Welcome to Week Three! Can you believe we’re at the halfway mark for the 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 third week, so it’s time to do it again! Will your story have aliens? Zombies? Maybe it’ll have a dragon in it! Whatever you decide, we can’t wait to see what you come up with.
So, without further ado, here’s your next prompt!
Week Three Prompt – The Starting Sentence Prompt
Write a story that starts with the
following sentence: So this is what drowning feels like.
Wait…what’s a “Starting Sentence” prompt?
A sentence prompt is a prompt that uses a particular sentence. 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 start with this sentence: So this is what drowning feels like.
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!
Will you notice if someone is like 1-25 words over the 1000 word limit (asking for a friend hahaha)
what if i accidently posted my story as a comment last week lol? does it still count?
Hey Izzy and Ava,
If you accidentally post your story as a comment instead of an answer, you should get an email to alert you! It will still count for points for your team, but no one will be able to vote for it.
And, to answer your question for your friend 😉 As far as word count, for your story to count for the challenge, it does need to be 1,000 words or under. Great questions!
Flight in the Night
team 1
“So, this is what drowning feels like,” Alya thought as the cold water enveloped her. “I thought it would hurt more. Lungs burning, muscles aching from the flailing or struggling to keep me afloat. But no, it’s the feeling of…” Her thoughts drifted like the clouds she could see in the clear night sky above.
“Alya!” Bria shouted, diving into the lake for her sister.
Alya felt herself sinking and then nothing. Only black stillness, silence. For the first time in her life, she was at peace, no machines, no needles, just cold darkness.
Bria grabbed her sister around the waist and kicked as hard as she could towards the surface. Her muscles ached and lungs burned as she fought the pull of the water. She felt the surface getting further and further away. Bria prayed hard for the strength to make it to the surface before putting on one last burst of speed. She broke through the surface of the water. Luka was leaning over the edge of their tiny stolen boat. “Take her!” Bria commanded, pushing her sister towards the large man. He grabbed the child and gently pulled her close to him.
Bria grabbed the boat’s edge and started to lift herself in, only to have the craft start rocking violently.
“Wait, Bria, you’ll capsize us,” Luka whispered frantically. They had made too much noise already.
Bria hung onto the edge of the boat, her fingers going numb and her lips chattering, while Luka repositioned Alya and himself. “Okay, try again.”
Bria eased her frozen limbs into their escape vessel and lay on the bow, breathing heavily. Luka broke open two heat packs and laid them on either side, ignoring her protests as he placed a blanket over her. “No, we need to save these.” Protested Bria. “Give one to Alya. Is she okay?”
“She’s breathing, and I’ve wrapped her safe in my coat. I’ll row, and when you can, you can keep a lookout. I don’t see any lights.”
Bria smiled in the dark and let her limbs warm slowly. She wrapped the thin blanket around her and repositioned herself between Alya and the bow, keeping the coast of Midaflora to their portside. Her eyes and ears strained in the darkness, but the only sound was the gentle drops from the oars and the lone screech of an owl looking for a mate.
The sky started to streak pink and orange, the sun would be up soon. Bria pointed to a small inlet with large trees to shelter them. She helped Luka guide the boat to shore and made sure the branches closed them off from prying eyes. A little up the embankment, she spread out their meager blankets as Luka carried Alya to their resting spot. She still hadn’t woken up, but her breathing had normalized, and now that they were out of the boat, Bria could use the med-a-kit.
Luka laid Alya down gently while Bria took out the kit. She had never used one before but had seen it done in the past, most recently on Azela when they had pushed her too hard in training. She hooked the wires to Alya’s wrist, forehead, and ankles and waited for the scan to complete.
“Do you think they know we’ve escaped?” Luka asked nervously. “Do you think we were followed?”
“I know we were. I heard the alarm go off when I grabbed Alya. I shouldn’t have shouted when she fell overboard. I heard the hum of a search crew and their calling song when I was getting back in the boat. But I don’t think they know where we are. I haven’t heard them for a long while.” Bria answered, watching the screen of her med-a-kit.
Luka knew better than to argue. Each of them had been given their individualized enhancements, and who knew what they had done to Bria and Alya? He couldn’t bear to think about it, they were both so young.
“She’s ASLEEP!” Bria huffed, struggling to keep her voice down as her sister snoozed peacefully on the blankets. “Can you believe it? It must be those meds they gave her. I only hope they wear off soon. We may have to run.”
Luka nodded as he watched her gather branches and hide any trace of their arrival on the bank. She busied herself for a while, and he could tell she was listening for any hint of the retrieval teams. When she returned to the blankets, satisfied they were safe at least for now, he smiled and handed her a ration. She took it and tore open the meal, the heat from the pack warmed her face as she inhaled the scent of lentil curry. “Thanks.” She said as Luka opened his own meal.
“Eat up and get some sleep, I’ll take first watch, we won’t be able to start again until it gets dark. Lucky there was no moon last night.
“It wasn’t luck, I planned it that way. We are going to need the dark for a few more days if we’re going to make it out of here alive. I’m not going back.”
Luka nodded, and they finished their meal in silence. Their meal finished, Bria curled up next to her sister, still sleeping peacefully, her auburn hair a tangled mess around her, she would have to braid it before they set off tonight. Bria closed her eyes and hoped she could dream of Alamia and their mother waiting for them, maybe with fairy cakes. Far over the lake, which was more of a sea, was freedom and family; behind them was their father and the Boskonzerne. They would make it home safe, she knew they would.
Wait so if we like accidentally post our stories as a comment here, will it count or be ignored?