Writing Challenge ~ 20th February - 18th March

WRITING CHALLENGE ~ FEBRUARY 2012​

Here is this month’s prompt. This challenge will be open for 4 weeks…
Anyone and everyone can join in.


You can involve the prompt itself in your piece and make your link to the prompt as obvious or as subtle as you like or use it simply as inspiration for something else. You can use part of the prompt, just one aspect of the image, or use it in its entirety. You can enter as many pieces as you like with as many different slants on the prompt as you are inspired to write as long as each piece meets the word limit criteria set for this challenge.

The word limit for this month’s challenge is 3,000 words and your submission can take whatever form you desire – poetry or prose, complete story or a vignette. Erotic or not, serious or light hearted, it’s whatever you want it to be!!

Post only your submissions in this thread, constructive comments and reviews are to be posted in the appropriately named – Writing Challenge Review Thread

The deadline for this month’s challenge is Sunday 18th March 2012, to allow readers time to get through everything before the March challenge starts!

Previous challenges and reviews can be found here.

Happy writing!

The waters lapping was a peaceful sound heard distinctly but inadvertently. Too, one could hear the soft scraping and creaking as the metal from the cuffs scratched against the iron they were latched too. Lastly, the whistling sand over old ruins and tortured structures that once stood bright and beautiful now less so, very much less. The taste of the salty air could not, or would not, overpower the intensely red and surprisingly sweet taste he felt within his mouth or upon his lips. Gray light through tear stained clouds; it lit the scene even less pleasantly than he wished to remember it.

"You were the one," He had said as she struggled like a wild animal to escape the cuff attached to her wrist, bloodying herself while her eyes shown violently. They revealed the passionate desire to stay alive and not succumb to him. Whilst he took pity upon her; there was naught he could do.

She had been the one. She would bring this all to an end, an end for him, for the others that were to come and those that had been before. It was really a sham that she would not be now. Luck, fate, chance, or destiny. Call it what you like, but it was an unfair thing to do this to someone so innocent and so undeserving. Pity, yes, he felt that, but also finality and excitement. While she had been the end, now she was the end of the ending and through her a new beginning would arise. This made him very, very happy.

She screamed, and screamed at him, "You worthless piece of shite! You're lower than shit, you fucking rapist pig, you communist bastard, you don't deserve to die! You deserve a thousand deaths! A million! You... are... worthless." Then, of course she cried, "Why are you doing this? Why me? Why are you so disgusting, who did this, why did it happen? What made me the person, what did this, why am I here?" Lastly, of course. She begged. "Plea-"

The words choked in her mouth as she choked upon death; once, twice, and three times before it consumed her.

Flicking his cigarette in the ground, smashing it and twisting it with the sole of his shoe, he glanced once more upon the bloody body lying in the sand. Kneeling next to her he first cleaned the bloody knife in her hair. Then he smoothed it and folded her tiny hands upon her stomach. Lastly, he leaned down to whisper upon her ear.

"You were the one that almost got away."

He lay across the stone slab.

He lay across the stone slab. Because She came to him in the morning.

She came every morning, beautiful and perfect. Her skin pale and her eyes cold. Deep frozen orbs set in flawless alabaster. Her wings behind her, unmoving, even as her feet never touched the cold and damp sands.

Or perhaps that was simply a trick of the morning sun. He would call to her, but his throat was too dry, his lips sewn shut. Blood crusting them together over the soaked leather strings. His eyes would be blackened almost shut, black pooled in the bottom of the iris. The sun would burn them. Even that burning orb in the sky showing it's displeasure, as it glared angrily into him. The sun never blinked.

But blind men would see her approach. The senseless would feel her touch.

It always started the same. She would cut the leather from his lips to give him pure water. Small slow sips, until he would stop coughing. Cold, almost frozen, slurping loudly, he would consume it. Until She took it away. He would ache for it, and She would kiss him, his mouth filled now with infinitely sweeter.

