Welcome to the fourth week of the Spring Writing Challenge!
You all did so well with your stories last week! There were so many interesting and unique ways you interpreted the prompt. It’s now the fourth week, so it’s time to do it again! Will your story have an epic battle between good and evil? A long-lost evil brother? Whatever you decide, we can’t wait to see what you come up with.
So, without further ado, here’s your next prompt!
Week Four Prompt – The Theme Prompt
Write a story that’s about a
Bigfoot Reunion
Wait…what’s a theme prompt?
A theme prompt is a prompt that’s about a particular subject! It doesn’t matter where your story takes place, who’s in it, or what’s said. The only thing that matters is that your story must be about a Bigfoot Reunion.
Before you start writing, we have some important rules for you to follow.
Writing Rules
1. Please keep the content of the stories you post to a PG rating. Please avoid real curse words. Violence/fighting should be limited and purposeful. Please do not include any spice.
2. Your story must be 1,000 words or less, and must contain the prompt to be counted for the challenge. You’re not required to post it in order to “win” the challenge, but if you want it to count for your team, your story must be posted by Sunday at 11:59 PM ET, and you must include your team name.
Remember to scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and post your story as an “answer” to this question, not a “comment”. 🙂 You’re all doing such a great job! I’m so proud of all the stories you’ve posted.
Happy Writing!
Joshua Forbes, Team A 🙂
The Last Council of the Bigfoots
I was there for the last council of our Peoples. I was young, as small then as you are now, and my father took me. It was not a mere gathering like this, but a true reunion of all the tribes. There were eight there, the Foot of each of each of the Seven Peoples, and myself. Yowie said it was an ill omen, that it broke the customs to have seven and not eight. My father said that it was an ill omen to break customs by calling council in the darkening moons, and one more broken twig would not fell the tree. In the end I stayed.
If custom was followed, the council would not have met for almost seventy years yet, and even then in the warmer moons. But the Peoples were asking questions about the problem of Manfolk. Yes, even then there were rumors, suggestions, fears, the same whispers and plots you brought to me today. The Peoples all agreed that the Manfolk were a problem—or at least may become one—but were divided on what to do. So a council was called.
The Foot of each tribe met at night in a clearing in a dark forest on a tall hill. In the middle was a bonfire. Around the fire were seven stumps, six well-lit by the flames and one shadowed by the trees. On the largest trunk sat Tsul Kalu, the Foot of the Old Folk. To his right was a redwood stump, on which sat my father; his true name was Appleseed, but at the council each served as the embodiment of their tribe, so on that night he was Sasquatch. Following the circle, each on their own stump, sat Yowie, then Jotun, then Yeti, then Chupacabra. To the left of Tsul Kalu, sitting on the stump in the dark, sat Uncle Wendigo.
Tsul Kalu announced that the night would follow the customs. Some rules could be broken, but these could not. Each Foot, on behalf of their people, would be allowed to tell a tale. Then what would be, would be.
Tsul Kalu began: “Back when the dew was young and the sky was untorn and the clouds were sharp, there flowed a great river. By this river lived Frog. Now Frog was a special creature. It was his nature to live in two worlds: the water and the land. Whenever Bass or Alligator swam by in the river, Frog would climb onto land. Whenever Rattlesnake or Uncle Coyote prowled by on the land, Frog would swim into the river. In this way, Frog’s nature kept him safe. He could put himself in either world, and escape the threats of the other.
“One day, as Frog was sitting by the edge of the river, Scorpion came by. Frog saw Scorpion with his poison-tip tail waiving in the air, and Frog crawled into the water. ‘Hello cousin Frog,’ Scorpion called, ‘Can you help me across the river? I cannot swim, and Uncle Coyote is hunting me.’ Frog answered, ‘Hello cousin Scorpion. I cannot help you across the river. For if I let you ride on my back, you will sting me, and I will die.’ Scorpion replied, ‘I will not sting you, cousin Frog. For if I am riding on you across the river and you die, then you will sink. And if you sink, then I will sink, because I cannot swim. Please cousin Frog, help me cross the river.’
“At that moment Frog heard the lonely howl of Uncle Coyote, and he saw that Scorpion was not lying to him. ‘Very well,’ said Frog, ‘Climb onto my back.’ So Scorpion crawled on Frog’s back, and Frog swam across the river, going slow so that his guest would not fall. When they were halfway across the river, Scorpion’s poison tipped tail suddenly sliced down, stabbing Frog. Knowing that he was about to die, Frog cried it out, ‘Why did you sting me cousin Scorpion? Now I will sink and we will both die.’ Scorpion replied, ‘I am sorry cousin Frog, but I could not help it; it is my nature.’
“So it was when the mountains were tall, so it is now the valleys are deep. Every creature has its nature, be they Frog, or Scorpion, or Manfolk. The question is, what is their nature, and also what is ours? But the firelight flickers. I have traveled as far as my woods extend, and so my tale has reached its end.”
Tsul Kalu settled back in his stump. Perhaps it was merely the firelight, but he suddenly looked very grey. To his right sat my father, leaning forward in thought, his red fur glowing warmly in the blaze. To his right was the stump in shadow, nothing showing but two tiny mirrors reflecting the red flames.
Six more stories were told that night. Six different warnings or hopes or morals, as that’s all tales truly are. Yeti spoke, and Jotun, and Chupacabra, and Yowie, and my father, and yes, even Uncle Wendigo told a tale. Perhaps I will tell you them one day.
For now it is enough for you to know that your questions are not new. When I was a child, I asked the same things. Our people asked the same things. If Tsul Kalu is to be believed, these questions were asked even when the world was young. I am older now, and still do not know the answers. I do not know if Manfolk is good or bad, or even if whether Manfolk is good or bad affects the duty of our Peoples one bit.
But as my father took me to the last council, so now I will try to pass such council to you. Perhaps one day you can find the answer. Perhaps one day, when you tell the tale, Scorpion will not stab Frog, and they will make it across the great river, and they will all live happily ever after.
Very cool, reminds me of some of the First Nations creation stories, and the wording they used!