Peasy

Thank you, Dragon for picking my story last time. I thought there were several that were very good so this is quite a suprise and an honor.
Here's a new word list, picked at random from Webster's American English Dictionary:

freeze
experiment
placid
dismiss
hindquarter
strew
cock-eyed
violate
pro mise
mislay

Ten words to be used in any style of writing. Submissions should be under 275 words, but no less than 225 words. I will decide a new winner by Friday Oct 2, afternoon or evening.
I hope everyone has fun with this list. I am so looking forward to reading the new submissions for Think Write XXII.

Doug

Congrats Peasy! Hard word list. Here's a try at one...I'll probably have to come back with another..274 words excluding title.

Ghosts of Circumstance

I work for a logging company. I’ve traveled extensively for thirty years. I’ve heard many stories, some believable and others a bit out of this world. Here is one of “those” stories.

There is a place up north, a kind of experiment, where criminals of all kinds are patently dismissed like rag dolls torn to shreds by the lovable family pet. This is a phantom palace of pain where you either freeze to death or expire from torture lying placid on the smooth quarry tile floors with “that” glazed look on your face.

From what I’ve heard it doesn’t violate anyones rights because the criminals housed their don’t exist at least in this modern day computer age. They wear no numbers, have no roll call, nor any of the typical cock-eyed jailhouse rules. This place serves one purpose but we’ll get to that.

All the floors are level with magnetic strips built in. There are no bars on the cells, just electric eyes that scan like a kaleidoscope. The only inhabitants are the unwanted, at least the human kind. Don’t mislay your electronic neckband when you take a shower. It might be the last time. On those glistening floors the rumble of machines will fill the air and a robotic “Violation!”, “Violation!” will ring out.

The machines are the guards and the warden. Anyone who dares to be “different” will face their wrath. It might be a laser point scorch to the hindquarter or you may be a pile of ashes swept up by another roboguard.

As I sit here with piles of branches strewn about, I promise “this” logging camp story is true.

mouse

My congrats.too. Interesting word list. I have a few ideas rumbling thru this brain. Will post a story soon

Dragon

Good word list, here's one that's 273 words, I actually wrote this story a while ago but I enjoyed fitting the words in the list into it.

Demons

We used to fly together, my love and I. Wingtip to wingtip we’d spiral through the sky with the wind all around us and the placid ground far below. We’d experiment with the air currents and he’d throw me a cock-eyed grin. We used to fly together, before we were embroiled in the endless war, before my love was brought down by the flightless ones near their settlement at Seven Vales. That was where they violated him, shattering first his wings then his spirit and dismissing him to make his way home on weary feet and freeze in winter’s cruel bite . The closest he ever came to flying again was when he threw himself from the cliffs at our home. I did understand how he could mislay his promise to be with me forever. I like to think he savoured the rush of the wind around him again before his body smashed against the rocks at the cliffbase. That changed everything, it was the catalyst that made me a ruthless warrior. I rained down death upon the flightless ones, wreaked such devastation on their settlement that even to this day they say my name with a breathless hush of fear. I strew their bodies across the hindquarter of the mountain. They said I was heartless, which was true, for my heart lay broken on jagged seaside rocks. They said I was soulless, which was true, for can you still have a soul when you’re soulmate is dead? They called me the Butcher of Seven Vales, they called me a demon. But then, war is hell and it makes demons of us all.

mouse

Dragon
WOW !!! What a fantastic tale. Fantasy with an element of truth.

Peasy

Doug- What a cool story!! You did an excellent job of creating a picture in my mind's eye. I wish I had made the story length a little longer, but you nailed it pretty good. My first thought after reading it was that it would make a great movie! Bravo!!

mouse

Doug
What a chilling place you describe. The first thought I had was of an old psychiatric ward, where everyone was a diagnosis and all humanity was lost.

Peasy

Dragon- OMG!!! I was just taken away by your story! I had a picture in my head of what these winged creatures must have looked like. What an incredible immagination, and always it seems that element of darkness! Great use of the words in a story you'd previously written. Seemed like they fit in perfectly. Great job!!

midnightpoet

225 words, untitled...

Stef was a cute girl, with strawberry curls framing her freckled face, and a cock-eyed hat perched on her head.

Cristy had never been one to experiment, but Stef’s face caused her to freeze the second she laid eyes on her.

They grew close quickly. They walked hand-in-hand down placid streets amid disapproving glares from townsfolk who didn’t understand. The looks were easy to dismiss when they looked into each other’s eyes.

They spent most of their time together, and their parent’s would roll their eyes, saying it was just a phase, everyone experiments when they’re young. Cristy’s mother would always ask when Cristy was going to find a nice boy to marry.

The girls laughed, unfazed by their families’ doubt. They knew what they had, and they were happy.

Stef had horses. They would go for rides together, then wipe the horses down and pat their hindquarters before going to steal kisses behind the barn.

Behind that barn was where they strew their clothes across the ground and lay together in the hay. Their bodies entwined and a promise was made from one to the other.

Stef’s father found them there, and lectured them on how their actions would violate the whole family.

All traces of his anger vanished when Stef pointed to the small silver ring on Cristy’s finger and said, “We’re engaged.”

giraffe

This is under 275 if you dont count "a, and or the". No title.

"OK, Doc. I'll try agin. This ain't easy t' talk about, so if I freeze up agin, jus' hold on a few secs. I do want t' help out here, so where was I at, Sir? Oh yeah. Ninth grade."

