Grab Bag Writing Challenge - October 2017
- abstract - cloak - dagger - enigma - faint - guess - hide - mystery - perplex - secret - spy - thrill - unknown - veil - whisper -
by Aurelia West
Cloaked in darkness, the mystery figure set through the night, a dagger in one hand, a wand alight in the other. Selena trailed him quietly aiming to spy his hideout, but the enigmatic character let no secrets slip as he continued on his way. The wind whispered softly around her as she continued to follow him into the unknown. They had strayed from a path she recognized a while ago and she couldn't guess what perplexing place he was headed to now. Suddenly the figure turned around to face her and Selena felt as if ice had just been slipped down her back. Her invisibility cloak veiled her presence, but she couldn't hide the fact that she was terrified. Luckily, he soon turned back around, the faint light of his wand continuing on, and she slowly let herself breathe again, thrilled he hadn't spotted her. It felt as if she had been tailing him for an abstract amount of time, yet she still had no idea where he was headed. All she knew was that she had to continue to pursue him if she wished to find the whereabouts of her younger sister. She was sure he had something to do with it. Up ahead, finally another light emerged and she saw him enter a castle too large to be in the middle of a forest like this. Making a split second decision, she followed him inside.
Cloaked in darkness, the mystery figure set through the night, a dagger in one hand, a wand alight in the other. Selena trailed him quietly aiming to spy his hideout, but the enigmatic character let no secrets slip as he continued on his way. The wind whispered softly around her as she continued to follow him into the unknown. They had strayed from a path she recognized a while ago and she couldn't guess what perplexing place he was headed to now. Suddenly the figure turned around to face her and Selena felt as if ice had just been slipped down her back. Her invisibility cloak veiled her presence, but she couldn't hide the fact that she was terrified. Luckily, he soon turned back around, the faint light of his wand continuing on, and she slowly let herself breathe again, thrilled he hadn't spotted her. It felt as if she had been tailing him for an abstract amount of time, yet she still had no idea where he was headed. All she knew was that she had to continue to pursue him if she wished to find the whereabouts of her younger sister. She was sure he had something to do with it. Up ahead, finally another light emerged and she saw him enter a castle too large to be in the middle of a forest like this. Making a split second decision, she followed him inside.
by Gail Allen
A whisper went through the crowd as the mayor stepped onto the dais. It had been built especially for this moment and once this ceremony was over, the dais would no doubt be taken down, unless of course it was part of the installation hidden beneath the deep blue velvet veil. No one knew what it was, except that it was supposed to be some kind of abstract art. It was quite a mystery, not least because the artist was marked down as 'unknown.' It had led many people to guess and speculate why that was, but whatever the truth was, it remained a secret.
Maria drew her cloak closer around herself; it was a chilly spring day, and though the wind was only a faint whisper, it still stole the warmth from everyone gathered around.
The mayor was speaking now, and Maria felt a thrill of excitement when he finally pulled the string that would unveil the sculpture.
What she saw perplexed her: the sculpture was of a dagger, but it was almost melted in its appearance. Even as abstract art it was quite strange.
She wasn't the only one watching, but most people felt the same way as she did; the sculpture was strange and did not make sense to them. But most agreed that it was interesting and there were approving nods and talk about the artist's skill in conveying a message – except no one quite agreed what that message was. But that was art for you, people said. It was open to interpretation. It was an enigma. That was why it was hard to determine exactly what it was supposed to mean.
It wasn't all there was to it though, for when night had fallen, a man walked past, and quickly made sure he was alone before kneeling down beside it and pressing a button that revealed a secret message engraved on the surface. He smiled to himself as he finished reading it. It was good. They stood a chance now.
He thanked the gods that their spy had been as skilled as he was in hiding the message and that he himself could still identify it; the dagger. That was what had made him know where to look. And now they knew. Now they could defend themselves.
