So, my creative writing class named ourselves The Writers of the Round Table. This week we did a Round Robin, where we each contributed to a story. I hope you enjoy!
“If I had known then what I know now, maybe things would have been different.” (GAINES)
She put her ballpoint pen to rest on the tray table in front of her. Leaning her head against the window pane, her grey eyes stared dully over the rushing world outside. The train whistled hauntingly as it tore through the fog of the Appalachian countryside. (TAY & RAY)
I really wish they served fried chicken on these things, she thought, eyeing the overpriced bread rolls in the dining cabinet to the rear. (LYFORD) Not that even fried chicken could improve her mood (COPELAND).
“Hey,” her cousin Adam said as he took the seat across from her, fingers unbuttoning his suit jacket. He noticed her pensive, sorrowful face and sighed, looking out the window (MCHOPE).
“Why don’t you tell me what’s wrong, Latasha? You’ve been sitting there silently for an hour and a half,” he said, bringing her out of her thoughts. (KENDALL)
Latasha gazed down at the crisp, blank pages in her journal. Why won’t the words form on their own? (YOSHIOKA)
Adam’s voice broke in on her thoughts again. “Hey, I’m still here.” (COPELAND)
“May I offer you a cup of tea?” a young waiter coming up the aisle asked politely. The train suddenly rumbled, spilling his tea all over the table cloth and Adam’s white shirt. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…I am really, truly, very sorry!” he gasped rushing to clean up the hot liquid. (Zuiderveen)
Adam jumped as the hot liquid soaked his skin, but he regained his composure almost instantly. (KENDALL) He let out his frustration in a quick breath then smiled at the waiter through clenched teeth.
“It’s fine,” he said in a genuine tone. “I’m sure it happens all the time on such a…bumpy train.” (NORTH)
The waiter sighed, and explained, “The newer trains are equipped with air suspension, but unfortunately, this one didn’t get it. I guess that’s why people like, uh,” he glanced over, “authors ride the economy lines.” (LYFORD)
Latasha blushed hotly and shoved her notebook away into her satchel, out of sight. Humans. They were always jumping to conclusions. (COPELAND)
It wasn’t that they couldn’t afford to travel on the economy lines, it was that this train was the only one that could take her to where she needed to be. Where both her cousin and her needed to be. She could deal with a few bumps. (SCOTT)
Latasha stared out at the strange landscape rolling by. Green trees, green grass, green flowers. Didn’t they have any other colors of vegetation? (Mr.SuSpence)
She shifted her gaze back to the cabin where, hopefully, a more interesting scene lay. (NORTH)
Most of the train was completely empty; people tended to prefer the newer and faster trains, but she spotted several other races that she recognized nearby. Across the aisle from her was the purple-skinned features of a Skorlax sitting next to another human. A few seats in front of them was a pair dark-skinned, white-haired Drow companions. (GARRISS)
“Ma’am? Can I get you anything?”
