Another journal

For January, I focused on writing. One of the results is this story, which I got half done in that time. It updates weekly until I run out. You can find all sections here (links updated as each section is published).

One line: An existential fairy tale where everyone knows what’s coming.

Elevator pitch: Every teen hits a stretch where they feel like they’ve been forcefully isolated from the world and it’s standard fantasy trope that it’s all for a reason—they’re the Chosen One. They’ve got to save their village, rescue a princess, find the key. But Emily’s village is a trailer park and the people she’s fighting for may have performed more terrible deeds than those she’ll have to confront.

Mirrored from Journal of a Something or Other.

Written during my month of writing.  You can find all the sections here.

Emily took a quick headcount before clapping her hands for attention.

“Hey folks, now I know you hate ice cream—” a chorus of high pitched, giggling denials rose from the kids scattered across the sun-tawny grass. “But it looks like some bowls of it magically appeared in the kitchen, so we better go take care of it.” She slid back the light screen door with her foot before adding, “toys get put away first, please.”

Half a dozen-odd sets of hands rushed to scoop up sun-faded action figures and battered metal vehicles. The smallest held a ball with great concentration, setting it on each tread as she navigated up the stairs to the porch. The other children stepped around her with ease of practise and filed past Emily, dropping their handfuls into bright buckets next to the door labelled “people” and “cars”.

Taking a quick glance at the common yard for ignored toys, Emily waved at Mrs. James in the next lot before following the toddler, who had finally surmounted the steps, into the trailer.

Designed in last quarter of the century, the double-wide had an open plan that set the kitchen directly off a set of sliding glass doors that served as the main entrance. Step stools around the center island were occupied by the smaller kids while they added bananas and sprinkles to their ice cream. Others were sitting tailor-style on the linoleum, pulling their bowls away from the inquisitive cat stalking between them.

Mirrored from Journal of a Something or Other.