July's Just Write! 300 Words - Paragraph Prompt

It's time for another round of 300 Words (a paragraph prompt challenge featured in our monthly Just Write! enewsletter)! Read on to enjoy what creative words flowed from the leading sentence: 

"At first just a sheet of deep black expanse, the tranquil night sky suddenly exploded with light and color."

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From Patricia:

At first just a sheet of deep black expanse, the tranquil night sky suddenly exploded with light and color.

Stalagmite bonfire flames separated us. I bit into my s’more, its melted coffee tinged string of marshmallow swinging from my chin. He tapped his stick against mine toasting our sweet treats.  I noticed his brow had tiny droplets of sweat forming a luminescent string when he suddenly glanced up, his eyes wide, searching until a beam of light opened the dark night, highlighting us sitting on nature’s stage. A whirling sound began to circle our heads, too high to reach, but persistent as if a giant prehistoric insect was eyeing his marshmallow now blackened, falling in charcoal puddles onto the charred firewood.

I saw a tremble in his lips as the of red, white and blue flashing light of a drone landed, pointing its nose to the fire and its tone now a resolved hum.

Nodding, he pointed to the drone, “Check it out, looks like you got a delivery.” Balancing my marshmallow stick on a smoking log, I crawled over to the drone, still blinking red, tipped it ever so slightly and carefully unhooked a leather sack. Inside was a tiny avocado tied together with a magenta piece of raffia.

He crawled next to me inches from my face watching me untie the avocado. I carefully separated the avocado, sliced evenly across its middle, gently dropping its contents into my hand. Grasping the diamond ring tightly, I stared into his eyes masked with dark smudges of tears and said yes.

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From Harvey:

At first just a sheet of deep black expanse, the tranquil night sky suddenly exploded with light and color.

Then there was silence and darkness for yet another 3,000 years. This pattern was so predictable that it became boring for Jared Janesco Jumblebumble, who still could not believe that he was given the job. After all, he was just a slacker in the International School of Rich Kids Who Go to Prestigious Schools Because That's What They Do campus.

He just wanted to graduate and get his degree and then rip off some poor people to make a fortune like his father. It didn't matter what he knew or how he used it but how to come up with a slash and burn scheme to get richer quick and when things get tough...declare bankruptcy, hide behind a corporation, and take some time off to "spend more time with family" (the name of a class on campus).

So he thought it a joke when an email came that said, "Jared, you have been chosen to be the next God. You act like you are me already, so it won't be much of a stretch. You'll love it! You get to decide everything!" And the kicker was that it was signed God.

Of course Jared hit the delete button. But a funny thing happened. Two more of the same email came back. And each time he hit the delete button more and more of the same email came. And it wasn't long before owls started dropping them down his chimney and into windows (even the ones that were closed).

Overwhelmed, Jared gave in and decided to fulfill his calling. So every few thousand years Jared assuages his boredom by giving himself a boring job and that's why he is President.

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From Adrienne:

At first just a sheet of deep black expanse, the tranquil night sky suddenly exploded with light and color;

I wasn’t expecting that burst of color in my head as I hit the ground. I lost consciousness. For a while, when I began to open my eyes, I couldn’t see anything. Just the black night and the stars twinkling far away. 
 
For the life of me, I couldn’t recall how I got here, in this particular predicament.  What am I doing here floated through my mind?  Who am I? Why is my head hurting? How long have I been laying here? I began to wiggle my  toes and realized I was barefoot. I wear shoes, why wouldn’t I have shoes on at night. I wouldn’t be walking around without shoes, would I?   I tried sitting up and had to lay back down on the ground.  There were shrubs near me where I lay.
 
As I lay there, I heard voices and footsteps. “She ran this way. …”
 
“Well, find her. You can’t let her go!”
 
‘Why couldn’t they let me go. Was I running away from someone? Think! What is going on that they would be searching for me!
 
The foot steps got closer, I rolled under the shrubbery. A dim flashlight swept the ground. A whisper said, “If you’re here, don’t come out!”
 
What happened? What’s my name.
 
Someone began calling “Isabel!  where are you? The fireworks are going to start soon. Isabel!”
 
“Shut up! You think she’s going to come out after you knocked her down?”
 
“I didn’t mean to hit her. I was lifting out the planks. It was an accident!”
 
“No. You swung that plank at her head. She told you she was leaving you.”
 
“Why would I be leaving him? My name must be Isabel?”

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Thank you for reading (and/or participating in) this month's 300 Words, a paragraph prompt challenge featured in our monthly Just Write! enewsletter. If you haven't already, join in the fun and sign up for the Just Write enews so you will always know about our writer groups, resources, classes, activities, and  the like. Tell your friends and write on!

Lets get mysterious with August. So for next month's prompt, let's finish - in 300 words or less - the line: 

"'Hello,' said the voice on the phone. 'My name is __________. I know you never expected a call from me, but I've been given your name as someone who can help me'"

Just email your original response to this line in 300 words or less to Abbie at digital@villagebooks.com by August 20th to make the next newsletter and blog post! 

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