writing challenge 2

5-5-11

The story ends on an ice floe. The story takes place ten years in the past. During the story, there is a visit by an unexpected visitor. The story must involve a pendant at the end. A character gives birth, and they aren't happy with it.

walking amid the piles of ice, drifting somewhere north of the Arctic circle, Bob the transient penguin slowly waddled . Tipping back and forth, swinging one foot out and sideways in a parabola, following that teeter-tottering step with another, and another, and another, he had made his way hundreds of miles off course. A radio collar hung around his neck, beckoning him in infrared radio waves to return south, to rejoin his herd of fellow penguins. Bob the transient penguin carried on, parabola by parabola, trudging over the arctic ice floe, discoursing in an internal dialogue upon the event which had led him here.
The scientist who had shot him with a tranquilizer dart and removed him from his colony had sucked his teeth absent mindedly, as if distracted by his own distraction, presumably to study the effects of a disrupted migration pattern in a flightless avian. Back at the colony, his now single mate was left to raise their chick, and they weren't happy about it. Bob the transient penguin trudged on, radio collar beeping luminescently.

5-2-11

A character writes a book, but it is done for different reasons than people would expect.

Finished.

5-1-11

The story ends in the desert. During the story, there is a political crisis. A character will go clothes shopping. A character becomes joyous during the story. During the story, a character loses a job.

in order to redeem his valuable marlboro miles, john went to the marlboro store on the edge of the death valley desert, not bothering to check his gas gauge. Having driven halfway through, and thinking he would make it all the way across, john joyously smoked another pack of cigarettes with his new lighter, wearing his new leather jacket. The recent gas prices had caused john to try selling his marlboro miles to a fellow co-worker, which was illegal- he had lost his job and decided a trip across the desert, to celebrate his monumental purchase of Marlboro gear would solve his problems. He ran out of gas. His body was found, partially decayed and mummified, in a perfectly preserved, faux-leather Marlboro jacket.


4-30-11

The story ends in an alley. The story takes place ten years in the past. During the story, someone is caught in traffic. The story must have an air-spirit at the end.

Carrying the bag of trash into the alley, Henry wondered about Sal. Sal had meant to be at the party, had made it known he would be participating in the festivities, yet he hadn't shown up. He hadn't even called. "What the hell...Sal's always punctual and forthright in his planning. Where could he be?" Henry pushed open the door and threw the bag of trash into the sewage of the alley, alongside the other bags of trash, the puddles of effluence and urine and vomitus. As the bag landed, it burst slightly, releasing a long sigh of bloated stink into the night sky. The door closed as Henry went back into the crowded and friendly bar.


4-29-11

The story starts during a drought. During the story, a character has an accident at home.

Nineteen days without rain. Nineteen long days without rain. Soon to be an official drought, brought by God's anger at man for debating greenhouse gases or manifest destiny. A drought brought on by the wrath of God, apparent to even the most casual observer as deliverance from a bountiful lifestyle. Adam reaches into the kitchen and grabs an apple, left by Eve, fumbles the polished surface and drops it on the floor. It bounces once, bruising a third of one side, rolls and stops. Adam sighs and swears under his breath.