ocular rewritten

hey there and welcome to my swc writing thread for this session ;D i hope you enjoy reading my writing, i just ask that you don’t post here in order to keep things tidy <3

• table of contents •

dailies <3

daily one . 01 . 1005 words
daily two . 02 . 286 words
daily three . 03 . 207 words
daily four . 04 . 310 words

weeklies <3

weekly one . xxx words
weekly two . xxx words
weekly three . xxx words
weekly four . xxx words

activities <3

word war one . user . xxx words
word war two . user . xxx words
— — —
critique one . user . xxx words
critique two . user . xxx words
— — —
cabin wars one . xxx words
cabin wars two . xxx words

daily one . 1k word introduction . 1005 words

heyo!! the name’s pepper and i’m currently writing a thousand word introduction because my iPad is dead so instead of working on profile pictures, i’m writing this ;D not sure if that made sense bahaha
anyways, i am a chaotic christian writer who goes by she/her and lives in Perfect SWC Town (pst )! some of my hobbies include writing (obviously), reading, art, various sports, and procrastinating!! (which is definitely a hobbie >:0)
i’ve been writing for SO SO long oh my goodness. the first creative piece i remember writing, was in kindergarten, when i wrote about ‘The Tenagers that Kicked Willie.’ They were indeed tenagers, definitely not teenagers — what are you talking about adkajfk. Willie was a lovely snowman my brother and i spent hours working on one day in the snow. it was a fun time <33 a few days after, i walked outside to go to school, and WILLIE WAS *without his head*!! HE HAD SPRAY PAINT ON HIM AND HE WAS KNOCKED OVER AND HIS LITTLE CARROT NOSE WAS ON THE GROUND AND MY POOR BABY WAS MURDERED BECAUSE A COUPLE TENAGERS THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUNNY!!! so that was my first creative writing piece i remember. ever since then, i have loved writing, and the last few years i’ve focused on improving and getting more into it <3 i’ve been working on a novel for a little more than a year now, and so far i’ve done nothing but procrastinate on it for the last 3 months xD however, swc always helps me find more motivation so i hope this month i’ll get back on track ahaha
reading!! reading is so so fun! i enjoy spending hours of my night sitting under my blankets with my nose in a book <3 currently, i’m reading second book in the series The Land of Stories ;D some of my favorite genres to read in are fantasy, adventure, (murder) mystery, hi fi, and especially real fi <33 real fi is my little precious genre, definitely my favorite! my favorite books (all real fi) are One for the Murphy’s by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, A Mango Shaped Space by Wendy Mass, Out of my Mind by Sharon M Draper, and The Front Desk by Kelly Yang <3 i’ve read The Front Desk 8(?) times now i believe? and it’s just brilliant! however, ONE FOR THE MURPHY’S ACTUALLY MAKES ME SOB THE WHOLE WAY THROUGH IF YOU HAVEN’T READ IT PLEASE DO SO ADKAJFKDH.
my art skills are not super good bahaha
i try because it’s fun and stress relieving occasionally, but coloring is more my expertise ;D this session i’m doing script profile pictures, which has been really enjoyable! i’ve gotten out of my comfort zone a bit, and have had a great time working on them <3 every few days after school i stay to participate in a hour long art club! the past few weeks i’ve painted, sketched, used oil pastels, experimented with yarn, and tried new things! i primarily do my art on procreate, though traditional is always fun haha
i just got done with basketball season last week and it was a blast!! i got on an epic team with all my friends, and although we didn’t go undefeated like last year, we still have tons of fun. we had a tournament out of town and spent a few hours at an arcade in between our games. we had a great time together, then beat the teams we played the day after <3 next week i have softball assessments, which decides the team i’ll be playing on with what people so i’m hyped for that! i’ve been throwing around a ball the past few days to get warmed up, and playing catch with my brother as per his request <3 i play first base with my softball bestie at second, so we have a great time ;D after softball is over, i head to the soccer field for a fun fall season of soccer!! i never seem to catch a break with sports, but it’s so fun to be a part of, so why complain?
hmm what about other things i love…
my favorite animals are seals, flamingos, goats, and many more that i can’t think of at the moment because my brain isn’t braining xD i remember i was staying in a hotel one day and we went to bed but there was a bunch of seals out on the dock outside of our window. they were barking at us (i think that’s the right term) all. night. long. i’m not kidding — i woke up around 3 or 4, and could still hear them. still! it’s like they never slept! they stayed awake to keep us company xD
my most used emojis on my phone are the sparkles, skull, fire, and sobbing, in order bahaha. the weirdest contact name i have is either My Favorite Oompa Loompa or Pink Chicken. the most recent text i sent was ‘okie dokie’. a weird, recent text i sent was to my friend, where i was plotting to paint someone’s head with her xD
ok as you can tell i’m running out of ideas so i’ll just write you lovely folks a conclusion <3 my name is pepper, i’m a chaotic christian writer who enjoys rambling and procrastinating. i’m co-leading the amazing script theatron this session (who’s definitely going to win it all :0)
WAIT STOP I FORGOT TO TELL YOU MY GOALS!!
ok so some of my goals this session are to complete 20 dailies, 3 weeklies, enter the writing comp, write 10,000 or more words, and meet some new people <33 ok that’s all xD what a fun first try at the 1k word intro this was! thank you so much for reading this and putting up with half of my life’s story in a desperate attempt to complete a 1k word intro. this was super fun to write and i’m so thankful for the motivation juice you guys gave me haha ;D

the word in asterisks have been edited due to “unsuitable language” — i’m sure you can tell what it means xD

daily two . compliment spreading . 286 words

My head hurts as I pass out crayons and coloring pages for the first graders in my class. Four of them race around the room in an intense game of tag, while another group has a ‘who can scream the loudest’ contest, and more pretend to be the howling monkeys we learned about the day before. There is only one child who sits at the table quietly, hands in his lap while he waits patiently. “Quiet please. Quiet!” I call. The noise continues. “If you can hear me, clap once!” I manage to hear three faint claps. “If you can hear me, clap twice!” More claps. I clear my throat. “Class! If you can hear me, clap three times!” Everyone claps, and the children become silent. “Come sit at the table like Amaro please. If we can’t all listen, there will be no afternoon snack.” Instantly they shuffled into seats silently. “Thank you.” I sighed, handing out the pages.
After a few hours, the end of school bell rings, and everyone eagerly rushes out the door to find their parents. I walk over to my desk, eyelids drooping out of exhaustion. I sift through paperwork from the school, then end up dumping it all in a drawer for tomorrow. A small scrap of paper flutters to the floor, catching my eye. Slowly, I grasp it between my fingertips and open it. In green crayon and squiggly handwriting, the words, “i luv how you always never giv up and your defintly a roll model to me! love, amaro” are written. Tears sting my eyes and threaten to spill down my freckled cheeks. I grin, tucking the note in my pocket, sending a silent thank you to Amaro.

daily three . cabin anthems . 207 words

script : 101 words
velvet curtains open wide
ready for our show to provide
special feelings of amazement.

gasps and awes from the audience
fill our actors with brilliant confidence
they sing and dance
while the crowd stares in a trance
but the show continues on.

the eagle flutters pridefully
while prometheus eats the liver
and zeus sits with a smirk on his throne

the humans, curious with their new fire
experiment in camp
their fascination never tiring
they make lamps,
candles and lanterns
things to light their path

the fire helps them grow stronger

all while prometheus pays the price
for all of eternity.

poetry : 106 words
we started off dead
drained of all life
but with lots of hard work and passion
our valley became beautiful again

flowers and ferns
filled our homes
and made us feel complete

the sun scorched us
and turned everything brown
the cold froze us
and plants wilted down

but we refused to settle with defeat
and we fought and we battled
to keep our greens pretty

and we won.

with enough will
and tender care
our vegetation thrived like never before

our home is redeemed
and no one can stop us

we’ve been through struggles
we’ve been through pain

and here we are
still standing today.

daily four . dice roll . 310 words

rolled four : past tense | rolled six : third person

Alex stared down at Bean, a grin on her face as she watched the cat roll around with a bundle of blue yarn. An open window allowed a nice breeze to flow through the room, giving Alex goosebumps.
Suddenly, a beetle flew in and Bean hopped up, on edge. His ears twitched nervously, but a gentle rub from Alex quickly calmed him down. He sat, meowing at the insect. The beetle rested atop his nose, rubbing its wings together in short bursts. Alex giggled, finding happiness in the strange friendship.
“Agent Whisker, we need you in The Fort by midnight. I’ll explain the details when you arrive,” the beetle said, communicating through the wing beats. Bean flicked his tail in acknowledgment. “I’ll be there,” he mewed. Alex had no idea the two were actually talking to each other, all she heard was the flapping wings of the bug and sounds from her cat.
The beetle flew from Bean’s nose out the window. The cat started playing with his yarn again, keeping up his act of innocence. As the hours ticked past and the sun began to lower, he set out on his mission. The cuckoo clock rang its 6:00 song, signaling for dinner. Alex finally stopped watching her cat and left for the table. Bean took the opportunity and grabbed his special collar. It allowed him to see in the dark, and had a few extra…items, if necessary. Quickly, he snuck out of the house into the night, wind howling and owls chirping. He crawled past trash cans and hid in the shadows of alleyways. He darted between cars on the road and made sure he wasn’t seen. Along the way he noticed Agent Scar creeping past a bush, and Agent LostFoot. ‘What were they doing here?’ He wondered. And most importantly,

what would await him at The Fort?

daily six . chapter continuation . 213 words

land of stories : the enchantress returns | chapter eight

“Alex!” Conner exclaims, gasping for breath. He swims around frantically, trying to find her. She manages to poke her head above water, and gives him a wave. “I’m fine,” she says. “We need to swim to shore though, my legs are getting tired.” He nods, and starts gliding through the water.
A few minutes later, Conner finds himself beginning to sink. His body can’t swim much further. “Alex, I’m not sure if I can do this anymore,” he mumbles, breath raspy. “Lester?” She calls, begging for help. “Lester…” both of the twins whimper. Slowly but surely, they lose hope as they descend to the bottom of the ocean.
A faint squawking can be heard in the distance, startling wandering villagers, none aware of the twins’ slow death. Lester swooped in and stuck his long goose legs into the ocean and grabbed both of the kids with his talons.
The gasped for air, sucking in as much oxygen as possible and brushed water off of their faces. “Lester you saved us,” Alex sobbed, eternally grateful to the strange bird. Conner nod wearily, still catching his breath. “Yes,” he repeated. “Thank you so much Lester.” The bird simply nodded, flying them to land quickly. The rested in his warm white feathers, closing their eyes thankfully.

word war. olivewhistles . two minutes 125 words

the pages were smoking and i was getting annoyed. the fire had been put out ages ago, and they still hadn’t let up. i poorer yet another bucket of water on the book, then sat it over a dan to dry it. after some more time, it still didn’t seem to be done smoking. after such a long time i assumed it would be over and i could put it back on the shelf with the rest of the books but no, it decided to be stubborn and irritating. what a book! i had read it several times, it really was a great piece of literature. but how did it think i was supposed to read it again if it the pages inside were smoking??

