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Writing, Writing Prompts

Weekly Fiction Challenge – Week 2, February 2014

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Prompt: Write a story in the horror genre told from the point of view of the monster/villain. 400 words minimum, any perspective. The story must begin and end with similar lines (framing).
 
*Author’s Note:  I don’t reach or watch horror, so I have no idea how to write in this genre.  I wrote about a villain, in a style I could.  With only a week, I don;t have time to understand horror well enough.  I hope this will do.
 
Completed:   798 words. 
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Fucking Mortals.

A thing is put in a place for it to stay in that place. A few hundred years go by and you expect it to be there when you go back. But it isn’t.

Their lives are meaningless without goals.  I provide those goals and the tools to complete them and yet they fail.  The task was simplistic; keep the idol safe until my return.  Barely two centuries have passed and they have lost my idol.  I have stayed their immediate execution at the request of their leader so that I may hear a pathetic plea for salvation. It will do no good, but I do so love to hear them grovel for their meager lives.  As if they meant something in the larger scheme of things. This shall be forgotten.

The priest I gave the idol to is aging now, having lost its power to sustain his weak mortal form.  I have considered allowing him to live to old age, after compelling him to destroy his companions before him, but I will not make this final judgement until I have heard his feeble argument. If it is as I suspect, I will be bored within moments of him uttering his first words.

Alas, I have larger issues to deal with.  Best if I get this over with.

* * * * *

“Bring him in.”

My servants jump as my voice echos throughout my audience chamber and rush to open the doors.  In comes a middle-aged man in the red robes signifying one of my priests.  The claw mark across his chest is still visible under the torn robes, albeit healed a bit since I gave it to him.

I move towards him, prompting the guards to drop him and retreat, my huge form towering over the priests limp form.  I become a shadow, eclipsing him as he lay there, a broken man.  He lifts his head to look at me and actually meets my gaze.  The insolence!

“What is your plea, Mortal.  Why should I spare you and your feeble band of pigs.”

He stares into my eyes awhile longer, unfazed by my power.  Who does he think he is, challenging me in this way?  After a moment, I raise my right claw, in a gesture that will shortly mean his demise, when his soft voice reaches my ears.

“Please, Master, spare my order, and I will bring you this idol. I know where it has gone.”

My voice became a terrifying thunder and the man’s body was pulled towards me as I stood on my hind legs, the wake of my outstretched wings dragging him in.

“You have already failed me.  What reason do I have to give you a second chance?  I can send another.”

My claw began to descend as he spoke again.

“Because I tied my living soul to the idol fifty years ago.  If I die, the idol will dissolve.  When I learned what it was and what you are, I decided to take steps should this day ever come.  Kill me at your own peril.”

I stayed my claw a foot above him, and he never flinched.  He just kept my gaze and waited.  He knew he had me.  He knew what the idol meant to me.  And, he knew I had no choice but to give him this chance.  I whirled about and headed back to my throne, the wind behind me knocking most of those in the room down.  I bellowed loudly to no one in particular as I seated myself and stared back at the man lying helpless on the floor before me.  As he righted himself to stare at me again, I spoke one last time.

“Agreed, Mortal.  Find my idol and bring it here and your pigs will be spared.  Fail me, see my idol destroyed, and you can count it as a guarantee that you will have my wrath in a way you cannot imagine.  Now, leave me!”

That last word carried force behind it, hurling him back across the room, and into the doorway.  He stood, dusted himself off, and bowed to me in allegiance.   It was a mockery, to be certain, but I stared him down anyway.  After a moment, he feebly turned away from the room and left.  My guards ran hurriedly out of the room behind him, leaving me alone.  I pondered this new development, and sighed heavily.

One day, I shall have to kill that one.  But not before he suffered and not before he returned what was mine.  It was a simple matter to unravel his soul from it, but I needed it first to complete the ritual.  And have it I shall.

For now, I shall wait with the patience of an immortal.

Fucking Mortals.

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Aaaaaaand Scene.  I hope it worked for you.  It was interesting to write.

Writing, Writing Prompts

Weekly Fiction Challenge – Week 1, February 2014

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A friend of mine invited me to do a weekly writing prompt.  This is the first.  
 
Prompt: Write a short story about a thief stealing something they personally see no value in. Minimum 200 words, any perspective.
 
Completed:  698 words.
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I have always enjoyed the dark. Being completely in the dark, but able to see everything else that was going on has always been a thrill for me. No one ever found me playing hide and seek, but I was good at finding nearly everyone. It was a gift.  And in the dark, I was a God.

This  job, though, needed a thrill as I could have done it in my sleep. I mean, all second story jobs have a little bit of risk, as you are generally climbing or defeating alarm systems, or sneaking around cameras and guards. Sometimes, you just wait in the dark for hours until it is time to move.  Any number of things can go wrong and you have to be on your toes and know when to leave the dark.

I needed the scratch, so I am doing the job, but as I walk to the meet to give up the goods for my pay, I find myself wondering why I had to steal this at all. I mean, they could have just bought it at the corner store and been done with it. My fee is rather steep for a cheap knockoff like this. And I just had to walk into a house and take it. No security at all and they weren’t home.

Still, a job is a job and I keep my word. I stood in the dark alley across from the diner I was meeting my employer at, and I was keenly aware of everyone on the street. You never know when a cop might spot you, and I was a felon.  They see me, they tend to stun first and, well, they don’t ask me questions.   I just avoided them whenever possible.

I saw the kid who hired me walk into the diner about 10 minutes ago and was now as sure as I could be that no one was tailing him. I went over, entered the diner and slid into the seat across from him. Without saying a word, I dropped a small bag on the floor and slid it over with my foot.

The kid glanced at the folded copy of USA today on the table, with that “in there” kinda look, and I could see it was bulging. I deftly opened the paper and let the envelope inside it fall into my lap.

He was beaming at me from across the table and I still couldn’t figure it out. His voice was low and strong, and didn’t fit his little body. Go figure.

“Thanks, man. I really appreciate it. I have wanted that for years.”

“You could have just bought one, you know.”

“Yeah, but this one was *his*, you know?  And it should have been mine.”

“So you say.”

We sat there quietly, and I had a sip of the coffee that he had ordered for me. It was black and strong, just how I liked it. It wasn’t very good, and was now fairly cold, but the heavy bitter made up for it. The silence hung in the air, until he cleared his throat.

“Well, thanks.”

I stared at his excited grin for a moment before answering.  I am really good at letting things go, as not knowing that tends to make you do stupid things.  I don’t do stupid things, which is why I am still in business.  It was time to go, before I started asking questions.

“Don’t mention it, kid. I’ll see ya around. Let me know if you want anything else done.  You know how to find me.”

“Sure, man.  Sure.”

He was just staring at the bag on the floor, like he had the Mona Lisa in there.  I shook my head and stood up, leaving him with his treasure.  I dropped a fiver on the table for the coffee and walked calmly out of the place.

It didn’t make any sense, why the kid would pay so much for something so common, but who am I to judge. I am just happy to help, you know?

No matter, I have a *real* job waiting and I had planning to do. Back into the dark for me.

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And that is the end of week one.  I hope you enjoyed it.