Apr 26, 2014

Winter

A to Z Challenge
W

Street art in Barcelona

The rain is like sleet as it slides across my skin, a surprising burst of cold sensations with each raindrop that trails down my upturned face.  The sound that thunders around you, you cant help but feel the joy that bubbles forth from your throat as mother nature dances in the night, and you dance and shout and clap with her.

I spy your silhouette in the distance, a smile rising in my eyes as I watch you slip up the hill, the grass slick with the torrents rolling forth.  Your mouth moves and your arms wave but I can't stop dancing, and as you fall to the mud once more I see you cast aside the remnants of a skeletal umbrella.

Now join me!

Soon your heat breaks through and you hold me tight, your warmth entrancing as you press me against your chest.  My eyes feel heavy as the releasing streamers of rain are forgotten.

"Time for bed little one".

running in the rain,
from sjp


Apr 24, 2014

Ultimatum

A to Z Challenge
U



8 days.

You gave me 8 days to decide the fates of so many.

You sat across from me, knees barely touching, the usual humour in your eyes hidden as you stared quietly, patiently.

"What about the girl you just met?" I try to inject some laughter into my voice, to make it like every other conversation we have where we joke and laugh and its all so serenely carefree.

"She means nothing if I have you."

I feel my soul inhale sharply, and I can barely focus under how surreal this all is.  I glance at my warm glass and curse myself for being so sober, last time seemed so much easier, you were too late and we left it at that.

Now you're giving me this ultimatum.

"But I'm seeing someone." We've been through this.

"I'm not telling you to break up with them." He shrugs, never releasing his stare.

But you are.  And I hate that your splitting the path like this, because its not a decision between him or you, it never has been.  It's always been about keeping your friendship or destroying your heart.

You keep talking but your words are lost in the white noise of the bar, drunken legs sauntering past, the cold weather dreary outside.

I can't give you an answer because my mind is lost to numbness, so you tell me 8 days.  But I already know what will happen, what always happens.

I would rather lose everything than live with regrets tainting my future.


Tunes:
Got It, Lost It - Big Scary
80 Miles - Megan Washington
Everything to Nothing - Manchester Orchestra
Daniella - Hooray for the Riff Raff
Paper Plane - Violent Soho
You've Got Something - The Jungle Giants
how would you choose?
from sjp.

Apr 23, 2014

Taken

A to Z Challenge: T

Something actually written right here, right now.



You took my breath away that day I saw you standing there.  Not just a whiff of air or a slight gasp, I mean my lungs collapsed.  They had to.  My heart was filling with just too much adoration for there to be room for anything else.  And it feels like a heavy weight sitting against my bones, like lifting a boulder with every pulse, but in a good way, in a I-would-be-a-gym-junkie-with-the-world-on-my-shoulders-like-Hercules-for-you kind of way.  Every time I close my eyes and picture you, that radiance, your crazy daring smile I feel such contentedness fill me up that it doesn't matter if I can't breathe.

You took my breath away but you gave me life in return.


Tunes:
Pyro - Kings of Leon
Seekir - Zola Jesus
Coming Around - Hungry Kids of Hungary
Broken Bones - The Holidays
the joy,
when google recognises contentedness as a word,
from sjp

Apr 22, 2014

Shipwrecked

30/09/13
Ally in Wonderland


"To sail beyond this place, can you imagine it!" The Captain raised his spyglass to the horizon, golden rays catching his face in a spectacular glow.  His smile was infectious as Ally lent against the starboard hedge alongside him watching the mist swirl around them, the sails wavering in the breeze, and breathed in the calm.

The air began to cool as clouds scudded across the sky, smothering the suns warmth and bringing darkness to the rippling waters below.  Glancing down she frowned at her reflection wishing for the return of the joyous weather, preferring the illusion of sailing through the heavens instead of the murky river lapping at their earthy hull.  She stared at the swirling depths, watching the silt dance in the light currents, the Captain humming a solemn tune as he paced the decks.

With a scream she threw herself backwards, clutching her trembling lips as she tried to distance herself from the nightmare she had spied beneath the surface.  The waters began to broil, rising up suddenly as if caught in a tempest from the deepest sea, spraying the little vessel venomously as if to spite the voyagers.  The sails shuddered violently with her beating heart, whipping back and forth in the erratic winds.

"My dear, hold tight!" He warned.  "Do not abandon ship, do not go into the water!" He looked to her gravely, knowing what she had seen, the nervousness and grief plain upon his face.

