Post your stories below! EDIT: It can be about anything you want, doesn’t matter what it is but keep it clean and follow Gaia’s TOS. It must be at least 5 but no more than 10 paragraphs to qualify! First palace – 500k Second place – 250k Third place – 100k Happy writing and we can’t wait to read your awesome creative stories!! Contest will end on May 12th that gives you all one week!
Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 8:55 am
A MUSE AND AMUSED
Two strangers meet in bottled tanks, one summer's afternoon Sharing digital signals of random selection they find each other's tune Comments of dirt, aged just right the strangers trade verbal jest Of watery tarts and scimitar flights answers the kindred request With coffee in hand, the darkened brew, shared their pixels on line Stories of lives and moistened shoulder, tears and joy combine A great friendship has grown in summer. You're far too much fun to ignore The miles melt way, their thoughts are as one, though on a distant shore Hello, I was searching through bottles last night, and found your response to a question Started them, on a journey, of commonalities, to many for mention Will they meet? Their paths are unclear with distance blocking the way So *hugs* and laughter will have to suffice till reality reaches that day A muse and amused. Thank you my friend, for inspiration and being so true. For with your good favor and clowning flavor I am better for knowing you
Two strangers meet in bottled tanks, one summer's afternoon Sharing digital signals of random selection they find each other's tune Comments of dirt, aged just right the strangers trade verbal jest Of watery tarts and scimitar flights answers the kindred request With coffee in hand, the darkened brew, shared their pixels on line Stories of lives and moistened shoulder, tears and joy combine A great friendship has grown in summer. You're far too much fun to ignore The miles melt way, their thoughts are as one, though on a distant shore Hello, I was searching through bottles last night, and found your response to a question Started them, on a journey, of commonalities, to many for mention Will they meet? Their paths are unclear with distance blocking the way So *hugs* and laughter will have to suffice till reality reaches that day A muse and amused. Thank you my friend, for inspiration and being so true. For with your good favor and clowning flavor I am better for knowing you
Mama, you must have missed the announcement for the requirements, I've edited my post above.
Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 1:57 pm
((This is an awesome idea, sadly my stories are several pages and not only a few paragraphs. However, just for shiggles, have my short story I'm planning to get published in a matter of weeks. It's under the cut. Warning: Horror, dolls))
Dolls decorated every available space in the room. On shelves that stretched to the ceiling, on any available desk and flat surface except the antique sewing machine in the corner. Each wore bright clothing of different cultures, standing on small metal stands with painted smiles and bright eyes. Each of them meticulously crafted, with price tags on their wrists and addresses pinned to the front of their gowns. Their mother and maker sat half curled up in a rolling chair, bending over her desk with one hand embedded in her thick curly hair and the other clutching a thin brush to the head of their newest sister. Stroke by stroke paint was applied to fragile, curved cheeks. The ebony paint gliding over the smooth porcelain skin in careful downward strokes. She had already fired the doll's head once, but at close inspection several chips had formed from the exposure to heat and now she had to go back and fill in the specks of white stone poking through. Although she couldn't fire again, she could always warn the buyer to clean the dolls with a dry cloth instead of a wet wipe. Giving one last look over with a critical eye, Araby cleaned off her brush in the water she had been drinking and wiped the thin hairs of the brush on her leg to dry before closing one bottle of paint and opening up another and hooking up the small machine of the airbrush to fill in the blush where it had been lost. “Araby!” Heavy hands forced open the fragile door. Causing the girl to jump in her chairs, knees banging against her desk and causing a jar of resin eyes to clatter noisily to the floor, the water to tip over onto the floor and if not for quick hands the dolls head she was so delicately working on would've been lost. “Mama! I told you to knock!” Quickly the girl placed the head back on it's stand and dropped to her knees to rescue the various colored eyes from the tile. “I told you to get dressed an hour ago!” Irva invited herself into the room, using her foot to move the chair out of the way as she invaded the dresser underneath the lofted bed. “Luci will be here any