TIC TOCC Week 8

Do you find that it's hard to fit everything into each day, each week, each year?  For me, time is flying by, constantly, just racing past.  Sometimes that's frustrating.  Sometimes that's scary.  It means that I have so many things that I want to do that keep getting pushed to another day.  That's what's been happening with TIC TOCC.  The whole point of Kat's weekly inspiration is that it doesn't need to take a lot of time to fit creativity into your day.  I agree wholeheartedly and try to squeeze little bits of creativity into my day even when I'm really busy.  Yet I still have trouble with the TIC TOCC exercises.  This week I was determined to both work on the exercise and post about it.  So, last night before bed I wrote my interpretation of the assignment.  Tonight before bed I'm posting about it.  (All the while thinking about the book that's waiting on my bedside table and how heavy my eyes feel). 

This week's prompt was a picture of a rocky beach and the following:

"On the rocks you find a smashed ceramic container. Inside there is a rolled piece of parchment. Most of the words have been damaged; washed away by the sea spray. But there are three words visible. They are:
Garnet * Blood * Magic

You could use this to:
Create a story using the above words and photo
Imagine who or what this container belonged to
Imagine where it came from and how it ended up on the rocks
Recreate the container and letter as it may have looked before being damaged
Anything this TIC TOCC inspires you to create in any medium you choose......"

Here's what I came up with:

My dearest, Garnet,

It has been a rough journey so far, but at last I have a moment to write you when the seas are smooth enough for my pen to slide across this page without obscuring the meaning of my letter.  

I have been missing you fiercely and I know it will be some time before we are together again.  The thought of being with you once again is the only thing that sustains me.  Our new captain seems to be out for blood.  He blusters and hollers and doles out punishment with the least provocation.  There is not one of us who has not been the object of his wrath at some time or another.  I am hoping he will run out of steam soon.  And maybe he is beginning to.  The strangest thing happened earlier today.  The sea became stiller than it has been during our journey and then sea animals began to appear.  A pod of whales and some dolphins, too.  The captain sighted them and as if by magic his mood changed.  His face softened and he spoke to me with wonder and gentleness.  The rest of the day he remained in good humor.  Can a man who is awed by dolphins and whales really be bad?

So now you have an idea of what things have been like on my ship.  Not much of the adventure that I boasted.  

I miss you more than this rough pen can convey.  I imagine you in your sitting room and walking to the market with your basket.  I picture just what dress you might be wearing and what flowers you bring in from the garden.  I think of your soft hands and can almost hear the music of your laugh.

I hope to send these letters on to you with something lovely from the next port.  I am not sure how long that will be.  And even longer till they arrive to you.  

Ah, I must go now, the bell rings for supper.

All my love, always, to you, my dear.

--Timothy

I thought it was fun to take this piece in an unexpected direction, as none of the words have the expected meanings.  I also thought it would be best to keep the writing self-contained.  There's a bigger story here, but the letter began and ended in the course of my writing.  With the other TIC TOCC exercises I ended up with a much smaller fragment.  All in all, it was fun and I'm glad that I made sure to do it this time.