Elderberry #1 [Black Lotus], Chocolate Chip Mint #18 [Ancient], Mulberry #28 [Monkey see, Monkey do]
Title: 'Cause I Can
Author: Lady Macbeth
Story: Cracks in the Dawn
Character: Jack
Challenge: Chocolate Chip Mint #18, Elderberry #1, Mulberry #28
Topping: Whipped Cream, Hot Fudge
Summary: "With warm weather came more freedom for Jack and Sohzi, who were no longer imprisoned in the house, hidden away from snow, but rather pushed out..."
The day was warm, the sun having just peeked over the horizon and begun to land the land in its cheerful summery perch. The beginnings of summer were already pulling the summer flowers out of the ground, the early spring crocuses having begun to wilt. With warmer weather came more freedom for Jack and Sohzi, who were no longer imprisoned in the house, hidden away from the snow, but rather pushed out, told to leave the servants to attempt to repair the damage done to the house during the winter months, while the two girls wreaked havoc on nature. Their mother comforted herself that nature too, would have two seasons to recover and after the heat began to fade to two girls would crawl back, ready to annihilate the repaired house all over again.
The two horses, that the girls had received last summer, who had grown fat and lazy over the winter months, were given to the girls with a caution of not going to far and a plea to Jack to look out for Sohzi. They were met with nods, and then the girls were off, riding their horses slightly stiffly after a summer of no practise.
Of course they went out of the boundaries that their parents had set for them: Sohzi didn’t even need to pause as they passed the tree that marked the edge of their land, and the edge of the area allowed. Jack looked across the open field and rained in her horse, so that her sister could catch up with her. Once they stood neck to neck Jack grinned and hurried a horse, knowing no words were necessary for Sohzi to understand that they were racing. The younger girl laughed aloud as her horse gained momentum, catching up with her sister’s older, and slightly faster mount. They jumped off, roly-polling through the field, when they reached the tree that signalled their traditional end, no longer afraid of the bruises the brash and dangerous jump always resulted in. The horses, too obedient to runaway, even though the girl’s mother often threatened they would, continued to race until they realised their riders had left them before they returned to the tree. The girls sat in its shade, giggling at the adrenaline and thrill of the race while they felt the beat of the horse’s hooves on the ground, almost in rhythm with their animated heart beats. Jack glanced over at the pond by the tree, one the girls sometimes bathed in the summer heat, and swore it too was vibrating from the power of the horse’s hooves.
“I love summer.” Jack said, leaning back in the grass and sighing in content as her giggles died down.
“Its still spring.” Sohzi pointed out, earning her a punch from her sister, making her giggle again.
“Fine, then I love spring.” Jack corrected, grinning again as Sohzi rubbed her arm where Jack had punched her. “I like being outside.” She looked around her, sitting up suddenly as a flower in the shade of the tree caught her attention. Most wild flowers surrounding the tree were lightly coloured, being either late spring or early summer shouts. This flower, which was growing noticeably higher wasn’t consistent with the colours around them.
Sohzi followed Jack’s gaze and whistled through her teeth in admiration. At the base of the tree, where the small pond almost touched the powerful oak, the seasonal lotuses were blooming, revealing an anomaly between them. The black lotus stood out, a clear inconsistency from the other flowering rose and pink colours that Sohzi would often pick and stick in her own hair, letting their rose colour bring out the madness in her eyes.
Jack scrambled over, staring at the flower in amazement. “According to ancient myths…” Sohzi began, but her sister stopped her.
“I don’t care what ancient myths say Sohzi. I live in the present. I wallow in life.” Jack said, not unkindly but rather brushing off her siblings comment as she reached out to touch the flower.
“Don’t!” Sohzi’s voice was earnest enough that Jack pulled her hand back.
“What?” she demanded, annoyed.
“They kill.” Sohzi said simply, staring at the flower in awe.
“According to myths.” Jack corrected, reaching out again and her hand brushing her flower. Nothing happened; she didn’t, to Sohzi’s relief and slight disappointment (not for her sister, but rather for the legends), fall dead. She simply stared at the flower in surprise. “I felt something.” She told her sister, perking the younger girl up.
“Death?” she asked, restoring hope in the flower again.
“No.” Jack mused, staring at her hand in confusion and amazement, as if she had never seen this part of her body before. “I felt life. I like it.” Moved by a sudden impulse, Jack turned to the lotus and uprooted it, making her sister gasp in shook as she threw the flower, wet roots dangling, across the pond.
“What did you do that for?” Sohzi demanded, slightly annoyed.
