Fall for Fiction: The adventure begins!
Today is the Autumn Equinox–the day and the night are of equal length. The Equinox is one turning point of the year and I thought it was a perfect day to launch our next blog project!
Download the story. It ends with the sentence, “She turned to her right and there, not three feet away was…” You, dear blogger, get to finish this sentence (and go beyond, if you’d like!) Feel free to print it out and take it to school. The more minds, the more fun.
I anxiously await your responses!
This entry was posted on Monday, September 22nd, 2008 at 4:30 pm and is filed under From the Author. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Scout says:
…dark face with blue eyes. Then everything was black, and she only heard “NO!” and a snicker.
And that’s the last she remembered. Next thing, she was face first in the sand. She didn’t know where she was, but it was warm and breezy and smelled like saltwater. Carina groaned and her head popped up out of the sand.
“What…?” she said to herself. She shook out the sand from her hair and brushed it off her sweats.
She looked around. Behind her was a giant bluff. To her right was a forest to dense to see into. In front of her, A cave. Then she gasped. To her left was a broad sea with gentle rippling waves. Carina staggered to her feet in amazement.
She was broke out of her trance by a moan. a few feet away was a head spitting out sand connected to a body covered in white grains of sand. Whoever it was pulled themselves up and sat in the sand. They blinked, totally out of it. Whoever it was stared at Carina for the longest time before finally they sprang up.
“Are you alright?!” There stood a girl, about the same height as Carina. She was very tanned. She was skinny, but obviously had muscle on her and looked strong. she had shiny white blonde hair and golden eyes. At first glance she seemed like a normal girl. Carina took a double take and saw that she was beautiful. She wore a pale yellow sundress that was plain except for a frill at the bottom that was white. Her freckles, which danced across her face, seemed to be shaped like stars. The weirdest thing about her was two pale gold wings jetting out from her back.
Carina rubbed her eyes. “What?”
“Are you all right?” she repeated.
“…..what?”
“Is that all you can say? I take it your fine.”
Carina looked at her in awe. “What-”
The girl gave her a look.
“-happened. What HAPPENED. Where am I? Who are you?”
“Uh…my name is Sade. I’ll tell you everything later but lets just go right now.” she grabbed Carina by the arm and tried to pull her towards the path up to the bluff.
“Hey!” Carina said and she yanked her arm away from Sade.
“Come on!” Sade looked on angrily. Her once golden eyes got a deeper shade and looked orangish-redish.
Carina stopped. She felt the sun beat down harder than usual on her.
“Lets go.” Sade said and she sharply turned around and headed up the cliff.
Carina follewed her from a few feet back. She examined the jetting scales from her back. where they….wings? She thought. Carina focused back on the sea. Could this be real?
Finally they reached the top of the cliff and the settled up there.
“So….” Carina started. She couldn’t find the right question to ask. Where am I? Who exactly are you? What about my dad? Why am I here? Why are you here? Why did we end up on a beach? But they all just stuck in her throat.
“Ok here’s the deal. I’m Sade as you know. I’m a Sicilian just like you. Kinda. Well we are a different type of Sicilian. Deep in their history, some people were born with special powers. They craved the sun and the could conduct the light and fire. No body thought that was real so the real Light Children as they called them were hidden away. Some grew wings, but some didn’t. The ones that didn’t usually could control more power though. Like you.”
Carina looked at her with awe. Her eyes were as wide as a deers caught in headlights. She took it all in and they sat there in silence. Sade looking on with impatience and Carina looking on with shock.
“Got it so far?”
“No…” Carina prepared to ask questions that finally could escape her mouth but she was cut off.
“Oh well! So anyway, Some people wanted that power. They were the few Sicilians that believed in the tale and strived to find the people. But one by one they gave up with no luck. Only one remained. The years he waited built up his anger and jealousy. He learned everything there is to know. He even knows how to shape shift and he has become a creature of the shadows. He hated any light and warmth and even summer because he couldn’t control it or get anything out of it. He also knew you were one of the only ones without wings left. The strongest.”
