Crimson’s Creative Challenge #66

People had a habit of corrupting cautionary tales into superstitions.

Trim your nails at night and you will never see your parents again. Or open an umbrella indoors and you will release a stray ghost in your house.

Naturally, everyone thought that Pandora’s Box was just a myth to explain the evil in the world – everyone was wrong on three details. First, Pandora’s Box was not a box but rather, a small castle with an even smaller arc gate; second, it contained Evil but Evil did not escape the moment the gate was open; third, the spirits which escaped were meant to fight off whoever disturbed Pandora’s Box to discourage entrance and to guard intruders from unspeakable horrors.

So when Sir Knight opened the gate and vanquished the spirits, he triumphantly entered the castle to claim his prize.

Only he never emerged after his expedition into the castle.

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If you are interested, the prompt is linked below.

Here’s how it works:

Every Wednesday I post a photo (this week it’s that one above.)
You respond with something CREATIVE

Here are some suggestions:

• An answering photo
• A cartoon
• A joke
• A caption
• An anecdote
• A short story (flash fiction)
• A poem
• A newly minted proverb, adage or saying
• An essay
• A song—the lyrics or the performance

You have plenty of scope and only two criteria:

• Your creative offering is indeed yours
• Your writing is kept to 150 words or less

If you post a link in the comments section of this post I’ll be able to find it
If you include Crimson’s Creative Challenge as a heading, WP Search will find it (theory)
by ‘Searching’ in the WP Reader (fingers crossed)

Here’s wishing you inspirational explosions. And FUN.

Prompt: Crimson’s Creative Challenge #66

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Crimson’s Creative Challenge #65

CCC#65

Dylan could scarcely believe his eyes – sure, the owl had metamorphosed into part of the stone roof, but he could recognise it anywhere; the owl had been following him. He would travel for hours during the day, only for the owl to appear before him the next day. Somehow, it must have followed him during the night.

Irrationally, Dylan wanted to pick up something, anything, to destroy the owl. He was in public though, and he was sure it would not deter them; they would simply send another one.

When his father suddenly disappeared, his mother sat him down gently to explain that their family was very special. All the male descendants in their family had been chosen to complete the task which would consume them for the rest of their lives.

Dylan resigned himself to his fate – he had been called upon to fulfill his duty.

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If you are interested, the prompt is linked below.

Here’s how it works:

Every Wednesday I post a photo (this week it’s that one above.)
You respond with something CREATIVE

Here are some suggestions:

• An answering photo
• A cartoon
• A joke
• A caption
• An anecdote
• A short story (flash fiction)
• A poem
• A newly minted proverb, adage or saying
• An essay
• A song—the lyrics or the performance

You have plenty of scope and only two criteria:

• Your creative offering is indeed yours
• Your writing is kept to 150 words or less

If you post a link in the comments section of this post I’ll be able to find it
If you include Crimson’s Creative Challenge as a heading, WP Search will find it (theory)
by ‘Searching’ in the WP Reader (fingers crossed)

Prompt: Crimson’s Creative Challenge #65

Crimson’s Creative Challenge #64

CCC#64

“We are going to die!” They screamed when the structure came down. Then the second one, the third one, until six structures appeared.

But they did not.

The worst part, however, was the constant pounding. For days on end, there was non-stop pounding. Dust flew and the earth turned. They scurried around even as they tried to maintain a semblance of normal life.

When it was all done, their home was surrounded by the structures. They were trapped!

As one unit though, they had already formed a contingency plan; they had started shifting their home.

The ants were resilient in that manner.

(102 words)

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If you are interested, the prompt is linked below.

Here’s how it works:

Every Wednesday I post a photo (this week it’s that one above.)
You respond with something CREATIVE

Here are some suggestions:

• An answering photo
• A cartoon
• A joke
• A caption
• An anecdote
• A short story (flash fiction)
• A poem
• A newly minted proverb, adage or saying
• An essay
• A song—the lyrics or the performance

You have plenty of scope and only two criteria:

• Your creative offering is indeed yours
• Your writing is kept to 150 words or less

If you post a link in the comments section of this post I’ll be able to find it
If you include Crimson’s Creative Challenge as a heading, WP Search will find it (theory)
by ‘Searching’ in the WP Reader (fingers crossed)

Here’s wishing you inspirational explosions. And FUN.

