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 Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 7:29 am
this is my book. it has nothing to do with a difficult choice. yet. I just had to save it as something.
I'm going to post the first 1000 words or so in this thread. “So, what do you think they’d do if we got in a fight?”
My older sister’s amber eyes are inches from mine. The only barriers between them are my stiff green bangs and her curly red ones; they layer against each other like poorly selected curtains. There’s always a mischievous glint to my sister Maggie's eyes, but today it’s much more obvious than usual. She would never intentionally hurt anyone, of course… I don’t think so, anyway.
“Look,” I grumbled, “I don’t really see myself fighting with you, so does it really matter?” My job in the village is to keep the peace --without doing much of anything. The theory is that if everyone in Cuillère likes one person, they will be more likely to get along. Who thought this to be honestly valid logic, I cannot imagine, but for about a hundred and twenty years now, there has been someone or another sitting around and being likeable for a living. I break up fights every now and then, but, mostly, my job is to be nice. Bizarre, isn’t it?
“What’s wrong, Overseer of Drama and Quarrel?”
“Don’t call me that! You know how much I hate that title!!” I whine loudly. If nothing else, the title is totally inaccurate.
“Thought you said you weren’t planning on fighting with me,” she laughs.
“Maggie! You promised never to call me that!”
“But its SOOOO cute!” she teases. I hate you, Maggie. Did you know that? Well, it’s true. But of course I don’t say that; I just glare at her angrily.
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Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 7:29 am
“Isn’t Para a good enough nickname?” I complain. My real name is Bird of Paradise, as in the plant, but I go by Para. The people of Cuillère are generally named after plants or birds. In some families, the tradition causes people to name differently, but it’s not common... Cirrus, Wind, and Ocean are exceptions, of course… but usually we use nicknames, because it’s easier to say Maggie than Magnolia; almost everyone in the forest has some nickname or another.
“But Overseer of Dodos and Quails…” Maggie laughs. She’s trying to get me to defend my title, but I won’t do it. I’m too smart for that.
“My name is Para! And if I ever need a title, I’ll use an accurate one!” I really don’t mean to yell, but it’s so easy…
“I like the ones Cryssy comes up with so much better…” my sister pleads jokingly. Cryssy, or Chrysanthemum, is a bratty girl whose father is head of the village committee. She has taken it upon herself to give everyone in Cuillère ridiculous titles. But of course she wouldn’t dare invent a title for herself; she much prefers torturing others with the mock respect of a useless title. The names are all the simple product of having far too much time on her hands.
“Maggie? Try two weeks under any name but your own and tell me you don’t sympathize,” I offer flatly, or at least that’s the tone I’m going for.
“Such things are much more appreciated when they are not your own.” For a moment, my joking, troublemaking, sister almost sounds wise. It is a moment of shock for me. After a small space of time, I recover.
“That’s kind of what I was saying…”I grumble, then change the subject. ”the town meeting is starting soon,” I note grimly.
“Oh, really?” Maggie is smiling, but I know she hates the meetings Cuillère has. I do too, actually. The morning after each new moon, the village of Cuillère meets under a cherry tree. The meetings are about giving credit to people who have done great things for the forest, and discuss upcoming plans, like which fruits and vegetables to plant. At the end of the meeting, discussion is opened to those with personal problems with the current situation, or suggestions on other topics. Somehow or another, Chrysanthemum always finds space to complain about how much more likeable she is than me, and how she deserves to be publicly loved more than I do. Being one month older than me, she claims to be more prepared for the responsibility of helping the village stay together. Every meeting I hold my tongue and keep from telling Chryssy that she’s an obnoxious little snot who shares a mutual love with only one person: herself. Fortunately, I have a big sister to take care of such matters for me.
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Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 7:30 am
I finally lift myself from my bed, tired and grumpy. My stiff green hair fans out around my head like a jagged rock. The explosive red highlights in my hair look ridiculous, puffy as it is. Maggie, on the other hand, has already rinsed and fixed her hair. The red ringlets tumbled out of tubes of birch paper held together with several coils of tan yarn. The pigtails, levitating brightly above my sisters head, remind me of the ripe seed cases of a magnolia tree. Maggie can do the most illogical and beautiful things with a head of hair, a bowl of water, and her own two hands. She only uses this skill for herself and me, which aggravates Chryssy and amuses me to no end.
“Your hair is a mess,” Maggie notes cheerfully, bouncing over to help. She holds a bowl of water under one elbow and a mysterious jar under another, prancing across the room. How does she jump like that without breaking anything?? I think jealously, goggling at her grace. Sometimes it’s hard to believe the two of us are even related.
Maggie slams my head into the bowl of water with a sploosh. “Hey!” I exclaim, pulling my hair up out of the water, making a desperate effort to prevent any more water from getting onto my now damp bed. “What was that about?”
“I’m enjoying myself, sister dearest. Now calm down and let me fix your hair!”
“I have no problem with you enjoying yourself, but does it always have to be at my expense!?” I shout. Maggie’s already starting to tune me out, working her magic with my difficult hair.
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Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 6:48 pm
Well if this is a Work in Progress It should by moved into that sub forum.
And I shall do it for you.
Is that okay? Reply so I have confirmation that you read this before I move it.
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Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 10:26 pm
If you register to Fictionpress, you can post your story chapter by chapter (or together, that's all up to you). Other websites exist out there, though I am not sure what they are because I'm into the really mainstream ones for some reason... surprised
Also, if you just want to store it someplace, you can register on Freewebs, lycos or Angelfire and upload the file there. o 3o
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