march 20 - the villain's good side

+408 words
+450 points

prompt: Villains are often formed after some traumatic backstory that is later revealed to the hero and humanizes the villain. For this daily write 400 words about a villain, whether an existing one or one of your creations, who ends up not actually being the bad guy. Completing this daily will earn you 350 points with an additional 100 points for sharing!

They did not know the truth about her. They did not know, and they would probably never know. Delilah had seen their stares, the pity in their eyes for Hannah. However, they did not know.

Delilah wished she could reveal Hannah’s true colors. Hannah had taken a rivalry and turned it into a war. She had threatened Delilah all throughout highschool but to the average person appeared weak and naive.

When Delilah and Hannah were both accepted into Grystére, Delilah made it very clear the roles would change. *She* would make sure Hannah got what she deserved. It was time to finally win the war.

But she did not expect people to start being killed. Now, she looked like the villain. There were whispers in the halls. More people steered clear from Delilah as if they did not already.

Then there was the girl in black. Delilah had noticed her on the first day. The girl had quickly befriended Hannah and the two ate lunch together everyday with the other people. Delilah did not care about those other people. She only cared about Hannah.

Delilah wished she could tell this girl in black the truth, but she suspected the girl already had ideas about Delilah. Delilah wished she did not look like a murd3r3r, but she did. She wished she could know who it really was.

Well, she had her suspicions. One main suspect actually. The person who might win the war afterall.

Delilah feared for her life. Every night she made sure her door was locked and the window was latched. Of course she still tormented Hannah during the day, but at night things were different. Now Delilah was the weak one. She was the one on the run.

Delilah had one final stand though. She took Hannah’s boyfriend. She had told him the truth, and they were going to find enough evidence on Hannah to get her arrested. While Delilah was with Matt, she was happier. She stopped bullying Hannah, but she never let go of her grudge. Even though Matt and Delilah were working on a darker topic, they were happier times. They were going to do what was right and reveal the buried truth. Justice would be brought forth, and maybe she could be utterly content.

If only they knew, she thought.

If only they knew.

But Delilah would never find out if they would know the truth because Delilah was going to d!e.

a poem!!!

+226 words
+300 points

prompt: Happy World Poetry Day! There are many types of poetry, from haikus to odes, but they all have one thing in common: they are written about something the author is passionate about. For today's daily, it's your turn to write a poem about one of your passions! Whether it's ballet or world peace, poems can be about anything that you enjoy. Be creative with poem style, wording, and topic. You can earn 200 points for 200 words, along with an extra 100 for sharing. Good luck, (tortured) poets!

❝ a poetic nonsensical memoir ❞

a cup of tea
is what i have each morning
it holds many memories
in a single flavor
of books quickly devoured
from tales of love
to those of magic and dragons
these pieces of prose
that my heart will cherish forever

forever is a long stretch of time
and i often fear i will forget
that my memory will not be kept
in the little pocket within my heart
with every beat
is a reminicense
of people so real and like me
yet they do not even exist
the fictional world is finicky like that

despite these philosophical musings
i read on
sometimes late into the night
when it is an effort to leave my eyes open
but i must finish
i must continue on
to see what happens next
to end the misery of the imagination
i must set the characters free

these little whimsies
words that tell a story
inspire me beyond my understanding
to reveal hidden secrets of the mind
with new people
new truths untold
new worlds to be explored
a new plot of revenge
many different things

all involve
more memories to be stored
within my beating heart
another tale to be told
and many many mornings
with a cup of tea
the source of a wonderful day
the start of a new memory
the loop of a writer’s life

swc writing competition - march 2024

ᴇᴍɪʟʏ

If John had known that he would live his days in the exact same way for nearly forty years, he probably wouldn’t have believed it. However, the clouds always drifted gray, and the sun never bothered to shine. Every day at twelve o’ clock in the afternoon, John would grab his frozen meal from the refrigerator and put it in the microwave.

But on this particular day, something was different. After he closed the microwave door and set the three minute timer, he was faced with his reflection. His gray, stringy hair reaching his shoulders. An unshaven face. His sad haggard blue eyes. It made him think of Emily.

⌂⌂⌂

“May I sit here?” someone asked.

John looked up from his math homework to see a girl with beautiful brown hair. The hair fell in waves that reached all the way down to her waist. “Of course,” he replied, scooting a little further down the bench.

“Are you waiting for the bus too?”

“Yes, bus 417.”

“That’s my bus! I’m Emily by the way,” the girl said. Her smile was soft but genuine.

“John…”

And that was how John first met his wife.

⌂⌂⌂

“Where are you taking me, John?” Emily asked with a laugh while giving his hand a small squeeze.

“You’ll see.” He pulled her along gently. “Hurry, you don't want to miss this.”

A few moments later they arrived at the end of a pier to see the sun setting. It was a magnificent sunset with an explosion of color.
“It’s beautiful,” Emily whispered.

“I know.” John turned to face Emily and got down on one knee, pulling out a ring. There was a small diamond on it, and the band was made of silver. “Emily,” he began, “I’ve loved you since the day you sat next to me on the bench. You have brought me so much joy and happiness. If I had one last question to ask you, it would be this. Emily, will you marry me?”

There was a small gasp as Emily put her hands to her mouth before exclaiming, “Oh, John, yes! Forever and always!”

⌂⌂⌂

Red roof. White picket fence. Sprawling yard. The big blue sky above.

“It’s perfect,” Emily sighed when she and John first saw the house in person. She turned towards him, and a glimmer of happiness sparkled in her eyes. “I think I couldn’t be any more content if we lived here. This is the place where we are destined to grow old.”

“You think so?” he laughed.

“Absolutely positive.”

He gave her hand a little squeeze and said, “Then let’s buy it.”

Emily through her arms around John’s neck. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

⌂⌂⌂

“Keep them closed, Emily. I promise the surprise will be worth it.”

It was Christmas morning. Outside the world was a blanket of white, and it was John and Emily’s first Christmas as a married couple. They looked like they stepped right from a magazine with matching red Christmas pajamas, and wrapping paper all over the floor around them, and there was one final gift to unwrap.

“You didn’t get me something crazy, right John?” Emily asked, laughing.

“It depends on your definition of crazy.” He put a large box in her lap.

“Now open,” he said.