minute and I have to go to work.” “Do I need to get her?” Araby dropped a handful of rescued eyes back in their container. “No, Astra's dropping her off.” There was a heavy squeak of a drawer shutting and fluff of Irva sitting down in one of the many beanbags so she could put on the stolen socks. “Do something about these dolls, they're creepy.” “You're creepy.” Araby grumbled under her breath, rescuing the last of the eyes and lifted herself back into her chair. “Don't mumble, it's not lady like.” Now sock equipped, Irva stood up and grabbed the hardly used brush off the dresser from under the skirt of a doll and gave her daughter a single stroke of the curly black hair, drawing out a squeak from her daughter. “I'm serious! Go get dressed!” “Alright, alright! Go!” Araby struggled to get the brush out of her rats nest of hair while standing up from her chair. With a quickly shouted farewell her mother thundered down the stairs to leave. Araby managed to get the brush out of her hair with minimum damage before searching through her dresser for something to wear. She had just pulled a shirt over her head when car doors slammed outside. Swearing under her breath, she pulled her hair out of the neck and half raced down the stairs to open the door for her niece, Luci was just skipping up the porch. She was a beautiful little girl, blessed with her father's straight hair, but it remained black, with cinnamon skin and dark smiling eyes. Araby raised a hand in farewell to her older sister, who honked twice before propelling her car from the driveway and pulling away with the squeak of tires. Luci didn't look back at her mother as she ran up to her aunt and hugged her tightly around the hips, throwing on a doe eyed grin. “Can we go to the old store?” “That depends.”Araby wiggled loose from the vice like arms and with one hand on her niece's hand led her inside the old house. “What homework are you avoiding?” With a small bop to the back of the head and a point she sent the girl into the kitchen cluttered by take out containers. “All of it.” Luci sang as she slipped off her bag and perched herself on top a wiggling stool. “Sounds legit.” The doll maker backed away to try and search the cabinets for something a seven year old could eat. That wasn't happening. “So... antique store then wanna run to the deli?” “Yes!” “Shouldn't even have asked. Alright come on.” Araby gave up her search in the empty cabinets and pulled a spare key off the rack by the side door and jammed shoes on. They were too large, meaning they were her mothers but she couldn't be bothered to go upstairs for her own. “You're doing homework as soon as we get back.” “No I'm not.” _________________ The antique store was a three block walk away. Living in a historic district there were plenty of them to chose from, but Luci always begged for this particular one since it was prettier than all the rest. It was built out of an old church, so the walls were high and shone white, with mock Gothic architecture and fantastical stained glass that dyed the inside with a warm light. The bell above the door chimed as Araby held it open for little Luci to slip in ahead of her. Instantly the girl's face lit up and she clutched the front of her uniform to try and follow the rule of 'no touching'. The owner was an older man with a long silver beard and eyes half hidden by his brows. He easily waved in his greeting of “Everything's negotiable.” before going back to tapping away on a cellphone held inches away from his nose. “Go on, choose a doll.” Araby gave her back a small pat and like releasing a rocket the young girl sped ahead through the rows of shelves to the back where she knew the owner kept the toys. She watched the small head disappear among the shelves before she moved to another corner and to sort through fabrics cut from old curtains and dresses that had long been destroyed. Before Araby had managed to pick four scraps of fabrics Luci came back with a doll propped up in her arms like she was carrying a child. Instantly she winced at the condition of the poor doll. It's hair was mostly burnt out, half of her face was missing, it was missing a leg and arm and it wore nothing but a moth eaten dress. “Honey... that one? That'll take a lot of work.” “Mephista wants to come home with us!” Luci only held the fragile doll tighter to her chest. Araby's face fell and she looked at the work that needed to be done, holding a hand out to her niece to hold her and see it better. It took a second, but Luci eventually released hold of the doll to pass her over. Using her sleeve the doll maker cleaned the resin eyes to see their color: A bright blue. And the hair was a fine color as well- a brilliant red where it wasn't stained by age and ash. Probably curled at some point. Her face was sweet,rounded cheeks with a cheeky pursed smile and dainty features. “She's pretty...” Luci's face lit up with hope