"What is happening?" she cried as the ships hull crashed against a wave, throwing her into the arms of the Captain.

"Do not lose hold whatever you do my dear! You must stay on this ship!"

The fog closed in, salty air choking her lungs as suddenly the arms around her vanished and silence began to suffocate her.  All she could hear was the far off creaking of the deck and yet she realised she was no longer standing upon it; all orientation was lost.  A distance voice cried out and she recognised it as the Captain's.

"Matilda! Matilda! I'm sorry!"

She felt so dazed, as if she were floating, the water cool around her as the tiny currents swept around her limbs like silk against her skin.  Yet she felt so heavy, it didn't make sense.  Kicking fervently she tried to call out, swallowing the tepid water that coursed around her, her hands caught by something that made her cringe beneath its touch, claws digging into her wrists as a garish face came into sight, baring its teeth in malicious laughter it began to drag her down.

keep your life vests on,
from sjp.

Apr 21, 2014

Reflections

A to Z Challenge

The sun set a glowing ambiance as wisps of her hair were stirred against the wind.  There she sat on the rough brick pillar awaiting something and I could tell her mind was lost, coursing through some unreachable self conscious.  Her eyes flitted across the air, as if mapping those rapid thoughts or trying to catch those particles of dust that simmered in the suns gaze.  To others passing through the plaza she was merely background noise.  Just another young person loitering.  Yet I couldn't help but become entranced by her movements and wonder what fantastic possibilities were forming in that whirlwind of contemplation.  The small flash of light at her neck where she repeatedly twirled two silver keys around a simple chain while the other hand drummed a silent rhythm against the concrete. 

Everything about her reflected simplicity and calm, from the plain black tank top and denim shorts to her general manner as she leaned back on her hands, legs crossed, and watched the others streaming past.  I could tell she had no interest in people watching, it was more out of habit as she cast her eyes across the individual before moving to the next.  There was no smirk of disdain or haughty expression of judgement, just the occasional frown as a thought was produced, gradually drawing her gaze back to the air.

And then she would smile, this beautiful grin that barely held back the laughter in her breath, the one that made me desperately curious.  Those eyes still shining with amusement at her minds conversation when she sees me approach, and my heart stumbles as they crinkle with further delight.

"Hello".

From sjp.

Apr 15, 2014

Mischief

A to Z Challenge
a mood lightener for the day,





I am mischief.

Driven by the laughter that electrifies my veins.

They call me trouble.

But really, its an addiction.


a tablespoon of sugar,
from sjp.

Apr 12, 2014

Jacilyn and Kai

#atozchallenge
One of the first scenes I wrote for my WIP,
But was too scared to post it
 for A to Z two years ago.


"Please find whoever holds this Maeus," Lady Jacilyn murmured, placing the parchment shadowed by charcoal in the segeant's hand. "And bring them safely here."

"I will do my best my Lady; given the circumstances you understand." He stated curtly, examining the detailed sketch before leaving with a warm farewell.

"It will never cease to amaze me how you have such powerful figures at your beck and call."  Kai commented dryly, pulling a stray thread from a rustic tapestry absentmindedly.

"He is a respectable man and will do the right thing" she said, ignoring his statement.

"I still do not see why I cannot just fetch this person you're after.  What is it they have?" Kai queried.

"Evelyn's necklace."

Kai released the thread, unable to voice the thoughts clambering for his attention.

"I saw it a few days ago and it took a while to confirm but there it is," she explained. "She is sending us a message."

"Wait, you mean she isn't here? Where did you see it?"  Kai asked desperately, staring into her eyes as if the answer were reflected there.  He needed to know, it had been five years since he last saw his older sister.

"It was being carried through the Dunes but by now it will probably be reaching the border," then, in a quieter voice, she added "You could see it if you tried".

He turned to face the Eastern window pretending he hadn't heard, imagining the desert beyond the mountains, and wondering, not for the first time, what his sister was doing.

"Your 'dreams'," she continued. "Are proof of your ability Kai, why can you not just accept this fate you have been dealt and embrace-"

"They are proof of nothing!" Kai snapped turning to face her. "Merely coincidence".  He was sick of these arguments, of having to constantly set his mother straight on the issue. "I wish you would see this and discontinue this attempt to persuade me otherwise."  Returning to the window he added under his breath, "It is no wonder Evelyn left this place."

It was pointless, Lady Jacilyn missed nothing.

"Your sister was brash and believed she was meant for a higher purpose than serving the royals of this territory," she snapped back. "At least she understood her gift and gladly employed it. You should be honoured to have been born a See-"

"Do not speak to me of Seers, they are just stories, long forgotten ones at that." He retorted.

