Writers Digest provides writing prompts.
Yesterday I needed one ... soooooo I found one.
The following blog is the result of the following prompt.
If anyone else is inspired to write something or add to mine ... feel free. I look forward to the results.
Writers Digest writing prompt:
When you were little, you could swear there was a monster under your bed--but no one believed you. On the eve of your 30th birthday, you hear noises coming from under your bed once again. The monster is back and has an important message to deliver to you.
(one side note, I did take a wee bit of creative license and changed the 30th birthday to 30 years later ... I am 14 years past my 30th birthday and couldn't see revisiting it.)
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
There really are Monsters (under my bed)
It was 1030pm and I had just finished the last of the days dishes, got the kids in bed and trudged upstairs to my haven. That's what I call my bedroom. My husband thinks its a silly thing but he just smiles and says if I didn't have odd little quirks he wouldn't have been interested in me. That however wasn't what I was thinking. At that particular moment I was imagining how good it would feel to just crawl into bed and curl up and sleep. I had been up since 4am to help my husband get out the door to make an 8am flight. He was headed to Chicago for three days to a meeting for his job. Once he was out the door it was time to get my three teens up and on their way to school.
The youngest, in his last year in Jr. high goes to a different school than his two older sisters who are in High school. His school isn't far from the house so I dropped him off on my way to work.
I work in the library. I'm the head librarian at the Main city library. You would think being a librarian meant being surrounded by books all day, but alas my book days are behind me and running the largest library in the city is spent in meetings about fundraisers, buying new books, maintaining the collections and a host of other boring non book things. I can't even remember when I read a book for pleasure, although my husband and kids are all avid readers.
I have a stack of books next to my bed … those are my intentional reads, the books my kids or husband had read and wanted me to read as well.
As I climbed into bed I guiltily looked at the stack. Some of those books had been there for at least a year. I wearily turned off my light as I said a silent apology to the stack and the god of books.
I snuggled into the bed and hugged my husbands pillow since he wasn't there and moaned softly at the wonderful sinking feeling of falling asleep. I was just drifting into that nothingness of sleep when I heard scuffling under my bed. I growled “Toby! Knock it off!” assuming the cat was playing with something under my bed.
The scuffling stopped, and I proceeded to relax into that sleep drift when not only the scuffling started again, but other noises accompanied it. Now I was not only wide awake but extremely annoyed that the cat was wrecking the peaceful bliss I had worked so hard to attain today.
The scuffling became scrabbling and suddenly I felt my bed rise slightly and thud back to the ground.
I sat completely still in the middle of the bed, my husbands pillow clutched to my chest. Suddenly I was that small girl of six sitting in bed fearing the monsters that I knew lived under my bed.
The scrabbling had stopped and all was still. My heart was thudding in my chest and I was trying to hold my breath and not make any noises. I had not thought of those scary nights in years. In fact, by the time I was eight the monsters were gone and I had blocked them from my memory.
I remember calling or rather screaming for my mom and dad to come save me. A couple of times they rushed in and even Dad would crawl on the floor and look under the bed, in my closet and in my toy chest and pronounce the room monster free. Indeed, after he did that then they would leave me alone for the rest of the night.
They finally went away after my seventh birthday and by the eight I had forgotten them. Now here I was, 30 years later and thinking there are monsters under my bed.
I chuckled to myself, and decided that I had eaten too much bean dip at the staff potluck that afternoon. I snuggled back into the bed. My eyes were wide open. Now I couldn't sleep. I switched the light on and picked up a book off the guilty stack. I read two paragraphs and began to fall asleep. Dropping the book on the nite stand, I switched off the light and closed my eyes, only to have them jolted wide open as my bed rose off the floor and crashed with a heavy thud. I stifled the automatic scream with the pillow I was clutching for protection. As I fumbled for the light switch a large hairy hand darted out from under the bed and grabbed my arm in an iron grip. I moaned with abject terror.
A deep gravely voice spoke, “Sshh, no one is going to hurt you. We didn't hurt you when you was a kid did we?”