When Emily opened her eyes, she saw a red box with a green ribbon and holes lining the top edge. There was a shuffling noise inside it.
“You didn’t,” she said with wide eyes.

“I might’ve. And hurry! The poor puppy needs out!”

Emily took off the lid and out came a golden retriever. He looked up into Emily’s face before smothering it with kisses. She laughed and John laughed too. “I’m going to name him Brutus.” And so their small family grew by one.

⌂⌂⌂

“John?” Emily was leaning unsteadily against the mahogany banister. Her hair was a mess, and she had bags under her eyes. Her skin was losing color too. She was definitely ill. “John?” she tried again.

“One second, Emily,” he said, setting his book down and rising from a chair. He started walking towards the staircase, but when he saw his wife’s condition and Brutus at the end of the staircase whining, he rushed up to her. “Emily, what happened? Are you feeling worse?”

“I- I don’t know,” she faltered. “I think I need to go to the doctors.”

“It’s going to be okay.” He put an arm around her, and slowly led her down the rest of the stairs, out the house, and into the car. “It’s going to be okay.” That was what he repeated to himself as he drove on the highway to the hospital. “It’s going to be okay.”

⌂⌂⌂

The fluorescent lights were a blinding white, but John didn’t seem to notice. He was pacing the hospital room in a daze. Emily was lying on the bed, frail and weak, with almost no color left.

It was a year ago that John had driven Emily to the hospital where the doctors told her she had cancer. It was a year ago that John had learned Emily would leave him. And it was a year later that Emily was back in the hospital. John didn’t know when they would be going home, but it seemed like he wouldn’t stop pacing until they did.

“John,” Emily whispered. Her voice pulled John from his trance and he stopped pacing to look at her. “I love you,” she said.

“Oh, Emily,” he walked over to her and took her hand. “I love you too…”

“I’m going back to sleep now, but I’ll be okay. I’ll see you soon.” And when she closed her eyes there was a gentle smile on her face.

⌂⌂⌂

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

Beeeeeep…

It was an effort for John to draw a breath as he snapped out of his flashback. The beeping timer was disorienting, and the world spun around. His heart rate quickened, and he nearly fell over. Putting one hand on his chest, the other on a nearby countertop, John began to take slow deep breaths to steady himself.

“Emily…” he mumbled. It had been a long time since he had thought of her like that. A long time since he had thought about anything except moving forward.

Once his breathing was steady again, John went over to the microwave and took out his food. It didn’t look very appetizing, John now realized, but he had nothing else to eat for lunch, so he grabbed a fork from the silverware drawer and walked over to his usual spot at the dining table. There he sat as he did each and every day in the same way for the past forty years. Alone.

1,125 words (not counted towards word goal)

march 22 - pathetic fallacy

+297 words
+450 points

prompt: Writers use a lot of figurative language, and today we're focusing on just one type: pathetic fallacy. Similar to personification, pathetic fallacy is when a story utilizes the environment to convey emotions by using typically human actions (ex: weeping raindrops, dancing leaves, etc). For 300 points, write a story of at least 250 words using pathetic fallacy to convey an emotion. Then, post it in the comments for 150 more points and see if anyone can guess which emotion it is!

The earth rumbled; a feeling of sorrow was within its core. It wanted to shatter and break into a million pieces. That was how it felt inside. How could it support so much life? There was never a break.

The sky felt it too. The sadness weighed over it, forming gray storm clouds that shadowed the blue beyond. The more it felt, the thicker the clouds grew until the sky grumbled just as the earth did. It was a message to the earth almost a comforting message so that the earth could know he was not alone.

Then the heavens let loose. The sky wept and sobbed and the ground flooded too as the earth cried along.

It was a ceremony of sadness, an orchestra of feeling, and all the world felt it too.

This included the girl lying on her bed with tears streaming down her face. She was so miserable inside and so in tune with the earth and the way it felt. She seemed to be born of the earth, grown from the flowers and bloomed when the petals opened. The way she felt it was as if she really was a child of the earth. Only the angels could really know how she felt.

When the storm died down, the wind came. The gusts brought the emptiness to the misery. It left the girl in a depressed state of mind. One so unforgiving that she felt she would wallow there forever. But the universe could not really be so cruel, could it? To leave the poor defenseless girl there. It left one wanting to shout for justice, but it was not to be so.

Soon it would be over.

Soon.

Because when it would be over, the girl would know how to endure.

march 24 - hobbit hole

+427 words
+500 points

prompt: “It was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort…” To honour Tolkien Reading Day tomorrow, let's take a breather to really fall into Middle Earth ;) Hobbit-holes, our heroes' lovely underground homes, have come to be a fixture of Tolkien's cultural impact. Describe what your own personal hobbit hole might look like - the ambiance, the bookshelves, the secret passageways in your cellar; include details! 400 words for 400 points, and an extra 100 points for providing proof.

The wind rustled through the forest. The trees rested upon the foothills of the mountains of the realm Birdwood. Here, Vi lived in a little place in the side of one of the hills. It was once a fox den, and she found it when she first visited the land. She loved the village and its people, and she had also discovered the old fox hole.

She had stood inside, turning slowly around and taking in every aspect of it.

“Ahhh…” she had sighed. “Perfect.”

Only a month later Vi moved in. Of course, she had a door built first. It was made of oak, and there was a half-circle of a window built in the top. The door handle was one of those antique ones in an S-shape. There were no other windows than the one on the door, and while Vi wished there could be more sunlight in the house, it was still a wonderful place.

Out front were some rose bushes and a path leading to the door. Wildflowers were scattered throughout the yard; it was a true cottage daydream.

When the door was opened, one could take a quick peek inside. To the left of the door in the somewhat oval shaped room was an entry table. It had two doors and an empty level on the bottom. There was a cream colored table cloth on it with two candles. Above the table on the dirt wall was a gold-rimmed mirror. The mirror reflected back not only oneself, but an iron wood-burning stove with a stack of wood stored nearby. There were two armchairs and a rug. On the right chair was where Vi would snuggle up with a book, often *Pride & Prejudice,* and read late into the night. On the left side of the room was the kitchen. There was a small fridge (somehow electricity was available in the rural magical town) and a counter. There were cabinets and plenty of storage for all the tools and food in the kitchen.

