Day 275 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Write about something that has multiple layers beneath the surface.

Erin: There was a certain point in life where everyone stopped being my perception of them. I never took a human as the face value I had slapped on them. Mr. Ken was one of those people. He was the most pretentious of all of the teachers at Lincoln High. He thought so little of all of us. One day however I found out that he lost his daughter only a few years prior to .my freshman year. She was valedictorian of her class, one of the smartest classes to ever pass through the halls of our school. He wanted us all to live up to her. His hopes were too high for most of us though. That discrepancy lead to misunderstanding and frustration.

Shannon: She couldn’t be classified by one thing. That didn’t do her justice. Most people are easy to understand, but she’s a puzzle until you get used to her. When I first met her I was on the same assumption as everyone else: she was sour and cold. Then I peeled back a few layers and learned that wasn’t the only side to her. There was a lot to admire.

What layers make up the whole? 

Day 274 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Write a story that includes a rose.

Shannon: There was a rumor I’d heard from my friends about a rose that was carved into the bleachers right next to the baseball field. They said it drawn by someone in memory of a girl who had died in the girl’s bathroom. I didn’t believe the story, so I went to go check it out, and see if the rose even existed.

When I got there after school I noticed there was a rose on the bleachers, but it was real. I rolled my eyes because I thought my friends were messing with me, but when came closer there was some writing engraved. Odd. I picked up the flower to examine it, and suddenly my view was blurry.

Erin: I had learned to hate flowers. They made my stomach drop, because Ray always gave them to me as an apology. They were never substantial enough to overshadow his wrongdoing. They just made my hurt worsen. That feeling would come back as I looked at any roses from any occasion. It was the thing I disliked him taking from me most.

Roses are red. Or are they?

Day 273 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Write about a treasure hunt.

Erin: By the time I got to the last location in the hunt it was just a note that simply said “the real treasure is in the journey.” I was ready to take down the monster who had sent me on my wild goose chase.

Shannon: “Do you think this is real, or are we just doing this because we’re bored?” I wondered out loud.

He didn’t take in my doubts. “This map hasn’t been touched for decades. There will be treasure,” he sounded so confident.

I smiled, “Promise you won’t be disappointed if we keep searching and don’t find anything. It’s just…I had a really good time, either way.”

He reached for my hand, “I had a good time too, and I won’t regret one second.”

“X” marks the spot, or does it?

Day 272 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Describe a smell.

Shannon: I was following a sweet smell in the air, and I had to know which stand it was coming from. The only problem was the fair was filled with food options, and all the scents were blurring together. I just had to focus on one, that one smell, and I was sure I’d fine it.

Erin: I never knew a person could smell like home until I met him.

Can you smell that smell?

Day 271 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Write about what your character decorates with.

Erin: There are times I like to do things the hard way. Decorating is one of those things. I like to scrounge around the thrift shop for hidden gems. Not the kind that are so perfect the project ends there. I like to pick the items that require paints and embellishments until it starts to cost the same price buying it new would have cost. When I look around my space I don’t just see the pretty though, I see the memories.

Shannon: She was a DIY fanatic, so every decoration in her house was sprinkled with her creativity. Though she wasn’t an amazing artist, she was proud of everything she created. Each piece had a story. It had a heart.

What decorations make your character happy?

Day 270 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: What’s one thing about your character’s life that didn’t turn out as planned.

Shannon: I thought I knew what I wanted in life. I had a few simple plans for my future. I just wanted a good career, and a happy life. I didn’t need much. Then my plan got interrupted. My simple life became crazy and chaotic. It’s not what I planned, but I love every moment of it.

Erin: Her career wasn’t how she planned. She never desired to be a millionaire or run a company or work her life away.

That wasn’t in the plans.

Day 269 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Write about forgotten history.

Erin: “What are you doing,” my friend followed me into the library.

“Mr. Gritch is hiding something from us,” I insisted throwing books to the floor in my frustration.