Sade paused. She looked at her own wings slyly and then shuffled them behind her back out of Carina’s view and then she looked on humbly and admiringly at Carina, even though Carina didn’t notice.
Finally the words poured out from Carina. Except, not exactly the ones she hoped for.
“What game show am I on?!”
“What…? Carina I’m not kidding with you.”
“YEAH right! Come on! Just let me go back home. Who put you up to it? Who signed you up? Thought it was funny to build me up and taunt me with the sea? Just to watch me crash?” Carina looked angrily at Sade. The sun’s light shown much more extremely. Carina didn’t notice but Sade did.
“Carina please! I’m being serious with you!!” She couldn’t say much more before Carina stood up and stormed off down into the forest.
Sade ran after her but she was too slow. Carina disappeared into the darkness of the woods.
Carina got so deep she couldn’t see the light anymore. She slumped down next to a tree and thought things over.
Finally Sade reached her. It was dusk.
“CARINA there you are! Let’s get back! Hurry! We can’t be in here at night!” she frantically fluttered her wings with every sentence.
Carina didn’t look up. “Sade?”
Sade mumbled a yeah.
______________________________
I’ll finish later sorry guys!
GaiaGirl55 says:
…was her mother!
“Mom!” Carina screamed and ran to embrace her.
Her mother sweeetly laughed and hugged Carina. Right before Carina bombarded her mother with questions, the lady spoke up.
“Carina, I’m – I’m acutally you’re Aunt Penny. I’m your mother’s twin sister. And as you’ve already figured out, we’re indentical,” Penny let out a soft but friendly chuckle.
“But – how – h-how can – WHAT?!” Carina asked confused.
“Honey, I’m your mother’s twin. We hadn’t been in touch in years ever since you moved away from Sicily to this lovely mountain. Its like a dream up here! But anyway, I got an letter from your father a few weeks back, and he explained how he was concerned about you, and thought you needed a friend, or some kind of girl around for you. So I decided to move up here temporarily, with you both.”
Tears began streaming from poor Carina’s face.
“But – b-but I th-th-thought you w-were m-m-mom!” Carina sobbed.
“I know dear. And I realize you’ve lived a hard life lately. And I realize that you miss you Mom, just like I miss her. Carina, sweetie, I’m here for you!” Penny inched closer to her niece. Carina let herself fall into her aunt’s lap and Penny let her neice cry and cry out her pain and crave.
After Carina was done crying, Penny spoke up.
“Carina, I know how hard you have it,”
“Yeah, if only Mom were here, everything would be so much better! No ugly mountain, no beach craves and no stupid limit of sunshine!” Carina was so sad.
“Oh, Carina, dear, don’t take it that way! I think this mountain is a dream! It’s like living in an elegant snowglobe! And, oh! How pretty even the little berry bushes are! And you’re beautiful smile beats it all!” Penny commented.
“Aunt Penny, it’s so great you’re here!” Carina bursted out and hugged her aunt.
But then, Carina’s cheeks turned a rosy pink and she stopped hugging for a moment.
“You don’t mind, do you? I know we’ve just met and all but-”
Penny replied with a smile. “Oh, Carina, its like you’re my daugter that never existed before! I absolutely don’t mind you at all!”
The pals laughed and exchanged smiles.
“Aunt Penny, whats the beach like?” Carina asked curiously.
“Oh, its wonderful. The blue waves crash into the sandly shore and the pretty dolpins show their gray fins on nice days. And the children are nice to watch as the play in the clear water.”
“Hmmmmmm, what a dream!” Carina glanced at her aunt and they both started laughing again.
“Well, we better get going now, Carina.” Penny stood up and pulled Carina off the ground.
“You’re right. Papa will be mad at us if we don’t hurry along!” Carina skipped off, and the quickly haltled.
