Monday, October 17, 2011

Third Campaign Challenge

It's time for the third and final challenge in Rachael Harrie's Writers' Platform Building Campaign. I don't want it to be over. I've had a fantastic time with it. But, oh, is this last challenge a rough one.

Here's what Rachael says about this last one:
Write a blog post in 300 words or less, excluding the title. The post can be in any format, whether flash fiction, non-fiction, humorous blog musings, poem, etc. The blog post should show:
  • that it’s morning, 
  • that a man or a woman (or both) is at the beach
  • that the MC (main character) is bored
  • that something stinks behind where he/she is sitting
  • that something surprising happens.
Just for fun, see if you can involve all five senses AND include these random words: "synbatec," "wastopaneer," and "tacise."   (NB. these words are completely made up and are not intended to have any meaning other than the one you give them).
Once you’ve posted your Challenge post on your blog, pop back here and link directly to it in the Linky List below (please make sure you include the direct link to your post, not just the link to your blog!).

Entries in the Third Campaigner Challenge will close on Monday, October 24th (at 11.59pm EDT) (one weeks' time exactly). So make sure you get your post in the Linky List before then if you want to be eligible for a prize! As usual, while everyone is very welcome to take part in this Challenge, only Campaigners will be eligible for prizes.

Oh boy. I'm going to try to continue from my last two challenge entries. I just hope it will make some sense!

Here it goes!
HONEYMOON ON THE BEACH


I let my hand dangle and trailed my fingers through the soft sand. The colors in the morning sky were beautiful, but a tiresome sigh escaped me. I've never lounged on a beach, but I couldn't remember the reason why.

“Relax, love. You think too much.” Soren's lazy drawl drew out my smile.

I turned my head to drink him in. The sun's rays danced along his sculpted body. A wave of heat flowed through me. I nipped my lower lip.

“Well, I won't complain when you're thinking that.” He reached over and took my hand, bringing it to his lips. He kissed the back and then the palm. “Those are the thoughts you're suppose to have while on your honeymoon.”

My hand curled around his, tugging him toward me. I shook my head. It felt heavy and light all at once. “Honeymoon? Synbatec?”

My throat tightened with the effort to not gag as a smell of rot wafted up from behind me.

“The word is synchronicity, love.” Soren chuckled and nudged my nose with his. His hand tightened around mine. I winced as his nails dug into my skin. “It's what brought us together, remember?”

“Remember,” I murmured, focusing on the pain and the stench. The gulls growled and the sunrise flashed crimson night before returning to gold. “I was to... wastopaneer. Tacise.”

I pushed through the sludge in my brain. I couldn't look away from him. Soren squeezed harder, forcing me to acknowledge he had put something in my hand.

“You mean precise. Be precise, love.”

I spun around and drove my blade into the heart of the Queen. My ears bled with her screams, but my aim was true. My nightmare had been a honeymoon on the beach.

(exactly 300 words)

35 comments:

  1. Ooh I love it! Great job!

    I'm entry #5

    ReplyDelete
  2. Whoa. Didn't see that end coming. Good job!

    ReplyDelete
  3. didn't see that coming, but i loved the darkness you had seeping through. Creepy!

    ReplyDelete
  4. awesome! Good follow-up...hoping for more.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Another wonderful piece! And I'm loving that I get a piece of the same story each time.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wow, that is challenging and you did an amazing job. Great twist at the end! Well done.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Love the twist! Very unexpected!
    Mine is #25.

    ReplyDelete
  8. You did a great job tying in your first two stories! Awesome!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Love this line: My ears bled with her screams. Beautiful and vivid, but I am a little macabre in my taste ;)

    Great job.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wow, that was great! I loved how you wove in those little hints that something wasn't quite right. It was easy to understand it was a dream, and then it all made sense when she snapped out of it and killed the Queen.

    ReplyDelete
  11. You do such a fantastic job of pulling us into the scene with your characters, making us feel everything they feel and building that tension. Totally unexpected ending, too. Great stuff.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Whoa! That was awesome! Talk about a surprise ending. Love how you used a word from the last challenge in there! :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thank you all. This was the hardest one yet. I can't wait to read all the other entries. :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. nice twist of an ending. good job!

    ReplyDelete
  15. *shudders* You really caught me off-guard at the end! They were all lovey-dovey and suddenly... WHAM! I didn't see that coming! Great twist!
    (I'm no.#47)

    ReplyDelete
  16. I'm impressed that you wouldmake it even more of a challenge to make this a cotinuation of the others! Mine is #56

    ReplyDelete
  17. I love macabre. Love that your ears bled with her screams! :D

    ReplyDelete
  18. You shocked me in the end! Well done.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Great twist and I love your descriptions too, great job!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Ooh! I loved it! Great twist and nice job!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Woah! Scary ending!! Great job!! :D I'm #69

    ReplyDelete
  22. Whoa...didn't see that coming. Great job.

    ReplyDelete
  23. "My ears bled with her screams, but my aim was true."

    Bravo!!! I love this line.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I loved your foreshadowing, Christine. Nice job, great entry. Loved it! I'm #65, returning your visit:)

    ReplyDelete
  25. Incredible flow. Awesome twist! I'm #88.

    ReplyDelete
  26. I like how the fake words are her trying to think through the slush in her brain. And great twist in the end!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Wicked last line there, what a kicker!

    ReplyDelete
  28. God, Christine...you are really good. I long to get that good...I'll keep trying! :)

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.