word list Prompt #172 - Word List

[comicfan]

Use the following words in a story – pillow, evergreen tree, rabbit, storm cloud, and fishing rod.

[joann414]

Sixty year old Seth stood at the picture window of his cabin, watching the reflection of the twinkling lights from the evergreen tree that he had trimmed earlier in the day. Staring out, watching snow falling, he fought tears, knowing that Andy would not want him grieving for him at Christmas. Andy, his partner of twenty years, had suffered heart failure eight months earlier. Living in the mountains of North Carolina, they had never had the privilege of marriage, but their commitment was undying. Andy was the giant man of the mountains, flannel shirts, jeans, leather work boots, and a strength physically as well as mentally. He had been Seth's completion, his heart, his pillow of contentment.

 

Snapping his fingers at Rabbit, his elk hound, which he had fondly named Rabbit because instead of trailing bear, he had a fondness for the little furry rabbits that tipped through the snow, not hurting them, just barking, and making them scamper to shelter.

 

Seth and Rabbit walked out into the white splendour, heading to the huge fir in the backyard. Kicking an old fishing rod to the side that had fallen from the porch, he cursed himself for not putting Andy's rod in the house, but he had not been able to bring himself to move anything that Andy had last touched.

 

Standing before the rough rock headstone, he allowed himself to reflect on their life. He could see those storm cloud gray eyes everytime he closed his eyes at night, and feel the roughness of the hands caressing his body, evoking a passion that many would never have the gift of feeling. Brushing the snow from the rough rock, he read the epitaph that he himself had chiseled into the stone. " Seth's heart, his completion."

 

Laying the red rose onto the stark whiteness of the undisturbed snow, Seth whispered reverently," You were my reason to breathe, to wake in the mornings, to retire at night into your warmth, looking forward to another day because I knew you would be there. Knowing that I will never have this solace again, I grieve and weep, pray for contentment. All that I ask for is here, below the gound, supporting this gray stone, so until I return, my love still abides with you."

[comicfan]

Very nicely done Jo Ann. I hope this means we will be seeing more from you soon.

 

[Mark92]

It is time for bed, and I lay down,

My head sinking into my pillow

I close my eyes perchance to dream,

Of an evergreen tree or a willow

There will be animals too on this moonlit night

With rabbits and badgers hiding from sight

The moon disappears behind a storm cloud

I walk the path naked and always proud

To some I guess I must look odd

As I turn a long switch into a fishing rod.

[Andy78]

Here's my second Halowe'en story of the week

 

https://www.gayauthors.org/story/andy021278/andysshortstogaprompts/36

[JamesSavik]

Outbreak

 

 

For eons the bat and the virus lived in harmony deep in the jungles of Brazil.

 

For eons the world of the virus lived harmlessly without infringing on the world of mankind.

 

There had been a few times when a fisherman would stray into a cave to escape storm clouds and get bitten. The way the damned stuff worked, the victim was suddenly too sick to make it out of the jungle. Months later they would be found with their skull on a makeshift pillow and their bony fingers clutching a fishing rod.

 

The world of man is nothing if not intrusive. Always seeking new lands, more resources and greater wealth; mankind and the virus were on an inevitable collision course.

 

It started as a clear cutting the native trees and replacing them with genetically altered, fast growing evergreen trees. In the course of a few dozen days on the human calender, a biosphere billions of years in the making was completely destroyed.

 

The moths that lived in the layered canopy of the jungle had no where safe to hide from predators. The bats that ate those moths had to move to find a new food source.

 

One bat, after gorging itself on insects, went to look for shelter and found a huge metal cave. So large that the people couldn't see so tiny a creature.

 

The ship, anchored in a nameless bay where it shouldn't be, taking on a cargo that it shouldn't be carrying weighed anchor with a tiny stowaway.

 

The bat could hardly believe its good fortune. The metallic monstrosity was covered in lights that attracted all manner of insects.

 

As the days passed, the air changed. The insects were different and the tiny bat shivered in the cold night air. Once again it was time for the bat to find a new home. The ship stopped at a busy port and the bat flew on to a vast new land.

 

This new land was hard on the bat. The nights were cold and the insect population was much different. One night half frozen and half starved, the bat landed near a big, warm fuzzy creature. The bat snuggled against the rabbit but the rabbit wanted nothing to do with the freaky little bat. The rabbit tried to kick the bat. The bat bite the rabbit and flew away into the night.

 

Once the virus found itself in the rabbit's blood stream, it began to amplify and reproduce- millions and billions of viral particles filled the rabbits blood stream. There was a minute change to the virus as it passed from the bat to the rabbit. Less than 1/2 of 1 percent of the viruses DNA but it was a major mutation. The virus had successfully crossed the species barrier.

