ThinkWrite LVII

Question

Thanks, Spots.  I honorably accept the torch.  Something a bit different.  Word count is anything under 300.  This is the 'Auntie Em' challenge.  The words are:

embrace
embarass
ember
emotion
emulate
empty
employ
empire
emphasize
emerald

Any form of a word is OK.  You can substitute any two words, but they have to be em- words.  Let's make it about a week and a half.  Torch passed on Saturday, 10/23.  Have fun!

Comments

Awesome!! Finally!  I have some inspiration!  Thank you, giraffe.  :D

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All  eeeeeeeee's huh?  That puts a bee in my bonnet.  I do love a good challenge, but I doubt this will be eeeeeeasy!

Answer 1

It's been a while...

Just thought Id drop by and see how y'all are doing. And then thought I'd have a bash at this one. I've replaced "Emulate" with "Emit". 274 words without a title.

"He always felt embarrassed when they embraced. That smouldering ember of emotion was always just below the surface, just waiting to give him away. When they were apart, he felt hollow and empty, and when they were together he felt light-headed and sick. He fingered the box in his pocket, the emerald engagement ring he wanted to surprise her with. He ran through the words he wanted to say, practicing them to make sure he didn’t stumble, mumble or otherwise make a fool of himelf. He practiced the exit strategy he would employ if things didn’t work out, but he had a good feeling about this. A good feeling.

He saw her step off the bus, saw her look up and smile and wave, and his heart sang. He bounded over, ready to sweep her up in his arms. She turned from him and reached up, waiting to take something from the bus. He thought it would be a case or a valise. But she came back with a hand, attached to an arm, attached to a boy. He could feel his empire slowly start to crumble around him. His steps faltered, and his vision swam. He shook his head: something close was emitting a high-pitched keening sound, and it took him a while to realise it was him. His stumbling gait was taking him closer to her, and he veered away, bumping down the kerb and into oncoming traffic. He wanted to emphasise this wasn’t her fault, but as he looked up in confusion, the last thing he saw was the grille of the lorry. He closed his eyes and breathed his last."

Comments

Paul Simon's '50 Ways to Leave Your Lover'.  

Make a new plan, Sam.
No need to be coy, Roy.
Jump under the Lorry, Cory,
and set yourself free.

Funny, serious and wry.  Great way to begin this, Morshy.

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Oh, I do love a good "morbid" story.  Welcome back morshy!  I loved the way you set it up with the first paragragh all lovey dovey and then the second paragragh sent it off with a bang.  The first line does kind of confuse me though, but I'm sleepy so I'll have to "chew" on it for awhile.  "He always felt embarrassed when they embraced."  Then it goes on to say how much in love he was in descriptive narrative.  Hmmm...

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Doug, The first sentences are what drew me in.  He was embarrassed by his smoldering ember (or member).  He supressed it and felt sick as a result.  Maybe I'm whacko, but it made sense to me.  I may be wrong, but that was my interp.

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Niiice!

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And a kerb is a 'curb' here.  Bad boy or girl!

Answer 2

I would say this one is very different...


The Road Ahead

Employed by Satan masquerading as a short order cook…

“Tis the season to be jolly, fa-la-la..and all that happy horse shit!”  I was in a hurry.  If I was late one more time my boss was going to fire me.  He was already putting my ass to hot embers over the Carson affair.  I burned a whole tray of sliders and they wound up having cold tuna sandwiches instead.  I worked for Satan’s empire, or at least that is what I called it.  Head cheese Frank thought he owned the world and kowtowed to no one, except for maybe his wife in bed.  I rather think he was the submissive one at home.  I can see him all chained up with no place to go getting a good spanking that he  richly deserves.  Let me emphasize spanking; like the brand spanking new Malibu I was driving at 85 mph. to get to work on time.  My ex left me a small inheritance.  Having him gone left me a bit empty inside, but I’m sure my new bo’ Franklin can fill the void.  They have similar names, but their demeanor is totally different.  Frank was kind, but played footsie with Emerald Smith one too many times and Franklin would lick the toe jam from my crooked feet.  It's all in the emotional statement we leave as a legacy to others.  Oh, don’t be embarrassed…cry if you want to, cry if you need to…da..da…da…da…I forget the rest of the words.  Geez I’ve made it, there stands Satan with his arms outstretched ready to give me my morning embrace or is that just a spatula in his hand?

Comments

Doug,  That's the wierdest friggin' thing you've posted (to my knowlege).  I love it.  It's androgynous, metaphorical and flows neatly.  And scrambles the brain.

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I agree.  Thanks!

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Made me laugh. Totally weird and yet makes perfect sense. Keep doing that!

Answer 3

Thank you for the inspiration, giraffe!  :D  I finally got something written.  Enjoy.


