Rosebud

For sale: my Martin D-15 all mahogany acoustic guitar. Good condition.
For sale: my first, age 15, all-encompassing acoustic guitar. Good condition.
For adoption: my first, age 15, all-encompassing acoustic dream. Good times.

My Trifextra Week Thirty-Three Contribution. Recently saw that an old friend was selling his guitar. I read between the line...

Here was the challenge.

The Rule of Three is a writing principle that asserts that, in writing, groups of three have the most impact. This week's challenge is to write 33 words using the Rule of Three somewhere among them.  It is up to you to interpret the rule, just make sure to use exactly 33 words.

This weekend's challenge is community-judged.

• For the 12 hours following the close of the challenge, voting will be enabled on links.  
• In order to vote, return to this post where stars will appear next to each link.  To vote, simply click the star that corresponds with your favorite post.
• You can vote for your top three favorite posts.
• Voting is open to everyone. Encourage your friends to vote for you, if you wish, but please don't tell them to vote on a number.  The numbering of the posts changes regularly, as authors have the ability to delete their own links at any time.
• You have 12 hours to vote.  It's not much time, so be diligent! We'll send out reminders on Twitter and Facebook.

Roommates

Roommates

I’m just sitting there, working away at the laptop on the living room floor, when it happens. A simple itch, you know. We all get them. And such an itch cannot be ignored. So I reach down, not recreationally mind you, but just to scratch. Imagine my consternation when I find something attached to you. It's somewhat worrisome – nothing is supposed to be attached down there. Well, nothing else. To my utter relief it’s just a little white sticker: “Checked, 7, Best.” I say ‘just’, but I’m totally flabbergasted – you’ve gotten some type of award?! Where the hell was I? I know people say that I should be thinking about you all the time, but honestly, I’ve got shit to do. These reports do not write themselves. What the hell have you been up to?

The idea of you leading an exciting life is intoxicating - what a time you could be having! Do you attend events? Were you at Comic-Con? Who did you go as? Darth Vader seems too easy, really. Are you religious? Catholic? Buddhist? Scientologist?! Hey, what’s Tom Cruise like? Who’s taller? Maybe you’re more of a frustrated philosopher, hole up in a dank basement coffee shop, letting fly with the radical verse. I can picture the beret, but in all seriousness, skip the turtleneck. God, I hope you travel – so many things to see – but I’ll throttle you if you went to Patagonia without me. I’d like to think you help people – philanthropist, volunteer, trainer of service animals? With your love of water, probably the Coast Guard. I’d guess a coxswain – you do so enjoy taking charge. Well, congratulations on the award or inspection or whatever it is. Some might blame simple transfer from the new skivvies I was wearing that day, but screw Occam’s razor for once. Wow. Good for you, JT. Good for you. Maybe when I find some time you can tell me all about it. But for now, I have shit to do.

Based on actual events.

My offering for the Trifecta Weekly Challenge, Week Forty-Two, using the third definition of radical...

RADICAL (adjective)

1

: of, relating to, or proceeding from a root: asa (1) : of or growing from the root of a plant <radical tubers>(2) : growing from the base of a stem, from a rootlike stem, or from a stem that does not rise above the ground <radicalleaves>b : of, relating to, or constituting a linguistic rootc : of or relating to a mathematical rootd : designed to remove the root of a disease or all diseased and potentially diseased tissue <radical surgery> <radicalmastectomy>

2

: of or relating to the origin : fundamental

3

a : very different from the usual or traditional : extremeb : favoring extreme changes in existing views, habits, conditions, or institutionsc : associated with political views, practices, and policies of extreme changed : advocating extreme measures to retain or restore a political state of affairs <the radical right>

Please remember:

• Your response must be between 33 and 333 words.

• You must use the 3rd definition of the given word in your post.

• The word itself needs to be included in your response.

• You may not use a variation of the word; it needs to be exactly as stated above. 

• Only one entry per writer.

This week's word is radical.  

Instar

Instar

The last strains of sunlight lingered in the corners, grasping every available point of refraction.  She slid her fingertips along the glass wondering if this was all there ever was. Or could be. The fleeting chime of crumbling ice diluted her silence, accompanied by the plaintive tymbals of a distant cicada. Such calls sounded different to her now, less foreign, their resonance pervasive, and even comforting.

For the Trifextra Week Thirty-Two Challenge:

For this weekend's challenge, we'd like you to read the 33 words below and then add 33 of your own words to move the story along.  Have a great weekend and good luck!

The last strains of sunlight lingered in the corners, grasping every available point of refraction.  She slid her fingertips along the glass wondering if this was all there ever was. Or could be.

Absence

Illumination

Fear. That's how you fill the darkness. And fear begets fangs and claws and anger. But what is the absence of light? Merely the illumination of yourself. Behind closed eyes is darkness as well. Fear belongs to you, not the forest, not the alley, not the stranger. There are dark things in the world, but the darkest have no need of shadows.

My contribution to the Trifecta Writing Challenge - Week Forty-One

You should link up and try this. It is cathartic - the second definition from Merriam-Webster Online, not the first...


The weekly challenge.

ABSENCE (noun)

1

: the state of being absent

2

: the period of time that one is absent

3

: want, lack <an absence of detail>

Please remember:

• Your response must be between 33 and 333 words.
• You must use the 3rd definition of the given word in your post.
• The word itself needs to be included in your response.
• You may not use a variation of the word; it needs to be exactly as stated above. 
• Only one entry per writer.

In Three Words

In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about progression: roots and shoots.

For the Trifecta Trifextra writing challenge, inspired by Robert Frost's, "In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on."