I couldn't answer, I just bobbed my head at the hairy fist. The bed lurched and shook as a giant furry head with large round eyes and mouth full of fangs and sharp teeth emerged from under the bed. Finally, it had freed itself from the cramped confines of the space under my bed.
Crazy thoughts ran through my head like, “I really need to vacuum down there look at all the dust bunnies on it's fur! And how in the world did it fit?”
The monster towered over me. It looked like a cuddly stuffed animal gone wrong. Instead of the bland smile of a stuffed teddy bear this creature looked at me with a glittering intelligence in it eyes. It's fur while long and shaggy also had the luxurious look of being well groomed. It let go of my arm and waited. I just sat there in a terrified stupor and looked at it, with inane thoughts continuing to plague my outermost thoughts. I even wondered what it's hair felt like to run your hands through it, and then I wondered what it ate with teeth like that.
Then it chuckled. A deep rumbly purr that actually sounded delightful. It was looking at me as if guessing all my thoughts.
Suddenly it dropped down on its knees and thrust it large moon shaped face in front of mine. It's nose glistened like a dogs wet nose and was as black too. It's breath was hot as it huffed at me. It even smelled like dog breath. I backed away a bit.
“My name is Burabur. I was sent to guard over you when you were a child. Unfortunately I was one of those that could never properly completely conceal myself and got discovered by you. It happens, that's why children of your world think the monsters are living under their beds. Well we are sent to protect the children of your world, from the monsters that live in your world. When you were a child, a very bad man used to live in the house next door. It was my job to make sure that he never harmed you. And I succeeded. Now our world needs your help. Some of those bad people have discovered our world and are closing off our portals to your world to prevent use from protecting your innocent. We need your help!”
I just stared. My head could not wrap around the fact that I was sitting in my bed having a conversation with a childhood nightmare that promised it wasn't really a nightmare.
I just opened and closed my mouth like a fish lying on the ground gasping for air.
The monster, Burabur rocked back on its heels and gave me some space. Finally, I squeaked, “what do you want me to do?”
What I imagined to be a toothy grin of relief (it had to be right because otherwise that open mouth show of teeth was downright menacing!) appeared on Burabur's shaggy face.
In the business like tone of a conspirator, Burabur gave me an envelope. It was made of papyrus, (I would know I'm a librarian. right?) and sealed with a giant red blob of wax. Odd, no one does that anymore at least most people use email. Burabur instructed, “Don't open this until you are standing in front of the rare collection of books at the library. You know the one I mean, the one in the sealed vault.”
That snapped me out of my hazy daze. I looked him square in the eyes, and said, “Why the sealed vault? Those tomes are protected! No one is to touch them.”
Burabur said, “in that vault lies a very special book. It hides the secret to our world. We need that book to reopen our portals and banish those who would seal us off.”
“What happens if I refuse?”
I saw a look of concern cross his face, softly he purred, “I hope you don't or not only the lives of your children will become forfeit, but neither of our worlds will survive long without the other.”
“Look,” He said, “I have to go, the child I am now assigned to will be going to bed soon and I need to be there. Just take this with you to the vault room and open it. There is a spell on it that will locate the proper book. It will bring the book to you. Do what you have to and bring it here to me. Once you have it, knock on your floor three times and I will come and collect the book. Just remember, do not, under any circumstance open the envelope anywhere else.”
I nodded dumbly. “Ok I said. I will do what I can.” In my head I was thinking, ARE YOU NUTS??? You'll get fired!
Burabur gave me one last searching look, I saw doubt etched in his face as if he knew my thoughts. I smiled weakly at him and watch him disappear under my bed. How the heck did he do that? I wondered vaguely while the other part of my brain was screaming mad thoughts about improbabilities, and how could I even consider a stupid idea!
I definitely knew that sleep was going to elude me this night. I slipped the envelope under my pillow, at the same time wondering why I did so, maybe hoping the tooth fairy would show up next and exchange the book for the letter? Who knows. I switched the lamp off wondering how I was going to sleep, when suddenly I woke up to the maddening noise of the alarm clock and the garbage man destroying my trash cans.
