Another Writing Exercise - Word Meadow

I wrote this a couple of years ago, but it's one of my favorites.
******

He wasn't supposed to have found her. She thought she'd covered her tracks. But somehow, there he was . . . unfortunately. The idea was that it would be over. She'd be alone and at least find peace. There would finally be peace and no more pain.

She stared out across the meadow. It had been her place of solitude so long ago. She'd forgotten than she'd taken him here. Her mistake, she thought sadly.

With a long ragged breath, she closed her eyes.

"You need to leave, Daniel," she said.

"Not without you," he said simply.

She couldn't look at him. His chiseled face and blue eyes . . . strong like stone, but she knew the side he hid from the world. Like all of them, he had a soft spot too and apparently she was it. But she didn't want to be it. She wanted it over.

"Lara, you can't do this," he said softly.

"But I can," she replied.

He saw her finger twitch on the trigger, as the pistol with silencer was pressed firmly against her temple. He knew she was serious. He'd seen it in her from the moment they'd met. But somehow he had to stop her. After everything, he couldn't lose her.

"Lara, just take a moment. Just think . . . Tell me why," he implored; anything to stall the dark haired beautiful before him from taking an action that could not be undone.

"You know why," she said. "Just leave me." She choked back a sob. "I am tired. I am sick of the world we live in. I can't live with the memories of the world I somehow managed to survive. The bullet is just making things official. I was dead a long time ago."

"No, Lara," he said. "You weren't. I felt you alive in my arms. When I kissed your neck and your shoulder . . . Your heartbeat would rise . . ."

For a moment, he thought he saw her waiver.

"That's life . . . right there, your heart beating . . . heat . . . touch . . ." He slowly inched toward her. But immediately, he saw her stiffen again. The momentary waiver was gone.

"That was . . . lust," she said. "Chemistry . . . hormones . . . pheromones . . . nothing more."

"Is that what you honestly believe?" he asked.

"Yes," she said, but even the softness of her voice fractured at the simple word. It was a lie. Only he could read her so well.

"Then look me in the eye and tell me that you don't love me," he said. He needed to get close enough to her. If he could look into her green eyes, then maybe he'd have a chance . . . stall her . . . save her . . .

She battled with her feelings. It was like a raging storm and there was no end in sight. She felt as if she was a ship constantly being bashed upon the rocks over and over again. Pain just grew and now he was here. She'd wanted to shield him from this side of herself, but someone he'd known. He's sensed it and followed her. She didn't want him witnessing this final end to her pain . . . to have the image carried with him forever of her weakness and inability to fight the pain any longer.

Barely above a whisper as she bit back tears; she implored him. "Daniel, please just go . . . I don't want you here."

"Look me in the eyes, Lara," he said. "You look me in the eyes and tell me you don't love me and I'll leave you."

Steeling herself for the lie to come, she swallowed hard. Carefully, she moved, never taking the gun from her hand, or away from her temple. Her green eyes were like marble by the time she gazed at him; hard and cold. She'd learned to do that well long ago.

"I don't love you," she said with as much cold as she could muster. But through her emotional fog of pain, she noticed he seemed closer . . . too close . . . She had to act. She didn't want him to see, but now there was no choice.

He had used her indecision to inch closer; distracting her with his request. Seeing the muscle in her arm begin to twitch, he struck like a snake, grabbing the weapon from her and pulling out the clip tossing both as far as he could out into the meadow. She moved to stop him, but was met with nothing but his muscular chest. She pushed against him and shoved at his chest, but in the end, she just dissolved into tears.

His arms held her close. Finally . . . the tears . . . she needed the tears and he needed her. The man made of ice wasn't any longer, not since meeting the girl made of fire. Their line of work rarely made for happy endings one way or another, but he would find a way; for them.

Lara had run so far and so long trying to escape the past that had always haunted her and the overwhelming pain that came with it. She'd never trusted anyone; never let the walls down far enough to allow anyone in until Daniel. He'd made it through her defenses and wanted to save her . . . he wanted to save her so badly, but she wasn't sure she could be saved.

"Don't give up, Lara," he said softly as he kissed her forehead. "Don't give up on me or yourself."

Suddenly, in the distance, she heard the sound of a helicopter. Her eyes turned to Daniel's questioningly. "Thought you needed help," he said simply and before she could argue or struggle, he used a small injector at the artery in her neck and tranqed her. He watched as her eyes grew glassy. "I love you, Lara, and if you think I'm going to just let you die, you've got another thing coming . . ."
Those were the last words she heard before everything faded away into darkness.