Latasha looked back at the waiter, wondering if this self-styled “economy line” carried anything fit for Martian consumption, let alone hers. (COPELAND)
“I’d like some hydrohydroxic acid,” she finally stated, opting for the safest bet. (LYFORD)
The waiter blinked. “Ma’am?” She asked confused. (SCOTT)
Adam covered a laugh with a cough next to her as she smiled and explained, “Sorry. I’d like some water, please.” (GARRISS)
Visibly relieved, the waiter hurried away. Adam raised an eyebrow, looking at his cousin. “That’s it? You feeling alright?” (COPELAND)
Latasha sighed, coming to terms with the fact that she’d have to tell her cousin at least part of the truth. “Adam,” she whispered, looking around to make sure there was no one nearby, “Adam, I want you to listen to me very closely. Nothing is as it seems on this train, so I want you to listen to what I’m about to tell you, and whatever you do, don’t ask questions.” (KENDALL)
“Okay?” he replied somewhat hesitantly. He almost had a smile on his face. He’s not even taking this seriously. (NORTH) Reaching into his pocket, Adam withdrew a glossy folded flyer. “Very cool, Latasha, but how about we check out some of these monuments and decide which ones we want to see when we get to — ” (COPELAND)
“No.” Latasha cut him off. “Look, I don’t think you want a bullet through your head so early on this journey–and assuming that, I think we’re on the same page here. Let’s get started.” She pulled the notepad across the tray table and pointed it towards Adam, flipping away from the front page. Apparently, this wasn’t a journal at all. (LYFORD)
Adam looked down uncomfortably at the detailed pages of the notebook. It contained drawings of some kind, things he didn’t recognize, and notes in a language he couldn’t read. (GARRISS)
“I’ve come across some things that maybe I shouldn’t have,” she began, scanning the pages. “Most of it is here, but I’m still missing a couple pieces that will give everything some clarity.” That was assuming she could find those pieces before someone else did. (NORTH)
“Oh, you came across something you shouldn’t have? Surprise, surprise,” Adam commented with a smirk. “But seriously, Latasha, what do you think you’re talking about?” (COPELAND)
Maybe the straightforward way was the best way. “Ok, deep breath. And…” She took off her shoes, which she made sure to always wear wherever she went. “…look at my toenails.” (Mr. SuSpence)
Adam hesitantly peered down and was greeted by what, at a glance, appeared to be regular feet but upon further inspection, were obviously not. The toenails were an odd shade of purple, not the shade of a bruise or other injury, instead a more unnatural, bright hue. He looked back up at Latasha, confusion evident on his face. (NORTH)
“I… I don’t know why they look like this…” Latasha’s voice trembled. “I tried to rip it off, but it’s stuck!”
“Well, you didn’t try hard enough!” Adam accused as he reached for her feet. (YOSHI)
Latasha jerked her feet backwards, away from him. “I already tried to rip the toenail completely off, Adam. It hurts, and it doesn’t work.” She slipped her shoes back on before he could reach them. (GARRISS)
Adam stared at his cousin with concern. He was done with the jokes. This was a serious matter. (YOSHI)
Taking a deep breath, Latasha pulled her notebook back in front of them again. “But look, I think I found a connection between the purple stuff that’s on my toes, and that brown goo that’s been taking over the forests.” (GARRISS)
“You mean there’s another color on Earth besides green?” Adam mocked, longing for the red dust back home on Mars. “And what would brown goo have anything to do with the stuff on your feet?” (YOSHI)
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out — I think I may be onto something. And even though you only really came to tour, I guess you’re stuck with me.” Latasha flashed her cousin a smug grin. (COPELAND)
“Looks like,” he said as his eyes wandered back to the journal that still lay open on the tray table. “But how do your purple toenails and the brown goo relate to all those drawings and stuff?” (NORTH)
Shaking her head, Latasha avoided Adam’s gaze. In the ensuing silence, the train’s piercing whistle shattered the air again, echoing in the small car. “None of it makes any sense,” she finally whispered, staring out the windowpane into the mist. (COPELAND)
“I went to what the humans call a spa,” Latasha confessed, earning a horrified gasp from Adam. “That’s when the purple stuff first appeared on my nails. And then I was forced to bathe in the same brown goop we saw in the forest the other day — I think it i was called a mud bath.” (YOSHI)
Adam stared at her, slowly shaking his head, his eyes wide. “Latasha, what in the Milky Way were you thinking?” (COPELAND)
“Nobody saw me, don’t worry.” Latasha shook her head and shrugged. “I’m tired of having to hide when Earth’s so different from home and I’ve only got a few more months to explore it all.” (ABLESON)
“But you could have been seriously hurt! What if the purple on your toenails spreads to your fingernails or your hair? There must be some way to get rid of it,” cried Adam completely exasperated. (ZUIDERVEEN)
“I know there should, but nothing seems to work. I tried baking soda, a sticky gel from the train bathroom, and scrubbing it until my feet were sore. Nothing seems to make it budge,” she sighed. (GUSTAFSSON)
“Okay, hold up,” Adam said, looking gravely into her eyes. “You have three months, Latasha. You can’t just do anything to yourself in the hope that it might work; you don’t have enough time for that.” (COPELAND)
“I know, I know,” she sighed, “but of course, there is one thing I haven’t tried yet.”
