Prompt: Ghost and Fireplace

Audrey looked dismally at the fireplace. It had been a long week. She couldn’t even begin to understand where everything had gone so horribly wrong. One moment she was blissfully happy. The next her husband was telling her of how madly in love with Judith he was. How he’d known it for years, but didn’t want to hurt her.

Didn’t he realize that falling in love with her younger sister would devastate her? Didn’t he know that keeping it from her for years would hurt her even more? I guess it was better that he told her about the two of them rather than find out like so many poor souls wind up doing. She couldn’t imagine what she would have done if she had come home to find them in bed together. 

She supposed she got it in the end. Judith was beautiful. She was passionate. She believed in all the things that Greg did. She was constantly attending all of the events that Greg did. They talked for hours about many different topics. It’s amazing she couldn’t see any of the signs before now. She was just so in her element that her sister and her husband were able to get along so well. That she could spend time with her sister any time she wanted. She felt so stupid.

As she was continuing to dwell on her heartbreak, she looked up at the fireplace again and had to gasp at what she saw. Standing in front of the fireplace was the transparent figure of a woman who looked to be wearing a dress that was from a time long ago. The woman was staring at her intently.

Do not be alarmed, sweetheart.

“Are you… are you….”

Yes, child. I am a ghost. You could call me the spirit of the house if you wish. My name is Maria.

“Nice to meet you, Maria. I’m sorry if I’m coming off as rude. I just never expected you to show yourself to me.”

You didn’t need me until now. I made myself known to you so that you would understand you were never alone here. I planned to stay in the background. You need me now though. I am sorry that you are hurting so much.

“I guess you heard that, huh. And yes. I’ve heard you around. I just thought it was in my head. Greg never heard anything.”

He wasn’t meant to. I only intended for you to know of my existence. He was never worthy about knowing about me or the secrets of this house. 

“Let’s just hope that he doesn’t win it in the divorce then.”

That won’t happen. This house legally belongs to you with a very binding contract that your father placed in your favor. Judith is your half sister and has no claim to this house and neither does your husband.

“How do you know all of this?”

That is a story for another time. Soon you will know everything. For now, rest. I am so glad that I am able to come to you openly now. We have so much to discuss.

Writing Prompt: Cow And Cheese

Josephine stomped and fumed as she made her way out to the barn. She was so tired of doing all the stupid chores. Didn’t they realize that she was going to be important one day? How was she supposed to hone her acting skills if she kept having to do chores every free moment. Madeline didn’t have to do any chores.

Of course when Josephine pointed this out, she was reminded that Madeline was barely six years old. Josephine had just celebrated her sixteenth birthday. She had other brothers and sisters, but her and Madeline were the only ones allowed to stay home. The boys were required to attend boarding school when they turned five. 

All boys were mandated by the government to leave the home and attend boarding school. She heard gossip around town about how the boys were being groomed to do something major. She never really cared. As long as she had access to the best cheeses in town, what did it matter what the boys did? She also planned to become a major actress as soon as she was discovered!

Josephine opened the barn door and stepped slowly in. She hated the smell of the place. If they were going to force her to come out and milk the cows, they could at least keep the place in better condition. She huffed again. They would all be sorry. Once she became famous, she would make them regret their horrible treatment of her.

After Josephine finished with her chores, she went inside to rest. She was tired and grumpy. She didn’t want to do anything but curl into a corner and read a book. Of course that would have been too easy. Madeline met her at the door. The look of pure excitement on her face told Josephine that she was in for pure torture.

“Josey, guess what? Mommy says I can go with you to the play tonight!”

“She said what???” 

“She said I can go with you to the play tonight! She said you would be happy to take me.”

“I don’t want to go to the stupid play! I had plans with Brad tonight. I told her this last week.”

“Can’t Brad go with us? Pretty please? I never get to see him.”

“Ugh! Why are you people trying to ruin my life? Can’t I be allowed to do what I want to when I want to?”

“When you’re paying your own bills in your own house, you can do whatever you wish, my child.”