Writing Exercise - Top 10 Songs on Your Character's Playlist

This is another writing exercise - 


Kara Storm was getting ready for a work-out of punching and kicking at a suspended bag, but to help focus her, she had her ipod. Placing the buds securely in her ears she scanned the songs looking for the right one to get started with.

'Policy of Truth' by Depeche Mode, no . . . 'Move along' by All American Rejects . . . no . . . 'Otherside' by the Red Hot Chili Peppers? No she wasn't in the mood to start with those and kept scanning. 'Tourniquet' by Evanescense, 'Bullet with butterfly wings' by Smashing Pumpkins,'Savin' Me' by Nickelback, 'Leave Out all the Rest' by Linkin Park, 'Kryponite' by 3 Doors Down? But nothing sounded good. Then she found it!

"Ah yes . . . No More Sorrow," she said to herself. Linkin Park was good work out music and especially this song when you had things in your past you wanted to get even for. One day, she thought, but not today. Today she was going to punch and kick the bag in front of her until she couldn't move her arms and legs without aching. It would keep her sane for the time being.

Starting the music, she took her first punch at the hanging bag.

Writing Exercise From Today. Word - Burglary

Writing Exercise - Word: Burglary

My heart pounded as I looked around. My whole apartment had been trashed! Things were broken everywhere! Things toppled over. There didn't seem to be anything that wasn't touched. Well, except for the kitchen table. The view of it all sent shivers down my back. Was this random or did someone specifically go after ME. I did have enemies like my Ex-Husband and this woman, Jackie, at work. I never knew why she didn't like me specifically, but she didn't like me. I didn't think she was capable of doing something like this. She was more hot air than anything else. So that left my Ex-husband Mark. But what could he have been after? It’s not like I had a bunch of a things that were useful to him, or worth much. But it could have just been someone off the street as well.

I went to a sliding panel on the floor in a corner under the brown rug. Under the panel was a safe. It could only be opened by my thumb print. As I pressed my thumb against the sensor, the safe popped open. I looked inside. There were still all my passports, birth certificates, money, jewelry and a flash drive. I looked at it and sighed. I was happy that everything was there.

Just as I started putting everything back a hand went around my neck pulling me up to my feet. 

“Hi, Sarah,” said a familiar voice. It sent a shiver down my spine! It was someone I didn't expect; a colleague. “I was just waiting for you,” he said with a happy, seductive voice.

Suddenly I felt the pinch in my neck and everything began to turn dark; my body feeling like putty.

“Now you’re mine,” he whispered into my ear.

Writing Exercise

I shared this on another Blog I have, but this is a writing exercise I did awhile back. The way this particular writing exercise works is that you pick a word or two and write a little story that gets inspired by them! It's a good way to keep working on your writing! :-)

Writing Exercise - Words: Valentine's Day, Rain
What a Valentine's Day, Lynne thought. No boyfriend to speak of and all her friends had someone. She had still managed to get a reservation at her favorite restaurant so she had been looking forward to that. They served the best steaks.

As she walked from her car to the entrance it started raining and not just sprinkles. It was hard rain like God had opened the flood gates. Needless to say she was instantly wet. She groaned inwardly, but she wasn't about to give up her reservation no matter how wet and scraggly she looked now.

However, as she approached the door a man sat there on the bench completely drenched from the rain. He looked very forlorn as he held a single red rose in his hand. She couldn't help stopping to check on this man.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

He gave her a half smile as he gazed at her with beautiful blue eyes. "I'm okay. I just got dumped by my girlfriend on Valentine's day in a text . . . a text . . ." He shook his head.

The rain was still coming down on them as she looked at the door of the restaurant and then back to him as an idea formed.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Brad," he replied.

"Well, Brad, I'm Lynne. Want to come in and have dinner with me? I have a reservation."

"You want to have dinner with a stranger?"

"Why not?" she said. "We're both alone and it's Valentine's day."

He smiled a little more. "All right," he said as he stood up. Then he handed her the rose. "Happy Valentine's day."

Lynne smiled. "Thanks," she said as she took the rose. "Happy Valentine's day to you too."

Together they walked into the restaurant soaking wet, but glad they weren't alone.