Prompt: Crimson’s Creative Challenge #64

Crimson’s Creative Challenge #60

CCC#60

It was the perfect hiding place.

After all, that part of the park was the quietest and no one has ever thought to explore the drainage. The imposing gate also discouraged curiosity, together with the slime and rubbish pooling at the entrance as dirty guardians. And because the water rushed intermittently, any explorer would not be keen to get caught in the flush.

But when night fell, nocturnal creatures of all sorts would creep in through the drainage gate. And that would be a huge mistake, for an ancient beast lay in wait.

By the wee hours, the ancient creature would have breakfasted – the chewing was the most horrible sound, followed by the belch. Such was the hunger of the creature that it would drool constantly.

Guard the drains well, for none that ventured in would venture out.

(139 words)

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If you are interested, the prompt is linked below.

Welcome to my weekly challenge—open to all—just for FUN, FUN, FUN

Here’s how it works:

Every Wednesday I post a photo (this week it’s that one above.)
You respond with something CREATIVE

Here are some suggestions:

• An answering photo
• A cartoon
• A joke
• A caption
• An anecdote
• A short story (flash fiction)
• A poem
• A newly minted proverb, adage or saying
• An essay
• A song—the lyrics or the performance

You have plenty of scope and only two criteria:

• Your creative offering is indeed yours
• Your writing is kept to 150 words or less

If you post a link in the comments section of this post I’ll be able to find it
If you include Crimson’s Creative Challenge as a heading, WP Search will find it (theory)
by ‘Searching’ in the WP Reader (fingers crossed)

Here’s wishing you inspirational explosions. And FUN.

Prompt: Crimson’s Creative Challenge #60

Crimson’s Creative Challenge #58

#CCC58

The archaeologists should have left them alone.

It was unwise to disturb the remains of savage warriors and their resting place. These warriors could only remember cruel rage and bloodthirsty melee despite passage of eons – whether it was out of survival or conquest was inconsequential. And these memories remained intact in their weapons.

When the police arrived, their first reaction was not to throw up at the scene of obscene carnage; their second reaction was to warn the sole survivor to drop the bone knife which he was using to mindlessly carve a corpse or they would shoot.

They shot the frenzied survivor fifteen times.

But the nightmare continued; violence followed the weapons, from the archeological site, to the police station, to criminal hideouts, to finally the black market.

And a bidder has just placed a winning bet on the weapons.

But how long will he possess the weapons?

(150 words)

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If you are interested, the prompt is linked below.

Here’s how it works:

Every Wednesday I post a photo (this week it’s that one above.)
You respond with something CREATIVE

Here are some suggestions:

• An answering photo
• A cartoon
• A joke
• A caption
• An anecdote
• A short story (flash fiction)
• A poem
• A newly minted proverb, adage or saying
• An essay
• A song—the lyrics or the performance

You have plenty of scope and only two criteria:

• Your creative offering is indeed yours
• Your writing is kept to 150 words or less

If you post a link in the comments section of this post I’ll be able to find it
If you include Crimson’s Creative Challenge as a heading, WP Search will find it (theory)
by ‘Searching’ in the WP Reader (fingers crossed)

Prompt: Crimson’s Creative Challenge #58

Crimson’s Creative Challenge #46

CCC#46

Mystery at the Bottom of the Path

“You’re lying,” Jack whispered back. “No way a dead body is down there.”

“Sure is! You can check it out if you don’t believe me,” Kenny whispered back again.

“Why should I go check? You said there is a dead body down there. You go,” Jack shot back.

“Fine, we’ll go together!”

Jack hesitated before nodding. “All right.”

Gingerly, the two boys went down the steps and Kenny guided Jack to the body.

“There! I wasn’t lying, was I?” Kenny looked triumphantly at Jack.

“Well, it doesn’t look- Argh!” Jack cried out. The lifeless hand had grabbed his ankle. Jack immediately kicked to loosen the grip and scrambled up the path, screaming.

Kenny chortled. “Coward,” he muttered. “And thanks, Gor!”

