Day 216 Writing Short Stories

Hoard

The first snow of the winter was falling. It gushed down with the whipping wind, coloring the landscape white. Everywhere, people hurried indoors to escape the beating snow. People never dreamed about days like this. She did. She watched her mounts slowly disappear under the snow. Her little hoards of seeds, gold, rations, matches, blankets, medicine, and weapons. All she would use when they came.

She watched the sky, searching for signs they had arrived, but there was only darkness and snow.

They thought she was crazy. She was so used to people stepping to the other side of the street when she approached. They shut her up nowadays before she could even warn of their arrival. She had come to believe not all could be saved, but with the little she had been able to bury in her yard, she would try to help as many as she could when the war over Earth was upon them.

She curled up in her blanket and observed the people and the sky. She would watch over them. Someone had to. For now, she let them lead their little lives, but when they came, she would lead them into battle. She had been getting ready. She had her sword, her rigorous training, and her tactical know-how. She would survive the wasteland.

“Watch Out for the Monkey!”

The bells chimed all around him. The small alleys, with their intoxicating smell of spices and the constant chatter of people and the temples side by side, made his head spin. This was a strange world, all what he had expected. He fanned his hat over his face to ward off the beads forming on his forehead.

He was heading to the town’s oldest temple. He had gotten an appointment to see the ancient vaults with centuries-old writings and statues. He was there to evaluate its date and cultural meaning. It was part of his research.

For now, he shut his eyes to listen to the bells chime in the wind. He let the cool air caress his body, welcoming the breeze.

“Watch out for the monkey!” sounded behind him, and before he could turn, his briefcase was yanked out of his hand.

He watched in horror as a monkey ran away with it.

A woman ran past him, speeding behind the monkey.

He looked behind him and around him in bewilderment before he decided to run after the monkey, the woman, and his briefcase.

Alphabet

She leaned over the table, watching the odd symbols etched into the desk. She let her eyes dart from symbol to symbol, and her augments recorded what she was seeing. They had landed on the planet a couple of days ago, and from the initial contact, it was clear there had been a civilization here. What it had been and where they were now was still a mystery. She let the computer run analytics on the symbols she was seeing. It compared the symbols to all the dead languages Earth had seen. She let the program run and traced the symbols on the stone with her finger. They were so beautiful and alien. They reminded her of the ancient Maya script.

There was no telling whether the monument was something ancient left to stand there in the test of time or if it was something more recent. When they got the carbon date back, maybe then they would have an explanation for the empty, alien landscape, void of intelligence, with its relics.

The flora and fauna they had found showed signs of being left to their own devices. Whoever had built the monument and its memories were long gone. Of that much, she was sure.

She stepped past the table and reached the ledge overlooking the valley, with its tall, tree-like plants. The planet was more luscious, shining in the pure colors of green and blue, than Earth had been for centuries. There were no smoke columns rising. There were no cars. No factories. Nothing to remind her of Earth. Here on the ledge, she wished the planet turned out to be unsuitable for life. But all the signs pointed elsewhere. Her people would arrive and make the alien landscape theirs.

The prompts are from the book A Year of Creative Writing Prompts.

Clearly, I’m traveling into strange places and times today. I have this odd feeling inside, as if I’m waiting for something strange to happen, as if soon something beautiful and meaningful will arrive. I’m not sure why I’m feeling like this. Maybe it is because I finally cut 30% off my exercise, and my body and mind feel much more relaxed, especially after the trip to Scotland. It is like a small morsel of calm has nestled inside me.

Or maybe I’m waiting for my book to come back from my editor. She wrote to me, asking for an additional week to edit because she was sick. But I can’t wait to let you read the book and hear what you think.

Or maybe I feel so because it finally snowed. I know it will melt away soon, but it looks so lovely for now.

Thank you for reading ❤ Have a calm and snowy winter day!