and and clutched her aunt's shirt while bouncing on her heels. “Please please!?” “Okay okay, but I'm not gonna get her all fixed in one day.” Araby passed the doll back to her niece, brows furrowed. “What did you call her?” “Mephista.” Luci chimed while clutching the doll to her chest, pointing to a bright swath of indian silk fabric on the shelf. “That one!” “M-Meph...” Araby mouthed half to herself, uncertain how the seven year old could pronounce that name so well when she had trouble saying the name of her teachers. Upon pulling down and examining the price tag of the swatch of fabric she quickly shook her head and put it back. “No! Too pricy.” She shifted the fabrics she already chose on her arm and reached up to stuff the colorful cloth back on it's shelf. “Here, what about a pink? For a princess.” “Mephista's not a princess.” “Okay...That's a first.” Araby slowly turned away from her stern faced niece to rummage through the marked down fabrics. “Oh this one's pretty!” The process went on like that for at least an hour until three cloths and a lace were finally chosen to be the dress. In that time span the manager hadn't looked away from his phone but to sip at a soda at his side. Bundle of fabrics in arm, Araby led Luci up to the counter, slowly laying out the swatches of cloth that were rung up one by one. It wasn't until her niece put up the doll that the man looked away long enough to see what was being put before him. When he saw the doll his eyebrows raised to reveal eyes underneath and his red skin paled by several shades. “I threw that out yesterday! I know I did!” His eyes fell to the doll and Araby reached down to gently put her hand on Luci's head. “Is it not for sale?” “Oh please no take it!” His hands raised and he was quick to hand the doll back down to Luci's awaiting arms. “I don't want it around anymore.” Araby tried to pay him for the doll, even giving a price higher than what she would charge for the thing but the man would not take any payment for the thing. He simply rang up the fabrics and sent them on their way. Luci wasn't perturbed at all from the event, she was humming the entire walk home, stroking Mephista's damaged hair lovingly. She was so excited to fix up the doll that she turned down going to eat outright. Shrugging it off the doll maker led the small girl home and back into the kitchen. “Okay, Mephy comes with me for now, you do homework.” Araby set the bag of fabric down before picking up her niece's homework folder. Her name written in sharpie on the top: Luci Ferenson. “No!” Luci's grip tightened on the porcelain doll, stepping away from her aunt as if threatened. “I gotta run a cast of her face and missing bits, so we can make her pretty.” The doll maker didn't look up from the papers in the binder as she pulled out the various assignments. “It won't take long at all.” Reluctantly Luci stepped forward and slid Mephista onto the kitchen table before pulling herself up in the stool. Araby gave her dark hair a ruffle as she took the bag and doll both. “Wanna do your homework upstairs?” More enthusiastically Luci gathered up her own homework and stuff and snatched Mephista from her aunt with a grin. Araby could only roll her eyes before following the girl up the squeaking flight of stairs into the very first and largest room. Luci made herself a nest in one of the many beanbags after laying the newest doll on her aunt's workbench. After setting down the fabric and putting on the radio, she got to work: tracing one side of the dolls face and finding a similar mold that she had already made before working with the slip clay to fill the mold for the part of the face and parts that the poor doll was missing. The part she worried about with the doll was the hair. After brushing it out gently it only became more difficult to deal with. It wasn't the normal fake fiber that she was accustomed to working with. After some experimentation she got it under control as well as stripped the doll down and cleaned the porcelain that was already in decent enough condition to save. When Luci claimed to be done with her homework she handed her a piece of paper. “Go ahead and draw the dress you want.” Araby half mumbled through a mouth full of tiny hair curlers she was busy trying to weave in the doll's now clean and bright auburn hair. “Kay.” was her reply as she returned to her nest and brought out her crayons. After a few minutes of steady scribbling she stopped. “What's a bustle?” “A bustle...?” Araby slowly spun her chair around, pulling the last hair curler out of her mouth and raising her eyebrows. “It's... where a dress would gather in the back. Where'd you hear that?” “Mephista wants a bustle.” Luci shrugged as she worked. She spoke as simply as if she were stating the time of day. Araby stared at her niece for several moments before using her toes to slowly turn the chair back around to see the doll. She