Unleash

The prompt for this week: Unleash

Every night she comes to the same place to view the same painting. It seems to have a hold on her like a siren call that leads sailors to their doom. Not that the painting has ever brought her any misfortune. It is just a painting after all.

The crisp air that night brought a chill down her spine. She loves walking along the boulevard and watching the different strange faces. She likes to think that someday one of these strangers could be a part of her life.

Tonight she is coming in later than her usual time. Instead of her usual two hours, she barely has thirty minutes for her nightly ritual.

There's only a handful of people at this late hour in the museum. She prefers it that way as she gets to have the privacy she wants with her favorite painting.

The white boat against the seascape brings her a certain calm. It seems so real that she sometimes feel that if she touch the painting, she'll be able to feel the grainy texture of the wood and the cold temperature of the water. She even sometimes fancy that she can hear the birds flying overhead.

The sudden flicker of the light startled her from her reverie. She looked around but she's still alone. Suddenly, she heard a gush of water and when she turned back to the painting, the boat is gone! She looked down and she saw water at her feet and a small white boat floating around. She shook her head trying to clear her sight. The feel of the cold water at her feet caused goosebumps to appear on her arms.

A loud bang echoed at the back of the museum and she suddenly fell down the seat she was sleeping on. She looked up at the painting. The boat is still there. It was just a dream.

She stood up to leave as the museum is about to close. As she fumbles to get her purse, she felt something cold touch her feet. Her skirt is wet and has water mark around it. And she swears she can smell the ocean follow her all the way to her home.

Envision

The prompt for this week: Envision

During different phases of our lives, there are times when we envision ourselves doing something else than what we currently do and living a life that's different from what we have now.

I've always thought that if I have an alternative work, I would be a tourist guide. They seem to have a charmed life for being able to go anywhere and get paid while doing it. But I realized that maybe that's just a dream because I figured it must be tiring to be seeing the same thing over and over again. Of course at the start, it will all be fascinating. Similar to how one feels when seeing a new place for the first time. Everything seems to be enchanted, everything you do seems important and historical. However, after the haze of new things lift up, you realize it's not as exciting as you thought it was. You're just another one of the many hundreds of tourists who felt the same thing. And you won't be the last as there'll be a hundred more in the next few days, months, years.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not downplaying the work of tourist guides. I think I would still would like to do it even for a while. But I think it takes someone who has a love for sharing history and talking to people to be successful. I just don't know if I have the patience and enough knowledge to be good at it.

And remember how at one time in your life, you envision yourself living a grand life. Maybe being rich enough to do anything you want. Being able to travel on a whim, being able to eat anything, do anything just because. I don't know though if I can stand doing just that all the time. I'm pretty sure I'll get bored after a while.

But it's always good to dream. To think of what could be. I guess we will always see the grass to be greener on the other side. Although we might soon find out we never wanted to go there in the first place.

Curiosity Didn't Really Kill The Cat

The Writer's Island prompt for this week: Curiosity

The Sunday Scribblings prompt for this week: Vision


Curiosity and pride got the better of her. She knew she’s not supposed to be there but the taunts and dare is just too much for her young pride.

“You’re too afraid to go inside.”

“Am not!”

“Oh yes, you are!”

“Am not!”

And to prove that she isn’t afraid, she found herself running over across to the old blue house and went inside without prompting.

Her heart is beating fast. Her heightened senses was on full alert for any problems she might encounter. She heard a noise from upstairs like someone was pacing and unable to sleep. Her heart almost leapt out of her when she felt something touch her right leg.

“Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!”

“Meow.”

Oh my golly! It’s Red! She found her kitten! It was silly of her to feel frightened. The old house has been empty for years and was even considered as the local haunted house. But it doesn’t mean she has to jump at almost everything when inside!

She heard again the pacing sound from upstairs. It was coming from the upper right bedroom, the one that overlooks the lake. Who could it be?