5 takes 19
She shifts uneasily in the gate, pawing at the dirt, waiting anxiously.  The emerald saddle cloth flutters and her jockey takes a firmer grip on the reins.  She can sense the empty stalls beside her; she knows there are only a few others with her today.
The bell sounds, the gate opens and the five horses shoot out as though from a cannon.  The crowds cheer for their favorite, the eminent dark brown mare.
She follows the feel of the reins, holding back behind the others, embracing the rail as she digs her feet into the ground and trails behind, waiting, for the right moment, trusting her rider.  This is the third time she is trying for this race, the Lady’s Secret, and she wants this to be her third time to win it.  The racing empire knows her well, knows her ability and she feels driven to emphasize that knowledge.
The last turn comes into view, and she can sense the emotion from the stands, the expectation and anticipation.  She feels her rider loosen his hold and she goes to the outside, coming up slowly beside the others, passing them one by one until only a bay filly stands in the way of victory.  The post is coming up fast, the crowds are cheering in anticipation.  She extends her stride, reaches a little further.  The ember inside her, the burning desire to run and the will to win awakens and she emerges from the shadow of her rival, pushing by, employing enough power and speed, not to pass, but just enough to win and hold her reputation.
The pole flashes by.
The stands erupt.
Zenyatta, the undefeated champion, wins.

Comments

it's 280 words without the title by the way.  :)

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I love your horse dreams, Lady.  I've only had one horse in my life - an older mare that I could only ride bareback, but I did it every day.  No matter how you ride, it's a trip out of the 21st century.  Have you heard of the touring horse show 'Cavalia'?  It's a spin off from Cirque du Soliel.  Look it up.

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Yes, I have heard of Cavalia, Nylecoj introduced me to them a while back.  They are amazing!  Yes, riding is wonderful, I love to go out and ride my horse as often as I can.  Thank you.

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This must be the best word list ever. Everything I've read so far is really good and all the words fell into place. Good work, Lady.

Answer 4

Let's see if I can do half as well as you guys.

No title and it's kinda lame.

It's very embarassing, but I tried for years to emulate being a rock star.  Some guy once told me that we become what we pretend to be.  So I pretended to own this entire empire.  The whole town was my Emerald City.  I strutted down these streets I owned, and spoke to people as if they were maggots.  I wanted them to feel emotionally empty in my presence.

That's why I got into 'Rap'.  I figured out that people crave abuse and arrogance.  I finally got employed by a record company that dug my image.  I couldn't play an instrument or sing, so they just wanted me to stand there with a toothpick in my mouth and look tough, but vulnerable.  It almost doubled their sales.

Then I started playing 'air guitar'.  Let me emphasize that this was my own idea.  I don't get many, but this one worked.  I demanded a raise and got it.  They embraced my magnetic ownership of everything around me.  They all loved my body.  I brought out sparks and embers of their libido they didn't know existed.

All I knew was that I had to play this up for as long as I can while I'm young and hot.  Arrogance and abuse?  Maybe next year I'll pretend to be a politician.  Hmmmm......

Comments

Power, sexuality, abuse, arrogance and sexuality....sounds like a giraffe story to me.  I didn't think it was too lame.  I did have some problems with the "tense" of your story.  I didn't know if you were in the past, present, or future.  It seemed to change a few times.

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Right, Doug.  Often I start at the begining and end at the end.  Philip Dick called that "downhill writing".  They had to edit his work like crazy, but he came out with 'Bladerunner' and some other greats.  Like you, I always notice those things in others' writing - just not in my own.

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Bingo my friend, thought I'd help out.  I do the same damn thing.

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You might want to look up Philip K. Dick.  He's got volumes of short stories and some successful novels.  They call him Sci-Fi but it's not just that.  He drove them crazy with editing, but when he was done, he was on to something new.  It's good stuff.

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I assume you edited it because the tenses make sense to me. You did more than "half as well", as usual.

Answer 5

Life Lesson

Maybe it was the emerald iridescent eyes that caught my attention or the flaxen hair that looked like the sun had burst through a crack in the sky.  I had always put emphasis on the mundane in my life, but Cheryl lit an ember deep inside that I thought would never be extinguished.  A face full of emotion; there were no need for words.  Every crease and nuance of her features emulated godliness and everything that was pure in the world.  I would build a kingdom for her and her alone made of solid gold platinum trees with silver leaves.  She would never embarrass me or treat me like the fool that others did.  If beauty could walk on water she would skim the surface with her angelic feet.

I feel empty inside now as I stand before an empty grave ready to plant my love, my life.

Comments

I loved it!! I love the irony in it, and the very last sentence makes it all click into place!!!!! GREAT JOB!!!!! :-D

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Well done, Doug.  You missed a couple of words that could have been replaced.  I.e. 'I would build an empire'  or 'employ tactics that others might use to make me feel foolish'.

I like your version better.  It got the point across without clouding it.

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I'll do an edit and get those key words in, sorry.  I guess I was trying to put more emotion into fewer words and missed the required words.  Thanks for the input.

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Move on, Doug.  I'm glad you got something good out of it.  You know what a stickler I'm NOT for rules.

