The exercise:
Your prompt: in the snowy woods.
Kat and I went showshoeing on Mount Washington this morning and it was beautiful. I'll share a picture at some point.
We're packing up and heading back to Vancouver tomorrow morning. We'll spend the night there and then it's back to Osoyoos for us.
Mine:
I had to hurry, as the tracks were quickly being filled with new snow. It felt like Mother Nature was working against me and for my prey.
Rude old cow, isn't she? Hardly playing fair at all.
I pushed onward, rifle at the ready and my eyes straining to catch any movement between the fluttering snowflakes and stolid tree trunks. At least the uniform blanket of white was in my favor - as long as the prick had any color on his body at all he'd stand out like a white politician in Harlem.
As I came to a small clearing in the woods the tracks disappeared. I stared at the snow before me, trying to make them reappear by force of will alone.
It was while I was in the midst of this fruitless task that I heard the gun cock in the tree above me.
Your prompt: in the snowy woods.
Kat and I went showshoeing on Mount Washington this morning and it was beautiful. I'll share a picture at some point.
We're packing up and heading back to Vancouver tomorrow morning. We'll spend the night there and then it's back to Osoyoos for us.
Mine:
I had to hurry, as the tracks were quickly being filled with new snow. It felt like Mother Nature was working against me and for my prey.
Rude old cow, isn't she? Hardly playing fair at all.
I pushed onward, rifle at the ready and my eyes straining to catch any movement between the fluttering snowflakes and stolid tree trunks. At least the uniform blanket of white was in my favor - as long as the prick had any color on his body at all he'd stand out like a white politician in Harlem.
As I came to a small clearing in the woods the tracks disappeared. I stared at the snow before me, trying to make them reappear by force of will alone.
It was while I was in the midst of this fruitless task that I heard the gun cock in the tree above me.
I am so glad to have found your blog! Writing everyday is something that I try to do; although not very well.
ReplyDeleteprompt: in the snowy woods
Full moon lights up the snow all around me. With each step I am crashing through layer upon layer of miniature ice palaces. One breath and then another escapes in a white fog.
The scars in the snow on the hill behind me are already disappearing under fresh snow. For a second I feel like we are alone here in the city. In my arms Gabe grunts preciously as only infants can.
In the forest of the city park it is a different universe. The elves hiding in the tree tops cast their wisdom of the woods on us. The trolls hiding underground shore up soft soil to ensure each step is a safe one. I stop a moment and thank each of them for watching out for us on our wanderings. Someday Gabe will learn from them knowledge of the world before the time of apartment high rises and espresso carts.
I am so glad to have found your blog! I am going to attack this prompt and share on my own blog... thank you! :)
ReplyDeleteIn the snowy woods
ReplyDelete"Where.. are we...?" John barely put the words together after waking up in the middle of the snowy forest.
The cloud viewing from the inside of the airplane was the last thing in his mind. Finding himself in the middle of the forest is quite hard to swallow for the first few days of his "never-happened-before" life surviving journey. That was the most spectacular moments of his life.
Memo of day one, 9:15am Thursday, 20th Jan 2000.
The white fine snow swift around the whole forest just like ashes. I was there, freezing like mad. Hungry and thirsty and there was no sign of anybody else from the airplane. I was terrified as I could hardly move an inch away. I was rooted to the spot, crying in agony. I tried calling out for help until my voice feels hoarse. I lost my only source for getting an attention for help. I almost lose myself to the wild. Not that I lose my mind. I was just cracking my head for a solution albeit in a confused mind. The situation is just too scary and unfamiliar.
It comes to a point that I decided to just move on. I drag my feet along since my right foot got wounded pretty bad. The bluebacks are almost transparent that you can see part of the bones sticking out. I feared that my right would be gone forever even if I did manage to survive.
I walked straight all the way with no map. In search of somebody, anybody who can help me. Soon, I find myself lost in the woods. Every turn I took looked so similar to each other. I couldn't come up with an explanation for that. My mind was in a whirlpool, coming short at times. I pray that god would just let someone find me but it never did anyway. I ended up sleeping on a log with my well equipped winter clothing.
@Zhongming: I'm not sure I'd have enjoyed sleeping outdoors, winter clothing or not!