woah this is actually so bad TvT

daily six . genre creation . 346 words

this is really bad xD really rushed and not my best writing at all bahaha

We stare down at them with large eyes, floating around in the sky looking pretty, when in reality we decide their fate. The couple looks longingly into a meadow, pointing at blooming flowers and laughing over sandwiches. They smile and hold hands, both with a good feeling their relationship will last longer than the other ones. A feeling that they won’t experience heartbreak again. They don’t know the power of their love is in our judgment. Us clouds, we’ve been here forever and still nobody knows that we do. We pick which couples end up happy and which don’t. Now, we had a good feeling about this one. Everyone except Billy Jean. She wasn’t a fan of how they looked, worried if they decided to have children they’d be bullied for being red heads. The rest of us thought this was an absolutely ridiculous idea. They might not choose to have kids at all, and if they did, surely true love wouldn’t stop them? A few weeks later we had our Meeting of Judgment to give the final outcome of how we wanted them to turn out. Billy Jean persuaded them, so the next time they met for a picnic we sent rain to cover the meadow. This didn’t bother them, they found it fun to dance together in the water. My fellow clouds were shocked. How was this happening, we were meant to stop this. I agreed, I didn’t like that they had to end, but by sending rain it was supposed to divide them. Rain and thunder change every couple’s emotions we’ve ever encountered. Why was it not working this time? Marley cleared her throat, and sent a flash of lightning to the ground. They screamed and giggled lightheartedly. I grinned. “It is time we let them be. Their love is too strong for us. Let it be known that love can stop the greatest of enemies, and this couple will last forever!” Thunder boomed and the rain poured harder than ever before as the clouds clapped loudly and joyously. “Let it be known!”

word war . aqua-vibes . two minutes . 136 words

the ghosts were catching up to me and i began to become extremely afraid as they gained on me. i threw books at them and mangoes and everything in my little bag but it turned out to be a waste of time because they kept catching up and i could not stop them. my legs began hurting really very bad so i gave up. they met up with me and asked if i wanted to go eat pizza with them. gasping for breath, i simply nodded before i could process that it might be a very rude trick but when i did think of that i put it behind me because pizza is pizza. ok well that’s all i can think about my fingers are cold and my keyboard is still kind of broken bye bye

daily seven . three word stories . 57 words

baseball card
apple plagues
xylophone snack
you belong with me
never gonna give you up
arson mangoes
world without mangoes
our beloved daily
don’t know what this turned into xD

daily eight . thank you note to a feminine figure . 202 words

dear lynda mullaly hunt,
YOU ARE SUCH A GOOD WRITER AFKSJFKDH — no seriously i love all of your books and hope to become as good as you someday (with loads of practice of course) thank you for stepping out with your creation, and working endlessly so people like me can enjoy it. my favorite one of your books is ‘one for the murphy’s’ <3 it makes me sob through each and every page, and feel emotions so strongly. you’re so good at being descriptive, and making the reader feel things they’ve never felt before. i love reading each and every one of your books, and i’m so glad i’ve had the opportunity to do so! the first time i read your books i was sitting in my bed under the covers, tears rolling down my face — but i loved it! your storytelling is just absolutely amazinggg! keep writing please! you’re such an inspiration for me! i can’t wait to see what other brilliant masterpieces you come up with! thank you for being you, you’re such a role model (especially in writing) for me, so keep it up! you are so amazing, thank you so so much!
sincerely, (your biggest fan) pepper <3

word war! . starunicorn_5 . 3 mins . 181 words

“the doors keep moving!” she shouts, tears running down her face like a pouring waterfall. “stop it! stop it papa i’m scared!” i look around frantically, looking for some sort of thing to keep the door steady and in place. “why won’t it stay there?” i say aloud. she gets nervous and begins pounding it into the ground. “honey stop that you’ll ruin the floor and the doors.” i go to the garage to grab a hammer and some nails but can’t find the materials. the doors are actually being annoying how are we supposed to get inside the house if they keep moving around like that. like what the goofy it’s not that hard to stay in one spot??? like that’s your job?? please don’t move around because we need you to stay out so we can enter and exit our home and the rooms inside of it please. ok thank you for listening to my rant door, hopefully we have a truce now? ok thank you so much for agreeing to stay in the same spot of my home

cabin wars word war <3 - lio . two minutes . 124 words

OH THE JOY OF RANTING FOR CABIN WARS I MISS THIS OMG HAHAA NOW IM WORD WARRING THE LEGENDARY LIO AND MY FINGERS ARE REALLY DELAYED RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THEYRE SLIGHTLY FROZEN WAIT MY MOMS COMING OVER OH NEVER MIND SHE LEFT PHEW THOUGHT SHE WAS ABOUT TO TELL ME TO DO SOMETHING IVE LITERALLY DONE ENOUGH CHORES I JUST NEED TO WRITE TOWARDS CABIN WARS OMG IVE BEEN STOPPED SO MANY TIMES THIS AFTERNOON ITS ACTUALLY INSANE AND I ALMOST RAGED BUT WERE GOOD NOW GUYS AHAHA
OK I ADMIT IM THE EAGLE ACCOUNT IN OUR STORYLINE BUT I'M PRETTY SURE EVERYONE KNEW ALREADY AHAHA OK BYE BYE PRETTY SURE THE TIMER WILL GO OFF SOON OMG THE TYPOS IN THIS IS CRAZY

Weekly One . 1,695 words

Mythology : Retelling
233 words total

King Midas and the Chocolate Touch
Once upon a time in the kingdom of Festus, there was a wise king who kept the kingdom happy and at peace. Alas, everyone has a weak point, and this king loved chocolate a little too much. He asked his servants for chocolate everyday, and had it served with each meal. Eventually, the kingdom ran out of chocolate, along with all of the kingdoms surrounding them. King Midas called for the witch, begging for a spell that turned everything he touched into chocolate. The witch agreed, giving him a potion to put into some chocolate milk. He quickly gulped it up, energy running through his veins. He went to grab his staff, announcing all of the milk had been swallowed, but his staff fell to the floor and chocolate shards were sent flying to the ground. King Midas grinned. “It is done!” He exclaimed.
He walked outside to the royal cliff top, and called for the trumpeters to assemble his kingdom. As the people gathered underneath the cliff, his smile grew. “Who wants chocolate?” He asked, waving his hands. Cheers and claps erupted from the kingdom’s citizens as they began to realize their king had finally obtained the chocolate power he’d always dreamed of. They threw him their belongings, and he eagerly sent them down in their chocolate forms. Everyone in the Festus kingdom lived happily ever after, and their chocolate never ceased.

Historical Fiction : If These Walls Could Talk
322 words total

I lightly chuckled, shaking my nonexistent head in disbelief. “This kid has no idea what she’s doing does she?” I asked my neighboring wall. He laughed also, agreeing. “Don’t have a clue what’s happening right now.” The girl used a can opener to open the blueberries, but got the lid stuck inside of the can, realizing it would be hard to get the blueberries out to drain them. She sat for a moment, puzzled. As an idea popped into her head, she went to the cupboards to grab a small glass bowl, then proceeded to dump the berries into it. The lid of the cup sat on the bottom, with a ton of soggy blueberries sitting on top. “What in the heckons is she thinking?” I wondered aloud. The girl smiled, amused with herself, and slowly stuck her finger in to grab the lid. As the blueberry juice touched her fingertips, she began to squirm, and quickly pulled her hand out. “This is horrible,” she muttered to herself. “Why did I agree to make blueberry muffins?” After quite a few of attempts, she managed to successfully drain the berries and put them in a bigger bowl with the rest of the mix.
I watched her intently, her baking skills were my source of entertainment. She reached for cooking spray, and sprayed it across the muffin sheet. It coated the tray in a thick layer of non stick spray, far more than the girl had wanted. With a sigh, she used a towel to lightly clean some off, and by then she knew her world famous baking days would never come. The Muffin Mess as I call it, continued steadily for a good 2 and a half hours, until she finally managed to pull out a tray full of distorted muffins. They were ugly, sure, but they tasted brilliant (I would know, she splattered me with the batter and blueberry juice several times).

Fairy Tales : Using Sparks from the Past
272 words total

Once upon a time there was a wolf. This wolf really liked garlic bread, and one day a girl walked through the woods with a basket full of this bread to give to her grandmother. The wolf sniffed and sniffed until he finally found the girl in the woods. Little did she know, the wolf followed her until she made her way into a clearing. Tall yellow grass stretched as far as the eye could see, and there were no trees in sight. The wolf knelt down and crept along the ground, using the thick grass as cover. Courage bubbled in his chest, and he felt ready to pounce. “Three…” he thought to himself. “Two…” His ears twitched, and his fur ruffled in the light breeze. “One!” He took a deep breath, then lunged. The wolf mustered all of the energy in his legs and pushed forward as hard as possible. He flew through the air and landed in front of the girl with his eyes sealed shut in fear. “Uh hi,” he said, voice cracking as he opened his eyes. “My name is… the wolf?” The girl titled her head. “Ok,” she nodded, smiling softly. “Could I have a piece of garlic bread please?” He asked. The girl burst out laughing, falling to the ground with tears rolling down her face (and leg :>). “All that trouble for a slice of bread?” She chuckled, reaching into her basket. The wolf stepped back, embarrassed. “I suppose so,” he mumbled. “Well here you are,” she said, handing him bread. “A fresh piece of my very own garlic bread!” “Thank you,” the wolf said, smiling.

Folklore : Regional Differences
233 words total

His footsteps echoed through the forest and made the trees shake. I occasionally caught a tuft of his ratty brown fur stuck on a branch, or saw a massive print in the mud. If you’re lucky you can catch him wandering around in the woods looking for food, but most of the time he stays hidden. Father calls him the best Hide ‘n’ Seek player in the world, as no one has any solid evidence he actually exists. But I think he’s real. I think he’s a strange creature trying to stay alive like the rest of us.
His name is Massive Stomper.

I’m running as fast as possible, gasping for breath but refusing to stop. I saw him! I saw Brown Bear Beast! I was sitting on the river, concealed by a bush so a rabbit I was hunting couldn’t see me, and instead, Brown Bear Beast stepped out from behind a tree to catch a fish. I must’ve gasped too loud, because next thing I know, he’s gone. I ran after him in a fast pursuit, and now I’m here, still running in a desperate attempt to catch him. I wish he knew I didn’t plan on hurting him. I wanted to see him close up, right in front of me so I knew the tales were true. I needed the facts, and I’ve never wanted them so bad until now.

Folklore : Write a Story With a Moral
346 words total

Once upon a time there was a forest filled with the most magical of creatures. Rabbits, deer, parrots, snakes, bears, squirrels, foxes, lizards, anything you can think of! They all lived in peace, each year taking part in the Forest Games as a symbol of their truce. The Forest Games changed every year, but the most remembered year, was when it was a relay race. There were 3 teams. Team Drabbex had deers, rabbits, and foxes. Team Pearrel consisted of parrots, bears, and squirrels. And finally, there were lizards and snakes in Team Lizarnake. After days of strategizing, the teams were finally ready for the competition, so they met at dawn to set up the race and go over the rules.
After a long few hours of work, everyone had the competitive spirit bubbling inside of them and was ready. As soon as the porcupine shot his spikes, the race began. Squirrels jumped over branches and ducked under logs. Snakes slithered between the roots of trees, going as fast as possible to their partners. Parrots dove between trees swiftly, without the slightest touch from a branch or leaf. They all made it to the second stage, except for the parrot. Out of nowhere, a lizard jumped on top of the bird and sent them both spiraling toward the ground. “Cheater!” She squawked, flapping her wings in a desperate attempt to stay in the air. The lizard smirked, hanging on tight to her feathers. A nearby animal heard, and quickly reported to the porcupine, who immediately stopped the race. He called all of the animals together, and announced there had been someone cheating. “Unfortunately, I call you all together to tell you the race is canceled. There seems to be a cheater in our midst, and I don’t want people getting hurt. You can thank the lizard.” The animals growl and boo, unhappy that their competition had to end early. The lizard hung his head in shame. “I’m sorry,” he squeaked. “Because of this,” the porcupine began. “Team Pearrel wins, and Lizarnake will not be participating next year.”

