Writing Prompt: Hidden Conflict Discovered in Everyday Routine

March 4, 2016February 23, 2016 ~ ~M ~ 3 Comments

He looked over at his alarm clock and groaned; 5:00 a.m. was way too early for a regular person to be up, let alone someone who just happened to be missing both of his legs. He slowly propped himself up against his pillows and maneuvered his body so that he was facing the left side of the bed. An old tattered wheelchair sat just inches away. With a heavy sigh, he used his muscular arms to lift his entire body off of the bed. He hovered for a second over the wheelchair, being careful to center his body over the seat. With a grunt, and a few other choice words, he lowered himself into the chair and began the process of fastening the straps so that he wouldn’t accidentally fall out. Once he was strapped in, he reached for his artificial legs. They were heavy, and even though he had gained most of his strength back in his arms, he was still a bit clumsy when trying to attach them to what was left of his real legs. One at a time, he attached the artificial legs. First came the protective cloth which protected his legs from rubbing against the hard plastic base. Next came the numerous adjustments and straps to set everything into place so that he was sure he wouldn’t fall over once he attempted to stand. The clock read 6:00 a.m. He was finally ready to attempt to stand. He planted both artificial legs firmly into the carpet and grabbed the arms of his wheelchair with a firm grasp. The pain was intense at first. He held his breath to try to fight back the searing pain. His eyes began to water as he tried to stand. Once he was fully standing, he felt dizzy and fought the urge to slouch back down into his wheelchair. His determination did not waver though and he tried with all his might to take just one tiny step. This morning was not going to be easy though, because as he took that first step, the rest of his body seemed to have other plans for him. He immediately lost his balance and fell to the floor with a loud thud. Tears stung his eyes and he cussed under his breath. He laid on the floor for a while, trying to regain his strength. He heaved his heavy body off the floor using all the strength he could surmise and proceeded to grab for his wheelchair once again. It was now 7:00 a.m.

Cinderella from Prince William’s Point of View

February 26, 2016February 17, 2016 ~ ~M ~ 5 Comments

It was the beginning of a new day. The sun was barely peeking over the hills to the East and the birds were starting to chirp their morning wake-up songs. Prince William was starting to stir as the rays of sunlight trickled through the small window in his stone-walled room. William had never been fond of mornings and would have rather liked to stay in bed all day if he could. Unfortunately, he knew that of all days, today was not the day to sleep in. William had a million things to do to prepare for the ball and as much as he hated leaving his nice warm bed, he knew that he must. Today just had to be the day! He could feel it in his bones! Poor William had been searching for months for a young maiden to marry, but unfortunately he had not yet met a single one of them that had held much interest for him. Most were too talkative, which William hated most of all and the others were just plain boring or extremely unintelligent. William just knew today would be different. He couldn’t put his finger on how or why he knew, but he had a gut instinct that today of all days, he would finally meet his fair maiden.

Out in the courtyard, there was an overwhelming sense of urgency as people scurried about readying the castle for the evening events. It wasn’t every day that a grand ball was planned, so as to invite every young maiden in the entire kingdom, and there was so much work that still had to be done. William watched from his balcony over the expanse of the castle grounds and seem mesmerized by the servants as they scattered about like ants searching for food. He knew that he really should get down there himself and help keep everyone working in an orderly fashion. William was tired though, not just because he had been searching for so long for a young woman to marry, but also because he had settled into a daily rut and he knew that there had to be more to life than what he was already doing. Day in and day out, his life never seemed to change. He wanted more out of life and couldn’t even begin to wonder how to change his current situation. Being a prince wasn’t easy after all. People expected so much out of a prince and it was only on rare occasion that he was given any freedom at all to do what he pleased.

As the day dragged on, Prince William grew more and more eager for the events of the evening to begin. William spent the majority of his day giving orders and trying to keep things peaceful. After hours of delegating, and helping his father King Phillip; William escaped to the stables where his horse Dewdrop was kept. William’s horse originally belonged to his mother, Queen Gwendolyn. She had long since given up riding horses and Dewdrop was no exception. Dewdrop had a very sweet and gentle disposition and was named for his dewdrop shaped mark on his muzzle. William enjoyed spending time with his horse, it was the only time of day when he could just be himself and he didn’t have to live up to the expectations of those around him.

