All I could really see when I looked up was his big white beard. My eyes made their way up his wrinkled face and then his bright blue eyes came into focus. He had an old red fishing hat on with its strap hanging down past his shoulders. He helped me up and walked me to the gate just to make sure I got on my way, and then he waved and said the darndest thing.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I decided to move forward with another story using word prompts, but this time I’m using something I wrote before- but never finished. I thought of an ending a while ago but have never been in the mood to write, so I thought it would be fun to go back and re-write and finish it now.

My illustration is very basic, boring, odd… whatever. I didn’t stress over it, I just wanted something to go with the story. I really only wanted to do the hat, and I should have stuck with that. It would have been one cool hat. I’m tired of drawing women for awhile too, and men are much more difficult, so I might try objects and scenery for this one. Hopefully the best part will be the story.

Anyway, I apologize if you’ve already read this (in parts of the story I shared before), but I’ve changed a few things so that it works better with the ending I have planned and it’s more present tense. I also needed to add the Daily Spur word prompt, which is strap.

This will move along just like the other, but each piece might be slightly longer and I’m not going to force myself to do it every day.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy, and I really hope to get this one finished this year!

Goodnight!

by Janet

Surprise Visitor

..Surprise Visitor (#9)..

Bob was lost in his head (thinking about that night some seventeen years ago) when Anastasia finally finished her song. As the applause died down, she gestured to someone behind the crowd and every eye in the room looked to see a stunning young girl. She seemed to be a teenager, but her beauty was that of someone much older. She moved as Anastasia did, with a swagger that could turn heads.

As Anastasia began to speak, the young girl opened the window to reveal the beautiful night sky and an explosion of colorful fireworks. Anastasia’s words were silenced beneath the thunderous noise, but Bob was sure that he could tell what her lips had said, and he was flabbergasted… in disbelief of what he had heard.

“… this is my daughter everyone…”

(to be continued)

Personal Note

I’m learning something important about my idea of an ongoing story. I need to set a limit of prompts to reach an end or the tale could go on FOREVER. Ha! This is #9, so I think I’ll give myself 6 more, hitting a max of 15 word prompts in one saga. I’m rather enjoying myself, and I think that I might start a new one when this one is complete.

I miss sharing “other” things though, so I might give it a rest in between for some of my usual stuff. I’m still not certain where this one will end up… but with Anastasia’s “surprise” daughter in the picture now… things may get interesting.

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed!

This is an ongoing story, continued each day (more or less) using the Daily Spur’s word prompt. I’ve moved the previously published parts, rearranged to run as a normal story, HERE. Just in case you are interested in reading it in it’s entirety. This is purely for entertainment purposes (hopefully yours and not just mine), so if the story doesn’t do that, or you’re just not interested in reading it, I hope that my illustrations will bring you some joy. Today’s word is: Teenager.

by Janet

The Hiding Place

It was humid that summer evening, like June usually is in the valley, and the three of them had gone down to the swimming hole to cool down. Draco wandered off, like he always did, trying to trap fireflies in a jar. Bob and Anastasia stayed in the water, swimming until their arms and legs were so tired that they could barely climb up the shore.

It’s when they got out to rest that the moon enraptured them. Bob’s hand touched hers as they looked up at its magical light, and each of them smiled with both joy and confusion. Neither one had thought of the other as anything but a friend, like brother and sister, but with this new sensation, their world was suddenly different.

As if they were hypnotized, perhaps by the moon itself, Bob and Anastasia held each other and began to move. They danced to the sound of a melody that only the two of them could hear. 

It wasn’t until they heard Draco returning that the strange spell was broken. Unsure of what had happened, and afraid of what Draco might say, the two scurried around for a hiding place until they settled behind the velvet grass.

NOTES FROM ME

This is an ongoing story, continued each day (more or less) using the Daily Spur’s word prompt. Today’s word is: Velvet.

Since things got complicated (for me, anyway) I’ve moved the previously published parts, rearranged to run as a normal story would, on this PAGE (which is also now in my menu) – JUST in case you missed it and are interested in reading the complete story (which is not complete yet).

I know, I know… like I said it’s getting complicated.

Anyway, I included my illustrations on the story page as well, so that each word prompt piece has its colorful art added as well. This is purely for entertainment purposes (hopefully yours and not just mine), so if the story doesn’t do it… I hope that my illustrations will.

I have to say that I learned about something new while putting this one together, which is something called velvet grass. I’m a brown thumb, so I have never heard of it, but apparently there are many varieties including Korean velvet grass which is a beautiful grass. Another variety, common velvet grass, has lavender like flowers which I tried to depict in my illustration.

I had a great time with this illustration, and I’m happy that I know how to make some form of velvet grass now. I also felt the story was beginning to get serious (in my mind) and that I kept defaulting to romance (don’t ask me why), so I tried to lighten things up with the stars having to hide out in the bushes, so to speak.

That’s about all for now. I hope that you enjoyed tonight’s addition…

Thank you for reading!!