“I wanted to.” Jack shrugged and lay back in the grass nonchalantly.
Author: Lady Macbeth
Story: Cracks in the Dawn
Character: Jack
Challenge: Chocolate Chip Mint #18, Elderberry #1, Mulberry #28
Topping: Whipped Cream, Hot Fudge
Summary: "With warm weather came more freedom for Jack and Sohzi, who were no longer imprisoned in the house, hidden away from snow, but rather pushed out..."
The day was warm, the sun having just peeked over the horizon and begun to land the land in its cheerful summery perch. The beginnings of summer were already pulling the summer flowers out of the ground, the early spring crocuses having begun to wilt. With warmer weather came more freedom for Jack and Sohzi, who were no longer imprisoned in the house, hidden away from the snow, but rather pushed out, told to leave the servants to attempt to repair the damage done to the house during the winter months, while the two girls wreaked havoc on nature. Their mother comforted herself that nature too, would have two seasons to recover and after the heat began to fade to two girls would crawl back, ready to annihilate the repaired house all over again.
The two horses, that the girls had received last summer, who had grown fat and lazy over the winter months, were given to the girls with a caution of not going to far and a plea to Jack to look out for Sohzi. They were met with nods, and then the girls were off, riding their horses slightly stiffly after a summer of no practise.
Of course they went out of the boundaries that their parents had set for them: Sohzi didn’t even need to pause as they passed the tree that marked the edge of their land, and the edge of the area allowed. Jack looked across the open field and rained in her horse, so that her sister could catch up with her. Once they stood neck to neck Jack grinned and hurried a horse, knowing no words were necessary for Sohzi to understand that they were racing. The younger girl laughed aloud as her horse gained momentum, catching up with her sister’s older, and slightly faster mount. They jumped off, roly-polling through the field, when they reached the tree that signalled their traditional end, no longer afraid of the bruises the brash and dangerous jump always resulted in. The horses, too obedient to runaway, even though the girl’s mother often threatened they would, continued to race until they realised their riders had left them before they returned to the tree. The girls sat in its shade, giggling at the adrenaline and thrill of the race while they felt the beat of the horse’s hooves on the ground, almost in rhythm with their animated heart beats. Jack glanced over at the pond by the tree, one the girls sometimes bathed in the summer heat, and swore it too was vibrating from the power of the horse’s hooves.
“I love summer.” Jack said, leaning back in the grass and sighing in content as her giggles died down.
“Its still spring.” Sohzi pointed out, earning her a punch from her sister, making her giggle again.
“Fine, then I love spring.” Jack corrected, grinning again as Sohzi rubbed her arm where Jack had punched her. “I like being outside.” She looked around her, sitting up suddenly as a flower in the shade of the tree caught her attention. Most wild flowers surrounding the tree were lightly coloured, being either late spring or early summer shouts. This flower, which was growing noticeably higher wasn’t consistent with the colours around them.
Sohzi followed Jack’s gaze and whistled through her teeth in admiration. At the base of the tree, where the small pond almost touched the powerful oak, the seasonal lotuses were blooming, revealing an anomaly between them. The black lotus stood out, a clear inconsistency from the other flowering rose and pink colours that Sohzi would often pick and stick in her own hair, letting their rose colour bring out the madness in her eyes.
Jack scrambled over, staring at the flower in amazement. “According to ancient myths…” Sohzi began, but her sister stopped her.
“I don’t care what ancient myths say Sohzi. I live in the present. I wallow in life.” Jack said, not unkindly but rather brushing off her siblings comment as she reached out to touch the flower.
“Don’t!” Sohzi’s voice was earnest enough that Jack pulled her hand back.
“What?” she demanded, annoyed.
“They kill.” Sohzi said simply, staring at the flower in awe.
“According to myths.” Jack corrected, reaching out again and her hand brushing her flower. Nothing happened; she didn’t, to Sohzi’s relief and slight disappointment (not for her sister, but rather for the legends), fall dead. She simply stared at the flower in surprise. “I felt something.” She told her sister, perking the younger girl up.
“Death?” she asked, restoring hope in the flower again.
“No.” Jack mused, staring at her hand in confusion and amazement, as if she had never seen this part of her body before. “I felt life. I like it.” Moved by a sudden impulse, Jack turned to the lotus and uprooted it, making her sister gasp in shook as she threw the flower, wet roots dangling, across the pond.
“What did you do that for?” Sohzi demanded, slightly annoyed.
“I wanted to.” Jack shrugged and lay back in the grass nonchalantly.