Author: icepanda108108

Prompt: Write a story involving a scarf, a poorly wrapped present and a kiss.

On the 20th day of winter, Enzo came to realize that he might end up dying alone.

At first, he wasn’t that concerned about it, often avoiding the topic of romance and relationships. However, it seemed that said topic tended to chase after him. Enzo was perplexed over the situation, wondering what the most logical solution would be and how to dodge it in the quickest, swiftest way possible.

The thing was…his own mother was the one speaking to him about it.

There was no escape this time.

It wasn’t that he hated the thought of it. Sure, he’d thought of the topic at times, but he never imagined himself actually pursuing a romantic relationship. Whoa, the thought sent chills down his spine just thinking about it! Enzo shrugged it off, looking around the safe haven, the apartment. This time, he wasn’t alone. His mother’s strong presence was currently in the kitchen, preparing him a meal, despite with the smallest of things, his mother swatted his hand away and mumbled that instead of helping, he would just make it a mess. Even he, himself knew she was right. However, Enzo insisted that he could do it himself.

He was also known to be quite stubborn

“Are you sure there isn’t anything I can do?” He questioned once more, watching as his mother prepared the salad, not bothering to turn around to look at him. For a moment, she didn’t answer, which led to him leaning against the doorway while repeating his question. She soon surrendered, answering coldly, “Fine. Take out the trash.” Enzo nodded, walking towards the garbage can, quickly emptying it out. Before stepping out of the apartment, Enzo snatched his keys off the kitchen countertop.

Walking along the narrow hallway while stuffing his keys into his pocket, Enzo noticed how they finally repainted the hallway with a fresh coat of dizzying white and black. Some doors were left open, wide enough to give Enzo a glimpse into the apartment. Though Enzo preferred to avoid his neighbors without reason whatsoever, he was still interested in their lives. He heard disembodied voices of a male calling for someone, raising his voice louder and louder. Enzo finally reached the lobby, reaching the end of the maze as he noticed the impending dusk…

He hastily dumped the trash into the garbage bin, hearing the familiar sounds of the city and its restless atmosphere. Letting out a sigh, he looked down the street for a split second but paused at the sight of a figure. Furrowing his brows, he watched as the figure came into clear view, realizing that it was his neighbor, Addilyn. It was like seeing a ghost, feeling his palms sweat and his heartbeat quicken its pace. Despite having a few conversations with her, he wasn’t stable enough to talk to her outside of the building.

Now that was just crossing the line.

Instead of running away, he decided to simply duck behind a trash bin, holding his breath while he heard her footsteps becoming louder by every second. It reminded him of those horror films that may or may not have kept him up all night. Enzo began to pick at the skin around his fingernails, wishing to bleed long enough for him to pass out. For a second, he felt the floor begin to sway under his feet, warning him to calm down enough to ease his breathing. Enzo felt like he was in a horror movie, waiting for the reason of his death to approach, to emerge from the shadows. Once her familiar red combat boots came into vision, he looked up at her, rising from his spot behind a trash bin.

“Enzo? Is that you?” She asked, still maintaining a distance due to the other times he panicked when she approached him. Enzo’s hiding place had been discovered. What on Earth was he going to do now? Enzo gulped loudly, wiping his sweaty palms with his jeans.

“No Addilyn, it’s not me. You’re mistaken.” He replied hastily, clutching the hem of his sweatshirt to the point his knuckles turned ghostly white. Addilyn arched a brow as she went even closer, knowing exactly where that line was from. Under her layers of clothing was something Enzo detected almost immediately, watching as she held it under her jacket. For a second, he predicted she would roll her eyes at him, but that was completely false when she flashed him a bright smile.

“Very funny, Enzo. Anyway, where were you during the Christmas party? I was sort of um…looking for you,” She explained shyly, watching as Enzo tugged nervously on a strand of his raven black hair. He prayed that she couldn’t detect his nervousness, making him flush crimson. It was strange. Out of all the human interactions Enzo’s had, this was the one that made him nervous, even sweating. Was it an allergic reaction? Maybe it was his body’s way of telling him to run away or to hate her. However, there wasn’t anything that he could find that could lead to him hating her. “I had a last minute invite to a family event. Sorry, I didn’t tell you guys,” he apologized while scratching the back of his head.

