Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Wordy Wednesday: Masked!


Picture prompt by Shailaja

He couldn't sleep. In fact, he was so scared, he couldn't move. He was paralyzed with fear!

Jimmy, age 12 looked to the wall opposite his bed. What he saw scared him out of his wits! He wanted to scream, but his tongue was frozen in fear.

It was his first day at the cabin where three other campers his age were sleeping, all in bunkbeds, Jimmy on the bottom of one. He was in unfamiliar surroundings. Oh, how he wished to be in the comfort of his room, in his own bed.

An image of the side of a face painted with three bright orange circles at the bridge of the nose upwards was staring Jimmy in the face, and grinning! It wasn't a normal-looking face, though he thought it might be a dead spirit of some kind.

It certainly didn't help that one of the boys taunted him by reading part of a spooky story just before bedtime. And it certainly didn't help matters that it was a mystery based in Africa with cannibals.

Did this 'man' hold some magical power which made Jimmy's tongue stuck so he couldn't speak? Who was he? And more importantly, what did he want?!

Jimmy squeezed his eyes tight for a few seconds and opened them only to find the big eye still looking at him. He decided he needed to do something 'cause he was so tired from travelling and playing that day.

Jimmy started to concentrate on his breathing, slowing it down as he learned during yoga class at camp that very morning. He started to relax a bit (not looking at the face) and counted to 10 in his head, a pace equivalent to saying "Abracadabra" at least twice at a slower speed, before running to the light switch, a bunk bed away from his.

With the light on, Jimmy looked immediately at the man and noticed it looked different. In fact, it wasn't scary at all!

He walked to the window, noticed the curtain slightly ajar, and peered outside in the dark.

Looking through the window and then to the 'mask' back and forth, back and forth, Jimmy came to realize what happened. What he saw - it took a few moments to register - made sense!

The partially crescent moon formed an oval eye, the nose and mouth shaped by the moon whose light struck part of a sailboat moored at the dock, reflecting through the cabin's window to the former masked image.

The three circles were already on this unusual, ancient-looking instrument, an old drum that was hanging on the wall. The long rod beside it was its companion. It essentially helped to secure the drum steadfastly against the wall.

While the other cabin mates were sleeping soundly, Jimmy drew the curtains shut, turned off the cabin light, crawled into bed, and closed his eyes. He was so ready for a good night's sleep, and hoped his much-deserved sleep would awaken him with pleasant dreams.


This post is written as a picture prompt from Shailaja V. for Wordy Wednesday at the "BAR" (Blog-A-Rhythm). ;)

23 comments:

  1. What an engaging story, Elly! I was waiting to find out exactly how you would resolve Jimmy's fear :) Well done!

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  2. Ah...poor Jimmy! Sometimes illusions can play havoc with our imagination. Loved the detailed imagery you brought out here.

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  3. Beautiful imagery! This post took me back to my childhood when I used to imagine there was a crocodile beneath my bed. I would never sit on it with legs on the floor :)

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  4. Thanks Shailaja: I'm glad you enjoyed it! :)

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  5. Yes Vinnie, the mind is powerful, especially when it comes to imagination! ;)

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  6. It's amusing when you look back at what we used to think and be afraid of about the dark Vidya. Of course, it certainly wasn't back then! ;) <3

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  7. Jimmy deserves his sleep after the frightening episode.

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  8. Loved your take on the prompt, Elly. I have nominated you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. Check here for the details : https://vinithadileep.wordpress.com/2015/01/30/very-inspiring-blogger-award/ Hope you accept the award. Keep inspiring us. :)

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  9. Amazing, Elly! You are so natural with fiction :) what creativity and what flow! Loved it, dear

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  11. He sure does Kalpana! Love your response! ;) <3

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  12. I'm glad you loved it Vinitha. :) I just got nominated for this award LAST WEEK Vinitha, so I think it may be a bit too early to accept again. Thanks though, I truly appreciate it! I suspect you were part of this chain perhaps? ;) <3

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  13. Thanks Asma, though if I am a natural, I am surprised: it is only my second fiction prompt I believe, and I have written one unpublished (inspired) story...that makes it the third or fourth. So I'm still new to this... :) <3

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  14. Nice one Elly. Reminded me of my son's first school camp at primary school - he came home and told me he was scared of the spooky faces he thought he saw.

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  15. Thanks Suzy! Interesting that my story paralleled your son's, even if just a bit. ;) <3

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  16. What a coincidence!. I guess all the 12 year old would have such fears, and i was no exception.

    I had been to my aunt's house during my vacation, when I was of the same age. One evening, the power went off and to my horror I could see a horrific creature on the wall barely 20 feet away from me. The creature was staring at me and was moving. I screamed and my uncle came rushing only to find that a portion of the wall had collapsed and they were rebuilding it and the rebuilt portion was painted with a basic white coating. But i was so scared that I was feverish for the next two days.

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  17. Interesting Ajay! That sure was quite something for you to feel scared for two days straight! I guess it may be a common experience for boys and/or 12-year olds as it seems from your account and that of Suzy's son (in comment). <3

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  18. lovely and truly innovative take on the prompt! Used every bit of that picture :D

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  19. Thanks Roshan. Yes, I guess I did, didn't I, including the orange dots! ;) <3

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  20. Thanks MeenalSonal! I appreciate you reading and commenting. :) <3

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  21. A brilliantly creative post, loved the positivity in it.

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  22. Thanks Sulekkha! I'm glad you enjoyed it (perhaps as much as I did writing it)! ;) <3

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