Adam’s eyes grew wide in horror. “You don’t mean… you can’t possibly mean…” (KENDALL)
She nodded wordlessly, pulling a small, evil-looking vial from her personal storage module. Nail Polish Remover, it read. Adam gasped. “Don’t breathe tha–”
She cut him off with a nod and a sickly smile. She knew. (LYFORD)
The waiter chose that moment to walk by and set a magnetic-tumbler of water down on the tray in front of Latasha. Adam straightened his shoulders, assuming an impassive expression, and Latasha tried for a casual smile; neither attempt succeeded.
“Ah… is there anything else I can help you with, ma’am?” asked the waiter, staring at the cousins’ faces with mild concern. (COPELAND)
Latasha tried to conceal the vial in her hands as she shook her head.
“I believe all is well,” she replied, glancing at her cousin as if checking for his opinion. She just hoped that avoiding eye contact would leave the waiter unsuspecting of their situation. (NORTH)
As soon as the waiter left Adam turned towards Latasha and slammed his palm on the table. “You can’t be serious. That will burn your skin and melt your brain Latasha!” (SCOTT)
He had barely finished his sentence when the train lurched, causing the bottle to fly out of Latasha’s hand and roll down the aisle.
“Quick!” Latasha hissed. “If that stuff gets into the wrong hands, we’re all going to die.” (KENDALL)
Adam leaped to his feet and raced as quickly as he could down the aisle without raising suspicion. Thankfully, the bottle got stuck in a small notch on the side of another passenger’s seat. Adam was just breathing a sigh of relief when a hand reached down from the side of the seat and picked the bottle up. (GARRISS)
“Looking for something?” The man smirked, turning the bottle over in his gloved hands. (ABLESON)
Gritting his teeth, Adam straightened and forced a friendly smile. “Ah, yes, I –” (COPELAND)
“The human next to us dropped that!” Latasha interrupted quickly from behind him. “We were just grabbing it for him.” (GARRISS)
Adam winced as recognition flashed across the stranger’s features at the word “human.” With a smooth motion, the man dropped the bottle into the deep pocket of his traveling coat. (HIRCHERT)
Latasha tried to laugh and eyed her cousin worriedly. Adam’s strained smile faded from his face as he slipped back into his seat. Their only hope was gone… (ZUIDERVEEN)
“Um,” said Latasha, searching her brain for something to say. “So – you collect nail polish?” (ABLESON)
“No,” the man replied coolly, and turned away to face the window.
Latasha widened her eyes and raised her eyebrows at Adam behind the man’s back, trying to convey the general message of do something. Baffled, Adam only blinked in response. (COPELAND)
Remembering a phrase from a history textbook about Earth, Latasha attempted to casually say, “So, how ‘bout those freshly baked communists, huh?” (MCHOPE)
Choking, the man spun around in his seat, his eyes bulging from their sockets. All his chilly reserve had melted like butter. “Who are — ” (COPELAND)
“Unfortunately, I’m an abnormally large creature”, Latasha answered, winking. That joke had always worked back home. (KENDALL)
“Dude, take a deep breath,” Adam told the man, who looked in danger of exploding. “Not with the diversity movement, I take it?” (COPELAND)
“Well, um…” Latasha searched for the expression she’d heard a million times. “Regurgitation to self… Not everyone’s as we expected.” (NORTH)
“Regurgi–” the man started. “What are you people, some sort of aliens?” “HA HA HA”, Latasha laughed, glancing helplessly at Adam, “That’s soooo funny, isn’t it Adam?” (KENDALL)
But perhaps now was a good time to simply walk away. “I’d better get back to my, you know, notebook,” she fumbled, trying for a bright smile. “Got to keep jogging, you know?” (COPELAND)
The man arched an eyebrow and gave her a peculiar, suspicious, skeptical look. (MrSuSpence)
Adam mirrored it, turning to his cousin and saying, “Never heard that one, Latasha.”