Her hand would stroke his fevered face, and She would wash the bruises and blood away. He'd moan to her touch, and rail against it, but always would She calm and clean him. His face first, and the ragged rope of his blood and sweat soaked hair. The sand in his eyes, the dark cuts along his neck. The torn thin muscles of his chest, whipped raw, and stitched inexpertly open, to let the sea lash salt into the wound. She would cut the leather, and balm each hole, her fingers expert as they washed each ragged tear. Large or small. and then sewed it closed, with the slightest of threads. Almost gossamer.

His stomach would She tend to next. Lying open and ready to spill into the sand. His every ragged breath threatening to lose more than simply what lay inside him, and bloody and slick, She would close him quietly. She would tenderly place, and fold, more skilled than any surgeon until by loops and coils, and gore he would be closed again.

He would weep then, and stand on ruined legs for her. He would dance if he could. But he would always fall. Supported only by the iron bar against the stone monolith. Sand now too hot to stand would burn his ruined skin, as he fell, and only with great difficulty would She stand him up. And with the softest kiss, make him still. He tried her so.

The water would burn, as it sluiced over his legs, too cold to chill, even to frost. Again and again, until his legs lay bloody, but clean. The only soil across them his own body's. And softly her hands would wipe him, close him. Attach his calves back to his shins, and turn his knees until the caps lay above both bones instead of grinding astride them. His legs would extend, and She would let them. Pulling each one until it could lengthen normally.

Her kisses would begin then. From his toes and up until She nestled between his legs. Her mouth hungry and searching, bringing him to a rise. Insatiable and wanting She'd mount him across the table, Legs astride, until She took her fill. Until night fell.

When She'd leave, He would be whole. And he would weep, his ruined eyes clear and seeing for only time, as she left. And he would lay down on the stone table as her wings carried her away. Wait for her in the morning. Ruined and destroyed. A hole in a man, empty and torn. Bloody and useless. Undeserving of her kindness. He never looked to see the thin steel bracelet open, he would only watch as she left him.

He would lie on the table, because we all do it to ourselves.

T & D Together Forever.

Diana smiled as she drove her car up to the beach, her eyes glancing at her phone in the passenger seat. The text she had revived still showing on the illuminated screen. 'D. Meet me at our place. T'

There was only “our place”, and T was her long time boyfriend, Tony. The man she loved with all her heart since they were little kids.

Her head filled with gray tone images of happy times spent at “Our Place.”


Diana ran, screaming happily, from the 12 year old boy chasing her on the beach close to their homes. The 11 year old girl with long blond hair and blue eyes laughed as she ducked and weaved around the wooden remains of some long ago structure that was built too close to the water. Tony, her life-long friend was having a hard time catching the smaller girl, his body already starting to grow at a young age.

Finally he caught her, screaming “You're it!”

“You got me T.” She said sweetly, but her eyes looking up and down the object with which he had chased her around.

“What do you think this is?” She asked, her darting to dark haired friend. His hazel eyes always shimmering with mirth.

“I don't know.” Tony said as he placed his hands on the wood frame, his eyes still on her. “Maybe it was a pirate base.”

“Silly, there are no pirates here.” She respond turning around, her hair floating from the breeze that came from the ocean.

She could see that he was a bit crest fallen at that, he always had a things about being a pirate.

“But I know what it is now.” She said slyly as she winked at him.

“What?” Tony asked, his face showing the question he had asked.

“Our place.” She said as sweetly as she could. She knew Tony would just shrug it away and blush. He had just recently started to notice that she was a girl, and would usually have trouble dealing with things that she teased him with.

She bent over, sticking her finger in the wet sand, the Tide just recently pulling out. She drew a heart, and inside it she wrote “T and D Together. Forever.”

“Ah D... you know... I...” Tony fumbled with the words.

“Its alright.” She said, as she walked up to him, and before he could react, she kissed him on the cheek, before taking off. “And you're it!” She giggled as she ran.

