Second Campaign Challenge

It's time for the final challenge of Rachael Harrie's awesome campaign. There were a few new twists to this one. I chose to take the 5 prompts and incorporate them all into a flash fiction of 200 words. Hope you enjoy it!

"Rain"

Raina and Sanjay looked at each other. Their faces drained of color.

"You saw it?" Sanjay asked.

"It was coming at us! Is it gone?" Raina whispered, peering through the rain. But the apparition had vanished.

"Your leg!" Sanjay pointed.

Red liquid streamed from her thigh. Raina looked down. She didn't know why, but blood flowed from a deep gash above her knee. She hobbled to the pillar of rusting iron supporting the remains of the bridge and slumped down.

Sanjay sat beside her,his black hair dripped from the downpour.

"We never should have come! We're not supposed to be here in the rain," Sanjay sobbed.

Raina could see the skin under his eyes tighten with worry. But they had come. And what they saw...the golden aura of swiring light, the rain transforming and coalescing its droplets into distinct shapes suspended above them.

It couldn't have been real, could it? But it had hovered and realigned to form an ominous creature. Frozen with fear they had crouched in the junk heap and watched it approach.

"We'll be ok Sanjay."

"Isn't this the same bridge..."

"Yeah, it's where you last played football with father. Don't worry we'll find them."

***

Hope you liked it! I would love to get your honest critiques. Don't forget to check out all of the other great entries!

Kathy :)

4th Campaign!

Rachael Harrie is at it again!  The 4th Platform Building Campaign has officially started!  Check out all the details at Rach Writes.  The challenges are lots of fun and it's a great way to meet new bloggy friends! :)


If you're here for the I'm Hearing Voices Character Blogfest, read below.

Thanks for stopping by.  :)

Kathy

Third Campaign Challenge

Ok here is the third challenge of Rachael Harrie's Campaign over at Rach Writes.  


Write a blog post in 300 words or less, excluding the title. The post can be in any format, whether flash fiction, non-fiction, humorous blog musings, poem, etc. The blog post should show:

• that it’s morning, 

• that a man or a woman (or both) is at the beach

• that the MC (main character) is bored

• that something stinks behind where he/she is sitting

• that something surprising happens.

Just for fun, see if you can involve all five senses AND include these random words: "synbatec," "wastopaneer," and "tacise."   (NB. these words are completely made up and are not intended to have any meaning other than the one you give them).


Here is my entry hope you like it:


Antarctic Morning


The first rays of pink streak the sky and bleed into the sea.  I bend down to test the frigid water with the Synbatec scope.  The little red needle on the instrument panel pegs the 1000ml mark.  Too much Tacise acid, I think.  That's not good for the Antarctic Krill population and whatever affects the krill affects the penguins.  What can I do though?  I'm supposed to be helping here, but there's nothing to do until the mountains of pack ice that hold the sea hostage break up. Our boats can't navigate the 10 miles to the penguin rookery on Torgersen Island.  
 An eerie sound emanates from the depths of the mile thick blue ice.  It creaks and moans like a living being.  I sit back in frustration on the cold little bucket I use as a stool.  An icy breeze whips at my face forming tiny frozen crystals on my eyelashes, but gazing at this landscape of magnificent desolation somehow warms my soul.    
Dr. Martin catches my attention and motions for me to join him farther down the beach.  He crouches in front of a Brown Skua nest.  The pungent smell of fresh guano fills my nostrils and I almost gag.  Inside the nest a fluffy squawking chick awaits the return of his parents.  I gently lift the chick so Dr. Martin can fasten a radio tag his wing.  There are still tiny bits of wastopaneer, from the egg, stuck to his feathers.  I try to pick them off but something slams hard into my back.  I stumble from the impact.  The mother has returned. She dives at me again.  I see her coming and return the baby bird to his nest. She aborts the attack but voices her displeasure by spraying her stomach contents in my face.  


Kathy


I'm Entry # 22.  If you like it please vote for me here!  Thanks :)
The campaign has been a blast!  I have enjoyed every challenge and I love reading the other entries.  You can enter until Oct 24th.  So hop on over to her site and sign up! 

Campaign Challenge

Okay here is the first challenge for all you Platform Builder Campaigners.  The assignment is to write a piece of flash fiction of 200 words or less.  It must begin with the words "The door swung open" and for an extra challenge end with the words, "the door swung shut" and keep it to 200 words exactly.   Hop on over to Rachael Harrie to get more info.  Here's my entry.  Hope you like it.

The door swung open before I was ready.  I had to calm down, had to focus.  I was shaking not from the cold, from my nerves.  I'd been waiting for this all my life.  Here and now I could prove who I was, show the world what I was made of.  Time slowed.  A million thoughts raced through my head as my coach pushed me to the ice.  All those hours of training came down to these 4 minutes.  My stomach twisted.    

     

     I glided to my starting pose, inhaled and waited for my music.  It seemed like forever.  Then the silky smooth strains of the violin began.  I was no longer afraid.  I felt strong as I skated over the glass-like surface of the ice.  I felt free.  I loved the feeling of the cool breeze tugging at my hair and the smell of the ice... it's cold and moist... and inexplicable.  It's the smell of freedom.  As I soared into the air my mind was clear and happy.  I didn't care what the world thought of me.  I knew who I was.  That's what mattered.  My music stopped.  I bowed and skated off and the rink door swung shut.  

Kathy

Check out all the great entries over at Rach Writes and don't forget to vote for your favorites. If you like mine, I'm number 236.  :)