Getting the Groove Back - Writing Exercises

Exercise 2 - The Voice

"Consider a theme you feel passionately about, and the characters that would inhabit the setting if you were to develop this theme into a story. Write a two-page scene from the point of view of the character who feels most strongly about this theme."

I am running with the first strange idea that popped into my head. I could have written more, but time is limited so I ran to the stated minimum of the exercise and stopped. Apologies for the in medias res and the abrupt ending.

It had followed me into the tunnel. I was frantic. No one who had ever seen me had followed me. One glance, one noise was always enough to send the confused shapes that wandered the other tunnels scurrying out of mine. This one was my own.

A rotten ripping sound and my right shoulder was suddenly lighter as the soft, golden balls I had brought from above tumbled out of my grey wrap and landed in the filth.

I slid to a stop, turned, and almost landed in the filth myself as I stooped to grab one, but the other three bounced away, toward it. Give them up as lost. I would have to bear another trip to the aboveworld in a cycle or two.

heywait

The world blurred and I stumbled as my brain rattled in my skull before I regained my stride and ran again. How far would it follow me? My home had never seen their noise, their chaos. It was never meant to.

Dead end. A dead end where I lived. And it was still following me.

whereareyou

I dropped to the ground and crawled behind my nest, my eyes burning as my voice bumped against the ground and a twang deep inside told me something had broken. I wrapped my arms around my voice and tried not to cry.

hello

I hunched my shoulders, hoping to cover my ears.

My sweet, soft lights were blocked by its bulk, now beside me, almost on top of me.

heyyoudroppedthis

Why wouldn't it leave? Maybe if I didn't look at it, like a dream it would disappear if I gave it no power.

It held something before my eyes. One of the golden balls, dusted in filth, but I'd eaten worse.

dontyouwantit?

My stomach rolled as its noise rose in pitch. Something leaped up my throat and squatted just behind my tongue, heavy and disgusting. Here would it come, but no further.\

I made a fist and struck my voice.

"Leave me alone!"

Its fragile tones rang off the stone walls, the broken twang at the end making me wince. A vulgar mispronunciation. I had to fix my voice. As soon as it left.

It placed the golden ball on the edge of my nest. Admittedly, that was thoughtful not to place it on the ground.

I trilled my fingers across my voice, high, delicate pitches. "Thank you."

It hovered beside me, then reached out its own hand and tapped my voice.

I was startled enough to look up. The formation was crude, but I sensed its meaning.

"Hi," it had said.