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Story time!
Last night we workshopped my first story in my fiction class. The whole class loved it! (And here I was, not wanting to turn it in because I thought it sucked.)
So I present for your enjoyment, the first, and definitely not final, draft of the story I still have no name for.
Annika lay on the hill, watching the clouds fly over her. It was a beautiful day, one of those perfect days that happens maybe once a season. The grass on the hill was a verdant green-just the color you’d expect grass to be. The sky was that perfect shade of blue. Everything was gorgeous, like something out of a story book.
Annika thought she had someplace she was supposed to be, but she couldn’t quite remember where, or why. At the moment, she didn’t much care. She was quite content to lie on the hill and enjoy this perfect day.
She closed her eyes for a moment, and enjoyed the feeling of the sun warming her face. Suddenly, she sensed a shadow fall over her face. She opened her eyes slowly.
Standing above her was a beautiful woman wearing a sea green dress that shimmered slightly in the sunlight. She had long, wavy, dark brown hair that flowed down to her waist. Her skin was porcelain white, with just the slightest hint of rose in her cheeks. Her eyes were a deep blue; they seemed to be looking in Annika’s soul.
Despite her great physical beauty, the most striking thing about this mysterious woman was what was protruding from her back. She had wings. They were taller than she was, and iridescent, like a romanticized version of dragonfly wings. They moved slowly with her breath, and the light reflected off of them in rainbow hues. They were the most beautiful things Annika had ever seen. The fact that they were attached to what appeared to be a human being didn’t strike her as being the least bit odd. She had the feeling that it should, but for some reason it seemed quite natural.
“Hello.” said Annika, sitting up.
“Greetings, my child. How are you this blessed day?”
“I’m quite well, thank you. Ummmm…who are you? If you don’t mind my asking, that is.”
“My name is Morgan. And you are called Annika.”
“How did you…”
“Know your name? I know quite a lot about you, Annika. For instance, I know that you have loved fairy stories since you were a child.”
“Oh yes! Those were always my favorite.”
Morgan smiled at Annika’s enthusiasm at the mention of fairies. Her teeth were glistening white, and perfectly straight. “Would you like to come visit the fairies with me?”
Annika’s eyes lit up with delight. “I’ve always dreamed of visiting the fairies! But…”
“What is wrong? I hear doubt in your voice, and see it in your eyes.”
“Well, y’see, the thing is…” Annika fidgeted with her skirt and looked down at the ground.
“Out with it, child. You have nothing to fear.”
“It’s just that I feel as though I have to be somewhere. I can’t quite remember where, though, or what I had to do there.”
“If you cannot remember it, it must not be important. Correct?”
Annika contemplated this statement for a moment. “Yes. I suppose you’re right. Although I can’t seem to shake the feeling.”
“Ignore it, child. It soon shall pass. Now, if you will take my hand, I will bring you to visit the court of the fairies.”
Annika reached up, and took hold of Morgan’s delicate hand. Her wings started to flutter rapidly, and soon they were aloft, flying over the wood. Annika looked down, and the trees were emerald colored. There was a river flowing through the woods, sparkling and shining and perfectly blue. After a few minutes, there appeared on the horizon the turrets of a castle.
The castle was like something out of a fairy tale. Brightly colored flags flew from the top of every tower. Every window was like a jewel, sparkling in the sunshine. The stone used to build the castle must’ve had flecks of quartz in it, because the whole thing seemed to shimmer in the light. It was absolutely perfect.
Morgan and Annika landed in the courtyard of the castle. Three castle guards, dressed in silver and blue livery with a purple flower of some sort emblazoned on their chests stepped out from the giant doorway.
“Greetings, Morgan,” said the first guard. “You have returned just in time to prepare for the celebration. Who is this young lass?”
“Greetings, Mikum. This “young lass” is Annika, friend of the fey. She is going to join our celebration tonight.” Annika’s heart leaped at being referred to as a “friend of the fey.”
