Sunday June 24th, 2012

The exercise:

Today we write about: the puzzle.

Enjoyed a relaxing and refreshing day off. Expecting to use all that energy up during tomorrow's harvest.

Mine:

"There's got to be a way out of this. I just have to figure it out, that's all."

"You've said that ten times in the last hour," Sarah observed, not moving from where she was slumped against the wall, "and we are no closer to this fabled solution now than we were when we first got here."

"Perhaps we would have made some progress if you stopped moaning and groaning about our imminent doom and started helping me escape from it instead."

"No, I don't reckon that would've changed a single thing."

"Obviously not. So I can assume that should I find an exit I shouldn't bother informing you?"

"Oh for... there's no way out! How many times do you need to hear that before you accept it?"

"Very well then. It's been... not quite a pleasure. Good day."

"Whatever, Nate." Sarah scratched at the back of her left hand, gritting her teeth against the pain. Looking up, she intended to fire a few more choice words in her companion's direction, but instead found herself alone. "Nate? Nathan!"

6 comments:

Greg said...

Ah days off. I remember when I used to get them... (work is ridiculous right at the moment. I'm hoping to die to get away from it all).

Sarah and Nate seem familiar, but from Cathryn's writing. Is this a shared story from Protagonise or are you just stealing characters? ;-)
The last paragraph makes the story, in my opinion :)

The puzzle
"NO!" Dr. Septopus glowered at Sylvestra, who was trying (and failing) to look innocent. "And what have you got behind your back?"
"This? It's a puzzle-box." She offered it to him. It was a deep purple cube with a curling, swirling design picked out on it in gold. "There's a way to open it, but it's a puzzle how you do it."
Dr. Septopus held it up to his eyes and peered at it intently, running his tentacles over every square inch of the surface.
"So, the Amber Gambler is really very keen to join our Counci–" started Sylvestra again, determined not to be put off by Dr. Septopus's hostility to her idea.
"No," he said firmly, still concentraing on the puzzle. "With the Red Lightbulb, the Amber Gambler and the Green Lightbulb we'd look like a team of traffic lights. You'd have to change your name to become Lovely Rita, Meter Maid and I've have to be Dr. Traffic Warden. Is that really what you want?"
He handed her the opened puzzle box, and walked off, leaving her standing there bemused on two counts.

Anonymous said...

it was his first birthday
he opened the wrapped gift he received from his aunt
she made it herself
it was a wooden puzzle
the pieces were individual shapes of different trucks
they had little knobs he could grip in his tiny hands for him to lift out
the trucks had names on them
which is good because Baby could then teach his grandma their names too

Cathryn Leigh said...

He he. I do have a Sarah and a Nick, though I'll state they are not the same as the two Marc used. My Sarah would have been looking for a way out with Nick.. and He's have probably called her Smith *grins*


Puzzle

The puzzle for me, is how should it be,
Should Chester die in book two or three?
And if he dies during book two,
Then another second man I will have to choose.

But that would mean I have to create,
Another man for ust to hate.
He'd have to rotten to the core,
And act as Wholawski's right hand whore...


O.o Um right... I'm trying to fix the plot of my Trilogy and wondering if I should bother or shelve the books for later potential.

Marc said...

Greg - death seems a touch extreme. Perhaps a sick day is in order?

Nah, just stealing names without realizing it.

Amber Gambler! Dr. Traffic Warden! I sense the beginning of a whole new chapter of adventure :D

Writebite - ah yes, the young can be great teachers, can't they? Sounds like a great gift to me :)

Cathryn - heh, really liked those opening lines.

Sometimes a story needs a bit of space, but it can be hard to tell when that time is. I hope it becomes clearer to you, one way or the other, soon.

Unknown said...

The Puzzle

Linked together piece by piece
An image finally becomes clear
A blue sky, the salty seas of Nice
And a small boat tied to a pier.

Marc said...

Morrigan - love the take on the prompt, and the execution was excellent :D