Vision of ghosts and monsters filled up her young mind. And even as she felt the icy fear trickle down her spine, she felt a certain thrill.

“Cool! Ghosts!”

She put Red on the roomy pocket of her jacket. It’s got a hole on both side so Red won’t feel suffocated. She slowly went upstairs, trying to hide her progress by skipping the squeaky floorboards. The house looked normal enough in daylight but at night it can be creepy. Louise and her friend Ryan used this house as their pirate headquarters. Due to the nearness to the lake, it is the best place to do their mini-boat sailing and pretend like they are on a journey to capture other ships.

She reached out to the doorknob even as she tries to calm her erratic heart. She held on tightly to the bat that she brought for her protection. Her pulse is like a loud beating drums drowning out the noise from everything else. She turned the doorknob slowly and opens the door and almost lost her breath from the sight that greeted her.

A ghost! A white creature is pacing around the room like a caged lion. But when it felt Louise’ presence, it stopped. Slowly, it approached her. She didn’t notice she was backing out until she bumped into the wall.

But something is amiss. This can’t be a ghost. No ghost wears a neon green sneakers like that!

“Ryan!”

And a young boy went out under the white cloth he used to cover himself.

“Ha ha! I fooled you! You thought I was a ghost! Ha ha ha!”

“It’s not funny!”

“Oh yes, it was. You should have seen your face. Now, what? Why are you looking like that with your big eyes all wide and looking surprised? The joke is over!”

“Ryan.”

“What!”

“There’s a lady standing behind you.”

Ryan froze. The look of terror on his face had her feeling uneasy.

“Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh!”

That was the last she heard from Ryan as he ran as fast as he can down the stairs, to the front door and out to the street.

“He he. And he thought he can fool me.”

She walked down calmly and brought Red out of her pocket.

“We sure did fool him, didn’t we? We fooled him alright.”

She was whistling their favorite pirate song as she walked and skipped her way back home. She’ll talk to Ryan tomorrow and explain. She’s sure he’ll understand.

As she walks away, a white figure can be seen at the upper right bedroom looking down on her.

Flight

The prompt for this week: Flight

She has been hiding for so long that she has lost track of time. A shaft of light pierced through the dark. It must be almost dawn. She's so tired and she just wants to rest.

She should have not been outside Mr. Clark's window when her mother expected her to be studying upstairs and completing her homework. But she felt suffocated and needed to get out and have a breath of fresh air.

So she found herself walking along her usual path going towards her friend Tammy's house. But she doesn't know why she changed her direction at the last minute and decided to walk over to Mr. Clark's window. Maybe it's out of curiosity and sheer stubbornness. Her parents have asked her and her friends time and again to steer clear of Mr. Clark's place but didn't give them any reason why.

When she peered inside the small apartment, she was horrified by what she saw! A pool of blood was gathering around a body on the floor. And Mr. Clark was cleaning a knife using a white towel, already red from all the blood in his hands. Suddenly, he looked up and was surprised by the face peering through the window. And then he moved and she knew she has to get away from there!

She found herself on a flight to save her life. She ran as fast as her aching feet can. She ran as if there is no tomorrow. So far, she managed to evade him by hiding in the dark and keeping quiet when he pass by. But he knew where she lives and so he is anticipating the path she'll take to get home.

A hand suddenly clamped on her arms and when she looked back, it is Mr. Clark sneering at her and looking angry. She prepared to shout, to scream her head off and somehow hope that someone will hear. But a sudden strange screaming suddenly pierced the air.

Rrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnngggggg.

Seven o'clock. Time to wake up.

Treasure Hunter

The prompt for this week: Treasure

I love the idea of pirates. When I was young, I used to dream that I was a pirate and I would go out on a hunt for my treasure. I always go around the many nooks and crooks of our backyard, hiding inside a hollow tree and dreaming of my gold and coins.

It was easy then to imagine that my meager digging on our backyard and my aunt’s was enough to bring me wealth beyond my imagination. So we used to dig and dig and dig until our hands got tired and the sun was high up.

