I love these NaNoWriMo editions. I’m not exactly Wri’ing this month, I’ve got a project that desperately needs to go through revisions before I can start the sequel. So I’m NaNoRevMo’ing. But, still, revisions can involve quite a bit of new writing, and solidifying characters and sequence of events. So these prompts are helping me with that, and I love it!

So who did our guest judge, Tracey M. Hansen, @THansenWrites, pick as this week’s finalists?

DeJean Smith, @dejeansmith

AmyBeth Inverness, @US_Nessie

Jen DeSantis, @JenD_Author

Alana Garrigues, @alanagarrigues

D. Ryan Leask, @DRyanLeask

Congrats all! Their entries are below along with a poll for you to vote in and decide this week’s WINNER! Be back tomorrow morning at 9:00 Eastern to find out who wins!

DeJean Smith, @dejeansmith

She poked and prodded at the small, perfectly wrapped present that appeared on her desk.

“You’re going to have to open it some time,” a voice from her PA floated in. “He’s going to ask if you got it and I’m not going to lie for you. Not this time, Sweets.”

“You’re a true friend!” she called sarcastically, earning a laugh from her fabulous assistant.

And she did mean fabulous. Rhinestone encrusted cats eye glasses fabulous.

“What is it for?” she called.

“Secret Santa shit or something,” came the reply. “Management gets all sorts of warm and fuzzy when the weather drops.”

“And a gift card to Barnes and Noble would be out of the question?” She looked at the package as if the ribbon might suddenly turn into a cobra and strike.

To be honest, she really hated presents of any sort. Gifts made her uncomfortable. Birthdays made her nauseous and don’t even think about what Christmas did to her.

That was a therapy session unto itself.

“Just open it for godssake,” he nipped, appearing lazily at the door.

With a hesitant hand, she took the package and carefully popped open the sides.

“You know, it will be Valentines before you’re done at that rate,” he muttered.

With her tongue stuck out oh-so-maturely, she ripped into the paper, tossing it into her trashcan next to her desk.

“So what is it?”

“Nothing.” She held up the empty box for him to see. “Fucker didn’t put anything in it. Just a card that reads, ‘What you deserve.’”

“Fucker.”

AmyBeth Inverness, @US_Nessie

Peter looked at the box suspiciously.
It was from Stark, or, as she was better known, Stark Raving Mad.
The fact that they were engaged to be married did not make it any less suspicious.
It wasn’t so much that Stark was dangerous, or evil…
Well, she could be evil.
She simply loved to mess with people’s minds.
Psychiatrists weren’t supposed to do that.
Apparently Stark was either unaware or indifferent to the rule.
Deciding it was best to get things over with, Peter dove in, carefully laying aside tissue paper to see what was inside.

Pomegranites.

Peter smiled.
Evil indeed.

Jen DeSantis, @JenD_Author

“Open it,” Zatiel said, leaning casually against a charred tree.

Leteh eyed him warily. He felt certain that the minute he looked away from him, Zatiel would take the opportunity to fry him. The younger demon with fiery, possessed eyes just shook his head.

“I called a pause in the action,” he said, “and I’m a demon of my word.”

Leteh couldn’t stop himself from snorting. “Yeah … and I’m not wanted dead by everyone and their brother. What are you playing at, Zatiel?”

“Open the fucking box and see, will you?”

With a shake of his head, Leteh pulled at the crude strings surrounding the box. Lifting the lid, Leteh saw a litter of debris in the box. It was most definitely harmless, at least superficially. The effect that the contents had on Leteh however, was both immediate and powerful.

Inside the plain brown box was a charred branch of a tree and three black raven’s feathers burned nearly to their quills.

“You see what this means, don’t you?” Zatiel asked, smiling smarmily at Leteh as he walked closer to the older demon. “You, better than anyone, can see the significance of these feathers. She’s gone, Leteh. And with her death, your reason for fighting dies as well.”

Zatiel, good to his word, dissolved into the underworld, leaving Leteh alone with the innocuous box. Perhaps Zatiel was telling the truth and Selena had been killed. But he was wrong, nonetheless. Leteh’s resolve was even stronger than before. He crushed the box in his hands, feathers fluttering to the ground in his wake as he strode back to camp.

Alana Garrigues, @alanagarrigues

The day the box arrived in the mail, Cynthia had been reflecting on what a lovely day it had been – lunch with the ladies, a really great sweaty workout a the gym, sunny skies, a lovely new jacket bought on sale at the cute boutique down the road, and a full five years since she had any word from that patronizing bastard of an ex-husband. On the last day of their divorce trial, they’d parted ways without eye contact and with an agreement that money would be wired directly to her account each month, on time, without any additional contact.

When she pulled into the driveway, Cynthia noticed the box on the front stoop.

1-800-FLOWERS. How nice! Someone was thinking of her.

She got out of the car, gathered her mail, picked up the box and entered the house. There she opened the box and saw the note.

To Cynthia. I’m sorry. Love Always, Tad

Tad. Her ex. Flowers. Damn him.

Cynthia made her way to the liquor cabinet, mixed them all together and thus began her descent into one drunken month of anger and confusion.

D. Ryan Leask, @DRyanLeask

“What is this?” She asked, always dubious of her so-called friend Ted. All he ever really wanted was to get in her pants.
“Open it, I just thought it was something you’d like.” He replied.
“I don’t trust you. The last thing you gave me was a vibrator.” She set the neatly wrapped box on her desk.
“Did you use it?” He asked.
“That’s not the point, it was not the kind of gift a friend gives another friend.” She replied.
“I had just thought you needed to release a bit of tension.” He smiled, “now open it.”
“No Ted, you thought that I would use it and think of you every time I did and would eventually…” She sighed.
“No, not at all, come on Nina, I was just looking out for you, you needed a little fornication in your life.” Ted looked at the box, then at her. “Are you going to open it?”
“I don’t want another fake penis.” She said.
“It’s not a fake penis, I’m sure that you’re quite content with the one you have, now just open the friggin’ box.” Ted picked it up and handed it to her again.
“I have access to a real penis now you know.” She said, “it’s… his name is Francis.”
“I know, and I’m happy for you, and him. Can you just open the present?” He was ready to open it for her.
“I don’t trust you Ted. I love you, but I don’t trust you.” She held the box dubiously.
“You love me?” He said in mock surprise.
“Yes, like a brother, an annoying little brother that tears the heads off my Barbies.”
“Ouch, that hurts.”
“What is it?” She asked again.
“Just open it for Christ’s sake, it’s nothing dirty, or inappropriate.” He promised.
“Since when aren’t you inappropriate?” She asked.
“Since today, now open it!”
She tentatively pulled the ribbon on the box. Secretly she actually wanted another dildo, hers was broken and she hadn’t had the courage to tell Ted that Francis and her were finished. She was coming around to Ted’s constant flirting and sexual innuendos.
“Take the lid off Nina.” He said.
She made a big show of being afraid. She pulled off the lid, inside was a…

[poll id=”77″]

D. Ryan Leask