Hello Everyone, writers on the board, lovers of the pen and seekers of stories.
Welcome to the Writing Club Thing(y) Page. The Writing Club Thing(y) is just a space at a place (either online or offline) for the people who like to write or would be interested in writing... to write.
This is a page for writers (old, new, experienced, amateur, or thinking as such) to post their written stuff and hopefully get constructive criticism feedback for it from other members on the page. Or even give constructive criticism to other people on the page.
You can use any style, formate that you like to write in- such as short stories, scripts, articles, poems, songs, etc. And in any genre. However, there will be prompts if you just need a jumpstart or a chance to experiment.
You can add stories in the comments or share a Google Doc link that people can edit.
This is the first time I am hosting something like this online so please be kind and give constructive criticisms. All your stories, notes, etc. that you write and add to the page belong to you. Only post your original work.
Thank you and sweet writings.
Prompt:
Day After Covid-19 (But Is It Safe?)- A Kid's Story
So Mom said that it is okay to go outside for a long time. Without my mask and gloves. That is nice. Dad said that the president said that it is okay. That the virus is gone. Okay. I don’t know. I don’t trust it. It is sneaky and dumb. I’ll wear my stuff just in case. Maybe the virus is running away but it is still here? I can kill it. Mom says that alcohol can help kill a virus. And Dad drinks gin. He has a bottle full that he opened just now to “toast the time”. Okay. He toasted to it and left it on the table. They put on their coats and put mine on me. It was cold outside with the snow falling. I get to play in the snow but after I kill the rest of the running away virus. So I take the bottle. It is big and heavy but I hid it under my coat. I told Mom I had to go to the toilet. That was a lie. But they said it okay to lie if it is a good lie. Or something. So I lied. I put the bottle under my coat and put my bike helmet on my head. Mom asked if I wanted to take my bike. I said no but I need the helmet. They said okay.
We walked outside and went to the park. The snow was white and nice. And people were walking around. Some kids from school who I forgot about were playing in the snow. Mom and Dad told me to go play with them. They will join my army. I walked up to them, well half run, and said ‘hi’. I told them my plan and they agreed with me. Or I think they did. Or they don’t want to be left out. So we made a better plan.
Harry who wears glasses will where more glasses in order to see better. Since the virus is very tiny, small, it made sense that one person wears all the glasses to see it. Peter and Tom would make the trips since they always trap bugs and stuff. Peter eats them. So that made sense. Me, April, and May (they are sisters) and Harry will go upfront to find the virus. And off we go. April goes one way, May another, Harry a different, and I a different other. It takes some time but we hear May screaming: “Found it” (that was our codeword) and we ran to her voice. I came first, after April, Harry then (guess the glasses idea didn’t work) followed by the others. The virus was big. But the older people didn’t even see it. Tom and Peter throw their traps at it. They had made tiny nets so the nets did not work as well. The virus started coming towards us, the guys got scared but the girls did not. They threw stones at it. It seemed to work and slow the virus down.
I remembered my bottle. I took it out from my coat and told everyone to throw me at the virus. They got behind me and I got off the ground. Back and forth, back and forth faster, back and forth the fastest and they let go on the final forth. I went flying and opened the bottle as quick as I can (I preopened it before so it was quicker). The gin went all over the virus and it melted. By the time I landed on the bench behind the virus, it was on the floor. So I got none. We cheered. Then the older people looked at us. Only now, I swear I don’t get old people.
After Covid
More hugs
More gratitude
More solidarity
And
Will be better prepared
For the next disaster
Day After Covid-19
The news broke the night prior that the virus has a vaccine. A working one. There have been news reports of trial and errors, mostly errors, where they ended up making vaccines to cure the vaccine. It took a long time. But shorter than most expected. Expect me since I think everything is longer than it should be. Plus, I don’t listen. So today is the day. No curfew, no masks, no need to hop in and out of one shop. A normal day... well, a day as it was before. Guess we just exited our normal into a new normal.
I slept in. Of course, I did. Eventually, I got out of my warm bed and stood in the sitting room, staring at the park across the road. I counted how many people were walking around feeling slightly annoyed that all the swings would be taken by kids. I missed swinging. Not in that way. I got ready for the day ahead and made my way to the door. I froze my mind racing with my typical paranoia. I felt... weird. Like a layer of skin was missing. It was a phrase. It had to be. This was the new normal and no one else had their masks and gloves from what I could have seen. My elderly neighbour walked passed and waved at me as I stood looking brain-dead. I awkwardly moved my hand up to and fro but she was gone by then. Took a breath and opened the door. The lift was waiting for me without the need for a button. Guess my neighbour took the stairs. Or developed the magic of shrinking and flight. Shrink to fit out the window at the end of the corridor and flight to not die. What else are you going to do in isolation?
I took the stairs. Went to my parents to see the key was not in the door on the inside. They are out. Good. They are older so this would be exciting for them. I breathe noticing the unfiltered coolness of my breathe as it enters my lungs. I take the lift. I forgot how big and small it is. Big, when you haven’t used it for a while (long while? Maybe). Small, because it literally is. I got out and pass my parents on the way down the long corridor to the main exit/ entrance of the building. We hug. It was sweet. Think Mom and Dad liked it a bit more. While my selfish mind was preparing me to go outside without that additional layer of skin we developed. I told them I would come up for coffee and they said to take my time and basically pushed me out the door. Elder parents the wisdom of ages but the patience of none.
Now I’m outside. Big groups of people are trying to walk down the sidewalk. They are close together mostly because they missed the closeness and that our sidewalks are tiny. The park is my aim and my feet take me to it. I wonder if it is too soon to see what my friends are doing. If they are out if they are still in? If I can escape my mind as we did this pandemic? Guess we made history. Guess tomorrow it will be... well... I will be more used to this new normal. But it does feel nice to not have a curfew and bump into people without the need to try to wipe the germs off you. This is why I studied drama since scientist I am not. I head to the grass and take off my flip-flops. Grass in between my toes and I wonder why I never did that for a while. Oh, right, can’t go to the park. Couldn’t. So many new-old rules.
Flip-flops in hand and I walk on the grass. Some people may have looked at me odd. Others were doing as I was. I headed to the playground hoping to get lucky with a swing. I did. Guess this new normal is going be sweet after all.