Random Word Challenge: introspection, time machine, coffee beans, sand
I was telling a few people at work about the Random Scribble Challenge I started the other day. Of course I'd never let them see my journal, but I told them about the concept. Two of them refused on the grounds that they didn't know how to write fiction or anything vaguely resembling it.
London Guy decided to rise to the challenge. He was to write me something using the words introspection, time machine, coffee beans, sand.
I said: "You can write it when you're sober or now while you're still drunk. Perhaps like an opiated writer the alcohol will have a positive influence on your creativity ;)"
This was what I got. All references to his real name have been replaced with 'London Guy'. Yeah believe it or not, he used his name in his own fic!!
"But why" Chloe thought to herself, "where did I go wrong?".
Lying prone like a corpse at a morgue and bathed in her tears, Chloe entered a period of introspection that she had never wanted to contemplate.
As her eyes welled up again at the thoughts turning around her mind, she grasped the cold hard pebbles on the beach, smoothed by the sea's gentle caress, and clutched them, as she wished she could clutch him again.
Chloe thought about moving further down the beach to feel the comfort of the sand on the shoreline, but preferred to wear the hessian shirt provided by the sea of coffee beans beneath her and accept her penance.
She told herself that time was a great healer, but how she wished she could turn the clock back completely, to jump into some kind of time machine and go back to that cold wintry day when she met the man she always thought would be beside her.
"London Guy, I can't live without you", she cried.
But London Guy had gone, and with him went Chloe's hopes and dreams.
I wrote back: "*laugh* I can't believe you put yourself in the fic :P" So I wrote the following:
Part 2: Chloe's Revenge
"Darling. I changed my mind. I'm back".
"Who are you?" Chloe asked, looking puzzled.
London Guy looked positively gobsmacked. "You know. Me. London Guy. The love of your life? The guy you said you couldn't live without?"
Chloe blinked at him, her Cerulean blue eyes clouded with doubt.
"Are you that bloke I met in France?"
"Chloe how could you have forgetten me so quickly?" London Guy demanded, his wild locks flying about his head in an unmanageable tangle. Chloe had always loved running her fingers through his artist's man and in memory of her, he had not permitted a barber to approach his hair in years.
"Sorry, think you must have the wrong girl," Chloe said, her head tilted to one side, genuine confusion in her lovely eyes.
"But ... I have measured out my life with coffee beans while we have been apart," London Guy declared extravagantly.
"Spoons," Chloe said absently, studying him with narrowed eyes as she tried to recall if they had ever met. "Coffee spoons".
London Guy found himself growing desperate and in valiant attempt to rekindle the memory of their slow, seductive hours spent in smoky coffeehouses as they read poetry to one another, he pulled a coffee bean from his pocket. "To see a world in a coffee bean and heaven in a wild flower. Hold infinity in the palms of your hand and eternity in an hour," he quoted.
"Grain of sand," Chloe corrected him and shook her head emphatically. "Sorry London Guy. There's no way I could ever have fancied a guy who misquotes his Eliot and Blake. She tossed her hair over one shoulder and walked away from him without a second glance.
Although not one generally given to fits of introspection, in that moment London Guy realised the extent of his loss. With one final glance at Chloe's disappearing figure, he opened the doors of his time machine and disappeared into the black nothingness of time - alone.
Then I wrote. "Sorry about the typos. forgetten was of course supposed to be 'forgotten' and 'artist's man' was artist's 'mane'. was in a hurry :P i can write the english sometimes".
He wrote: "understood... might have to have a comeback"/
I wrote: "dude. let it go. chloe's moved on. ;) that word challenge is done".
He ignored me, and I got this:
"The thing is Chloe, you just don't get it, do you?" London Guy screamed as he tightened the cords that bound Chloe's wrists to the radiator.
"You think you can walk back into my life and expect everything to be the same again? You're deluded woman....mad....crazy."
"But London Guy I..." Chloe attempted to explain her actions, but was silenced as London Guy wound duct tape across her mouth and around her head.
"I'm fed up Chloe, you may think my methods extreme, but his has to stop. Now. All that stuff about Sand and Coffee Beans. You think you're so clever don't you" London Guy explained calmly.
"I'm going to leave you here, in which time you can think, perhaps enjoy a period of rational introspection, about how dangerous it is to mess with me."
London Guy reached into a cupboard in the garage and pulled out a small bottle of white spirit. Anticipating London Guy's plan, Chloe wrestled madly with her bonds as London Guy poured the contents of the bottle into her hair and across her chest.
As he struck the match, a slight smirk erupted across London Guy face.
"You can't escape now Chloe, no-one can save you, there's no super heroes, no time machine, nothing. you're history." London Guy explained triumphantly
"In fact you're looking a little burnt out." London Guy cackled as he delivered this line and cast the match into Chloe's hair
As Chloe slowly roasted in the kitchen of her own home, her muffled screams were inaudible as London Guy' crazed laugh grew louder and louder.
As he warmed his hands by her burning body, London Guy questioned his actions - but decided that he was right to follow his instincts.
