Porthole

Contests (private)

Confessions of a Cowardly Cryptid

I was happy, truly happy — once. The jars of humanity snapping shut as I barely escaped cured me of that. The love of my life? Not so lucky. I heard that she survived her captivity for — awhile, pining away at last. A quick painful death would've been kinder. But... humans... humans aren't kind.

I was drawn into the light. Fireflies aglow? Fairies in the snow? The cold did not daunt me. I'm nt haunted; nor do I haunt.

I hide.

And the woods on a Robert-Frosty evening enticed me.

This is where she had died. I came to face my fate, to free myself of the shame and blame, to freeze if necessary.

The cold enveloped me with its warmth. My home world had been colder, much colder.

The wind began to sing. It spoke of Spring, that mythical season of the distant past, the unseen future. The trees stood silent. When would they wake up? Surely not tonight that night that lasted years of my existence. My experience was alien to this world.

I was a mayfly in a world of eternal rocks. They were not as heartless as humans though. Humans. They knew so much about the world surrounding them, little of the other worlds, nothing of where I came from.

I needn't be too careful I reminded myself. They only would see me if they looked. They weren't curious enough to consider that the shimmer was sentient, could move, could feel, knew things that for them did not exist.

My mistake last time was trying to connect. My love and I became visible to speak to them. We soon saw their fear and I winked out; but... my love was not fast enough. They caged her as I fled. There was nothing else I could do.

And here I was, walking among tall trees, cold rocks, a landscape glistening, beckoning, like the sweetest poison I had ever touched.

SURVEY

Short Shots: Official WDC Contest  (ASR) Use the photo to inspire your creativity. Write a short story and win big prizes! #1221635 by Writing.Com Support

SS <2000words

"The Solstice Poetry Contest" 

The longest night lasts for two months in this Land of Twilight. It feels cold, the damp cold that enters the bones and won't leave until the sun returns for 5 minutes on Soldag.

"Merit Badge Magic" 

The Mole

Ron was happy to be a Hufflepuff. His flaming hair matched Hermione's carpet. Unfortunate that. Gryffindors were always a bit of a clash. He was totally out-matched but besotted.

I became the Resident Mole when Old Meagre lost a fight with a Mandrake. I was considered a wimp. Better to not let them know that I can smell danger better than they-all can see. And Hermione was dangerous. Believe me. A love potion had solved Tom's riddle in that other time-line; but Her Majesty Hermione had crossed over into ours and What-ever-is-his-name had followed. I feel no pain for HMH ... she was bored with Ron. At least her replacement was exciting. Danger usually is.

"The Prompt Me Contest" 

December: No more than two sentences per weekly prompt!
Please don't post ahead of time.
Click on the above image for details.

Week 1: Dec 3 - 9 *Crayons2* crayons Purple Mountain Majesty watched Sapphire and Ruby fight over the last white spot on the page. She sat with her friend Goldenrod under the pink-penciled banner "Can't We All Get Along" while the other Crayons sharpened their points and took sides.
Week 2: Dec 10 - 16 *Motorcycle* motorcycle What goes around comes around. Every spoke in the wheel knew this except Avery, who hung out with the Heaven's Devils.
Week 3: Dec 17 - 23 *Cart* grocery cart It's what's in the cart that counts, he murmured, when the shelves are as empty as my pocketbook. Lyle loaded the '85 Oldsmobile and hoped it had enough gas to get to the pumps. It's what's in the cart that counts, Lyle muttered, when the shelves are as empty as my pocketbook. He loaded the '85 Olds Cutlass and hoped it had enough gas in the tank to get to the pumps.
Week 4: Dec 24 - 30 *Blockr* chimney Santa was too fat for the chimney. Aunt Glennys got off her high horse, hefted her corn-sack, and decided to sneak in the back door instead. Aunt Glennys was too fat for the chimney. So, Santa got off her high horse, hefted her corn-sack, and decided to sneak in the back door instead.