Folklore : Magical Realism
288 words total

My parents came bustling in with big grins on their faces. “We bought a new couch!” They exclaimed in unison. I clutched a pillow in my arms tightly, frowning. “No! How could you do that?” I asked, clearly upset. They smirked, chuckling. “I think you’ll like this one Ava,” my father said. Mom ran outside to grab it, gently pushing it through the door. It was a fairly small and circle shaped couch, decorated in white speckles on the dark blue fabric. Tears ran down my freckles cheeks as I realized they were replacing our beautiful couch full of memories with this stupid circle cushion. My sadness quickly turned to rage and I pounded my fist against a pillow. “You can’t do this,” I sobbed through anger. They patted my shoulder with fake little smiles on their fake little faces. “Just close your eyes and take a seat,” Dad said. He scooted it towards me, gesturing to the empty space for me. I sat down, frustrated. “Ok?” I scoffed. “Close your eyes,” he repeated. I shut my eyes with a frown on my face and paused. Opening my mouth to ask another question, Dad quickly hushed me. Suddenly, a vision of an island on the beach came into view. The same island grandma lived on — grandma, who had been gone for years. I sniffled, fighting back memories. “What do you see?” He asked softly. “The place I want to be most, with the people I want to see most,” I croaked. I felt him sit down beside me, with Mom sitting on my other side. They held my hand, and in a moment I felt the sand beneath my feet and smelled the salty ocean wind. “I’m home.”

weekly for script! 1695 words for 2000 points <3

word war . smalltoe . two minutes . 154 words

the girl walked into the room only to realize she didn’t need to dump laundry into the basket, and her head was thinking the wrong thing, as it sometimes does. why wouldn’t it be right? anyways she didn’t actually want to be in that room so she turned around to go out the door and back into the hallway (because that’s how people exit rooms duh) so she turned around to leave but there was no door there. wait so the door just moved? why didn’t it stay in the same place like a normal door that’s kind of annoying she wondered. she looked around in the laundry room for any way to escape but came up empty handed or empty door knobbed i should say haha i’m so funny anyways she looked around for an exit but since the door was gone she couldn’t find one and was stuck in the room and

daily eleven . introspection . 256 words

I hid myself in my hood, my freckled cheeks bright red in embarrassment. I held back tears as kids whispered my name in their conversations, gossiping about how I’d gotten the answer wrong. ‘How could they?’ I wonder to myself. ‘Why do they expect me to be perfect?’ The question burned in my mind, desperately longing for an answer. ‘If only they understood.’ A single tear slid down my face, but I quickly wiped it away before anyone could see. Pain radiated through my body like no other pain I’d felt before. I’d instantly trade this for a skinned knee. They snickered and laughed, pointing their fingers my way.
I wanted to leave this place.
It had become a prison. I was the calculator. If I made even the slightest of mistakes it would only make my sentence longer and more unbearable than before. I wish the world would accept that people can’t be perfect, and not humiliate those who have flaws.
Writing is my haven, the only place I feel alive and free. But they’d even begun to take that away from me too. As sadness flooded over my body and encased my thoughts, the reality of the world started to sink in. Oh how I can’t wait to go to heaven. Where there is no pain. No suffering. Only joy. The bell snapped me out of my day dreaming, signaling for me to get a move on.
‘Soon,’ I told myself. ‘You’ll be there eventually. For now, make the most of what you have.’

don’t really know what this turned into but i hope you enjoy ;D

word war . alana . two minutes . total wc 152

If film makers were to randomly show up at my door saying they were so interested in my life they wanted to make a movie about me I’d bet millions and trillions of dollars they were flat out lying. My life is the most boring it can get. Same thing every day; wake up practice chores and go to bed. My brother on the other hand actually does stuff with his friends and enjoys his time. Hehe couldn’t think of a synonym. That's another reason, that nasty little crusty dusty booty of a brother knows how to do school while I struggle. The only interesting thing about me is what they say in their stupid rumors about what I failed that day. They have no idea that I know and no idea that I think it’s actually funny what they think of me. So that’s that, they’d want my brother, not me

daily twelve . bookstore dailyyy <33 . 247 words

A young family moved to America one year, only to seemingly be cursed with bad luck. They'd lived in a small house for a few months, slowly settling in and making friends in the community, when a huge fire burned it down. With nowhere else to go, they resorted to an abandoned alleyway, in hopes there would be enough food in trash cans and along the road. A few days later, a woman noticed them sleeping as she walked to work, and was overcome with sympathy. Each night after that, she’d leave her leftovers in tupperware containers for them to find, then come by to collect them in the morning. One night, as the family was dozing off, one of the children watched as a car came racing down the road and swerved onto the sidewalk, crashing straight into the woman, Emily, who was feeding them. Cries of agony could be heard that night as the family sobbed over Emily’s twisted body. She was taken to the hospital and the doctors tried their best to heal her. The family requested to visit, hoping their silent friendship wouldn’t come to an end. They were rejected over and over again. The caretakers didn’t want ‘dirty’ people in their offices and hospital rooms. However, they refused to be stopped. Emily had inspired them and they worked as hard as possible to get back on their feet so they could see their friend. A story of passion, love, and overcoming adversity.

word war . alana . two minutes . total wc 157 <3
back again for a rematch i see >;D

the fire was literally like a week ago and the pages still smell like smoke. i’m lowkey disappointed in this whole wizard magic they said i would learn at the school of wizardry because it’s not working like they said it would and it cost me a lot of money sobbing. anyways, my house lit on fire a bit ago and my books all burned away except this one textbook i got from that school. apparently the firefighters thought i would need to save that— they literally could’ve chosen anything else and it would’ve been better than that. like my birth certificate? didn’t think of that? or my passport or driver's license or safe? like seriously a college textbook from a school that doesn’t even teach you actual things and it still smells like smoke that actually annoys me so much like seriously that’s so agh. thinking about writing them a letter because i hate it and

daily thirteen . profile line prompts . 607 words

alia’s profile prompt: Two shadows, reaching through
the hopeless, heavy dusk

“It’s not meant to be,” her father told me. “You aren’t like each other.” “But it’s love,” I protested, practically begging for his permission to marry her. He shook his head firmly. “No.” Tears streamed down her face as she eavesdropped by the stairwell. Her sobs sent me into waves of misery, crushed by the weight of never getting to see her again. “Never come back,” he’d said. “Go. And stay away from my daughter.” I sat in my car, head on the steering wheel sadly. As I finally managed to pull myself together and pull out of the driveway, my sadness quickly turned to rage. I pounded my fist on the radio, breaking the buttons and causing the music to shut off, leaving me with a somber ride home.
When I got home, I reached for my blankets, half wishing I didn’t have to wake up. As I closed my eyes, the phone began to ring so I grabbed it to answer. “This is Chance,” I mumbled into the speaker. “I love you,” Emily’s voice answered, once soft and delicate, now drained of life and warmth. “Me too.”
We wept.
“He won’t let me see you. We’ll get in trouble,” I told her. “It doesn’t matter to me. I have a plan.” I listened intently as she whispered through the phone, nodding along in agreement. “I’ll do it.” “Midnight?” “Yes.” She hung up the phone. I rocked back and forth in my bed, watching as the clock ticked minute by minute. When it was 11:30, I grabbed a jacket and walked out the door.
Crickets chirped and the streetlights flickered, guiding my path as I progressed to our meeting place. As she came into view, I smiled, happy to see her again, yet disappointed this was our fate. Her dark brown curls blew elegantly in the wind, displaying her immense beauty. She flashed a slight smile, but I could tell her face was still wet with tears. I looked down into the deep water from our spot on the bridge and clutched her hand tightly, our fingers interlocked. “See you in the afterlife then?” She asked me, giving a humorous bow. I grinned, nodding. “Five,” she began. “Four,” I replied. “Three,” we said together. “Two…” Our eyes met, both sets sparkling with worry and fear, but overcome with trust and anticipation.
We lept.
Down down down we fell, honks of car horns in the background as the wind whipped against our faces. Not but a moment later, we splashed into the water, neither of us knowing how to swim. The water stung my body, its freezing cold temperature immediately numbing me. My lungs felt like they were about to explode, begging me to breathe in air. I refused, the only thing surrounding me was dark, cold water as I sank deeper and deeper beneath the surface. I couldn’t do it anymore, and as Emily’s grip on my hand loosened, I knew it was time to give in. Opening my mouth and sucking in water, I drowned. It surged through my body like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. It burned. It burned and it choked me and I wished my agony would end.

We met.
Her shadow sat longingly through the heavy dusk. I approached her with a smile on my face as I looked down at myself, my new body made out of a thick fog. “Emily?” I whispered. She turned and her face lit up as she saw me. “I thought it wouldn’t work,” she sobbed into my arms. “But you’re here. We can love each other.” “I will always be here,” I answered.

daily fourteen . start + end with same sentence . 507 words
happy pi day! <3

I expected to see her any minute.
I tapped my foot impatiently, telling the people at the party to quiet down. I’m hosting a surprise dinner party for Emma Jane, it’s her birthday, but of course the day of her party she decides to stay and work overtime at the office. I sighed, waiting for her old truck to pull up in the driveway. They grew restless, starting to chat and walk around the house. I shook my head. “No! this isn’t supposed to happen,” I mumbled under my breath. “I will take away your food when she gets here! No dessert!” I announced firmly. The sound and movement stopped. I got them now. With a smirk I shuffled them back into the main hall, just past the front door. Not but a moment later, Emma Jane’s truck came rumbling up the road with smoky huffs and puffs. “Places everyone,” I called eagerly, gesturing for them to bend down and hide. I walked outside to greet her at the door, then pleasantly opened it. Our guests jumped and screamed, clapping and cheering for the birthday girl. “Surprise!” We shouted in unison, massive grins on our faces. She smiled lightly, tearing up a bit. “Happy birthday,” I told her. “Let’s get this party started!” I showed the way to the table of fruits and meat chunks, along with the dessert tray. “Help yourself.”
After hours of eating and celebrating, I pulled Emma Jean aside to give her a special gift. “A watch,” I presented. “It’s engraved with the amount of years we’ve been friends, and a special quote, saying our relationship will last until the end of time.” I winked, chuckling at my stupid pun. “Tracyyy,” she said softly, smiling at my gift. “I can’t take this.” Her words hit me like a blow to the face. “It’s your birthday,” I stuttered. “What do you mean?” “I mean… our time is ending. How could I take a watch until the end of time, if it’s over?” I choked back a sob. “No,” I breathed. “No. Why?” She looked at her feet, the shoes I bought her for her last birthday. “I — I can’t explain. I’m sorry Tracy.” She ran off, tears running down her face. “No! I refuse to let it end this way.” I fell to my knees and cried. “It must end my way.” I quickly found my way downstairs and rushed outside to her car with the cake knife in hand. I’m sure she’ll be going home after this scene. Why wouldn’t she? She doesn’t want me in her life anymore. I crept behind her car stealthily. I gripped the knife in my hands tightly, rotating the handle in my fingertips. Come on Emma Jean. Ready to go home yet? Rage bubbles in my chest. How could you abandon your best friend like that? And not give an explanation? You sick, twisted human. I heard the front door creak open and a sly smile appeared on my face.
I expected to see her any minute.

daily fifteen . character in their last days . 528 words

I was waiting for the cupcakes to finish baking in the oven, when a hooded figure appeared at the door. I opened it cautiously, but when I saw the scythe in hand, I grinned, eagerly opening the door. “What’s up? Ready to take my life? Isn’t this the part where you say I have 24 hours left to live then give me a big check to make the final day of life a great one?” He shook his head in disappointment. “That’s my job,” he said in a low, raspy voice. “I give you the instructions! But whatever.” He passed me a 10,000 dollar visa gift card and waved his hand. “Bye.” In an instant, a cloud of fog flooded the kitchen and when it cleared the figure was gone.
I looked at my gift card with a huge grin on my face. “Let’s get this party started!” I grabbed the cupcakes out of the oven (without an oven mitt! who needs that? it’s the last day of my life ;D) and continued on my way. Leaving the cupcakes to cool on the countertop, I headed outside to go to the amusement park. I began driving like crazy, paying no attention to the lines in the road or pedestrians crossing the street. Eventually — like I had planned — cops began speeding after me, the most intense game ever. Lights flashed all around my windows and their sirens were almost deafening as other drivers swerved out of the way. My tires screeched as I quickly turned into an exit, getting off the freeway at 95 miles per hour, faster than I thought my car could go. “What next?” I asked myself, the police still in pursuit. “Car dealership!” I used my phone (yes, while driving) to search up the closest dealership.
After about 5 minutes, I was pulling into one, and asked to test drive their fastest vehicle. “Are you the girl on tv who was speeding on the freeway and being chased by officers?” I nodded, extending my hand. “Nice to meet
you but I need those keys.” I put on my most threatening facial expression I could muster, and they gave in, too fearful of what I might do to them if they refused. “Thanks!” I hopped into a bright red race car and drove away casually. Hopefully the police wouldn’t be able to tell it was me so I could go eat a nice lunch somewhere. Within half an hour, I found myself at a Garden Olive, and ordered a couple rounds of pasta. After giving a good tip, I walked out, ready to continue my adventures. Unfortunately, the hooded figure met me at my car door. “You aren’t supposed to be getting in this much trouble,” he told me, a hint of frustration in his voice. “You should be writing your will and sending sad letters to your relatives!” I laughed. “No no, I’d rather live life to the fullest at the moment.” He sighed. “Then I’m going to have to take you now.” He grabbed me by the wrists, and dragged me through a thick, foggy portal.
“So be it,” I muttered in annoyance.