Josephine froze. She didn’t hear her father come into the room. She slowly turned around to find her father standing in the door scowling at her. She did her best not to show her temper in front of her father. He was the only person who listened to her when she was upset. The only one that compromised with her.

“Father. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be cross. I’ve just seen the play every night for the past two weeks. I’m bored of it.”

“I get that, Jo. I really do. I am so thankful of you for taking the initiative to take your sister all these nights despite that. Miss Mads here seems to love that play so much. Perhaps she’s sweet on somebody.”

He leaned down to muss up Madeline’s hair. She giggled and blushed at the contact. He knew just how to talk to both of his girls.

“Tonight is the last night, Daddy! They say it’s going to be really special!”

“You’re right. I remember them saying that when you drug us all there yesterday.” He turned and looked at Josephine. “Look, Brad can go with you tonight if you will just go with her. Please. I promise to make it up to you. Whatever you want.”

“Anything, Daddy?

“Within reason.”

“There’s an acting school in Graceland that I would love to attend.”

“I’ll look into it.”

“Oh really, Daddy?”

“That’s not a yes, yet! Let me find out more about it and make my decision from there.”

“Thank you, Daddy! You’re the best.”

Writing Prompt: What does unconditional love look like to you?

In order to fully answer this, I want to explain my definition of it. Unconditional love to me is loving somebody no matter what. It’s knowing their flaws and weaknesses and loving them anyway. It’s wanting to be there with them during the good times and the bad. Most people seem to only put unconditional love to romantic relationships. I disagree with this. I believe fully that it pertains to anybody you love no matter what their relation.

Unconditional love is wanting to be around somebody always. Even if they are feeling low or not feeling good. It’s realizing that they aren’t perfect but accepting them for who they are anyway. It’s giving them strength when they have none for themselves. It’s having their back no questions asked.

Writing Prompt: Hope And Island

Hope woke up to a painful heat on her face. She slowly opened her eyes to find herself surrounded by white sand. It was hot, but not in an unbearable kind of way. The sun was beating down on her angrily. She had no idea where she was or how long she had been there.
She remembered being on the boat. She was fighting with Drew because he had walked in on her and Katherine. She remembered Drew telling her that she was throwing her life away. She told him she didn’t see it that way. Their argument was interrupted by a scream. She looked up in time to see something and then everything went black.
Water caressed her skin reviving her a bit. She took the opportunity to get up and look at her surroundings. She appeared to be on an island of sorts. She wasn’t sure how she knew from the little she could see. But the sounds of the ocean all around her made her feel like she was right.
Looking out onto the ocean, she couldn’t see the boat anywhere. What had happened? Where was she? Were there other people on the island with her from the boat? Was anybody hurt? She tried to remember what happened. Her brain throbbed fiercely every time she did. She wanted to scream in frustration.
Her mind wandered to Katherine. Her eyes teared up. She hoped more than anything that Katherine was safe. Katherine was her life. She didn’t realize that she wasn’t living her life fully until Katherine been placed in it. She closed her eyes and pictured the beautiful blue dress that Katherine was wearing when she last saw her. She had on her usual work apron. It reminded Hope of Alice from Alice in Wonderland.
She wished that she could say she loved Katherine from the very first moment, but that would be a lie. Her parents had hired Katherine as her own personal maid. They felt like it would keep Hope from doing anything that would embarrass them. Hope had always been the rebellious type. She found herself constantly pushing her boundaries. She was a disappointment to her parents every single day.
What frustrated Hope the most is that if Katherine was born into her world, nobody would have a problem with their relationship. Most of society accepted same-sex couples. What was frowned upon was dating somebody in a different social circle as you. Especially if they were hired on by your family.
Images of Katherine kept popping up rapidly. Their first kiss. The first argument they had when Katherine was hired. Their first argument after they started seeing each other. The time they almost got caught in the garden by Hope’s father. Her favorite memory was when they discovered the secret passage under the stairs. They met there every night after.
A world without Katherine in it would absolutely crush her. She didn’t know what to do. Tears were pouring down her cheeks. She couldn’t find a single clue about what had happened or why. She couldn’t find any clue that anybody else was with her.
Suddenly, she heard a rustling in some bushes nearby. She stopped to listen. There was more rustling. This time it was practically right next to her. She started to scream, but a hand was quickly placed over her mouth causing her heart to beat fast.
“Come on, Hope. We have to hide!”

