The Wedding Cake in the Middle of the Road

The Prompt/ Exercise: compose a short story incorporating the image of a wedding cake in the middle of the road.

So this one wasn't exactly hard but I changed the plot three times while I was writing. I'm thinking about going back and writing all three stories but this is the way I went:

The Wedding Cake in the Middle of the Road    

December 2013
Jerrica Black

 

Smashed, streaked across the highway. Streaks of white and yellow, faded pink. Petals blow about on the growing wind. The first drops of rain begin to fall. The stain becomes smudged, it fades, it trickles away but the memory persists, the memory is permanent.

                The memory of the dress. Long and luxurious. Strapless . Beaded corset. The memory of the ring. Golden band. Pear cut diamond. Small, demure, beautiful. The memory of the man…

                We laughed as we sat in our favourite coffee shop sipping on the usual: black coffee for him, green tea for me. I’m not sure what we were laughing at; maybe we were just laughing out of joy brought to us by being together, maybe it was one of his corny jokes, maybe it was me saying something stupid. We stopped. He took my hand in his across the table. I thought nothing of it. He looked deep into my eyes, “I have something I want to ask you.”

My heart jumped into my throat and my stomach filled with butterflies. We already lived together; there was only one logical question. I was so nervous, I almost couldn’t contain myself.

                “Stacey,” he paused. My name sounded so good on his lips. “Stacey, I love you and I don’t know what I would do without you. I want you for the rest of your life. Will you marry me?” With this he got down on one knee and held a red velvet box opened in front of him.

                My hands went to my mouth. I was speechless, staring no tat the golden diamond ring in front of me but at the man behind the ring, deep into his beautiful green eyes. “Yes, of course!” tears sprang to my eyes. After slipping the ring over my finger he stood and I jumped into his arms. He spun me around and kissed me.

                But it’s only a memory now. Slowly fading as my consciousness dims, my vision fades. I can see him lying not far from me. He’s not moving. The red stain on the pavement grows and bleeds into the smashed cake. His eyes were never open, he never said a word. His chest wasn’t moving. I tried with all my might to move closer to him. I moved maybe an inch. I could just touch his hand. It was cold.

                The rain surged toward the ground the ground now. I was cold, and wet, but the pain was gone. In the distance I could hear the sirens but I was asleep before they reached us.

 

I awoke in the hospital moments ago. I recall the night of the accident how long ago was that? “Nurse!” I yell. Where is David? “Nurse!” I yell again. He has to be okay. “Someone! Nurse!” I am frantic now. Finally a nurse walks in.

“Hello, Stacey,” she grinned insincerely. “You’ve given us quite the scare.”

I was confused. “Where’s David?” I asked.

“David?” she questioned.

“Yes, my husband, we just got married.”

Her eyebrows drew together as if pained by some recollection. “I’m so sorry, dear.” I break into tears,  I don’t hear what she says net.

I finally calm down and she repeats the story for me.

“About two weeks ago you and David were hit by a car leaving your reception. When they got there you were unconscious. They rushed you to the hospital, you were critical. We worked on you for 8 hours before you began to stabilize. You’ve been in and out of consciousness ever since but you’ve been delirious.”

“But what about David? Where is he? Can I see him?”

She had pulled up a chair during the recount of the story. She grabs my hand. "I’m so sorry dear. When the ambulance showed up he was already gone."

I am speechless. Tears fill my eyes, they pour out, they fall down my cheeks but I make no sound and no expression. I was in shock.

 

 

Years from now you will find me alone, a woman of few words, a woman of few friends. If you find me you will find a broken woman, an empty husk, a lost soul.

 

 

 

Colour Coded: Get Out; Get Away

So I've decided to do some writing prompts. Here is the first of many :)

Super difficult and in my eyes a total failure when it comes to following the prompt rules. I will be attempting it again (probably twice one to get a handle on it and once to fulfill my stylistic idea around it).
My biggest problems? I found it hard to get the colour word in the first sentence because I felt the need to set it up too much. The colour didn't become the paragraph I simply used it in the writing.
Finally, dialogue! it was very difficult but it really made my brain work. I find I rely too much on dialogue in general but because with each new paragraph I had to start a new colour I had to stay away from it. It also forced me to try my hand at indirect dialogue a little bit (a very little bit, I would like to try this out a little bit more) which was interesting and really stretched the boundaries of my usual style.

