Welcome to the Steemit Story Chain

Good afternoon fellow Steemers and Steemians I hope your day is going well so far. It's time for another Steemit Story Chain where normally I would invite you all to finish writing a story that I start. However, this week I am going to do something different. For the new story chain I am going to ask you guys to start the story so you can have full control from start to finish.

I would like to say a big thank you to those who took part in the last story chain Not Quite Pleasantville, particularly to @beeyou, @viraythewitch and @glenalbrethsen. You all wrote some very interesting parts of the chain. It was a very close contest this week and a difficult one to determine, but a winner has now been decided.

@glenalbrethsen

You developed the great story set up by @beeyou in a very powerful and exciting way. You crammed your piece with descriptive detail and additional narrative, and made a great effort to develop the characters involved. You delivered your piece in a very well presented manner. Your style of writing is very impressive, so thank you for your contribution.

You have won 100 Whaleshares. Please reply with your Bitshares account information and I will send the Whaleshares to your account immediately. Enjoy! If you don't have an account don't worry it's very simple and completely free to set one up here - https://bitshares.openledger.info/?r=akrid-1.

A reminder of the winning part is detailed below:

Part 4, following @viraythewitch

You would have thought Clarissa had just announced she had dynamite and was about to blow us all to smithereens!

As if rehearsed, in unison, everyone bolted to their feet and began hollering at once. It was impossible to pick out of the sudden din of voices what all were yammering on about, but those immediate to me seemed to be splitting up into three camps.

One insisted we help Clarissa so as to avoid the ill-will Mother Crow Melda had bespoke, while another equally insisted the only way to avoid the ill-will was to unceremoniously dump the poor girl at the city limits without delay.

The third group largely wrung their hands, cried, "Oh no, oh no!" each time one or the other side made an increasingly dire comment, and when asked, "Well, then, out with it! What do you think?" shook their head and exclaimed, "I don't know! I just don't know!"

Now, I'm not well-versed in town politics or parliamentary procedure—I'd only just been allowed into a couple town meetings on account I'd come of age a few moons back (the rule's changed over the years, but presently, you needed to be 15 to attend)—but I'd witnessed enough in my short time to know this spectacle could go on all night. It'd already happened over more trivial things, like the most effective ways to swat the late summer lake flies so that they stayed dead.

Instead of participating in the uproar, I squeezed my way out of my row and went to the back of the hall. To her credit (or foolhardiness for not turning tail and running), Clarissa still clung to the door frame, overcome by the overwrought melodrama unfolding unabashedly before her.

I admit, it was quite the display, even for the townsfolk of Macklefield. Old, misunderstood prophecies of potential doom will do that, I guess.

Since there was little chance we could hold a proper conversation with all the noise, I simply gave Clarissa a wan smile and turned her back into the entryway and out into the night. It wasn't until we were out in the warm autumn air and under the half-moon that I attempted to speak.

"I'm Laureal," I said. My hand was still clenching her shoulder from directing her to this spot, but it wasn't until now that I noticed her skin was ice cold. Her complexion was paler than it should be, too. "Are you all right?"

"Someone's after me." She turned to show me her back. There was a jagged tear in her T-shirt. I parted it and discovered charred flesh that was swollen with infection. I'm no physician, but it was a miracle with that kind of angry wound that she was even conscious, let alone still on her feet.

I winced. "We need to get you to Old Doc Rohan."

"N-no." Weakly, she faced me again. "I need to know if you're all going to help me. I'm being followed by the person who did this to me. I think I was able to put a few days between us, but she will eventually find me. She always does. Even if I wasn't hurt, I can't keep running. One way or another, it needs to end."

Well, I don't know about you, but that kind of declaration doesn't slip past me without ought near a hundred questions springing to life inside my head. I was about to commence a thorough but gentle interrogation when a tremendous boom was heard from back inside the hall.

"She's here!"

Clarissa dropped to the ground, throwing her scrawny arms over her head. I couldn't help smiling like a fool, but managed to stifle the laugh. She looked all small and pitiful, trembling with a mixture of fever and fear, but it was still funny. In a morbid kind of way.

"Don't worry, child," I said, "That's just Wordell. He can detonate air. Kind of a senseless ability, but it's pretty useful in getting someone's attention. That'll mean everyone's done squabbling for the moment and maybe you can tell us your story."

---

Now moving onto this week's new story chain, as previously stated I am doing something a little different for this story chain. This week I want you guys to start the story instead of me and then continue it, so you are writing the entire story. It works completely in the same way as normal but it's just that this week you are also starting the story. I hope you like the idea. You can write about anything and in any genre you wish. You have a completely blank canvass to channel your creative juices. Don't forget if you wish to take part upvote and resteem this post. Use the comment box to start the story and then develop it. Make sure you number your part of the story so we know where your continuing. Be as ambitious and original as possible. And have fun with it!

This contest is sponsored by Whaleshares and I owe a big thank you to @akrid and @officialfuzzy. There are 100 Whaleshares for the winning entry. If you would like to learn more about Whaleshares and how they can increase your post rewards please visit @eirik/guide-on-how-to-use-whaleshares-updated-version where @eirik will gladly explain more to you.

What I am looking for in order to determine the winning entry is as follows:

• A strong sense of imagination
• Creative intelligence
• Originality
• Narrative fluidity (ensuring the story chain links smoothly)
• Use of language, grammar and syntax (we need to understand what you're saying!)

The winner will be announced in a week's time. A new post will be published then announcing the winner along with a new story chain.

Part One of Your Story

Please begin writing the story.