On the right side of the room was a little alcove with a twin-sized bed tucked in. There were bookshelves on either side filled with so many books it overflowed onto the floor. Vi hoped to declutter it someday, but she was not in a hurry.

The bathroom was a small building outside built by courtesy of the village. There was running water and any bathroom essential.
Overall, this little hobbit hole was Vi’s home. It was a perfect place that she hoped to live in for a long time…

march 25 - color imagery

+527 words
+400 points

prompt: Happy Holi! Holi is a Hindu festival celebrating the triumph of good over evil and the arrival of spring, typically celebrated with large, colorful gatherings and people throwing colored die on each other. Use color imagery to symbolize change, whether in time, setting, or anything in between! Since today is also National Hobbit Hole Day, try setting your daily in your hobbit hole for an extra wink from the daily team ;D 500 words for 300 points, with 100 points for proof!

When Vi had first arrived at her little hobbit hole, the world was a splash of color. The clouds were of the purest white and an arrangement of birds would fly just below them. Despite there being clouds at all, the sun also shown, a glimmer of yellow happiness all around. The wildflowers varied from wild roses to the lilypads in the nearby pond. The village was decorating for its anual spring festvial, and tiny baby yellow chicks could be seen following hens and roosters on the road.

Vi made sure to take advantage of the season and also made her home cheery with pink bedsheets, pink curtains, and pink towels. She gardened in the outside planting a variety of seeds that would bloom in summer. The grasses brought butterflies and hummingbirds, and Vi even set out colorful windchimes and bird feeders. All of it was stunning and a core memory for Vi.

When the night would come, the stars would shine in the clearless sky. Constellations were clearly visible, and the candlelight cast a soft glow in her home.

Day or night, spring was utterly perfect.

But then the winter came.

Vi had only been in her hobbit hole for a few months when she awoke one morning to a world of white. The snow was not too high yet, but she knew it would only be a matter of time before it reached the small window on her door.

When the snow came, everything else was lost. There was no green of the grass or the trees, and there were no colorful flowers. There were no more butterflies, and the birds had all migrated south for the season. What was perhaps worst of all was the sky.

There was no more sunlight. The clouds made sure of that. The clouds were not even happy. They were gray. They were not in an arrangement of layers. No patch was brighter than other. It was flat and gray.

Vi could no longer make frequent trips to the village with all the snow. On that first snowfall, she had went into town and bought foods and candlesticks in bulk. If she was fortunate, she might be able to shop a few more times, but she doubted that would happen.

Despite all the dreariness, the town set up some decorations. There were snowflake garlands hanging in the main street, and the occasional Christmas tree could be seen through a window.

Soon it would be Christmas.

Another season of color.

Another of happiness.

By December first, the snow had been around for a month. Christmas was only twenty-five days away, so Vi decided to dig her way through the snow up onto the surface (yes, the snow had covered her door). She found a pine tree in the nearby forest, and cut it down with her trusty ax3. It took some time to drag it back to the hobbit hole, but eventually she got it in there. She found a spot by one of the chairs and secured it temporarily into the floor.

“Time to decorate!” she spoke to herself excitedly.

It was time to escape the dreariness of winter…

march 26 - characters swap roles

+310 words
+350 points

prompt: Get ready to shake things up, because this daily will be a wild ride! Today, you’ll be exploring a trope in fanfic where characters swap their roles. For example, the protagonist becomes the antagonist, or the student becomes the mentor. Remember to keep their personality the same! Using this trope, write a fanfic piece that is 300 words long. By doing so, you will earn 200 points and 150 extra for sharing proof!

Harry Potter…

Severus Snape had heard the name since the boy was born. It could be considered a common name. Nothing magical about it at all, but… Snape had always thought Lily was the most magical name of all even though it was just as common as Harry.

Harry Potter…

The conversation with Albus Dumbledore replayed in Snape’s head.

“You will treat the boy just as any of your pupils,” the headmaster had said. “Do it for Lily. Do it for her.”

But then Snape thought of the way Lily had left him. It was his only experience with heartbreak, and Snape wished it to be his last.

Harry Potter…

The boy walked into the room with his lightning scar on his forehead. There was nothing confident about his walk, but Snape took it as a threat.

I will show him, he thought. I’ll show him his limits.

Harry Potter, meanwhile, took a seat with his friends.

It was time to address the class. To begin teaching. A few minutes of course introduction passed. It was time.

Harry Potter…

“Potter!” Snape snapped turning abruptly towards the boy. “What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?”

Harry Potter was silent.

He doesn’t know, Snape thought amused. Perhaps the boy was stupid. It would be easier to hate him that way. Or perhaps the boy would be smart, granting Griffyndor a vast number of points. Then Snape could think of Harry as a rival, wanting Slytherin to win.

“I- I don’t know, sir,” Harry finally replied.

Snape tsked. “Tut, tut— fame clearly isn’t everything.”

Snape tried a few more questions, but the boy did not know the answer to any of them. Perhaps it would be the first option then. The boy was stupid. He could not do much to reveal who Snape really was, but Snape was going to be extra cautious. He viewed Harry Potter as an enemy, and so he would be treated as such.

*the words underlined are direct quotes and are not counted to my word total on the daily

march 27 - google translate

+348 words
+350 points

Getting back into the classics… it’s time for a fan favorite! Head on over to google translate and switch up the lyrics of a song of your choice. Once they are completely different, and probably silly, write a 300 word story inspired by your new words! Then you can take home 200 points for your cabin and an extra 150 points will be added for providing proof :D

“Do you want to know your name?
Seven!
do it now
do it now
responsibility
do it now”
- soldier, poet, king

The responsibilty…

Or was it the Responsiblity.

I could not seem to remember. It was like my brain did not even *dare* to remember.

I had spent the night up with a friend, trying to jog my memory of anything. Anything that would help me remember to take the test and become one of them. Then, only a few hours earlier, I was certain becoming a Responsiblity was what I was intended to do. Yet, I could not remember anything about them. My friend insisted it was my dream to become one of them that when my memory returned, I would be disappointed if I did not make it. However, with no information about this mysterious group, I was not so sure anymore. I began to think there was something missing.

Maybe my amnesia has given me a brain, I thought. Everyone else just seems to go along with the government. It is like the don’t even think. Maybe they actually don’t think.

It was a frightening thought. One that gave my chills on my arms. Something was definitely wrong, and I was determined to find out.

