Welcome to the final week of the Spring Writing Challenge!
It’s the final week! This has been such a fun challenge. You’ve all done so well with your stories. There are so many interesting and unique ways you have taken the prompt. It’s now time for the final week, so let’s do this one last time! We can’t wait to see what you come up with.
So, without further ado, here’s your final prompt!
Week Six Prompt – The Character Prompt
Write a story about a character that experiences a rebirth
Wait…what’s a character prompt?
A character prompt is a prompt that’s about a specific character. It doesn’t matter where your story takes place or what’s said. What matters is that your story must be about a character who experiences a rebirth.
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!
We’re so glad that you participated Juli! 🙂
The Dolls: Origins
Team A
It was late at night. River was unraveling from her shift as a doctor. She checked her phone, again and again. She saw 6 missed calls, 6 voicemails, and 6 long texts from an unknown number. It’s probably my mom. She thought. She blocked her number a while ago, things were just…tight with each other. Nonetheless she decided to open it, just to check. It was a long text, a melodramatic speech about family, sacrifice, disappointment, turning back on loved ones, missing people, how she just wanted to reach out. Yep. Definitely my mother. She realized.
She blocked the number again and crashed into her bed. All day and all night she heard and felt the disappointment of everyone around her. The snickers from her colleagues, the cold look on the doctors’ face, the complaints of everyone she worked with. They all told her the same thing: Why can’t you just get ahead with us? Is it really that hard?
Okay, it was, it was really that hard, alright? Everyone expects so much from you, everyone gives so little. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep, forgetting all the worries of today, of yesterday, and of all her past.
…
She woke up to a bright light. What time was it? 1am? 2am?
River opened her eyes to see a portal before her. A gold frame, with a golden banner above it, with a title in a language she couldn’t recognize. A blue glowing matter. She couldn’t help but go towards it. It magnetized her, it beckoned to her. It could be the start of a new birth. She thought. This could be my escape from this world. To a better life. She couldn’t help but enter…
It was a spiral of everything, but a spiral of nothing. She felt her body moving, spinning, in a way that she couldn’t recognize. In a split second she was through. Her body was different, softer, like a plush doll. Her clothes were different. They were red robes with a white middle part , outlined and separated by treble clefs. The ground beneath her was also soft, grass, and she could see dandelions and trees in her sight. She was in a forest. She couldn’t believe it. She was in another world! Is this real? Has a new me been reborn?!
But she then heard a piano in the distance. What is that? She asked herself. She tried to walk towards the source, but her legs felt unusual as she stumbled. Nevertheless she found the source. It was a music box doll, playing the same melody on and on without end. His clothes were royal, a prince he might’ve been. A cracked crown pointed upwards, a blue gem perfectly centered. But something felt off. He was looking down, yes, but he wasn’t smiling. He looked more drawn, exhausted. His fingers were tired, as if he was in a performance he didn’t want to be in.
The instinct came to her. I must help! River insisted. She ran with the strength she had, and she quickly yet carefully observed the doll. “Let’s get you out of here!” She exclaimed. She found a good stick nearby and started to pry the boy out, starting with the legs. After a while they cracked from under the base, and she looked up. She saw the boy’s face wincing in pain, but he didn’t make a sound. She then went to his arms and pried his arms off. That was slightly easier to get off. The last part was getting him off the seat. When that was done, he was finally free.
The boy let out a large exhale. Then, he tried to get out a small “Thank you”. But River put a hand over his mouth. “No time for thanking. We should try to help you.”.
…
They found a strange place somewhere in that forest, where that found an old doll, a matryoshka that could give him new limbs and even a new voice box. They were now back in the forest, and the boy was laying down. Now he could actually give a good “thank you” to his helper. River looked down at him and said “That was no problem. Now, let me ask, who are you? What’s your name, boy?”
He took some time to respond. “Talius,” he said. “My name is Talius. I-I’m sorry. I can’t speak too well. I haven’t spoken in a while. Who are you?” He said.”
“I am River.” She responded.
“Thank you, River.” His voice was weak, like a young German boy, like in her world. “Y-you are a good helper, like a medic, a rescuer. You know what you do, don’t you?”
She looked at him surprised. She wasn’t one to receive compliments, nonetheless from her work. She stuttered a little. “T-thank you. I-I guess it’s in my nature.” Yeah, it was like her to help others, that’s why she took the job of nursing, to make her feel useful and doing something that she likes, at least.
But now this was a new life. She didn’t have to nurse other for money or for approval of those that didn’t care for her. No, she had been reborn. Maybe this time, She thought. I can do it for myself now. I can be the help that others need, and the compassionate that I need.
She stopped her thoughts there, turning back to Talius. “Let’s go.” She said. “I guess this isn’t you’re place. Let’s rest here. Let’s get you to where you belong.”
FINALLY THIS POSTED THANK GOD THAT TOOK TOO LONG!!!!!!!
*Ahem* Anyways final story uploaded!!!!! So, um, kinda dark themes if you look into it, but I think it’s a nice story. Um, thank you, all of you, for going on this journey with me! Thank you especially to everyone who read and even commented on my posts! I’m so grateful to everyone of you guys!!! From Mandarin Ducks to Bigfoot church tea parties to Russian forests to more, I wrote so much and I made so many stories with you all, and I’m so proud of all the work we did! This is my first 6-week challenge and it was honestly such a great experience. With such a busy life I could never see myself writing that much and with you guys, well, I did it! I hope there’s more like this and I hope to meet you guys in another challenge soon! But for now, us take this 7th week to rest and see all that is good! Thank you! Take care of yourselves, keep writing, and God Bless!
-Sincerely, Melissa A.
When the new prompt arrive, my first thought is, Oh no! What am I going to write to make that work? But the Holy Spirit ALWAYS shows up and I get an idea every time. It amazes me. Thanks for a thought provoking six weeks.