lughs prompts creative prompt 33

[Lugh]

This one should make you all think --

 

Your protagonist has a serious quirk. It’s a red rose in a field of green. It’s a scared scream in the dead of night. It’s a garlic breath at the other end of a kiss. That’s right, it’s impossible to ignore.

 

Yet… there is no mention of it.

 

Despite this apparent eccentricity — the kind that folks don't see every day — not one person in your story dares to broach the subject. But that's good because it allows you the chance to illuminate your skill at subtext as well as characterization.

 

Tell us, nay, show us a story in which your protagonist aggressively seeks a goal while those around him/her try their darnedest not to react to the conspicuous quirk.

 

Now write it... just a couple paragraphs... you can do it.

[Cia]

"And in first place, Les Stevens."

 

Les has his hand on one hip, still breathing hard and waves to the crowd in the bleachers. He still can't talk so he stays focused on walking until he is cooled off. His coach comes running over and claps a hand on his shoulder.

 

"Good job, son. You ran a great race. I think you too the hurdles a little high, you could probably shave a little time off if you weren't so flashy."

 

"Ahh, but how could I resist Coach?" Les smirks at him and the coach laughs then shakes his head as he walks back to the starting line to give a last minute pep talk to Shaney before she ran in the girl's race..

 

Les begins walking in the grass along the track, ignoring the other school's teams. Most of them just stare at him, their eyes scanning up his legs to the cocky grin on his face. There were whispers but when his head turned the teens fell silent. A few smile at him and one senior from a school across town gave him a thumbs up.

 

At the long jump he begins stretching and jumping to warm up. Standing at the far side, just finishing up his own jump was Tyler Casey. Les looks at the jumps posted; 16' 8". Tyler isn't holding back his smirk but Les is used to ignoring him. All through their freshmen year Tyler had ragged on Les; during class, practice, meets. It was relentless until one day Les decided he'd had enough, even if he had to give up track.

 

At the State tournament he walked out of the locker room and his whole team fell silent; except for Tyler of course. Les ignored him and proceeded to place in every event he did. Tyler didn't get better than fifth. When the meet was over in the locker room Tyler went after Les.

 

"Nice outfit, queer."

 

"Glad to know you like it." Les stuck one leg out and struck a pose. "Didn't know you had such a hard on for my legs but you were sure staring at them all day."

 

"Like them? You made our school a laughinstock. You shouldn't be allowed to be on the track team you disgusting fag!" Tyler shoved Les into the lockers.

 

"Casey! What the hell do you think you're doing? My office; now!" The door slammed shut and the rest of the team just stood there listening to the yelling voices and staring at him. Les turned away and started pulling the spandex leggings he borrowed from his sister off so he could take a shower.

 

"Bright pink... Not fair... But!"

 

The door to the office opened. "No buts, Casey. You're off the team and I'm considering suspension. Don't push it with more of your homophobic crap or I'll get the school board involved."

 

"Screw this school!" Tyler screamed. "I'll go to a new one and next year I'll make you wish you hadn't taken the queer's side."

 

Les has to shake his head to clear the memory. He stands at the end of the run and focused on the white board at the end by the sand pit. Leaning forward he runs as fast as he can, pushes hard right before the take off board and sails through the air. Landing in the soft sand he stays standing for a moment and then leans over, brushing the sand off his leggins. He raises an eyebrow at Trevor who is staring at him, shaking with his hands in fists at his side.

 

"With a jump of 17' 2" Les Stevens takes first in the boys long jump and the all around points lead!"

 

 

 

Okay, so it was more than a few paragraphs but it wasn't too long. Not quite sure if I did exactly what you were going for but this was fun to write anyway!

 

 

[clumber]

Austin frowned as he checked the time on his watch. He was expecting guests tonight and he needed to get home in time to finish tidying up – it was amazing the amount of dust stone walls left – and the last thing he needed is to be stuck in a queue behind some guy who was apparently determined to pay for his shopping in coppers. Well, sod it, he wasn’t going to stand here and wait any longer. Drawing himself up from his habitual low hunch, Austin tapped the guy on the shoulder.

 

“Hey, pal”, he said, his voice a deep growl, “do you mind hurrying up a bit? Some of us are busy.”

 

The man turned around, clearly about to give a mouthful when he looked up, and further up until he met Austin’s eyes.

 

“I...uhhh...I’m sorry.” He stuttered as he stood there, staring up.

 

“Looking at something?”

 

“Oh, no, uhh... sorry”. The man turned back to the till and fiddled through his wallet for a small note, handing that to the cashier and gladly accepting his change, occasionally looking over his shoulder to stare just above Austin’s head. When Austin looked down at him and gave a small snort of exasperation, the man grabbed hold of his shopping and half ran towards the exit. Austin approached the cashier, who smiled up at him.

 

“Sorry about the disturbance” he said, feeling a little sheepish. He absent-mindedly fiddled with one of the points above his head while his shopping was passed through and, thanking the cashier, made his way outside, ducking a little to fit through the doorway. He took his To Do list and a small pencil out of his wallet and looked down, putting a mark next to “Shopping” and sighed at the next item. ‘Clean Labyrinth’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope that's what was meant by the brief. Or at least, is close enough.