“Aunt Penny?” She asked.
“Yes, dear?” Penny responded.
“You’re the best!” Carina screamed and then said. “Last one home is a rotten egg!”
“Ahh!” Penny squeaked and ran along with Carina.
Penny just happened loses that race, but never lost the close relationship with her dear Carina Christina Cantando.
Scout says:
Ack mines pathetic! >.<
gaiagirl’s rocks!
Tessa_of_the_Sea says:
…a wing that was attached to something right above her. Suddenly, she was snatched into the air, the cold, stone mountain wall rushing alongside her and the sound of whooshing wing beats above her.
For a few seconds she debated whether to look up or not. Shaking all over, she took a tentative peek upwards. A giant bald eagle stared back at her with it’s gleaming, fierce eyes. It shrieked a sound that could only be compared to the crashing of the surf against jagged rocks, and flew upwards and into the sky.
Carina was limp with fear. Was she to be fed to eaglets? Or dashed to bits onto the cliffs below should the eagle accidentally drop her? She surveyed her situation. It didn’t feel like she was being carried off as prey, as she had witnessed many small rodents being snatched by bald eagles that lived in the basin of the mountain. She was being held by the waist, all claws withdrawn. It almost felt… exhilarating, flying through the air at such speeds. She experimented with stretching her body straight, arms out like Peter Pan. She was flying! For the first time since her capture, Carina glanced down at the sight below her. Then she snapped it right back up. She had not anticipated that they were flying over an expanse of swirling, dark blue water, with the only land a shadow against the horizon. She looked back at the eagle. If possible, the eagle’s beak was turned up into a comforting smile. Then, like she was hearing an echo of words once spoken, inside her head, she heard, ‘would you like to go for a swim?’.
Carina nodded slowly. “Yes.”
Slowly, so she wouldn’t be caught by surprise, the eagle released her claws from Carinas’ midriff, and she plunged into the ocean, executing a perfect dive into the water. That’s when her life changed.
For one thing, Carina didn’t know how to swim. She started thrashing and kicking, which only made her sink more. The sky rippled, like it was underwater and she wasn’t, growing farther and farther away.Air bubbles blossomed from her lips, containing the words she shouted out with that desperate breath: “Aiuto!”
Suddenly, the bubbles halted in mid decent, and started covering her like a shield of bubbles.They rushed around her like a whirlpool. She felt herself shrinking, and her limbs growing smaller and smaller. Then, the air bubbles started their ascent towards the sky once more.
Carina panicked. She swam as fast as she could, and was surprisingly fast considering her predicament before. She broke the surface and leapt into the salty air, and for a split second she caught a glimpse of her reflection on the rippling water. But that was enough. Carina, in amazement, stared at her hands. They had turned to fins. She had transformed into a fish!
The eagle dove down, and if this makes sense, started flying through the water. Carina followed.
“Where are we going?” She queried the eagle.
“Going? Why, we’re going to see your mother.”
Thanks for reading!! Oh, and Scout, I loved your story! It was very imaginative! Yours too, GaiaGirl55!! And Scout yours is not pathetic! I thought it was a very gripping story!
Once more, thanks for reading
-Tessa
Lee Welles-author says:
This is the fun of fiction; a story can go a number of different directions!
I’m pleasantly surprised you guys are writing in such detail!. I thought I would get one or two sentance responses!
You are making me think differently about how to plug your ideas into the story.
I hope we get more posts!
Tessa_of_the_Sea says:
Thank you!
No two sentence “paragraphs” for us! We do it RIGHT!
-Tessa
the5thgaiagirl says:
Not three feet away was a lovely flower growing out of the snow, that Carina had never seen before. She had seen and observed every living thing on her secret bluff, and she had never once set eyes on this flower. Actually, Carina had never seen a flower like this before anywhere, in her life! It was a beautiful green color, with a strange but perfect purple stem, the stem had 1 leaf on it, only one and it was the most beautiful color she had ever seen only she wasn’t sure what color it was, but it reminded he of the ocean.