daily sixteen . day from another swcers perspective . 407 words

My alarm went off, screaming at me to wake up for school. I rubbed my eyes and yawned, wishing there was more time to sleep, but I had to get up now if I wanted enough time to finish the weekly. I quickly scrubbed my teeth and put on some presentable clothes after doing my hair, then walked over to the computer. I sat down in the chair and logged into my account to open my beloved Google Doc. I decided I needed music to listen to while I wrote, so I spent about 15 minutes on Youtube to find the perfect playlist. Finally, after I found a nice cafe jazz, I went to work. I got about halfway through part two before it was time to leave, so I popped an airpod in my ear and turned on the Mangoes and Mayhem podcast to catch up on last week’s episode.
By the time I finally arrived at school, I remembered I still needed to do that word war with — who was it? Someone from sci fi? Agh I forgot. Too late now I suppose. The doors opened so I walked inside to set my stuff down in my locker. I signed into my computer once I’d found my seat in homeroom, and clicked on my writing thread.
“Woah you write a lot,” someone behind me said as I scrolled through my many rushed pieces to get to the spot I wanted. “What is it?” I wanted to sink beneath my desk. “It’s um,” I began. “Just a little thing I do with my friends.” Hey, I wasn’t lying, what’s wrong with not telling the whole truth? I pulled my sleeve over the blue swc bracelet on my wrist, cheeks bright red with embarrassment. “Can I read some?” The girl asked. I slowly closed my computer anxiously. “Well, you see, they’re not finished yet, so you wouldn’t know the ending!” “Ah alright, let me know when you’re done.” The bell rang, telling us to head to first period. I quickly shoved my stuff in my bag and rushed out the door.
After 6 long classes, I grabbed my backpack and headed straight to practice with one of my closest friends. I logged into Google Docs through my phone, still trying to finish the daily. I checked the time, 4:48pm. Hopefully I could squeeze out these last 70 words and upload it before midnight. Ah the pressure.

daily seventeen . hozier lyric . 317 words

We drove to the art studio together, eager to see what we’d make this time around. We sang songs on the radio, laughing at how bad we were, when suddenly
SCREECH
A car came crashing into us, sending us flying into a ditch. The glass broke, stabbing into my flesh like tiny daggers, and the airbag crushed my lungs. As I gasped for breath while blood poured from my body, I began to feel dizzy. We landed sideways, the passenger side closest to the ground. I screamed for Luke, but everything was so fuzzy, and I couldn’t make out what was happening around me. Tears trickled down my cheeks, stinging the wounds from the shards of glass. I called for him once more. “Luke,” I croaked. The only response was silence. I sat for a moment, all of our memories flashing before my eyes. Sirens brought me back into reality, and I did my best to escape the car. The sirens got louder and louder, making it impossible to think straight. ‘I have to tell them Luke is still here,’ I thought anxiously. ‘They have to save him.’
I pulled myself through the broken windshield, scraping my stomach and legs. The vehicles parked by the ditch and people immediately rushed out to help. “Luke,” I said. They either didn’t hear me or didn’t care because they grabbed me by the wrists and heaved me up onto a bed, doing their best to pull me into an ambulance. I screamed for Luke, the energy slowly leaving my body as my eyes began to close. I felt a weight being dropped into my arms and recognized the familiar warmth of my son. My tears fell onto his limp body as I realized he might be — no. It’s not over. I refused to think that. As time passed, my hope fell through my fingertips drop by drop.
Maybe it’s over.

Weekly Two . 2213 words total

Flower Daily . 1208/300 words

quaking grass - agitation - Celia
hellebore - madness - Marcus
hyacinth - rashness - Scarlett
daffodil - conceit - Ava
camomile - energy - Benny

Ava
The Callings have begun.
Each year, the mayor randomly picks a day without the townspeople knowing. On that designated day, the Trumpet Blowers played the Callings’ tune, signaling it is time. When the tune is played, everyone has to drop their things and get to the square as fast as possible. The last five citizens that make it are assigned a flower, which gets tattooed on their forearm. The flower’s meaning, which they don’t know either, is what causes them to die. They have 5 days to find out the meaning of their flower in order to survive, and if they fail, they die a slow painful death.
I was out at the market, trying to get the best deal for a bundle of herbs when the trumpets began to sound. Everyone scrambled out of their booths and through the large crowd, desperate to get to the square fast enough. I was pushed and shoved, screams of terror and derogatory yelling was all I could hear. Dropping the herbs, I slowly made my way through the mass of people, getting bruised as they threw elbows and punches to get past. When I was finally out in the open, I sprinted towards the square, catching a few people alongside me from the corner of my eye. Guards reached toward gates, shutting down the square and not letting anyone else in. I pushed my legs as hard as they could, doing everything in my power to get through before I was cut off, before my death came. By the time I reached them, I was pushed onto the ground by a guard, who shook his head and locked the gate, shutting me out and separating me from the community. I was last. A single tear slid down my face, but I refused to let them have the satisfaction of seeing it. I looked around, trying to spot the remaining contenders of their little ‘game.’ Was that — I squinted my eyes — was that Benny? And Celia?

Benny
I was preparing dinner for my little sister, Lulu, when we both froze in fear at the sound of the Trumpet Blowers. I scooped her up in my arms and raced out the door, scared for both of our lives. My heart pounded louder than a ripping wind storm and Lulu screamed and kicked as I held her close. “It’s going to be alright,” I told her between breaths. People ran beside me, doing anything they could to get inside the square fast enough. I risked looking backwards to see the odds of beating everyone, and a flutter of hope rose up inside of me as I saw lots of people behind us.
Then I fell. I slipped on a rock and came crashing down. I tried my best to rotate my body so I landed on my back and Lulu could use me as a cushion. Tears stung my eyes as that hope once inside of me drained out. I got up slowly, limping on my bloody knee. A woman on the other side of the gate pointed to Lulu, and I nodded. Her arms opened wide, ready to catch her. As the guards closed the gate, I knew it was time. I gave her one last kiss on the forehead and whispered, “I’ll be back in a little while.” Mustering up all my remaining strength, I threw her over the gate, and the lady pushed people aside to grab her. Lulu shrieked and cried as she reached out for me, but all I could do was lay down and try to cancel out the pain.

Scarlett
The trumpets blew and I immediately knew my fate. Tears slipped down my cheeks as I pushed the ice pack back onto my forehead. I was sick! How was I to fight those people into the square? I slowly got up from bed, carefully removing the blanket from my body. My vision blurred as I got up to my feet. I shook my head as each memory of my mother flooded through my mind. “Goodbye,” I muttered under my breath. After I was sure the majority of people were done scrambling around outside, I left the house, one slow step at a time. By the time I made it to the square, I was dead last, just as I suspected.

Celia
I was hunting in the woods, hiding in a bush and waiting for a rabbit to waltz right into my trap, when people came rushing past. My step father grabbed my wrist, but I pulled it back in disgust. He signed to me, telling me the trumpets were blowing. I screamed, jumping from the bush and running as fast as possible to the square. I was shoved to the ground, and people sneered at me, excited to watch how the deaf girl would die. I sprinted as fast as I could but didn’t make it. The gates were closing and they had pushed down one too many times. I looked through the gate in despair, praying for survival.

Marcus
At the sound of the trumpets I rose to my feet with eagerness sparkling in my eyes. I’d always wanted to be part of the game, now was my chance. After a summer of training, I was ready. Slowly walking through the mass of people, I was trampled and scoffed at, but oh so excited to finally have my shot at beating four other weaklings.

Benny
The next morning, after the guards drug us to our cells, I woke up with a sensitive arm and a stitched up knee, then noticed a white camomile tattoo. I had been assigned my flower.

Marcus
That night, I asked the doctors not to put me under. I told them I wanted to watch the tattooing process. They warned me about the immense pain, but I shrugged it off. “Let me watch,” I insisted. By the time they were done, I inspected my arm. “Hellebore,” I remarked. They nodded, slamming my cell door. I began to think while the night dragged on. “What could it be,” I mumbled to myself. “I mean, they let us out tomorrow to try to find out, but I want to know before anyone else! I want to know the meaning of hellebore.” The word rolled off my tongue nicely. I repeated it, cackling to myself. “Hellebore!” I screeched. “My flower is hellebore!” I gasped for air in between my set of mad laughter. “Hellebore!” I chanted. “Hellebore! Hellebore!” I’d become delirious. My journey of life ended that night. It ended because of my mad obsession over hellebore.

Scarlett
I awoke to a scratchy arm, realizing while I was asleep they’d tattooed me with my flower. My head tilted as I was flooded with confusion. Hyacinth. What could that be?

Ava
When we had all been awake for half an hour, they’d announced that Marcus, with the flower of hellebore, was found dead that morning. I gasped, surprised that it could happen so quickly. I thought we had five days. With a shake of my head, I finally understood how twisted this little game was and determination filled me. I needed to find the meaning of my flower, and fast. What could daffodils symbolize?

Constellation Daily . 300/300 words
constellation : lyra, harp

“Sit down child,” I told Abigail, gesturing to a seat at the table. “Sit and I will tell you the miraculous tale of how the constellation Lyra came to be.” Eagerness sparkled in her eyes as she quieted down. I smiled, then began the story.
“Once upon a time there was a large kingdom. One day, the kingdom’s first princess was born so they decided to hold a celebration. That night, each citizen came to the castle to wish the baby well, then partied and had a fantastic feast.
Everything was going as planned, and the people were having an enjoyable evening, when two people at the same table dropped their fork one after another, a water glass toppled over, and someone’s plate shattered. The eating paused, and left the room in complete silence. The mistakes formed a… strange melody. Something the people had never heard before. ‘Do it again,’ someone asked, eager to see what would happen. They tried, moving the silverware and dishes around in hopes they could accidentally repeat what had taken place just a moment ago.
“As the sounds continued, more people joined in, creating a series of harmonic clangs and clashes. This continued all night long, and the citizens of the kingdom were united in sound.
“That night, a beautiful set of stars appeared in the sky, symbolizing how precious music is, and how much it can impact a group of people. When the castle created music that night, everything changed.
“You see Abigail? Lyra came into the night sky that night, not because of music, but because the people came closer together than ever before. Music makes people a family. That’s why it was written in the stars. So everyone can remember.” She nodded, eyes filled with excitement. “I will always remember,” she whispered.