"Do you doubt my skill?" she asked quietly.

He felt his frustration dissipate. "Of course not."

"Then what am I if not a Seer? What is Evelyn if not a Seer?"

Kai sighed knowing he had lost this argument.  He could easily deny is so called gift but he could not deny theirs. "You are very talented people, talent that I do not share." He said before wishing her a good night and departing.

Now you've met everyone,
From sjp

Apr 10, 2014

Inkling


Credit: myself

The humidity hung in the air like a thick blanketing mist grounding everything.  A singular solar ray breached the darkening sky above resembling a heavenly lighthouse.

She had returned.

The time away had been unbearable.  It had not been possible for Zara to leave this place behind her, abandoned like the vague trails of an evaporating dream.

Yet already it had changed.  The scattered wall of foliage was tensed and still, anticipating the approaching summer storm.  She could feel the static rising from the damp soil, that strong smell of rain infiltrating her senses.  Her lungs inhaled deeply as she lay against a column of rich bark following the trail of its roots with her hands.  That all too human affliction of needing to touch and feel, to claim some form of connectivity, overwhelming her.

At first she glowed with the euphoria of her private discovery, but then had come an endless need to be a part of this world, festering bitterly within until she found her way back.

She sat in stillness as the rain began to fall, hammering the ground around her in a deafening crescendo for hours until repreive.  The forest had withstood, taking no notice of the ravaging elements, as it would take no notice of her when she again disappeared.

Previous - Sit Under a Tree

Wanderings,
From sjp

Apr 9, 2014

Hunger

3.3.13


A pair of scissors.  Thats what saved me the first time.  We had moved to our neighbours home, we felt safer having a second storey, safer with less windows and back doors.  It was usually easy to dodge around the strays, they were fairly mindless back then, their bodies too overcome with shock to fight back, too deteriorated to think of surviving.  But some still struggled, it became awful out on the streets, the ones that floundered in their illness, that had not lost all conscious thought in fever; and they begged.  They stumbled after you, the rot in their breath suffocating as they pulled at you, begging and begging for help.  As if these poor terrified people could offer anything but ignorance.

I was so stupid that night.  The adults were away at one of many meetings to centre the fear and panic.  And I was stupid, and opened the front door.  I stared at his twisted ankle, the soiled suit he was probably unable to take off, and that desolate face that would only ever know hunger.  Slamming the door shut cannot save you, they are like any living thing with a keen sense of awareness.  When the feature glass window shattered I cried out, running through the rooms without thinking until I found it.  Hurrying back his face was pressed against the wire lattice with teeth working against the promise of flesh close by.  So I plunged my mothers antique sowing scissors into his forehead and never looked back.

I have too many zombie dreams,
From sjp

Apr 8, 2014

Grieve

5/3/13


They dont come back; the children. Between the grief of the living and the greed of the dead it was only a matter of time before a rift of distrust and contempt rose between the ranks.  The spite that the dead flouted their second chances, while a poor mother wept at her childs tomb.  The time of optimism was the worst of it, the expectation and hope, that the strange force would once again lift the hand of youth, until the living were sent mad with denial, and the dead realised they would be eternally bereft of innocence.  The stares, the hate, its as though the dead took the children away.

These days with so much terror cast upon the classes by the fog, a new school of belief had arisen; perhaps the children had been saved, because this chaos had become their hell.

With clarity left to come,
From sjp

Apr 7, 2014

Familiar

4.3.13



For Now.


I hate these words.  The deceit those who utter them are plagued with, convincing themselves that a hardship is only temporary, that soon they will act to change themselves or their situation.


It is always a lie.


From sjp

Apr 5, 2014

Emerging

Visual Dare #6
Emerging


She waited in the shadow of her portrait, impatiently twisting the ridiculous skirt that draped down her legs, heart pounding against the patterned bodice as a flickering light approached.

“Ravyn, sir?”

Lifting her dark eyes she couldn’t help but rise at his predatory smile, returning it with triumph as he failed to recognise her.  A slight nod to the steward and she was beckoned forth to follow coyly after his suave tread.

Replacing any trepidation with adrenaline she was determined to unveil any secrets this man might hold.  Or welcome him with a steely caress she smirked, the blade of her stiletto knife cold against her thigh as she closed the door behind them.

Another dare I was in doubt of,
From sjp.