I sat there waiting and reflecting as the person on the auditorium droned on and on and on, calling name after name. There was no need for me to listen other than to applaud after each person was selected. What was important was when my was called, and there it was.

“Seven!” The announcer had called.

I snapped out of my musings and looked up to the stage. The name called had no connection to me. Or it did. It was supposedly my name, but I did not think it suited me.

That was what amnesisa felt like. You were in someone, but you did not have any memories of what you thought to be your actual past.

“Seven!” the announcer called out again.

This was it. I had to make a decision now. My friend elbowed me in the side, a signal to get up.

So I stood up. Even with no past, I was ready to decide my future.

march 25-31 - weekly 4

+1,689 words
+3,500 points

outline

fr3ytag's pyramid

- exposition
- edith, claire, and amelia are going into an antique shop
- it is summer vacation and they needed something to do
- edith and claire are the two besties… and then there is amelia
- the girls walk past many semi-organized sections of things (examples include old postcards, broken tea kettles, and antique doll houses)

- inc!ting incident
- there is no concept of time in the antique shop, so what seems like a few minutes is actually a few hours
- claire had a watch on and noticed how much time has passed

- rising action
- the girls begin to look for an exit
- of course they wander for even more time
- the store is getting darker because it runs on natural light
- time is beginning to run out

- climax
- they find the front of the store but no door
- edith and claire are panicking at how dark it is
- claire goes missing

- falling action
- edith and claire walk around in the dark until they find some candles (and they use their phone flashlights)
- then they begin to look for amelia
- they call out for her but there is no reply
- they text and call her but no response
- they also could not hear her phone buzzing
- edith and claire find two old couches and try to sleep for the night
- they had no dinner
- they eventually do fall asleep then wake up in the morning and it is bright

- resolution
- they search for their friend again and find amelia on a nearby couch
- she said she wandered too far off, it was too dark to see, and her phone battery died
- the three girls are starving and resume the search for the entrance
- they find it and escape
- no one noticed they had been missing…

323 words

exposition

EDITH

“Alright, my mom said she’ll pick us up in a few hours at the Starbucks near here,” Claire said, looking up from her phone. “Sound good?”

Both Amelia and I responded with a, “Yep!”

“I’m glad we can go to the Starbucks. I doubt we’ll be here long anyway,” I said.

“Agreed,” Claire nodded, “but it gives us something to do.”

“My mom went here with her friends when the store first opened up. She said it’s a nice place to explore,” Amelia piped up.

“I guess. I don’t think we’ll find aything useful though, it’s an antique store afterall. Let’s go. The faster we go in, the faster we can go out.”

The three of us walked into City Antique. None of us wanted to really be there, but we didn’t have anything else to do. The rest of the city and shopping centers were full of tourists for spring break. None of us were up for the crowds, so we were left exploring the unknown, more quiet parts of town.

Upon entering, one thing was clear- this store was HUGE. There was a section with many half-shelves filled with old postcards.

“Oooooh!” Claire exclaimed, rushing over to one of the shelves. She selected a card with a pretty beach view. “This would go great on my gallery wall.”

“It totally would,” Amelia said. “I’m going to look for some with flowers.”

The three girls spent some time looking through the postcards, fawning over the pretty ones and trying to read those with writing. Eventually, they wandered the store again and passed through sections with tea kettles, old fridges, and even dollhouses.

273 words

ingredients

- new p0v

- plot twist

- foreshadowing

- cliffhanger

- open-ending

my stew

CLAIRE

“Hey, guys?” I said, looking down at my watch.

“Yeah?” Edith set down an old clock she was holding.

“It’s four o’ clock.”

“What?” Amelia cried out clearly startled, “We were going to be picked up at three from Starbucks. Your mom is probably waiting!”

I checked my watch again. “I don’t have any messages or calls, but there isn’t any s!gnal here either. We should leave though. Actually, which way is the exit?”

Amelia spun slowly in a circle. “I don’t know which way we came.”

“Neither do I,” Edith agreed. “All I can really remember is that there are postcards at the front.”

“I’m surprised though,” I said. “We’ve been here for four hours, and we haven’t even found the end of the store.”

“Yeah, that is strange,” Amelia said. “You know what, I’m going to go ahead and try and find the exit. Maybe if the signal is better at the front, I can give one of you a call.”

“Perfect!” Edith clapped her hands. “Let’s try and check back in say thirty minutes?”

“Sounds good!”

Amelia split off, and Edith and I began to walk down the aisles together. There were many, many things in the antique store, and it was crazy to think we hadn’t found the end.

“This store kind of gives me the creeps,” Edith said. “And the amount of dust on everything, yeesh.”

“It’s definitely dustier the farther we’ve gone. Maybe that’s how we can find a way back.”

“Good idea.”

“If Amelia hasn’t found the entrance yet, when we check in, we can tell her that idea.”

“Okay.”

We walked for some more until it felt like it had been thirty minutes.

“I’ll try and call from my watch,” I said. “There’s one bar of signal.”

When I tapped on my watch, the screen lit up with “5:00.”

“Oh my gosh…” I muttered.

“What?”

“It’s five o’ clock.”

“Seriously? How is that even possible?”

“I don’t know. And there isn’t even anything from Amelia. Let me try calling.” The call ended on a voicemail twice.

“Answer your phone, Amelia!” I was beginning to get frustrated. “She never answers.”

Edith put a hand on my shoulder. “I know, but the only way we will get out of this situation is by remaining calm.”

“It’s been an hour though! This store can’t be that big.”

“It seems to be though. Amelia could be in a place with no signal. Let’s just try again in thirty minutes.”

“Fine, but this time I am setting a timer.”

We followed the path where the dust seemed to become thinner, and I was constantly checking my watch.

“You’ve got to stop checking, Claire,” Edith chided. “You set a timer, and I’m sure Amelia will call soon.”

We walked a couple minutes longer, and I was itching to check the time again.

“Okay, you can check,” Edith laughed, clearly seeing my impatience.

“Thank goodness.” I tapped on my watch. 7:00.

I stopped walking, and my mouth hung open. “This is not possible. What is wrong with this stvp1d store! It’s seven o’ clock apparently!”

Edith stopped to stand beside me.

“Do you think,” she whispered, “do you think this store could be magical? It sounds stupid, but this store, and no wonder it’s getting dark.”

