tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022413452547277809.post641253551998805736..comments2023-07-06T07:33:06.262-04:00Comments on * Writers' Spark * Every story has to start somewhere *: Prompt: The spirit within me honors the spirit within youUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022413452547277809.post-22594987457429118712013-04-08T14:00:52.120-04:002013-04-08T14:00:52.120-04:00*nodding* I like it! Nice quick sketch of a cultur...*nodding* I like it! Nice quick sketch of a culture and setting, some magic. I liked the mundane note of the stick poking her foot. And the surprise (!) of the tiger. Especially liked the communion between the child and tiger to Alia. What happens next?!Margaret S. McGrawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18301618521427459626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022413452547277809.post-63564678095748891722013-04-05T18:08:16.991-04:002013-04-05T18:08:16.991-04:00Prompt: The spirit within me honors the spirit wi...Prompt: The spirit within me honors the spirit within you<br /><br /><br />Alia felt she had walked long enough into the forest. She put the child down. The mother stopped behind her, wringing her hands. Alia could tell the woman wanted to speak, to ask how it was going, but she would not. The mother was overwhelmed with the importance of this first-year rite, and would want to leave the forest spirits to themselves.<br /><br />Alia closed her eyes and spread her arms, sensing the life force in front of her, small and young, and the one behind, similar but older. She extended her senses, noting the forest trees, a sheen of life on their surfaces and across the ground, and bright sparks of animals and insects. She intoned words whose meaning was lost in their rote familiarity. <br /><br />Her arms grew heavy. If nothing came, Alia would nudge something small -- a butterfly, a mouse -- to dash up to the child and away. She did this for at least half the children, justifying it to herself that when the spirits did come of their own accord, they were always just as small and usually very confused as well. A spirit would not respond to her nudge if it was not receptive; probably she was only speeding up what would otherwise happen.<br /><br />A stick had worked its way into her shoe, and now poked the side of her foot. Perhaps she could nudge something already, just a general call...<br /><br />She added some power to her sense, in preparation for shaping it. Then something strong and bright cut across the forest. Alia's eye's opened involuntarily; where had that come from?<br /><br />A tiger emerged from a bush not ten paces from them, walked up to the baby and lay down. It lifted a paw, and the child touched it. Then tiger and baby turned their faces to Alia. _I_know_what_you_were_planning_, their eyes seemed to say.<br />Annenoreply@blogger.com