Active GoodReaders discussion
Writers Corner
>
Write-a-long 13
date
newest »
newest »
Mod
Aline
Aline Territt took a deep breath as she stood up from her seat in the school's auditorium and walked towards the podium, her speech was thundering through her head and she hoped she wasn't about to be sick, public speaking was something she really hated and she would have been glad to know how composed she looked as she finally reached the stage and began to speak "The usefulness of our public transportation system is a topic much debated....."
"Woo, thank goodness that's over!" Aline said to her friend Geoffrey Pendlebury as they walked home through the late spring rain.
"Oh come on, it couldn't have been that bad" he replied grinning at her as they skirted a particularly large puddle "you know, considering your topic was public transportation, one would think you might be more agreeable to taking a street trolley when it rains"
"Yes, because beautiful street trolleys made from dark wood, brass and copper are exactly what a daughter of the leader of Social Mores should be seen riding in" she said exasperated "you know how they get those materials don't you?" she asked him, pursing her lips in distaste.
"Yep, I also know that as the heir of President Ravensdale, I'm going to be riding in at least one this week" he replied rubbing his hand through his thick brown hair.
"I don't see how your mother could marry that odious man" whispered Aline.
Geoffrey looked quickly around the near empty street as he hissed "Quiet! Do you want to end up in a prison fort?"
She waved a hand dismissively "Arresting me would be the most foolish thing anyone could do" she said blowing her red ringlets out of her grey eyes as she turned to face him "It would most certainly incite the war that we've teetered on the brink of for years"
"I know but..." Geoffrey hesitated "Sometimes I wonder if President Ravensdale wouldn't prefer it if your father did attack, it would give him reason to declare your father a rebel and have him jailed for treason"
"Yes, but Collins would just take over" answered Aline "And it wouldn't achieve anything to give our group more reasons to be angry, most all of the Social Mores are already extremists, to send them over the edge would be dangerous and foolhardy"
Stella took one look at the door to the lecture hall for the speech class she is enrolled in and her lungs deflate in a silent outward gust of moist warm air.Grabbing her fanny pac, she barely has enough blood oxygen to snap off the security button and unzip the top flap which holds her necessities. Primarily, her jazzy albuterol fast acting asthma inhaler. Her right hand digs into the shadowy pac interior, fingers seeking by touch what her lungs are sending up emergency flares for.
Finding the familiar feeling container, with her muscle strength quickly draining away, Stella wills herself to lift it out and upward to her waiting open mouth, unable to gasp or inhale the cold air conditioned air around her.
Her lungs squeezing hard in protest, Stella finally manages to lift the container to her lips, her cool right hand fingers quickly press down hard on the life giving medicine's metal container to deliver the medicine.
Stella can barely hear the hiss of the medicine over her galloping heart beat. Her eyes widen as her brain tries to contain the fight or flight response her body is gearing up to do because of the lack of oxygen.
Her body locks into one long, slow spasm only she can feel. Frantic brain knocks to her adrenal glands door, yelling silently, "Open up! This is an emergency! Hurry!" Her sputtering heart kicks open the adrenaline doors, flooding and mixing with the hot, red blood rushing wildly through her body and lungs.
Quickly the adrenaline hits her laboring lungs, creating a small window of opportunity for her lung sacs to relax allowing Stella to take a tiny in-drawn, strangled breath of air.
The hiss propels the albuterol medicine past Stella's tongue, floating quickly past her nonexistent tonsils, hurrying down her throat like blood hounds on the trail of a running fox. Feeling the medicine immediately flood her lungs, her body slowly unthaws. She moves the inhaler away from her mouth, eyes going back to normal.
Stella breathes in so deep she almost starts to cough. Fearing she may start another asthma attack, Stella focuses on her lungs waiting for the her body's natural adrenalin to enter her lung sacs to mix in with the medicine.
Stella feels the rushing adrenaline sweep into her lungs, opening wide her deflated air sacs. Swaying a little, her legs take small shaky steps which help propel her through the lecture hall doors.
Sinking down into the nearest seat, Stella manages a small grin as her body starts to tremble from the onslaught of pure life giving oxygen mixed with adrenaline and the albuterol that is still roaring through her veins allowing her body to breath again.
"Stella, are you ok?" Professor Dankin asks her as he kneels by her seat. "I saw you use your asthma inhaler as you came in."
"I'll be fine in a minute Professor." says Stella. "My body needs to calm down for a minute or two."
"I see." says her professor. "Would you like to be excused from class today?"
Feeling her body's trembling subside bit by bit and before her brain can agree to not give her first ever speech, her lips move and she hears herself say, "I feel much better Professor and if you do not mind, I would like to be the first to give a speech for today's class."
Her light brown eyes finally meet Professor Dankin's deep sea green eyes in a silent plea of consent before she disgraces herself by chickening out.
"If you wish Stella, it is fine by me." Professor Dankin says as he gives a smile and a small nod of approval for Stella to see.
Stella slowly stands up, assessing her body. Moving toward the aisle, she raises her head and sees her professor hold out his arm in a silent offer to be her escort down the steps.
"Thank you Professor." Stella says and links her arm inside Professor Dankin's.
"I hope it doesn't bite." mumbles Stella as they both head down the steps to the raised dais where the dreaded microphone rested on the podium waiting for its first speech victim.
I like this. Linda wrote: "Okay, I'll get this started with an excerpt from the first chapter of yet another story from my blog.Aline
Aline Territt took a deep breath as she stood up from her seat in the school's auditori..."
Sheryl wrote: "Stella took one look at the door to the lecture hall for the speech class she is enrolled in and her lungs deflate in a silent outward gust of moist warm air.Grabbing her fanny pac, she barely ha..."
Yes that captures the feeling when one tries to conquer their number one fear.
Mod
Grabbing her fanny pac, she barely ha..."
The description was so realisitic it had me reaching for my inhaler!
Prompt:
Public speaking was something she/he really hated.
Start date - May 5th, 2012
End date - May 12th, 2012
Post stories/links here!