“I don’t know what to think anymore.” I hadn’t been paying attention to the darkness, but there were windows along the top of the wall. They provided the source of light for the building. Edith was right. It was getting dark.

There was silence for a moment or two before Edith spoke, “The store closed at six. I just remembered. We’re going to have to stay here.”

“Ugh,” I shivered. “This place gives me the creeps, and I definitely don’t want to be here at night.”

“But why has nobody called? We need to find Amelia immediately.”

“Definitely.”

We spent an hour calling Amelia’s name. There was a slight echo to what we yelled, but no response. We tried calling her phone, but there was still no answer. By eight it was completely dark outside. It was hard to see where we were going, and we were stuck using our phone flashlights.

“We’ve been walking all day. I need to sit down,” Edith groaned. There was a weathered couch up ahead, and when she saw it, she immediately ran up to it and laid down.

I sat down on a couch opposite. “I doubt we’ll get any sleep, but I guess we get to rest.” Unfortunately, I spoke to soon. Edith had already fallen asleep.

I shut my eyes. I couldn’t believe what had happened throughout the day. How could I sleep when there seemed to be no exit from this mad place. How could I sleep when Amelia was missing? But as it happened, I did sleep, and sleep hard I did.

AMELIA

I woke up to someone shaking my shoulders.

“Oh my gosh, stop it,” I mumbled. When I opened my eyes though, I saw Edith standing above me. At first I thought we were having a sleepover, but then I remembered where we were. I sat up and looked around. When I had stumbled there in the night, I wasn’t able to see where I had lay down. All I knew was that it was comfortable. Now, I could see I rested on a couch in a furniture section. “Sorry,” I said. “I couldn’t remember where we were.”

“It’s fine,” Edith said. “I went through the same thing when I woke up this morning.”

“How on earth did you wind up by us?” Claire asked from where she was sitting on a nearby couch.

“I don’t know. I just stumbled here around midnight.” I paused. “Man, I’m hungry.”

“Agreed,” Claire said. “Good thing we found a way out though!”

“You did? I looked for hours. How come you guys didn’t call. I tried.”

“We tried too, but it went to voicemail. Not even our own families have messaged us. At least we found a door.”

I stood up. “Are we ready then?”

“Yes,” Edith said.

We walked down the main aisle to where there postcard stands were just like we had seen them when we first arrived. There was the door. I thought it looked different, but I was too tired to notice. Then we opened the door…

1,061 words

editing

EDITH

“Alright, so my mom said she’ll pick us up in a few hours at the Starbucks near here,” Claire said, glancing up from her i-phone. “Sound good?”

Both Amelia and I responded with a, “Sure!”

“I’m glad we can go to the Starbucks. I doubt we’ll be here long anyway,” I said.

“Agreed,” Claire nodded, “but it gives us something to do.”

“My mom went here with her friends when the store first opened up. She said it’s a nice place to explore,” Amelia piped up.

“I guess. I don’t think we’ll find anything useful though, it’s an antique store afterall. Let’s go. The faster we go in, the faster we can go out.”

The three of us walked into City Antique. None of us wanted to really be there, but we didn’t have anything else to do. The rest of the city and shopping centers were full of tourists for spring break. None of us were up for the crowds, so we were left exploring the unknown, more quiet parts of town.

Upon entering, one thing was clear- this store was HUGE. There was already a whole section devoted to old postcards.

“Oooooh!” Claire exclaimed, rushing over to one of the shelves. She selected a card with a pretty beach view. “This would go great on my gallery wall.”

“It totally would,” Amelia said. “I’m going to look for some with flowers.”

We spent some time looking through the postcards, fawning over the pretty ones and trying to read those with writing. Eventually, we wandered into the rest of the store and passed through sections with tea kettles, old fridges, and even dollhouses. It wasn’t until Claire noticed something that things began to go wrong.

CLAIRE

“Hey, guys?” I said, looking down at my watch.

“Yeah?” Edith set down a clock she had been looking at.

“It’s four o’ clock.”

“What?” Amelia cried out clearly startled, “We were going to be picked up at three from Starbuck. Your mom is probably waiting!”

I checked my watch again. “I don’t have any messages or calls, but there isn’t any signal here either. We should leave though. Speaking of which, which way is the exit?”

Amelia glanced around. “I don’t know which way we came.”

“Neither do I,” Edith agreed. “All I can really remember is that there are postcards at the front.”

“I’m surprised though,” I said. “We’ve been here for four hours, and we haven’t even found the end of the store.”

“Yeah, that is strange,” Amelia said. “You know what, I’m going to go ahead and try and find the exit. Maybe if the signal is better at the front, I can give one of you a call.”

“Perfect!” Edith clapped her hands. “Let’s try and check back in say… thirty minutes?”

“Sounds good!”

Amelia split off, and Edith and I began to walk down the aisles together. There were many, many things in the antique store, and it was crazy to think we hadn’t reached the end yet.

“This store kind of gives me the creeps,” Edith said. “And the amount of dust on everything, yeesh.”

“It’s definitely dustier the farther we’ve come. Maybe that’s how we can find a way back.”

“Good idea.”

“If Amelia hasn’t found the entrance yet, when we check in, we can tell her that idea.”

“Okay.”

We walked for some more until it felt like it had been thirty minutes.

“I’ll try and call from my watch,” I said. “There’s one bar of signal.”

When I tapped on my watch, the screen lit up with “5:00.”

“Oh my gosh…” I muttered.

“What?”

“It’s five o’ clock.”

“Seriously? How is that even possible?”

“I don’t know. And there isn’t even anything from Amelia. Let me try calling.” The call ended on a voicemail twice.

“Answer your phone, Amelia!” I grumbled. I was getting frustrated. “She never answers.”

Edith put a hand on my shoulder. “I know, but the only way we will get out of this situation is by remaining calm.”

“It’s been an hour though! This store can’t be that big.”

“Well, it seems to be that big. Amelia could be in a place with no signal. Let’s just try again in thirty minutes.”

“Fine, but this time I am setting a timer.”

We followed the path where the dust seemed to become thinner, and I was constantly checking my watch.

“You’ve got to stop checking, Claire,” Edith chided. “You set a timer, and I’m sure Amelia will call soon.”