Tony only stood there perplexed a moment before he took off after her, his face burning where she kissed him.

“Oh I'll get you D!” He shouted as he ran behind her.


Diana had just turned 18 the day before. It would have been the happiest day of her life, save for the fact that Tony had been stuck at his college, loaded with his studies. She had wanted to spend it with her boyfriend, but knew that he was working hard. It sucked that he was a year ahead of her, that she still had a few months of high school to go though.

So, it would be today, the day after her birthday, that ended up being the happiest day of her life. She had been surprised when he appeared at her door after school, dressed up and ready to take her out on the town to celebrate.

When that was over, and night fell, they walked along the beach to “Their Place.” She was so happy and lost in thought that she didn't realize that he had bent down to one knee with a black box in his hand. She just stood there, her mind racing to understand what was going on as he popped it open and inside was a simple but beautiful gold ring with a single diamond on top. Engraved on the inside was T & D Forever.

“D, will you-” She had let him finished as she tackled him into the wet sand, placing her mouth on his. She tried to say yes, but she couldn't pull her lips away from his. It didn't matter, he knew the answer to the question.

After he placed the ring on her finger, she was tearing up, but happy and overjoyed. And it had not ended there. She leaned in as she hugged him, and whispered into his ear, “I'm ready.”

He pushed her back, wanting to ask her if she was sure, for he knew what she meant what it was she was ready for, but as he looked into her eyes, he just nodded as he brushed her cheek.

And so they made love on the beach, the water crashing upon their intertwined bodies. It was the happiest day of her life.


She got out of her car, forgetting her phone and practically skipped her way to Their Spot, Our Place, and so many other titles they had placed upon something that had played the happiest moments of her life. She could see Tony there, his back was to her. That was odd, she had expected him to be looking for her.

“T, I'm here.” She said cheerfully as she played with her long blond hair. She stopped though when she saw the look in Tony's eyes.

“What's wrong?” She asked, as he just sort of looked at her lifelessly.

“I know you cheated on me.” He said in a toneless cold voice.

“What? T, I would-”

“Do not lie to me D. I have the proof. Some football players at my school showed me pictures of you with another man.” He said this time angrily.

“I..” She didn't understand what was going on. She had only been with one man her whole life, and that man was standing before her, accusing her of being unfaithful. It didn't make any sense.

Tony reached out and grabbed one of her small wrists, placing one end of a pair of hand-cuffs on it. He dragged her as she protested, to the wooden structure, locking the other end to the bar that ran between the middle.

“T.. this isn't funny.” She gasped as she pulled, trying to free her hand.

But Tony wasn't listening as he walked away. Already she could hear the crashing waves on the rocks not far away. The Tide was coming in, and at this time of the year, the water would cover the entire beach.... with her there.

“T, baby, please.” She begged as he went further and further away. “Tony I love you!” She screamed, tears flowing down her face


Tony could hear her as she screamed for him. But he was lifeless and broken. He hadn't believed that she had cheated on him when those jocks had shoved their phones in his face. But, after a dozen pictures, them gloating about how they heard what a good lay she was, he couldn't ignore the dark cloud that covered his head anymore.

He didn't even know what he was doing when he got the hand-cuffs from a friend. His friend thinking he was going to try something kinky with Diana. When he heard her behind him, it was as if he was watching the whole scene play out. A part of him wanted to free her, but he couldn't stop himself from walking away.

Hours later, he was back in his dorm room, the place a mess. He had destroyed or threw half the stuff in it to the ground while he fought the depression within him. He was sitting in his desk chair, tears running down his face. In his hand was a pistol. He didn't remember how he got it, or why, but he knew now what he was going to use it for.

He had no doubt in the morning, someone would find Diana's body. Their Place was secluded enough that no one would find her before it was too late. He placed the barrel in his mouth and-

There was a knock at his door. “Yo Tony, I need to talk to you.” A voice he did not know called out.

