Trifextra 91: My Beast

This weekend's Trifextra Challenge is inspired by The Tummy Beast by Roald Dahl, and the challenge is to write about a beast living in an unusual place.  Last weekend's Trifextra was supposed to be about a fear, and while I didn't enter last week, my entry this week fits both, as it isn't entirely fiction.


*
It's not real. It's not real.

"Prove it. Just look."

She almost gives in, but she knows.

Hiding in that darkened mirror, the beast patiently waits for her to meet his shadowed gaze.
*


My beast lives in the mirror.

I prefer not to voice my worst fears, I'm just superstitious enough not to say the words out loud, but I'll admit to one of my biggest fears, which is also my most irrational one. You see, I'm not scared of the dark, I sleep best when the room is pitch black, but I'm freakin' scared to look into a mirror if the room is not well-lit. And I know it's the stupidest thing in the world and I know there is nothing in there, but the tiniest part of me will not tempt fate and look into a mirror if it's dark-ish. Because, well, what if?

*

I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've entered a challenge on the first day it's been available! This gives you lots of time to check out the rest of the entrants and maybe take a shot at the challenge yourself!

Trifextra 74: Silence is deafening.

The current weekend challenge at Trifecta Writing Challenge is to mirror this quote in our response:

Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind.
--Henry James

My response is a little cliched, in fact all the ideas I kicked around seemed to be. Even so, I kinda like it:

There are three things I find ironic about silence. 
     The first: silence is deafening. 
          The second: silence is deafening. 
               And the third: silence is deafening.

Hope you're enjoying your Sunday afternoon!

A Final Act of Revenge, in 33 words

I feel like I'm still complaining a lot lately, not so much here, since I don't post as often as I could, but in emails or talking to certain people in my everyday life.  I realized last week that a big part of my complaining is just a means of escape from constantly thinking of what my sister is going through.  Another way for me to escape reality is to write, especially about topics that aren't my sister.  With this realization comes yet another attempt to get back into regular blogging, which brings us to the second challenge in a row that I am participating in.

This week's challenge at Trifecta is to use the third definition of the word bitch creatively, in 33-333 words. The third definition of said word is:

3: something that is extremely difficult, objectionable, or unpleasant

I tried to stay away from this overused cliche, but I just kept coming back to it and finally gave in.

She clutched the pillow 

tightly

and waited 

for the last sign of 

resistance,

before 

softly whispering

the words 

he had told her

every 

time 

she 

cried:

"Life's a bitch,

and then you die"


(I made my husband read this, he said I can't sleep with him tonight!)

Trifextra-Pigeon Poetry

This weekend's Trifextra challenge uses a photo prompt.  There are three photos for us to choose from, and I have chosen this one to inspire my 33 words:

Photo credits: ZeroOne / Foter.com / CC BY-SA

Sometimes I perch

And contemplate:

     A step forward-

          A rush of wind upon my face-

               And then-

Nothing.

Do not worry though,

Those moments are fleeting,

I know 

my wings

Prevent my fall.

This weekend I am linking early enough to encourage you to join in the fun too!

A New Future, in 33 words.

This week's prompt at the Trifecta Writing Challenge is "new"; as always, we are to use the third definition in a 33-333 word response.

The third definition of new:

3: having been in a relationship or condition but a short time

Not surprisingly, at least to me, I have created a 33 word poem for your consideration:

I cannot see,
     only the dark remains;
once startled,
     cold sorrow awakens.
Selfish, empty words:
     the object of once
          pure hearts.
I resign.
Now to face
     a new future,
A life without light.

Trifextra-a poem hesitantly titled "Emptiness"

This weekend's Trifextra challenge at Trifecta is simply to write a poem, in 33 words, 3 lines, or 3 stanzas. I went for the 33 word option.



What now?
What if?

A mistake
to ask.

We would.
We could.

A mistake
to suggest.

She left,
Afraid.

The sunlight
was cold,
The memory
small, dark.

The price:
Nothing at all,

Finally.

Thunder

Hidden in darkness
she waited,
every footfall brought panic,
but she waited.
Held her breath
dreading they would hear
the thunder
of her heartbeat.
The closet door creaked
"Kelly, quit hiding from Momma!"

This week's Trifecta Challenge is the word "Thunder". The third definition is the noun used for the sound--"the thunder of hooves" etc.

This little poem is an image that has been rattling around in my mind the last few days.