ReplyDelete@Sean: Great little piece, very evocative, and I like the way the forest is used for a purpose!
@Marc: Snowshoeing sounds like fun, I shall add that to my list of things to get round to doing! Have fun in Vancouver, and I hope you get back to Osoyoos safely.
I loved "Rude old cow, isn't she?", and the gun cock at the end, though perhaps foreshadowed, was still a nice touch.
In the snowy woods
"Mmmmphhh! Mmmmmmph! MMPHH!"
"Oh shut up. No-one can hear you out here, you're in the Snowy Woods. And you know why it's called the Snowy Woods?"
"Mmmph!"
"Because Snowy lives here, and he doesn't much like visitors. Luckily for me, I won't be staying, I'll be on my way in just a minute."
"Mmmph!"
"Look, it's not like I have a lot of choice, is it? If I don't keep you out of sight for a few days, Bad Kitty will realise that you're not rotting away at the top of her Christmas tree, and then I'll be in trouble. If you re-appear in the New Year, perhaps missing a few frostbitten tentacles, I can tell her that you've got some superpower that brings you back from the dead."
Doctor Septopus was silent while the Assassin dragged him over some particularly pointy rocks and down into a snow-filled hollow. Letting his enemies think that he was immortal, or even just the Zombie Doctor Septopus -- Doctor Zombipus perhaps! -- was an interesting idea.
Trees up on the ridge shivered in unison, dislodging a sheet of snow that crashed down, muffled as though they were all wearing ear-plugs.
"Oh blast," said the Assassin. "Well, Doc, here will have to do. Enjoy the Snowy Woods." With those words, he turned and ran, his feet barely leaving a mark on the snow, his black-and-grey clad form quickly becoming a vague shadow, a trick of the light, as he disappeared.
The trees shivered again in the near distance.
rude old cow, eh?
ReplyDeletemine:
In the Snowy Woods
When Kalan regains consciousness, he finds himself inside an old, musty log cabin. Where this cabin is, how far it is from the city, and how the white-haired woman got hinm here, are the questions that he lets his mind ponder for a brief moment. As a matter of reflex, his hands travel down the inside of his suit and finds his gun is not there, nor the spare he keeps strapped in his left leg.
He stands up and paces around the small bed. He stares at the door and contemplates opening it and escape. He assumes the white-haired woman is outside and God knows who else. His eyes chance upon the window that has a picturesque view of the tall trees, dressed in the white of the snow that whirls in the wind outside. He assumes he is in the back part of the cabin. It looks familiar, the lines of the trees, but Kalan admits to himself instantly that he has seen so many similar landscapes it's hard to know if he has been here before or not.
A figure, dressed heavily in downfilled coat, appears from the side of the house towards the tall trees. His eyes strain to see the face of the person, whether it's a man or a woman. He examines the window and chuckles at the fact that all he needs to do is lift the lever on either side and the window will open. The ground below is more or less four feet and the snow would protect him in any case. He knows he has more chance of survival, and ultimately escape, in the snowy woods beyond.
As he touches the lever to execute his idea, he hears the door unlock. At the same time, he sees Father Richard walking towards the cabin from the distance, his arms stretched open towards the the figure. His eyes furrow, remembering that at the church, Father Richard lay dead on the floor with a bullet through his head. So, what gives?
Sean - I'm glad you found it as well! That was really excellent, I loved the descriptions and the atmosphere you created.
ReplyDeleteLaQuisha - that's great! Feel free to share it here with us as well :)
Zhongming - that was really well done! You painted a very vivid picture there.
Greg - I'm really enjoying this storyline you're stringing together. It feels very organic and seat of the pants :)
Summerfield - ah, the mystery deepens. I'm enjoying this storyline as well. You guys are spoiling me :)
The holidays are almost at an end and then we should be back into a routine that will allow me to write more consistently.
ReplyDeleteStolen from a children's book I use to read to read to my children, yes. But only the concept. I promise you would see no more than the character in these books. Oh, and it is too long to fit here.
Language Is A Virus- Snowy Woods
Heather - I am looking forward to it! But not, I suspect, quite as much as you are :)
ReplyDeleteHeading to your blog momentarily.