“Have you gone insane,” She accused.

“Has it ever occurred to you that the watchers are only telling us what they want us to know?”

“Meaning what exactly?”

“I don’t think how they came in to power is as simple as all the adults are leading us to believe,” I reached behind the obvious books to a deteriorating one in the back.

Shannon: “Who is this woman,” I brought a photo up to my grandfather. I seen her in the background in some other photos too, but I’d never heard him tell any stories about her.

He took a long look and I could tell he was replaying a memory. “She was a friend,” he eventually answered.

“Must have been a good friend,” I observed, “But why is she always in the background?”

He didn’t seem to know how to answer. “She was hiding and I was selfish. I wanted to keep some kind of proof of her,” he smiled as he closed his eyes for a second.

“Hiding from what?” I pried.

He shrugged. “The world.”

What can’t anyone else remember?

Day 268 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Write about a character getting abducted by an unknown species.

Shannon: They were strange creatures, lots of humane features, but they also had some enhancements as well. They had colorful fur in places where humans had hair. They seem to find my hair fascinating as they rubbed it between their fingers. One thought he hurt me after he accidently pulled a strand out. I gave a delayed squeal, and pet a chunk lovingly, hoping it would keep them from trying it again. When he covered my mouth and looked around to make sure no one heard, I figured it must have worked.

Erin: “Where are you taking me?” I nearly lost my voice with how many times I had screamed that exact sentence. I didn’t get any answers. My captors didn’t even talk though so my breath was being wasted. All those little colorful goo balls did was squish and stretch in subtle ways that seemed to mean something to them. Bouncing with a splat on the floor was the only sound I heard outside of the ones I was creating. That was until the crash.

The crash halted our movement. The head squishy used his laser eyes to set me free and a path was illuminating the outside. The door to the outside was glowing too bright for me to see what I was getting into. I could only hope there would be at least one other living creature who communicate through a verbal language.

Who has your character?

Day 267 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Write about someone saying “no.”

Erin: My greatest fear in middle school was never finding love, and never finding a life companion. So, fourteen years later when all I could do was say no to my boyfriend I couldn’t comprehend my mindset back then. How was that my world. How was becoming a successful boss not a main priority. Most importantly how was finding a man that supported that endeavor important in my fantasies. The hurt in his eyes was hard, but the regret I would have for giving up on my potential would be way worse.

Shannon: “You’re going to say no. Just like that?” he huffed as he looked to the side.

“I said I was sorry, but what, do you want me fake it? Do you want me to lie to make you feel better? I won’t do that,” I shook my head.

He furrowed his brow as he looked back at me, “You know that’s not what I want.” His lip trembled, “But couldn’t you at least tell me why. I don’t understand why you don’t want this?”

I thought he already knew, but I guess he didn’t see it the way I did. “I love you. I’ll always love you,” I shrugged a shoulder. “But love doesn’t make up for the fact that we’re not ready to work at this. We’re floating through this never knowing when it’s going to fall through and then fall back together again.”

“But doesn’t that mean we are working at it, if we’re together now?”

“It’s a start, but I don’t want to fall anymore. I want to know there are no more breaks, and I don’t know that now. You want a commitment then we’ve got to prove we’re capable of it, otherwise it’s all talk,” I explained, more certain than I’d ever been.

Just say no.

Day 266 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Start with the line, “Things sure aren’t the way they used to be.”

Shannon: “Things sure aren’t the way they used to be,” my boss turned his head down, before walking to the backroom.

His store was dead lately. It seemed like the town no longer had a place for antiques. They wanted new things, and who could blame them? Bill had different taste. He didn’t understand how people could let go of the past so easily, not when he preferred it to the present. I think he just wished ever decade could live in harmony, but it wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

Erin: Things sure aren’t the way they used to be. I don’t think that is a bad thing however. Everyone acts like change is bad. It can be. I just think that change that has happened is different but equal.

How are they now?