“Such a shame. I…sort of wanted you to be there.” She admitted while staring at the ground in embarrassment, flushing red. Enzo’s head was spinning, wondering what that truly meant. Was it a bad thing? He attempted to wipe his sweaty palms on his jeans once more, trying to get out of the conversation as quickly as possible. He could already hear his mother’s taunting laughter from outside the building, was he hearing things?

“Why?” He asked curiously, noticing how Addilyn kept trying to cover something in her green coat. Perhaps Enzo could fake an allergic reaction in order to escape the conversation. Yeah, maybe that would work. Just a few more minutes of embarrassment, then he was free to go. “I wanted to give you your present. I’m your Secret Santa…surprise?” She flashed a sheepish smile, letting her eyes turn to crescents. He furrowed his brows, scrunching his nose in confusion at what she meant by that. Was he over analyzing things?

Oh…

Secret Santa?

Of course! That’s why his neighbor, Fred kept bugging him after the event. He would interrogate him in the hallway, laundry room, lobby, even at his apartment. Enzo still had emotional scars, remembering all the panic, suspense, and sweat. Wait, who did he get for Secret Santa? He recalled it was a female and he bought gloves for said girl. Now that he thought of it, he was wearing the same jacket he was wearing when he was given the name. However, he couldn’t picture the name due to being in a conversation with Addilyn.

“Oh, really? I should’ve known. No one dropped by to give me a…a present.” Oh no! He stuttered. Enzo wanted to walk away in shame, go anywhere but face her. Addilyn parted her lips, close to saying something before deciding to reveal the thing she was hiding first. It took a second for Enzo to recognize the thing she was holding tightly, widening his eyes in utter shock. Slowly, his eyes trailed up to meet her soft gaze. “I got this for you. Remember when you first moved in and told me how you lost your scarf on the way here? I know you probably replaced it, but I still wanted to get you another one, just in case you lose another scarf.” She explained, shakily handing it to him with a fond expression. Enzo couldn’t believe it! She still remembered that story?

“Th..thank you, Addilyn. I don’t have your gift right now…sorry.” He whispered the last bit, hanging his head in utter shame. She let out a soft giggle, assuring him that he can give it to her another time. His thumb traced over the stitching, feeling the soft material of the red scarf and hoping it will last long enough. However, he wasn’t a huge fan of the fact that she attempted to wrap it, arching a brow at the ripped wrapping paper and a ribbon to top it off. Enzo decided not to say anything about it, remembering how offended some people get when he points out flaws.

“How did you know you were going to run into me though?” He questioned, looking up at her chocolate orbs. Addilyn shrugged sheepishly, stuffing her hands into her pockets while she tried to seek warmth. This time, Enzo wasn’t oblivious. He quickly wrapped the scarf around her neck, protecting her neck from the unbearable wind. Addilyn quietly thanked him, continuing to answer this question. “I just got a feeling, y’know?”

He knows that feeling.

“I have to go. Thanks again for the present, Addilyn.” She nodded, waving him goodbye as watched him walk away. He couldn’t believe it. She really remembered the story he told her all those years ago and used that in order to give him a gift. Sure, he already had scarves, but he could use another. Enzo let out a sigh, staring at the cold pavement. What was this weird feeling bubbling inside him? Was it an illness? Had he been contaminated? No, it was probably the allergic reaction. That has to be it! That would be the only reason why he can’t stop playing that moment over and over-

“Wait, Enzo!” He spun towards the source of her voice, trying to initiate a small smile, making the ends of his lips tug upwards slightly. Addilyn approached him cautiously, giving him an unreadable expression as she mumbled something before suddenly grabbing at his collar, yanking him forward. He didn’t have any time to react as she slammed her lips against his, surprising him to the maximum. Enzo didn’t know how to act in this scenario. Was he supposed to do something? How long does it have to last before it becomes awkward?

Addilyn soon let go, trying to look at his reaction, realizing how shocked he was. The two stayed quiet for a moment before he spoke,

“Why did you do that?”

For a second, he thought he chose the wrong words with Addilyn’s furrowed brows and pursed lips. However, his worries faded away as she laughed at his question, showing him a smile Enzo immediately loved. Wait, there’s that feeling again. It’s hitting him like a wave, but…

it’s more intense now.

Why?

