Challenge!

[Frontierzone]

The Caitian Homeworld. Stardate 8104.15

M'rassah sat in his study, reading a book and smoking a pipe. He was intent on his reading, for it chronicled the days of Cait's wooden sailing ships. He was always fascinated by exploration, but that wasn't his calling. He was a musician first. His wife, M'ress, however, was born to explore. So, off to the Academy she went. She was gone more than she was home, leaving M'rassah to raise the children. It was thus that, when his daughter Mirra chose to enter the Academy, he was both proud and saddened.

He finished the chapter he was on, and thought of both his daughter, and his wife. Both of them were out, among the stars. M'ress had served on the Enterprise, as assistant Communications Officer. Now, she was XO on board the USS Yorktown. He smiled, though, because M'ress was due back on shore leave in less than a month. He planned on going to Starbase 10 to meet up with her at that time.

He was roused from his reverie by a knock on the door. He got up, and answered it. There, standing at the door, were two Starfleet Officers, one Lieutenant Commander, and one Commander, wearing Dress Blues, and carrying a packet. His heart sank. Tears filled his eyes. He knew why they were here. This was a tradition which dated back to Earth's Military. He looked the Commander in the eyes. "Which one?" he asked, his voice raspy with sorrow. "Sir. We're sorry to inform you. Your wife is dead."

 

[lon gallamour]

the challenge is to do it in one paragraph not two or three.

so try again.

 

[Saltheart]

Twilight. That is when they meet, become one, become whole--the two worlds. The worlds of the living and the dead intertwine, and the essence leaks into the air, a purple mist.

 

[JDP]

Elden screamed silently behind blank eyes, terror writhing in his breast like a snared beast. He longed to cry out, to warn her, but found his tongue stilled. His arm rose, steel glinting malevolently in the dusky twilight. Impotent sobs racked him, and he yearned to hack the ring from his finger; to turn the blade upon himself. Elden could feel its warmth in his fist, drawing the blade through stroke after stroke with murderous ease. As the last blow fell, he caught his own reflection mirrored in the steel. His eyes glowed with unshed tears but his face was contorted into a familiar grin; a leering mask flecked with blood.

As the compulsion faded, Elden sank to the ground, nerveless fingers dragging the ring from his finger. Flinging it across the room he watched as it rolled to a halt, perfectly balanced on its edge. Drawing Eliene into his arms, he felt bitter tears of regret burn his cheeks. Pain dimmed as the blade found his heart and with his last breath he cursed the deceiver, Eilos Howel.

 

[Dafydd Cymraeg]

White glistening faeries sang and danced, leaping off one another, joining, becoming one, and expanding. Around them the darkness swirled, a black liquid waterfall gushing to one side as it gave birth to the myriad forms of new life. At first, each newborn sparkling sphere darted randomly, unsure where it fitted into this new life, but soon it too began to follow the trails of its predecessors. Seconds later each perfect beauty burst into yet another world, a new world in which it quickly died. Such a short, glorious life.

Screwing the red plastic cap back onto the bottle, Ray picked up his glass and savoured the Coke as it's bubbles escaped across his tongue. Ahhhh, he sighed contentedly.

 

[Dafydd Cymraeg]

OK, second attempt at this...the web ate my first posting!

A myriad of glistening faeries exploded into being, swirling wildly in the encompassing darkness. They danced: indiscriminately, excitedly, touching, merging with each other in joyous union as their glittering spherical bodies blossomed. To one side, a waterfall of swirling silvery beings twinkled into life, each new creation dancing randomly in the blackness before following it's brethren on the journey towards enlightenment. Upwards they whorled, combining and streaking into a meteor storm of activity until they burst into a new world of light, and death.

Chris lifted the glass of Coke to his lips, savouring its fresh coolness as the bubbles danced across his tongue and fizzled up his nose. Like tiny insect bites, he mused.

 

[Dafydd Cymraeg]

A myriad of glistening faeries exploded into being, swirling wildly in the encompassing darkness. They danced: indiscriminately, excitedly, touching, merging with each other in joyous union as their glittering spherical bodies blossomed. To one side, a waterfall of swirling silvery beings twinkled into life, each new creation reeling and gyrating randomly in the blackness before following the path of its brethren towards enlightenment. Upwards they whorled, combining and streaking into a meteor storm of activity until they burst into a new world of light, and death.

Chris lifted the glass of Coke to his lips, savouring its fresh coolness as the bubbles danced across his tongue and fizzled up his nose. Like tiny insect bites, he mused.

 

[Dafydd Cymraeg]

It wasn't my fault! Honestly!

The difference in the first and second was due to the forum eating my first post and I didn't have a copy of wot I'd ritten. The second and third was just frustration 'cos nothing was appearing - apparently I ended up on the spammers list (which after reading my post you may agree with!) At least you can tell me which one you prefer now

 

[daisybee]

Here goes..

A lazy drum beat and husky voice filled the air, hundreds of bodies undulating in time, seperating, melting, oblivious to the heat. She stood still, damp hair pushed back from a slick brow, aware of a presence that pulsed louder than the rest. A thick electric current snaked up her spine, her palms suddenly dry, her heart a hammer in her chest. He was here, somehere amid the sea of people. For a long moment she was torn, to run or stay. Her limbs were desperate for flight, yet her heart was curious. Before she could decide her own fate however, he was there, standing at her side with a smile in his eyes. Her blood sang and screamed all at once-her fate was sealed.

