Scholastic Forums » Autumn's September Scribbles (2020)

autumnlibrarian16 · 9/02/2020 10:14 pm

Hello! I apologize in advance for my writing fjdslfjskld I'll mostly be using this as a way to keep my writing in shape, I've never really done any of these daily writing prompt challenges before so this'll be fun haha
I accidentally missed yesterday's prompt (choice) but I have today's (perfection) completed! I'll be posting it in a reply, so stay tuned

GalaxianExplosion · 9/02/2020 10:16 pm

//You can make up prompts as you go! It's no biggie

-Galaxian-

autumnlibrarian16 · 9/02/2020 10:17 pm

Day 2: Perfection

With one final stroke of his pencil, the student let out a soft exhale as he looked up from his work. “Done,” he muttered absentmindedly, placing down the pencil and reaching for the answer key.

With the answer key in one hand, the boy allowed his eyes to dart from the list of correct answers to paper containing his own. It was a rhythmic, systematic, and absentminded process; it was a cycle of steadily confirming that the answers matched, and then moving down the list. Although uncapped, the red pen in his hand went unused as he went through his work.

But at the last question, he stopped. A ‘C’ listed on one, and a ‘D’ on the other? Surely he didn’t go too quickly in his rush to finish checking his work. Blinking, the studious boy stared at his own answer, and then went back to stare at the corresponding answer within the answer key. His extra few glances confirmed it: there was indeed an inconsistency. A ‘C’ on one, and a ‘D’ on the other.

Dropping the pen and biting his lip, the boy searched for the original question and the answer choices. As he looked, a few quiet queries tugged at the back of his mind: why did he get the question wrong? Did the answer key contain a mistake? Why couldn’t he just complete it all perfectly? Why did he have to mess up at the last question, of all places?

Now that he had found the particular problem, the boy read through said question multiple times. With a sigh, he realized his mistake, and picked up the red pen to mark his own answer in ink and scribble a few notes in self-frustration.

A perfect score wouldn’t come today, it seemed.

autumnlibrarian16 · 9/02/2020 10:18 pm

GalaxianExplosion wrote:
//You can make up prompts as you go! It's no biggie

-Galaxian-

// got it! it's getting late for me though so if I make it up I'll have to do it tomorrow :^)

GalaxianExplosion · 9/02/2020 10:24 pm

OwO I finally get to see Autumn's writing out of a few POVs! Joy! xD
Honestly I feel like self-grading is so cruel because you now know you screwed up but You Cannot Change It (TM)

-Galaxian-

SpecterTheGreat · 9/03/2020 12:55 pm

Oooh I like this so much and not just because it's relatable but it's written in a very realistic way!

autumnlibrarian16 · 9/07/2020 9:34 am

@Galaxian: xD hope you enjoyed reading
But yeah,,, that feeling of Ha You Messed Up But You Cannot Change It ^(TM) is suffering when doing test prep fjdskfjdkslfjsl (surprise surprise I procrastinated on studying for the SAT by writing about someone studying for some test presumably similar to the SAT)

@Specter: Thank you!!

Day 3 (déjà vu) will be posted in a separate reply; I'm kinda behind since I have days 4-7 to do (still haven't done 1 but I'll just skip it at this point oops) but I'll try to catch up today fjdsklfjsdlk

autumnlibrarian16 · 9/07/2020 9:36 am

Day 3: Déjà Vu

“Um...?” I tentatively called out, already regretting my decision. Picking up phone calls from unknown callers probably wasn’t a very intelligent thing to do, but that’s what I was doing anyway. I don’t know what made me do it - boredom? Curiosity? All I knew was that I was holding my cell phone against my ear while on call with a number I didn’t recognize.

“Hey, it’s me,” the caller greeted, giving a slight pause. The voice was clear and was speaking with a tone of informality that I wasn’t expecting. But despite the lack of any hostility, I felt an odd chill go through my spine. Something felt off, but the person on the phone continued before I could pinpoint what exactly was so unsettling. “So, I wanted to tell you -- oh. Hey, you there? You haven’t said anything.”

