Hello everyone! Two in one night?  Geesh. I’m almost caught up on my prompts for Writers Group. This is the last one since I’ve only been to two meetings.

If you don’t know, this is how the prompts work. You have 2o minutes to think up and write a story to share with the group. However, you have some guidelines; you’re given the scenario. Lately, it’s been two things, events, mode of travel randomly drawn from a bag and you have to coincide them together. But, everyone has a different setting.

In this prompt, I had to celebrate a life event and coincide it with traveling in some sort of vehicle/mode of transportation. I got a birthday and a canoe. Yay me.

The water was rushing underneath my canoe as my sister and I floated down the river. The air was fresh and crisp. There was nothing more I wanted for my birthday. I was 30 years old…excuse me…young…and in this moment, I felt so free. I felt younger that I had in years. The trees were just beginning to green. The way the rocks were placed upon the shoreline, it looked like they hadn’t been disturbed ever.

“Is this what you wanted for your birthday?” My sister, Annie, called behind me.

“More than I could imagine.” I answered, short of breath. I stopped paddling and looked behind me. My oxygen tank sat comfortably at the bottom of the canoe on my jacket. My cystic fibrosis wasn’t helping me at this point.

“Good, Anna. I’m glad.” I heard her say.

We kept paddling as we made it to the end of the river. We hopped out of the canoe and pulled it out onto the shore. I picked up my oxygen tank and started up the hill to the shack where my family was waiting to celebrate my milestone.

I stopped walking. “I’m sorry…I…can’t…breathe…” My sister caught me as I fell to the ground.

“HELP!” Annie called. My breaths were getting shorter and shorter. This was too much. The sunlight was beaming off of my sisters hair like gold. She was definitely my favorite.

“Please. Don’t go!” I heard her plead.

I smiled at her as my hand reached her pale cheek. “I…I love you, Annie.”

A tear fell down her cheek. “No! Please! No!” She yelled as she lifted my head towards hers to kiss it.

“I’ll call the ambulance.” I heard my Uncle Scott say distantly. I closed my eyes and everything went black.

I woke up with an IV in my arm. The hospital, I determined. I looked around. Annie looked at me and jumped up.

“Oh my god! You’re alright! I thought I lost you!” She placed her hand on mine. “Mom! Dad!” She yelled.

I gripped her hand tight. I was glad she was here.

“Annie?” I said in a hoarse voice.

“Yes? Anything!” She answered.

“Is my canoe okay? Is it home?”

She laughed at me. “Yes. It’s home.”

I smiled at her. “Let’s do this next week.” I coughed. “Except without the hospital.”

“Done. Deal.”

That was as far as I got with the 20 minutes we had to write. I was wanting to sort of continue on and have the doctor come in and explain that the mucus in Anna’s system was too much for the slightly cold weather and it had turned into pneumonia, but she was going to be alright and to take it easy, but I think it’s fine like this, honestly.

All of my posts won’t be writing prompts. I promise. We meet for Writers Group (WG) on the first and third Wednesdays of the month so that’s when I’ll have them. I have the power next meeting. I get to choose the prompt. *Insert evil laugh here* It’ll be good. I promise. 🙂

Until next time!

Lydia.