was standing just fine in her base, her face innocent yet cheeky at the same time. “Right... okay...” As was normal Luci stayed until her mother was off of work around ten at night. In that time span the slip had finished cooking into porcelain in Araby's personal kiln and she had worked the missing limbs into place and glued the missing half in place. Luci was the reason so much progress occurred. She stood by her aunt's side, telling her exactly what to do and what colors to use on her face to repaint her and fix her dress. When asked how she knew what to do she would simply reply “Mephista told me”. What was even odder was the fit she threw upon having to leave. Upon hearing she had to leave her first reaction was to reach for Mephista. “No,” Araby grabbed her wrist before she had the chance to touch her arm. “She's still setting love, can't play with her until tomorrow.” “Mephista wants to come with me!” Luci's face grew stern and her stance squared. “Mephy can't just yet, me and the other dolls will take good care of her.” the doll maker smiled, trying to reach out to hug her niece goodbye as her mother gave an impatient honk from inside her car. “The other dolls are worthless.” Luci stomped her feet and her aunt flinched back slightly at the words. “Be nice Luci!” Araby stood up from her chair and moved around to pick up the girl's backpack and shove her finished homework inside it. “Come on your mom is waiting.” “Mephista doesn't like you. She'll kill you.” Luci snarled one last time before she snatched her bag from her aunt and stormed out of the room and down the stairs. The door slammed hard behind her as she stomped outside. Through the thin walls the doll maker could hear Astra shouting at the girl to get in the car followed by the squeal of tires driving away. Araby sat in still shock for several moments, both hands clutched at her chest. Eventually she forced a low breath from her lips and tried to laugh off the threat. “Creepy.” She rationalized the threat away as Luci watching too many crime shows with her mom in the morning. She still heavily sat down in her work chair and turned slowly to the doll. It may have been the dimmer lighting, but her face was no longer sweet. The cheeky smile seemed sinister, and her single eye was darkened. The doll maker still took a breath and shook away the cobwebs in her mind and picked up a thin brush to continue working on the doll she started earlier that morning. Before she laid the first stroke of paint the first doll fell. A finely dressed victorian sweetheart fell face down from the dresser to the floor. Quickly Araby threw down her brush and rushed to the doll, giving a sigh of relief to find her fragile head hadn't been broken by the fall. Reaching up carefully she tucked the doll back in her stand and adjusted her dress and umbrella. Then there was another crash. This time of smashing porcelin. Turning around quickly Araby's eyes widened as a chinese empress doll lay crushed on the floor. Then another pitched itself forward. This time she watched a doll pick itself up and throw itself to the floor. A scream forced its way from her throat as she stumbled backwards. Another doll followed, then another. Soon all of them were pitching themselves off the tables and shelves to the ground where several lay smashed and broken. Araby clutched both hands over her mouth, looking around her room where all of the dolls once stood. The only one still standing was Mephista. Her coy smile and dark eye sparkling in the dim light. Slowly, Araby worked on getting all the dolls put back in their spots. The broken ones she kept close to her desk to redo. She sat down more stiffly in front of the newest doll, examining it closely. The doll just returned her stare, smiling sweetly. “Okay... okay. no I get it.” Araby muttered under her breath as she cleaned off a paintbrush and took out a bottle of glue and her jar of eyes. “Don't be jealous. See I'm helping you out? Luci will be back tomorrow.” She bit her lip to stop talking as she selected a light blue close enough to the color of the dolls. She sat there for hours. Gluing the eye in place, fixing the curls to be perfect, pinning and sewing the dress that her niece had drawn out for her. She gave her rosey cheeks and a coy painted red smile. She sat there even after she heard her mom stomping through the front door after her night job and slamming around the kitchen. She sat there even when the house grew quiet. She didn't stop working until the sun was starting to peek in through her window. By then it was done. Mephista now wore a gown of a golden satin, a pink bodice and red bustle around her hips. Lace cuffed her sleeves and all hems, and little roses decorated the ribbon across her pink skirts. In her hand she clutched a small white laced umbrella. Exhausted, Araby leaned back fully in her chair and ran both hands down her face. Standing