Whoever was on the line paused, apparently waiting for a response. From their words, I could deduce that the person did not mean to call me but rather someone else; a classic case of dialing the wrong number. I opened my mouth to inform this mysterious person about the mistake, but I froze as a realization dawned on me. The perplexing feeling that’s been bothering me ever since I picked up the phone - it stemmed from a strange sense of familiarity. The voice sounded like one I’ve heard before, but I simply could not remember who it belonged to.

“Uh, you hear me? You picked up, but I swear I feel like I’m talking to a wall. Helloooo? Anybody there?”

The drawn out syllable was enough to wake me out of my temporary daze. If their tone was anything to go by, the person on the line was a bit confused and starting to grow irritated. Not wanting to upset whoever was there, I decided to actually speak up this time. “Um,” I began, internally cringing at my eloquent start, “I think you entered the wrong number. You sound familiar, but--”

“Oh!” They cut me off before I could finish with a sudden exclamation. “Sorry about that. Should’a told me before.”

Beep!, my phone sounded as the unknown caller hung up on me. Bringing my phone down from my ear, I blinked blankly at the painted room wall in front of me. Who that person was - that was a question that I just couldn’t answer, and now that the brief call was over, I doubted I ever would be able to. I wanted to just push that entire encounter behind me; it wasn’t worth thinking too hard about.

But there was that unshakable feeling that I’ve met them before, at some time, at some place. As long as that sentiment lingered, some part of me just wouldn’t give up on trying to figure out how and why I recognized that voice. Maybe my brain was playing tricks, and I didn’t know the voice at all. Or maybe it was an odd sense of déjà vu.

I sighed.

chanchanchan · 9/12/2020 1:42 am

Autumnnnn your writing is so beautiful 🥺❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ I love the thought you put into it! Being able to peer into the POVs head is lovely

autumnlibrarian16 · 9/12/2020 7:58 am

Channn ❤️❤️ thank you so much, that really means a lot to me

autumnlibrarian16 · 9/12/2020 7:59 am

Day 4: Ambivalent

“Father.”

It wasn’t a word that Marie Goldenwick uttered often, and for good reason. Thinking about him for even the briefest of moments allowed distant memories - both good and bad - to resurface in the young woman’s mind. At this point, did he even deserve that title?

He was gone now, sure. But that didn’t erase his past actions; the impact of everything he ever said and did remained. More than anybody, Marie knew what he did, and how he selfishly hurt people for his own benefit. She also knew how he did not feel remorse for about it, even after she had confronted him.

But despite all that, she couldn’t deny the fact that he was her father. The man had been there for her, as well as her siblings; he had caringly given them love and affection. That was more than what Marie could say for her mother, who was almost always absent, with the excuse of being that she was “busy with work”. At least her father acted like a parent - sometimes.

Disgust and appreciation; hate and love. The emotions juxtaposed in her head, swirling around as the young woman tried to push away the flurry of memories. The contrast of her feelings was dizzying; she hated being this uncertain about anything. Thinking took a lot of energy, and it was even more tiring when she thought about the one she had called “father” for all these years.

Choosing to let her feelings remain ambivalent, Marie let out a “hmph.” Placing the photograph that was in her hands back onto the table, the young woman walked away.

chanchanchan · 9/12/2020 1:29 pm

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Aw Ri 🥺 awwww

autumnlibrarian16 · 9/19/2020 11:44 am

Ri ❤️❤️ I really had fun writing as her again, even if this is an older, more mature version

// also 3 prompts incoming; going to post each one separately so that's going to be like 3 replies coming at once fjdlksjf

autumnlibrarian16 · 9/19/2020 11:50 am

Day 5: Bane

Even from inside the large central city shrine, Elysio could hear the screams of fear and shouts of anger coming from the city’s streets. The loud, chaotic noises of the on-going battle were enough to make the boy feel ill; especially sickening was the fact that the majority of the fighting cityfolk had no way to properly defend or retaliate against the monsters’ magic. Only magic could fight magic, and even then, the few people in the city who could use it had weak abilities. There was barely anything they could do for now except let the creatures rampage and ruin the city.