 

[monomaniac101]

Ok, I'll give this a try...I'm not sure how it'll turn out.
***

There she sat, on her swing that was shaped like crescent moon. Kielle's floor length, silver hair fell into the grass, trailing a little. One long strand was pushed behind her pointed ear and the rest was held back by a silver band that was tied around her forehead. She was dressed elegantly; her silver, roman style dress would have trailed along the floor if she were standing. Her whole self seemed to give off a lavender glow. Kielle was sitting so that her kness reached her chest, and her long fingers were playing with her toes that were peeking out from her silk-strapped sandals. One, solitary tear, clear and pure as liquid crystal, slid down her cheek.
***

How'd it work?

 

[Frontierzone]

Write a short (no more than a paragraph or two) description that gives the reader a sense of enchantment.

Good Luck

The master started chanting. It started as inaudible as a whisper, then grew louder and more pleasant and synchronized like an ethereal being, like the glowing fireflies, like the full moon. Though they could not understand the Tongue of Mages wholly they recognized words such as Tier, spirit of movement, and Arya, spirit of calling, among others familiar and unfamiliar. As he sung his hands moved, forming shapes with their shadows; and the students watched, being lulled into an attentionless trance as they listened to the droning.

First a bird. Then a fish. Then a wolf. Each figure rippled on the wall, slowly disappeared, took the form of another. Countless other creatures appeared and disappeared. Each spectator drifted into a day dream about being in the wild, living among the creatures, petting them, speaking to them, feeling love for them and all of nature, the flowers, the trees, the rivers, the seas, the deserts, the mountains, the skies, the oceans....

Imagine Birmingham. Dark, troubled, heart of the black country. Imagine 1975. Cold, promising a hot and sultry summer that would go on for ever.
See me. Bundled against that cold and hiding a cassette tape recorder beneath a heavy greatcoat. Fear doubled. Taping a live performance and seeking to hide a suspicious device one week after the bombs went off.

Hear the throng, the crowd, the thousand and odd metal heads strangely muted voices dulled with apprehension and promise. See the lights go down and the stage light up. A thunderous roar to rival a lightning strike of opening chords as they take the stage. Close your eyes, it's about to begin. That throaty blue voice settles easily into words wound around the softest fuzz and faintest wah of the sunburst custom strat. The song glides away to whisper under the eaves of the hanging balconies and his voice leaves us spellbound.

The window was supposed to be closed and locked and left untouched, but Seoras knew it had been opened. The breeze made the window's white curtains dance like the lace of an invisible woman's dress. Seoras sat on his bed, watching intently, as if the curtains had a message to pass, or a secret to tell. They beckoned Seoras to walk through them, to seize what remained of twilight to guide him back the forest before darkness conquered the land.

Surely the wizards were watching. They had been watching for hours to see when Seoras would notice their invitation.

Seoras bowed his head to thank the wizards he had not yet met. He stood from the bed and walked to window, ignoring the warm carpet under his bare feet, the blaze and crackling of the fire heating the room, the gentle and reliable ticking of the old clock on the fireplace's mantle. The house longed to keep him, but even against the coldness of the night, it was no match for the lure a wizard's summoning. And so Seoras pulled back the curtains and peered out at the forest below, where the wizards were waiting. Most people would never see them, never know of their existence, their influence, or their magic. Very few children had the wonderful sense to look through doors and walk through windows.

There are many two or three paragraph stories here. The challenge says "one or two". I may have overstepped by one paragraph, but no need to jump the blank down my throat. Try reading the rules in their entirety, and also try to remember, it's the spirit of the rules, not the letter, that's important. The spirit of the thing was to keep it short, which I did. I could just as easily have made the thing into one or two "Mega" paragraphs, which in this format, is harder to read. Shall I?

 

[Frontierzone]

(no more than a paragraph or two)

M'rassah sat in his study, reading a book and smoking a pipe. He was intent on his reading, for it chronicled the days of Cait's wooden sailing ships. He was always fascinated by exploration, but that wasn't his calling. He was a musician first. His wife, M'ress, however, was born to explore. So, off to the Academy she went. She was gone more than she was home, leaving M'rassah to raise the children. It was thus that, when his daughter Mirra chose to enter the Academy, he was both proud and saddened. He finished the chapter he was on, and thought of both his daughter, and his wife. Both of them were out, among the stars.

M'ress had served on the Enterprise, as assistant Communications Officer. Now, she was XO on board the USS Yorktown. He smiled, though, because M'ress was due back on shore leave in less than a month. He planned on going to Starbase 10 to meet up with her at that time.He was roused from his reverie by a knock on the door. He got up, and answered it. There, standing at the door, were two Starfleet Officers, one Lieutenant Commander, and one Commander, wearing Dress Blues, and carrying a packet. His heart sank. Tears filled his eyes. He knew why they were here. This was a tradition which dated back to Earth's Military. He looked the Commander in the eyes. "Which one?" he asked, his voice raspy with sorrow. "Sir. We're sorry to inform you. Your wife is dead."