aesthetic set found here
represents constellation daily

swc fan fic . 705/600 words

Pepper stood up on the pedestal, ready to make an announcement. “Listen up my lovely swcers!” She called. Campers and (co)leaders didn’t stop moving about the main cabin, rushing to post their dailies up on the bulletin board and check cabin standings. “I have a special game you might be interested in playing!” Even still, the crowd of writers didn’t slow. “The winners will earn mangoes for their cabin,” she bribed with a smile on her face. Everyone stopped. “I want mangoes!!” Someone shouted from across the room. “Mangoes!” The mass of people began to walk over to Pepper, now very interested in what she was saying. “What’s the game?” Someone questioned. She smirked. “It’s a race. The first person who crosses the finish line is the champion! I’ll be picking five lucky people out of a bowl of names, and only those cabins will be participating, so cross your fingers!” The crowd cheered, patting their hands on their legs, making a drumroll sound. Pepper reached her hand into the bowl and grabbed a slip of paper between her fingertips. She slowly unfolded it, creating suspense. She grinned and showed it to the writers. “Chloe from fairy tales!” Claps and whoops nearly deafened her as she walked up onstage with a slight bow. “Now now,” Pepper cooed. “We still have 4 more lovely people joining us. Once again, she reached in to grab a name. “Next, Vi from poetry!” She quietly shuffled up on stage with a smile on her face. The name calling continued, and eventually Pepper had 5 campers from different cabins onstage with her. “Give a final round of applause for our players!” They began hollering and clapping louder than ever before, so excited for how the game would go. “Congratulations Chloe, Vi, Nova, Faith, and Tilly! Best of luck.”
The next day, the main cabin was filled with a huge obstacle course looking race, with chairs on either side of the borders so other campers could witness the event. As swcers piled into the main cabin with their cabin bling on, the competitive spirit rose. The contestants lined up at the starting line, eyes sparkling with determination and excitement as they looked at the monkey bars and balance beams they would have to conquer. Pepper grabbed two frying pans and smiled the biggest smile ever. “Ready,” she began. “Three…two…one… GO!” She banged the pans together, making a clashing and clanging noise. Chloe sprinted to the monkeys bars and lept up onto the first bar, then started swinging to and fro, from one bar to the next. Tilly ran up and fell short when the jumped to reach it. She flung herself up and once again landed in the squishy mat below her. Nova felt a pang of sympathy and ran to help. After Tilly had successfully grabbed hold of the bars, Nova ran back to her own set, doing her best to get back into first. By the time Chloe had finished climbing the monkey bars, Vi had already moved onto the next course, with Faith not far behind.
The next obstacle in the writers’ path was a long balance beam. Nova quickly sped across it, proving to everyone that noodle eating penguins have excellent balance. Next across was Faith, and she was slowly but surely gaining on Nova. Vi, Chloe, and Tilly were all right behind them. “We have a game now!” Pepper announced. The final stretch of the competition was the Gurtle Link Eating table, where each person would eat as many links as possible in 30 seconds. As each person arrived at the table, Pepper set a timer, and handed them a bowl full of delicious links. Silence filled the main cabin, as each spectator anxiously awaited the results.
After 30 seconds, which felt like eons had finally passed, Pepper looked at her notecard with the score. “I am so excited to present to you the winner of mangoes for the march 2024 main cabin race! Congratulations to… drumroll please.” The main cabin erupted with sound as each person patted their hands on their laps eagerly. “EVERYONE!!!” Pepper threw mangoes into the crowd, and everyone cheered and blew their confetti as they bit into freshly picked mangoes.

daily twenty . villain isn’t the villain after all . 532 words

i awoke to a terrified screech as the wind blew the curtains to and fro. just beside my bed was a man in a full face mask to hide his identity, with my baby Celia Rose in his arms. “stop!” i screamed, rousing my husband awake. he rubbed his eyes, but quickly jolted upright, as if he’d finished off his eighth cup of coffee, when he heard the ruckus. he threw off the covers and jumped on top of the mysterious man, doing everything he could to get our child back while i watched as devastation clouded my vision. “don’t take her,” i croaked through sobs. the man skillfully dodged my husband’s attacks, and knocked him off his feet. with no less than a second to spare, the man leaped out of the open window, Celia Rose tucked away in his arms. “no!” my husband cried. “guards!” he called, tears rolling down his face. the soldiers burst through the doors, prepared for battle. all he could do was point outside, cupping his head in his open hand. “i failed us,” he muttered. “she’s gone. Celia Rose is gone.” i held him close, crying softly on his shoulder. “no,” i whispered in his ear. “you have never failed me and you never will. there’s nothing we can do except search long and hard for our baby.” he nodded, determination filling up inside of him.
the next morning, after a night of ordering troops and getting armor set, the search was on. word traveled through the village and the people living in the woods, and eventually the man with Celia Rose heard it. with a frustrated sigh, he looked around at the dying forest, then back at the young girl’s birthmark. “i had to,” he mumbled to himself. “it’s the only way.” he hiked up the to the top of the mountain, where everyone could see, and without a doubt horses and guards immediately raced to his location. “give us the princess!” they called, holding their weapons steadily, ready to use them if necessary. the man didn’t look up, focused only on tying Celia Rose to the boulder in front of him. “are you listening?” they called again. “we will kill you if you disobey!” the man shook his head as he tied the final know, securing the baby to the massive rock “it has to be done,” he told them firmly.
a sudden movement of his arm was all it took, the baby had passed. the man had cut right on her birthmark, which spewed plants and light from her flesh. he grinned happily, throwing the flowers into the air with joy. the soldiers ran up to him and gripped his arms tightly, pulling him away and doing everything they could to save the child. “Celia Rose is dead,” they told him. “but the forest doesn’t have to suffer anymore! you can already see the life coming back to it, birds fluttering around and flowers blooming.” the soldiers screamed at him, some cried at the death of the newborn. “it is finished. everything will live forever! we will be prosperous, despite having to go through pain and sacrifice first. it’s for the good.”

daily twenty one . passion poem . 205 words

pencils, ink, markers, crayons
anything i can grasp in my hands

cardboard, notebook, phone, napkin
anything i can mark with a pen

sadness, anger, happiness, disgust
all clearly visible with words expressed

writing is my life
all my hopes and dreams thrive on the page
putting pen to paper is how i cope with reality
how i show my feelings through characters
other than myself

i give them pain and sorrow
feelings like my own

i give them horrid injuries
mental and physical alike

how they manage to deal with it
heckons i don’t know
my only wish is it would help people
and show them they are not alone

along with that there’s come a plot twist
a gripping mystery at hand
a little bit or death and murder
but that’s that fun part yeah?

when i sit alone under the blankets
with my rugged journal and mechanical pencil
i can’t help but feel connected
to a fake place
and fake people i’ve created
i love them with all of my heart
and always will, i assure you

good comes with the bad
i’ve heard that saying plenty
but they have my back
and so do other lovely writers
who i will treasure forever

daily twenty two . pathetic fallacy . 264 words

i held her in my arms somberly as the clouds wept, rain soaking my messy hair and slipping down my shoulders. the forest animals around us called out longingly, desperately praying for her life to come back. the leaves on the ground bowed their heads with honor, just as disappointed in her passing. i sat beside her and stroked her chocolate brown hair, pushing her curtain bangs from her eyes. she was the girl without a name, nobody knew what she was called, and we were fine with that. what a fine young woman she was turning into! we all knew she’d be successful and happy, too bad it didn’t last. the moon shone down on us, seeming to mock the fact she was gone. the wind whispered a weary song through the trees, some birds eventually joining in as well. their sad calls did nothing but upset me more as i looked at her beautiful, golden skin, now turning pale. “it’s not right to let you go without a name,” i decided. i thought long and hard, it had to be perfect. as the stars twinkled in the sky, i decided. “it will be alina. because alina means bright and beautiful. not only are you beautiful on the outside, you are even more stunning on the inside.” after a moment of listening to the crickets chatter, i knew my time was up. “it’s time for me to go now,” i told her with a sigh. i plucked an iris from the ground, and softly layed it across her open wound. “my compliments, alina.”

daily twenty four . hobbit hole . 406 words

you walk through the twisty, carpeted hallways and make your way to a dead end. the only way to progress forward is to open a creamy white door with a whiteboard hanging on it. a Truman Capote quote is written in scribbly handwriting, and it reads, ‘you can’t blame an author for what the characters say.’ you smile, and twist a smooth black door knob, slowly pushing open the door and allowing you to enter. the first thing you notice is the light gray walls, and the colorful accent wall sitting behind a fairly large white bed. the accent wall is covered in a series of different shaped triangles, painted in whites, grays, a dusty pink, and a dark blue. you smile at the beautiful touch it adds to the room, then continue looking around. next, you see a dark green desk, in desperate need of getting repainted with a color that fits the room. on it, sits a ceramic cup, with a mango and frying pan sitting in the center. the cup holds pens, pencils, scissors, and the occasional piece of candy. the desk is covered in notebook paper and different journals, most of them still completely empty even after owning them for several years. you move on from the desk, and see a closet filled with cardigans, hoodies, and turtlenecks. a young girl with dark brown curly hair quickly leads you away quickly, nervous at to what else you might find in there. she takes you back to her bed, and hands you a pencil and paper. she points to a dark blue comforter speckled with small white flowers. “crawl under and pretend to write,” she says, raising the big blanket. you nestle your way inside, and she leaves you in darkness. you close your eyes, the writing utensil in hand, and take a deep breath. an overwhelming tranquility comes over you, and a smile spreads across your face. “amazing,” you whisper to yourself. “this is my hobbit hole,” the girl explains from outside. “because it’s a place where i’m safe and alone. a place where i can escape reality.” you nod, now understanding how much a simple room can impact someone. you grip the pencil tightly in your hands and begin writing. every single worry you may have had before the ‘hobbit hole field trip’ slowly fades away as you focus on world building and character development. “isn’t it wonderful?” the girl asks.

daily twenty five . color symbolization . 512 words

( side note: the characters live in a place where their hair shows their feelings ahaha — kind of like mood rings in a way)

We laughed and chatted all night long, spending the majority of the time gasping at the beautiful sky as the sun lowered itself into another country and the moon rose to put on a show for us, the stars twinkling like ballet dancers at a performance. I grin as I wave goodbye to some of my closest friends while they exit my apartment. “Thanks again for the wonderful party,” one of them says, pushing her long orange hair from off of her shoulders. “Ah no worries,” I answer, empty boxes of pizza in my hands. After everyone has left, I begin cleaning up. In about a half hour, I finally finish throwing away trash and wiping off the countertops. I sit at the table and sigh. “What a fun night,” I whisper to myself.
Ring Ring. Ring Ring. My phone vibrates against my leg. I pull it out of my pocket to answer, and wish to die when I hear what the caller has to say.

The flashbacks come pouring in as I get the call, tears blurring my vision before I can even process the news I’d just received.
“She was in an accident,” the lady had told me. “A three car collision…” my hearing stopped. “roads were too icy… driving fast…” I slammed the phone onto the table, my screen protector completely cracked, the cracks ebbing across the surface like an ugly spiderweb. I cupped my face in my hands, a rush of emotions flooding through me like I’ve never experienced before. “Hello? Are you there?” the voice on the phone asked. “Hello?” I angrily pushed the ‘end call’ button, slicing my fingers on the shards of glass, then throw my phone across the room.