“Hello” said a voice cooly. The voice sounded like the wind and rolling waves, it was a lovely sound and was music to Carina’s ears, but where had the voice come from?
“Who’s there” Carina asked in a frightened voice.
“My name is Ska, I have come to take you to the land you wish to see.” said the voice very calmly.
Carina did not know how to respond to this because she had no idea who was speaking, could it be the flower, no it couldn’t possibly, or could it? Yes! It could! The flower looked like it would have a certain personality and the voice sort of matched it! It was wasn’t it, it was the flower.
“Yes darling “the flower” is I, and I am talking so I must be the one you hea, but please call me Ska.”
“B-but I don’t understand,” said Carina in a shocked voice “How are you- why are you- how did you- I must be dreaming!”
“You are not dreaming, this is reality and I am here to help you find the beach that you so long to see.”
“How did you know I wanted to see a beach?” Asked Carina suspiciously.
“I will explain evrything dear, all in good time child all in good time.” Ska’s answer made Carina think of someone with lots of experience, someone wise.
“Before I explain though I need to know that you trust me, I want you to jump off of the bluff,I know it sounds incredibly mad, but i will not let anything harm a hair on your head, just jump and i will save you, i promise.”
Carina heard these words, and did not know what to think of them, how could a flower be asking her to jump off of this bluff, and possibly think it could save her from death?! But strangely, Carina did trust this flower, Ska she just ke=new in her heart that she must do this.
“OK I will and I fully trust you.” said Carina confidently.
The petals of Ska seemed to nod so Carina walked to the edge of the bluff, looked down, looked back at Ska, looked back down at the ground and closed her eyes. Then she let herself fall and as she felt all the wind going throgh her hair and past her body, she felt lovely it was the most beautiful feeling she had ever felt in her entire life.
Then as quickly as this feeling had come, it stopped,. Carina opened her eyes, she was back where she started. With Ska right where she was before.
“Thank you.” Ska said happily.
“Now you have to keep your part of the deal! Explain!” said Carina.
“Yes, yes of course,” said Ska ” I am Ska the flower of dreams, I have come to help you get to the seashore. I vow to do nothing but help you on this adventure and from now on, I am you closest friend and I care about you as if you were my child. I am a magic flower and I am part of the Earth. I was sent by your mother to-”
“Whoa WHoa WHoa, my mother??????? My mother sent you, you know my mother????” said CArina exuberantly
“Why yes dear child I know your mother! I have known her since before you were born! Your mother is my sister! As I am goddess of Sky, your mother is goddess of Water! Carina, dont you know why you want to visit the sea so much? It is because of yor mother! She has a connection to water, and she has passed it on to you!! When your mother is gone, you will be the goddess of water!”
This was too much for Carina to take in, but she guessed by what Ska had said that she would have a while to figure it all out.
adrie says:
Not three feet away was. . . . nothing. Not just nothing. Nothing as a something. As the nothing came closer, it became a whirlpool on the land, sucking up trees, birds, bushes, everything, just as fast and eager as a child laps up ice cream. The last thing Carina (to scared to even move) saw was a small pointed face with high cheekbones and oddly shaped ears rising from the swirly depths. Then every thing went black.
Carina awoke to see large blue eyes staring at her. “Oh, good you’re up. You slept way too long you know. So we have to get going, there is so much work to do. What do you want to start with, your clothes or your wings. Oh definitely your wings you’re not proper without them.” Thing that looked like a girl paused to take a breath. “What?!?? Who are you? What are you? How did I get here?” Carina looked around. She was in some kind of cave. Outside, white fingers of foam creeped up and curled around her toes. She poked her head outside and was almost dazzled by a blinding white beach.
Sorry I have to finish later
adrie says:
Ok i’m back.
