fiction

Inky blackness and the faintest glow of light from around the door

~ ~M ~ 8 Comments

The room was filled with inky blackness, and only the faintest glow of light could be seen from around the edges of the door. Once in a while, that faint light flickered, announcing the existence of someone in the hall. The sounds behind the door were mostly low and muffled, but every now and then, a shrill scream or clanking of metal could be heard. The most alarming sounds were the sudden scuffles of feet and the dragging of nails across wooden floorboards. Stifled whimpers often followed the tousles, along with deep moans and echoing groans. Sometimes the light beneath the door would abruptly disappear and then reappear as footsteps faded away. It was a lonesome place, with very little to do, but the sounds could stretch the mind, and for that, it was anything but uninspiring.

© 2021 Michelle Cook

Photo credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/door-door-lock-a-ray-of-light-5384953/

Writing prompt: Inky blackness and the faintest glow of light from around the door

Guardians of the graveyard and the mushroom forest

~ ~M ~ 6 Comments

Secret guardians
They gather in forest glens
Minding the mushrooms

© 2021 Michelle Cook

Photo credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/fantasy-girl-forest-mushrooms-4593636/

Writing prompt: Guardians of the graveyard and the mushroom forest

Juicy jokes and buttered books

~ ~M ~ 12 Comments

I watched the whole lot of them,
the fence line sagging in protest.
Each smoking and joking,
eying up the classics on display.
I found the sight troublesome
knowing how boys will be boys,
and as the cigarettes wore down,
I could see their restless forms
swaggering my way.
Shivers ran down my spine
as the jostling jokers spotted my gaze,
and I tried to shrink into the backdrop,
but the prowling had already begun.
Darts of catcalling
were hurled my way,
each unsettling word,
a dagger to the innocence of my soul.
This act of playfulness reminded me
of how a lion toys with its prey,
and I knew once the hunt began,
anything left of my dignity
would not be spared.
I tried to act inconspicuously,
walking backward
one trembling step at a time.
But then the books I held
began to slide right out of my arms,
and the movement
caused a chain reaction.
Like red-flagged raging bulls,
the whole bunch
began to barrel my way.
Caught in a panic,
I tripped and fell,
but the embedded asphalt
was the least of my worries.
I tried to stand
but realized it was too late,
the pride was already circling,
waiting to pounce.
In the end, my tormentors
were too tough to deter
and all I could do was fight
with bated breath
until my virtue
no longer remained.

© 2021 Michelle Cook

Photo credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/smoking-young-people-youth-be-cool-737057/

Writing prompt: Juicy jokes and buttered books

Echoing desires

~ ~M ~ Leave a comment

bedroom-2619266_1280

These illicit blue walls
They speak in hushed tones
Hiding what they assume
I’ll never be able to bear

But little do they realize
I already know the truth
And the color underneath
Is unmistakably scarlet red

© 2019 Michelle Cook

For a month of writing prompts, click here;  Echoing desires

 

A lifetime of laughter could have saved them all.

~ ~M ~ 14 Comments

wedding-437969_1280

He loved her dearly
And she loved him
But at last the two
Could never begin

For each was already
Betrothed to another
The fate of their lives
Decided by their mother

So off they both went
And married their intended
With gorgeous rings exchanged
The weddings were splendid

And yet sadness filled
Their unquenched desires
All hopes and dreams
Had permanently expired

And at the end of their lives
When their mothers were dead
The two yearning couples divorced
Marrying their darlings instead

And finally happiness
Bloomed at the very end
No longer did either of them
Have to pretend

A lifetime of love and laughter
Could have saved them all
If long-lasting traditions
Hadn’t been their downfall

© 2018 Michelle Cook

For a month of writing prompts, click here;  A lifetime of laughter could have saved them all.