After I finally calm down, I find myself on the ground, wishing I was in the car with her so at least we would have stayed together. My door creaks open, so I quickly wipe away my tears and put on a ‘my mom didn’t die 20 minutes ago and I’m perfectly okay!’ face. I look up to see who entered my dingy apartment, and choke back sobs when I see my father, equally as tearstained as me. His hair, once healthy and white with a tint of yellow, showing his pure and happy attitude, is now shriveled and dark, filled with streaks of sad blues and furious reds. I hadn’t even thought about my hair! I slowly rise and peer into the mirror a couple steps away, then collapse when I see the short, dead strands of hair barely hanging onto my scalp. Its colors are drained, and alongside the blues, grays and blacks mix their way into the already depressing sight. I fall into my father’s arms, desperately wanting to feel the warmth I once received from my now deceased mother. “So you’ve heard,” he croaks. I nod, creating a wet spot on his jacket from my crying. “Now now,” he says, rubbing my back. “It’ll be alright.” I shook my head and looked him in the eyes. “No. No, everything has changed.”

daily twenty six . fan fi role swap . 331 words
fandom : hungers games <33
katniss is a career and clove is in district 12
( daily starts in the games )

We walked through the forest with our weapons in hand, ready to kill off anyone in our way. I pushed my braid off my shoulders, mainly focusing on a way to get water, as our group hadn’t acquired any thus far. Every once in a while, I would catch Peeta staring my way. When I looked back it him, he quickly turned his face, cheeks bright red in embarrassment. I ignored it, no point in having a true relationship with someone out here when they’ll be murdered within a few short days.
Cato suddenly stopped in front of me, and I nearly fell on top of him. “Watch it,” I seethed. He was looking up into a tree, and at first I couldn’t see anything there, but then I noticed a girl, the one from district 12 I believe.
Cato stared at her, his eyes shining with an interest I couldn’t place. “Hey,” I said, getting the group’s attention. “The 12 girl is up there,” I said pointing. After a moment of squinting, I realized she was unarmed as well. “She has nothing to protect herself.” Marvel nodded. “Easy prey,” he said under his breath. He reached for his spear, and I readied my bow. The girl froze in fear, looking down at us and praying for mercy. “Stop, stop,” Cato said, voice shaking. “Let’s make this more fun!” He pitched. “Wait to kill her later, it will be more fun that way. Maybe she’ll have a better chance, then we’ll be able to have a real battle! More entertainment for the viewers.” Marvel shook his head with disgust. “What are you thinking?” He threw the spear immediately, and Clove’s body fell limp to the ground. Cato rushed to her, his eyes watery. “You traitor!” Glimmer shouted. “Now we know where your allegiance lies!” I stepped back, not wanting to watch the vicious scene that was about to enfold. I turned, wincing, and after it was all over, Clato was gone.

daily twenty seven . song translation story . 495 words

love story : taylor swift
We were both young when we met.
I closed it and looked around.
here I am
A summer breeze was blowing from the balcony.
He was in charge of lighting, invitations and costumes.
be careful.
and health
I do not know
Romeo is drunk.
My father said: Leave Julia.
I called from the stairs.
He asked me not to go, but I did.
Romeo Take me where.
I am now awaiting the death penalty.
You will be a hero. I will be a princess.
It's a love story, yes
Then we met secretly in the hall.
We sat in silence. Because if you know, you will die.
Then he closed his eyes.
Stay away from your neighbors for a while.
You are Romeo and I am Rose.
My father said: Leave Julia.
But you are everything to me.
He asks: Go.
Romeo Take me where.
I am now awaiting the death penalty.
You will be a hero. I will be a princess.
It's a love story, yes
Romeo saved me and tried to express his feelings.
And true love is hard.
Do not be afraid, I will save you from evil.
It's a love story, yes
vice versa.
I'm tired of waiting
I want to know when you'll be back
I do not believe it.
Let's meet and talk about the city.
ROMEO Help me, I am alone.
I'm waiting for you, you're gone
I think about it and I don't know what to think.
He stood up and grabbed the ring.
He said: Marry Julia.
You don't have to be alone
I love you, that's all I know.
I want my father's clothes to be clean.
It's a love story, yes
This is great! good month
grow up

I stared at the brick walls in my bedroom. They said it wasn’t a prison, it was an elegant room. I shook my head in disappointment, looking around at the velvet bed sheets and gold framed picture frames. I’d trade this for freedom in a heartbeat. “I’m trapped in here until dinner with the next man you want me to marry, and until I say yes, you won’t let me leave,” I argued, fighting back tears. The guards closed the door in my face. “We’re just following orders.”
Later that night, I heard clinking sounds coming from outside. I peered out my window and noticed a man with a handful of pebbles. When he saw me, he dropped the tiny rocks and waved. “Juliet!” He called. “Come down!” I opened my window as much as the restraints would let me. “I can’t,” I answered. “They made sure I wouldn’t be able to fit through when they added these bars to my window.” He thought for a moment. “Fine. I’ll just come and get you!” “No! Romeo stop! They won’t let you through! They said so last time you tried. They hate you; apparently you’re not deserving of my love.” He shrugged it off. “Whatever.” He ran out of view.
I paced back and forth on the expensive fur rug on my bedroom floor.
20 minutes after, a very drunk Romeo showed up at my door, the guards laying on the ground with cups of wine spilt on their armor. “Just offered them a few drinks,” he explained, clearly a little loopy. I chuckled, leading him to the nearest exit. Seconds later, pounding footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs. “Oh no,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Juliet, what are you doing with… him?” My father asked in disgust. “Meet me at the west hallway,” I whispered in Romeo’s ear. He ran away quickly, trying to get away from my furious parents. “Juliet!” I lowered my head. “You know you aren’t supposed to be with that outlaw.” “It’s love,” I whined. “Your idea of love is difficult,” Mother grumbled. I looked to my right, startled at the sound of nervous scuffling. “Romeo!” I seethed under my breath. He leaned up against the walls so no one could see him. “What was that?” Father asked, raising his eyebrow with suspicion. “Nothing,” I lied.
Suddenly, I felt Romeo’s arms around my waist as he sprinted towards me and swooped up into his arms. “I will always save you from evil,” he told me, a stupid smile on his face. “Stop right there!” Father demanded. He leapt out the open window at the end of the hall and we flew through the air, eventually landing on top of each other in a large bush. “Thank you,” I said. “How ‘bout we stay away from those neighbors for awhile,” he offered with a laugh, taking my hand and leading me through the woods to his cottage. “Indeed,” I giggled.

daily twenty eight . fairy tale continuation . 516 words
fairy tale chosen : goldilocks and the three bears <3

Goldilocks lay asleep in Baby Bear’s bed comfortably, nestled under the sky blue comforter. The front door creaked open slowly, rousing Goldi from her beauty sleep. She rose from the bed, looking into the slim hallway where the door was located.
Three bears made their way into the small cottage, startling the girl. She silently crawled out of the bed, desperately wishing she wouldn’t accidentally step on a squeaky floorboard. Before she could get through the open window just above the bed, Baby Bear came rushing in after noticing all of his other stuff had been tampered with.
“She’s in here!” He shouted. Papa Bear walked in with a frown on his face, Mama Bear trailing behind him. “Girlipops,” she muttered under her breath in annoyance. “What are you doing in our home?” Goldi gasped. “Girlipops?! More like Goldilocks,” she said, overly confident in her pathetic roast. “That burn was just right!” She said, pushing her thick gold hair from off of her shoulders with a smirk. “Get out,” Papa Bear growled. “I think not.” Mama Bear stepped forward. “Leave now, or we’ll make you.” The ignorant girl laughed at the bears. “What are you gonna do? Eat me?” She put on a fake face filled with shock, hands covering her mouth and eyes wide.
Mama Bear lunged, throwing her body on top of the small girl. With a ferocious roar, she swiped her sharp claws across Goldi’s pink dress, leaving claw marks. Goldilocks’ lip quivered, and the girl did her best to fight back tears. “Scared yet?” The bear asked mockingly. She got off of her, and pushed her away. “Scram!” Goldi got up shakily and ran out the door in fear. “Oh c’mon Mama,” Baby Bear whined. “I didn’t even get to touch her.” Papa Bear nodded. “Yeah! You can’t have all the fun.” Mama Bear chuckled. “Have at her boys,” she told them. They eagerly followed after Goldilocks, ready to have a little scrap.
In minutes the bears had caught up with her, and as soon as she saw them, Goldi let out a terrified scream, sprinting as fast as she could. Baby Bear got to her first, and with a big leap he sent them both to the ground. They fought in the long grass, rolling around until the two found themselves pushing against a huge brick wall. Papa Bear joined in, but instead of leaping on Goldi, he slammed into the wall, sending it toppling down. Mama Bear heard a faint yelling sound, and looked up at the falling wall. She saw a strange egg man flying through the air, and he was about to land on her boys and Goldilocks. “Move!” She shouted. “Egg man incoming!!”
It was too late. Humpty Dumpty had landed on top of everyone, and splattered egg yolk everywhere. The yolk got stuck in the bears’ fur, creating for a sticky mess, but a perfect distraction for Goldilocks to get as far away from them as possible. To this day no one knows if Goldi managed to get away or not, but some have their theories.

daily twenty nine . prologue . 362 words
story : this is a prologue for a short story i wrote a while back, i’m pretty sure it’s called behind the creek or something ^^’ i’ll link it here if i ever end up digging it up (think i posted it on my other profile if you’re interested in finding it haha). the prologue is set a few years after the main incident thing

“Bobby, wait up!” His father called, running after the young boy. Bobby sat on a rock, marveling at the sight in front of him. “Look at the sleepy bears, Daddy,” he said, pointing to them with his small fingers. “Bobby,” his father whispered, voice shaking. “Let’s go son.” He quietly lifted him off the rock, making his way as far from the bears as possible before they awoke. They pushed past a few big leafy plants and found themselves in a clearing with old, broken down cottages. Bobby jumped out of his father’s arms and ran towards them, screaming with delight. “Look Daddy! See the houses!” His father nodded in disbelief. “I see them alright,” he muttered, tracing his hand along the claw marks and paw prints. “I wonder who made these?” He asked himself, studying the structures. “Oh Daddy,” Bobby said, rolling his eyes. “The animals of course!” Debris and dead plants littered the center of the clearing, tufts of fur and even the occasional fleck of blood could be seen in the sand. Bobby’s father quickly covered it up, not wanting his child to notice the gore, no matter how small. As he was looking around some more, he heard Bobby screech. He whipped around and raced toward him. He eventually found him behind one of the cottages, waving around a robot hand and digging further into the ground, finding more parts. “What the—” “Robot,” Bobby announced, interrupting him. “Robot arm! I found a robot!” He cheered, dancing around in circles. His father ignored him, searching for more, desperately wanting information on what happened in this clearing. He got up and walked to where all the debris sat, poking it around with a stick. After finding nothing useful, he decided to see what was inside the cottages. With a gulp, he walked in slowly, stick in hand. A few dead leaves sat on a shelf, and bloody cobwebs could be seen all across the ground. After more searching, he discovered an assortment of herbs. He pulled them to his nose, giving them a sniff. “Used for healing perhaps,” he observed. “But by animals? How would they know to use them?”

daily thirty . least fav power . 279 words

i sat up in my bed, awaking to a strange fog that filled my bedroom. the cool air made me feel an odd sense of calmness, and i sleepily laid back down, wrapping the blankets around my face.
suddenly, a witchy figure appeared from out of the fog and made her way to my bedside. “hello child,” she croaked. “it is to my pleasure that i’ve heard you are struggling with bullies?” i nodded, hypnotized by the fog swirling around me. “i’ve come here to help you with those bullies.” “superpowers!” i declared, feeling a bit loopy. i broke into laughter and the witch let out a couple forced chuckles. “ahaha right. so what power would you like my dear?” she asked me. “super!” i answered, still giggling. “mhm. how about super speed? or invisibility? i can grant you anything you wish.” i thought for a moment, taking a bit too long to decide. “enough of this,” the witch snapped. she swooped a glass jar around the room, capturing as much fog as possible, then dropped four drops of a thick purple liquid inside of it. after a few minutes of shaking it, she dumped it in my mouth and forced me to swallow. “here you are dear! the power to dig very deep holes to escape the bullies. goodbye now!” in an instant, she has disappeared into the fog, and it slowly made its way out my open window. as soon as all the fog had drained from me room, the weird spell had worn off. once i realized what i’d just agreed to, i let out a big sigh. “what the heck is this? this power sucks.”

