Prompt: Things that make you go 'Hmm...' - one of my experiences at my place of work. A lot of the people in the writers club are poets and although I love writing haiku's I'm definitely not a fan of constructing poems. But I've given it a go anyway.
~~~~~~
He comes to the counter with a smile that crawls
Preparing his words that he believes will enthrall
A regular customer that fills me with dread
As he approaches all I can see is red
“Hello there sweetheart, you’ve got stars in your eyes.
This here’s twelve pound but how about I give you five?”
It’s a luxurious teapot, an unusual find
He tells me there’s a chip but does he think that I’m blind?
Oh really? I desperately wish I could shout
For I was the one who checked, priced and put out
A decorative piece that deserves to shine
In the hands of a customer I want to decline
“I’m afraid that I can’t discount it that low”
It’s all for the charity so cough up the dough
“I’ll chuck two pound off it just to be nice”
He makes a face, disgusted at the price
I politely decline another offer
Sometimes I wonder why I bother
He shakes his head and returns to his bride
Who mouths a ‘Sorry’ at their fallen pride
Tomorrow he'll choose a different ornament
Another round of the bartering tournament
I'm in my corner, the match bell rings
Let's put an end to his haggling
Week 4
Prompt: Write a sonnet about your morning start
This is the second sonnet I've ever written and I really hope the guy who runs the workshop doesn't make us write another. This style isn't for me but I gave it a good bash and got some feedback off @bookish-paladin who helped me reshape the ending.
Day Two
Prompt - “ Smoke hung so thick in the library’s rafters that she could read words in it. “
Smoke hung so thick in the library’s rafters that she could read words in it. Someone had failed to put away a book again without going through the proper procedure. Squinting her eyes, she tried to see what section the smoke had come from. It had a blue sheen to it and she recognised the way it moved and knew straight away what book it had escaped from.
“Oh no again. Can never get a moment's peace here” she complained to herself. She took brisk steps towards the fairytale section and found an open book lying in the middle of the floor. She picked up and as expected saw that it was an illustrated edition of Cinderella.
“Right, now where did you get to.”
With the book safely under her arm the librarian marched down the aisles, trying to listen out for the sobbing she had heard a dozen times before when this book got out of control. Eventually, she heard the sobs coming from the YA section.
Turning the corner she found the trouble. A woman was slouched against the bookcase, dressed in a hideous ruffled pink dress and ridiculous white heeled shoes. Her eyes were red, her hair escaping from the tight nest like style and her nose was running like a leaky tap.
“Right, we’ve discussed this dearie, you’re not allowed out. I swear whoever thought this curse was a ‘gift’ needs a stern word to them.”
The woman didn’t seem to hear her. “I have relived my story over and over and over but I’m still a baddie and I don’t get a chance to say sorry or have a happy ending.”
The librarian rolled her eyes, kindly. “Now, now, let’s have none of that sweetie. Come on, chin up! You entertain children! They love you.”
“They love laughing at me!” sobbed the ugly step sister. “None of them know who I am, or my name. I look like a brat! My mother trained me to hate and be greedy and-”
“Anastasia” the Librarian spoke her name with such kindness. Anastasia finally looked at her and wiped her nose with her long gloves.
“You are just as much love as the princess in your story. So many writers now flock to your character and make up their own stories about you. I promise that, you might not have a moment to shine in this edition, but there are girls out there who understand you and have been in a similar situation to you. And you inspire them. Now, let’s calm down. Time to go home.”
The librarian opened up the book and the form of Anastasia shifted into the blue smoke and returned herself to the world of Cinderella.
Prompt - An impulse buy leading to intergalactic warfare
Davy stood in front of the charity shop, hands in his pocket looking for the hole where his change fell into. The pennies jingled about, slipping through his fingers but he managed to retrieve them, a fifty pence and the rest in five pence pieces. One pound. That would be enough for a necklace. Right?
Rosie had asked for a pink princess dollhouse for her birthday. He could imagine her disappointed face and her mother’s disgust but he couldn’t borrow more, not again. He’d make sure it was a pretty necklace, not plastic crap.
He stepped inside and headed for the necklace rack. There were plenty of options, pearls, chokers, long beads but nothing looked brand new, too tarnished or looked like it was hanging by a weak chain link. Davy pushed aside the sea of chains, wary of the counter assistant watching him and pulled out a locket with a rose engraved on it and a silver chain.
It looked pretty. Something he thought a little girl would like.
“Um, there’s no price tag on this. I only have a pound, would that be ok?” he said to the counter assistant. The assistant held out their palm and Davy dropped them in.
As he left the shop he realized that he should have tried to open it first. He dug his fingernails into the little mechanism, gently pried it open and suddenly a burning ran through his body. The pain was so hard and quick Davy didn’t realize he fell to his knees, didn’t realize he was screaming.
There were blinding colours in his eyes, images sharp then blurring in a moment and as quickly as the brightness came it stopped. For a minute or two he lay on the concrete, several bystanders looking at each other wondering what to do next.