The one called Mikum eyed Annika’s purple corduroy skirt and lavender blouse disapprovingly. “Well, you’d better find her something more appropriate to wear, and get her cleaned up a bit. This is a formal event.”
Morgan’s eyes flashed. For a moment, she looked different, somehow. Annika couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was, though. “It would be best if you did not speak that way to your superiors, Mikum. It could put your job in jeopardy.”
“Many apologies, my Lady,” said Mikum, bowing. “I spoke out of turn. It will not happen again.”
“Be sure that it doesn’t.”
Morgan led Annika into the castle. “He is right, you know. We do need to get you something a little nicer to wear to the ball tonight.”
“There’s going to be a ball? Like in Cinderella?”
“Yes, my child. Exactly like that. We shall give you a beautiful gown to wear.”
“Oh, how exciting! I can’t wait!”
Morgan led Annika up the grand staircase of the palace; it was bigger than the biggest staircase Annika had ever imagined. All the while, they were chatting about the ball, who would be there, what sort of music there would be, what would be served for dinner, and whether or not the elf-king would be there.
“I can assure you that he will attend,” Morgan told Annika, “if only to meet you.”
“Meet me? But why would the elf-king want to meet me? He doesn’t even know I’m here!”
“Oh, but he does, child. News travels quickly among the fey, and you qualify as news.”
“How come?”
“It has been many years since we had a visitor from the human world. That makes you quite special.”
They arrived at a room on the second floor of the castle. Inside were four ladies in waiting. One of them had blue tinted skin, one was slightly yellow, another was brown, and the last was a warm pink color. They all had very small wings.
“This is one of our guest rooms, Annika. It will be your room while you stay with us. These ladies will help you dress.”
Morgan left Annika alone with the servants. They helped her out of her regular clothes and into a beautiful lavender ball gown with a floral pattern made of rhinestones. As they got Annika ready for the ball, they chattered amongst themselves in a strange fairy language.
They sat her down in front of a vanity with a large mirror, and seemed to play with her hair. Their hands barely touched her locks, but it somehow ended up being woven into an intricate and beautiful style.
They gave her a diamond tiara, and a necklace and earrings to match. She was also given a pair of opera length gloves to match her dress. When she was finally ready, the four fairies motioned for her to stand in the middle of the room so they could view their handiwork. They all seemed very excited, and one of them was crying what appeared to be tears of happiness.
“You never can tell with fairies, though,” thought Annika. “She may really be upset for some reason.”
She had no further time to contemplate this, however. At that moment, Morgan re-entered the room. She too had gotten ready for the ball. Her hair looked magnificent, and her dress was resplendent with jewels. Annika stared at her in awe.
“You look splendid, child! Do you like your dress?”
“Oh! Yes, yes I do. Thank you very much. You…you look…well, lovely.”
Morgan smiled. “Thank you, Lady Annika. Are you ready to go to the ball?”
“I suppose I could go for a little while…” The feeling that she was supposed to be elsewhere had been growing all day. Now she was absolutely certain that there was somewhere else that she had to be, but she still couldn’t remember where that was.
“Yes, I’m ready.”
They walked back down the grand staircase. The castle was now lit with many candles and chandeliers. Morgan led Annika to the ballroom.
It was the biggest room Annika had ever been in. There were huge fluted columns, all decorated with vines and flowers. There were many glittering chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Strange yet beautiful plants decorated the tables that lined the perimeter of the room. At the far end of the room was a dais with two thrones.
The place was teeming with fairies of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Some were as tiny as dragon flies. There was one who was so big that he had to stoop a bit in order not to hit his head on the ceiling. All were beautiful to behold in their finery. Some covered their faces with fancy masks. This didn’t sit right in Annika’s mind. If all the fairies were so beautiful and perfect, why did some need masks? Did they not look as nice as the others?
Many of the fairies stared at Annika as she walked around the room. A few of them said “Good evening, my Lady,” to her. One attractive male fey even asked her to dance. She did for a little bit, but felt very clumsy in comparison to his grace. The fact that she kept thinking that she saw something out of the corner of her eye didn’t help her dancing ability. She didn’t know what it was she thought she saw; it was just…different. It didn’t fit.