Weekly Four . x words

Part One | Outline | 259 words

. character is managing their store and having a normal day
. character goes home after a long day and sits on the couch ready to watch a basketball game
. character’s phone vibrates in their pocket so they answer it
. a woman on the phone tells the character that their grandfather passed away in a car accident and says that he left the character his small house and everything in it
. cries, agony, insert character torture
. character goes to grandfather’s house with sister to poke around and see what he left
. sister sees chessboard in the basement and calls character down to come look at it — it looks pretty vintage and is strange that everything is set up
. character comes to examine chessboard, sister and character talk about grandfather
. sister has to leave for a work thingy, leaving character alone
. character decides to wrap it up too, but not before moving one of the pieces
. the next day, character and sister go looking around grandfather’s house again to get things more organized and notice the opposing piece on the chessboard has been moved
. character is super confused and slightly scared, then realizes grandfather might be visiting from the spirit world and the two siblings set out to find him
. character and sister come up with a plan to do a stake out after moving one of their chess pieces to see their grandfather
. he comes as a ghost figure to move his piece and the three reunite for the last time

Part Two | Exposition | 193 words

Oliver looked up from his book when he heard the bell as a customer walked into his shop. He quickly put a bookmark on his stopping page and slid it in a desk drawer. “Hi there! Anything I can help you with today?” He asked cheerfully, closing the drawer. “I’m looking for a specific box of nails, do you have that type of stuff here?” The man answered. “What brand or type were you thinking?” “I don’t remember exactly,” he said with a laugh. “I’ll know ‘em when I see ‘em.” “Oh no worries,” Oli said, leading him to the hardware aisle in the corner of the store. A moment later, another set of customers walked through the door. “Could we get a small scoop of ice cream please?” They asked him. With a nod, he got out a few waffle cones. “What flavor?” “Two chocolates and a mint please,” one lady said. “Of course!” Oliver scooped up the frozen treat and handed them over. After ringing them up, with the man and his nails shortly after, no other customers showed up for a few hours so he decided to close up early.

Part Three | Story | 1362 words
ingredients:
new conflict - grandfather passes away
flashback - when call received flashbacks of gpa
new character introduction - calypso
epistolary - characters find a letter
cliffhanger - boxes move at stake out then ends

Oliver opens the front door of his apartment and heads for the couch. “I might just be able to catch the last half of that basketball game,” he mumbles to himself, searching for the remote. After he finally manages to pull up the game, there’s only a few minutes left. He looks down at his bracket. “Yes! Orange is winning.” He grins at the tv, ready to send a message to his friend that his pick won. Purple was slowly catching up, one layup at a time. Oli tensed, his grip on the remote tightening. As the buzzer sounded, someone from orange shot a three pointer, and… SWISH! The crowd went wild, and so did Oli. He pumped his fists in the air. “Let’s go!!” A sudden vibrating of his phone stopped the excitement. ‘Probably just Max upset about his team losing,’ he thought, reaching for his phone. An unfamiliar number flashed on his screen, and he pulled it to his ear nervously to answer.
“Hello?” He asked, a look of concern on his face. “I don’t want any free car insurance,” he said with a nervous laugh. “Unfortunately, I won’t be offering you insurance,” the lady on the other end of the phone said somberly. “I’m calling to inform you that your grandfather has passed away. He died in a car accident earlier this morning, and on his will you are listed to inherit his house and all of the belongings inside of it.”
Oliver collapsed, landing with a hard thud on the dark brown floorboards below him. The phone flew from his hands, making its way underneath the coffee table. “I’m terribly sorry,” the voice on the phone said through the speakers. Oli wept, tears pouring from his eyes like a raging waterfall. All he could think of was the happy memories with his grandfather. Learning to ride a bike, having a glorious snowball fight and spilling hot chocolate all over each other afterwards. He remembered his grandfather’s wavy blond hair, slowly becoming more white as time passed, though he’d wished the time would’ve lasted longer. Oli sat curled up in a ball on the ground, weeping in the silence of the night. “Have a good night,” the woman told him, hanging up the phone to let him be. An hour or so later, Oliver’s sister, Calypso, pushed open the door slowly, her face as equally as tear stained as Oli’s. He looked up at her, and fell back to the ground, crying out in agony. Calypso sat down next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. “He’s gone, and I know it hurts,” she mumbled, tears running down her face. “But we have to stay strong. How about a little exploring tomorrow? Close the shop for a few days?” Oli nodded, feeling a sense of calmness in the presence of his younger sister. “I’m supposed to be taking care of you,” he croaked. “I’m sorry.” Calypso held him tighter. “Oh hush hush.” The two chuckled for a moment, and stayed with each other through the night, fear of letting the only one they had go.
The next morning, Oli awoke to birds singing in the park across the street and smiling neighbors as the city grew alive below his apartment. He grew frustrated with the happiness around him, wondering why he and Calypso had to suffer, while it seemed like everyone else was just fine and dandy. With a sigh, he slowly rose from his spot on the ground to make a bowl of cereal for him and his sister. In a couple minutes, she woke up too, and trudged over to the counter to eat. The cereal tasted bland and soggy, and it barely made its way down Oli’s throat without coming back up. “Why us?” Calypso asked softly, her too, thinking of everyone else’s joy. “I don’t know,” Oliver breathed.
After getting ready for the day, the two stopped at Oli’s shop to put a closing notice on the door, then drove to their grandparents house to see what he’d inherited, and to organize things. Once they’d arrived, Calypso opened the rickety blue door and smiled a sad smile. “I forgot how much I loved this place.” Oliver nodded, tracing his hand on the chipping wood. “Mhm.” They stepped inside, looking around at all the open boxes and little gadgets sprawled across the floor and hanging on shelves. Oli let out a little laugh. “Looks like Grandpa wasn’t the only unorganized one,” he said, looking at Calypso. Calypso gasped. “How dare you?” She exclaimed sarcastically. “I am totally completely not messy!” Oli rolled his eyes. “Mk buddy,” he said teasingly. They both smiled, clearly enjoying one another’s company. “Let’s get to work shall we?”
Calypso started with the hall, while Oliver went to work on the guest room, where their grandfather had crammed all of his miscellaneous doo-dads. After everything was sorted, the siblings met at the cluttered counter for lunch, then decided to go downstairs to conquer the basement after eating. While munching on tuna sandwiches, Calypso pulled out an old crinkled letter. “Look what I found,” she said, handing the letter to Oliver.
Dear Bentley,
life with you these past few years have been quite the dream. I’ve loved every moment with you, and I hope you know how much I hate having to write this letter. The doctors have said it, our family has said it, and now it’s come the time where I have to say it myself. I don’t enjoy having to leave you, but my departure is necessary. I’ll see you soon my dear Benny. My love will always belong to you, no matter how far away I am.
Love,
Melissa
Oli cried as he read it, staining the paper with his tears. “It’s from Grandma,” Calypso told him. “Before she died from cancer.” Oli nodded, handing the letter back. “I miss them.” Calypso nodded in agreement, and they ate the rest of their food in silence until it was time to get back to work. The somber mood had eventually lifted, and the two were quickly back to joking around with each other.
Oli wiped a fake drip of sweat from his forehead. “This is hard work,” he muttered. “Physically and emotionally,” Calypso added quietly. Once below the house, they noticed a chessboard, all of the pieces set up perfectly, ready to start a new game. Calypso didn’t seem to care, and she pulled out her phone to check the time. “It’s 4:30. Maybe we should head back and leave this for tomorrow?” Oli didn’t hear, he was focused on the strangeness of the game. ‘Why is it set up?’ He wondered. ‘What was Grandpa waiting for? Who was he going to play with?’ “Oli?” Calypso said, interrupting his train of thought. “I have to head out for a short work thing. You should be going soon too. I’ll meet you here again tomorrow morning at 8 ok?” Oliver nodded, waving goodbye to his sister. “Well, farewell I suppose,” he mumbled to the chessboard as he gathered his things. He hesitated, but made the decision to move the knight. ‘Maybe me and Calypso can play tomorrow,’ he thought.
The next morning, Oli asked her if she would play before they started working. Calypso narrowed her eyes, slightly suspicious, but agreed. They went to the basement where the chessboard was, and Oli let out a blood curdling screech. “Oli!” Calypso screamed. “Stop! What’s wrong?” Oli’s whole body was shaking as he fell to the ground, raising a wobbly finger to the chess board. “The opposing piece moved. I didn’t do it.” Calypso backed away from the game. “Stake out. Tonight. Meet me here at 8pm. I think it’s Grandpa.” Oliver looked up at her with fear in his eyes, but gave a determined nod. “Okay.”
That night, they found themselves behind a stack of boxes, staring at the chessboard until they found the culprit. After hours of waiting, a strange fog came out from behind a different pile of boxes across the room. Rustling could be heard, and the siblings held back gasps. “Is that-?” Calypso asked. “Hush.”

