Writing Challenge ~ December 2012

[Britwitch]

WRITING CHALLENGE ~ DECEMBER 2012​

Here’s is December’s challenge. To allow for busy schedules, it’s only going to run for a week – from today until Christmas Eve. If I get time I will run a second challenge from Christmas Day until New Year’s Day but we’ll have to wait and see.

As with last month I’m going to offer you two prompts to work with.

Prompt One

Prompt Two

You can involve the prompts themselves in your piece and make your link to the prompts as obvious or as subtle as you like or use them simply as inspiration for something else. You can use part of the prompts, just one aspect of the images, or use them in their entirety.

As there are two prompts you can of course chose to use both in one piece or write one for each…again, it’s your writing, your challenge. You write whatever you’re inspired to write!

The word limit for this challenge is 1,500 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 – Comment and Review Thread

The deadline for this month’s challenge is Monday 24th December 2012, with December’s second challenge hopefully ‘going live’ on Tuesday 25th!

Previous challenges and reviews can be found here.

Happy writing!

 

[fr33ks33k]

Chasing Away the Winter Blues

He signed the last card, tucking it into its envelope and setting it on the pile that rested beside the stack of texts he'd scoured to find the words he wanted to express his feelings. This time of year always made him lose his words. It made him feel helpless, impotent, useless. Luckily, when words failed him he still had the keys.

Scooping up his letters, he tossed on his overcoat, wool scarf, cap, and gloves. His car defrosted swiftly and he pulled out of his driveway and headed to the Silver Star Lounge. It had been his home away from home lately. The Winter Blues seemed to catch hold of him around the same time every year. He tried to fight off the melancholy, but it was always a struggle.

The post box was on the way, the letters mailed just in time to reach their destinations before Christmas. His car revved loudly as he pulled away from the box. He was briefly distracted by the enormous Christmas tree and light display decorating the town square. Gaudy and very festive, it gave him both a feeling of brightness and nausea. Too many times the real spirit of the season was lost on people competing to have the showiest Christmas lights display or the most extravagant party. A popularity contest he didn't enjoy.

When he got to the Lounge, it was already packed. He peeled off his Winter trappings and set them on the extra chair by the piano. As he took his seat and waved to the crowd, he noticed a single red glass ornament laying on the keys. It had a number written on it in silver marker. the name above it read "Mrs. Claus" but the "xox" below was familiar somehow... He set the ornament on his pile of clothes and began to play without introduction. Christmas tunes, a few free-form blues riffs and a finale that ended up being a merger of Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Wizards in Winter and Winter Wonderland. It was disjointed and melodious and by the end he was sweating and breathing like he'd run a marathon. It was exhilarating. This was how the Winter Blues should be.

After he had gathered up his tips and his things, he stuffed his hands into his coat pockets. He found the ornament, pulling it out and reading it again. He dialed the number, a half-cocked grin on his face.

"Hello, Mrs. Claus?"

"Hello. I'm glad you decided to call."

That voice made his grin grow. The "xox" was instantly remembered.

"Must be a busy lady this time of year..."

"Yes, but I think I can find some time in my schedule for you. I'll send you my address."

"You mean it's not 1 North Pole?"

"This is the Summer house. Smartass."

They ended the call and his phone rang to the tune of Jingle Bells for a few seconds. The address was not far from where she used to reside, very close to this side of town. His car revved again; he drove away from the Silver Star whistling Let It Snow and smiling.

Once he arrived at his destination, he walked slowly to the front door, pressing the doorbell buzzer. She answered, wearing nothing more than a red cap with white brim and ball and three strategically placed gift-wrap bows.

"You sure Mr. Claus won't mind?"

"As long as you don't expect any presents. Because this will definitely land you on the Naughty List..."

"Looks like I'm already getting the best present."

"I'm glad you feel that way. Come on in, baby. It's cold outside."

 

[Miss_Vivi]

The book was old, worn, but the passage important. She felt like it was pertinent, after all their little group in the little corner of the world had been invaded it seemed. Interlopers, seemingly from other corners of this place where she and others like her parleyed their trade. They had almost always found themselves mostly secure, to play, hide, and traipse about with little care to those that would see them reduced to a mere poorly written sentence.

The Christmas tree near her desk, lit the passage up for her. She had wanted to write out so much, to explain how here they were more than a sentence, more than misspelled words dropped improperly into blenders, sending out excrement that degraded, disgraced and belittled hers, and those she respected, sometimes intense love for their shared common language. She was angry, and hated that feeling of not being safe in a space that she loved so much, surrounded by others who loved to write, to dream, to aspire to improve their lots in life by penning dirty, dangerous, torrid and incredibly beautiful stories that they shared and relished in together.

In the end, it was simple, she merely highlighted the passage she wanted read, placed a small sticky below it, writing out, Merry Christmas. She hoped that in the reading of this, those who found themselves in this place, away from the minute meaningless conversations elsewhere, that like she, would find themselves in awe of their own grasp of language, and of their sexuality and how the two must not be merely content to interweave themselves upon the reader, but to challenge them to new and different spaces, places and ideas.

