Writing Challenge- Enchanted Forest

One of the women in my writing group has been giving us daily writing prompts with the challenge to write for 10 minutes on that prompt. This is a great exercise to get your writing juices flowing and I love the way the story unfolds as you write. Also ten minutes is not much time. Even I can fit that in!

This was the prompt for Wednesday-

And this was my freewrite-

Enchanted Forest

Lauren sat still. Completely so. Nothing moved. Not the leaves around her. Not the bugs in the bark at her back. Even the air seemed to pause, miniscule water particles frozen in place.

“Laurie.”

The name touched her ears as a whisper. Still she didn’t move.

“Laurie, I know you’re here.”

Her lungs were full of breath. They ached for release. Lauren denied them.

“Come out and all will be well.”

Right. She’d believe that as soon as faeries stopped flying.

Footsteps against the mossy carpet echoed like thunder in the quiet forest. He wasn’t close. Not nearly as close as she’d feared. Lauren let out her breath slowly, soundlessly. Just as slowly, she filled her lungs again.

“And now you’ve made your mistake.”

The footsteps came closer. Surely he hadn’t heard. Of course, he did have elvish ears. Stupid pointed ears.

Just a stone’s throw away, Lauren saw his head poke around a low branch, his black hair falling in his violet eyes. She took in his long nose, his thin mouth. Ach. Stupid mouth.

Elros stepped forward, revealing his entire self. His velvet shirt and pants perfectly matched the trees around him so that he became one with the forest. Lauren closed her eyes against the pain of her held breath. And the sight of him.

“Please, Laurie. Don’t play. I don’t have the patience.”

You also don’t have manners. Please? When did you ever say please?

His footsteps stopped. Hesitation said many things. He didn’t actually know where she was. He was guessing.

Lauren wondered if her lungs might burst. She began to feel lightheaded. He had to move. Soon. And then he did. She listened intently, ignoring the buzzing inside her head. One step, two, three. When he’d gone twenty steps and his footfalls became almost too soft to hear, she opened her eyes. He was gone.

Her breath came out in a whoosh. Lauren gulped in a mouthful of air, tears running down her cheeks. Too loud. She couldn’t help it. He must be too far to hear now. Closing her emerald eyes she let the tears fall.

A hand around her throat forced her eyes back open. Soft fingers held her in a harsh grip, closing off the blessed air. Lauren felt his lips close to her ear.

“Did you think you could hide from me? Hmmm, little Laurie?”



*You can read other stories from my writing group here- 

Sabrina

Leah

Alison

Deb


Care to join?? Let me know if you write something, I want to read it!