Gooooooooood afternoon, me lovelies!
It's the fifth & FINAL week of the Promptlies Link-up! I can't believe how fast this month has seemed to pass. But I've had so. Much. FUN writing for each of these prompts. Hugs to all who were able to join in as well! I've loved reading what you've come up with. It's so interesting to see the differences in how each of our minds work in regards to working on the same writing prompts.
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So, it's Week 5 of my Link-up! And tomorrow is the deadline for this week's prompt.
Click HERE for the info!
> > THE PROMPT < <
Similar to last week's prompt, this one features characters in no relation to any current WIPs. Brand new, shiny characters are SO fun. I just realized I haven't created any new concept ideas or stories in AGES. Probably because I'm TRYING TO COMPLETE AT LEAST ONE DRAFT OF AN ALREADY ACTIVE STORY. . . *le sigh* I'll get there eventually, I think. ;D
> > MY STORY < <
Josie hated this
stretch of her walk home. It was only one night every week when she
had the late shift at the restaurant, and the one night neither
Lauryn or Ward could accompany her.
With her friends,
she never felt alone. But when both were
unavailable, she could swear things followed her every step of
the way.
She’d always felt
this way—for as long as she could remember. Always felt she was
watched.
Too bad she wasn’t
a runner… She could knock out the two miles home in no time at all.
A branch snapped
the way you hear only in movies, and she whipped her head in that
direction, a nervous squeak escaping her lips. Jumpy, much? You
probably just imagined it, Jo.
But she knew she
hadn’t imagined that creature two weeks ago, standing at the end of
her bed. The nightmare had awakened her in a cold sweat and she saw
it there—in her room. But when it vanished, she’d succeeded in
convincing herself it was a part of the nightmare she thought she’d
awoken from.
Not even Lauryn or
Ward knew of her dreams. She was too afraid even they would
throw her into a mad house…
Not realizing she’d
frozen in her tracks, she picked up the pace again and began fumbling
in her bag for the pepper spray, her house keys—anything—only to
remember she’d tossed everything out last minute searching for her
notes from last period.
Like pepper spray
would even work on such a creature…
“Just wait till I
turn twenty-one, you creeps,” she muttered under her breath. Never
mind that was still four years away. “I’ll be more of a match
then—I can assure you.”
If they let her
survive that long.
The sidewalk
bordered the old park, now overgrown for more than a decade despite
the city’s promises to restore and make it an eco-friendly haven.
Trees lined the road and the lamp-posts cast an eerie glow into the
early-Spring dusk.
She quickened her
pace and debated on whistling a tune into the suffocating silence.
If only she could
whistle.
Huffing at her own
sarcasm, she threw a glance behind, saw nothing (as usual), and
hurried on. At the rate of her heartbeat and rising anxiety, perhaps
next week she could convince Mrs Lichlyter to allow her to stay the
night at the restaurant. Chicken.
Jarran should’ve
been home from work by now. Why couldn’t he have picked her up?
She knew Dad had taken yet another extra shift at the police
department this weekend. A teeny prick of sadness welled at the loss
she felt in his almost constant absence.
But at least she
had Jarran. Her older brother always did his best to cheer her up
after days like this.
She sighed, nearly
tripping over her own feet, but caught herself just as the air before
her wavered and crackled as if disturbed by some unseen
electrical force.
Before she could
react, she was on her back staring up into the salivating face of a
demon.
The scream caught
in her throat as its dagger-like claws pressed her into the concrete
walkway. It drew its face down to hers and it was all she could do
to breath as it seemed to assess her soul.
*“Misvādu
kanī
tadhve viśeṣa,”
it drawled insidiously.
She didn’t
understand the words—but there was enough in the tone to deduce it
thought she looked rather tasty.
She struggled, her
vision blackening. So this is how I’ll go. And even in death,
no one will believe me. Under different circumstances, the dry
humor would’ve been amusing. ‘Here lies Josie Quinn, a
demon’s dinner.’ But before it could even attempt a
nibble at her throat, a great force threw it into the street where it
slid and rolled—claws gouging the pavement.