His elder brother, Gordon, got up and grinned. “That was more fun than I thought actually. But you still have to clean my room for a month as you promised!”

(150 words)

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If you are interested, the prompt is linked below.

Here’s how it works:

Every Wednesday I post a photo (this week it’s that one above.)
You respond with something CREATIVE

Here are some suggestions:

• An answering photo
• A cartoon
• A joke
• A caption
• An anecdote
• A short story (flash fiction)
• A poem
• A newly minted proverb, adage or saying
• An essay
• A song—the lyrics or the performance

You have plenty of scope and only two criteria:

• Your creative offering is indeed yours
• Your writing is kept to 150 words or less

If you post a link in the comments section of this post I’ll be able to find it
If you include Crimson’s Creative Challenge as a heading, WP Search will find it (theory)
by ‘Searching’ in the WP Reader (fingers crossed)

Prompt: Crimson’s Creative Challenge #46

Crimson’s Creative Challenge #39

CCC#39

Territorial Chains

“Now children, how many times must I tell you not to go near the chains? It marked the boundary between us and what is dangerous,” their mother chided them.

“But what’s so dangerous?” one of the triplets piped. “They look harmless!”

“Oh listen to me,” his mother smacked his head. “They only look harmless. But they’re dangerous! They’re intelligent, cunning and manipulative; they make it seem all our fault so they’re justified to kill us!”

“Why are they justified to kill us when they come into our homes?” another triplet asked.

His head got smacked too.

“Haven’t you heard what I said? They’re very manipulative. They can make us out to be bloodthirsty killers even when they come swimming into our homes!” their mother scolded them again. “Now let’s swim deeper so they have trouble finding us.”

The mother shark led her three baby sharks deep into the ocean.

(149 words)

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It’s a silly story and it took me a long time to write, but all in all, I really enjoyed writing this.

If you are interested, the prompt is linked below.

Welcome to my weekly challenge—open to all—just for FUN, FUN, FUN

Here’s how it works:

Every Wednesday I post a photo (this week it’s that one above.)
You respond with something CREATIVE

Here are some suggestions:

• An answering photo
• A cartoon
• A joke
• A caption
• An anecdote
• A short story (flash fiction)
• A poem
• A newly minted proverb, adage or saying
• An essay
• A song—the lyrics or the performance

You have plenty of scope and only two criteria:

• Your creative offering is indeed yours
• Your writing is kept to 150 words or less

If you post a link in the comments section of this post I’ll be able to find it
If you include Crimson’s Creative Challenge as a heading, WP Search will find it (theory)
by ‘Searching’ in the WP Reader (fingers crossed)

Prompt: Crimson’s Creative Challenge #39

Crimson’s Creative Challenge #36

#CCC36

We Interrupt Your Voyage To Bring You This Announcement

“Hello, everyone. This is not your captain speaking. He’s…indisposed at the moment. I’m sorry for intruding. However, I must warn everyone my colleagues are impatient, so please listen carefully to what I’ve to say and follow the instructions.

“First, remain calm. Screaming, shouting or protesting is useless. Retaliation is also unacceptable. My colleagues are easily startled into violence. And please, no flash photography or video recording.

“Next, please lie on the ground with your hands over your heads. We do not wish any involuntary limb amputation for anybody.

“Finally, please surrender all your valuables in an orderly fashion. My colleagues will go around with a bag. For ladies, please deposit your jewellery and purses. For gentlemen, your watches and wallets. Please don’t give feeble reasons like family heirloom or otherwise.

“If everything goes smoothly, this operation will finish in 30 minutes. I thank you for your attention and co-operation.”

(149 words)

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Ooh, I had a lot of fun writing this. Isn’t it weird to see a polite pirate? But then, society is progressing so…there you go?

If you are interested, the prompt is linked below.

