Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Prompt: Reason, thicker, particular, smoke, special (use at least 3 of these)


Jacob eyed the smoke oozing from the cleft in the mountain. It curled and coiled, swirling light and dark as it escaped the hidden depths. It had haunted his dreams for the past thirty years. He looked down the length of his body with chagrin. His chest and belly were thicker than they had been then. He’d have more of a challenge getting through the narrow walls of the smoky passage.

Reason deemed this a fool’s errand, yet he had to try. If there were any chance he could save his family, his kingdom, he would do anything within his power. Even face the demons he had escaped once before.

“That looks fun,” Samuel nodded toward the rocky wall before them as he settled down beside Jacob. He handed his cousin a hunk of bread and cheese and a bottle of mead, stolen with a laugh from Cook before they rode out this morning. Samuel was the laughing one. The golden boy. The heir. They had adventured together since they were young. Since before Jacob had faced this particular adventure alone. Samuel had gone with his parents on a tour of the land; and in a fit of pique, Jacob ran away, straight to hell.

And now he would return on purpose, and hope against hope that he could escape again. “You can’t go with me,” he said without looking at Samuel.

“Don’t be an idiot. Of course I am,” Samuel said without heat. It was an old argument, and he always won.

Jacob said nothing further as he watched the smoke rise up, clearing along the ground outside the opening. Without warning, he swung up the handle of his sword and struck Samuel across the brow. Samuel fell backward without a sound. Jacob knelt and covered him with a blanket. “I’m sorry, cousin. Not this time.”

He approached the passage warily, listening for any sound of movement within. He remembered the smoke came in waves, and as it rose up, for a little while the narrow passage would be clear enough to breathe. Until it filled again with the noxious fumes.

He’d have to worry about that if he survived long enough to try to escape.

TBC perhaps

Dogs in house:
Houdini


Time writing:
20 minutes


June word count:
15,560

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