Hello Everyone! Today (Monday) I am starting a brand new weekly event. Every Monday I will be writing 2 Creative Challenge Stories. The ones I am doing today are a few weeks old. If you are new to Creative Challenges, then here`s the gist of the weekly event:
Creative Challenges are a weekly event that is created by Cynthia Dawn. You can check out her blog and version of this prompt here. This weekly event happens every Tuesday and Friday. Cynthia sends out two stories, one that is exclusively for her email subscribers and one that is for everyone. It`s very simple. Cynthia sends a prompt for a story. All you have to do is use that prompt to create a story based on personal experiences or like I do, with a fictional character.
Todays Prompt: Write a story about being caught alone in a storm.
My Story:
Savanna Willis stands alone. Her bare feet are covered in scratches and blisters that ache like nothing else. Her pink sweatshirt is covered with mud and some of her own blood. Tears cascade down her dirty face. Her hair is soaking wet and seems to have a waterfall load of water inhabiting it. She sniffles and tries to shake the memory from her mind. Hurricane Katrina came and dropped gallons of rain and wind onto her New Orleans home. Her family fled for her grandparents house in Oregon. Here Savanna stands alone, separated from her family, and scared for her life.
Overhead, winds blow leaves into Savanna`s path. The clouds are blown across the sky at rocket speed and cars struggle to stay on the road as the wind rages on. Up ahead, Savanna can make out the swift outline of a small wave making its way toward her. Lakes and rivers have overflowed sending most of the city underwater. Most residents have fled for dry ground. Savanna has no family, no food, no clean water, and her body is struggling to keep going. Muddy water seeps into her Crocks and a shiver runs up her spine. She needs to find shelter fast.
Savanna keeps walking, no specific destination in mind. She walks for hours, days, weeks, Savanna isn’t sure how much time has passed. Up a head is the Texas border. Beyond is safety. Savanna`s body shivers and her knees start to buckle. “No! I must go on.” Her mind commands. City lights are just beyond the hills so Savanna marches on. Her toes are aching. Her body screams. But she keeps going into the mysterious yonder. She stops in a small grocery store. The owner takes one look at her and beckons for her to follow him into the back room. His name is Leo, Leo Patterson. He hands her some warm blankets and wet towels. She reaches out for them but then her arm flies to her side. Her vision blurs and she starts to fall. Down, down. Until she hits the cold hard floor with a clunk. Everything goes dark.
Savanna wakes up in a hospital bed. Her head throbs, vision sways. Her arm aches and a small whimper escapes her. A group of people come into view. Tears spring to her eyes as her vision clears.
“Savanna? SAVANNA! How do you feel pumpkin?” Her mom`s hand reaches out to her.
“mmmmom! I.. How..” Savanna manages to whisper.
“We couldn’t make it to Oregon. Our car ran out of gas in Dallas. Your father forgot to get gas last week” She rolls her eyes towards Dave. Luckily the weather is fine here. The hospital staff tried everything they could to track down family members. Luckily your medical records were up to date and they contacted us the day after that nice fellow Luke brought you here. You were in a coma.”
“Coma?!” Savanna sat straight up and whimpered again.
“Oh Honey! The doctor said you should be able to go home in a few days. You have a mild concussion. Hurricane Katrina has veered away from New Orleans and we can go home…” Her mom keeps talking. Updating her on what`s happened. Savanna starts to slip off into a deep sleep. Her last thought is: “Everything is going to be okay.”
Thanks for Reading and Stay tuned for more. Let me know what you thought!
~Makayla the Bookworm 😀
Random Reads! 