Tony wanted to ignore the person, but he kept pounding hard on the surface. “I know you are in there man, come on, I need to tell you something about Diana.”

Tony rose, and had the door open before the person on the other side had finished saying her name.

“Woh dude.” The man, obviously a jock from his build and the letterman’s jacket he wore, as he noticed the gun in Tony's hand. He was from the college Diana went too, Tony saw, his eyes narrowing as he asked, “What do you want?”

“Um.. I...” The man was obviously frighten from the way Tony glared at him, the gun in his hand, but he stood his ground. “I'm dorm mate with Steven Beckler, the star Quarterback-”

“And?” Tony said sharply. “What, you come to gloat about how good a fuck Diana was.”

“No dude. I came to tell you she didn't cheat on you.” Tony blinked his eyes as his mind came to a thundering crash. What did he just say.

“Yo, I know things might seem like she did, but... she Steve doesn't take no very well. When Diana said she was engaged and wouldn't sleep with him, by dumping a Slurpee by the way on his head, he just said that he would get her any way he could.”

Tony blinked, his mind still trying to grasp what was being said. The other man just went on.

“Look, I wouldn't have cared if he tried to woe her, but he went psycho man. He recruited her dorm mate, by taking pictures of the two of them fucking. Had her steal Diana's laptop which had provocative photos that she was going to send to you, got some nerd from the Computer Lab to 'shop them, and then roped in some buddies at your school to show you.”

The man had a look of guilt on his face. “Look I just found out about it today, and.. that's some cold shit. I just wanted to tell you before you did something stupid.” His eyes darting to the gun in Tony's hand.

Tony nearly fell over. He had made a huge, huge mistake. Diana.

Tony dropped the pistol and pushed the jock out of his way as he went running down the dorm hall. He had to get to Diana. Maybe it wasn't too late.


Tony jumped out of his car, the engine still running as he ran as hard as he could down to the beach. His mind never realizing that the Tide would still be in for a few hours. But somehow it wasn't.

He reached Their Place, but he didn't see Diana. Only the pair of hand-cuffs hanging there, the end that he had placed around her wrist open.

Maybe someone had saved her already. Maybe... A dozen thoughts raced though his head, but somehow he just couldn't fathom what was going on.

Then his eyes came upon something drawn in the sand. It was the heart with “T and D Together. Forever.” written inside. He stared at it for what felt like forever when he heard a giggle of a small girl.

“T, come play with me.” The voice seem to come on the wind, but was unmistakably Diana's. “I love you T. We will be together forever.”

Tony just nodded his head. He could feel the ocean water splashing against his feet. The Tide was coming back in, the waves not erasing the heart as it came over it and drawn back out. Tony walked over to the wooden ruins, clasped the hand-cuffs over his wrist. “D, I'm coming baby. We'll be together forever.” He whispered as the Tide came in harder and faster.


Sandy loved running on the beach in the morning. Just her, and the wet sand beneath her shoes.

She was coming up on that old wooden ruins that no one could say what it once was. She just thought of it as the place where she ended her run. But as she neared it, she thought she saw some children playing around it. Odd.

But as she got closer, the children had seem to vanish. What was even odder, was the pair of hand-cuffs hanging from the metal bar in the middle. What got to her even more was the heart drawn in the sand with the words “T and D Together. Forever.” With “And Ever.” underlined right below it.

The people of the local community would speak of this for years to come. How the police and lifeguard had searched for two missing college students, Tony and Diana. How they never found them, that they just seemed to have disappeared from the face of the earth.

What they would also say is, how children could be spotted playing around the wooden ruins, but seem to vanish as people got near. Others would speak of a couple making love as the Tide would come in, but no one could remember seeing them there in the first place, or leave, just as if the water swallowed them whole.

What was even stranger, though people always thought it a prank played out to push the urban legend that was forming there, was that at the same time every year, the anniversary of when Tony and Diana disappeared, drawn in the sand was a heart wit the words, “T and D Together. Forever.” With “And Ever.” underlined right below it.