A whisper went through the crowd as the mayor stepped onto the dais. It had been built especially for this moment and once this ceremony was over, the dais would no doubt be taken down, unless of course it was part of the installation hidden beneath the deep blue velvet veil. No one knew what it was, except that it was supposed to be some kind of abstract art. It was quite a mystery, not least because the artist was marked down as 'unknown.' It had led many people to guess and speculate why that was, but whatever the truth was, it remained a secret.
Maria drew her cloak closer around herself; it was a chilly spring day, and though the wind was only a faint whisper, it still stole the warmth from everyone gathered around.
The mayor was speaking now, and Maria felt a thrill of excitement when he finally pulled the string that would unveil the sculpture.
What she saw perplexed her: the sculpture was of a dagger, but it was almost melted in its appearance. Even as abstract art it was quite strange.
She wasn't the only one watching, but most people felt the same way as she did; the sculpture was strange and did not make sense to them. But most agreed that it was interesting and there were approving nods and talk about the artist's skill in conveying a message – except no one quite agreed what that message was. But that was art for you, people said. It was open to interpretation. It was an enigma. That was why it was hard to determine exactly what it was supposed to mean.
It wasn't all there was to it though, for when night had fallen, a man walked past, and quickly made sure he was alone before kneeling down beside it and pressing a button that revealed a secret message engraved on the surface. He smiled to himself as he finished reading it. It was good. They stood a chance now.
He thanked the gods that their spy had been as skilled as he was in hiding the message and that he himself could still identify it; the dagger. That was what had made him know where to look. And now they knew. Now they could defend themselves.
by Maxim Trevelyan
Maxim plopped into the seat next to Gary in the Great Hall and leaned his head on his right hand, smiling. "What are you doing, Gary?" he asked in his most innocent voice.
"No, I'm not helping you out Maxim. I don't want to get detention, or get expelled," Gary forcefully put down his fork. He had a feeling that his dinner was just ruined.
"You got a little bit of egg on your shirt," Maxim pointed out, totally ignoring Gary's previous statement. He grinned when his friend groaned, "I have to go all the way back to the common room to change it." Maxim sat up and pulled on Gary's hand. "No need, just say it's abstract art. Now, you need to be as quiet as a mouse, since we've got a job to do." With that said, Maxim started to walk towards the second floor.
After a ten minute walk, mostly filled with hiding behind suits or armor, veils and whispered conversations, Gary paled when he noticed where they stopped. "I don't even want to know what you would want in a Transfiguration classroom," Gary muttered, feeling a bit faint. Maxim opened his mouth to explain, but was interrupted, "No, no excuses. At least now I know what was up with the cloak and dagger routine. I hate you so much." Gary finished and took a calming breath. "What are you even doing?"
"I," Maxim puffed his chest out, "am breaking out the flamingos in the classroom. I heard about the plight of these poor animals and was perplexed that such cruelty is allowed within these sacred halls."
Gary narrowed his eyes at Maxim and crossed his arms, not believing a word he said. "Let me guess. Does this have anything to do with Mystery Machine team's Beater saying you looked like a mix between a flobberworm and a plucked flamingo in the summer Quidditch camp?"
Maxim stopped in his tracks and turned wide, innocent, eyes to Gary. "Will you believe me if I say no?," he snorted and went back to thinking about how to best approach the spells that were definitely put on the door to the Transfiguration classroom.
"Well, she definitely saw some truth in her statement, since she sure did bludger you a lot," Gary mused, corners of his mouth twitching just a little bit. "In fact, if I remember correctly, you were hiding behind the goalposts most of the match after the third time she had hit you."
Maxim growled, "Oh, just shut up and help me, you traitor. Here is the list of the spells the professor has used on the door. We need to break them. Chop, chop."
Gary looked at the list, wondering just how a professor would allow himself to use such basic spells to lock the classroom. He assumed some jinxes would be at least a 6th year level. "This list is supposed to be a secret, how did you even...?" Gary trailed off and sighed. "You spied on the professor."