She was just about to sit down to try some of the delicious looking food when trumpets sounded. “His Royal Highness, Thranduil, the Elf-King, has arrived!”
The whole room started applauding and cheering. A tall, pale, handsome man stepped onto the dais. A gold crown rested on his blonde hair. He was dressed in the finest clothes Annika had seen yet that evening. He wore a silver hilted rapier at his side. He had no wings, but his ears were pointed. His sapphire eyes met Annika’s. The room fell silent.
“You must be the human girl.” The king’s voice was clear and deep, like the ringing of a church bell. “Come hither, my lady.”
Annika felt herself drawn inexorably towards the dais. She couldn’t refuse the command of that voice. All eyes were on her. She could feel the air of anticipation in the room; everyone was waiting to see what would happen.
She arrived at the dais and curtseyed. “Good evening, my Lord,” she murmured. The elf-king took her right hand in his, and kissed it.
“May I have this dance, my Lady?” The music began to play a lively waltz. The king took Annika in his arms, and they began to dance.
Annika felt as graceful as a ballerina dancing with the king. She looked into his eyes, and felt that she could lose herself there.
She heard the elf-king say “Annika, you have enchanted me. I knew I loved you the moment I set my eyes on you. Stay with me Annika, and be my Queen.” The king’s lips had not moved. Annika gasped, and turned her head away quickly.
At that moment, she caught sight of one of the masked fairies. She had let her mask down, and Annika saw her face. It was terrifying. Her eyes were black, and her hair was stringy. Her face was wrinkled and scarred, and seemed to be stuck in a permanent sneer. She was the most evil-looking creature Annika had ever seen.
The fairies enchantment started to fade away. As Annika looked around, horrified, she saw the once beautiful and good fairies become horrible and evil before her eyes. Her gaze fell upon Morgan, who was no longer gorgeous and enchanting. She had turned into a crone, hunched over and wicked.
The ballroom was decayed, no longer decadent. There were spider webs in the corners. The food was rotting, and bits of the walls were falling down. Through the windows, Annika caught glimpses of a dark wood. The music sounded horribly out of tune and tempo. Annika was terrified. The fairies continued along in their awful dance, not noticing the change in her perception.
“Stay with me forever, my love. Never leave me.”
“It was all glamour! None of it was real!” Annika looked down at herself and saw that she was dressed in rags. She realized that she had been tricked.
“Be mine. Forever.”
The king’s sword had remained unchanged. Annika ripped it from its sheath, and before the elf-king could defend himself, she ran him through on his own blade. She looked around at the room full of evil fairies. They all stared at her, anger written on their repulsive features. She looked down. The elf-king was dead on the floor.
The first thing Annika was aware of was the steady beeping of the heart monitor. She opened her eyes. She was lying in a hospital bed. A nurse was writing in her chart at the foot of the bed.
“Finally awake, I see. Your mother has been quite worried about you. I’ll go fetch her.”
The nurse left, and a moment later came back with Annika’s mother. She was carrying a package.
“Oh, sweetheart! I’m so glad you’re ok!”
“What happened?” Annika was very confused. She had no recollection of how she came to be in the hospital.
“You went swimming in the pond in the woods with your friends. They said that something pulled you under. You almost drowned.”
“Mommy, I had the strangest dream…”
“You can tell me about that later, dear. I’ve brought you a present.” She handed Annika the package. “Your Aunt Melanie sent it for your birthday.”
Annika opened the box. Inside was a doll. She was wearing a sea green dress that shimmered slightly. She had long, wavy, dark brown hair that flowed down to her waist. Her skin was porcelain white, with just the slightest hint of rose in her cheeks. Her eyes were a deep blue. Annika picked her up, and turned her over. She had dragonfly wings.
So that's story number one. I think story number two will be about vampires. Yeah, I've seen Underworld one too many times.