The youngest, in his last year in Jr. high goes to a different school than his two older sisters who are in High school. His school isn't far from the house so I dropped him off on my way to work.
I work in the library. I'm the head librarian at the Main city library. You would think being a librarian meant being surrounded by books all day, but alas my book days are behind me and running the largest library in the city is spent in meetings about fundraisers, buying new books, maintaining the collections and a host of other boring non book things. I can't even remember when I read a book for pleasure, although my husband and kids are all avid readers.
I have a stack of books next to my bed … those are my intentional reads, the books my kids or husband had read and wanted me to read as well.
As I climbed into bed I guiltily looked at the stack. Some of those books had been there for at least a year. I wearily turned off my light as I said a silent apology to the stack and the god of books.
I snuggled into the bed and hugged my husbands pillow since he wasn't there and moaned softly at the wonderful sinking feeling of falling asleep. I was just drifting into that nothingness of sleep when I heard scuffling under my bed. I growled “Toby! Knock it off!” assuming the cat was playing with something under my bed.
The scuffling stopped, and I proceeded to relax into that sleep drift when not only the scuffling started again, but other noises accompanied it. Now I was not only wide awake but extremely annoyed that the cat was wrecking the peaceful bliss I had worked so hard to attain today.
The scuffling became scrabbling and suddenly I felt my bed rise slightly and thud back to the ground.
I sat completely still in the middle of the bed, my husbands pillow clutched to my chest. Suddenly I was that small girl of six sitting in bed fearing the monsters that I knew lived under my bed.
The scrabbling had stopped and all was still. My heart was thudding in my chest and I was trying to hold my breath and not make any noises. I had not thought of those scary nights in years. In fact, by the time I was eight the monsters were gone and I had blocked them from my memory.
I remember calling or rather screaming for my mom and dad to come save me. A couple of times they rushed in and even Dad would crawl on the floor and look under the bed, in my closet and in my toy chest and pronounce the room monster free. Indeed, after he did that then they would leave me alone for the rest of the night.
They finally went away after my seventh birthday and by the eight I had forgotten them. Now here I was, 30 years later and thinking there are monsters under my bed.
I chuckled to myself, and decided that I had eaten too much bean dip at the staff potluck that afternoon. I snuggled back into the bed. My eyes were wide open. Now I couldn't sleep. I switched the light on and picked up a book off the guilty stack. I read two paragraphs and began to fall asleep. Dropping the book on the nite stand, I switched off the light and closed my eyes, only to have them jolted wide open as my bed rose off the floor and crashed with a heavy thud. I stifled the automatic scream with the pillow I was clutching for protection. As I fumbled for the light switch a large hairy hand darted out from under the bed and grabbed my arm in an iron grip. I moaned with abject terror.
A deep gravely voice spoke, “Sshh, no one is going to hurt you. We didn't hurt you when you was a kid did we?”
I couldn't answer, I just bobbed my head at the hairy fist. The bed lurched and shook as a giant furry head with large round eyes and mouth full of fangs and sharp teeth emerged from under the bed. Finally, it had freed itself from the cramped confines of the space under my bed.
Crazy thoughts ran through my head like, “I really need to vacuum down there look at all the dust bunnies on it's fur! And how in the world did it fit?”
The monster towered over me. It looked like a cuddly stuffed animal gone wrong. Instead of the bland smile of a stuffed teddy bear this creature looked at me with a glittering intelligence in it eyes. It's fur while long and shaggy also had the luxurious look of being well groomed. It let go of my arm and waited. I just sat there in a terrified stupor and looked at it, with inane thoughts continuing to plague my outermost thoughts. I even wondered what it's hair felt like to run your hands through it, and then I wondered what it ate with teeth like that.
Then it chuckled. A deep rumbly purr that actually sounded delightful. It was looking at me as if guessing all my thoughts.
Suddenly it dropped down on its knees and thrust it large moon shaped face in front of mine. It's nose glistened like a dogs wet nose and was as black too. It's breath was hot as it huffed at me. It even smelled like dog breath. I backed away a bit.
