This page will hold Quickwrite Prompts that you can use to start your own story.
You can also read the stories that I have started using the prompts. Enjoy!
1) I opened the closet door and found the box.
The Mysterious Box
By Ms. Xenos: Chapter 1: Curiosity in the Closet I opened the closet door and found the box. It was sitting on the floor, underneath musty coats, jackets, and sweaters that had probably been hanging there for half a century. Everything here in my Grandmother Lily's old house looked like it hadn't been touched in years. The box itself was scratched up and made of wood, with red, blue, green, and gold paint chipping away on the sides. On the top of the box I noticed the carved initials N.M. "N.M.?" I wondered aloud, bewildered, as I kneeled down carefully on the floor. I touched the top of the box softly, brushing away a bit of dust that coated the initials. My guess was that N.M. stood for a person's name, but I couldn't think of anyone whose name started with those letters. Certainly not my Grandmother Lily. Reaching slowly to pick up the box, something shiny caught my eye. There was a gleaming gold lock on the side, keeping the box closed tight. The strange thing was that the box looked so old, but the lock seemed to be brand new. How odd! The box seemed to call out to my curiosity, "Open me." I wanted to open it. I really did. But I didn't have the key...and I had no idea where to begin to look. At that moment, I heard a creak on the hallway stairs -- someone was coming! I wasn't supposed to be in this bedroom. It was at the end of the hall and ever since I was little the door was always kept shut, and Grandmother always frowned and didn't answer when I asked her what was inside. Today, I had snuck in -- I was feeling adventurous -- but I didn't want Grandmother to find me here in case it made her upset or angry. Quick as a wink, I pushed the box back where it was in the closet and quietly closed the closet door. I bolted out of the room and silently shut the bedroom door behind me. The coast was clear in the hall, but Grandmother was slowly making her way up the stairs. "Geneva?" she said to me. "Are you upstairs?" "Yes, Grandmother," I called, pretending that I happened to be heading downstairs at that very moment. "I'm coming downstairs though." "Good," Grandmother said, "Because lunch is ready." I made my way down the stairs and met her halfway. I wanted to ask her about N.M. but didn't know how to bring it up without giving away that I was where I shouldn't have been. As I entered the kitchen and sat down at the table, a plate of sandwiches in front of me, I thought about how and when I could investigate about the box. I also couldn't stop thinking about where I could find a golden key to match that mysterious lock. *** Chapter 2: A Plan Grandmother Lily and I worked outside in her garden after lunch, sweating and toiling in the late summer heat. We pulled weed after weed out of the garden until the small corner of the yard started to look beautiful. But the whole time we worked, I couldn't get my mind off the box and where the key could be. Even though I had been staying with my grandmother for the whole month of July, we still didn't talk very deeply. We both liked to work in the garden, but other than that, we didn't do a lot together. Grandmother Lily liked to knit, when I liked to read. Grandmother enjoyed listening to talk radio, but I liked listening to music. While Grandmother was an excellent cook, I preferred to clean and organize. And I had many opportunities for cleaning and organizing, since Grandmother's house was dusty and seemed that it hadn't been straightened up in years. As I sat kneeling on the hard dirt of the garden, I thought about when might have been the last time Grandmother might have done a thorough cleaning of the house and wondered if, when she did, she came across the box. Did she put the box there herself? Did she know the owner, or what was inside? Was she able to open the box herself? Or, were my wonderings all wrong -- did Grandmother even know the box existed? I wanted to ask her these questions as we sat tending to the garden, but I didn't know what to say. But my curiosity about the box was so deep that I had to say something. As I tugged at a particularly difficult weed, I cleared my throat and took the risk. "Grandmother," I said, my voice shaky and anxious. "Yes, Geneva?" she replied, throwing a weed into a pile. I paused, trying to figure out what to say. Should I ask her about the box? The key? The initials N.M.? "Grandmother," I repeated, and then was struck with a sudden idea. Gathering up all of my courage, I asked, "I was wondering if it would be okay if I cleaned your house." "Cleaned my house?!" Grandmother chuckled. "You want to clean my whole house? Have you looked at it lately? The place is a mess!" she laughed. I smiled, too. "Exactly, Grandmother," I nodded. "It's a mess, and I love to clean and organize. So I was wondering if you'd let me clean it." Grandmother stopped what she was doing and looked at me, up and down, almost like she was seeing me for the first time. She nodded her head. "All right," she said. "If you like cleaning so much, then go for it. But don't expect me to help you too much," she said. "I may be in good enough shape for gardening, but I'm not much help in the organizing department. Old knees, you know," she ended, tapping her legs, eyes twinkling. "Thanks Grandmother," I said, feeling my excitement creep in. If I had the OK to do some cleaning, I could search the house from top to bottom to find a key to match the box's lock. I couldn't wait to begin! "Where do you think you'll start?" Grandmother asked as we continued pulling weeds. I didn't want to scare Grandmother off of the idea by saying the room upstairs that was off limits, so I said, "I don't know. Maybe I'll start from the top and work my way down." The perfect answer, I thought. Not too many details. She'll never guess. I could almost see the golden key in my hand, opening the box...I couldn't wait to begin searching the house to find what I was looking for. One step closer to solving the mystery of the box! To be continued... |
Writing #1
By Bella I opened the closet door and found a box. In that box was a unicorn, a rainbow, cake, and ice cream, and on the box was a heart and a note. The note said: Dear reader, this is a Great Day package. It will help you have a great day, but I must warn you. Do not use it for personal gain or it will become a Worst Day package and it will curse your day. Don't throw me away or a bad, bad thing will happen. If you throw away the box, the same thing will happen so have a great day. Xoxo box Writing #2 By Bella How to make cake pops You will need Cake Chocolate Sprinkles Freezer Microwave Cooking sticks Plate Ice cream scooper Time Ice cube try Hands How to make it First. Take your cake and break it over the plate Then. Use your ice cream scooper to make balls Then. Use your microwave and melt your chocolate Then. Put your cake on the cooking sticks Then. Dip it in the chocolate Then. Add sprinkles on Then put them on your ice cube tray and make sure that they're standing up Then. Put them in the freezer for the night Then. The next morning enjoy 😀 |