So I present for your enjoyment, the first, and definitely not final, draft of the story I still have no name for.
Annika lay on the hill, watching the clouds fly over her. It was a beautiful day, one of those perfect days that happens maybe once a season. The grass on the hill was a verdant green-just the color you’d expect grass to be. The sky was that perfect shade of blue. Everything was gorgeous, like something out of a story book.
Annika thought she had someplace she was supposed to be, but she couldn’t quite remember where, or why. At the moment, she didn’t much care. She was quite content to lie on the hill and enjoy this perfect day.
She closed her eyes for a moment, and enjoyed the feeling of the sun warming her face. Suddenly, she sensed a shadow fall over her face. She opened her eyes slowly.
Standing above her was a beautiful woman wearing a sea green dress that shimmered slightly in the sunlight. She had long, wavy, dark brown hair that flowed down to her waist. Her skin was porcelain white, with just the slightest hint of rose in her cheeks. Her eyes were a deep blue; they seemed to be looking in Annika’s soul.
Despite her great physical beauty, the most striking thing about this mysterious woman was what was protruding from her back. She had wings. They were taller than she was, and iridescent, like a romanticized version of dragonfly wings. They moved slowly with her breath, and the light reflected off of them in rainbow hues. They were the most beautiful things Annika had ever seen. The fact that they were attached to what appeared to be a human being didn’t strike her as being the least bit odd. She had the feeling that it should, but for some reason it seemed quite natural.
“Hello.” said Annika, sitting up.
“Greetings, my child. How are you this blessed day?”
“I’m quite well, thank you. Ummmm…who are you? If you don’t mind my asking, that is.”
“My name is Morgan. And you are called Annika.”
“How did you…”
“Know your name? I know quite a lot about you, Annika. For instance, I know that you have loved fairy stories since you were a child.”
“Oh yes! Those were always my favorite.”
Morgan smiled at Annika’s enthusiasm at the mention of fairies. Her teeth were glistening white, and perfectly straight. “Would you like to come visit the fairies with me?”
Annika’s eyes lit up with delight. “I’ve always dreamed of visiting the fairies! But…”
“What is wrong? I hear doubt in your voice, and see it in your eyes.”
“Well, y’see, the thing is…” Annika fidgeted with her skirt and looked down at the ground.
“Out with it, child. You have nothing to fear.”
“It’s just that I feel as though I have to be somewhere. I can’t quite remember where, though, or what I had to do there.”
“If you cannot remember it, it must not be important. Correct?”
Annika contemplated this statement for a moment. “Yes. I suppose you’re right. Although I can’t seem to shake the feeling.”
“Ignore it, child. It soon shall pass. Now, if you will take my hand, I will bring you to visit the court of the fairies.”
Annika reached up, and took hold of Morgan’s delicate hand. Her wings started to flutter rapidly, and soon they were aloft, flying over the wood. Annika looked down, and the trees were emerald colored. There was a river flowing through the woods, sparkling and shining and perfectly blue. After a few minutes, there appeared on the horizon the turrets of a castle.
The castle was like something out of a fairy tale. Brightly colored flags flew from the top of every tower. Every window was like a jewel, sparkling in the sunshine. The stone used to build the castle must’ve had flecks of quartz in it, because the whole thing seemed to shimmer in the light. It was absolutely perfect.
Morgan and Annika landed in the courtyard of the castle. Three castle guards, dressed in silver and blue livery with a purple flower of some sort emblazoned on their chests stepped out from the giant doorway.
“Greetings, Morgan,” said the first guard. “You have returned just in time to prepare for the celebration. Who is this young lass?”
“Greetings, Mikum. This “young lass” is Annika, friend of the fey. She is going to join our celebration tonight.” Annika’s heart leaped at being referred to as a “friend of the fey.”
The one called Mikum eyed Annika’s purple corduroy skirt and lavender blouse disapprovingly. “Well, you’d better find her something more appropriate to wear, and get her cleaned up a bit. This is a formal event.”