The Prompt/ Exercise: Write a short story where the first sentence of every paragraph includes a colour word. You may only use the word once throughout the paragraph but should allude to the colour as much as possible.

Get Out; Get Away
Decemeber 2013
Jerrica Black

                Outside was black, dark as night. Cloud covered the shining stars and moon it was calm, still. I stepped out the door into the frigid cold. Something rustled in the bushes next to me and I jumped. I looked and saw nothing but two glowing eyes. It was far too dark but nothing but I had to go. I had to get out.

                My phone vibrated, I pulled it out and its blue screen lit up the street around me. It reminded me of how I felt; not only the solemn colour but the subject of the message. “How are you?” How am I? Where do I start?

I looked at my red hands; it’s too cold to text now, he’ll have to wait. My hands and face burned. Why’d I leave the house without my gloves and hat? My blood is cold; it’s not helping to warm my hands. I should get inside soon.

After a few more minutes I arrived at my favourite place in the city; I walked up and opened the large green door. Inside plants dangles from the ceiling and climbed the walls, they sprawled across the floor. Some of the flowers had bloomed since I had last been here. I felt a little more at ease here, a little more at home.

I took my phone out again as Pricilla entered the room in her white coat. She was clearly startled by my presence so late at night; her face had drained of colour. I apologized. “It’s always a pleasure to see you. Rough night?” I nodded. She knew how things were going. I decided to reply to the text from Isaak. “I’ll go make us some tea," she said leaving the room.  Shitty, was the only thing I could think to type, so that’s what I typed.

                Pricilla returned with a china tea set patterned with twigs and leaves, she poured the warm, brown tea into cups for us. It felt nice to be warm again. I joined her sitting on the wooden chair next to her. She put her hand on my shoulder. There was nothing she could say to make me feel better; she knew that, but her warm touch more than any words ever could.

                The door flew open letting the pale yellow light of the street lamp in. Pricilla and I jumped as the cold air hit us and the door crashed open. Isaak burst in. I looked up incredulously I started to ask how he knew I was here but he cut me off running over and embracing me in his strong arms. “I went to your house and they said you’d gone for a walk. I hoped you were here, I didn’t know where else to look. I’m so glad you’re here. Are you okay?” I couldn’t speak through the lump in my throat but I nodded against his chest as the tears began to roll down my cheek.

                He pushed me back and his orange gloved hand reached up to wipe my tears away, cupped my cheek. I rested my hand against it closing my eyes. I knew I looked terrible and this thought hit me suddenly. I turned away suddenly trying to wipe away my running mascara. I tried to fix my frizzy hair. I fussed with my shirt. He just came up behind me, grabbed my shoulder and whispered into my ear, “Stop it. You look beautiful.”

NaNoWriMo and a quick poem :)

So, quick update!

I'm planning on participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) starting November first. I have [picked a topic and started planning for my plot as well as writing character profiles. Super excited! The general word goal is 50,000 words in 30 days. I may set myself a personal goal, not entirely sure yet.

Quick poem that I just wrote. It's nothing special but I basically post everything I write just to keep track of progress and it gives me something to look back at for inspiration and to build on what I;ve done :)

If I Asked You to Hold my Hand, Would you?

October 2013

I want you here, at my side

From break of dawn

To darkest moment of night.

I want you here, at my side

To keep me safe and warm

While I sleep 'til morning light.

I want you here, at my side

To hold my hand.

To hold me close and to hold me tight.

I want you here, at my side

Your lips on mine

‘Cause it will feel so right.

 

Leave? Stay? Mad? Don't know what to do...

Just super quick. More of a rant/ vent session than an actual poem but why not get it out there anyway :P

A Million Questions
September 2013

A million questions

Running through my head

I want to ask you

I need an answer…

Do you care?

Do you think about me?

Do you want to see me?

Why them but not me?

Only when I’m convenient?

Am I a last resort?

Are you lying?

Do you feel it?

Do you see it?

Am I bothering you?

Am I over thinking it?

Am I delusional?

Do you see what’s happening?

Are you blind to my emotion?

Can you take a hint?

Friends?

Lovers?

Enemies?

Memories?

Are you unsure?

Are you scared?

Are you confused?

Does it matter?

Do I matter?

Do we matter?

Are you reading this?

Are you hearing this?

Are you getting this?

There are a million questions

That I want to ask you

But I only need the answer to one…

Do you love me?

Lost Before You Had It?

