Today i'll be writing a short story following the prompt Solitude as given by my benefactor @mariannewest . You can learn more about the contest here freewrite. Basically you set your timer for 5 minutes and spazz out on the story till times up lol. Hope you enjoy it.
Solitude
It’s cold. My head’s hung at a crooked angle. A girl passes me and I stare at her bangle. Reminds me of an Egyptian artifact I saw at the Museum a few days ago. Whatever, I don’t care.
Two large totems pass me, then a dog. It’s got no fear. I stare at my fingers, observing every line and wrinkle. From a distance a faint chime and jingle.
Now I’m in the middle of a desert. Wind’s heavy. I wrap my face with my shemagh so I can see clearly.
I spot a cave and I navigate the soft sand to its inviting shelter. Guess I’ll have to wait this one out.
I place my hand on the wall and feel a coarse inscription.
“What’s this?”
A shadowy figure races to the edge of my field of vision. The writing is standard hieroglyphic.
"Beware the storm of the dust,
Seek not recluse in the clove of trust
At the warmest hour of dusk
Sustenance for Uraeus"
This has my attention. The sandstorm rages outside as I scrape the wall with aggression.
As I enter deeper the limestone ground gets softer. It’s now almost pitch black, but I’m not bothered. I have my phone with me. I press the torch button to read more. That’s when I see it. A huge slithering reptile. Snake? No, this was a Basilisk. I step back and my feet flattens an oddly shaped rock. I look down to my dismay. I was never standing on chalk, these were crushed bone! The mangled bodies around me are innumerable. Perfectly preserved and kept odorless by the swift dry winds of the desert. It’s eyes glow yellow with a tint of green as it approaches me. I turn to run but see that its tail block my path. I’m transfixed as we seem about to communicate telepathically.
It eyes me and then opens its mouth
“Kevin!”
Yeah?
“Why you sitting by yourself in the middle of a Christmas party?”