Western genre? Dialogue? 1/teens-poverty 2/horror-romance 3/food-starvation 4/disaster-history

"Invalid Item" 

The prompts for the following dates:-
12/01/2023- 'encouraging'
12/02/2023-'sweet'
12/03/2023-'melody' Encourage me to sing. Applaud the sweetness of my voice. Provide the harmony as you sing along. The melody rambles through the years of life lived fully. Join this session, skipping over the depths of depression.
12/04/2023- 'Allure' You drew me in. Deep voice resonating in my bones, eyes beckoning me to dive in and swim. You stood on firm ground, soared through clouds, washed away my anxiety and fears. You smelled of the storm... and the regrowth to follow. 41
12/05/2023-'blood' It turned everything black. Stickier than tar it clung to their past, present and future. Thicker than water it defined their ingrown insanity. The spilled blood of generations had spoiled the land. Kindness could not grow there. 37

12/06/2023-'wave' Smile and think kind thoughts. Show me your hand, now move it back and forth. Let the ripples of air go forth to enter the thoughts of others. The soothing caress calms their nerves. Never underestimate the power of a wave. 40

12/07/2023-'expectation'
12/08/2023-'corner' Canceled. I sat in the corner contemplating my options. Quitting never entered my mind but the way forward was blocked by my soon-to-be-missing brother. 26
12/09/2023-'accuracy' It's like lobbing granades. Throw in the general direction and duck back down in the trench. Accuracy mattered less than an ill-timed surprise.
12/10/2023-'Orthodox' Kipp rode a horse to work and told everyone he was an Orthodox Cowboy. Folks weren't sure whether he was joking; but, his concealed weapon didn't suffer fools. He'd left Brooklyn behind years ago.
12/11/2023-'incredible'
12/12/2023-'popular' 23:23... the poplar tree sang a lullaby with the flutter of its leaves. They were turning yellow and dropping. Too dry to sing in the key of green. Nighttime, almost midnight, a popular hour for shenanigans. For me? I listen to the lullaby and hope to sleep.
12/13/2023-'speculation' Watching the bees be — pleased me. Finding my lost keys pleased me more. The sparrows mating in the trees reminded me that I'm alone today. I could speculate "why them, why not me". I Better to focus on my exercise.
12/14/2023-'Aura' She shone like Venus unoccluded, undiminished. Mars was jealous when she Walked-in-Beauty. She always veiled herself in beauty, kept her heart open yet pure. We named her Aura, Her Radiance Aura.
12/15/2023-'outstanding' He stood out. A broad rugby player in a glittering gown usually does. Brad didn't care. His sister had cancer and he wore this for her. Pink ribbons and bows earned him an award, "outstanding".
12/16/2023-'old' Auld Liam ""Auld Liam" D16 #12 40w 'old'" 
12/17/2023-'truth' "TM stands for Truth Matters." Maybelle was convinced of that as she said it. The classmates shook their heads. "Trademark" someone shouted. Maybelle scowled. "And what good is a trademark if you're selling lies? What you sell must be true — or it doesn't matter."
12/18/2023-' carrying' You should set it down. Now. Set it down. And stand up straight. You been carryin' that load for fifty years. Let it go. It ain't yours to carry. Truth is... It never was. So stand up. Set your eyes towards tomorrow. Now. Let's go.
12/19/2023-'still' She wasn't finished, wouldn't be finished on time; but, at age 93, she no longer cared. They called her the doll-lady, didn't even know her name. She wondered whether any of them would show up at her wake. This doll. This doll would be buried with her.
12/20/2023-'tremendous '
12/21/2023-'beaker' A pint would do if you don't have a quart. You don't... do you have a cup to spare? Thank you. I left the beaker in the lab. Sorry. I'm just making do. I'll bring you a pancake later and the beaker tomorrow.
12/22/2023-'poverty' What did not go up in smoke was lost to air, earth and water. None-the-less, he kept breathing, eating, and even sleeping — when exhausted. Homelessness was a label beyond poor. It was poverty on steroids.
12/23/2023-demonstrate' I could show you how. The directions aren't easy to follow for a lefty. Learn by doing, my father always said. Hold it like this... see? But he was right-handed. Only a lefty can demonstrate properly to another.
12/24/2023-'brave' "Nazare" We brave the wind and rains because we must. Our families depend on us. No fish, no food. Every year some of us don't return; but, the widows in black can attest that we did our best and our children will remember a full belly.
12/25/2023-superstitious'
12/26/2023-mechanical Tin soldiers marched to and fro. Their wind-up hearts would last an hour or two. Long enough for the mechanical morons to distract the Boss from what was really important. This place would explode in 20 minutes. Even the dolls knew it was Doomsday.
12/27/2023-sensessensus'
12/28/2023-'different'
12/29/2023- 'Assistant'
12/30/2023- 'resultant'bles throu
12/31/2023-'numerous'