Part Four | Critique for Rae | 396 words

Part Five | Editing | 117 words

Oliver opens the front door of his apartment and heads for the couch. “I might just be able to catch the last half of that basketball game,” he mumbles to himself, searching for the remote. After he finally manages to pull up the game, there’s only a few minutes left. He looks down at his bracket. “Yes! Orange is winning.” He grins at the tv, ready to send a message to his friend that his pick won. Purple was slowly catching up, one layup at a time. Oli tensed, his grip on the remote tightening. As the buzzer sounded, someone from orange shot a three pointer, and… SWISH! The crowd went wild, and so did Oli. He pumped his fists in the air. “Let’s go!!” A sudden vibrating of his phone stopped the excitement. ‘Probably just Max upset about his team losing,’ he thought, reaching for his phone. An unfamiliar number flashed on his screen, and he pulled it to his ear nervously to answer.
“Hello?” He asked, a look of concern on his face. “I don’t want any free car insurance,” he said with a nervous laugh. “Unfortunately, I won’t be offering you insurance,” the lady on the other end of the phone said somberly. “I’m calling to inform you that your grandfather has passed away. He died in a car accident earlier this morning, and on his will you are listed to inherit his house and all of the belongings inside of it.”
Oliver’s body felt numb as he fell to the ground, landing with a hard thud on the dark brown floorboards below him. The phone flew from his hands, making its way underneath the coffee table. His hands were shaking, and he broke out in a sweat, heart beating fiercely. “I’m terribly sorry,” the voice on the phone said through the speakers. Oli wept, tears pouring from his eyes like a raging waterfall. All he could think of was the happy memories with his grandfather. Learning to ride a bike, having a glorious snowball fight and spilling hot chocolate all over each other afterwards. He remembered his grandfather’s wavy blond hair, slowly becoming more white as time passed, though he’d wished the time would’ve lasted longer. Oli sat curled up in a ball on the ground, weeping in the silence of the night. “Have a good night,” the woman told him, hanging up the phone to let him be. An hour or so later, Oliver’s sister, Calypso, pushed open the door slowly, her face as equally as tear stained as Oli’s. He looked up at her, and fell back to the ground, crying out in agony. Calypso sat down next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. “He’s gone, and I know it hurts,” she mumbled, tears running down her face. “But we have to stay strong. How about a little exploring tomorrow? Close the shop for a few days?” Oli nodded, feeling a sense of calmness in the presence of his younger sister. “I’m supposed to be taking care of you,” he croaked. “I’m sorry.” Calypso held him tighter. “Oh hush hush.” The two chuckled for a moment, and stayed with each other through the night, fear of letting the only one they had go.
The next morning, Oli awoke to birds singing in the park across the street and smiling neighbors as the city grew alive below his apartment. He grew frustrated with the happiness around him, wondering why he and Calypso had to suffer, while it seemed like everyone else was just fine and dandy. With a sigh, he slowly rose from his spot on the ground to make a bowl of cereal for him and his sister. In a couple minutes, she woke up too, and trudged over to the counter to eat. The cereal tasted bland and soggy, and it barely made its way down Oli’s throat without coming back up. “Why us?” Calypso asked softly, her too, thinking of everyone else’s joy. “I don’t know,” Oliver breathed, tears stinging his eyes.
After getting ready for the day, the two stopped at Oli’s shop to put a closing notice on the door, then drove to their grandparents house to see what he’d inherited, and to organize his things. Once they’d arrived, Calypso opened the rickety blue door with a sad smile. “I forgot how much I loved this place.” Oliver nodded, tracing his hand on the chipping wood. “Mhm.” They stepped inside, looking around at all the open boxes and little gadgets sprawled across the floor and hanging on shelves. Oli let out a little laugh. “Looks like Grandpa wasn’t the only unorganized one,” he said, looking at Calypso. Calypso gasped. “How dare you?” She exclaimed sarcastically. “I am totally completely not messy!” Oli rolled his eyes. “Mk buddy,” he said teasingly. They both smiled, clearly enjoying one another’s company. “Let’s get to work shall we?”
Calypso started with the hall, while Oliver went to work on their grandfather’s room, where he had crammed all of his miscellaneous doo-dads. The two neatly stored away soldier figurines and small tanks. They stacked up his board games and cleaned up his cards and poker chips. Calypso held back tears as she sorted the vintage games, remembering how much their grandfather had loved playing with them as kids.
Oli could barely keep himself together as he folded up his grandfather’s old button up shirts and khakis. After everything was sorted, the siblings met at the cluttered table for lunch, then decided to go downstairs to conquer the basement after eating. While munching on tuna sandwiches, Calypso pulled out an old crinkled letter. “Look what I found,” she said, handing the letter to Oliver.
Dear Bentley,
life with you these past few years have been quite the dream. I’ve loved every moment with you, and I hope you know how much I hate having to write this letter. The doctors have said it, our family has said it, and now it’s come the time where I have to say it myself. I don’t enjoy having to leave you, but my departure is necessary. I’ll see you soon my dear Benny. My love will always belong to you, no matter how far away I am.
Love,
Melissa
Oli cried as he read it, staining the paper with his tears. “It’s from Grandma,” Calypso told him. “Before she died from cancer.” Oli nodded, handing the letter back. “I miss them.” Calypso nodded in agreement, and they ate the rest of their food in silence until it was time to get back to work. The somber mood had eventually lifted, and the two were quickly back to joking around with each other.
Oli wiped a fake drip of sweat from his forehead. “This is hard work,” he muttered. “Mk buddy,” Calypso said, playfully mocking her brother’s catchphrase. Once below the house, they noticed a chessboard, all of the pieces set up perfectly, ready to start a new game. Calypso didn’t seem to care, and she pulled out her phone to check the time. “It’s 4:30. Maybe we should head back and leave this for tomorrow?” Oli didn’t hear, he was focused on the strangeness of the game. ‘Why is it set up?’ He wondered. ‘What was Grandpa waiting for? Who was he going to play with?’ “Oli?” Calypso said, interrupting his train of thought. “I have to head out for a short work thing. You should be going soon too. I’ll meet you here again tomorrow morning at 8 ok?” Oliver nodded, waving goodbye to his sister. “Well, farewell I suppose,” he mumbled to the chessboard as he gathered his things. He hesitated, but made the decision to move the knight. ‘Maybe me and Calypso can play tomorrow,’ he thought.
The next morning, Oli asked her if she would play before they started working. Calypso narrowed her eyes, slightly suspicious, but agreed. They went to the basement where the chessboard was, and Oli let out a blood curdling screech. “Oli!” Calypso screamed. “Stop! What’s wrong?” Oli’s whole body was shaking as he fell to the ground, raising a wobbly finger to the chess board. “The opposing piece moved. I didn’t do it.” Calypso backed away from the game. “Stake out. Tonight. Meet me here at 8pm. I think it’s Grandpa.” Oliver looked up at her with fear in his eyes, but gave a determined nod. “Okay.”
That night, they found themselves behind a stack of boxes, staring at the chessboard until they found the culprit. After hours of waiting, a strange fog came out from behind a different pile of boxes across the room. Rustling could be heard, and the siblings held back gasps. “Is that-?” Calypso asked. Oli’s heart thumped in his ears, and his eyes grew wide as the thought of seeing his grandfather again entered his mind. “Hush.”

total word count : 2317

critique for rae | 396 words

overall, i loved this piece. i love the character, sam, and the mysterious vibe that the story captures. you did a great job with it!

“ … my name is Sam, and I guess I’ve always found solace in the hum or circuits and the glow of LED lights.”
i really love the first paragraph and how descriptive it is, especially this nice character introduction. it’s basically the definition of short and sweet, and paints a nice picture in the reader’s head of what sam is like.

in the third paragraph, i absolutely LOVE how you describe his father’s radio, and in the following paragraph it’s super nice as well <3

“ As I ran my fingers over the worn dials and faded buttons, a flood of memories came rushing back - memories of lazy Sunday afternoons spent listening to crackling broadcasts from distant lands, of my father’s gentle smile as he showed me how to tune in to the frequencies of the world beyond our doorstep.”
in the brackets, i added ‘and’, which i think makes the sentence flow a bit better. since the sentence isn’t a list of 3+ things, i think the ‘and’ is more correct.

“Two years since he has been missing and unlike what everyone tells me, every day seems to hurt even more.”
the flow of this sentence seems off to me. a good start to making it flow better might be to add “than the last” at the end of the sentence. i think if you modify the start of the sentence a little bit, it will flow more smoothly, and make a bit more sense to the reader. for example, changing it to something like this, “It’s been two years since he went missing, and unlike what everyone tells me, each day seems to hurt more than the last.” this is mainly just personal preference, and i could see how this works for you, and how other readers might not have a problem understanding it.

i feel super repetitive but this piece, besides a few small preference errors, is absolutely stunninggg <33 paragraph five is so incredible to me and i love the emotion behind it!

“Nervous yet excited, I accepted the invitation …”
another personal preference thing, a comma after nervous makes it more flowy for me haha

“And though I couldn’t fully comprehend the magnitude of his words at the time, something deep within me stirred, a sense of destiny unfolding me before my very eyes.”
i love this ahhh

“With the guidance of Dr. Reyes and the support Sarah and Marcus …”
just a small error, i believe there should be an ‘of’ between support and Sarah <3

STOP THE CLIFFHANGER NOOOO ADSHFKS
this piece is so beautifully crafted, and other than a few small preference things, i love how it turned out! i think it might make a bigger impact if you give Sam more ‘emotion’ i guess? he feels almost like a robot, and other than the few times you mentioned his father and how he connects with him, i think it might be good to add more of how he feels throughout the story <3 overall, this is such a good piece and i love the plot <3 thanks for letting me critique it ;D

march ‘24 swc thank you notes

group thank you’s <3

hosts
our beloved tyrants <33 thank you all so much for your huge part in making swc run smoothly and carrying it out each session. it means a lot to me and so many other people, and right now i’m at a loss for words but thanks so much <3

daily team
once again you bring 31 amazing dailies and 4 just as amazing weeklies to start off another year of swc <3 thanks so much for your efforts to give us enjoyable writing activities, and an even bigger thank you for doing it every session! the dailies have seriously stretched my comfort zone this session, as i accepted the ‘do every daily’ challenge this march, and i feel that i’ve become a better writer because of it. the activities y’all come up with are wonderful, so thank you for that!

writing comp judges and panelists
thank you all so so much for stepping up to the challenge and working really hard to read over everyone’s entries and collaborate to pick winners <3 you’re all incredible, thank you!!

— — —

script <3

alia
when i woke up to check leader results, and saw an offer in my inbox, i lowkey almost start crying but restrained myself because i was with my family and whatnot haha ;D i’m so glad i got to be a part of the script team this session and help create our amazing storyline <3 this month has truly been so fun for me as my second time co-leading, and being able to collaborate with you and snowy made it so so much better. you were always an inspiration for me (and still are) so when i got the chance to help bring a cabin to life with you, i was filled with gratitude. thank you so much for your offer, and thank you for making my one year swc anniversary another great session

snowy
snowy you’re so so awesome what the heck :0 i literally loved working with you this session <3 when i saw alia had offered to you, i was so happy, and was waiting to make my decision based on whether or not you accepted because i didn’t want to pass up a chance to get to know you better haha ;D when i finally made the choice to accept, i prayed so hard you would too, so i could spend my session with you and alia <3 you’re writing never ceases to amaze me, and i love your friendly personality. thank you so much for being such a great friend, i couldn’t have asked for a better person to co-lead alongside!

script campers
y’all SLAYED IT this session omg you are all so epic and i loved having each and every one of you in our cabin <3 gotta congratulate you on our amazing rank of third place! (though official results are still coming ;D) you guys are so awesome and i’m so lucky i got to spend my session with you guys B) i can’t wait to see you in future sessions! thank you for an incredible march <3

— — —
individual thank you’s in alphabetical order! <3

alana
ALANA I CAN’T BELIEVE YOUR CAMPERS HAD SIX WEEKLY EXTENSIONS THAT’S NOT NICE TO SCRIPT AFJAKFKSHFJ
besides the fact that you stayed ahead of us most of the session ( >:0 ) it was so amazing talking to you and watching you interact with the people around you (totally not a stalker what?) seriously though, i enjoy hanging out with you and love the vibes you bring with you where ever you go. you’re honestly such an inspiration to me, and i hope to become as amazing as you one day. you’re a great leader (and storyline creator? seriously i think fairy tales won my favorite storyline award of the session because everything about your cabin was so awesome afjskfjdk and the graphic designing stop. your leadership team was amazinggg) ANYWAYS, thanks for being such a role model to me, and so epic <3

bella
i’m so glad you got in my cabin again this session! it’s literally been an absolute blast having you with us, and i can’t wait to get to know you even more in the future. you have a brilliant attitude, and a cheerful personality to go alongside that <3 you’re so awesome bella, and i’m really looking forward to what cabins we end up in together in the sessions to come hehe

chloe
ooh chloe you’re so amazing ahhh <3 you went through so much this session and still continued to show up to the main cabin with the energy and chaos we needed! i love the goat apple toad war — it truly made this session so epic haha ;D thanks for being incredible <33

chuey
i saw you around the main cabin this session, and i believed we had a few conversations here and there! it was awesome talking to you, and i can’t wait to get to know you more in future sessions <3

clev
i love the vibes you bring to the main cabin and it was fun watching chaos happen with you <3

crim
heya crim! you also helped me out this session, and i wanted to thank you for that hehe ;D you’re so awesome and i think it’d be great to get to know you also <3

mouse
DYSTOPIAN WAS AWESOME OMG I LOVED STALKING YOU GUYS AFKSHFKSH :O I AM GOING TO DO THIS SUPER INFORMALLY BECAUSE YOU’RE JUST THAT AWESOME BUT BASICALLY I WANTED TO SAY I CAN’T BELIEVE WE BECAME FRIENDS A YEAR AGO AND I REMEMBER THINKING YOU WERE TOO COOL TO BE MY FRIEND AND I’M SO GLAD I GOT TO KNOW YOU BETTER BECAUSE YOU’RE SO AWESOME <33 THANKS FOR BEING AMAZING MOUSE

nova
novaaa <33 you’re such an incredible person and friend! you have such a fun personality and i love talking with you in the comments of the main cabin! i loved checking my inbox and seeing a message from you, it literally made my smile so hard haha <3 thanks for being such a fun person to be around nova ;D

sienna
HI SIENNA ITS YOUR NUMBER ONE WRITING FAN HERE!! ;DD heyooo :0 you’re literally so cool and i loved reading your writing this session! i love you happy personality and how fun you are <3 hope we can chat more in the future hehe

vi
vi hi! :0 you’re so cool and i look up to you so much ahaha — thanks for answering my questions this session, i hope to get to know you more in the future <33

wild
i didn’t talk to you much this session but i can tell you’re super cool! i loved watching you submit all your dailies with mere seconds to spare xD bahaha thanks for being epic

nova, alana, mouse, bella, snowy, sienna, and many more that are slipping my mind
thank you for being the type of people i want to be able to follow multiple times <3

swc participants
ok first of all, i don’t know what i would do without you all. i love hanging out with each and everyone of you, reading your stupid funny comments and making some of my own. i love the vibes y’all bring to swc and reading everyone’s works of art, no matter how last minute they are ;D ( wild :eyes: )