Wednesday, July 13, 2011

The Rocky Tale of Dio Franklin (...my part...)

OK, Web visitors from far and wide, here is my section of the Dio story:

Assignment: Have the MC understand something they didn't before – using the words: Texas, flip flop, argue

Want to see where I pick up the story? Click over to Christina's Writing Buzz.


"What have you done to me?" Roddern asked, his smirk making her cheeks burn. Slowly, the markings on his chest faded. "It's just another trick of the forest. Faeries and Space Leapers don't often get along, so they make sure I'm marked in their territory. C'mon, give me the torch – we have to keep moving."

Dappled moonlight lit a faint path ahead as the pair walked in silence, their breath making little puffs of white though the air was warm.

Something was wriggling in her mind, and it took the better part of a silent hour for it to burst free. When it did, Dio's feet kept moving but her mind came to a screeching halt – the resultant crash sent her flip flops sailing in different directions and left a bloody scrape down her shin.

Too late, a fluffy yellow pillow manifested by her side. "Very funny, Roddern," she muttered as she pushed up from her belly onto her shaky feet. Neither the late gift nor the injury could shake this idea flashing in her mind like a billboard on a Texas turnpike.

Her hands sought the neckline of her shirt. Under the frayed pink cotton spattered with sweat, Dio found the chain of her necklace – the same one she'd worn forever. The silver was cheap, and the setting wasn't exactly pretty, but the real treasure had always been the penny-sized green stone. In sunlight, her namesake crystal glinted like a faceted emerald, but now, under the moonlight, the familiar multi-hued dioptase winked ominously.

As if it were keeping a secret.

Her mother had always said the necklace was special. "Whisper your most precious wishes into it, and the stone will keep them safe until you're ready to make them come true." It had been a sweet lullaby for a precocious little girl who didn't like bedtime, but now Dio wasn't sure.

Had her mother been preparing her for something special? Certainly her silly necklace couldn't be the key to reversing all that had gone so very wrong? ... Could it?

Without arguing the point aloud, Dio knew. She now felt armed against whatever waited for them in the depths of the faerie forest with this – her most secret weapon.

She tucked the pendant back under her shirt. Leaving the fluffy yellow pillow on the forest floor, she gave Roddern a coy smile and began walking again, her barefeet smacking the dirt and her mind set on the task ahead.


Continue the story thread on Jamie Ayers blog.

Want to start from the beginning? Here's Deana Barnhart's list of blogs and assignments – and you can skip formalities and start reading at this chain's first link: Zero At Heart

(PS – Sorry I made this so long. It kinda just took off on me.)

(PPS – I'm on Twitter if you are. @KnitOneWriteToo)

16 comments:

  1. Awesome addition of her namesake stone! I didn't see that coming. I hope Roddern magics Dio some shoes.

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  2. Wow, great way to take off from where mine ended. (I raced like mad to get my post finished in 10 min., whew!) I love how you brought the dioptase back into the story, and the story title is perfect!

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  3. I mean, really – who wears flipflops into a dangerous faerie forest? Hehehe (Silly key word...) Thanks so much for your comment! :)

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  4. "Neither the late gift nor the injury could shake this idea flashing in her mind like a billboard on a Texas turnpike." Since I'm a Texas gal, I must admit that I was totally jealous you got that word--but you did such a fab job using it, way better than what I would have come up with! Love your writing style as well. Clearly this isn't your first rodeo. (Rodeo-Texas, get it?) Sigh...I've been staring at this monitor for too long. :P

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  5. Very nice! I loved the description here. :)

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  6. Oh, wow! Thank you all so much for the flattering comments! Not many people visit my little section of the woods, so this is a real treat for me :)
    Christina: I thought your section was a GREAT lead-in!
    Lindy: Glad it made you smile! 'Texas' was a hard one to fit in there :)

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  7. I love the way you went back to the meaning of her name. I looked it up in the first post and wanted find a way to go back to that. Way to go!

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  8. What a great piece! I agree, the way you brought us back so we aren't just heading in a straight line to nowhere is very cool:)

    Very nice use of the words too, I might add!

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  9. It's so great the way you brought back in her name with the stone. Loved your way of working in Texas!

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  10. This is all coming together so well. Great job at moving the story forward with this new revelation ^_^

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  11. A flawless incorporation of your assignment. Great job!

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  12. Another magical prop, what fun to see where this leads! Great word usage.

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  13. Wonderful post and great use of Texas, well done.

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  14. Lovely. What a great idea to give her her own stone name as a pendant!

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  15. I love the continued blessings from her mom.

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  16. Love that you brought in the pendant and it added nice backstory.

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Thank you in advance :)