"I spied on the professor," Maxim nodded. "Thank you for making it sound so shady. Here I wanted to tell you that the door is an enemy and I'm the Enigma, but you ruined it, Gary," he glared.
Gary decided to just let it go and after a couple of minutes of silence, broken only by sizzles from the spells, the door unlocked and opened. The boys looked at each other and stepped into the darkness, what is waiting, unknown to them.
It was total darkness, but the boys heard soft honks and saw at least a dozen pairs of golden eyes starting at their every move. "This is disconcerting," Maxim murmured, and raised his wand. "Maybe we should turn on the lights?" Gary asked, proceeding to cast Lumos, but stopped at Maxim's vigorous head-shaking. "No, no, no. I don't want to look at those pink demons," he snarled, which caused a loud, frightened honking conga.
"Cast Alohomora," Maxim shouted, and proceeded to do just that. He did not want to be found in another professor's classroom after hours. After a minute of blind unlocking spells, there was a free flock of flamingos flying blind around the classroom. They went for the nearest source of light, which unfortunately were Gary's and Maxim's wands, and tried to land on the boys. The two students started to run from the classroom, flocked by flamingos all the way to the nearest large window, which was on the end of the corridor. Flamingos managed to fly away, but not before decorating the boys with plumes of pink feathers and a few scratches.
"Wasn't that just...thrilling?" Maxim laughed after the initial shock had passed. He hacked, coughing up a few feathers.
"Your plans are bad and you should feel bad," Gary grumbled, making his way to the common room. With his luck, he would be partaking in another Maxim scheme of doom by the end of the calendar year.
Maxim plopped into the seat next to Gary in the Great Hall and leaned his head on his right hand, smiling. "What are you doing, Gary?" he asked in his most innocent voice.
"No, I'm not helping you out Maxim. I don't want to get detention, or get expelled," Gary forcefully put down his fork. He had a feeling that his dinner was just ruined.
"You got a little bit of egg on your shirt," Maxim pointed out, totally ignoring Gary's previous statement. He grinned when his friend groaned, "I have to go all the way back to the common room to change it." Maxim sat up and pulled on Gary's hand. "No need, just say it's abstract art. Now, you need to be as quiet as a mouse, since we've got a job to do." With that said, Maxim started to walk towards the second floor.
After a ten minute walk, mostly filled with hiding behind suits or armor, veils and whispered conversations, Gary paled when he noticed where they stopped. "I don't even want to know what you would want in a Transfiguration classroom," Gary muttered, feeling a bit faint. Maxim opened his mouth to explain, but was interrupted, "No, no excuses. At least now I know what was up with the cloak and dagger routine. I hate you so much." Gary finished and took a calming breath. "What are you even doing?"
"I," Maxim puffed his chest out, "am breaking out the flamingos in the classroom. I heard about the plight of these poor animals and was perplexed that such cruelty is allowed within these sacred halls."
Gary narrowed his eyes at Maxim and crossed his arms, not believing a word he said. "Let me guess. Does this have anything to do with Mystery Machine team's Beater saying you looked like a mix between a flobberworm and a plucked flamingo in the summer Quidditch camp?"
Maxim stopped in his tracks and turned wide, innocent, eyes to Gary. "Will you believe me if I say no?," he snorted and went back to thinking about how to best approach the spells that were definitely put on the door to the Transfiguration classroom.
"Well, she definitely saw some truth in her statement, since she sure did bludger you a lot," Gary mused, corners of his mouth twitching just a little bit. "In fact, if I remember correctly, you were hiding behind the goalposts most of the match after the third time she had hit you."
Maxim growled, "Oh, just shut up and help me, you traitor. Here is the list of the spells the professor has used on the door. We need to break them. Chop, chop."
Gary looked at the list, wondering just how a professor would allow himself to use such basic spells to lock the classroom. He assumed some jinxes would be at least a 6th year level. "This list is supposed to be a secret, how did you even...?" Gary trailed off and sighed. "You spied on the professor."
