Exercises

Quick story writing technique (see here for description).

Phrase: secret recipe of herbs and spices
Action: jumped excitedly
Noun: witch

They weren’t sure what they were looking for, but they followed the directions, which had been delivered by special post the day before. They both wore black, and Sasha had even covered his face and arms below his black t-shirt in black boot polish. Trelawley hoped he (Sasha) wouldn’t leave black marks on the wall. Evidense.

They scaled the outside wall using ropes and rubber gloves. They covered their scent with a secret recipe of herbs and spices. The second story window was locked, as expected.

Sasha used a Jack knife to cut a small hole in the glass. Then Trelawley, who had smaller hands, reached through and released the lock. They were in.

Sasha jumped excitedly up and down, and Trelawley laid a steady hand on his shoulder. They crept through the house. It was dark, but their information had been accurate, and they knew where to go.

Down the hall, past the bedroom where snores escaped from an open door, then up the stairs and then up a small steel ladder. There was a wooden trapdoor, locked, at the top. Sasha, who was descended from a witch, merely had to cast a spell and the lock clicked open. Trelawley, who was not, pushed the door open and shoved past Sasha to be the first inside. He wanted to be the first to see it. Had to be the first. But in the darkness he could see nothing and thought at the last minute, in a panic, that all was lost.

“Wow,” said Sasha.

“There’s nothing here,” Trelawley said.

“I know. That’s what we’ve come for.”

“For nothing?”

“Yes. Now put it in the box and we’ll get out of here.”

by Karen Goldrick