Sunday Scribbles Writing Prompts, Week 22: A vampire longs to spend a day in the sun.

Welcome to Sunday Scribbles!

Today marks week 22 of the 52 week writing challenge!

Introductory post: Sunday Scribbles announcement post
Past prompts: Sunday Scribbles past prompts

The prompt for 4^th June is ‘Music’:

This week, the prompt is related to the #FlashFicHive challenge on Twitter, run by Anjela Curtis: http://anjelacurtis.com/flashfichive/ The first week’s challenge? To write a story inspired by a song. If you want to join in, details are here: https://twitter.com/FlashFicHive

The song I chose is ‘Out there’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xmTgOAV38w) from the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

I aimed for no more than 1000 words, but I surprised myself and kept it much shorter!

My Attempt:

‘Life before vampirism,’ Alexi muttered from his perch in the shadows on the windowsill. He heaved a sigh and gestured towards the sun with the fountain pen clutched in his hand. ‘Maybe if I remembered it, I wouldn’t be so drawn to you…’

A drop of ink splattered onto a pristine page of the notebook on his lap. Alexi scowled, and his blistered hand began to scribble in neat cursive between the lines of the, now blemished, page.

‘Always in the shadows, I’ve existed centuries.

Out there, the sun beams beam on faces.

Young, old, happy, angry, people wander free below.

The sun will never turn them to dust, to ashes…’

Alexi slammed his notebook shut and thrust a defiant hand out the open window into the light. Burns twisted like snakes across his splayed palm and up his bare arm. Flames began to dance. Alexi’s face twisted in a grimace, but his hand did not recoil to safety. 

Eyes slipped shut, and he revelled in the thud, thud, thud of the drums from the festival below as flames tickled his skin. ‘If only…’

‘Withdraw your hand, brother,’ a voice cautioned from behind him.

Alexi turned his head and raised an eyebrow, but he left his palm outstretched as the sun continued to burn a new path up his arm. ‘Shouldn’t you be sleeping?’ Alexi muttered. 

‘Do you know what mother would do to me if, whilst I slept, you turned to ash?’

Alexi grinned and withdrew his hand. Snuffed the flames out on his discarded shirt. ‘She’d blame you, Roberto. I’d like that.’

‘You’re… impossible,’ Roberto huffed through a yawn. He glanced towards the window, but did not leave the safety of the shadows. ‘What you want is impossible.’

‘Maybe…’ Alexi muttered as he tossed his notebook aside. He pushed himself to his feet to stand on the ledge, palm outstretched further this time. ‘It doesn’t change the fact that I want it.’

Roberto narrowed his eyes and stepped closer. ‘But why…?’ 

‘It crept up on me, like a lion stalks its prey,’ Alexi murmured as his eyes flitted around the marketplace. ‘Didn’t know until it hit me.’

‘Well throw it back,’ Roberto insisted. He yanked Alexi’s cape, and smirked in satisfaction when Alexi’s eyes went wide as the material tightened around his neck. ‘Come inside, brother dear. I insist.’

‘Le… go… ugh…’ Alexi stuttered as he struggled towards the light. Deft fingers flew to his neck and worked to pry the clasp open.

After an eternity, it sprang free, but it was all that held Alexi back, inside. The last time Alexi saw his brother, Roberto’s eyes were wide, and his own hand stretched into the sunlight.

The fall didn’t kill him, but the flames would. Alexi could feel them creep a burning path across his bare chest. His eyes rolled up towards the glaring sun, and he basked in it, a content smile on his face. He stared in awe, until his vision sparkled into a blank canvas of nothingness no matter where he looked.

The beat of the festival drums matched his every last breath, until the flames consumed him and tore a cracked, high pitched, shriek from his lips. The sun turned him to dust, to ashes.

End Prompt.

Thanks for reading! I’ve always hated vampires, but the research involved in this began to change my mind. I spent a lot of time here: http://www.fvza.org/vscience5.html in an attempt to understand vampires a little better!

Next Sunday’s prompt:

The prompt for 11^th June is Art:

All my attempts this month will be Flash fiction length in an attempt to practice!

If you try next weeks prompt yourself, let me know how it goes. Post your attempt on your blog on the 11^th June, and leave a link in the comments below this post so that I can read it 🙂

If you can attempt the prompt in less than 140 characters, you can also #sunscribbles on Twitter. I am super interested to see what you all come up with 🙂

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