Shot of Randomosity & Third Campaigner Challenge

Happy Friday, peeps! I've actually got a double dose of fun for you today.

#1: A Shot of Randomosity
This week, I rediscovered some books while filling my new bookcases, including an Alexander Hamilton biography a friend had bought me (not the glorious Ron Chernow one). I pulled this Hamilton biography from the box for History shelf placement when I noticed something tucked inside.

I texted Alz:

ME: I just unearthed a Hamilton book & it's got like loads of $ in it!!! Thank you, darling!
Monday, 6:35PM

ALZ: wtf? you hide money in books??? :P
Monday, 6:36PM

ME: Uh, I didn't think so and yet here we are.
Monday, 6:35 PM

So, yes. I found MONEY inside my Hamilton biography. $60 to be exact. Yep, that's my man - First Secretary of the US Treasury and Founder of the Bank of the United States.

#2: Third Campaigner Challenge: Show Not Tell
To recap, Alz and I missed Rachel Harrie's Campaign this year, but I found this challenge through Lori's Challenge Entry and was inspired to do it myself. Alz posted her attempt on Wednesday. Mine is after the prompt.

Write a blog post in 300 words or less, excluding the title. The post can be in any format, whether flash fiction, non-fiction, humorous blog musings, poem, etc. The blog post should show:

• that it's morning
• that a man or a woman (or both) is at the beach
• that the MC (main character) is bored
• that something stinks behind where he/she is sitting
• that something surprising happens

Just for fun, see if you can involve all five senses AND include these random words: "synbatec," "wastopaneer," and "tacise." (NB. these words are completely made up and are not intended to have any meaning other than the one you give them).

Not sure if I got the boredom bit and didn't use the words. Mine's exactly 300 words.

Rude Awakening

The wind woke Casey first, then the rough tickle of sand against her cheek. Slowly, she became aware of the salt on her chapped lips. The muffled static in her ears resolved into the sound of rushing water. She pushed herself upright, blinking. To the east, the sky blushed pink-gold.

Casey had no idea where she was, and she might have been alarmed if she weren’t so baffled. Her body was sore, her memories hazy, but she’d bet her college savings a meddling angel was involved. A headache threatened when she tried to remember. So she stared at the sea, too drained for anger.

She hoped someone would fetch her soon. This was getting old fast, and something sat uneasy in the pit of her stomach. Her insides shuddered at the thought and then lurched when she caught a whiff of smoke. It was harsh and metallic. Electric.

Stifling a gag, she turned and found an angel looming over her. The dawn light enveloped him as if drawn by celestial magnetism, leaving the day sapped and dull. It cut the planes of his face to diamond sharpness and gilded his pale hair. His wings smoldered, shedding scorched feathers and oozing ozone. Blood trickled down his arm and sizzled as it hit the sand.

It was Uriel, and Casey had never seen his eyes so luminous blue like stars. She had never seen him injured or his bright beauty shadowed by -- what was it?

“Where is the Commander?” he demanded.

“Michael? Isn’t he with you?”

“No. I thought he accompanied you when he sent you here. To safety.”

When she didn’t answer, Uriel muttered something and glanced down the shoreline. It sounded like a curse. Casey realized then what was different about the angel. In his expression, there was fear.

Hope you enjoyed that! For the record, I have no idea what's going on (much to Alz's annoyance). So here's my Q4U: what's the weirdest place you've found money?

SUPER SPECIAL P.S. I found out last night that LYDIA KANG of Medical Mondays fame, who recently landed an agent, now also has A BOOK DEAL!!! SQUEE! GO CONGRATULATE HER POST HASTE!!!

Third Campaigner Challenge - Show Not Tell

Krispy saw this writing prompt on Lori's blog (her entry is fabulous, by the way).  She told me about how fun it sounded despite the fact that we failed to sign up for the campaign this year, and told me about the wonderful idea this prompt inspired, and then she proceeded to not actually write it.  Instead, I wrote my own snippet while she finished watching Nikita. 

Write a blog post in 300 words or less, excluding the title. The post can be in any format, whether flash fiction, non-fiction, humorous blog musings, poem, etc. The blog post should show:that it’s morning,

• that it's morning
• that a man or a woman (or both) is at the beach
• that the MC (main character) is bored
• that something stinks behind where he/she is sitting
• that something surprising happens.

Just for fun, see if you can involve all five senses AND include these random words: "synbatec," "wastopaneer," and "tacise." (NB. these words are completely made up and are not intended to have any meaning other than the one you give them).

I didn't include the extra words, but I think I more or less covered everything else.

Stroll

The sun peeked over the edge of the horizon, shedding a dark glow across the sea and highlighting the roiling bubbles in amber. The steam rose from the boiling water in dense clouds of gold that coalesced on the angel's straggly hair in tiny shiny beads. His hair was dirty blond both in color as well as the fact that he hadn't washed it in an unhygienic amount of time.

He'd been strolling barefoot over the black obsidian sand since midnight, long enough to see the sea begin to shimmer and bubble as it built with the onslaught of daylight into a full-blown boil. Every inch of the angel's skin glistened with sweat and condensation. The scent of honey thickened the steamy air so that the angel could hardly breathe—and then a whiff of sulfur made him glance over his shoulder.

"What-ho," said the angel. "If it ain't my old mate Illi! How've you been?"

"Shut up, May," said Illi, peeling out of the shadow of a sickly bush: twigs turning into pearly claws, branches becoming arms, stunted leaves lengthening into a cloak of smoke and ash. "I'm here to claim your soul, you son of a bitch."

"You come all this way out to the Sea of Nightmares just for li'l ol' me?" clucked May, putting his hands to his face. "I'm flattered, love. Really."

Illi's fingers twisted together to form a twirling point like a unicorn horn, and he lunged in a smoky whirl. His long thin arm whipped back and then forward.

May looked down at the ivory spiral stabbed through the center of his chest.

"That ain't no way to kill an angel, mate," said May, grinning into Illi's face. "'Specially as there's those who say angels ain't got no souls."

There's mine, and Krispy is working on hers even now as I write up this post. She will post it on Friday. Have you done any writing prompts/exercises lately?

P.S. Tomorrow, we're the featured ninjas at ali cross's writing dojo! We'd be much obliged if you gave it a looksie. We'll post a link to the actual post on Thursday.