Answer 6

Ecstasy

Empty. Embarassed. Emotionless embraces every evening, everlasting, endless... Emerald embers everywhere! Everything emphasized! Empires ending, employment escaping, Earth exploding! Erratic. Euphoric. Emotional. Electric? Emulated eclipse ending early. Empty. Escaping...

Comments

I'll do a proper one, this makes no sense.

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End of civilization anyone?  I liked it.

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Easily eclectic...I rather enjoyed it spots.

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Thanks.

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There's no 'x' in ecstacy.  Tit for tat.

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Are you familiar with the Hartman-Skitt-McKean law?

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No I'm not familiar.  I searched and got a few SNL sketches by Hartman and McKean.  Got a link?

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The Hartman-Skitt-McKean Law of Prescriptivist Retaliation says basically that any statement about correct grammar or spelling will contain at least one error. Now re-read what you said. =P

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Then I'm joining the movement.  Where do I sign up?  Are there any scheduled protests or maybe a march on the Library of Congress?

Answer 7

Untitled

I can't believe I ever felt embarrased about meeting your glance in the market seven years ago. Now, as I stand in your embrace, emotions overwhelm me. I look into your emerald eyes, emphasized by the moon's glow and see my entire life unfold. It's like a private empire that the two of us share and not even an earthquake can crush it.
But apparently, a power cut can. As soon as the LifeEmulator turned off, I was left with an emptied heart. The intense flame left behind only embers.
Down the hall, an employee finished vaccuming and plugged the power chord back into the outlet she borrowed.

Comments

It's pretty vague.  I got life support systems out of it, but I don't know.  That would kinda fit.

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Oh I should have been more clear. The key word(s) is LifeEmulator. It's like a virtual reality thing. I hope that makes more sense now.

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That helps a lot and I like the word usage.  Just never heard of that.

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Of course not, I just made it up. =P
Sometimes, when you get to that point where you are left with "emulate", "empty" and "employ" and have no way to introduce them, that's when the magic happens. I'm sure you know what I mean.

Answer 8

Embraceable You

Embers of emotional angst caught in a whirlwind romance.  It’s not supposed to be this way.  The burning fire of love is supposed to emulate the slow dance of the flamingos as they court their mate in a rhythmic dance.  Love for you knocked me over like a freight train speeding on its way to the emerald empire of King Solomon, never looking back, bounding straight for my heart   Piercing colors strobe out of your aura making an emphasis on sending red daggers filled with wonder towards me.  I am blinded by the color of your beauty; blindsided by your gentleness, loving the love that you employ like an embarrassed child stealing his first kiss.  Stop…look…listen…I am yours, never empty because I have a brilliant piece of your soul within me.

Comments

So romantic. :)
-whispers- There's no apostrophe in flamingos. ;)

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What apostrophe? :)  Thanks!

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I thought you meant the Flaming O's - you know, that gay dance troupe?  Even without that there's a ton of good imagery here.

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sorry giraffe, no gay flamingos either.

Answer 9

Only a couple days till the 23rd when I don my robe and crown to pass the torch.  I may even bathe or change my underwear for the occasion.  So if any of my pea-brained subjects have anything else to contribute, now would be the time.  The torch recipient will also get 2 ears of corn and a bag of rice.  That should motivate you.

Answer 10

Here's another bit of writing done by myself.  It is 316 words, so really can't be considered for the torch, but I had fun writing it.  :)  Also, I replaced embaress with empower.   And by the way, giraffe.  That rice and corn sounds like an interesting prize!  >:D


Stardust
Scales glittering in the moonlit night, dark eyes twinkling, the silver dragon circled above the forest, the elven empire, and sighed.
Would it ever be hers to call home?  Could it?  She loved her life among the clouds, enjoyed brightening the fading embers of dying stars with her fiery breath.  It still filled her with a wave of emotion when she helped someone, hiding the empty hole that otherwise stood open with a longing for more.
And still, she was undecided.  She had come down low enough to see the fireside dances, or listen whilst the Queen discussed matters with the Storyteller, or with her own dragon, the magnificent, emerald green Oblivion.
It was the Storyteller, however, to whom she felt pledged; that beautiful dark haired girl, who was the mistress of words and whose smile could emulate all things good and just.  But lately, the wonderful Storyteller had been spending more time than ever before, on her own, somewhere hidden and well guarded.  Even the Queen did not know where and seemed distressed by it.  This worried the silver dragon and weighed heavily on her mind as she considered what to do.  She wished to settle in the forest and live among the happy elves who loved the stars as much as she did.
But to be in the forest, and see the worry of the Queen would only widen the chasm in her own heart, emphasizing the need to find the Storyteller.  This thought made her sigh once more and she tried to employ her mind elsewhere.  The sweet scent of the forest drifted up to her, enveloping her in its embrace and she thought again of how the elves danced whenever their beloved weaver-of-words was nearby and she felt empowered.  Down, into the green trees she went, to fetch the Queen and together they would find the one they both desired to seek.

Comments

Very subtle and lush, Lady.  I like your characters.