Open Up To Me
Jerrica Black
August 2013

Open your eyes
See what's in front of you
It could be yours
Or you can let me walk away

Open you mouth
Tell me what you're thinking
I want to know your thoughts
I want to know what you feel

Open your mind
There are many possibilities
Just in reach of your grasping hands
My heart stands still, waiting

Open your heart
And let me in
I promise to gentle
If you promise, to me, the same

Open your arms
Wrap them tight around me
Don't let go, prove to me
You want me to stay

Open up to me
Your eyes and mouth
Your mind and heart
Open your arms and I will come running

Why Can't I Seize the Moment?

I need to learn to open the door when opportunity knocks. Not only that I need to work my way up to running after him when I do.

Why? Why? Why?
July 2013

Why didn’t I say something?

I missed you.
I like you.
I want to see you soon.

Why didn’t I do something?

Hugged you.
Kissed you.
Held your hand.

Why didn’t you say something?

I want you.
You look good.
It’s good to see you.

Why didn’t you do something?

Reached out.
Sat closer.
Wrapped me in your arms.

Why? Why? Why?

Because I was scared.
Because you don’t know.
Because we still have to work it out.

 

 

When life gives you lemons...?

If you haven't noticed by now, most of my poems coincide with what's going on in my life at that moment. Guess we'll see where this goes. Sometimes life gives you opportunities and feelings and experiences you never thought would be.

What if You’d Never Left?

July 2013

It’s been so long since I’ve seen you.

Crazy how we can pick up where we left off,
That we can be as we once were,
When years have passed and things have changed.

It’s like it was only yesterday

We were joking and teasing and laughing;
Like it was only the day before,
That I set eyes on you for the first time.

It’s like nothing’s changed, you’d never gone away;

You’d never moved on to a different life;
Never made yourself into something more.
A man with a future and somewhere to go.

It’s like our lives never parted,

That you’ve been here all along;
Like you’d stood by my side when things went wrong.
Somehow, you and I stayed strong.

It’s like you came back

Because you were tethered
To the life we almost had;
To a life we could have now.

Wrote this a while ago and forgot about it! :(

Wrote this like 3 weeks ago and totally forgot to upload it! My bad!

Watching, Waiting, Searching, Falling

June 2013

Brushing lightly

Against your

Arm, did you

Feel me

Lightly brushing?

Watching secretly

Until you

See me too.

Are you

Secretly watching?

Waiting patiently,

Thinking you

Are feeling

It too,

Patiently waiting.

Searching deeply

In your eyes,

For something

That’s more.

Deeply searching

Falling slowly,

Hoping you’ll

Be there to

Catch me.

Slowly falling.

Like I promised (no it's not my post-app story, sorry)

I hope this post makes some of you happy; you know who you are :P

(No Title)

Dark rimmed glasses,

Screaming masses,

Steady beats,

Rhythmic feats,

Hard hitting,

Ear splitting.

Stolen looks,

A love crook.

Intense eyes,

Through my guise;

I cannot hide,

Though I’ve tried.

Bump and grind

On my mind.

Through the crowd,

It’s so loud;

Heart beats,

Hands meet.

Do we stay

Or slip away;

Disappear.

Bodies near,

Our lips so close.

Wanting the most

Slightest touch;

All to much.

Tremble, shake,

Then I take

Deep breath,

Light sweat.

Our first kiss.

I think this,

A new thing,

Beginning.

It’s so exciting,

Warm, inviting.

You.

Me.

Together we’ll be.

Gotta stop...

... letting shit get in the way!

Hey guys! I am so terrible at keeping posts coming, I get into it and post like, a billion posts then I disappear for ages. I promise I am working on the next part of the ongoing story however I have also come up with a couple other story ideas so keep an eye out for that. Gonna try my hand at post-apocalyptic, maybe some zombies, not totally sure yet.

But, for now, I will leave you with a revamped poem I found lying around in my “random writing” folder  ** written kinda quickly, decided I should have some new material for you :):

Catch Me?

written 2011, revamped May 2013

Fluffy clouds,

Sky turns dark;

Rain falls,

Lightning makes its mark

From summer fun

And a river that flows

To chilling wind

And falling snow

Buds to flowers,

And flowers to fruit;

Now the leaves fall,

Colours mute

 

Ground shakes, rocks tumble

Hill crest to flat plane

Fall to pieces

Never whole, never the same

Lying in bed

Mind follows a lonely call:

Will I ever have somebody

To catch me when I fall?