But he couldn’t let thoughts of the situation outside distract him. If he messed up the summoning ceremony, then a terrible fate would befall the city, and that was when everything was truly over. Closing his eyes as he put on a pair of ceremonial gloves, Elysio let out a quick prayer as he tried to tune out the noises from the outside. Stay safe, everyone. Please, just hang on for now.

His eyes now reopened, the boy slowly approached the dais at the back of the shrine, his heart pounding. To an outsider, it would seem that there was nothing of importance regarding the small raised platform, but as the second-most powerful mage in the kingdom, Elysio knew better. This was where the Brightblaze Staff was sealed away; it was the only place that housed the weapon that would give the city the ability to counterattack against the monsters. As such, it was paramount that he recovered the staff from the shrine. Elysio took a step forward, but then froze.

Doubt, unease, and fear swirled within the boy’s mind as he shakily stood before the dais. Uncertainty kept him glued in that one spot as he let his panicked thoughts take over. Years of instruction gave the boy the knowledge how to conjure the Brightblaze Staff, but not the experience. He had no idea whether this would work as it was supposed to; there was always the very real possibility that he would mess up. No, it was more than just a mere possibility. There was no one to watch over him, no one to guide his actions, and no one to confirm that he was correctly performing the ritual. How could people trust him to accomplish a task so vital all by himself?

Trembling, Elysio looked down at his gloved hands, which had subconsciously tightened into shaky fists. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t--

A piercing scream louder than any scream Elysio had heard before came from outside the shrine. What did he think he was he doing? His inaction would do nothing for the cityfolk, who had given him the chance to run away to the shrine. The reason they let him run wasn’t because he was a child - it was because they trusted him. They trusted him to carry out the ceremony. The least he could do was believe that their trust wasn’t misplaced. For the sake of the people struggling against the monsters outside, he had to try and summon the one weapon that would be their bane.

Taking a deep breath, Elysio steadied himself and clasped his hands together. He had to try. “Spirits, heed my call.”

autumnlibrarian16 · 9/19/2020 11:50 am

Day 6: Nature

Opening your eyes, you find yourself staring up at the vast, sunny blue sky. Distant clouds of varying shapes and sizes appeared to slowly float by, but the exposure to such sudden brightness forces you to blink and turn your attention downwards towards the grassy field you lie on.

A sudden gale rushes through the air, and you hear a soft rustling noise as the plants in the area begin to rhythmically sway back and forth in the wind. The lush, green scenery is captivating to watch as the flora does its sleepy dance; before you know it, several minutes pass as you observe in peaceful silence.

For a moment, the wind stops. It’s at this time that the birds start chirping, the unintelligible tweets creating a soft melody that rings throughout the meadow. Straining your ear, you can additionally hear the bumbling buzz of the bees and the sporadic squeaks of the squirrels intertwining with the beautiful avian tune. With the return of the late summer breeze, the susurrus of the swaying plants completes the symphony.

As a whole, the entire view is trite. But when broken down into the tiny components it consists of, nature’s song reveals a subtle charm. While lost in your tranquil appreciation of the natural world, the sounds and sights eventually lull you back to sleep, the warm sun and azure sky smiling down at you as your vision fades to black.

autumnlibrarian16 · 9/19/2020 11:51 am

Day 7: Hindered

“We’re partners! That means we’re supposed to do this together, you know?”

The sudden exclamation made me shrink back in my seat and lower my head. As I noticed the other students stare at the two of us, I could feel my face grow warm. Did she seriously have to yell at me in the middle of the school library? Looking back up, I opened my mouth to retort, but she continued without missing a beat.

“Listen. Our teacher wants to see teamwork,” she enunciated, thankfully in a quieter and less hysterical tone than before. “We have to help each other out, make sure we understand what we’re doing in class. That’s the point of making us work in pairs for this assignment.”

“And...?” I challenged, crossing my arms on the table. With a sigh, I picked up the pencil that was resting by my right hand, and absentmindedly started playing with it as I continued. “I understand everything fine on my own. You don’t need to explain your work to me. I’ll just be slowing you down that way.”

Now she was the one to let out a sigh. “No,” she replied, shaking her head, “I don’t care about going fast. If I did, I would be done with this thing already.”