We walked a couple minutes longer, and I was itching to check the time again.

“Okay, you can check,” Edith laughed, clearly seeing my impatience.

“Thank goodness.” I tapped on my watch. 7:00. My timer hadn’t even gone off.

I stopped walking, and my mouth hung open. “This is not possible. What is wrong with this stvp1d store! It’s seven o’ clock apparently!”

Edith stopped to stand beside me.

“Do you think,” she whispered with evident fear in her eyes, “do you think this store could be magical? It sounds stupid, but this store, and no wonder it’s getting dark.”

“I don’t know what to think anymore.” I hadn’t been paying attention to the darkness, but there were windows along the top of the walls. They provided the source of light for the building. Edith was right. It was getting dark.

There was silence for a moment or two before Edith spoke, “The store closed at six. I just remembered. We’re stuck here.”

“Ugh,” I shivered. “This place is really spooky, and I definitely don’t want to be here at night.”

“But why has nobody called? We need to find Amelia immediately.”

“Of course.”

We spent an hour calling Amelia’s name. There was a slight echo to our shouting, but no response from Amelia. We tried calling her phone, but again there was no answer. By eight it was completely dark outside. It was hard to see where we were going, and we were stuck using our phone flashlights.

“We’ve been walking all day. I need to sit down,” Edith groaned. There was a weathered couch up ahead, and when she saw it, she immediately ran up to it and laid down.

I sat down on a couch opposite. “I doubt we’ll get any sleep, but I guess we get to rest.” Unfortunately, I spoke to soon. Edith had already fallen asleep.

I shut my eyes. I couldn’t believe what had happened throughout the day. How could I sleep when there seemed to be no exit from this mad place. How could I sleep when Amelia was missing? But as it happened, I did sleep, and sleep hard I did.

AMELIA

I woke up to someone shaking my shoulders.

“Oh my gosh, stop it,” I mumbled. When I opened my eyes though, I saw Edith standing above me. At first I thought we were having a sleepover, but then I remembered where we were. I sat up and looked around. When I had stumbled there in the night, I wasn’t able to see where I had lay down. All I knew was that it was comfortable. Now, I could see I rested on a couch in a furniture section. “Sorry,” I said. “I couldn’t remember where we were.”

“It’s fine,” Edith said. “I went through the same thing when I woke up this morning.”

“How on earth did you wind up by us?” Claire asked from where she was sitting on a nearby couch.

“I don’t know. I just stumbled here around midnight.” I paused. “Man, I’m hungry.”

“Agreed,” Claire said. “Good thing we found a way out though!”

“You did? I looked for hours. How come you guys didn’t call. I tried.”

“We tried too, but it went to voicemail. Not even our own families have messaged us. At least we found a door.”

I stood up. “Are we ready then?”

“Yes,” Edith said.

We walked down the main aisle to where there postcard stands were just like we had seen them when we first arrived. There was the door. I thought it looked different, but I was too tired to really think about it. Then we opened the door…

32 words

editing from critique

EDITH

“Alright, so my mom said she’ll pick us up in a few hours at the Starbucks near here,” Claire said, glancing up from her iPhone. “Sound good?”

“Sure!” Amelia and I responded.

“I’m glad we can go to the Starbucks. I doubt we’ll be here long anyway,” I said.

“Agreed,” Claire nodded, “but it gives us something to do.”

“My mom went here with her friends when the store first opened up. She said it’s a nice place to explore,” Amelia piped up.

“I guess. I don’t think we’ll find anything useful though, it’s an antique store afterall. Let’s go. The faster we go in, the faster we can go out.”

The three of us walked into City Antique. None of us wanted to really be there, but we didn’t have anything else to do. The rest of the city and shopping centers were full of tourists for spring break. None of us were up for the crowds, so we were left exploring the unknown, more quiet parts of town.

Upon entering, one thing was clear- this store was HUGE. There was already a whole section devoted to old postcards.

“Oooooh!” Claire exclaimed, rushing over to one of the shelves. She selected a card with a pretty beach view. “This would go great on my gallery wall.”

“It totally would,” Amelia said. “I’m going to look for some with flowers.”

We spent some time looking through the postcards, fawning over the pretty ones and trying to read those with writing. Eventually, we wandered into the rest of the store and passed through sections with tea kettles, old fridges, and even dollhouses. It wasn’t until Claire noticed something that things began to go wrong.

CLAIRE

“Hey, guys?” I said, looking down at my watch.

“Yeah?” Edith set down a clock she had been looking at.

“It’s four o’ clock.”

“What?” Amelia cried out clearly startled, “We were going to be picked up at three from Starbuck. Your mom is probably waiting!”

I checked my watch again. “I don’t have any messages or calls, but there isn’t any signal here either. We should leave though. Speaking of, which way is the exit?”

Amelia glanced around. “I don’t know which way we came.”

“Neither do I,” Edith agreed. “All I can really remember is that there are postcards at the front.”

“I’m surprised though,” I said. “We’ve been here for four hours, and we haven’t even found the end of the store.”

“Yeah, that is strange,” Amelia said. “You know what, I’m going to go ahead and try and find the exit. Maybe if the signal is better at the front, I can give one of you a call.”

“Perfect!” Edith clapped her hands. “Let’s try and check back in say… thirty minutes?”

“Sounds good!”

Amelia split off, and Edith and I walked down more aisles together. Between the sections of furniture, appliances, and even a section of doors, the store really did seem neverending.

“This store kind of gives me the creeps,” Edith said. “And the amount of dust on everything, yeesh.”

“It’s definitely dustier the farther we’ve come. Maybe that’s how we can find a way back.”

“Good idea.”

“If Amelia hasn’t found the entrance yet, when we check in, we can tell her that idea.”

“Okay.”

We walked on until it felt like it had been thirty minutes.

“I’ll try and call from my watch,” I said. “There’s one bar of signal.”

When I tapped on my watch, the screen lit up with “5:00.”

“Oh my gosh…” I muttered.

“What?”

“It’s five o’ clock.”

“Seriously? How is that even possible?”

“I don’t know. And there isn’t even anything from Amelia. Let me try calling.” The call ended on a voicemail twice.

“Answer your phone, Amelia!” I grumbled. My brain pounded with anger and confusion. “She never answers.”

Edith put a hand on my shoulder. “I know, but the only way we will get out of this situation is by remaining calm.”

