July 14: write a story titled windows down
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Windows down was the Miller's kids favourite game to play. It was quite fun and simple. One person yelled the command “windows down!” and one person had the weapon. It could be a water gun, a paint ball gun, a catapult, or basically any kids toy or weapon that wasn't too dangerous. Everyone else hid behind a window and waited until the commander yelled, “windows down” and then everyone opens their window and tries to duck because the person with the weapon is waiting at someone's window. Then they fire and the unlucky person either gets hit or dodges and hides till the commander yells windows up and they put them down again. It was a weird game.
There were only five kids in the family. Triplets and two normal kids and there were six windows at the ground floor that they could use. Two people had to do the shooter and the commander jobs and so there were only three kids left. It was fun like that but they needed more people so they asked their neighbours to play with them one day and they agreed. So they were complete and they always played like that ever since.
There was a guest in the Miller's house that no one knew of. The spirit of a dead child who had so much angst built up in him ever since he died as a child in the neighborhood. The current inhabitants of the house, had no idea about the story of the dead child. No one told them and they never bothered to ask about the history of the house.
The spirit is usually roaming and sometimes it tries to frighten the kids. Several times, one of the kids will be brushing their teeth in the bathroom and the spirit will turn on the tap. Sometimes it will make some objects to fall, or knock on a door within the house when the kids were sure no one else was behind the door. Strangely, it never haunted the parents and the kids never told them about the strange happenings. They had fun games to play anyway!
They were all surprised when a kid they'd never seen in the neighborhood before walked up to them as they were playing outside and asked to join. It was six in the evening and the Miller's kids parents weren't around.
“Hi, what's your name?” one of the girls asked.
“I'm Michael. My family just moved into the neighborhood and I just wanted to play with someone.”
The girl scrunched her face up. She didn't like the boy although he had done nothing to her. He was short and scrawny and had a mess of red hair atop his head.
“Mmm…” she started like she was considering it but was interrupted by ome of the neighbour's kids.
“Sure, you can play.”
The kid beamed and walked over to them.
“Thanks. What're you guys playi”
“Well, it's a complicated game,” one said.
“Most of our games are complicated,” another said.
“And weird,” a third said.
His eyes lit up at the last comment. “Oh yeah? What's the weirdest game you guys play.”
The girl who didn't like him in the beginning spoke up. “We call it windows down.”
“Oooh,” he said, trying his best to act surprised although the smirk pulling slightly at his lips almost gave him away. “Can I play? Can we play that one?”
They looked back and forth between one another and shrugged. “Sure.”
The game was explained to him and he volunteered to be the shooter immediately. They agreed and gave him a a powerful paint gun. He took it happily and got into position outside while they all scrambled inside to their windows.
While the commander wasn't looking, Michael slipped a revolver out of his pocket and held it in his other hand, hiding it from the commander's sight.
The kids were already behind their shut windows, hearts pounding excitedly, waiting for the call.
Amelia, one of the triplets stood behind her window, looking through it and scanning the neighborhood. It was dark now so she couldn't see much and so she waited at the window patiently until she heard the command.
“Windows down!”
The children squealed excitedly and pulled or pushed their windows open. Amelia ducked immediately and crouched there, heart pounding. When no sound was heard for a while, Amelia got and looked out of her open window.
Her eyes widened as she saw a gun pointed straight at her, before she had the time to scream, a bullet was already lodged in her forehead and she crumpled to the floor.
The gunshot was heard and suddenly everyone went crazy. Some cried and lay down while some tried to run but Micheal somehow got them all into the house and he forced them into a corner with the gun still held tight in his hands, pointing straight at the trembling kids.
“Don't say a word.” It was weird to see a kid with a gun. Although, somehow this kid looked very scary.
“I will find a way and kill every child if I can,” he began. “When I was alive, no kid wanted to play with me. I was always lonely and now every kid will pay.”
The kids whimpered and one sobbed."when I was alive, what was he talking about?" they all thought. He didn't take his eyes off them for a second.
“I might spare you guys. But if any of you say a word about this…be sure you will die.”
They all nodded vigorously and he lowered the gun. The neighbour’s kids scrambled and ran away. The remaining Miller's kids stood up shakily.
“Find a way to explain this to anyone who asks," he said, referring to that dead girl's body. Don't be stupid and I'll spare your lives and others. I'll always be watching…”
Suddenly, he dissolved into the air and was gone.
The kids stared at one another for a moment before the oldest got up to search for his dead sister.
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I've been reading this book, big magic by Elizabeth Gilbert and I recommend it to every writer, artist, song writer and just... anyone who creates. It's indeed magical and has helped me a lot ever since I picked it up. I'm going to read eat, pray, love by her next. Thanks Olivia<3💜