Writing Prompt: Wolf And Tree

Thomas paced the room. He couldn’t stop himself. He felt anxiety in every bone. Tonight was the night that would change his life as he knew it forever. He knew it was coming, but it was different now. He thought he had more time. At least that’s what he tried to tell himself. He knew the day would have to come eventually.He finally felt like he had worked out some of his nervous energy and sat down. He picked up a book intent on reading to distract himself from the passing time. Each tick of the clock seemed to be going faster and faster. He knew that was in his head, but it didn’t stop him from feeling that way.
After reading the same paragraph for the fifth time, he gave up trying to read. He went to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water. He downed the whole thing in one gulp. He found that he was growing increasingly thirsty as the days went on. He suspected that was a sign of the change that was going on inside of him.
He glanced at the clock. It was four in the afternoon. He didn’t have much longer to wait now. Things were going to happen as they did regardless of how he felt about it. He thought back to when it all happened.
He could barely remember anything from that night. He remembered waking up feeling fevered and in so much pain he couldn’t stand it. He remembered the beautiful woman who stayed by his side and mopped his face with a damp washcloth. Where was she now? Who was she?

He managed to calm himself down enough to read. After reading several chapters, he looked up at the time and realized that it was time to go. He didn’t bother putting on a coat as he knew he wouldn’t need it. He wouldn’t really need much of anything where clothes were concerned.
He walked to the tree where he was supposed to meet the man who would teach him how to live his new life. He was nervous and angry. He didn’t know what was going to happen from here.
As he started to get bored, he caught a movement in his eye. The man was walking toward him. What was more shocking is he had a beautiful woman with him. Not just any woman. Her. He had her with him. Thomas completely forgot how to breathe for a moment.
They got closer and the man shook out his hand.
“Hello, Thomas. I hope you are well. My name is Victor. I am sure you have many questions for me.”
“I do, but let’s start with what’s going to happen to me? What happened to me?”
“Well, that’s simple, Thomas. You were attacked by a wolf. One that infected you with their curse. You will become a wolf for the first time tonight. And many more nights hereafter.”

Writing Prompt: Warrior And Sandwich

Anna walked into her living room fuming. She walked home specifically to take the time to cool off. Clearly, it didn’t work. She was thankful that she had an extra session tonight. She had a lot of pent-up anger to work out and that would be the perfect time to do it. The thought of possibly kicking Jett’s ass tonight cheered her a little. She looked up to see Michelle looking up at her. She hadn’t even noticed that Michelle was sitting there on the couch. She sat down next to her and took a few deep calming breaths. Before she could open her mouth to speak, Michelle beat her to it.
“Is everything okay?”
“No. It’s not. Also, what are you doing here?”
“That matter is not important right now! Right now, it’s operation cheer Anna up! Don’t tell me they didn’t let you apply!”
“Oh, they let me apply all right. There were these guys there who were taunting me. They said I was wasting my time. They said I needed to be focused on finding a good husband who I can make sandwiches to send him for work.”
“They didn’t! Don’t they realize that women have been training to become warriors for over a decade now?”
“I guess not! They just kept making comments about how women shouldn’t be allowed to do anything and how we are ruining the way the world works. You should have been there!”
“I think it’s a good thing that I wasn’t there. I would have not been able to control my power, and we don’t want people to know about that.”
“You’re right. We need to keep that between us until we can find out more about it. Have you been able to contact any of your family?”
“Not yet. They still refuse to speak to me after I told them that I wouldn’t marry Chad. They have had our wedding planned since we were both born. They don’t seem to care that Chad is gay and completely in love with my brother!”
“They are still playing ignorant about that, huh?”
“Sadly, yes.”
“I’m sorry, Michelle. I can understand how hard that must be for you both. I know how much you care about Chad. Does your brother know that Chad has feelings for him.”
“I think he does, but I can never be too sure.”
They both sat in silence for a moment contemplating the craziness of the world. Michelle put her arms around Anna and Anna let her cuddling into her. She always felt so content that way. She felt power being pushed into her body and the last thought she had before she went to sleep was of a meadow of daisies.

