Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)
This is our contribution to the Six Sentence Story bloghop.
Hosted by Denise, guided by the simplest of rules: use the prompt word and tell a story in exactly six sentenae
Prompt word:
PETRICHOR
The light pressing on his tightly shut eyelids was a corrosive medium bathing his eyelids in a sour froth waves as top and bottom eyelids resisted, lashes strained but nevertheless parted like lovers hands pulled apart as they plummeted earthward. Finally with irony even a sixth grader could recognize, (if not fully appreciate), when Seth opened his eyes, his vision abdicated its role as a primary source of sensory input; the voice of his teacher, Sister Catherine telling him to come down to earth and listen was his sole passport to his current surroundings.
A voice from the darkness behind (or part of) the light intoned, “Are you ready?”
Resources once in seemingly endless supply allowed but a nod of his head as he braced himself for the long-anticipated onslaught.
“Petrichor.”
“Petrichor: ‘P-E-T-R-I-C-H-O-R… the relief that washed over Seth nearly undid his training and practice before he added,
“Petrichor’
*
About clarkscottroger
I enjoyed the line about coming down to earth and listening being Seth’s “sole passport to his current surroundings”. Ain’t that the truth, Sister Catherine!
Your Six sent me down memory lane and grade school spelling bees.
Your Six, Clark, & Denise’s comment had me thinking that there may be a well of SSS to develop from the years in a Catholic school…perhaps with a twist: after each incident, the action one would desire but didn’t manifest would be also present, as a counterpoint.
I never had petrichor in my spelling lessons, Clark, that word didn’t come along to me until much later. I remember ‘antique’ always caused me problems!
fun you should say that… the word wasn’t coined until, like the ’60s an Australian woman and some guy (that’s all I remember from when I looked it up*)
*Reena has me self-conscious on how much I’ve come to depend on ‘the Google’ lol
Sorry, Nick… my ‘reply’ was meant to be a new comment!
I’m blaming the heat.
A spelling contest. I like how you used the prompt word. Nice description of Sister Catherine bringing Seth back to earth.
yeah… never competed but I can recall the National Spelling Bee being a thing back in the day
Google makes it so much easier for kids today.
…and writers too!
lol
LOL! The first thing I thought of when I saw that word on Sunday was that it must be a word from the National Spelling Bee. I’m glad you worked that aspect into your story.
funny how we (this and, I assume, other groups of writers discussing writing) just mentioned the National Spelling Bee in our reply to Frank‘s Comment
Nicely played!
Thankee, Miz M
Well done Seth, I’ll be surprised if I can remember how to spell it by tomorrow!
ikr?
Those Spelling Bees are brutal. May the odds be ever in you MC’s favor!
how arcane… skill (knowledge, at any rate) can be totally disregarded in one forgets the ridged formula of competition (say word-spell word-say word)
I love Sister Catherine.
Thank you for sharing.