“My name is Burabur. I was sent to guard over you when you were a child. Unfortunately I was one of those that could never properly completely conceal myself and got discovered by you. It happens, that's why children of your world think the monsters are living under their beds. Well we are sent to protect the children of your world, from the monsters that live in your world. When you were a child, a very bad man used to live in the house next door. It was my job to make sure that he never harmed you. And I succeeded. Now our world needs your help. Some of those bad people have discovered our world and are closing off our portals to your world to prevent use from protecting your innocent. We need your help!”
I just stared. My head could not wrap around the fact that I was sitting in my bed having a conversation with a childhood nightmare that promised it wasn't really a nightmare.
I just opened and closed my mouth like a fish lying on the ground gasping for air.
The monster, Burabur rocked back on its heels and gave me some space. Finally, I squeaked, “what do you want me to do?”
What I imagined to be a toothy grin of relief (it had to be right because otherwise that open mouth show of teeth was downright menacing!) appeared on Burabur's shaggy face.
In the business like tone of a conspirator, Burabur gave me an envelope. It was made of papyrus, (I would know I'm a librarian. right?) and sealed with a giant red blob of wax. Odd, no one does that anymore at least most people use email. Burabur instructed, “Don't open this until you are standing in front of the rare collection of books at the library. You know the one I mean, the one in the sealed vault.”
That snapped me out of my hazy daze. I looked him square in the eyes, and said, “Why the sealed vault? Those tomes are protected! No one is to touch them.”
Burabur said, “in that vault lies a very special book. It hides the secret to our world. We need that book to reopen our portals and banish those who would seal us off.”
“What happens if I refuse?”
I saw a look of concern cross his face, softly he purred, “I hope you don't or not only the lives of your children will become forfeit, but neither of our worlds will survive long without the other.”
“Look,” He said, “I have to go, the child I am now assigned to will be going to bed soon and I need to be there. Just take this with you to the vault room and open it. There is a spell on it that will locate the proper book. It will bring the book to you. Do what you have to and bring it here to me. Once you have it, knock on your floor three times and I will come and collect the book. Just remember, do not, under any circumstance open the envelope anywhere else.”
I nodded dumbly. “Ok I said. I will do what I can.” In my head I was thinking, ARE YOU NUTS??? You'll get fired!
Burabur gave me one last searching look, I saw doubt etched in his face as if he knew my thoughts. I smiled weakly at him and watch him disappear under my bed. How the heck did he do that? I wondered vaguely while the other part of my brain was screaming mad thoughts about improbabilities, and how could I even consider a stupid idea!
I definitely knew that sleep was going to elude me this night. I slipped the envelope under my pillow, at the same time wondering why I did so, maybe hoping the tooth fairy would show up next and exchange the book for the letter? Who knows. I switched the lamp off wondering how I was going to sleep, when suddenly I woke up to the maddening noise of the alarm clock and the garbage man destroying my trash cans.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Summer is over.
I haven't written much this summer. I did spend alot of extra time at my real job to pay the bills and finance vacation ... so my writing took a back seat.
Well now September 1st has come and gone. My summer reading is in its last exciting pages and my mind has wandered frequently over the pages of my unfinished novel.
November approaches and so too the advent of book two ...
I will finish reading "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand and then possibly even write an essay about what I read. Then it will be time to throw myself full on back into the pit of revision. Finally November will show and Nanowrimo will take me away for 30 days of furious novel creation. I am excited!
So to those of you who follow my blog (more faithfully than I) I will try again to get on a regular schedule of writing.
Take care and Happy Fall days!!
Well now September 1st has come and gone. My summer reading is in its last exciting pages and my mind has wandered frequently over the pages of my unfinished novel.
November approaches and so too the advent of book two ...
I will finish reading "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand and then possibly even write an essay about what I read. Then it will be time to throw myself full on back into the pit of revision. Finally November will show and Nanowrimo will take me away for 30 days of furious novel creation. I am excited!
So to those of you who follow my blog (more faithfully than I) I will try again to get on a regular schedule of writing.
Take care and Happy Fall days!!
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