Writing Prompt: Burial and Hammock

Jane ignored the clamoring of voices around her as she sat in the hammock. She was completely devastated. Her world as she knew it was over forever. After just three months, the love of her life had passed away. She knew it was coming. Scarlett had been sick for a long time. That didn’t take the pain away.What made things worse is that nobody knew just how much Scarlett meant to her. Nobody could ever know the truth. It wasn’t because of the scandal behind women loving women. People were slowly starting to accept that as a natural part of life. It was that Scarlett was Jane’s servant.
She wasn’t ashamed of Scarlett at all. In fact, she wanted to tell everybody the truth of their love. Scarlett was terrified. She was worried about the way that people would talk. The speculations people would make about her. Jane had finally convinced her into letting everybody know when Scarlett found out that she was sick.
Jane heard a throat clear beside her. She contemplated ignoring it hoping that the person would go away. Instead, they came closer and rubbed her back. The contact made her want to burst out in tears.
“Love, I know it hurts. I know what she meant to you. You have to be strong though. She would want you to be. The burial is tonight. Don’t you want to say goodbye one last time.”
“What I want is to have her here with me. To tell her every day that I will love her for the rest of my life. To marry her.”
“I know that more than anybody, my child. I was hurt that you never told me, but I understood. I knew you would come to me eventually.”
“I still don’t understand how you even knew. We did our best to keep everything so hidden.”
“I am your mother. I know these things.”
Jane barely managed to suppress a giggle. Her mother always knew how to make her feel important and to take the sadness away. She was so thankful for her. She stood up and hugged her mother tightly.
“I guess I should go dress appropriately. What time are we leaving?”
“Whenever you’re ready love. Take all the time you need. Take a nice bath with some lavender. It will help calm your nerves. It won’t heal your heart, but I’m afraid that’s a wound that will always be with you.”
Jane nodded and walked away. She made her way into the house and into her room. She decided to take her mother’s advice and get into the bath. They had a few hours before they had to go to the funeral. She would relax as much as she could until then. She undressed and got into the tub. She was asleep once she got comfortable.
Jane. My love! I am so glad to finally see you!

Writing Prompt: Three goals I have set for myself are… 

1. Finding a job to settle down with. I love the jobs I’ve had over the years, but the stress of not knowing if I will get fired and constantly being told that I am not doing good enough gets to me. I am not sure what I want to do. I have so many options and possibilities. Most of them require more training or schooling. I’m willing. I just don’t have the means currently.
2. Having a library and office that I can be proud of. It would have bookshelves on every wall. It would also have two cushy reading chairs. My desk would be an L Shaped desk. I’d have a gaming computer chair and a computer with two monitors. I’d like to have a desk elliptical machine too.
3. To start writing every day. I may even consider publishing one day. Right now, my goal is to write an hour or two every day. I’ll spend part of that time doing a writing prompt and the rest of the time working on some open stories I have so that they may be ready for publish one day.