After a quick ride with Dewdrop, William headed back towards the castle to dress for the evening. As soon as he made his way to his bedroom, he found his royal attire laying neatly on his bed. He called for his servant to help him bathe and dress for the evening. After taking the proper time to ensure he looked his best, he made his way to the ballroom where his father and mother were waiting for him. His parents were seated next to each other on a balcony overlooking the grand ballroom. William figured they wanted to watch the festivities from afar so as not to interfere with William and his many female guests.

One by one, the women began to arrive. At first, William began to have his doubts as the women came through the guarded entryway. Most were fairly pretty, but none really caught his eye. The majority seemed to be ladies that he had already met and some were even family members. And then… he saw her, the most beautiful girl that he had ever laid eyes on! She was wearing a gorgeous blue ball gown that shimmered like water on a starry moon night. Her eyes were a beautiful brown that held innocence and virtue. Her hair was the color of salted caramel and her mouth reminded William of a tiny red rosebud. She curtsied ever so politely and seemed a bit unsure of herself. Oh but she was a delight to the visual senses!

William decided that it was time for him to leave his parent’s side and make his way down to the ballroom floor. There he was introduced to Cordelia, as she called herself. She was even more beautiful up close and William wasted no time asking her to dance. The evening flew by as they whirled away the night. William instincts kicked into full gear, and he knew without a doubt that this was the girl for him. The problem was, he knew nothing about her. He didn’t know what her status was and knew that in order for her to be even considered a future bride to be, she had to have some sort of royal blood running through her veins. She didn’t look to be a commoner and he desperately hoped that he wasn’t falling in love with a women that he could never marry.

As the night continued on, they looked as if they had known each other for years. William held Cordelia close as they danced. They seemed a match made in heaven. Then, as the clock struck midnight, Cordelia shrieked in fright! William had never seen such a look of terror on a young girls face before. She looked as if she had seen death. Just as William was about to try to console her, Cordelia fled from the ballroom and ran down the castle steps to her awaiting carriage. William tried his best to keep up with her, but it was useless. There were too many people running around in fright, alarmed by the sight of a girl shrieking in terror. William managed to get past the armed entryway just in time to watch Cordelia gather her skirts, jump into her awaiting carriage, and escape into the blackened night. He looked down in defeat and noticed something glinting on the stairs. A tiny glass slipper lay only a few feet away from where he was standing. The last remnant of his true love.

At the dawn of a new day, William began his search. He traveled far and wide to find Cordelia, for he knew that she was the one for him. He had his footman try the glass slipper on every maiden in the whole land, but none could fit the shoe. Just as William was about to give up hope of ever finding his true love, his carriage stopped in front of a tiny cottage almost hidden from sight because of the thick ivy that covered most of the house. There were trees on all sides of the property and a lazy coon hound rested in the shade.

As soon as William stepped foot onto the dusty road, two young woman came running out to greet him. They were the ugliest two young ladies that he had ever set eyes on, and he was sure he need not even bother to try the slipper here. However, William was a fair man and knew it wouldn’t be right to leave and not let these two young women try the best they could to fit the slipper. After trying the slipper on both unfair maidens, Prince William was resigned to the fact that he would probably not find the girl of his dreams here and knew that he must move on.

Just as William was about to leave, a small quiet voice called from the entry way of the cottage and said, “Please sir, may I try the slipper on?” The other young girls laughed when they heard the request and looked as if they almost pitied the girl. In an instant, William recognized the woman calling from the doorway. There she was! Cordelia, as beautiful as ever! But in clothes made of rags? How could this be? This could not be his Cordelia, or could it? He strode over to the woman as quickly as he could and tried the slipper on her small dainty foot. The slipper was a perfect match, indeed it was his Cordelia! From that moment on, Prince William made up his mind that no matter what, this woman would be his and nothing was going to stand in his way. In an instant, he whisked Cordelia into his arms and covered her in a million kisses. It was dead silent as the others looked on. Nobody dared even breathe at the sight of the prince kissing a small servant girl. Prince William didn’t care what the rest of the world thought at that moment. He knew exactly what he was doing. He had finally found his match made in heaven and that was all that mattered.