Every Wednesday I post a photo (this week it’s that one above.)
You respond with something CREATIVE

Here are some suggestions:

• An answering photo
• A cartoon
• A joke
• A caption
• An anecdote
• A short story (flash fiction)
• A poem
• A newly minted proverb, adage or saying
• An essay
• A song—the lyrics or the performance

You have plenty of scope and only two criteria:

• Your creative offering is indeed yours
• Your writing is kept to 150 words or less

If you post a link in the comments section of this post I’ll be able to find it
If you include Crimson’s Creative Challenge as a heading, WP Search will find it (theory)
by ‘Searching’ in the WP Reader (fingers crossed)

Here’s wishing you inspirational explosions. And FUN.

Prompt: Crimson’s Creative Challenge #36

Crimson’s Creative Challenge #35

The Treasure at the End of the Rainbow

“…and at the end of the rainbow, you’ll find the pot of gold, they said,” he muttered as he trudged along the path, hoisting the baggage over his shoulder. “That’s where the pot of gold is buried, they said.”

He paused in his steps, shifted the baggage to the other shoulder and looked at the sky. “Can’t the legend have that pot of gold buried under some tree or better still, have it sunk to the bottom of the ocean?”

He sighed and stared ahead of him. The dirt track appeared never-ending; he would never reach the end of the rainbow!

He heaved an even bigger sigh and continued his journey.

“Well, at least if I can’t reach the end of the rainbow and bury this stupid pot of gold, the humans definitely can’t reach the end of the rainbow too,” the leprechaun grumbled as he continued his journey.

(149 words)

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Hahaha, just a silly story that popped into my mind when I saw this image. I remember I could not understand why there would be a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Living in a tropical island, it is rather common to see rainbow since we have frequent cloudbursts and unpredictable rains. But the rainbow never quite stretches from one end to the other end; instead, the rainbow just truncates halfway across the sky, as if a child got bored of shading the seven colours and just went “That’s it, this is good enough.”

I guess this is my way of explaining the legend. Or mansplaining the legend. Or complaining. LOL.

If you are interested, the prompt is linked below.

Here’s how it works:

Every Wednesday I post a photo (this week it’s that one above.)
You respond with something CREATIVE

Here are some suggestions:

• An answering photo
• A cartoon
• A joke
• A caption
• An anecdote
• A short story (flash fiction)
• A poem
• A newly minted proverb, adage or saying
• An essay
• A song—the lyrics or the performance

You have plenty of scope and only two criteria:

• Your creative offering is indeed yours
• Your writing is kept to 150 words or less

If you post a link in the comments section of this post I’ll be able to find it
If you include Crimson’s Creative Challenge as a heading, WP Search will find it (theory)
by ‘Searching’ in the WP Reader (fingers crossed)

Prompt: Crimson’s Creative Challenge #35

Crimson’s Creative Challenge #32

#CCC32

A Message from Heaven

“Are you sure, Papa? Mama works here?”

He looked down at his four-year-old son. “Yes, Mama works here. She is just busy. Don’t forget she’s a superhero, always helping people,” he smiled.

“But when will she reply to my letters?” little Ben pouted. “It has been so long.”

“She’s working for God now, Ben. Of course it will take her longer to reply,” he swallowed a lump in his throat. “There are many people out there that needs her help, not just in the hospital.”

“OK, Papa. I always know Mama is a superhero,” Ben patted his father’s hand. Just like the past three months, Ben walked up to the letter box in front of the tower and put his letter in.

He paused.

“Papa! Papa! There’s a letter!” Ben cried excitedly. “It’s from Mama!”

He smiled sadly at Ben’s excitement.

He still did not know how to tell Ben.

(150 words)

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If you are interested, the prompt is linked below.

Here’s how it works:

Every Wednesday I post a photo (this week it’s that one above.)
You respond with something CREATIVE

Here are some suggestions:

• An answering photo
• A cartoon
• A joke
• A caption
• An anecdote
• A short story (flash fiction)
• A poem
• A newly minted proverb, adage or saying
• An essay
• A song—the lyrics or the performance

You have plenty of scope and only two criteria:

• Your creative offering is indeed yours
• Your writing is kept to 150 words or less

If you post a link in the comments section of this post I’ll be able to find it
If you include Crimson’s Creative Challenge as a heading, WP Search will find it (theory)
If you tag it #CCC others should be able to find it by ‘Searching’ in the WP Reader (fingers crossed)

Prompt: Crimson’s Creative Challenge #32