"Well, me an' the boys, we was kinda' troublemakers, but no more than some a the others. And t' answer your question, 'Yes, Sir, we did experiment with jackin' off an' stuff.' Billy would pretend he mislaid his book or somethin an' I'd slap his hindquarter an' we'd end up playin' with ourselves till we cum an' then go home. It wasn't nothin, Doc. It ain't like we wasn't playin 'I'll show ya' mine' with the girls, too, or nothin like that."

"Then there was folks like Coach Percy. We called him 'Cock-eyed Percy' cause he was always lookin' at our crotches - that is when he wasn't swattin' our ass with a towel in the showers. He'd strew your things on the floor then watch all bug-eyed when ya bent over t' pick em up. It's just locker room shit. Then when we was all dressed, he's about t' dismiss us an' he might say like 'Jim Phillips! In my office! Everyone else, next class!' "

"What, Doc? Well sure it was scary. No one knew if he was gonna violate ya or make ya do a strip tease, or what! An', Yessir, I was in that office once. He jes' stared me up and down. Cock-eyed Percy. Like he was awaitin' fer me t' make the first move. It was creepy."

"No, Sir. Agin I PROMISE I didn't do nothin' t' those little kids. I'd never leave a kid there naked an' bleedin'. OK, GUARD."

Notes: The patient's placid attitude toward his crime hasn't changed. I recommend at least 1 more year of therapy, then another review.

Peasy

midnightpoet- Ahhhh... young love. The story made me think how typical the reactions to "unconventional" couples are. Maybe, in time, the tabu will become generally accepted. Somehow I doubt it. I am left wondering if the ring on Stef's hand changed her dads heart, or stopped it? Good story!!!

Peasy

Giraffe!!! This blew my mind! It's funny how many different ways a list of random words can go. Cock-eyed Percy!! I was laughing my "hindquarter " off! The story evoked many emotions for such a short script. My hat's off to you!!

Doug

So many good stories in the last few threads. I think ThinkWrite has grown in a new direction. Maybe its just me, but I see more gripping stories that could be expanded and made more insightful with additional word length. I would implore the next torchbearer to at least give it a shot at a longer word count. Nothing extraordinary, but more to work with. There seems to be some new creative minds on ThinkWrite who would benefit from this. I have no idea when Ron will be back or KM will chime in, but I'm sure Ron would have a few choice words for the "new guard" that is keeping ThinkWrite alive and well. I salute you. And it doesn't hurt when the "aritistas" join in too. I thank you also.

Doug

"make that "artistas". Its just a fun word I made up to amuse myself. No offense intended.

Dragon

I have often thought I could get more into a story, but one of the reasons I choose short word counts and of a very specific length is because one of challenges of Think Write is in the editing. Trying to see how much you can fit into a particular number of words. Ron (who came up with this brilliant idea in the first place, we always give props to him for engaging us so) would be the first one to say the challenge is to edit, and edit and then edit some more.
Please don't think I'm coming down on you Doug, because Think Write is about everyone who wants to be a part of it and you are a big part of it. I would never try to tell you you're wrong because you're not wrong, I just don't want the original intention to get lost while Ron's away.

Also, awesome stories, the kind that make you think about life.

mouse

126 words

Iditarod

The day was overcast and a cold north wind bought with it the promise of snow. I was looking forward to winter in the Alaskan wilderness. For, I raise sled dogs and often take part in the Iditarod races. It has been said of the race that it is an experiment in self confidence.

I have three teams of dogs. They have strong hindquarters in order to be able to pull the sled and its load. My best team is lead by a cockeyed male, who is a mix of Wolf and Husky.

The day before the race I will take inventory of all I will need. This is not the time to mislay anything. A sleeping bag made of down and good for sub freezing temperatures, matches, lantern, flash light, and a first aid kit are just a few of the items I have strewn about.

The course itself will be a grueling one. Over crevices, up steep slopes & through canyons. The clear crisp air will be violated only by the yip of the dogs or the crack of a whip. As I traverse the terrain I will dismiss all thoughts except those of winning and survival

At night I will bed down, maybe in a cave or under a rock overhang. And, I will watch the placid sky filled with a million stars.

mouse

Sorry--misprint--that is 226 words in my story

Peasy

mouse- Great entry! I've never seen an iditerod race, but the story you wrote painted a picture of the dogs,equipment, and landscape. I really love dogs, and sports appeal to me as well. Thanks for taking me there, if only briefly, through your well written story!!

Peasy

Doug- I agree that some longer stories would be fun. If I hadn't already posted rules for XXII before reading your suggestion to make the word count longer then I probebly would have. When I set the words and word count, I thought it would be a little more challenging to fit 10 into a short story.
Now I see a post from Dragon that explains the challenge of editing. That is precisely what I was thinking setting it up. No doubt it would make it easier to develope plots and spin fantastic tales with more words to do it in. Also, it would be fun to read the stuff people come up with.
I am amazed at the talent of all the writers here! People have had no problem fitting ten totally random words into some very good short stories.I have enjoyed every one so far. Feel free to post as many as you like. Make continuations of your previous stories for a bonus challenge if you want. Feel free to exceed the word count, just have fun!

giraffe

Yes! Mouse. I used to have a cock-eyed Malamute. Half Husky, half wolf. One blue eye and one brown. Why didn't I think of that? Guess I have a dirty mind. Very cool story.