Day Three

Blue Buttons in a Bottle (For Forest)

They could go as far west or north or south as they pleased, but they could never cross the border to the east. The eastern land was strictly off limits, and Kirby would never know why. Soldiers sometimes patrolled that border to ensure that the Bears (that's what the curious upper-class citizens were called) stayed clear of it and that no body ever saw beyond. If anyone were to get close enough to see the other side, they would either die instantly from electric shock or be forced to work for the government indefinitely if caught. It was territory no Bear had dared to venture into- until late last year.

The first Blue Bear from the south to ever question if there was something on the other side of the border was Kirby Atkins, the most rich and famous man there was in the valley of L'Ours. With his corresponding guard, Forest, a Green Bear from the North, Kirby felt as if he knew all the ins and outs of the valley, except for near the east border.

Bears was a term for the upper-class with a color based on their background. Purple Bears mean royalty. Next in line after royalty are the Blue Bears, like Kirby. Blue Bears stand for knowledge and youth- the ones that people like to keep around. Purple and Blue Bears live all over, where as the other colors are classified on location. In the north live the Green and Orange Bears, to the west live the Red and Brown Bears, and the south live the Yellow and Pink Bears. White Bears are the government, if you would believe it. And lastly, Black Bears are the unspoken of. Your spine would shiver and your teeth would chatter if you were to ever encounter a Black Bear, or what some people refer to as, a Black Beast. In the entire population, only three Blacks have ever been known of to the public. They are said to have come from beyond the border, from the east.

Kirby was scheming in his mind an impossible plan when Forest interrupted him.

“Kirby, the orders are here,” Forest announced. “The trucks are switching out the equipment and then we must leave as soon as possible.”

“Is that an order or a suggestion?” Kirby asked.

“Well, based upon the lack of events lately, I would highly consider it a suggestion.”

“If the tree fits in the ground, then I guess it fits.”

“Excuse me?”

Kirby stood up from his hand carved wooden desk with a chuckle and patted Forest on the back as he turned to exit his office. “You're excused,” he added before closing the door, leaving an as-usual confused twist on Forests' face.

Part Two to be added soon...

Day Two

Even though I didn't exactly reach my original goal of writing every day in January, I can still reach my 30-days writing goal. So a week or three later, here is what I wrote from the second writing prompt.

Drip-drop, drip-drop was the sound of the quiet, innocent rain as it softly fell from the sky and drizzled down the rigid surface of the stone. She sat motionless staring towards the tombstone in front of her, eyes black and cold. No outward emotion could express the empty, broken pain she felt in her heart at that moment. A perfect existence had been sucked away from her and she now had to cope with the death of an only brother and father who were once an immediate part of her delicate life.

Pulling her away from her distant thoughts and most recent memories, she felt a hand gently clasp around hers. Turning her head and pressing her right side against his as if to push away the pain, she recognized the butterfly collection box sitting in his lap. Breaking the eerie silence inside of her, she began to hum a tune as her softened eyes scanned the sight of each butterfly he had collected throughout the years and was now giving to her.

While determining whether her face was soaked from the rain or her own tears, she noticed the spring time sun trying to creep through the canopy of trees above them with little effort as he leaned over and lightly pressed his lips against hers, as if to say You don't have to go through this alone. In the stillness of the trees around them she realized that this hollow pain could never be forgotten, but perhaps with him, in that very silent and reassuring moment, she could relinquish a part of the anger and pain that dwelt deep inside. This tombstone may have captured the only two lives so dear to her, but she wasn't about to let it capture a third.

Day One

FYI: Just so you as a reader know, doing this makes me nervous. I am hesitant to ever give someone a copy of my writings or post them somewhere because of copyright issues. My words are mine. I don't speak much, and when I do I often surprise even myself. Enjoy the simplicity of this first one. I always appreciate feedback.

It was the first night that Julie was spending in her new apartment in the suburbs of New York City. In just a couple of months she would be getting married and her fiance would be moving in with her. As she was laying in her new, clean bed in what seemed like a new and fresh apartment, something suddenly was not right. Her body began to tingle all over, then it started to burn and an itching sensation crept over her skin.

What is happening to me? Julie thought.

Without further hesitation she tossed off her covers, flew out of bed and slammed on the light switch as she was about to jump in a cold shower, when suddenly she stopped in mid motion. She held out her arms looking at them with caution, paused, and after a moment of realization she screamed in horror. There were tiny, slimy bugs crawling across her skin.

Maggots.

“Why would there be maggots?” She asked herself with a gasp.

Julie was going to school to become a nurse and already had a minor in anthropology. The bugs immediately registered one of two possible situations in her head. Maggots meant flesh; quite possibly the flesh of a human.

Even though it was almost two o'clock in the morning, Julie immediately called her fiance Scott, who was a firefighter.

“Hello?” Scott answered in a groggy voice.

There was silence.

“Julie? Are you OK?” Scott asked, more alert.

After a short pause Julie said with a staggered voice, “Someone died in this apartment.”

Before Scott could respond, his phone went dead. Julie was left standing alone outside her bathroom door with maggots trying to eat her alive and a dead body somewhere in her new apartment.