“Isn’t it obvious? I sort of…well, I sort of have feelings for you. Also, you left your scarf.” She quickly reminded, giving the scarf to him with a hopeful expression. That still didn’t answer his question. Scratch that. It did answer his question.

So that means…

No…can it? Now it makes sense!

“I…I have feelings for you, too.” He came to a realization. Addilyn’s grin grew even wider, parting her lips to react to his confession before-

His mother appeared into view, unfortunately.

“Enzo, where were you? You’ve been gone for 30 minutes. I thought you fell down the stairs again or something.” Enzo screamed internally at his mother’s last sentence, hoping Addilyn wasn’t judging him, especially in this moment. His mother soon stared at the two of them, giving him a questioning look. “So, you finally caught on to my advice?”

“Mother, now’s not the time…” he grumbled, clenching his jaw in annoyance as he ran his hand through his hair.

“25 years! It took you 25 years for you to find someone!” She reminded as Addilyn giggled in the background.

“Mother!”

 

 

 

Prompt: Write about having a complicated friendship with someone.

“I hate you so much right now, I can’t even look at you without sighing in disgust,” you grumbled, refusing to look at him in the eye. That only set more fuel to his teasing, feeling the tip of his index finger poke you repeatedly. It all came to an end when you swatted his hand away like a fly, hearing the sound echoing down the hall.

“Excuse me, I can’t talk to you right now if you’re going to be so emotional,” he teased, grinning cheekily at you.

“I….despise you.” You stabbed his chest repeatedly with the tip of your index finger. He rolled his eyes. “I despise you,” He imitated, dodging a playful swing from you that made him burst out laughing. You once again attempted to take a swing at him with your clenched fist, reaching upwards towards him and soon gave up, pouting in defeat. The male ruffled your hair and apologized for his egregious crime, which was beating you in a board game.

“Wow, you’re grumpier today. Did something happen?” You shook your head while biting your inner right cheek, glancing at him leaning down a bit to reach your eye level. “I got a bad grade on my test…” you confessed while hanging your head in shame and pure embarrassment. Instead of laughing at you like his usual behavior, he gave you a look of pity and patted your head as a possible sign of comfort. However, it didn’t help your mood at all. If anything, it just made you even more upset at the fact that he was pitying you over your failure.

“It’s okay. I got a bad grade too. Unlike you, I didn’t study at all, so I guess I deserved it. Just ask for a makeup test or something. You’ll probably do better,” he assured, earning a small, appreciative smile from you. For once, he was saying something that was actually helpful. “You’re right. I-I actually haven’t thought of that. I guess I’ll email her.” You decided with a confident nod of approval. He hummed in agreement and leaned against the wall while looking at the end of the hall to find no one.

“Can I tell you something?” Your eye met his and you nodded in confirmation.

“What is it?” He stared at the floor sheepishly, biting his lip as he tried to find the right words.

“You promised we were going to that comic store today so I sort of want to go now since we’re free. I’m just reminding you since it looks like you sort of forgot.” He mumbled quietly. You arched an eyebrow at his sudden reminder, immediately flashing back to you promising him over visiting said store once the last class finished on Friday. The interlocked pinkies as a sign of the promise.

Guilty.

“Alright, alright. We’ll go after I pick up my textbook. Let’s go.” He nodded and joined you on the journey to retrieve your textbook. Of course, you didn’t forget to attempt to trip him, but you failed as usual. “Did you just….you know what? No. I’m just going to forget that ever happened,” he muttered while taking a moment to glance at you in amusement from the side.

“Thanks,” he whispered lowly. You looked upwards at him, raising an eyebrow in confusion. “For what?”

“For keeping your promise. I guess you’re a good person after all,” He admitted, not daring to meet your brown orbs. The male ran his hand through his hair, biting his bottom lip to restrain himself from showing you an embarrassed blush. “So you thought I wasn’t a good person in the beginning?” you interrogated. Realizing his choice of words, he let out a groan, knowing you’ll be petty over it for the rest of the week. He whispered curses under his breath, wanting to disappear and return perhaps a month later.

“No-No! That’s not what I meant. I just meant that I thought you were like the rest; always forgetting their promise and when I remind them, they just shrug it off and offer me something else. At least you’re not one of those people. God, I hate that type of person.” He whispered the last bit. Your anger soon died out after hearing his explanation. “Alright, fine. I forgive you. Do something like that again, and I’ll punch you.” You threatened, earning a chuckle from him, but he nodded in agreement.