“These humans,” sighed Latasha under her breath. “They can’t seem to decide whether they’re journaling or blogging on the Internet these days.” (COPELAND)
“Excuse me,” a woman in the aisle over said, leaning in. She eyed the man with a wary eye, but she spoke to the cousins. “Did this man take your nail polish remover?” (MCHOPE)
At that moment, a butterfly the size of an elephant flew past the train window. Latasha screamed, ducking down in the train aisle. Adam looked around, not knowing what in the Milky Way was even going on anymore. (KENDALL)
“Please, no butterflies,” Latasha whimpered into the train’s floor. “No butterflies.” (MCHOPE)
Adam crouched in the aisle next to his cousin, resting a hand on her shoulder. “If we stay calm, maybe it’ll just fly on by,” he suggested hopefully. (NORTH)
Latasha hesitantly glanced back at the window, a whole swarm of butterflies now buzzing past them. “OH NO THEY’RE MULTIPLYING!” she screamed, grabbing her cousin by the collar and pointing at the ferocious beasts. “They’re twitching their legs — ew look at that — THAT’S NOT NORMAL!” (YOSHI)
By now, Latasha wasn’t the only one yelling; everyone in the train car had noticed the strange sight. Some joined in Latasha’s screaming, while others simply stared out the windows in petrified fascination. As the sole passenger apparently unaffected by the butterflies, Adam decided he would have to be the voice of reason, so he (COPELAND) shut the window blinds. (YOSHI)
Latasha, and everyone else in the car, now had something between them and the butterflies besides glass. They could see the light flickering between the blinds as the flying monsters zipped up and down the car as it rattled on down the track. (MrSuSpence)
Adam glanced around the quieting train car full of people who were still getting over their initial shock, and he spotted the woman who had made an inquiry before the whole crisis began. Remembering that, on Earth, it was rather rude to leave questions unanswered, he felt the need to reply, be it delayed.
“Yes, miss,” he said, leaning towards her, “this man did take the nail polish remover.” (NORTH)
The woman stared at him. “There were butterflies the size of elephants out there!” She whispered hoarsely, “I don’t care about the nail polish remover anymore!” (GARRISS)
Adam waved a hand in the direction of the window blinds. Humans were a little slow sometimes. “I don’t see any ‘butterflies the size of elephants,’ so maybe we can talk about the — ” (COPELAND)
Suddenly, the man that stole the vial from the cousins stood up and swiftly opened a window. Ignoring the shrieks from the human woman, he pulled out the nail polish remover, twisted the cap open, and flung the contents at the evil insects. The oversized butterflies hissed as the fiery liquid burned through their exoskeletons. (YOSHI)
The train car’s passengers watched in horror and relief as the remover exposed the malicious insects’ weakness – acetone? The specifics didn’t matter very much; many of the butterflies melted and many more began flying away from the threat. Crisis…averted? (NORTH)
“Latasha? Lataaasha??? Hey!”
Adam snapped his fingers in front of his daydreaming cousin. The young authoress blinked in surprise as the train cabin reverted back to it’s normal, boring, tea-stained state. (YOSHI)
“Hm?”
“I asked how your Sandbox for Creative Writing was going,” Adam said, raising a curious eyebrow.
“Oh, I think I have the perfect plot twist,” Latasha said, suddenly laughing, “but I think that things would have been a whole lot different if I had learned early on not to procrastinate.” (KENDALL)
Adam chuckled, just as Latasha opened the worn pages of her notebook. “What’s that?” he exclaimed.
Latasha hid her face with the notebook, so he wouldn’t see her plans to take over the world. (CAYLOR)