Writing Prompt: Town and Broom

The town was full of life. People were hustling from one place to the next. Mark almost got plowed down many times just trying to make it form one side of the road to the other. He had a standing appointment that he absolutely could not be late for at all. He was meeting with one of the most strictest witches of the town. Everybody feared her. Nobody would do anything for her. It worked out for him because she sought him out to hire him. He approached her home. She had a narrow yard and an amazingly spacious house. It was dark blue in color with black shutters. It was three stories high. Mark felt the house was a little too big for her since she lived on her own but to each their own. Taking a breath, he approached the door slowly.
He had barely raised his hand up to knock when the door swung open. He was greeted by somebody he didn’t know at all. She was perky looking with bubble gum pink hair and eyes so blue they were almost gray. She had a broom in her hand and freckles all over her round face. He half expected her to pop a bubble right in his face.
“May I help you?”
“I’m here to see Agitha.”
“Oh, you must be Mark. Please come in. Agitha is currently in her room. She should be down shortly. I am her niece, Brandi.”
“Nice to meet you. I didn’t know she had anybody coming to visit.”
“She didn’t either. I came by as a surprise. She’s the only family I have left and I was feeling lonely, so I thought I’d come by and see how she was doing.”
“Where do you live?”
“Oh, nowhere you know I’m sure. I live in a place called Smyrna, Ohio.”
“Wow! That’s quite a bit away from here. Did you fly out here?”
“Not at all. I drove.”
“You what?! By yourself? That must have taken days.”
Brandi surprised him by laughing loudly out of nowhere. He was taken aback. He didn’t remember saying anything funny at all. She kept laughing like she heard the funniest thing in the world. He waited until she was finished not wanting to cause a scene.
“I’m so sorry for my rudeness. I sometimes forget that people that don’t have the craft don’t really understand. It wasn’t a problem at all for me because I don’t really have to drive. I read all the way here.”
“I don’t understand. You traveled here by yourself?”
“Yes.”
“Then how could you have possibly read on the way here and drove.”
“That’s the beauty of magic. The car drove itself. I just enjoyed the ride.”
Mark didn’t know what to say. He was stunned by how freely she talked about magic. The only witch he knew was Agitha. She acted like anybody who didn’t have the talent should know nothing about it. Now here was her niece talking about it like it was just an everyday occurrence.
I guess it was in a way. Everybody knew that the paranormal things that they thought were fiction were real. Once one species of the paranormal community came out, they all slowly did. It wasn’t taken great at first, but people eventually got used to it. That’s how things work. First, there’s shock and then people just adapt in time.
Obviously there will always be people who never fully adapt, but they don’t cause too much of a fuss if they can help it. Most of them just write posts online trying to persuade others to join their cause. Some refuse to work with anybody who is classified as paranormal. Those don’t happen that often though.
Brandi cleared her throat and said something under her breath. The next thing Mark knew there was a tray with a teapot and mugs and cookies on it. He heard a rustling and looked over to see the broom sweeping away at the floor.

Writing Prompts: Garlic And Rose

Jane woke up from a horrible nightmare. She glanced at her surroundings. Everything was dark. She couldn’t see anything. She tasted an unfamiliar taste in her mouth that she couldn’t quite pinpoint. She knew that there was a very faint taste of garlic.
She went to move her legs and found there was something metal attached to her ankle. She sat up and felt her legs. It felt like her leg was chained to something. She started to panic. She tried to recall the last things she remembered before her world went dark.
She was at a party. Her and her friend had just gotten into an argument. She went outside to cool off and have a smoke. She barely registered a presense behind her when everything went black. Was she taken? How much danger was she in exactly?
She felt someone in the room with her. She felt her body tense. The presense grew closer and closer. She was on the verge of screaming when she felt a hand over her mouth. She grabbed at the arms and panicked further. The arms were nothing but a mass of muscle.
“Easy now, Rose. Everything will be okay. Sleep. Everything will be okay in the morning.”
She was on the verge of telling the person that her name wasn’t Rose when she felt a cloth being placed over her mouth and nose. Her mind became foggy and she lost conciousness. The last thing she remembered before everything went black again was hands stroking her hair and a song being sung softly to her.

Jane woke again with a panic. She had had a nightmare that somebody had taken her from the party that she was at and she was now being held captive. She sat up and felt a weight on her ankle. She looked down to see a metal shackle attached to a chain that went to the floor. It wasn’t a dream.
Just as she was about to scream, someone opened the door to the room. They wore a hoodie and a mask on their face that covered everything but their eyes. She was shocked by how kind the eyes looked. She was terrified, but she was also curious. They seemed to have food in their hands.
“Good morning, Rose. I brought you breakfast. It’s French toast with powdered sugar. I know it’s your favorite. I really hope that you enjoy it. I’ve missed you so much my darling. We have so much to catch up on. For now though, you need to keep up your strength.”