White Elephant Prompt Present Game

[Parker Owens]

5 hours ago, Valkyrie said:

Well since @Parker Owens regularly steals my shiny in Last Post Wins, I shall repay it in turn and do a little penguin dance while chanting "I'm stealing number four and number four can't be stolen from me".   

 

Sorry, Parker  (leaves a fish in place of the present)  

 

Val stole my favorite number. 

No matter. There are a number of integers remaining, some of them prime. 

 

I shall choose #23, and now Val cannot steal it from me again. 

 

Mine. 

[Cia]

I was hoping there'd be some more stealing fun, so I held off on the newsletter and game announcement, lol. Shockingly, not a single one of you guys got a photo prompt present! However, if you find a holiday image that fits your flash fiction that you'd like to feature with the newsletter, I am more than happy to add it. Please make sure you use a free stock website like pixabay.com or your own photos. I will need a link to make sure the image is legal if it's an online download. If not, I'll probably use a clip of your present. 

 

The rules are quite simple folks. Take the prompt you were given and write something that falls along those lines. Anything, but you do need to include the prompt theme and gist. Otherwise, go contemporary, mystery, paranormal, magic, mayhem, long, short, poem, story, slice of life, momentary glimpse... whatever strikes your fancy! Just make sure you can post it in GA Stories (so comics and stuff are out). And it has to be done by: December 20th for inclusion in the December 23rd newsletter. **You can use first or third person and present or past tense regardless of the style of the prompt**

 

If someone wants to play the game, just pick the number of a present (first post in topic) that hasn't been chosen yet and I will give you the corresponding prompt. Sorry, I'm not revealing what they are until they're chosen, though! Authors, share the fun of this game and see if you can get others to play!

Presents

1

2

3 @JayT “You’re handed an elaborately decorated miniature chocolate cake, complete with red frosting and a Christmas bow. You sink you fork into the cake, but then….”

4 @Valkyrie “Inside this bottle swirls a sparkling blue mist. Whoever opens it is gifted with the magic of one Christmas wish. You use it to….”

5 @comicfan “It’s yellow. So yellow. You look up, a smile pasted on your face. ‘I love it,’ you say, and his happy grin makes you….”

6 @Caz Pedroso “It’s an envelope with your name on it. Your Secret Santa probably doesn’t have a clue who you are and got you a gift card, but, surprisingly, the envelope is your favorite color of purple. You open it and find….”

7

8 @Emi GS "Pink, pink, pink. The present had to be for a woman. You were pretty sure something equally pink and frilly would be inside, but the game meant you had to open the present you were given. Everyone watched as you untied the bow and lifted the lid to find...." 

9 @MacGreg “A TV was your gift to yourself. You wouldn’t usually splurge, but the guy at the store gave you a ‘special deal for a special TV’. You decide to break it on Christmas Eve. You have your eggnog, spiked of course, and a holiday marathon planned. You turn on the TV and….”

10 @northie “The box is old. It’s covered in something that looks like antique wallpaper and a yellow bow. It was stuck up in the attic of the house your eccentric uncle left you in his will. Inside, nestled in several layers of aged newsletters, is a….”

11 @Mikiesboy “Each party cracker contains something… unusual inside. Your host’s grin is a tad curled at the edges, his eyes a little too bright. Maybe you shouldn’t open it. But something is compelling you to touch the red tube on your plate. You grasp both ends, and….”

12

13 @Ivric “You’re not being sneaky. The little girl deserves the doll you saw her stare at, her eyes wide and her little palms clenched together under her chin. You’ll just drop it off on their porch on Christmas Eve, just like Santa. You’re about to sneak away, but…”

14

15

16 @Renee Stevens "Love makes everything sweeter. The candy shop seemed to be stocking up on hearts for Valentine's Day, even though it wasn't even Christmas yet. It would only take a one chocolate, with your secret ingredient added, to make sure you both had a very Merry Christmas. At least... that's what the book said."  

17

18 @Dolores Esteban “The present has sharp edges, like a box, but there’s a strange tube or something coming out of the top, barely visible through the paper pulled up and wrapped around with a string and bow to hold it in place. And there’s something inside. Something making a noise. Was this is a holiday prank? You look around, but the hallway is empty. Then the box shakes in your hands. You….”

19 @Sam Wyer  “It’s an empty box. You got a bum gift from the cute elf in green tights. Great. ‘No, it’s not a box.’ He puts the lid on and then turns it. ‘It’s a diamond. Open it.’ What is he talking about? You already opened it. But he’s too cute, his eyes sparkling with mischief, to deny. So you….”