“I approve of your threat, even though it’s endangering me.”

“And I approve of your approval,” you added, finally showing him a grin at your own comment. He stared at you with a judging expression, soon rolling his eyes at you while mumbling inaudible things. Most likely insults. Yeah, most likely insults.

“Was that completely necess–”

“-ary? Yes. Yes, it was completely necessary.” You cut him off. He let out a long sigh of disapproval.

“You are unbelieva-”

“-bly amazing? Yes, I know.” He didn’t dare to add anything else, deciding to remain quiet the whole journey to retrieve your textbook. The only sound he could hear was your laugh echoing down the halls and your constant teasing, making his lips tug upwards sometimes.

Just…

not fully.

But close enough.

1. “It began with a whisper. More and more whispers joined it until it was a deafening wall of sound.”
2. They were playing hide and seek when he disappeared. She spent the rest of her life looking for him.
3. You walk into your friends’ room to find him preening his feathers.
4. Their wings were stuck. They did not have the energy it would take to magic them away. (Could go with prompt 3)
5. Midnight on your 18th birthday you wake up in your soulmates body. You have one hour to do what you want.
6. Two high schoolers end up in the yearbook as ‘Most likely to get married’. They’re really close best friends.
7. “The raindrops hit his skin like knives, but he didn’t move, the bus would come any minute.”
8. Write a story about a person who has a mental illness where he/she cannot say, “I love you.” What happens? Does he or she ever get over it? How? (Compulsive liar or narcissist)
9. Write a story about someone who is a serial monogamist and who may not understand what love truly means.
10. Write a story in the format of love letters.
11. Make a story about someone searching for what love means. (Can mean family love, romantic love or friendship love)
12. Someone doesn’t believe in love and thinks they’ll never find it.
13. If love could take the form of an object, animal or human being. This being represented, love. The story revolves around a group of characters who come into contact with the manifestation of love. (Ants-you could never really get rid of them no matter what)
14. If love had a mind of its own. What beauty or tragedy would come out of it? If we happened to follow it completely with trust?
15. Comedy over partner A trying to tell partner B they love them (for the first time). It always goes horribly wrong.
16. Random object triggers an object of memory lapse in a character. Including animate or inanimate object that can trigger it. Character interactions with the world, a choice for them to be aware or unaware of these happenings.
17. Tragedy happened. Don’t make it clear of what happened. Use thoughts, imagery and other elements to hint it.
18. A musician is unable to play music again after a tragic accident. (Could be a violinist, pianist and they become paralyzed)
19. Character wakes up to find someone or something else lying in bed.
20. After waking up, the character finds a corpse on the floor, beside his bed.
21. Man is severely depressed and strongly contemplating suicide.
22. Main character’s goal is to not let a loved one commit suicide.
23. Story over the main character waking up from a failed suicide attempt. (They could be trying over and over, but always live in the end)
24. Someone needs to solve a murder mystery. However, their main resource is someone who suffers from a memory impairment and can only retrace certain details at a specific time.
25. Main character’s best friend passed away and is told through the phone call.
26. “It was then you realized that hell was winter, and you were in love with it.”

Prompt: Write a poem or short story by what you can’t see.

I can’t see..

Prompt: Write a poem or a short story about a random word and what it means to you in your own words.

What happens when you can’t stop
laughing
because they are
laughing.

Spreading, spreading. 

That blissful feeling…
when I smile at you,
and you smile back,
waving.

Makes my heart pound
like there’s no tomorrow.

Spreading, spreading.

Sadness.

When you cry
and I join you. I hold you closely…
shushing you from your sobs.
Ignoring my aching heart,
from its somberness.

I can’t hold you back
from your wails of agony
and despair.

Spreading, spreading.

The sorrow I feel…
spreading like spilled water,
drowning my heart
in regrets and guilt.

February is more lonely now…
now that you’re long gone.
The long, anticipated breath
of February
fills me with misery.

And the fact that you’re
not smiling at me now.

Spreading, spreading.

Clutching your letters
that you sent,
I stare at your name.
Engraved into a gravestone.
The grief that shot through
us when you lost.

You lost the game…
the game that you were so
used to beating.

Spreading, pausing…
deep breath,
pausing,
spreading.