We used to find bottle caps with different designs and imagined them to be coins from our treasure. We used to find nails and other metals and thought of them as gold from our gold chest.

Then we started to sell these bottle caps and metals for a little bit of coin and the treasure hunt not only became an adventure but also a way to earn money. I remember waking up early in the morning when it was still dark and most kids were still sleeping. My siblings and our friends will be out and about all over the barrio looking for places for our little treasures.

We ended up digging a lot of metal scraps and bottle caps but we never did find that gold and coins I always thought we would find. But it was definitely a fun-filled childhood filled with ideas of treasure and the grandeur of a pirate life.

My Chapter's End

The prompt for this week: The Promise

"Hello."

The sound of his voice suddenly had my heart beating fast. Excitement and fear mingle and threaten to overwhelm me.

"Hi, Derek. How are you? It has been a long time."

I tried to sound nonchalant, like the call has not shaken me to the bone, hoping that it is how I came across.

“Yes.”

A pregnant pause. My heart started to beat faster when I thought it was already working full time. I waited for his next words with dread.

“I have met someone new.”

My heart shattered into a million pieces and I realized that I was not totally over him even after several months of separation.

He was expecting a lot of drama, a shouting match even and so he was surprised when I said,

“Good. I know you might not believe it, but I really am happy for you. Thank you for letting me know.”

“We made a promise to each other before that if this time comes, we would call the other and let him/her know. I stay true to my promise to you.”

He has always been a man of his word, it was one of the reasons why I loved him so.

“Thanks Derek. I am glad that I know. Take care and stay happy.”

“Goodbye Sophie. Take care of yourself.”

“Goodbye Derek.”

Click. The end of the conversation has a ring of finality to it. And I realized that I have finally ended that chapter of my life. I am glad for the call, no matter how bleak the news was. It allowed me to have closure and move on.

So that’s how a man I used to love kept his promise and broke my heart in doing so. But no matter how hard it was for me then, I was glad it happened because I was not kept waiting and wanting. I was glad I had my chapter’s end.

Shadows and Rain

The prompt for this week: Unforgettable

She’s a stranger in this beautiful place and it has always been the place of her dreams. How many nights did she spend on her knees praying and asking for a chance to walk over the different streets of Paris? And days passed by and they turned into weeks and they turned into long endless years. Just when she thought it would never happen, she got an assignment that will bring her closer to her dream.

It was a few months back when she first breathed the air in Paris. And what an experience it was! Everything was viewed with a tinge of awe for the experience was new and exhilarating.

One night after a celebration with friends, she found herself walking the deserted streets from the Metro. The sound of her shoes is the only music in the air that night. A slight drizzle falls so she has her umbrella out.

Her apartment is a few blocks away from the Metro and it usually takes about
10 minutes to get to her apartment’s gate. But as she walks carefully, avoiding the puddles, she noticed a shadow out of the corner of her eyes.

She’s being followed!

Fear gripped her heart and she felt cold all over. She looked around and found the streets deserted, everyone’s probably tucked in out from the cold. And so she walked a bit faster but the shadow seems to follow suit.

She crossed the street away from him, almost running now in fear. She was sure that he’s almost onto her, his footfall padded by the rain.

She kept on walking and she’s now just two blocks away from her flat. She kept on turning and checking if the shadow is still following her. Across the street, she saw the man standing under a street lamp. He just stood there in the shadows uncaring of the rain falling on his brows.

She turned and walked more briskly as she nears her home.

A hand suddenly held her shoulder and she couldn’t stop the loud shriek she made.

“Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!”

“Whoa! Wait. It’s me, Peter. Are you okay?”

“Oh! It’s you! I thought it was someone else.”

“What do you mean, it’s someone else?”

And she told her story about the shadow and the rain and how she’ll never walk alone again.