Trifextra-an untitled 3 person POV non-poetic piece

This weekend's Trifextra Challenge is to write a scene from the point of view of at least three different people. And each POV needs to be exactly 33 words.

Here is my entry:

Shifting to her side, she gave him her back. She was tired of listening to him. She was a Lamb of God now; she knew He would make miracles happen with her money.
**
He heard her mumble something ludicrous about lambs and God. But she was nothing more than a sheep. She was signing her money away to strangers, money he had counted on for years.
**
It barely registered when the mother and son quit bickering; the minister was so caught up in processing the old woman's donation. Already, he could hear the waves lapping the beach-he couldn't wait.


I really wanted to make three poems, but I couldn't do it this weekend. Well, I probably could if I tried harder, but I like how this turned out as it is anyway.

Misplaced Confidence

It's amazing how you don't realize just how awful you've been feeling until you start feeling good! My meds have lame side effects: nausea, dizziness, upset stomach, tiredness. Basically I have felt no different since starting the meds. But tonight, in that little window of time when the last dose of antibiotics was wearing off and the new dose hadn't fully kicked in, I felt amazing. Like I haven't felt in weeks!

I felt well enough this evening to actually sit and think and write for a bit. Tonight I decided to focus on the current Trifecta challege. The word count limitations are 33-333 words; I really like cutting my entry down to exactly 33 words, especially since I am still on my poetry kick.

This week's chosen word is "confidence" and the third definition is "a relation of trust or intimacy" and here is my entry:


Her voice rasped,
rattling on and on.
The younger girl waited,
listened,
waited.
She was close,
closer than ever.
Soon she would have
the old woman's confidence.
Soon a fortune would be hers.

Thirty

I didn't have a post last night, I was working on my Trifecta entry. The term this week is "observe", using the third definition which is to celebrate or solemnize an occasion (that's obviously a paraphrase, you can find the actual definition on Trifecta's page).

I'm feeling a bit narcissistic and instead of creating a fictitious poem or short story I'm writing about my upcoming birthday. Last night I made quite a few starts but they all sounded depressing or depressing, none of them seemed to fit a poem-not without cheesy rhymes (who hasn't seen some variation of the dirty/flirty/thirty combo on a "For Her" birthday card before?). Tonight I started over and began with a lame paragraph that fit the requirements but certainly didn't please me, then out of nowhere this came to me:

The edge of thirty approaches,
How crazy anxious
I am becoming,
Random failed feats are finding me.
This day I no longer want to observe
Yells: "only a few short days left to go."

It's still a bit depressing, maybe a tad cheesy, but trust me-it is way better than what I could've posted! I don't know why I didn't think of spelling thirty vertically sooner, it made a huge difference in my thinking process tonight.

Thanks for reading :)

A Letter of Apology, in 33 words.

This week's Trifextra Challenge on the Trifecta Challenge site is to write a letter of apology in exactly 33 words. Salutations, addresses & closings do not count.

It's Friday the Thirteenth, and I wanted to go with something more Jason-ish rather than black cat-ish. Not counting the greetings or closing this is exactly 33 words.

Dear Mr. McAllister,

I feel I owe you an apology for
the death of your wife.
I cannot say I feel
any remorse for killing her,
only that I regret
you weren't available
to watch it.

With Deepest Regrets,
X

Trifecta Challenge

One of the things I miss most about school is the assignments. I enjoy the pressure of a deadline, the forced focus on a particular subject. I have tried giving myself "homework" in the past, but it just doesn't have the same feel for some reason. Before I started blogging again I would look at challenge blogs-not just writing but crafting blogs too-and wish that I could participate. I probably could have taken part on my own, but like the self-assigned homework, it just didn't feel the same.

But now I have a blog! Now I don't have to sit on the sidelines! Now I can participate!

One of the challenges I am going to do is the Trifecta Writing Challenge. A weekly challenge with a single word prompt, your use of the word has to be based on the third definition of said word and your response needs to be between 33 and 333 words. Fun, right?

This week's prompt is "Scandal" and here is my response:

Within an ebony interior,
the letters smoked and curled,
crumbling to ash
Flames consumed the proof
written with her father's blood

Hope for his lover's child,
incinerated.
The scandal,
erased.
Her legacy,
untarnished.

You don't necessarily need to write a poem, but since it is still poetry month and I am trying to stick with the poetry theme most days for Blogher's NaBloPoMo I decided to go with a poem.



Thanks for reading!