So...I was challenged in a writing book to write a short story about what my MC or MCs would do if a strange man came up to them while they where walking, gave them a box, told them not to open it, then ran away. The following story was born:
Emuna shook the box...she didn't hear anything inside of it. "Hmm..." she looked at the box quizzically for a few seconds before hearing feet behind her. She swung around, fully expecting the man to come back for his box, but was thoroughly disappointed when it was just Gavin.
He noticed Emuna's jumpiness immediately and he had to make a comment on it (after all, that is what makes Gavin...so utterly annoying), "Why are you so nervous today?"
"I am not!" Emuna snapped, "Where's Brian?"
"Umm...I think he's in his tent." Emuna dashed towards Brian's tent as he spoke, "Why?" he sat there with his hand pointing in the direction of the tent for a few seconds before shaking his head and brushing off her peculiar behavior. It was Brian's problem now.
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Brian was busy placing dishes on the table when Emuna dashed into the tent frightening him so much he managed to drop the glass dish he was holding, on the ground, "Oh! For the love of Ela-" he cut himself off and sighed as he began picking up the pieces of glass. He pricked himself with one and pulled his finger back quickly, "Ow." he whispered under his breath.
Emuna didn't seem to notice the chaos she had just caused and instead floated up to the table where she promptly started to rant, "Leave the dish, Brian." she placed a box on the table as Brian stood up, a few pieces of broken glass still in his hands.
"Emuna, I have to clean this-"
"Yes, yes, I know." she interrupted, "Look at this." she gestured to the small cardboard box.
"A box?" he said slowly, staring at her precariously, "Mm-hmm...Emuna, I'm worried. Should we go talk to-"
"Don't be worried!" she snapped, "Some strange man ran up to me while I was walking at the beach and handed me the box. He said in a deep scary voice, 'Don't open it.' than ran away. Leaving me with the box. What do I do?!" she complained.
"Alright..." Brian starred at the box as he thought.
"Brian!" Emuna rushed.
"I'm thinking!"
"Well, think faster!"
"Fine! Fine! Fine! We should open it."
"You think?"
"Well, we can't very well keep it never knowing what's inside...let me clean up this mess and we'll sit down and open it. Just don't...do anything."
Emuna nodded and sat down a few feet away on a bed, holding the box. She watched as Brian busied himself cleaning up the broken dish.
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Brian and Emuna sat across each other on the table, the box sat in the middle of them. "Who will open it?" Emuna whispered, her voice trembling with excitement and fear.
"I'll do it...since he did instruct you not to open it...he didn't say anything to me."
Emuna nodded and starred wide-eyed as Brian slowly lifted the lid off the cardboard box. It took an agonizing long time for him to finish ever so carefully lifting up the lid. He finally got it off and placed it beside the box on the table. Than he grabbed the box and looked inside it. A frown crossed his face.
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And that was so fun to write! Seriously took me under half an hour and was probably one of the most fun things I've written.
Mainly because I had the basis of the story (the box) already handed to me.
So now I want to challenge you to write a short story (under 1k) for this writing prompt. You can post it here once you're done or you can just keep it buried in your documents, but either way it's a great writing exercise. Have fun!
Bethany Faith
