Writing Prompt Number 2

[Tommie Lyn]

This week's word prompt is a bit different. Take your favorite character from one of your stories and put him/her into a different time and place and genre. Put your character into a stressful situation, find out how he will react.

Extra kudos if you include the following words in your story:

kitten
crimson
mantle
limousine
shack

And, as usual, tell your story in 500 words or less. And have fun!

[Tommie Lyn]

Forget Me Not
Word Count: 499

Muirne MacLachlan stepped away from the curb when the limousine rolled to a stop. She backed up, step by step, toward the gray granite wall of the bank building and rested against it while she watched, clutching her threadbare coat closed against the wind.

The chauffeur exited the long, black car and hurried to open the back door of the vehicle. A slender leg clad in crimson silk appeared, and a tall, willowy woman emerged, spoke briefly to the chauffeur and entered the bank. Muirne regarded the woman as she passed, tempted to extend her cup to ask for a few coins. But the woman walked so fast, Muirne had no opportunity.

She glanced at the waiting car, wondering when it would depart. The area of curb it blocked was the most lucrative territory Muirne had found yet, and she hoped to make the most of it before the cops decided to make her move on.

"If he thinks--"

"Listen to me! There--"

She heard voices above the ever-present rumble of traffic and the grumble of the wind through the streets and turned toward the bank entrance.

The woman in crimson silk took a few steps and was stopped by the man who followed her. A gust of wind tore the black velvet hat from her head as it lifted her black cape and flapped it. Muirne thought it looked rather like vulture wings. The wind ran its fingers through the woman's bright red hair, leaving it in wild disarray. Muirne absently raised a hand to touch her tattered brown crocheted hat which hid her own mass of red curls.

What if....? No! Couldn't be.

But she looked more closely at the woman, moved unwillingly toward her as if pushed by the wind.

The woman in red whirled toward Muirne as she waited for the man to retrieve the velvet hat. And her eyes met Muirne's. She gasped. Then looked away as though she had not seen. But Muirne knew she had. And knew that Lacey remembered, even though she pretended she didn't. She stared at Lacey, who drew her velvet mantle tight around her shoulders and shivered.

"Here." Lacey's companion proffered the hat, she took it and hurried toward her waiting limousine.

Muirne sighed as the car drove away. It was getting late, and she had collected enough to get a sandwich and cup of coffee. She abandoned her curb and headed for the diner.

* * *
"Here you go," she said, holding out the bit of sandwich she'd saved for the skinny stray kitten. "It ain't much, but maybe it'll keep you from bein' too hungry."

She laid the tidbit on the cold sidewalk and pulled open the cardboard box that she called her shack. She climbed in and nestled into the pile of rags. She heard a faint mewling and pushed a flap further open.

"I couldn't forget you, kitty. Come on in the shack and get out of that cold wind."

[jacks girl]

kitten
crimson
mantle
limousine
shack

Samantha found herself standing in a strange place. Where in the world was she. The last thing she knew she'd been standing in front of the fireplace laying her dad's pipe on the mantle. Teabag and her new kitten was at her side but now there was nothing but strange noises and bright lights all around.


The driver of a passing limousine gawked at the woman dressed as if she'd came out of the history books. Where had she came from a moment ago she wasn't there. He turned and tried to get a better look but he was caught in traffic and had to move on his way.

Another passer by found this strange looking young woman this one a Hooker named Kitten with bright blue eyes. She ran out into the street and took the young person by the arm pulling them over to safety. When Samantha turned and seen the young girl and see that she was almost naked she turned a bright color of crimson.

Are you okay. Kitten asked looking into Samantha's eyes thinking the girl looked very lost. I'm fine. But where am I. Why honey you're in New York City. But what is all of this. Where am I. Samantha felt like she was going to faint and suddenly she felt cold and when she opened her eyes she found the hard ground under her fingers where pavement had been only moments ago.

Slowly she stood up and looked around to the old shack that she'd built for snowball. She was home and Jerald stood there looking at her as if to ask why are you out there and how did you get there. Slowly she walked to the house and he held her tight. I'm not sure where you went Sam but I'm glad your back. Not as glad as I am. Samantha said as she looked at Teabag and the Calico kitten with the bright blue eyes.



hope you like this i didn't put in all the quotation marks i was tired.

Jacks

[melw]

April smiled as she took the kitten form the book. There had been no ideation what was in the crimson box under the tree. Not even any scratching. She put the kitten down and watched it have fun through the Christmas wrappings.

Along the mantle were the stockings of her family. Jason, Kirby, herself and little Gracie, her unborn little girl. She felt a little kick and rubbed her stomach. She felt so blessed. Never had she imagined have little boy lie Kirby who looked just like his dad with blue eyes and blond hair. Would her unborn daughter have brown hair and brown eyes just like she did?

She heard a car pull up outside. Kirby ran and opened the door. April pushed herself up to follow her son. There out the front of the house was a silver limousine. It was waiting to take her to Jason’s parent’s house for Christmas day.

April thought back to a few years ago. When she was alone in a shack. She never dreamed of meeting Jason and him spoiling her. How did meet and marry a prince? It seemed like fairytale, but dreams do come true.

“How’s my beautiful princess? What are you going to name your kitten?” Jason came up to put his arms around his very pregnant wife.

“Rio, where we met.”

“My romantic wife. I wasn’t ever going to go that year, but I am persuaded to.”

“I still can’t believe we met and you fell in love with me.”

“April darling, you are the one and only woman for me. Now how about we catch up with Kirby?”