“Excuse me mate, are you alright? What’s your name? Can someone phone an ambulance please?” asked an elderly hunched gentleman.
Davy groaned, his eyes locking on to the kind stranger. “I am quite alright, thank you sir. It has been so long since I’ve shifted into a vessel. Give me a moment to figure out how to get up again.”
He picked himself up off the ground and dusted his clothes down. “Now, hopefully I’m not too rusty.”
He thrust his arm forward and a stream of grey energy battered into the old man, throwing him over the charity shop building.
I am so sorry for bothering you with this old prompt you sent me ages ago but I had a idea for it that wouldnae leave me alone and I had to get it done. And it’s a long boy, took up four pages in ma wee notebook. But I hope you enjoy x
“Pardon, my Lord. Miss Babette Templeton wishes an audience with you. Shall I let her in?”
Basil Coltaire glanced up from his paperwork, not much had been done for the bottle of wine sitting on the desk had been a distraction.
“Did Miss Templeton say why she’s here?” he asked, wondering why his best friends daughter was seeking his company this late at night.
“No, sir. Shall I send her away?”
“No, no, escort her through. Also bring through another bottle of wine…and another glass, just encase I feel like sharing.”
A moment later there was a knock on the office door and Babette Templeton entered followed by the maid with the bottle of win. “Good evening, Lord Coltaire. How are you tonight?”
Basil didn’t take his eyes off her as she strutted towards him. She wore a deep red gown dress, precious jewels and her hair plaited with decorative ribbons. Everything about her screamed expensive and luscious. He found her absolutely delicious. She had went to a lot of trouble to dress herself so glamorously.
“Good evening, Miss Templeton. I’m quite well” he gestured for her to take a seat. “What can I do for you at this late hour?”
“Straight to business? Pity. I was hoping we could catch up” she pouted, “I’m here as I wish to discuss a sort of business proposition with you.”
“If it’s a loan you need Miss Templeton, you need to make an appointment like everyone else.”
“I’m not here for a loan. I have plenty of money.”
“Well then, what matter of business do you wish to discuss?” he demanded, “Or are you just here to waste my time?”
He slouched in his chair with his arms loosely folded and watched Babette, impatient to learn what she wanted.
“Firstly, Basil, you’ve not been the same since Selkie’s death. People are talking about you, laughing at you, saying that you’ve become a drunk. Nobody takes you seriously anymore.”
Basil clenched his jaw at the mention of his lost possession. It had been over a year since Selkie disappeared, since he had to cover it up by faking her death.
“I don’t care what they think” he lied.
“Oh Basil, please! Of course you care” Babette guffawed at his comment, “All you do is care about your image and your fancy things.”
He rolled his eyes at her and took a large gulp of his wine. “Where are you going with this Babette? Why are you so concerned with my reputation?”
“Because I want to help you, Basil” he declared, “So I think it would be in your best interest to marry me.”
Basil blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
Babette smiled at his surprise, relieved to finally have his full attention. She stood from the chair and perched herself on the edge of the desk and threw her plait to the side to expose her neck.
“My father has given me a list of suitors and none of them are worthy of me, And my mother hates me for not being the daughter she wanted,” she explained, “You are a shadow of your former self and people now think you’re a joke. I believe that together we can solve our issues.”
There was a moment of silence as Basil thought over Babette’s words.
“Let me get this straight. You want me to marry you so that you are no longer hatefully scrutinised by your parents and in doing so, you’ll save my reputation. Is that correct?”
“When you say it like that Basil you make it sound ridiculous.”
“It is ridiculous, Babette” he countered, “Now, is there anything else I can help you with? Anymore schemes?”
Babette’s sultry smile slipped and her eyes hardened. She sighed. “Basil, listen to me. You know it’s a good idea.”
She pinched the wine glass out of his hand and drank the last of it then leaned forward closing the distance between them. Basil let his eyes linger on her lips then travelled down her neck to her exposed cleavage, enjoying her curves.
“I can see that you need more convincing, I understand” she said. “Advantages to marrying me; you’ll have even more money, you’ll be invited to parties again and…” Babette paused and grinned seductively, “You’ll have me all to yourself.”
With a smile and lick of his lips he stood up, their faces now inches from each other. “Maybe you could give me a taste of a married life with you.”
Without hesitating she grabbed him by his shirt collar and pulled him into a kiss made of fire. Coltaire’s hands embraced her body feverishly, feeling her warmth, eager to have all of her. It had been such a long time since he kissed a woman, he didn’t hide how desperate he was.
Babette moaned, devouring the taste of wine on his lips. The kiss was everything her friends had gossiped it would be. Intense and burning, fierce and addictive. It upset her to pull away, the want that she saw in his eyes almost convinced her to stay. It had been such a long time since she had slept with anyone.
“Well…hopefully I’ve given you plenty to think about” she said breathlessly.
“Babette please sta-”
“I hope to hear from you soon, my Lord” she interrupted and quickly left the room leaving Coltaire smouldering in his frustration.
