Hello everyone and thank you for joining us for our newest weekly prompt! This week, we will be featuring a picture prompt. Remember, it is entirely up to you on how to interpret the prompt, which means that you can interpret it as literally or as figuratively as you would like. Just let your imagination fly!
PICTURE PROMPT
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WINNERS:
(Please note the winners are listed in no specific order.)
As we stared into the bouncing flames of the campfire, I knew that we were once again bound for life.
Going our different paths after college had been hard, even though we had stayed in touch. When my best friend Andrea proposed that we spend a weekend in the woods, camping, all of us agreed. It was the perfect reunion of our unbreakable group.
We smiled and laughed and sang together, living life once again.
As the flames died, Andrea told us she was dying, and we all broke apart again.
It hurt too much. It hurt too much because in each other, we saw her. In Lexa, I saw her smile. In Dorian, I saw her spirit. In Kevin, I saw her heart and in me, Kiera, I saw her best friend. Seeing her so strongly after she was gone hurt too much for us to be around each other, though we knew she wouldn't have wanted that.
The most dangerous thing in this life is to love. It breaks you so hard when you lose someone you love, you feel like you'll never be put back together again. But when you slowly figure out how to pick up the pieces and make yourself into some semblance of whole again, that's when you remember how precious the moments you spent with them were. Every single piece that your heart broke into was a tapestry of loving moments that you had with them, when they made you feel an emotion so strongly that you felt like you'd never feel it that way again.
So, when all of us met accidentally at Andrea's grave, exactly a year after her death, we decided to be the glue for each other. The glue that holds the pieces together.
We aren't whole, no. Andrea went, and she took a small piece of us with her. But we're together, not so broken.
And we have each other, so life won't be as hard as it was a year ago, not anymore.
When we, me and my friends, decided to go to the beach on a chilly fall evening, I was not thrilled. But now, being at the beach, it wasn't really that bad. The temperature was a few degrees higher than I thought it would be, it was warm enough to wear shorts.
When it got dark, Aida decided that it would be a good time to tell some scary stories. We jumped in fright as she made spooky noises and laughed as she changed her voice to different pitches to resemble each character.
After a few stories, we all decided we had been scared enough for the night. Everyone turned to me. I knew what to do. I pulled my guitar out and started singing. I was the musician of the group. My voice started out soft, but got louder as I got more into the song. The song that was singing held some memories for me. I thought of my mother as I was singing. This was a song that she used to sing to me whenever I felt down. The song 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Love Me)'. It was silly, but I was a song that my mother loved.
I looked around at my friends. Their faces were illuminated by the campfire light. I was so grateful for them.
"This might be my favorite night of existence." Trey says while gazing at the sky.
This is our first night on the island. The warm breeze is comforting. Moonlight is unfiltered in a brilliant clear sky filled with twinkling stars. The sound of the waves breaking on the beach replaces the chatter that's naturally come to an end while we take in the peaceful moment.
"Just wait until tomorrow!" Layla says through a grin.
We're the lucky college grads from across the US to win scholarships to study the eco system of a remote tropical island. Each of us have a different science expertise, mine being endangered species.
"Can't wait to start digging around." Bobbi replies while inspecting a handful of sand.
"Does anyone know what they're planning for this paradise? All the application said was a private donor funded the scholarships for three months." Abed asks.
As if the question summoned him, a man steps through the trees. All ten of us stand in unison, tense at the sudden appearance of an unexpected arrival.
"Great question, Abed, right?" He asks and extends a hand to Abed.
"I'm Maleko Alika and this is my home, Isle Maluhia. I'm grateful to you all for coming on this journey with me. Your work will ensure the least amount of human disruption to the island, and all findings will be donated in total to universities across the globe to assist in ecological preservation." His voice is warm and deep. When ours eyes meet, a smile fills his face and my heart skips.
"Ok, well, that answers that." Abed deadpans, resulting in laughter among the group.
While the others debate the pros of living on the island, Maleko approaches me in his unbelievably dreamy stature and I'm already melting.
"Rae?" He extends his hand. "Yes." I reply and gladly take his hand in mine.
"Care to go for a walk?"
"Absolutely." I reply mirroring his smile.
Layla sneakily gives a thumbs up as we walk away, making me giggle.
This adventure just got a lot more in interesting!
Congratulations and thank you to every single one of you who participated!