Apr 4, 2014

Dunkeld

Travelling the wilds of Scotland,

Credit: Myself

The boy crawled across the moss ridden rocks, careful as he placed one foot before the other, not wishing to slip down the cliff face to the writhing waters below.  Keeping to the shadows he held his weight beneath the folly outlook, struggling to breathe between the cacophony of the waterfall and the blood pounding in his ears.  Feeling dirt trickle down his neck he strained to catch the voices floating above.

"This will mean war-" he heard the womans voice flare under the restraint of keeping a hushed tone as the partition clasped shut behind them, jewellery chiming as though limbs were being tossed in frustration.   Daring to edge closer Kowl felt his stomach disappear as the sodden moss beneath his cramped footing broke free.  Sinking his teeth into his lip to strangle the yelp that threatened to cry out he lunged for an ornate post circling the outlook, holding his breath as his arm strained to catch his weight.  Tasting bitter salt in his mouth heard nothing but silence from above, praying they had moved inside and he could save himself unnoticed.  Preparing to hoist himself upwards Kowl froze as a heavy boot pressed down on his fingers, a face contorted in venomous rage glaring down at him from the balustrade.  Staring back he could not help the hatred that burned in his own eyes just as deeply.

"Long live-!" His shout was cut short as a searing pain erupted down his arm, the sickening crunch of the boot against his bones forcing his fingers to release, sentencing him to the ravine below.

From sjp.

Apr 3, 2014

Cover

16.02.13



I know what you're thinking.  I can see it in your eyes, and it makes me smile because you don't realise how much your soul opens, how I can practically feel the waves of your heartbeat as you pass over these words.  You're wondering what you have gotten yourself into this time, if it will be worth it, the pain, the joy, the time.  I can see you tensing as you try to calculate it all, even though you know you need to relax and just let yourself take the chance.

But all the while you wonder if I will be worth it.

All I can say is I hope you let me try, and don't stop turning these pages.

Don't leave me in the dark.


Tunes:
Little Green Cars - The John Wayne

 from sjp.

Apr 2, 2014

Burn

11/11/12

Georgia's Tale

The ruin was condemned to fire, its heat beautiful in its hungry release, yet still her eyes locked to where she had last caught sight of him, the room choking in thick plumes of suffocating smoke.  Georgia took a step back, her footing unsure, a strange emptiness churning in her stomach unwilling to believe that it had been done.  It was done.

The smoke flowing past her shifted suddenly, a gloved hand wrenching her from the dusted reminiscent atmosphere into the grey street.  Struggling to lash out the grip around her wrist only tightened, dragging her closer until she faced a mens brown coat dampened by the abating storm.

"Surely this is stalking detective," she spat angrily, trying to push away from his determined hold.

"And I'm certain this is theft," the man growled, eyeing the revolver still in her hand.  "Not to mention arson."

"Better get in there then officer!" Georgia snapped, bringing her elbow down into his gut.  Frantically she searched the street for a quick exit, but found herself knocked to the pavement, her face stinging from the blow.  In a desperate bid she closed her finger around the trigger, flinching as a bullet ricocheted into the nearest wall shooting off a cloud of plaster.

Seething in frustration Georgia kicked out at him, fighting to back away from his advance, hating the imbalance of strength as he pressed down upon her.  Jerking the revolver from her grip and tucking into his waistband, forcing her onto her stomach.  Feeling the coarse concrete scrape her skin, its cold surface coating her in silt, Georgia gritted her teeth against hopelessness as the familiar bite of handcuffs pinned her arms behind her.  


Kill to Feel - Part One
A Reckoning - Part Two
From the Ashes - Part Three
Bad at editing,
from sjp.

Apr 1, 2014

Alone

25/1/13

Ally in Wonderland



With shaking hands she clawed at the ground beneath her, struggling to push herself upright.  The musky earthy aroma took her off guard as she brushed the soil from her skirts, damp moss and foliage shrouding the forest floor beneath her feet.

A glimmer caught her eye through the shadows, a faded gilded frame, she peered through its murky depth wiping away the dirt to find her own reflection rise through the darkness on the surface, tears silently rolling down its face.  Trembling she touched a hand to her own waterless features, feeling her heart beat faster as the reflection changed before her, glancing around terrified it began to run, calling for help without sound, stumbling within the shadows, screaming.

Ally put her own cry to her reflections gaping lips, falling back from the once again dark glass, she wanted to destroy it, to free herself from its horrifying prophecy.   Instead she grasped a fistful of earth and smeared it across the surface.


a prophecy of a prophecy?
from sjp.
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...