15minuteficlets // Prompt word: open // “Distraction”

[katiefoolery]

First entry for the new year and I am sickly but quite satisfied with life.  New Years was absolutely splendid, despite the absolutely rubbish weather and being shot in the head with a party popper gun.  Actually, the last just added to the amusement more than anything.  There shall be a more comprehensive report on that later, most likely with accompanying photographic evidence of enjoyment.

I hope everyone else had equally splendid new years eves or at least will have a splendid 2007.

For now, I present the first fifteen minute ficlet I have written by hand.  I got Bindi to write the prompt word down on a piece of paper and fold it up so I could do the ficlet while I was away.  I couldn’t even take my laptop with me, due to its deciding to break down a week before.  (And of course, it chose to destroy the battery - the only thing not covered by my extended warranty...)

Anyway, here is the ficlet.  Original fic this time.  Bonus points for guessing the prompt word (and I promise not to sneeze on them).
This week’s prompt word of "open" was guessed by naelany.

---

Title: Distraction
Fandom: Original
Rating: PG13 (some slightly graphic imagery towards the end)
Word count: 412
Prompt word: open

“I love you all,” she said.

I rolled my eyes.  Please tell me we’re not at the stage where she starts declaring undying love for us all.  Because that’s only one step away from the stage where she attempts to make a pyramid out of beer glasses.  And that’s only one step away from the stage where she decides that indoors is a good place to practise her sharp-shooting.

And she can’t even hit things much smaller than an elephant at point-blank range even when she’s completely sober.

I pat her arm, trying to avoid the residue of the chocolate body paint as best I can.  “That’s great.  We love you too.”

Yeah, just don’t look at the guys right now.  Two hours ago, I could have glared them into removing those shocked looks from their faces.

Not now.

Not now she’s mostly wearing only body paint and reeking of almost every drink in the place.

“No, I mean it,” she says, lowering her voice and giving me her patented puppy-dog eyes.  “I really, really mean it.  You think I’m just thinging this because I’m...”  She pauses, looking distantly puzzled.  “Oh yeah.  Because I’m a bitch.”

I close my eyes in frustration.  Maybe I should have stopped this a while back... such as when she said: hey, let’s go for a drink!

But I can’t say no to her right now.  Not after what she’s just been through.

“You’re not a bitch,” I tell her.

Her face crumples into tears.  Well, tears and body paint.  “That’s so sweet,” she sobs at me.  “I love you, Kara.”

Oh, are we back there?  Fantastic.  But I don’t have much time to lament this fact, because the next thing she says is:

“Can you guys pass me the thing glasses?  I want to make a myrapid!”

And it’s only a short step from there to the shooting practice.  Half an hour ago, I didn’t think I’d be happy about the fact that she’s not wearing any actual clothing but I am now.  Because it means she can’t possibly be hiding any weaponry on her.

But I’m going to hand her those glasses and I’m going to watch her build that pyramid because right before she suggested going for a drink, she told me all about seeing her best friend’s head being shot open.

And if I can help her forget about that for just a few hours, then I’ll do whatever it takes.

---

Wow - could I have possibly started any more sentences with conjunctions?  I think I’ll have to work on cutting that back in my next ficlet.

Comments and feedback are most appreciated. :D

Comments

[peachynat3.livejournal.com]

I am curious, does the prompt word have to actually be mentioned somewhere within it, or at a specific point, or can it be a general theme or idea? My guess is "love" but I think I'm wrong, it can't be that easy :P

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

The prompt word is basically there to inspire the writing. Usually, it ends up in my ficlets, often in the first line or paragraph. Sometimes I try to capture the essence of the word, rather than actually using it. This time, the word is in the story but it's a very invisible sort of word; not as obvious as "peppermint" for the last one.

[murfgirl.livejournal.com]

This is really cool. I liked it a lot. You have a very down-to-earth style of writing that makes people able to relate. I like your subtle little details, too like the little descriptions of drunken-ness and the line "she told me all about seeing her best friend’s head being shot open." It makes the reader want to know what exactly is going on and what has happened.

Hmmm..prompt word? Can I guess two?! I'm going to say Love ooorrrr...Bitch.

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Thank-you muchly. :)

It's a hard word to guess this time because it's a rather invisible sort of word. But it's neither love nor bitch.

[blindmouse.livejournal.com]

Er... "pyramid"?

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Nope! It's not an obvious word at all, really.

[rilla06.livejournal.com]

Erm... forget? *doesn't know*

I muchly like your ficlets :D

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Thank-you muchly, good Rilla. Alas, 'tis not forget.