Written by, Michelle Cook

The Innocence of a Child

February 21, 2016February 12, 2016 ~ ~M ~ 9 Comments

“You can’t see Jesus because He’s in your heart saving you.” ~By, Autumn Cook, age 6

It’s 7:30 a.m., the alarm has gone off or should I say… run in. Yes, it’s my little three year old Autumn running into my bedroom, early as ever to snuggle with Mommy before we start our day. She goes to the end of the bed, makes her way over the mess of covers, and climbs underneath to get warm. I keep trying to pretend that I’m asleep so that maybe I can get about five more minutes of rest before I have to get up. I can feel her squirming restlessly next to me and sighing heavily as if to say “Mommy get up already!” So I start to open my eyes and this cute little face with a little button nose is staring right at me and asks me this question, “Mommy? Jesus isn’t in here.” So I say, “What do you mean?” She proceeds to put her hand just above her belly and says once again… “Jesus isn’t in here!” I start to become intrigued wondering if she is asking what I think she is. Does she want to ask Jesus into her heart at the age of three? So I asked her, “What do you mean? Do you want to ask Jesus to come into your heart?” She nods and says quietly “Yes, I do.” So I proceed with telling her to repeat after me and we say the sinners’ prayer together. When we are through though, she opens her eyes, puts her hand near her belly again and says to me, “Mommy, Jesus is still not in here.” I start to say, “Well… of course He is! You just prayed and now He is with you forever!” She looks over at me, moves her hand about 4 inches up from where she had been resting it before and exclaims, “Oh Mommy! There He is!” I about died laughing, not knowing that the entire time she was thinking that the beating of her little heart was what tells her that Jesus is with her. It’s moments like this that Mothers cherish forever. I love you my little Auti and Jesus is with you now and forever.

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us. We know that we live in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. ~ 1 John 4:12-13

My Life as a Fairytale

January 28, 2016January 28, 2016 ~ ~M ~ 15 Comments

Here’s another one of my short stories from my Writing Fiction class. Enjoy!

Here I stand alone again. The battle is finally over and the only thing that remains is the thin fine foggy mist that hides the ugliness beneath. Each soldier fought brave and hard as each one drew his sword in valiant effort. The hopes and dreams of a thousand men were all too soon drawn to a close and the blood stained hills are now all that remain. I am deeply saddened and wish that I could have done something to stop the fight.

It feels as if centuries have passed and yet I still remain in a statue like state. I’m always watching, waiting, and listening; never speaking, never moving, and never really living. Planted with roots so deep, that it almost feels like I have always been like this. The life I once knew seems like a dream now; a past distant memory that is almost forgotten. It’s in times like these that I begin to realize how truly lonely I am. I have always hoped that one day I would be discovered; that one day my own thoughts and dreams would become a reality and that this evil curse would be broken and I would be free to live again.

Looking out at the devastation before me, I am reminded of just how cruel this world really is. I was hopeful in the beginning. The world around me was absolutely beautiful. Lush green rolling hills surrounded me and felt cool against my rough exterior. Flowers of every color of the rainbow dotted the landscape for as far as I could see. Birds sang their cheerful little songs and animals frolicked and played from sunrise to sunset. The glory of the earth was immensely apparent and the splendor of it all would have taken my breath away; if I still had breath that is. Now looking around, the scene has dramatically changed. The hills are black with smoke and scattered bodies’ litter my once scenic view. The flowers that once graced this land with their fragrant beauty have all but vanished and the animals and birds have fled without a trace. I am mortified at the thought of having to spend eternity looking upon a scene such as this. All hope in my mind has been replaced with grief and sadness and deep longing for the life I once knew. What exactly was that life? I can barely remember… and yet I do see a faint distant memory, one that I must hold onto or I fear that I shall lose myself completely. I must hold on…. I must, I must, I must! I try to envision what my life would have been like if I had survived that fateful day. My only memory is a very sad one…