"I spied on the professor," Maxim nodded. "Thank you for making it sound so shady. Here I wanted to tell you that the door is an enemy and I'm the Enigma, but you ruined it, Gary," he glared.
Gary decided to just let it go and after a couple of minutes of silence, broken only by sizzles from the spells, the door unlocked and opened. The boys looked at each other and stepped into the darkness, what is waiting, unknown to them.
It was total darkness, but the boys heard soft honks and saw at least a dozen pairs of golden eyes starting at their every move. "This is disconcerting," Maxim murmured, and raised his wand. "Maybe we should turn on the lights?" Gary asked, proceeding to cast Lumos, but stopped at Maxim's vigorous head-shaking. "No, no, no. I don't want to look at those pink demons," he snarled, which caused a loud, frightened honking conga.
"Cast Alohomora," Maxim shouted, and proceeded to do just that. He did not want to be found in another professor's classroom after hours. After a minute of blind unlocking spells, there was a free flock of flamingos flying blind around the classroom. They went for the nearest source of light, which unfortunately were Gary's and Maxim's wands, and tried to land on the boys. The two students started to run from the classroom, flocked by flamingos all the way to the nearest large window, which was on the end of the corridor. Flamingos managed to fly away, but not before decorating the boys with plumes of pink feathers and a few scratches.
"Wasn't that just...thrilling?" Maxim laughed after the initial shock had passed. He hacked, coughing up a few feathers.
"Your plans are bad and you should feel bad," Gary grumbled, making his way to the common room. With his luck, he would be partaking in another Maxim scheme of doom by the end of the calendar year.
The Darkness - by Shiloh Adlar
A faint whisper was heard coming from the shadows. Delora hid behind the dark tree as the figures appeared. One wearing a long, dark cloak while the other had her face hidden by a veil. Delora felt for the dagger she always kept on her. Having her hand against the cool steel calmed her anxiety immensely. It had always kept her safe, and she knew it would not fail her tonight.
In her line of work, Delora often found herself in tough situations, such was the life of a spy. On this secret mission, she was given the task of discovering the mystery behind the sudden darkness that had fallen over the land. It was a darkness so dark that only fairy light could penetrate it. The elders were perplexed at the situation before them, another enigma during their reign.
Only four years ago had another puzzling situation been given to them. An unknown man had entered their town and spoke of a lack of crop. The elders did not know what he meant. He was foreign, and they had plenty of crop to last for years to come. The man gave his warning again before suddenly disappearing into thin air. The elders searched the room and searched the town, but none of them could find this strange man. They thought on his words for some time, even coming up with abstract ideas, but eventually set them aside, unable to solve what he meant. That is, until now.
The darkness had destroyed the crops, eaten away at them like a parasite. No one would have guessed at the time that the man’s words were a warning for what was to come. They all suffered, and finally the elders called Delora and told her to seek out the source. Upon the news, she could not say she was thrilled. A shiver went through her body. She was unsure of what she would find, if she would find anything.
Now, here she was at the source after a single trail led her right where she wanted to go. She had come across this trail with great difficulty just days before. She continued to listen carefully, hardly picking up the words. But then she heard it, as if the wind had carried it to her. “We are being watched.”
Her heart beat erratically, she did not know this demon or the dark sorceress with him or what they were capable of. Her dagger glistened at her side and suddenly she disappeared, her whole being turning invisible like air. All she knew was that she had to get out of there and inform the elders of what she had seen. It was no ordinary magic behind this darkness. They were certainly from another world, a world which they knew none of, and they were coming for them all.
A faint whisper was heard coming from the shadows. Delora hid behind the dark tree as the figures appeared. One wearing a long, dark cloak while the other had her face hidden by a veil. Delora felt for the dagger she always kept on her. Having her hand against the cool steel calmed her anxiety immensely. It had always kept her safe, and she knew it would not fail her tonight.