[naelany.livejournal.com]

uhm...myrapid? I mean, pyramid ^_~

[naelany.livejournal.com]

hmm, ok not pyramid.... declare?

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Hehe! No and no. It's a tricky word to find. I'm not sure anyone will guess it this time.

[naelany.livejournal.com]

probably not, didn't last time either lol

[naelany.livejournal.com]

is it...please?

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

No!

[naelany.livejournal.com]

dang lol

[naelany.livejournal.com]

open???

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

We have a winner!

[naelany.livejournal.com]

*blinks* You're kidding me....

[gravityslave.livejournal.com]

Shooting?

I like this one. I like 'em all, really, but this one is a bit of a punch to the stomach, and I like that.

My brain went off on a sideline about what I'd write if the prompt word really was "witheld", and now I have a short story in the works. :-) Thanks!

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Thank-you muchly! I was sort of hoping for that "punch to the stomach" feeling but I wasn't sure how well I could pull it off in a first-draft, hand-written ficlet.

Huzzah for inadvertently inspiring another story! I hope you have fun writing it.

[flamehail.livejournal.com]

Thing?

Happy New Year!

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Nope!

Thank-you! I hope you have a lovely 2007.

[chunkymonkey24.livejournal.com]

I didn't mind the conjunctions. But then again I'm not grammatically/semanticly minded (as you can probably tell since we only communicate through posts on various interweb pages!).

I think this might be one of my faves :) No idea of a promt word though...friendship? Beer? Chocolate body paint?

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Ever since I worked out what a conjunction was, I've been using them to start sentences. Sometimes, the rhythm just works better this way. I suppose if they're not alienating readers, then I shouldn't worry to much about them. :D

Thank-you - I'm glad you liked this one. And no - the prompt word wasn't any of those. It's a tricky one to get this time.

[alankria.livejournal.com]

This was a rather good piece, good Katie. I really like the way you managed to mix the level of silliness ("myrapid" especially) with the darker flavour.

And yes, you did begin rather a lot of sentences with conjunctions. ;)

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Thank-you! I was quite uncertain about it really.

And yes, you did begin rather a lot of sentences with conjunctions. ;)

*applauds*

Nicely done, good Alankria.

[alankria.livejournal.com]

Oh, and is the word "love"?

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

No, but you have the length and the vowels right.

[alankria.livejournal.com]

Ack! I don't know! *woe*

I am, of course, going to hit myself when you reveal the word.

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Heh - it's more likely you'll attempt to hit me.

[alankria.livejournal.com]

Okay! =D

Oh, btw, did you get the email I sent a few days back with the story?

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

*slaps head*

Yes! But I received it just before I went away and I'd completely forgotten about it by the time I got back. I'm so sorry! I shall try and read it tomorrow.

[(Anonymous)]

I liked it, clearly you shoudl STOP doing fanficlets

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Oh... shut-up.

[crazedturkey.livejournal.com]

that was rather lorfish dear :) and I liked it. Specially the kick in the guts bit at the end.

Is it drink, frustration, suicide, death, sore?

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

It was a bit, wasn't it?

Nope - it's none of those. No-one's going to get it this time!

[rigel-7.livejournal.com]

Huzzah!

Another meander into the darker side of Katie :D I enjoyed the gaps, where things were implied rather than stated.

I think the only slight confuzzlement I have is to place it in a time. The mentioning of chocolate body paint makes me think contemporary, but her having a penchant for taking out a gun and randomly take pot shots throws me somewhat - as surely that's something you can't casually do!

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Thank-you muchly, good Rigel!

I'm not sure exactly when it's set. I think I had a vague idea of some alternate or futurish reality, in a world at war with itself... or something like that. It's definitely not set in the here-and-now.

[silver-pegasus.livejournal.com]

I haven't acctually visited my friends page for a while, so sorry this is a bit late, but that was really, really good. I enjoyed it muchly. I'm finding that I quite like these short little ficlets. Just long enough to be interesting and enjoyable, but not long enough that you get too annoyed when you don't know what happens. The 'she told me all about seeing her best friend’s head being shot open.' was rather sudden. Here I was thinking it was a pleasent getting drunk story. Turns out they have a good reason to be drunk. Anyways I really liked it.

Now off I go to read the other one I noticed when I was scrolling down my friends page.

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Thank-you muchly, good Tanya. I'm glad you're enjoying these ficlets. :) I'm certainly enjoying the process of writing them. And I definitely intended for that line you quoted to come as a shock - I'm happy to see I managed that, even given the restraints of the time limit and lack of drafting.