"He believes that if talent is demanded of a literary publisher or a writer, it must also be demanded of a reader. Because we mustn’t deceive ourselves: on the journey of reading we often travel through difficult terrains that demand a capacity for intelligent emotion, a desire to understand the other, and to approach a language distinct from the one of our daily tyrannies… Writers fail readers, but it also happens the other way around and readers fail writers when all they ask of them is confirmation that the world is how they see it…"

Dublinesque, Enrique Vila-Matas

 

[Britwitch]

The Meaning of Christmas

Sparkling lights and glistening stars. Christmas was almost upon them.

The house smelt of cinnamon and spice, of pine and snow.

There was a list of things to be done, to be finished, a mile long. Presents to be wrapped, cards still to be stamped and sent - the recipients would get them after Christmas but it was the thought that counted, right?
Not to mention the food to be prepared.

But Christmas isn't about the gifts beautifully wrapped under the tree, the sumptuous food or the sinfully sweet treats.

It is about love. Happiness. Joy.

And at that moment, that's what the house was filled with.

Decorations were spilt across the floor, a few rocking back and forth on the coffee table, one errant bauble had even managed to drop onto the keys of the piano. They weren't picked up. There were other things to do.

Clothes were torn asunder like the colourful wrappings would be come Christmas morning.
There were sighs of wonder and surprise.
Giggles of excitement and shrieks of delight.
Lips and limbs melding and moving.
Beside the half finished Christmas tree, almost underneath it.
Neither could say what exactly had started it - eyes had met through strands of fairy lights, fingers had brushed in the box of baubles...a shy smile, a whispered innuendo...

The list of things to be done, to be finished, was still a mile long.

Sparkling eyes and glistening flesh. Christmas was almost upon them.

 

[marauder13]

Merry Christmas​

Daniel eased himself into his chair at the small wooden desk, allowing himself a moment's peace. Christmas was a time to make the house alive with colour, fragrances and sounds. His potted pine was back in it's place in the corner of the room. The clean smell of resin, the wonderful scent of the needles that he could only detect up close and the subtle earthy undertone game the room a touch that he missed now it was there again. Over the carefully tended branches were the standard array of festive decorations. Ropes of tinsel, coloured balls and silver and gold chains clung to the branches. Peeking out were baubles, stars and hand made decorations carefully put together by tiny hands.

On the highest point of the tree was the angel that Therese had made. Looking at it brought tears to his eyes. He smiled as he looked at the crocheted ivory figure that surveyed the room. She had spent hours working on it, getting everything exactly right. How she beamed when he placed it up on the tree for her. He had never seen her blue eyes shine so brightly as they did that day.

His hand wiped away the building tears that were ruining his vision, and he turned to the small stack of books resting on the table. he reached out, resting his fingers on the top most book.

"They're a bit like me. Still in good enough nick, but a little worn and ratty about the edges. I only hope my tales are as interesting as theirs are."

Thinking of Therese brought home how lonely he was. His home was empty without her there. Not even gone six months and it felt like it happened yesterday. She had loved books, and this little stack was all that was left of her collection. Fingers slid over the hard cover of the book, torn between keeping the connection and breaking it.

"My first Christmas without you. I never thought it would be this hard." Daniel took a deep shuddering breath, closed his eyes and let the air out in a long, smooth action. "I will have to get used to it, because there will be many more to come with her not being here."

He picked up the book, feeling the heft of it in his hand. He heard her voice echoing in his mind, telling him of her plans with her collection of discarded tomes.

"I am going to bring them back to their former glory, then keep them and make sure that they will still be here for the grandchildren to enjoy when they're old enough. They never deserved the fate they were given."

Daniel smiled and laughed a little. Therese was good to her word. Over half of the books were restored, and most of the others were being prepared for their restoration. These three were the only ones that were still to be given attention from her.

He laid the book on the table, opening it to some random page. Again, the memories of his little girl came to mind, flooding his eyes with tears that obscured the words within. He was careful not to let any of the tears strike the pages.

"Can't damage a book like that."

On impulse, he grabbed a small square piece of paper he kept to jot down notes and ideas on, placing it on the page. He grabbed a fountain pen, and with the lightest pressure on the paper, wrote a simple message to his daughter.

Merry Christmas

"I miss you, sweetheart. I wish you were here with me, rather than..." He shook his head again. "Get over it, you silly old man. Yes, it is your first Christmas without her, but it is Christmas all the same."

Daniel slid the cap onto the pen, securing it before placing it in the table beside the stack. He glanced back at his little message to Therese, sitting there unread by anyone but him. Daniel smiled warmly, accepting that Therese wasn't going to be there, just him by himself.

"Of course, she promised to come back next year with that rotten blighter who took her to the other side of the planet and married her."

