The Old Man and the Tree

Prompt: I'm hiding in the tree tonight, and when they come back to finish it, I'll make them pay.

The old man watched the teenagers disappear down the street. The sun was beginning to lower over the horizon. He turned the sign resting against the front door to "Closed" and began cleaning his shop.

He scowled as he furiously scrubbed down the counter.

Those kids had messed with his shop, he just knew it. They'd been coming by every other day for the past two weeks, acting a little too rambunctious.

Like they were hiding something.

He hadn't thought anything about it at first, but when he noticed it appear for the first time outside his store, he raised high alert to catch the culprit. And every time those kids came by, it would grow larger and larger.

He had his suspicions that they were the cause.

He walked out of the back, turning off the lights and closing up the shop. He began to make his way to his car when he looked at it on the back wall of his shop. He stopped, staring at it.

If only he could catch those kids in the act…

He froze. That's it. He has to catch them in the act!

He looked over at a large tree that bordered the corner of his store. He could easily climb it and hide in the branches. Then when the kids came by, he could jump down and finally catch them once and for all.

"I'm hiding in the tree tonight," he muttered to himself, making his way over to the tree. "And when they come back to finish it, I'll make them pay."

Using the strength of a much younger man, the old man climbed the tree and hid in the lower branches. There he waited for a few hours.

He had been nodding off to sleep when he heard the quiet patter of footsteps. Night had fallen and only a single light post lit the back of the shop.

Just as he suspected, the teenagers approached his shop and began working on it. They pulled out spray cans and paintbrushes, adding more to their graffiti art.

The old man was beside himself with glee. He'll finally make those kids pay.

He jumped down from the tree. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" he yelled.

The teenagers screamed and looked him. They froze in place.

"I knew it was you kids painting on the back of my shop! I've been trying to catch you for the past two weeks. And now that I've got you right where I want you, I'm going to make you pay."

The kids were about to book it when the old man pulled money out of his pocket. He offered the cash to the kids. They stared at him in confusion.

"Huh?" one boy uttered, scratching his head.

"I'm going to make you pay for better spray cans and paint," he said, smiling. "I like the art you kids are doing. It's very beautiful. But I want all my customers to see such a beautiful masterpiece, and such a piece as this deserves higher quality paint."

The kids stared at each other in disbelief.

"Are you serious?" a girl asked, crossing her arms.

He nodded. "Yes. Just come by during the day and you can paint whatever you want. Just no gang symbols or graphic language or images."

The kids smiled at each other and took the money.

"Want some coffee and desserts? I have some leftover cheesecake in the fridge," the old man offered.

The kids nodded and followed the old man inside. The rest of the night flew past pleasantly, especially for the old man.

He was going to have a beautiful painting on the back of his shop.

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This was another fun piece to write. I wanted to create a twist at the end of the story; the reader expects the old man to be angry at the kids, but instead he is actually happy about the art they are creating on the back of his shop. It was fun to create this elder shopkeeper and show his thoughts about and interactions with the teenagers. Hope you all enjoyed!

Manipulation

Prompt: Manipulation is at the core of our social interaction

She couldn't help herself.

Twisting people around her whims and desires was only natural for her. People weren't meant for friendship, or comfort, or joy, or any other frivolous emotion attached to them.

People were designed for her use.

Ah, yes, they were created to carter to her every demand.

She had such power over people. She could make any person she knew follow her every command, keep them in line and force them to return to her. They were helplessly twisted around her fingers, and she held their souls in her hands.

She was different than those who shared the same view towards people. They used their fists and physical presence to intimidate people and make them submissive.

But she had the most powerful weapon of all-----

Words.

She knew the right thing to say to make someone trust her, to like her even, so much that they'd be willing to do anything, even risk their own lives, for her. One little word could have them looking at her like a love-sick puppy or quivering in fear like a helpless rabbit.

She'll admit that the power she had over people gave her such a satisfactory rush.

Her poison words ensnared the people around her, making them slaves to her manipulation.

And the control she felt…

Well.

She could never let that feeling go.

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So I found this prompt on Tumblr and it intrigued me because of the negative perspective it came from. To claim that interaction doesn't come from friendship or a human connection, but from manipulation is unique. So I took this unique prompt and created an unique character. Someone who willingly knows they can manipulate people and does so in order to maintain power. It wasn't very difficult to come up with this character, surprisingly. I think that this concept can go somewhere; where to as of now, I'm not sure. But who knows, she might appear again in later writings.

First Post, Let's Celebrate!

Hello everyone! Welcome to my blog!

The first post on a new blog. A blank paper ready for me to craft my words on. What to write? What to say? What to start off this new endeavor?

Well, to start off, this blog, as you've gathered, is where I will be posting my personal writing on a consistent basis. This is an effort for me to practice my writing more and to gain more confidence about it in general. I will be posting stories and poems, and occasionally thoughts about subjects (which, knowing me, can range from college to Disney).

The writings I post will all be based on prompts, whether from class or the Internet. I will start off each post by displaying the prompt, then the actual writing, and finishing it with an explanation of the writing process.

Does that sound good? Good!

So sit back, relax, and enjoy!