April smiled and held her husband’s hand as waved as the people lining the footpath waved to greet the couple for Christmas day. She had once been one of those people and she knew there would be little girls one day dreaming of meeting their own prince.

[kshsj777]

491 words

The charata whizzed on, and Matilda took a deep breath. Before she could change her mind, she plunged through to the other side. The next thing she knew, she fell onto a street at night.

A limousine headed toward her and the brakes screeched as Matilda scrambled out of the way. The vehicle stopped and a man stepped out, helping Matilda to her feet. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Thank you.”

“If you don’t mind my asking, what’s a nice lady like you doing out here at night?”

“Oh I’m sorry. I would’ve waited until daytime, but I didn’t have a choice.”

He gave her a strange look. “You don’t need to apologize. Do you need a ride?”

“I need to see a professor, Peter Anderson. Where am I? Am I near…?” Matilda ransacked her brain, trying to remember the name of the town. “Crowne Point. Am I near Crown Pointe?”

“Yes. But I don’t know of a Peter Anderson.”

“How about Peter Marvin?”

“I believe I do.” He checked his watch. “It’s nearly six.”

“Almost sunrise? Would the professor be at the university this early?”

“Maybe. I’ll give you a ride if you want.”

“Thank you. Thank you very much.”

When Matilda climbed out of the limousine, she went into language arts building. She wandered around the empty halls, searching for the professor’s office.

“Can I help you, miss?”

Matilda spun around, seeing a janitor. “I’m looking for Professor Marvin.”

“Third floor, second door to the right.”

“Thanks.” She found the elevator, and stepped inside, feeling nauseous and uncomfortable. She was glad when the doors finally opened, letting her out.
Finding the professor’s office, Matilda hesitated, before knocking on the door and entering.

The professor looked up and froze when he recognized her. “Matilda!” he exclaimed, shooting up from his chair. “What are you doing here? You’ll die!”

“I know. But I need your help.”

As he came closer to her, Matilda took his hand and placed it on her abdomen. “You’re going to be an uncle again. But I’m terrified of what William will do. I want to stay until the baby is born. Then I want you to take her and keep her safe.”

“You can’t stay here long. Ellie only survived a few weeks.”

“That’s why I need your help. Can’t you give me some sort of drug that’ll keep me alive, even for only a while?”

“Even if that were possible…”

“Peter, please. I don’t care if it has horrible side effects. I don’t care if it’ll kill me. I just want to survive long enough to save my daughter. I already failed the first time, I’ll not fail again!”

A stricken expression came over his face. “Nanci’s dead?”

“No. But she’s in horrible danger of it.”

Peter hesitated for a moment. “There is something I can give you. But it’s fatal.”

Matilda stared into her brother-in-law’s eyes. “I don’t care. I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”

[pojoy1029]

Prompt # 2
Word count: 494

Mary sat at her desk, the new kitten beside her, to write thank you notes for her birthday presents. As she wrote, she brought each person and the gift to mind; the heirloom vase on the mantle from Aunt Phoebe; the crimson headscarf from cousin Josie; the kitten from sister Jane and “Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest” from weird Uncle Uriah. She had read part of it and was anxious to finish her chores to read some more……

“Maid Marian! Maid Marian! Wake up, Ma’am.”

“Oh! What is it, Penelope?”

“Robin Hood is here, Ma’am. Don’t know what you see in that worthless man anyway.”

“Tell him I’ll be right there.”

She rushed to get her coat and hat, eager to be off on an afternoon’s adventure. Robin was gallant and carefree; everything was fun when she was with him.

“Mistress Mary,” Robin Hood greeted her, ready to help her into the saddle of the sleek mare.

“Where are we going this time, Robin?”

“I found a shack up towards the top of the forest,” Robin answered slowly. “I want to show it to you. I think poachers may have been using it but no one was there yesterday.”

They rode hard, anxious to find the shack and get home before dark. Suddenly, the forest opened up and Marian saw the shack surrounded by a cleared area. She galloped toward it, looking over her shoulder.

“Wait!” Robin yelled. He raced after her and almost caught her when his horse went down, throwing him over its head.

Marian heard the noise and looked back, laughing when she saw Robin flat on the ground and his horse struggling to get up. She rode back, jumped off and knelt down beside Robin.

“Are you hurt?” When he didn’t respond, she felt for his pulse. “You’re alive, thank goodness. Wake up, Robin, you’re scaring me. Come on, groan or grunt or do something, anything! Wake up!”

She noticed the horse was struggling less and less. Knowing she couldn’t help him, she stayed by Robin’s side, talking to him, blushing as she felt for broken bones. No one will know, she told herself. I’m not taking liberties. I’m searching for injuries.

Robin groaned. “Easy, you’ve had a fall. Where do you hurt?”

“All over. Can’t breathe.”

“You got the breath knocked out of you. Rest a few minutes.”

“Cavalier?”

“He’s down and can’t get up.”

Robin sat up and crawled over to his horse. “His leg’s broken. I’ll have to shoot him. Did it break my bow?”

Marian eased to the back of the horse, reached over and retrieved the bow and quiver full of arrows. “Are you sure, Robin? I hate to see him killed.”

“I’m sure.” Robin fitted an arrow into the bow….


“Ooh, my neck hurts!” Mary complained.

“Next time you want to sleep, go to bed!” Mom said. “The limousine is here. Hurry!”

“Do I have to visit cousin Henrietta? I’d rather read my new book.”


Joyce