This event happened to me personally but the story is embellished a little. I did experience the stalker in the rain when I was staying in Paris but the last part of it about the friend is fiction. I was living alone then and that event got me thinking (morbidly) about how something could happen to me and no one might know until days later. I guess it also didn't help that The Watcher was playing in the movies then and I happened to watch it before that night.

The Journey

The prompt for this week: The Journey

Reading the end of a book first is like arriving at your destination without experiencing the journey. I'd rather experience the whole emotion the book may bring. The tears and the laughter, I want the whole shebang. Thus, no one will ever see me reading the last part of a book to get an idea of how the story ends. I don’t want to deprive myself of the beautiful journey where the book will take me.

I hope you feel the same. Happy reading!

The Key

The prompt for this week: The Key

A key. That was all that was left for her in her grandmother’s will. She can hear the sniggering sound from her cousins and aunts who have been envious of her from the start. After all, she was her grandmother’s favorite and everyone thought she would be receiving the bulk of her estates.

But as the will was read through from the first page to the last, Caitlin was waiting for a mention of her name that did not come until the last paragraph of the will. It was like her grandmother bequeathed her the key as an afterthought, added at the last minute before she finalized everything.

It didn’t really matter to her anyway because she is now gone. The two of them have always been close, thus the envious attitude of the other members of the family. Her Grammy has always thought the two of them like peas in the same pod.

The key is antique and has an exquisite design that makes Caitlin want to bring out her sketchbook and draw it in. A letter of instruction comes with the key providing some details on where it is to be used. She was directed to go to an old house where her Grammy used to live. It was her favorite place in the world because it was where she shared her youth with her husband of 30 years.

Even when her grandfather died, Grammy refused to live anywhere else. She said she couldn’t leave their memories behind.

When she arrived, she went to the different drawers in the house but the key does not fit any of the lock. She tried the different doors in the different levels of the house but she was not able to find a single door where the key fits.

She was ready to give up and throw away the key when she remembers an attic room that has always been off limits to her. She always wondered what was inside and dreamt of different riches and lavish clothes and jewelries she would find. And her Grammy used to smack her awake when she notices that she has been day dreaming again. A tinge of sadness entered her heart and it made her think of her Grammy once more. She misses her dearly.

In front of the attic door, she crossed her fingers before trying to insert the key. And it fits! Woo hoo! Finally! She will now have a chance to find out what was so important about this room that her Grammy used to forbid everyone including her from entering.

With her heart beating fast, she stepped inside the room and was surprised to see that it has been transformed into a great ballroom. A party is in progress and a lot of people were dancing. Women in pretty colorful dresses with their coiffed hair and perfectly made face. Men in breeches looking dandy all over the place. Paintings from different masters are adorning the wall of the great place.

She thought she’s dreaming for how can this be? She seems to have been transported into a time when Princesses and Princes and Dragons are part of every day things.

As she looks at herself, she noticed the white-gloved hands where her callused hands used to be. And instead of the shabby clothes that she donned earlier, she is wearing a dress made in gold color. The jewelries adorning her dress were enough to compete with the Queen of England’s collection.

She turned around and saw the door where she came from and wondered what would happen if she returns to the other side. Out of curiosity, she passed through the door again. And was surprised to see everything go back to normal.

She enters the room again and this time she saw the gate at the Colosseum in Rome, the details exact as how her Grammy used to describe it. Now she knows why her Grammy seems to know so many places and why she has a different story to tell every time. She used to retire away for an hour or so always implying she needs her “alone” time. Now she knows where she always comes to and how she spends those times.

Oh what a delightful gift the key was from her Grammy. Who would have thought of what wonder it brings! Now she can go wherever she wants, each entry will bring her to different beginnings. Maybe tomorrow she’ll visit Paris or the different temples in Thailand. Or maybe a glimpse of the old Rome will show where gladiators abound.

She has so many places she wants to go to but can only imagine them one by one. If you have the same key that can open up to a wonderful place, where would YOU go?