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Well, I don’t usually do this, but Voice Week really, really was great for me. Another massive thank you to Stephanie at BeKindRewrite for putting it together! It had been a long time since I’ve written, and definitely the most traffic I’ve gotten in a few months 😛 But seriously, this challenge was different even from InMon in that I got to really interact with the readers/commenters/fellow bloggers while writing the story. (P.S read my entries here!)

My favorite reactions were those from the first post in which a lot of people thought the bookstore manager was a man, while I had always envisioned a mousy female. At first this was a little disappointing, I thought I had failed in my portrail of her, but as time went on I realized that people enjoy subtley in a story because it keeps them guessing. Even if they are wrong!

A lot of the guesses actually would have made GREAT stories had I been going in that direction-and that was the most exciting thing of all! It goes back to something I read for an English class(who knew you could learn stuff in school?) that basically said it’s more important what the reader thinks than what the writer meant!

All in all, this is my long winded way to thank you all for your advice, support and reactions! I’ll definitely read all your entries too-and I bet they’re awesome.

Voice Week #5 : Dog Eat Dog World

Last entry to Voice Week :I

The noise was annoying. My ears picked up, I clambered out of my box. I licked at the air. I followed the voices. Hmm. Lotsa people today. Maybe one of them will pet me?

I go up to the scary woman in the scary clothes and push my nose into her hand. She shrieks and I lick it.
“A dog?! A dog! What in the world is wrong with you people? Where the hell did this come from?”
“Oh, a dog? Never seen it before. Must have spent the night in the store.”
Oh, oh! It’s the girl! The girl I followed into the store yesterday! Yay! I leave the scary woman wiping her hand off on her clothes and try and climb up the stool the girl is on. She rubs behind my ears, I love that!

“What a mangy mutt. Come here boy!”
New voice. Oh, a boy! He wants to play! I want to play too! For some reason, he smells just like her. Maybe he’s her brother? I want to play!

“Oh for God’s sake, girl, just ring me up!”
The rumbling old man’s voice distracts me. I bound up to him. He ignores me. I look around. The scary woman from before is gone. I turn to look again, the old man is going to! I race to the door, he pushes me away and leaves. I here footsteps approaching. I turn, it’s the boy from before! He scratches my ears, I let my tongue roll out.

The girl sighs right before the boy asks, “Can we keep him?”

Voice Week #4 : I Just Want My Coffee

Voice Week, one more DAY!

I nudged open the heavy wooden door to the bookstore, my hands full with a coffee in one hand and a cell phone in the other.

“The Inhibited Life of the Parakeet!” A little boy shrieked as I entered, starling me.
I glanced at the counter. Oh my God, he was in his underwear. I shot the three odd balls up front a patronizing look and turned into the bookshelves. What possessed my Boss to send me here I don’t know. I made sure to mention this to Marnie, a few times more than once.

Eww. It was so dirty. An old. What did he mean anyway? Did he just want to get a point across? Thinking of the pointy nosed fiend, I decided that was it. I poked a large tome in a pile with the toe of my ballet flat. It shifted and a cloud of dust exploded out into my face.
Spluttering, I exited the aisle in horror.

“DO YOU PEOPLE EVER CLEAN THIS PLACE?”

I blinked, to see the teenager giving the little boy a noogie.

Voice Week #3 : Little Boy’s Whining

VOICE WEEK #3: Read ’em ALL!

I shoved the swinging door into the store. There was Mel, leaning forwards on the counter looking like a golden retriever. My sock-covered feet slipped a little on the shiny floor.

“Hey.”

What’s with the eyebrow raise? I copied her. She smirked at me. I scratched my stomach. She frowned.

Good.

THUD.

I walked up to the counter in my boxers, not really caring who would see me.

“Customer?”

Yup. There’s the old codger now. He had this massive book in his hands, like the size of a bolder. It was dusty as hell-if hell is dusty. He shuffled over to the counter, scowling at me. I rolled my eyes at him and leaned over to see the title on the blue, peeling cover.

Voice Week #2: Old Geezer Version

Prompt: The Bookstore

Dust. Dust. Dust. I can feel it in my lungs. Why did I ever come here? It a hole-a hole! I look into the dim light and note a sheepish girl behind the cash register. Sarcasm just won’t get my point across. My nose wrinkles as I inhale more dust. 

Oh, that’s right. I was looking for something. Something no one else has. A book. I labour my way through the creaking, heavy, belled door. I grumble as I see the labyrinth of books.

That girl should do a better job. I glance at her. She’s stock still now. I smirk. That showed her who’s boss. Now where is that item?

VOICE WEEK #1 Bookstore

Prompt: Bookstore

Voice Week is awesome! Check it out, start TODAY!

The hazy light fluttered through the window into the dusty depths of my place of work. I heaved a stool heavily over to the cash register and took a seat, ready for the influx of strange and wonderful to arrive. A shallow breath and one does; the bell tinkles as the door opens. A mousey-faced senior citizen enters and peers into the no-doubt-sketchy depths of the store. His nose wrinkles, but like a soldier with his orders, he plows in and begins his voyage. What does he look for? I sit up straighter.

Radom Exercise

Colour: red.

I see it everywhere. I’m not mad. I’m not crazy neither. I don’t have no disability either.

I just see it everywhere.

Red’s a popular colour here. The joggers wear it when they run. People jog at every time of the day. The sports teams where it too. People like sports here.

I like red too.

But, that don’t mean I gotta wear it.

 

There’s too much red on the streets.

 

This is an impromptu practice run at VoiceWeek! Try it out everyone, it’s next week!

INMON: I burned it all

Well…there’s no way for this to go but DARK. Another random INMON entry!

Dear Mommy,

I know you said I couldn’t have a bike, but there was no reason for that. Daddy didn’t even listen when I asked. Daddy always wants me to ask you. He never listens to me.

Why? Why does Daddy hate me?

He always sits in his room writing. It doesn’t even make him happy-it makes him sad. But he still doesn’t want to play with me.

When the house burned down, we lost everything. My toys were gone, my bed was gone. You were gone.

I started the fire, Mommy. Because you said I couldn’t have a bike.

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Oh, it’s sunny out! I though it was meant to be cold.

Oh, it is cold. It freezes my skin with the breeze.

But it’s sunny.

Why?

The weather’s such a hypocrite.

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A quickie…

Have you ever shared a space with someone who you don’t know, have never met and never spoken to save through the internet?

I have.

It would be easier if we could be fast friends.

But life’s tough.

So I make do. I just need to make other friends.

I wish I could.

Hmm.