In her line of work, Delora often found herself in tough situations, such was the life of a spy. On this secret mission, she was given the task of discovering the mystery behind the sudden darkness that had fallen over the land. It was a darkness so dark that only fairy light could penetrate it. The elders were perplexed at the situation before them, another enigma during their reign.
Only four years ago had another puzzling situation been given to them. An unknown man had entered their town and spoke of a lack of crop. The elders did not know what he meant. He was foreign, and they had plenty of crop to last for years to come. The man gave his warning again before suddenly disappearing into thin air. The elders searched the room and searched the town, but none of them could find this strange man. They thought on his words for some time, even coming up with abstract ideas, but eventually set them aside, unable to solve what he meant. That is, until now.
The darkness had destroyed the crops, eaten away at them like a parasite. No one would have guessed at the time that the man’s words were a warning for what was to come. They all suffered, and finally the elders called Delora and told her to seek out the source. Upon the news, she could not say she was thrilled. A shiver went through her body. She was unsure of what she would find, if she would find anything.
Now, here she was at the source after a single trail led her right where she wanted to go. She had come across this trail with great difficulty just days before. She continued to listen carefully, hardly picking up the words. But then she heard it, as if the wind had carried it to her. “We are being watched.”
Her heart beat erratically, she did not know this demon or the dark sorceress with him or what they were capable of. Her dagger glistened at her side and suddenly she disappeared, her whole being turning invisible like air. All she knew was that she had to get out of there and inform the elders of what she had seen. It was no ordinary magic behind this darkness. They were certainly from another world, a world which they knew none of, and they were coming for them all.
On the Way to the Astronomy Tower - by Sirius Fudge
The trips to the Astronomy Tower have always been exciting and full of thrill. There was this one time that it was full of mystery, like an enigma. It was at the late part of the year; the fog covering the far distance like a veil. The unknown surroundings of the corridors as I went alone, with some faint whispers one corridor ahead, I felt I was a spy in a movie. I entered the spiral stairs leading to the top of the tower, few cloaks on my view at the front.
This has always been the interesting part of the journey. I always kept my focus on this part, as a sleepy climb can lead to a fatal fall below. It was nearly midnight so that night was not an exception. I carefully climbed when I saw a dagger near the top of the stairs. I reached for it, but stopped when I was about to touch it. Questions filled my mind that time, unable to decide what to do. What if the dagger is a Portkey? Should I hide it? I thought. I guessed it better not be.
I decided to pick up the dagger and bring it later to my Head of House. I thought that she would know what to do with it. That action was not resolute, its form still abstract in my mind. I decided not to focus on it and proceeded to the tower. The class finished at nearly two in the morning. I knocked on the HoHs' Office and the two Heads were still there. I told Prof. Padfoot and Prof. Hartwick the story and showed them the dagger. They were perplexed at first, but decided to discuss the matter with the headmaster first thing in the morning. The story of the dagger was our secret, until today.
The trips to the Astronomy Tower have always been exciting and full of thrill. There was this one time that it was full of mystery, like an enigma. It was at the late part of the year; the fog covering the far distance like a veil. The unknown surroundings of the corridors as I went alone, with some faint whispers one corridor ahead, I felt I was a spy in a movie. I entered the spiral stairs leading to the top of the tower, few cloaks on my view at the front.
This has always been the interesting part of the journey. I always kept my focus on this part, as a sleepy climb can lead to a fatal fall below. It was nearly midnight so that night was not an exception. I carefully climbed when I saw a dagger near the top of the stairs. I reached for it, but stopped when I was about to touch it. Questions filled my mind that time, unable to decide what to do. What if the dagger is a Portkey? Should I hide it? I thought. I guessed it better not be.