 

Within a few hours the rabbit became lethargic and began running a fever.

 

When dawn arrived, the little girl who loved the rabbit arrived on her appointed rounds. She fed the rabbit, watered him and picked him up. The rabbit was completely tame but she could tell that he wasn't feeling well. She put him down in his cage, gently stroked him and went inside.

 

"Mummy. I think Mr. Hoppy has a fever. We should take him to the vet."

 

Her mother said, "If Mr. Hoppy isn't better by the time you get home from school, call Dr. Jamison." The girls mother knew that her attention span was over taxed as it was and she wouldn't remember. Besides, better that damned smelly rabbit died than shelling out a few hundred bucks to the vet.

 

The mother dropped her child off at school and went to work at the airport.

 

Both were dead before the day was over.

 

A week later twenty-five thousand were dead.

 

In a month a quarter million had perished.

 

By six months the worst of it was over. At just short of 100 million cases and 60 million deaths, the mystery virus vanished as mysteriously as it had appeared.

 

Waiting and watching for next time.

Edited November 27, 2012 by jamessavik

[Mark92]

"Well that was fun KC, Want to have another go?" I chuckled as I crossed by booted feet on the table. Leaning right back on my chair and swirling the golden nectar of a double Johnny Walkers in my glass.

KC, lifted his head from the pillow he was resting on, curled up on the over stuffed arm chair, "Yeah Marky,i'm game!"

I could tell he was excited, he always has a funny way of doing a little dance.

Looking out at the heavy storm clouds gathering, I thern turned my attention back to KC,

"So, who's next? I think CassieQ might be up for a giggle, I've heard she puts the kink in kinky, " Laughing out loud at the look of horror on KC's face.

"What? you silly muppet, it will be fine." I could see he was still worried, so, I picked up the list of words for this particular prompt.

"Right, lets see, pillow, and storm cloud are covered," I looked over at KC.

"Any idea's about a rabbit, evergreen tree or a fishing rod? My immediate thoughts are all too filthy for our GA readers," I laughed.

"Hmmm," KC rubbed his chin, " well, the rabbit is easy, they're a girls best friend," he giggled.

"You want to go near Cassie with a rabbit, the sort you mean?" I coughed back.

"That's where the evergreen tree and the fishing pole come in," KC laughed.

I frowned deeply, not getting the link at all, which only made him laugh more excitedly.

He rolled his eyes dramatically,

"Marky! We need the evergreen tree to make the fishing rod. That gives us enough running away time, when we use it to give the rabbit to her,"

I laughed so hard my chair tipped back. Still clutching the glass, the whiskey dripping from my face. Oh KC you are the funniest muppet!"

Edited November 26, 2012 by Mark92

[comicfan]

James as usual you have made one of the prompts dark and scary. And people say they have no idea how to take the prompts or what to do with them!

[joann414]

OMG Mark, I am totally telling on you. You and KC are so bad. ( thinking how Cassie and I can have revenge.

[CassieQ]

This was all Joann's idea. I am completely blameless

 

* * *

 

"OMG, Cassie, I have covered my head with a pillow all night to drown out Mark and KC's snores," Joann complained. "They promised us an unforgettable night, and what do we get? This. They said they could to it like rabbits, and this is it? Really?

KC said he was going to dive with his fishing rod. Right. He might have the grub worm for the rod. His face is going to look like a storm cloud when he sees Mark passed out in the kitchen after going for one more drink. Mark puked all over my little evergreen tree on top of that. Gross!"

Cassie groaned and buried her face in her arms. "I'm not surprised about KC. But I thought that Mark might have a little more stamina. You know what they say about country boys."

Joann laughed and pulled the pillow off her head. "Well, I hope they wake up soon. I am not cleaning up the mess."

"I'm not worried about the mess," Cassie said, propping herself up on her elbows. "However, we were promised an unforgettable night and there they are, passed out on the floor."

Joann shrugged, grinning. "Well, we're still awake."

The last thing Joann saw was Cassie's devilish grin before diving underneath the covers.

[joann414]

" High fives Cassie"

[Mark92]

LMAO oh you girls are in for it now this is war!!!

I ran out of likes Cassie, but that was excellent . So seeing as you are up for a bit off fun, I think we can hot it up a bit.

Hmmmm off to the writing board

Watch this space. Or another prompt, whichever suits

[K.C.]

**huddle in the corner with Marky planning our next move**

 

Be afraid girls...be very afraid!

[comicfan]

Why am I suddenly worried about what the 4 of you are going to do to my prompts?

[Dolores Esteban]

An Old Elvish Cave

 

Inspired by the fan fic discussion, I changed an old LOTR Story a bit.