 

[yeishia]

Prompt 2

This is a sequel of sorts...

It had always been her most favorite time, the place betwixt & between, a place of solace; those special moments in the half light of dawn, almost womb-like warm, safe, serene. The young woman's' eyes fluttered open on a new dawn and for a moment she smiled and stretched... suddenly she froze, her expression turned to one of fear, something was off-kilter in her small world once more!

Elisa sat up abruptly covers pulled up to her chin her wary eyes scanning the empty room in the half light.

It stood out vividly where it rested seemingly in-congruent lying there in the middle of the bare wooden flooring.

A beautiful red Christmas ball, but how, why?

Her mind returned to a time barely remembered ...she had made a promise hadn't she, this year it would be different...

Warily she glanced towards the door hidden in one wall, it was firmly closed. Reassured she carefully left the sanctuary of her small bed, back pressed flat against the white washed wall as she circled the intruder. Elisa was clad in a simple cotton shift which was the only thing she now possessed. Nothing had changed in the preceding year.

Why? She asked herself once more. Why did they insist on tormenting her so?

Finally, she stopped and allowed herself to sink down the smooth expanse of wall fingers nails digging in to the cold unfeeling surface until she was half sitting directly opposite the object of her fascination. Down on her belly she inched forward until with one outstretched slender arm she could almost touch it with a single finger…almost.

“Ohhhh.” The smallest whisper…

Small tendrils of a warm memory held her protectively in its comforting embrace for a fleeting instance before suddenly blossoming into something more...

She reached out this time taking the ornament in one small hand her fingers curling protectively around its delicate form.

The small effort had cost her and she lay back exhausted on the sterile floor her mind returning to a place and time never forgotten.

Elisa could clearly see herself clad in His favorite red dress her long wavy hair piled atop her head just the way He liked it leaving her slender neck bare for his touch. She was walking carefully along the hallway carrying her precious gift the beautiful red ornament He had left for her that morning. Standing on tip toe she placed it on the Christmas tree resting in the corner of their cozy living room. She could hear the fire crackling merrily in the fireplace and smell the pine of the freshly cut tree… divine, it was even snowing.

The moment he joined her by the tree she was complete and melted back against his broad expanse of chest as His arms gathered her unto Him. His warm breath lingering on the sensitive skin behind her ear as He leaned down to whisper “I adore you my pet, I shall never let you go”, sent small shivers dancing along her spine, she smiled softly her eyes fluttering closed as she drank in the unique scent of Him.

Something changed this time the memory was subtly different... her eyes flew open she could really truly smell Him!

Elisa smiled softly her whole demeanor visibly relaxing ...

Those who were watching the experiment on the closed circuit camera were perplexed, all three leaned closer...

They could clearly see the small indentations appearing along her cheekbones looking for all the world as if unseen fingers where caressing the soft tissue located there.

Collective breaths were held as fascinated eyes could barely believe what happened next...

All watched as the soft fabric of her nighty was slowly pushed by the unseen fingers, up along the long length of her slender thighs, fictitious fingers pausing briefly before they disappeared under her white panties. They all watched with fascination as she arched upwards moaning softly, her desire obvious to the trio of avid voyeurs.

Delicate white panties were pulled downwards...yet still they watched doing nothing their minds barely comprehending what was happening right before their very eyes...

Soft pale flesh revealed, legs gently pushed apart, secret places entered by an unseen presence.

What happened next would be the subject of a heated debate for months to come...

A union of sorts...as two became one, an erotic yet unexplainable joining, explicit to all sets of the devouring eyes that watched in disbelief. Their patient became alive, no longer was she the shadow of the woman she had once been as she undulated beneath the unseen entity. Her breathy moans heard clearly by all as they filled the small room with sensual promise....

Finally her small cries of ecstasy stilled signaled that it was over.

The onlookers watched stunned as her nighty was smoothed back over her long legs as if her unseen lover was gallantly protecting her modesty.

Elisa slowly opened her love filled eyes smiling at her Master, she had known he would return for her. A slender arm reached out as she caressed his soft beard gazing into the piercing blue eyes that has first captured her attention. kind, honest; she had never really looked beyond them, never cared of his looks. She had simply loved him, trusted and believed that even in death that He would never fail her.

His lips met hers once more and she smiled softly as her breath stilled on the smallest of sighs as the waif-like submissive willingly followed her beloved Master into death, complete once more.

All watched in disbelief as the fingers of one graceful hand relaxed and the bright shinny ball rolled gently across the baron floor.

Then all hell broke loose...

Patient No : 1247.5ZX
Patient died 24th. December 2012
Heart failure, cause to be determined. I have requested an autopsy.
Due to a computer glitch camera footage inconclusive.

Dr, W,B Cratz 24/12/2112​

 

[Britwitch]

This challenge is now closed for new submissions.

Thank you to those who participated and if you took the time to read anything posted here...please do leave a comment in the review thread! ​