Dolphins and girls with tails played in the surf. Green winged children chattered high above. Shimmering woman of the wind soared, making a rippling breeze. People made of fire meandered on the endless sand. Carina turned to look at her host. She had flaming red hair, emerald wings on her back, a white dress, and everything else was blue. There was a staring match between eyes. Finally the girl brushed herself off and said simply “So, you’ve met my people.”
Scout says:
ack i’m sorry i’ve been packed with homework and HSPT preps!!! I will finish ASAP!
Tessa_of_the_Sea says:
I know homework stinks like month old cabbage. And fish. And other things I won’t mention.
Ooooh can’t wait for the rest of the story Miss Lee’s going to write!
Lee Welles-author says:
Wow! You gals can write!
We had a death in the family and I’m just now back to my desk.
Tessa_of_the_Sea says:
Awwww… that’s sad. And thank you!
Have fun (or not so much fun) working on your book!
Amazonwarrior says:
A strange shape like an elf but not elf, more like a fairy. Carina slipped and gasped with surprise. That’s when everything went black.
She woke up at the bottom of the mountain. With the elf thing leaning over her. Dabbing a wet cloth on her forehead. Carina Screamed, jumped up and punched it right on the nose. The elf thing let out a yelp of pain, and fell over. Carina, shocked, froze with surprise.
The elf thing said
“that was quite a punch little one. My name is Teara.”
“Wha wha what are you.
K that is all got to go.
Amazonwarrior says:
K i’m back
“I’m called a Nymph.”
“Nymph?”
Carina’s head was reeling she was so confused everything was happening so fast.
sorry thats all
Amazonwarrior says:
“look” said the nymph “I’m here to protect you, ok?”
“ok” Carina said in fear.
The elf heard the fear in Carina’s voice. She tried to comfort her but it didn’t work.
Thats all bye!
doggielover1123 says:
….A seashell. Bright and glowing, it was beautiful.
doggielover1123 says:
Sorry guys, bit of computer trouble..
doggielover1123 says:
… A person. She shrieked, a surprised sound, before she was whisked away to somewhere.
When she got to wherever she was supposed to be, she fainted. When she woke up, her face was wet, and a being was leaning over her. She looked around her. She realized she was on the beautiful Sicilian beach that she used to visit not so long ago.
The being laughed, and that’s when Carina got a good look at her. She was beautiful. Not anything less than that. Her silky black hair shined as it caught the sunlight. Her tan skin was as smooth as pearls. Her eyes, large and black, twinkled and danced, as though a ballet was happening in them. But what Carina most noticed were the majestic white wings which flared with supernatural power. She laughed again, a bell-like sound.
“Oh, what is there to be afraid of? Should I ever hurt you?”
“Wha- w-w-who are you?” She stammered, as she squinted against the ever brightening sun. “Let me introduce myself, I am Aniga. I am part of the little group that people used to call The Sun Children. Long ago, when Earth was still forming, the volcanos still spewing, one naughty little element, which no one knew about at the time, was formed. It was called oxygen. Oxygen was vital to everyone, but was still as mischeivious as rats with cheese. One day, he decided to cause some trouble. He went into one of the volcanoes, and persuaded it to do something other than erupt. SO it did and it formed the sun children. We don’t die like humans do, but we just don’t live forever either. We just disappear, like your mother did.”
“Mom?”
“Yes. I forgot to tell you, I am Goddess of the Sun, and I was your mother’s sister. She was the Goddess of the Ocean, but when she disappeared, she passed it on to you. You are Carina, Goddess of the Ocean.”
The ocean swirled into a whirlpool, mixing with Carina’s emotions of surprised, anger, and sadness.
In all her feelings, she got up and ran
into the lush, green forest next to the beach in which she had spent so many years exploring with her beautiful and playful mother.
Carina slowed down and broke into sobs. She heard the flapping of wings. And saw Aniga in the distance.
doggielover1123 says:
Sorry, I sorta changed the story a bit….