A Random Story Challenge

I had trouble coming up with blog post for this week, so I decided to leave my topic up to fate. Do you guys know that site "Wikipedia"? Well, in addition to lots of interesting facts about otters, it has a cool "Random Article" search function. A perfect resource for the idea-starved! (Take note for November, pantsers.) Here's a quick story based on what it popped out for me today:

Andrea Alina Vergara, the retired female field hockey player from Argentina, held her old stick as she sat in the recliner. She always did this when the Nationals were on. "Brings me closer to the game, niña," she would explain to her daughter. It had been more than 30 years since the 1988 Seoul Olympics, yet the spirit of the sport still animated her.

"Obstruction!" Andrea shouted, leaping up. Her knees were not so strong anymore. A quick wince. She glared at the umpire on the screen as it were his fault.

"Mama, what's wrong?" Luz, her daughter, looked around the corner from the kitchen.

"This guy won't call an obstruction when he sees one," Andrea said, not taking her eyes off the TV. Play continued, blue and yellow jerseys kept moving. Field hockey would go on, whether Andrea Alina Vergara was on the pitch or not.

Luz was already back at the stove. She called into the living room: "You are too invested."

Andrea didn't hear her. Focusing on a particular yellow player, she instinctually moved her body into passing position. A quick flick of the wrist—that was all it would take to direct the ball down the turf to her teammate in the shooting circle. She tightened her grip and waited for the right moment.

Ready to give it a try? Click here for a random Wikipedia article, and write a brief story to post in the comments. Don't skip to the next one; it's more fun to play the card you're dealt, no matter how difficult. Free NaNoWriMo stickers to folks who make the most out of a tough draw!

– Chris A.

Photo by Flickr user weneigh