Morgan’s eyes flashed. For a moment, she looked different, somehow. Annika couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was, though. “It would be best if you did not speak that way to your superiors, Mikum. It could put your job in jeopardy.”
“Many apologies, my Lady,” said Mikum, bowing. “I spoke out of turn. It will not happen again.”
“Be sure that it doesn’t.”
Morgan led Annika into the castle. “He is right, you know. We do need to get you something a little nicer to wear to the ball tonight.”
“There’s going to be a ball? Like in Cinderella?”
“Yes, my child. Exactly like that. We shall give you a beautiful gown to wear.”
“Oh, how exciting! I can’t wait!”
Morgan led Annika up the grand staircase of the palace; it was bigger than the biggest staircase Annika had ever imagined. All the while, they were chatting about the ball, who would be there, what sort of music there would be, what would be served for dinner, and whether or not the elf-king would be there.
“I can assure you that he will attend,” Morgan told Annika, “if only to meet you.”
“Meet me? But why would the elf-king want to meet me? He doesn’t even know I’m here!”
“Oh, but he does, child. News travels quickly among the fey, and you qualify as news.”
“How come?”
“It has been many years since we had a visitor from the human world. That makes you quite special.”
They arrived at a room on the second floor of the castle. Inside were four ladies in waiting. One of them had blue tinted skin, one was slightly yellow, another was brown, and the last was a warm pink color. They all had very small wings.
“This is one of our guest rooms, Annika. It will be your room while you stay with us. These ladies will help you dress.”
Morgan left Annika alone with the servants. They helped her out of her regular clothes and into a beautiful lavender ball gown with a floral pattern made of rhinestones. As they got Annika ready for the ball, they chattered amongst themselves in a strange fairy language.
They sat her down in front of a vanity with a large mirror, and seemed to play with her hair. Their hands barely touched her locks, but it somehow ended up being woven into an intricate and beautiful style.
They gave her a diamond tiara, and a necklace and earrings to match. She was also given a pair of opera length gloves to match her dress. When she was finally ready, the four fairies motioned for her to stand in the middle of the room so they could view their handiwork. They all seemed very excited, and one of them was crying what appeared to be tears of happiness.
“You never can tell with fairies, though,” thought Annika. “She may really be upset for some reason.”
She had no further time to contemplate this, however. At that moment, Morgan re-entered the room. She too had gotten ready for the ball. Her hair looked magnificent, and her dress was resplendent with jewels. Annika stared at her in awe.
“You look splendid, child! Do you like your dress?”
“Oh! Yes, yes I do. Thank you very much. You…you look…well, lovely.”
Morgan smiled. “Thank you, Lady Annika. Are you ready to go to the ball?”
“I suppose I could go for a little while…” The feeling that she was supposed to be elsewhere had been growing all day. Now she was absolutely certain that there was somewhere else that she had to be, but she still couldn’t remember where that was.
“Yes, I’m ready.”
They walked back down the grand staircase. The castle was now lit with many candles and chandeliers. Morgan led Annika to the ballroom.
It was the biggest room Annika had ever been in. There were huge fluted columns, all decorated with vines and flowers. There were many glittering chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Strange yet beautiful plants decorated the tables that lined the perimeter of the room. At the far end of the room was a dais with two thrones.
The place was teeming with fairies of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Some were as tiny as dragon flies. There was one who was so big that he had to stoop a bit in order not to hit his head on the ceiling. All were beautiful to behold in their finery. Some covered their faces with fancy masks. This didn’t sit right in Annika’s mind. If all the fairies were so beautiful and perfect, why did some need masks? Did they not look as nice as the others?
Many of the fairies stared at Annika as she walked around the room. A few of them said “Good evening, my Lady,” to her. One attractive male fey even asked her to dance. She did for a little bit, but felt very clumsy in comparison to his grace. The fact that she kept thinking that she saw something out of the corner of her eye didn’t help her dancing ability. She didn’t know what it was she thought she saw; it was just…different. It didn’t fit.