“Wow, okay, no need to flex,” I mumbled as I watched my fingers spin the pencil around and around. “I’m a hindrance, I get it.”

From the corner of my eyes, I could see her mouth freeze in an “o” shape, with an almost apologetic look appearing in her eyes as she hung her head. “I-- no, that’s not-- that’s not--” She began to stammer as her cheeks grew red. After fumbling with her words a bit more, she finally let out a coherent statement. “That was rude, I’m sorry. I know it sounds otherwise, but I really didn’t mean it like that.”

“Nah.” Putting down the pencil, I shrugged at her. “It’s chill, no worries.”

“Seriously, sorry,” she repeated, “You’re not slowing me down, I swear. We’re supposed to be group partners; we should help each other out. Shouldn’t have yelled at you.” She let out a deep breath. “So, do you still want to work together, or…”

“As long as I’m not a hindrance, sure,” I replied with another shrug. I had to admit, I needed a bit of help. “So, about question nine…”

chanchanchan · 9/21/2020 2:14 am

Autumn these are so nice 🥺🥺🥺❤️❤️❤️❤️ I love the words you use,,, they’re always so descriptive— like the nature one, it matched super well with the prompt to have the scenery described like that and even in the others your word choice made it all the more lovely to read ❤️❤️❤️❤️

autumnlibrarian16 · 9/25/2020 9:28 am

:sob: aaaaa I'm so sorry I didn't see this until now but thank you Chan!! ❤️❤️ I love your writing so much and I'm glad you enjoy reading these ❤️❤️

// I am very behind but! I will aim to get a number done this weekend

autumnlibrarian16 · 9/25/2020 9:30 am

Day 8: Withheld

“Wha--?” Letting out a startled exclamation, the reporter clenched their pencil with tenacity. The shock that filled their caramel-colored eyes for a brief moment shifted to a look of dismay, and then indignation. Crossing their arms, they tried to compose themself, although there was glint in their eyes as they looked at their superior in the eye. “You can’t just-- you--”

The older woman shut her blue eyes as she shook her head. “I’m... I’m sorry, I really am. But orders are orders. You are not to research or investigate this story any further; this request comes from the very top. Please understand.”

“Orders to stop?” The reporter’s mouth widened, losing the disgruntled look they had earlier. “But this-- this is an important story! Why? Why can’t I-- Did I do something wrong?”

Pressing her lips together, the older remained silent, allowing an awkward pause to fill the office air. The more inexperienced of the two could be seen visibly vibrating as they waited for an answer or even any form of a response from their work superior.

After a few moments of complete quiet, the brown-eyed individual heard a sigh pierce through the heavy atmosphere. In anticipation, they saw that their boss had completely looked away, making it impossible to make brown eyes meet blue. “Why?” the younger repeated, moving closer to the paper-filled desk. “Answer me, at least!”

Yet another deep sigh came from the tall woman, although this time it was accompanied by a soft, defeated response as she refused to look at her subordinate in the eyes. “If it eases you to know, it’s nothing personal against you. My orders from my own boss were to stop anyone from looking into this matter. I had absolutely no say in this decision, but I am forced to comply.”

“But why?” they pressed, “Why? Why are they… why are they doing this?”

“That information,” the woman started as a third sigh filled the room, “is officially being withheld. Even I wasn’t told why, so please. Please don’t ask me anymore. Gossip and baseless speculation are looked down upon here; I’d rather not get either of us in trouble. You’ll--”

“Withheld!?” The indignant tone that was in the young reporter’s voice returned with it’s full intensity, even as they repeated their superior’s words. “They’re not letting us look into the story, and they’re not even telling us why!? That’s-- That’s…!”

“I know.” She leaned into her subordinate’s ear, and began to whisper something furiously as she placed a slip of paper into the younger reporter’s hand. Caramel eyes widened, but the woman continued without hesitation. “That’s all unofficial, of course.”

“R-Right.” The reporter took a deep breath, and nodded. I’ll figure out that “why” myself.

//

Day 9: Reprieve

[This prompt has been skipped since I am very behind and I don’t have any ideas. I’m very sorry and I’ll try not to do this again.]