“It’s been an hour though! This store can’t be that big.”

“Well, it seems to be that big. Amelia could be in a place with no signal. Let’s just try again in thirty minutes.”

“Fine, but this time I am setting a timer.”

We followed the path where the dust seemed to become thinner, and I was constantly checking my watch.

“You’ve got to stop checking, Claire,” Edith chided. “You set a timer, and I’m sure Amelia will call soon.”

We walked a couple minutes longer, and I was itching to check the time again.

“Okay, you can check,” Edith laughed, clearly seeing my impatience.

“Thank goodness.” I tapped on my watch. 7:00. My timer hadn’t even gone off.

I stopped walking, and my mouth hung open. “This is not possible. What is wrong with this stvp1d store! It’s seven o’ clock apparently!”

Edith stopped to stand beside me.

“Do you think,” she whispered with evident fear in her eyes, “do you think this store could be magical? It sounds stupid, but this store, and no wonder it’s getting dark.”

“I don’t know what to think anymore.” I hadn’t been paying attention to the darkness, but there were windows along the top of the walls. They provided the source of light for the building. Edith was right. It was getting dark.

There was silence for a moment or two before Edith spoke, “The store closed at six. I just remembered. We’re stuck here.”

“Ugh,” I shivered. “This place is really spooky, and I definitely don’t want to be here at night.”

“But why has nobody called? We need to find Amelia immediately.”

“Of course.”

We spent an hour calling Amelia’s name. There was a slight echo to our shouting, but no response from Amelia. We tried calling her phone, but again there was no answer. By eight it was completely dark outside. It was hard to see where we were going, and we were stuck using our phone flashlights.

“We’ve been walking all day. I need to sit down,” Edith groaned. There was a weathered couch up ahead, and when she saw it, she immediately ran up to it and laid down.

I sat down on a couch opposite. “I doubt we’ll get any sleep, but I guess we get to rest.” Unfortunately, I spoke to soon. Edith had already fallen asleep.

I shut my eyes. I couldn’t believe what had happened throughout the day. How could I sleep when there seemed to be no exit from this mad place. How could I sleep when Amelia was missing? But as it happened, I did sleep, and sleep hard I did.

AMELIA

I woke up to someone shaking my shoulders.

“Oh my gosh, stop it,” I mumbled. When I opened my eyes though, I saw Edith standing above me. At first I thought we were having a sleepover, but then I remembered where we were. I sat up and looked around. When I had stumbled there in the night, I wasn’t able to see where I had lay down. All I knew was that it was comfortable. Now, I could see I rested on a couch in a furniture section. “Sorry,” I said. “I couldn’t remember where we were.”

“It’s fine,” Edith said. “I went through the same thing when I woke up this morning.”

“How on earth did you wind up by us?” Claire asked from where she was sitting on a nearby couch.

“I don’t know. I just stumbled here around midnight.” I paused. “Man, I’m hungry.”

“Agreed,” Claire said. “Good thing we found a way out though!”

“You did? I looked for hours. How come you guys didn’t call. I tried.”

“We tried too, but it went to voicemail. Not even our own families have messaged us. At least we found a door.”

I stood up. “Are we ready then?”

“Yes,” Edith said.

We walked down the main aisle to where the postcard stands were just like we had seen them when we first arrived. There was the door. I thought it looked different, but I was too tired to really think about it. Then we opened the door…

-8 words

critique for lark

+ 191 words
+ 200 points

this is a redo / second draft of the critique, and though it is my only one for this sesson, and i did it for the weekly, i am still glad i was able to complete one and also have my work critique! hopefully the feedback is good and that it helps you in your edits, lark, so without further ado, my critique!

"I cried when I got home from the library.

It should’ve been a pretty good day, and overall, I suppose it was. The library is one of my favorite places, and spending a few hours there with my best friend is always a highlight of the weekend. Once we’d finished our homework, we sat outside in the cool spring breeze, listening to the sparrows’ bright songs as we talked."

"Our conversations used to be simple and quiet, sharing only the simplest pieces of our stories. As the leaves turned golden and we had more time together, we started to open up a little. Ever since the first autumn storms settled in, I had a feeling that she was going through something hard, though when I asked if anything was wrong she never gave more than a reserved yes or no. Through careful words and extra hugs, I tried my best to support her, to make her smile whenever possible."

"When winter’s freezing winds drove us inside, we bonded together more fully. I’ve never had a friend so similar to me. We both love music, birds, and dancing in the rain. We both spent more time reading or watching the butterflies than playing with the other kids when we were younger, and we both are nervous and hesitant about connecting with other people."

"I never thought friendship like this would be a possibility for me. My few attempts always ended in the other person turning on me, or moving away, until I tried to close myself off completely. No one, it seemed, could possibly be trustworthy. Then I met my best friend, and saw the beautiful light and kindness she holds with everyone she interacts with despite her quiet nature, and realized I may have a chance connecting with someone after all.

“I couldn’t be more grateful for this friendship, especially once we both begun to share our struggles with each other. I almost feel honored to be trusted by someone so amazing. I don’t understand how anyone could hurt her.”

“I cried when I got home from the library. After months of trying to piece her story together through little hints and clues, I know what’s going on. The day before was a bad one for her, and she trusts me enough now to explain what happened. Somehow, among all the joy and bright wonder of spring, as flowers bloomed and butterflies fluttered in the gardens, she’d had one of the darkest days in her life.

I’ve known for a long time that there is evil in the world, probably for longer than most kids my age. Dark thoughts muddled my mind when I was too young to understand any of it. Friendship has revealed more light and hope in the world then I ever knew before, yet somehow, the person who showed me that hope was going through a heavier darkness than I’ve ever been through.

I was afraid to leave her when it was time to go home. I wish we could’ve become birds like the ones we love to watch together, and flown away somewhere safe where she wouldn’t ever be yelled at again. I wish I could give her something more than reassuring words and an extra hug.

I cried when I got home from the library. I don’t understand how anyone could hurt her. So once I was steady enough to find a path forward, I found a piece of paper and began to write. Every kind word in the world isn’t enough to change the past or heal old scars, but if it’s enough to provide a moment’s comfort, it’s worth saying a hundred times over- and worth putting into writing, where it could be read and remembered a million times to come.”