up she tottered over to her bed to try and steal a few hours of rest. As soon as she laid down there was a large band of the chair falling over onto it's back. Araby quickly sat up, holding her chest and pointing at the doll. “Stop that!” Several minutes past of her sitting there pointing at the terrible doll. It made no more moves, nothing fell, nothing moved around. Slowly the doll maker lowered her hand and fell over on her chest into her bed with a groan. “Now I'm talking to dolls.” ____________ Luci arrived several hours later. Her excitement to see the finished doll made her run up the stairs before she even said hello to her aunt. Upon seeing her completed her face grew into a bright grin and she reached out to take her off her stand and hug her tightly to her chest. “She's perfect!” “She's...something.” Araby yawned while picking up one of the broken dolls and going to her molds to try and find the exact one she used. “Go on, homework time.” “I want to play with Mephista.” Luci interjected before her aunt finished speaking. “Maybe Mephista can help.” Araby rubbed her temples and turned to wave her niece onward. “Homework downstairs, you two can have a tea party when your done.” “Tea parties are stupid.” Luci grumbled but marched obediently downstairs with the doll in tow. Araby gave a sigh of relief to have the cruel doll out of her room. After trying to secure her curls in a bun she got to work putting more slip in molds and setting them in her kiln to bake for the next several hours. Finished with that she stood up and started downstairs. Luci was humming some older tune to herself at the table while the porcelin doll sat upright, propped up by the breadbox. Every cabinet and drawer was opened, even the fridge and oven were open. “Luci, did you do this?” Araby started into the room slowly, going to the fridge first and shutting it carefully. “No. Mephista did.” She hummed, tapping her pencil against the table before writing down another addition problem. “Right.” Araby sighed while finishing closing all the drawers and cabinets. “She says you're a good slave. She'll keep you for now.” Luci grinned, her aunt freezing in place and looking at the coy faced doll. “That's... better than killing me I suppose.” Araby pulled out another stool and sat down beside her niece. “Can Mephista talk to me?” “No.” “Why not?” “She says she doesn't talk to slaves.” Araby pulled back at that, scowling at the back of her niece's head. “I don't like you saying that word.” Luci shrugged her shoulders, uncaring as she continued on her homework. She didn't flinch as the drawers behind her suddenly flew open. Her aunt spun around so quickly she fell out of her chair as the cabinets started banging. All of them going at once. The chair she was just sitting in flew across the room and crashed into the wall before falling over. Araby scrambled to her feet and quickly wrapped her arms around her niece to protect her, only to be shoved away before she could even touch her. She was winded as she hit the wall next to her stool. She hadn't even felt her feet leaving the ground but there she was. “Mephista says not to touch me again.” Luci hummed softly, grinning into her homework as she continued. Araby slowly sat up from the ground, her heart beating quickly in her chest. Slowly she moved to stand up, than putting on a scowl she marched over to the table and grabbed the doll by the arm. This time Luci screamed as Araby marched out of the room with doll in hand. She didn't get far. The door to the kitchen slammed shut in her face. Turning around the door to the back shut as well. Luci's screaming grew louder. The cabinets continued to bang together and crash. Drawers opened, plates crashed to the ground. The lights popped and glass fell to the ground. “Drop her! Drop her!” Luci was screaming now, standing on her stool as she continued to scream until she was red in the face. Behind her the windows shattered. Araby could hardly react to any of it. She could only clutch the doll to her chest and back towards the table slowly. Mephista vanished. One moment she was in her arms and the next there was only darkness coiling between them. The darkness moved, shattering glass and knocking over things as it flew back to Luci's arms, taking shape of the doll before solidifying once again. Only then did Luci's screams stop. The black haired girl checked the doll for injury before she sat back down in her chair calmly. Her face stone cold, eyes dark and devoid of all independent thought. Araby backed away as the banging finally stopped, turning and fleeing through the kitchen door and into the safety of her upstairs bedroom. Breathing hard, she turned to face her work room and felt her blood run cold. All the dolls were turned to her, standing on their own on the floor. Each with identical, coy, painted red smiles.
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