Eeek! I'm not sure what can say in response to that except that he had used chapter 3 of the story to turn into into an appalling Halloween / Friday 13th storyline :P
London Guy decided to rise to the challenge. He was to write me something using the words introspection, time machine, coffee beans, sand.
I said: "You can write it when you're sober or now while you're still drunk. Perhaps like an opiated writer the alcohol will have a positive influence on your creativity ;)"
This was what I got. All references to his real name have been replaced with 'London Guy'. Yeah believe it or not, he used his name in his own fic!!
"But why" Chloe thought to herself, "where did I go wrong?".
Lying prone like a corpse at a morgue and bathed in her tears, Chloe entered a period of introspection that she had never wanted to contemplate.
As her eyes welled up again at the thoughts turning around her mind, she grasped the cold hard pebbles on the beach, smoothed by the sea's gentle caress, and clutched them, as she wished she could clutch him again.
Chloe thought about moving further down the beach to feel the comfort of the sand on the shoreline, but preferred to wear the hessian shirt provided by the sea of coffee beans beneath her and accept her penance.
She told herself that time was a great healer, but how she wished she could turn the clock back completely, to jump into some kind of time machine and go back to that cold wintry day when she met the man she always thought would be beside her.
"London Guy, I can't live without you", she cried.
But London Guy had gone, and with him went Chloe's hopes and dreams.
I wrote back: "*laugh* I can't believe you put yourself in the fic :P" So I wrote the following:
Part 2: Chloe's Revenge
"Darling. I changed my mind. I'm back".
"Who are you?" Chloe asked, looking puzzled.
London Guy looked positively gobsmacked. "You know. Me. London Guy. The love of your life? The guy you said you couldn't live without?"
Chloe blinked at him, her Cerulean blue eyes clouded with doubt.
"Are you that bloke I met in France?"
"Chloe how could you have forgetten me so quickly?" London Guy demanded, his wild locks flying about his head in an unmanageable tangle. Chloe had always loved running her fingers through his artist's man and in memory of her, he had not permitted a barber to approach his hair in years.
"Sorry, think you must have the wrong girl," Chloe said, her head tilted to one side, genuine confusion in her lovely eyes.
"But ... I have measured out my life with coffee beans while we have been apart," London Guy declared extravagantly.
"Spoons," Chloe said absently, studying him with narrowed eyes as she tried to recall if they had ever met. "Coffee spoons".
London Guy found himself growing desperate and in valiant attempt to rekindle the memory of their slow, seductive hours spent in smoky coffeehouses as they read poetry to one another, he pulled a coffee bean from his pocket. "To see a world in a coffee bean and heaven in a wild flower. Hold infinity in the palms of your hand and eternity in an hour," he quoted.
"Grain of sand," Chloe corrected him and shook her head emphatically. "Sorry London Guy. There's no way I could ever have fancied a guy who misquotes his Eliot and Blake. She tossed her hair over one shoulder and walked away from him without a second glance.
Although not one generally given to fits of introspection, in that moment London Guy realised the extent of his loss. With one final glance at Chloe's disappearing figure, he opened the doors of his time machine and disappeared into the black nothingness of time - alone.
Then I wrote. "Sorry about the typos. forgetten was of course supposed to be 'forgotten' and 'artist's man' was artist's 'mane'. was in a hurry :P i can write the english sometimes".
He wrote: "understood... might have to have a comeback"/
I wrote: "dude. let it go. chloe's moved on. ;) that word challenge is done".
He ignored me, and I got this:
"The thing is Chloe, you just don't get it, do you?" London Guy screamed as he tightened the cords that bound Chloe's wrists to the radiator.
"You think you can walk back into my life and expect everything to be the same again? You're deluded woman....mad....crazy."
"But London Guy I..." Chloe attempted to explain her actions, but was silenced as London Guy wound duct tape across her mouth and around her head.
"I'm fed up Chloe, you may think my methods extreme, but his has to stop. Now. All that stuff about Sand and Coffee Beans. You think you're so clever don't you" London Guy explained calmly.
"I'm going to leave you here, in which time you can think, perhaps enjoy a period of rational introspection, about how dangerous it is to mess with me."
London Guy reached into a cupboard in the garage and pulled out a small bottle of white spirit. Anticipating London Guy's plan, Chloe wrestled madly with her bonds as London Guy poured the contents of the bottle into her hair and across her chest.
As he struck the match, a slight smirk erupted across London Guy face.
"You can't escape now Chloe, no-one can save you, there's no super heroes, no time machine, nothing. you're history." London Guy explained triumphantly
"In fact you're looking a little burnt out." London Guy cackled as he delivered this line and cast the match into Chloe's hair
As Chloe slowly roasted in the kitchen of her own home, her muffled screams were inaudible as London Guy' crazed laugh grew louder and louder.
As he warmed his hands by her burning body, London Guy questioned his actions - but decided that he was right to follow his instincts.
Eeek! I'm not sure what can say in response to that except that he had used chapter 3 of the story to turn into into an appalling Halloween / Friday 13th storyline :P