“My handwriting was messy from years of sloppy notes that no other person needed to read, but I was careful to straighten out the letters, placing them just as carefully as the chosen words that I hoped could bring her a glimpse of light. I folded the finished letter and crafted an envelope around it, questioning whether there was something more I could add to the message, some perfect phrase to encapsulate everything I hoped to express.

I could’ve revised the words for hours or days on end, but I sealed the envelope shut. I could always write another. When I went on a walk the next morning, I brought the letter in my pocket, and left the familiar paths of my neighborhood to deliver it to hers. Instead of the mailbox, I left the letter on my friend’s windowsill with a smooth rock to hold it in place, where neither of her parents would find it first.

Two hours later, I received a text: Thank you for everything.”

critiquitaire

⸙͎ mar. 30 ◦ critique for lark ◦ 191 words ⸙͎

march 31 - thank you notes

+1,187 words

prompt: As we finish up this session and start preparations for the next, take some time to reflect. What are your favorite memories of this month? Who or what made an impact on you? Now go ahead and let those people know! Write some thank you's to express your gratitude for the influence they've made on you and others <3

SWC
This was my fourth session. I have been in the SWC community for over a year. Wow. At the end of my first session, I knew that I would want to keep going, and here I am. I did have the intention of co-leading this session, and while that didn’t work out (I didn’t have time) it is something I am definitely going to try and do for July. I hope I won’t be leaving this community anytime soon as it has kept me doing what I love. So, while we have a month off before applications and stuff, I’ll be back soon!

note: thank you’s are in alphabetical order <3

Alaska (@-forevermore)

I started seeing you around in the beginning of the session and knew you were somoene I wanted to talk to. I have read several of your pieces (your writing is phenomenal) and I was so excited to meet another Swifite! I hope we can talk outside of session, and I’ll see you around!

Avery (@turniing-paqes)

As one of my newer Scratch friends, SWC was a wonderful way for us to talk more. I met you out of SWC, but when I found out you had been part of the community for some time, I was so overjoyed! You are also the only one I know of who is closest to my age) It has just been so nice to talk with you, and obviously we’ll be talking out of session was well, so I will see you around

Bella (@-Wraiith)

Last session was the first time I talked with you. Between sessions we started talking and now we are friends! I’ve loved reading your work throughout the session (also love Fabian + Meryn) and just- ASDFSJD- Bellalalala, you are an amazing person <3 Hopefully we’ll talk soon, and I am definitely looking forward to hearing more about your novel

Nova (@Novanuhea123)

I’ve seen you around in SWC before, but we started talking this session! I’m so glad to have made another Scratch friend, and thank you for reading my work! It means a lot <3 Hopefully we’ll talk again soon, and I hope you have a wonderful April!

Poppy (@PoppyWriter)

For as long as we are both in SWC, you will have automatically claimed a spot in my thank you notes One year ago we started talking over a similarity of “Pride and Prejudice” and here we are today still talking about “Pride and Prejudice” I have a mental list of who I consider my “Pride and Prejudice” Besties and although you are my only online one, and none of these friends no who the other is XD you were the first one on the list. This session I hav enot only appreciated you as a friend, but I have also been so proud of you! It is YOUR cabin who is number one on the leaderboard. YOU helped co-lead. It has been very funny because each night when I check the rankings, I’ll be like “Argh- Thriller is still on top.” but also, “Yay, Poppy,’s cabin!” Someday we will be in a cabin together, but while we wait, I have enjoyed this friendly competition. I don’t want to end this with a “hope to see you around soon” because I WILL be talking with you tomorrow since its the start of Camp NaNO, so I will say, you did great this session, and I am excited for what is to come!

Recca (@27coding_crazy)

THANK YOU FOR TALKING ABOUT “PRIDE AND PREJUDICE” WITH ME!!! It always makes me so happy to meet someone with the same love for the story and Jane Austen as I do. Between that and the messages for whenever someone completed a daily or weekly showed what a supportive person you are. I hope we will get to talk again soon <3

Ris (@Eeveedonut)

I know you were a bit inactive this session, but I was still so excited to be in a cabin with you. I have never been in a cabin with someone I’ve known before/talked to outside of SWC sessions (other than having a repeat leader once), and whenever I saw you say something in the cabin, it was just so exciting <3

Sandy (@Sandy-Dunes)

You were my co-leader in Folklore for my first ever session last year. This session we were cabinmates. It was son nice to see you again, and although we didn’t talk much, I was always so pleased to see a message from you. I read a few of your pieces this session, and they were amazing! Also, YOU WROTE SO MUCH!!!! Congratulations on hitting 50k words

Seven (@-lxve-bug-)

We talked a bit this session, and this was my first time seeing you around! You were so helpful in cabin wars and understanding when I wasn’t able to participate much. It was nice to have you as a cabinmate, and I hope we’ll get to talk more soon <3

Sophia (@dreamysolitude)

You were the one who sent me the message telling me I got into poetry- my “dream cabin” for the session. I know that we did not talk much, but I have definitely seen you around the SWC community before, and it was so nice to have you as a co-leader. You made sure our points were added and were key in making sure our cabin was organized and active. Oh! And I appreciate that you read my writing. Whenever I get a message giving a compliment on one of my pieces reminds me that people ARE interested in what I write. Such compliments help motivate me to continue doing what I love. Thank you for all that you did, and I hope to see you around soon

Summer (@-SimplyWatermelon-)

Thank you for leading this session! I have loved talking with you, and the fact that you’re Christian makes my heart swell with happiness I have definitely seen you around the community before, so I felt confident that you would be a great leader, and you went well beyond that! You were consistently active and updating things, and for this being your first time leading if I am not mistaken, you did AMAZING. I hope we will get to talk more soon, and happy Easter!

Tilly (@sweetcakefamily)

We didn’t talk much, but it was so nice giving motivation to each other on the dailies and weeklies. I hope the session went well for you, and I hope to see you around! (I realize how short this is- I’m really bad at coming up with things to say, but I did want to thank you because I know we talked a little.)

Vi (@violent-measures)

Hello, other Vi! My first ever session we were in the same cabin together. We didn’t really talk, nor did we my other three sessions, but this time around, we interacted a few times! I don’t really know what else to say, but if I am not mistaken, you are going to college soon, so I wish you the best of luck with that, and I hope to see you around!