Category Archives: Finish the Story

Door 331

door-331

Original pic: an old door found on Pixabay.com.        I cropped and edited it in Photoshop.

Esther crept along the dank, unlit corridor, while the moonlight from the window slowly faded behind her. Penetrating deeper into the eerie depths of Garlmarth Castle, complete silence surrounded her; the only sound was that of her heart beating faster and faster as it slowly climbed up her throat.

The darkness seemed thicker in this place. Fear began to seize control of her rationality, and her mind raced with all the possible outcomes of her journey into this forsaken place. Though the castle had supposedly been vacant for some years, she couldn’t help but feel that she was being observed by some ominous force.

Claustrophobia was setting in. She felt as if the air was closing in on her from all sides; that at any moment it might grab her and whisk her away into nothingness. Suddenly, she stopped. Remembering that she wasn’t alone, she pulled out her cell phone and clicked it on. Desperately, she dialed Thurman’s number. Esther could always count on him, her best friend. He would know what to do. No answer. At least the light from the phone would offer some help, she thought.

Looking up, she noticed a splintered, decaying door in front of her. On it, barely visible, were three grimy, moss covered numbers – 331. A chill ran down her spine as she remembered the stories surrounding this room. 

At that moment, the light from her phone dimmed into the night. The battery had died. She stood, staring into the blackness, as her last source of comfort and security vanished before her eyes. She cursed her negligence. Of all the things to remember, making sure that her phone was charged should certainly have been at the top of the list. It was now no more than a paper weight without the vital electricity that ran through it.

She was alone again, in the dark. Should she move forward? She had come too far to turn around now. Cautiously, she reached her hand out and ran it across the width of the door until she found the door knob. It was as cold as the ice in her veins. Slowly turning the knob, she tried to steady her breath. Every moment felt like an eternity. At last, the door creaked open and………….

Finish the story!

The Dragon War

 wallpaper - The ISLAND

Photo Credit: balt-arts via Compfight

The Blood Dragon approached the kingdom of Mar; a war had been raging for many decades, and both sides had suffered dearly. Arturo was the last surviving Blood Dragon; with no hope for his species, he was determined as his last act to avenge his fallen brethren. He flew with ferocious speed toward the floating castle, bent on destroying what his ancestors had created.

The Blood Dragons had ruled the planet since the beginning of its creation, and at some point in time, they had taken an interest in a flightless species on the surface known as the Klamarians. Unlike the other ground dwelling animals of the planet, the Klamarians were more evolved, making use of tools and gathering in societies. However, they were constantly struggling to survive against the stronger more ferocious predators that threatened their existence. The leader of the dragons decided to help the Klamarians prosper by allowing them to live in an abandoned dragon city in the sky.

The Klamarians were always thankful to the dragons, building statues to honor them, and since the Klamarians were no longer plagued by the predators on the surface, they focused on the sciences and expanded their minds. Their society multiplied rapidly and grew extremely powerful; they began creating machines that had never been seen before. However, over time, the old ones who remembered what the dragons had done for them, passed away, and the younger generation that followed became greedy and jealous of the Blood Dragons. Having such advanced technology and knowledge, the young Klamarians felt like they should be rulers of the planet, so they waged a war against the dragons for control. The dragons being wise, peaceful creatures had never considered themselves rulers of anything and pleaded with the Klamarians to allow peace to resume; the Klamarians were not to be persuaded, and war was declared.

Now, many years later, only one Blood Dragon was left, Arturo, the youngest of all the dragons.  As Arturo flew over the city, he roared with the power of all his ancestors’ pain and suffering, sending a jet of flames onto a row of nearby cottages. Responding quickly, the enemy returned fire with their machine gun turrets and artillery. Arturo roared in great agony; the projectiles had not been able to penetrate his tough scales, but the concussion alone was scattering his senses.  Yet, despite the pain, Arturo smiled with a calm resolve. He could not hope to overcome the defenses of the kingdom, but that had not been his plan. There was one thing the Klamarians did not know; without the dragon’s energy running through the planet, their cities would not continue to levitate. Knowing that his sacrifice would also end his enemy, he rushed headlong towards the king’s palace.

 What happens next? Finish the story; will the Klamarians realize their mistake or will they all perish? Or another possible ending?