Centenary... 100 word challenge for grown ups

For the one hundredth 100 word challenge for grown ups, this week's prompt is "the Big C".  The challenge - to begin each line with the letter C.  To make it even more challenging (ha!) for myself, I decided to start each sentence with the letter C. 

Centenary

 

“Careful. Careful my dear. Come along. Come along my dear. Come along with me. Come along and see. Celebrate. Celebrate my dear. Celebrate with me.”

Carrying the cake, I stumbled through the garden as my grandmother encouraged, mumbling in her way. Chuckling to herself, her mind taken by the disease of age.

“Count the candles on the cake. Celebrate. Carefully my dear.”

Crying out, I tripped, catching my foot on the edge of my grandmother's walking stick. 

Cake flew everywhere, decorating the garden in a sea of pink frosting. 

Candles, one hundred, counting her centenary, burning the grass.

Hymns and Arias... 100 word challenge for grown ups

I really enjoyed the prompt  for this week's 100 word challenge for grown ups - it reminds me of a time when I sang in choirs and the rush of adrenalin I'd get standing on stage preparing to sing.  

 ... the air was expectant...

Hymns and Arias

 

The air was expectant, filled with anticipation. Standing alone, she looked out into the darkness in front of her, bright lights shining in her eyes. She caught the eye of someone in the dark and felt their excitement rushing into her, like a river through the valley.

As the music started, she took a deep breath, feeling the air rushing into her lungs. The tempo intensified, the sound taking over her body, becoming part of her.

Opening her mouth, she felt the sound flow out of her, filling the air with an aria she had heard a thousand times before.

Science... 100 Word Challenge for Grown Ups

 So, three and a half weeks until D-day, but my brain may have melted in this heat.  Writing 100 words is a lovely way to take a break from the 15,000 words of my dissertation (6,000 still to go) though.

This week's prompt for the 100 word challenge for grown ups is a fun one:

 

 Science

Pulling into the driveway she spotted two figures hunched, poking at something on the doorstep.

Looking up, the smaller figure jumped up excitedly.

'Mummy! I wanted eggs but Daddy said I could only have them if I found out how to make eggs and he let me use Google and it told me loads of boring recipes and then I found this one and its great because you don't need to do any washing up Mummy, except your spatula, but Daddy said not to tell you... oops'

As the child paused for breath, she cursed the day she married a scientist.

Growing Up - 100 word challenge for grown ups

I've missed a couple of the prompts for the 100 word challenge for grown ups over the last few weeks - what with trying to keep on top of my dissertation and starting a new job, I've been pretty busy!  

But this week's prompt, "...pink nails?" she cried..., gave me some great ideas, so now I'm back!

Growing Up

"Pink nails?!" she cried, glaring at her mother. 

"But you promised I could have my nails painted like Katie.  Pink nails are rubbish. I can't believe you don't know anything!" 

How could her mother do this to her?!  Didn't she know that her favourite pop star always had her nails painted blue with little sparkly bits?!  This was such a stupid birthday present.  Why was her mother so useless?!

"Darling", her mother pleaded with her, "this was the colour you chose".

"But muu-um!  This colour is stupid.  I hate pink.  It's just not fair!" 

 It's hard being seven years old. 

--
Visit Julia's Place to read the other posts from this prompt.

Yellow/ Custard ... 100 word challenge for grown ups

This week's prompt for the 100 word challenge for grown ups is "YELLOW".  I have struggled with this prompt over the last two days, but wandering around my local Tesco this afternoon I found the inspiration I was looking for, for not one but two posts! 

 Yellow.

As a child, I learned to buy food by hunting out yellow "reduced" stickers.  This started a weekly competition between me and my siblings - Who can find the best bargain?  Who can find the most random item?  Who can find a meal that won't give us food poisoning?

Today, food shopping fills me with a huge sense of dread.  I always miss the "best" items, arriving either too early or too late, and end up with a dented mystery tin and a squashed packet of soggy vegetables.

Yet still, I refuse to buy anything for full price.

--

Custard

"What's yellow and dangerous?" the voice asks, again, for the fifth time in as many minutes.

"I don't know" I reply, wearily.

"I bet you can't guess!  It's so clever!" the voice replies.

"No, I bet I can't.  I bet you're going to tell me though."  Will this ever end??

"It's so clever!" the voice is getting more and more excited.  I don't think I can take this much longer.

"Go on, tell me." I plead.  Anything to make this stop.

"Shark infested custard!!"  The voice giggles away to itself, again.

I am never babysitting my darling brother ever again.

"Rules"... 100 Word Challenge for Grown Ups

This week's prompt for the 100 Word Challenge for Grown Ups is "...there's always a sting in the tail..."  I wonder how many insect-inspired posts there will be...

"Rules"

She knows the rules.  Rules are safe.  Rules mean you don't get hurt.

But in her world, rules are there to be broken.

She tried.  Really, she did.  She could hear it, echoing around her head, as she started to run away.

But as she took her first step, she felt it.

Looking down, she saw it.  Small.  Nothing.  Not big enough to cause any damage.

But she knew she was wrong.

As she felt the pain, she remembered the words... "there's always a sting in the tail".

With wasps, the first rule is to always stand still.

"The points were sharp"... 100 Word Challenge for Grown Ups

This week's prompt for the 100 Word Challenge for Grown Ups was inspired by a trip to an acupuncturist.  

After posting my last 100 Word Challenge for Grown Ups post, I realised I'd got it in just under the wire, with just a few hours until the next prompt was posted.  As I have a friend staying with me this weekend, and I have 7000 words of my dissertation to write before next Monday, I thought I'd get this one in with time to spare!

My inspiration for my 100 words was this picture, taken in the Amazon rainforest on a Girlguiding trip to Guyana:

Poison Dart Frog

... the points were sharp...

The points were sharp, tipped with the poison of the yellow frog found hiding in the water that collects at the bottom of the bucket plants, deep in the rainforest.

Maybe not so deep after all.  Not anymore.  The men and their machines were moving closer.  Every day, trees would fall, the birds and animals running, screaming for help. 

Nothing could help them now.  Nothing but her poison-tipped arrows and her perfect aim.  Deep down, she knew she stood no match against the men and their machines.  But still she stood, arrow drawn.  The points were sharp, tipped with poison.

Two Little Girls - 100 Word Challenge for Grown Ups

A fellow blogging friend of mine recently introduced me to the 100 Word Challenge for Grown Ups.  Every week or so, a prompt is given, and bloggers are invited to write 100 words inspired by that prompt.  

 Here is my first attempt, with this week's prompt from Maris World.

Two Little Girls

Two little girls stood on a bridge, looking out into their future.

"Where will we go? What will we see?
What will we know? Who will we be?
Will we still be friends when we are old?
Will we always ask questions or do what we're told?

What will we look like? Will we be rich?
Will we be married or live in a ditch?
Will there be flowers and stories and cake?
And will we come back to our bridge by the lake?"

Two little girls stood on a bridge, looking out into their future.