I decided to pick up the dagger and bring it later to my Head of House. I thought that she would know what to do with it. That action was not resolute, its form still abstract in my mind. I decided not to focus on it and proceeded to the tower. The class finished at nearly two in the morning. I knocked on the HoHs' Office and the two Heads were still there. I told Prof. Padfoot and Prof. Hartwick the story and showed them the dagger. They were perplexed at first, but decided to discuss the matter with the headmaster first thing in the morning. The story of the dagger was our secret, until today.
by Sky Alton
He’d been walking for hours, trying to grasp the abstract idea and force it into a shape he could use. The faint light of morning had begun to suffuse the sky over the trees, though where the land fell away to his right, everything was still obscured. With an exhausted lurch, his feet wandered off his well-worn track across the lawn and the harsh crackle thrilled him back to full wakefulness. He’d wandered beneath the trees where a thick cloak of leaves had already fallen. He stopped dead, listening to the whispers of the ones that had yet to quit the branches above his head.
The sound itched at him, like the idea that had been playing hide and seek with his thoughts all night. But even now he was properly aware of his surroundings again, the enigma felt no closer to something he could actually use. He folded his arms and screwed up his eyes. When he opened them again, he winced. A dagger of bright sunlight was shooting through a gap between the trees.
Frustrated and thoroughly perplexed, he turned his back on the dawn and slumped back towards the low house. The new daylight gleamed off a few windows, though most of them were veiled in the coppery growth of creeper he was meant to have cut back months ago. It made the place look secret and closed. Not that he minded too much. At all, actually. Although why he bothered to maintain the solitude when getting away from the city had done nothing to sharpen his thinking…
He imagined himself back there, slipping down the tower block’s dingy stairwell in the early morning to get the paper, eyes darting about for other signs of life. Just like a spy or renegade who wished to stay unknown and unnoticed. The tang of car exhaust, the wet, ragged brown leaves in the gutter…. The acrid, burnt and still somehow thin taste of instant coffee seemed to fit with that memory and he moved slowly around the kitchen, making a scanty breakfast. He stood over the sink, watching the sun melting away all the shadows from the garden. Last night, it had felt alive with undercurrents of meaning he couldn’t guess at. Now it just looked tired and in saw need of weeding. With resignation, he swallowed his coffee while it was still too hot and fished his gardening gloves from the back of a drawer. The mysteries of the universe would have to wait.
He’d been walking for hours, trying to grasp the abstract idea and force it into a shape he could use. The faint light of morning had begun to suffuse the sky over the trees, though where the land fell away to his right, everything was still obscured. With an exhausted lurch, his feet wandered off his well-worn track across the lawn and the harsh crackle thrilled him back to full wakefulness. He’d wandered beneath the trees where a thick cloak of leaves had already fallen. He stopped dead, listening to the whispers of the ones that had yet to quit the branches above his head.
The sound itched at him, like the idea that had been playing hide and seek with his thoughts all night. But even now he was properly aware of his surroundings again, the enigma felt no closer to something he could actually use. He folded his arms and screwed up his eyes. When he opened them again, he winced. A dagger of bright sunlight was shooting through a gap between the trees.
Frustrated and thoroughly perplexed, he turned his back on the dawn and slumped back towards the low house. The new daylight gleamed off a few windows, though most of them were veiled in the coppery growth of creeper he was meant to have cut back months ago. It made the place look secret and closed. Not that he minded too much. At all, actually. Although why he bothered to maintain the solitude when getting away from the city had done nothing to sharpen his thinking…
He imagined himself back there, slipping down the tower block’s dingy stairwell in the early morning to get the paper, eyes darting about for other signs of life. Just like a spy or renegade who wished to stay unknown and unnoticed. The tang of car exhaust, the wet, ragged brown leaves in the gutter…. The acrid, burnt and still somehow thin taste of instant coffee seemed to fit with that memory and he moved slowly around the kitchen, making a scanty breakfast. He stood over the sink, watching the sun melting away all the shadows from the garden. Last night, it had felt alive with undercurrents of meaning he couldn’t guess at. Now it just looked tired and in saw need of weeding. With resignation, he swallowed his coffee while it was still too hot and fished his gardening gloves from the back of a drawer. The mysteries of the universe would have to wait.