She was just about to sit down to try some of the delicious looking food when trumpets sounded. “His Royal Highness, Thranduil, the Elf-King, has arrived!”
The whole room started applauding and cheering. A tall, pale, handsome man stepped onto the dais. A gold crown rested on his blonde hair. He was dressed in the finest clothes Annika had seen yet that evening. He wore a silver hilted rapier at his side. He had no wings, but his ears were pointed. His sapphire eyes met Annika’s. The room fell silent.
“You must be the human girl.” The king’s voice was clear and deep, like the ringing of a church bell. “Come hither, my lady.”
Annika felt herself drawn inexorably towards the dais. She couldn’t refuse the command of that voice. All eyes were on her. She could feel the air of anticipation in the room; everyone was waiting to see what would happen.
She arrived at the dais and curtseyed. “Good evening, my Lord,” she murmured. The elf-king took her right hand in his, and kissed it.
“May I have this dance, my Lady?” The music began to play a lively waltz. The king took Annika in his arms, and they began to dance.
Annika felt as graceful as a ballerina dancing with the king. She looked into his eyes, and felt that she could lose herself there.
She heard the elf-king say “Annika, you have enchanted me. I knew I loved you the moment I set my eyes on you. Stay with me Annika, and be my Queen.” The king’s lips had not moved. Annika gasped, and turned her head away quickly.
At that moment, she caught sight of one of the masked fairies. She had let her mask down, and Annika saw her face. It was terrifying. Her eyes were black, and her hair was stringy. Her face was wrinkled and scarred, and seemed to be stuck in a permanent sneer. She was the most evil-looking creature Annika had ever seen.
The fairies enchantment started to fade away. As Annika looked around, horrified, she saw the once beautiful and good fairies become horrible and evil before her eyes. Her gaze fell upon Morgan, who was no longer gorgeous and enchanting. She had turned into a crone, hunched over and wicked.
The ballroom was decayed, no longer decadent. There were spider webs in the corners. The food was rotting, and bits of the walls were falling down. Through the windows, Annika caught glimpses of a dark wood. The music sounded horribly out of tune and tempo. Annika was terrified. The fairies continued along in their awful dance, not noticing the change in her perception.
“Stay with me forever, my love. Never leave me.”
“It was all glamour! None of it was real!” Annika looked down at herself and saw that she was dressed in rags. She realized that she had been tricked.
“Be mine. Forever.”
The king’s sword had remained unchanged. Annika ripped it from its sheath, and before the elf-king could defend himself, she ran him through on his own blade. She looked around at the room full of evil fairies. They all stared at her, anger written on their repulsive features. She looked down. The elf-king was dead on the floor.
The first thing Annika was aware of was the steady beeping of the heart monitor. She opened her eyes. She was lying in a hospital bed. A nurse was writing in her chart at the foot of the bed.
“Finally awake, I see. Your mother has been quite worried about you. I’ll go fetch her.”
The nurse left, and a moment later came back with Annika’s mother. She was carrying a package.
“Oh, sweetheart! I’m so glad you’re ok!”
“What happened?” Annika was very confused. She had no recollection of how she came to be in the hospital.
“You went swimming in the pond in the woods with your friends. They said that something pulled you under. You almost drowned.”
“Mommy, I had the strangest dream…”
“You can tell me about that later, dear. I’ve brought you a present.” She handed Annika the package. “Your Aunt Melanie sent it for your birthday.”
Annika opened the box. Inside was a doll. She was wearing a sea green dress that shimmered slightly. She had long, wavy, dark brown hair that flowed down to her waist. Her skin was porcelain white, with just the slightest hint of rose in her cheeks. Her eyes were a deep blue. Annika picked her up, and turned her over. She had dragonfly wings.
So that's story number one. I think story number two will be about vampires. Yeah, I've seen Underworld one too many times.
nice
(Anonymous) 2003-10-10 04:50 pm (UTC)(link)patti
no subject