20

21

22 @BHopper2 “He watched you avidly as you press your hands against both sides of the box. ‘I hope you like it. It is totally unique, one of a kind, just like you,’ he said. The lid finally slid free and you gasped.”

23 @Parker Owens “’Stars for the star. From, Your Secret Admirer.’ You weren’t sure if you should open it, but it was the only present you got this year. You licked your lips, hesitated, then….”

24

25 @Puppilull “The rarest vintage. A one of a kind elixir. Drink it, and be transported to the holiday memory of your dreams. You grab the cork. ‘It’s only a dream, right…?’ You put the bottle to your lips….”

26 @Timothy M. "Striped print. Oookay. Creative wrapping paper, if not very Christmas-y. You ignore his grin and open the box. Oh. My. God. You drop the zebra striped... things in the box. 'My family is here!' you hiss. He...." 

27

[Valkyrie]

I think I like my stolen present better, so thank you for stealing my cake, @JayT    

[Renee Stevens]

I'll take number 16

[Mikiesboy]

Hmmmmm ... okay.. like the shape of .. 11.  @Cia i'd like 11 please and thank you.

[northie]

Yay! More victims, sorry, eager participants. 

[Sam Wyer]

Can I take 19 please?  

[MacGreg]

Cool, this should challenge my fiction abilities nicely; I wouldn't personally splurge on a TV, watch a holiday movie marathon, nor drink egg nog. 

[Parker Owens]

@Valkyrie Thank you for stealing #4.  I prefer #23 after all. Just goes to show me, doesn’t it?

[Caz Pedroso]

12 hours ago, Cia said:

“It’s an envelope with your name on it. Your Secret Santa probably doesn’t have a clue who you are and got you a gift card, but, surprisingly, the envelope is your favorite color of purple. You open it and find….”

 

Hmmm, a challenge  Lots of things can come in an envelope  

[Mikiesboy]

1 hour ago, MacGreg said:

Cool, this should challenge my fiction abilities nicely; I wouldn't personally splurge on a TV, watch a holiday movie marathon, nor drink egg nog. 

can't wait to see Your reply, Sir.  hehe

[Mikiesboy]

36 minutes ago, Parker Owens said:

@Valkyrie Thank you for stealing #4.  I prefer #23 after all. Just goes to show me, doesn’t it?

Oh that is nice Parker!!!

[Cia]

@Renee Stevens @Mikiesboy @Sam Wyer I've added your prompts above. Still no one has landed on the magic photo prompt. Oh well! Maybe next year, unless we get more players.

[Sam Wyer]

So when does the stealing stop?  AKA - when can I safely make a start on my story?

[Puppilull]

4 hours ago, Sam Wyer said:

So when does the stealing stop?  AKA - when can I safely make a start on my story?

 

My idea hatched this morning, so either way I've already been chosen... 

[Brayon]

4 hours ago, Sam Wyer said:

So when does the stealing stop?  AKA - when can I safely make a start on my story?

No more stealing, now that they are revealed.

[Cia]

*nods* Bhopper2 is right, @Sam Wyer. You are safe whenyour present was opened and your prompt revealed.  

[Emi GS]

OK. I'll take #8. My lucky number. Hope no one's gonna steal it before it got revealed... 

[Cia]

LOL! Luckily for you, I'm an early riser and have time before work. I've added your prompt to the present post.

[Timothy M.]

I'll grab present no 26, if that's OK.

[Cia]

Gotcha! Check out your prompt in the post.

[Sam Wyer]

OK - sorry if I’m being an idiot, but what do we do with the story when it’s done?  Do we just post it?  Do we send it to @Cia?  I might have missed something obvious here 

[northie]

@Sam Wyer we do seem to be lacking the usual instructions. It's normally a case of posting the story unpublished, then sending a link to Cia. She likes to be able to publish them at one time. The closing date isn't for another couple of weeks, I think. 

[Sam Wyer]

1 hour ago, northie said:

@Sam Wyer we do seem to be lacking the usual instructions. It's normally a case of posting the story unpublished, then sending a link to Cia. She likes to be able to publish them at one time. The closing date isn't for another couple of weeks, I think. 

Yes, although I’ve not done anything like this before, I guessed it might be something like that.  I’m just not so good with unclear boundaries.

[Cia]

Sorry about that @Sam Wyer Yes, you can post the story because then you add your own description and all that, but make sure you uncheck the publish box and leave it blank for the story and chapter. Then you send me a copy of the link. I will feature all the stories I get by the deadline in the newsletter. And, always, feel free to send me a PM with any questions you have. I get those alerts via email, so I see them sooner than a mention notification which I don't get until I'm on GA.