The day started out quite uneventful. I was keeping myself busy with mundane everyday chores. My mother and father left the cottage early that morning. It was harvest time and work started at the brink of dawn and ended just after dusk. So it was quite unusual to look through the tiny kitchen window and see my mother running toward the cottage at mid-day. I remember the look of horror on her face as she ran in desperation towards the shelter of our cozy little home. Her hair had fallen from its tightly formed bun and was flowing loosely down around her shoulders. I noticed that her face was covered in dirt stained tears. I was about to open the door and run to meet her, when suddenly a flash of light stopped me dead in my tracks. In an instant, my mother lay lifeless before me as if turned to stone. I remember thinking that I should hide or try to get out of the cottage through one of the windows in the back of the house. I knew I didn’t have long and yet I seemed to be frozen to the floor. And then, it came upon me. The bright light hit me with such force that I was knocked backward and my breath was instantly taken from my body. Suddenly, I was in complete and utter blackness, I heard not a sound, I felt nothing, and I seemed to be in oblivion. When I finally awakened, I was here in my statue like state. The earth held me in a firm tight grip and I could no longer move or breathe. I can still see, hear and feel, but nobody sees me for who I really am.

I dream of a day when I will be normal again, a day when I can laugh and play as I once used to. If that day does come, I know I will never take for granted how precious life is and I will cherish every moment as if it were my last. I think about my parents as I stand here day after day and wonder what became of them. Were they transformed like me? My heart aches to know how their story ended. But that was once upon a time, and now… because I have no other choice, I must live this new life that I have been given. It may seem a sad state to live in, but it’s the life that I have been condemned to live and fate dealt me an evil hand with which I cannot escape.

Did you figure out what I am?

Alphabet Challenge

January 25, 2016January 25, 2016 ~ ~M ~ 14 Comments

Amazingly, we survived without a scratch. Bigger problems were sure to come our way, but we knew at this very moment that we had at least survived this first strike. Chris and I had been anticipating this for a very long time. Destruction was occurring everywhere and so we were fairly sure that our time would come. Everyone was scared to death and even worse, nobody really knew the reason why all of this was happening. For a while, Chris and I thought we might be spared the horrific events which had been occurring all over the world. Grateful as we were, we eventually realized that even we could not escape the power of a force such as this. Had we realized in the beginning just how grave the situation would be, I am sure that we would have come up with a better plan. I always knew life was going to be short, but after this, I wasn’t even sure that we were going to be able to live through another day. Just before dawn, we felt the earth tremble. King strikers, (aka Stealth Bombers) were rocketing through our airspace as if they were determined to destroy everything in their path. Lightweight aircraft followed close behind, monitoring ground movement and searching for signs of life. Much to our surprise, we were not seen, and we were able to find shelter in old abandoned warehouse on the far side of town. Nobody had expected such a turn of events. Over the course of a year, the world had changed from one of beauty and hope to ugliness and chaos. People were literally running for their lives, not knowing if they would even survive another day. Questions continued to arise as to how this whole turn of events started in the first place. Remnants of cars and old battered building materials littered the streets. Sadly, there were no signs of life in the area that we had taken shelter in. Torn by the urge to run for our lives, or instead sit and hold tight in hopes that we might be rescued, we sat holding on tightly to one another in an embrace so strong that neither one of us could hardly breathe. Unlike the rest of the world, we had been lucky, the bombing strikes had never come this far until today. Violent shivers shook me to my bones and my teeth would not stop chattering. Without a word, both of us looked at each other and knew that today, could surely be our last one together. Xenia, was the name of the bomber that had destroyed most of the nearby towns. Yesterday we had heard a potential rumor that the Xenia had been spotted flying in our direction. Zapped of our hope, we knew the end was near.