There was a time when my mind was in constant creative mode back when I was working in the video game industry. I would think up stories and turn them into something a player could experience while running through the game I worked on. When I had kids, my mind was still in creative mode, but it was a different kind of creative - coming up with ways to get my kids to try new foods, not fight with each other, etc. So the stories kind of got trapped in the back of my mind, waiting for a time they could come to the surface and be heard. That time usually seems to be right after I've turned off my e-reader and before I've fallen asleep.
Sometimes theses stories are just a sentence or two, begging for me to remember them, expand them, write them down. Sometimes they are what seems like the first chapter of a book. These are usually the ones that show up when I have trouble sleeping and I'm trying to trick my brain into going to sleep. Sometimes these stories just stick around for a day or two, then wander off until the next time they need to stretch their legs. But sometimes a story sticks around, showing up at weird times, like when I'm in the shower or driving down the road. With these I have to pick up a pencil or fire up the computer and write them down. Sometimes that's all that happens - that fragment of a story is done for now, and may get more life later, maybe not. But sometimes the next part of the story reveals itself, like it was waiting for space in my head. This probably seems strange to some people, but it's how my brain works.
So, with that, here is a bit of a story that made an appearance last night. Where it will go, I don't know, but it is asking to be written down. Perhaps more will come after, perhaps not. But it wants to be shared. And maybe the more of these I write down, the more they might actually turn into something more than a fragment.
Kilynn woke with a start, the sudden silence of the woods around her startling her from her sleep. She rubbed her eyes as she glanced up. Her brain subconsciously registered that it was dark, and that the echoes of a shrill bell were fading quickly but sleep-addled as she was, she made no sense of it. Her horse, hobbled nearby, stirred nervously. Kilynn shook her head, trying to clear it as she struggled to wake up. She had been dreaming when she had been awoken, dreaming of the town's bells ringing...
"The Hunt!"The words blurted from her mouth with a squeak, startling her already skittish horse. Kilynn began to haphazardly throw her scattered belongings into her battered leather sack, muttering curses under her breath. She had not meant to fall asleep this far from the town, not on tonight of all nights. Fighting down the rising panic, Kilynn glanced out at the mountains that surrounded the town but could detect no movement. That gave her hope that she might actually make it back to the town gates before they were sealed.
Kilynn snatched the reins from where she had tied them, then quickly mounted her horse. The poor creature was already starting to tremble, which frightened Kilynn. Animals were more sensitive to the approaching Hunt than humans. If her horse was already this scared then she didn't have much time left. With a sharp jerk she turned the horse's head towards home, kicking him into a full gallop.
As they flew down the road, Kilynn continued to curse at herself. It was completely stupid of her to have ventured so far away from the town on the brink of a Hunt. But after the fight with her parents this morning she had longed to be as far from town as possible. Now if she didn't make it to the gates in time she may never see her parents or brothers again. With that thought, she leaned over the horse's neck and yelled at it, urging it to go faster.
Kilynn risked a glance backward but she detected no movement behind her. Maybe she would make it after all, she thought. She burst from the woods that marked the outer edge of the town. It was a straight mile-long run to the town gates and she could see there were still lights glowing. Even as her hope soared, the town bell began to ring signifying the gates were closing. Screaming with frustration, Kilynn pushed the horse even harder and the horse, exhausted already from the mad dash through the woods, somehow managed to run faster. He seemed to realize how close safety was and was determined to get them there.
As Kilynn and her horse raced down the road, she could see the massive town gate slowly closing. She began to scream as long as she could, "Wait! I'm coming!"A guard on the wall saw her but turned away, hurrying down the steps Kilynn knew lay behind the wall. She was almost there when the gate swung shut with a deep thump. Tears of frustration and fear streaming down her face, Kilynn looked up at the wall, hoping to see a face up there. If she could catch someone's attention they could throw down a rope ladder for her. She would lose her dear horse, but she was willing to sacrifice the poor beast for her own safety. She continued screaming, hoping someone would hear her....
That's it for now. I have two ideas for the next part of the story but I have yet to decide which way it will go. Perhaps tonight the story will reveal which way it should go. Or maybe this will end up being one of those Choose Your Own Adventure stories I used to read as a kid. :-)
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