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| Photo by Sven Scheuermeier on Unsplash |
Because her
creature was most definitely real. And it was standing over
her—defensively?—growling at that thing rallying in
the middle of the empty street.
“She is mine,
Watcher,” the demon’s voice rasped.
Okay. That
she understood.
Still in a
defensive stance, the beast dipped his head her way and, never taking
his eyes from the demon, said in a gravelly voice, “Move.”
His massive
wings—one leathery and the other mottled in dark feathers—shifted
to cover her, shielding her from view of the drooling monster.
Without a word, she obeyed, scrambling toward the old concrete bench
by the tree border. As soon as she was safe, she turned to watch the
creature lunge for the demon, his body dwarfing its sinewy form. In
the brief battle, he slashed it across the middle with a dragon-like
claw and with a shriek, the demon vanished, leaving nothing but a
dark splash of blood where last it stood.
Drawing his wings
in, her rescuer turned and lifted to his hind legs, sniffing the air.
Seemingly satisfied, he lumbered towards where she was clinging to
the bench, too afraid to let go of the only thing that seemed real.
But now, she could make out his features. His body was like a mix of
mashed-up dragon and massive wolf. And his face displayed the horned
crest of a dragon combined with a wolf’s snout and fangs.
Terrifying.
She was sure her eyes were as wide as saucers.
“Y—you
protected me…” The fact blew her away.
He nodded, rubbing
his side. She noticed a bit of blood matting his hide of fur and
scales. His eyes met hers: Animal. Human. Beast.
“We all do.”
And it was then she noticed the others in the shadows—at least
four, all kinds of shapes and sizes.
Watching. Silent.
But not in a menacing way. The were guarding her.
“Why?” These
beasts had been protecting her all this time?
His eyes softened,
and it was then she saw the depths of them.
“It’s our
curse.”
*Demon dialect of ancient Sanskrit origin. Essentially, it means "Tasty girl, you are special" (and must be read in Gollum-like voice).
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So.
What do you think??? Is this a story you would pick up? How would you imagine this prompt differently?
Thank you for reading! I'll have a wrap-up post for this week going up sometime tomorrow. Buuuuut there's still time to join in on this prompt! If you miss the link-up, be sure to put your blog link in the comments---I'd LOVE to read what you come up with. :]
What do you think??? Is this a story you would pick up? How would you imagine this prompt differently?
Thank you for reading! I'll have a wrap-up post for this week going up sometime tomorrow. Buuuuut there's still time to join in on this prompt! If you miss the link-up, be sure to put your blog link in the comments---I'd LOVE to read what you come up with. :]
Happy Friday! Have a lovely weekend, y'all!
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ReplyDelete:O
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DIS STORYYYYY.
THAT WAS SO CHILLING.
The image of a creature just STANDING there at the end of her bed was especially horrifying. And then the tension through the whooole thing. O___O I LOVED IT. It was deliciously creepy! I love how you used another language for the monster too. That was epic! (And I totally read it in a Gollum voice. ;D)
BUT DAT ENDING. Like, you think it's all good and these creatures are nice and WANT to help her. But they're cursed into helping her??? DKJFLJDLJFDJF. I WANT TO KNOW MORE. That was the coolest twist!
This was just amazing. I can't believe this is the last one! It's been suuuuch a blast reading all your prompts. I adored every single one. I'm so glad you're doing it again in the summer. Can't wait! :D
*BEAMS* Oh you are the bestest, dear Lauri! I'm so glad you thought it was chilling & "deliciously creepy". That's kinda what I was going for. ^_^ I wanted that bit of made-up/based on language of Sanskrit to kinda hint at a possible backstory to the demons. Haha! The Gollum voice totally adds to it. xD
DeleteYESSSSSS. It surprised me too!! And now I've an irritating itch wishing to expand the idea & SEE WHAT COULD HAPPEN... O___O GAHHHHHH
Thank you, girl! I know---SAME! I'm totally planning another one for the Summer. Hopefully more will be freed up to join in! Though I'm not sure I should do it in June (as originally thought), becuz some might want that month to prep for Camp. *shrugs* We'll see!