30 Day Writing Challenge// Day Twenty-One: A Mysterious Box Arrives...

She watches the taxi driver as he pulls away. Standing in the pouring rain, Emily begins to wonder what was the point in coming back. She had only gone because her therapist had advised her to ‘take a break’. 2016 had been tough on her, she’d had a miscarriage, that had caused her to split with James and nothing had been the same since. The weather reflected her mood. Emily stared up at her flat and began the walk up the stairs to floor three. Approaching her door, she sees a package outside her flat. It was a small box, like something that you'd get a mug in and on it was handwritten “Emz”. That was her nickname.. It was the name all her friends called her.. Before she pushed them away.
Emily had taken the miscarriage very badly. It had made her spiral into depression and she felt the need to push away everyone she loved; family, friends, James. 
She bought the box in and placed it on the living room table, Emily would open it later, but first of all, bath time! Emily hated flying nowadays. Hated being in such close proximity to others like in plane seats, so she just kept her headphones in and pretended to read. That usually kept people at bay.
After a much needed shower, Emily came down with her mid length brown hair tied up in a messy bun. Picking up the TV remote from next to the box, she scrolls through the channels. There's not much on at this time of night… Turning the TV off, her attention turns to the mysterious box. Emily puts it on her lap and opens it.
Inside there is that coloured paper that people use in gifts.. Basically to hide the gift. And there is a letter. She opens the letter and instantly goes to the bottom to find out who its from. 
James.

• Her heart sank. She missed him so much that even reading his name, in his handwriting brought back some very raw emotions. Emily read the letter, tears streaming down her face. He told her of how he loved her, how he never stopped loving her and how he will love her til the very end. James mentioned their song and how they used to dance in the kitchen without any music. He spoke of how they completed each other, how he doesn't blame her for what happened and how much he needed her. He signed the letter with “yours, now and forever James. PS, if you haven't already.. Dig deep to find what your heart truly desires”. It had been one of their sayings… Emz had always been the careful one who rarely let people in. He had changed that. Placing the letter on the side. She dug through the paper confetti and grabbed hold of a smaller box. It was a jewelry box. A ring box. Emz swallowed, not ready for what was about to come. Inside was the most beautiful vintage, white gold and diamond ring. The one she had picked out years ago when they just started dating. In the lid of the box there was a small note saying “I was going to propose on the 22 March 16”. This was the day after Emz had her breakdown and left him. Even at her worst, he still loved her. Turning the note over, it said “I'd still like to propose…”. Emz heart skipped a beat, she ran to the door, ready to run into the pouring rain for the man she loved. But she didn't need to. Opening the door to her flat and there he was. Soaking wet but still the man she loved.

30 Day Writing Challenge// Day Twenty: Write A Story With A Countdown In...

"I thought better of you. I didn’t think you’d be this cruel. I loved you you know. I still do. but you don’t even value our relationship enough to say bye before you jet across the ocean. That hurts Morgan… have a safe journey”.
I can hear his shoes begin to clank up the metal staircase. He always did wear nice shoes, never saw him in trainers or anything like that, it was always shoes. A man of style and taste. Yet he had fallen for me. Of all people to fall for…. Messed up, little old me. I upset me he assumed I’d thought so little of him… The truth was, I thought so much more of him than he knew. For the first time since he’d stepped onto the platform, I glanced in his direction. He paused on the stairs and i froze, waiting for him to turn around… He didn’t. He continued up the staircase. 6. That’s how many steps he had til the top. 5. that’s how many steps I had before I lost my chance to tell him exactly how i felt. 5… I was terrified. 4… a lump had formed in my throat making speech near impossible especially taking into account I would now have to shout in order to be heard. 3… Why didn’t he turn around… does he still have something he wants to say? 2… is it worth it… does he really need to know?
1.

30 Day Writing Challenge// Day Nineteen: Shuffle Your Ipod & Write About a Song

Its a song about life moving on and wanting to leave a legacy behind. Isnt that what we all want really? We all want to be remembered in some way. Sometimes its a song on the radio, a flower or a piece of jewelry. But whatever it is gonna be, you still get to choose it. Leave your mark wherever you want... Be proud of who you are and make your mark on other people! If you're an artist, put your art on display, put your words out there, hand down jewelry to your loved ones, let people know what your favourite colour, song and flower is... Be known for wearing odd socks, or having a stripe in your hair... Be you. Forever and always. Don't lose your sparkle.
J x

30 Day Writing Challenge// Day Eighteen: The Object Next To You Starts Talking...

Sitting alone at her Monday to Friday desk job, at 4.30 Friday evening, Emily wondered what could possibly make this day any longer. No one had entered or left the office in over an hour and even her tablet had died from too much candy crush. Emily had taken to playing with the split ends of her hair. At 4.37 she heard a mumble from next to her. Looking around, she saw all the empty desks around her, the sun shining through the window, but no one else was nearby. Where had this mumble come from? She sighs and resumes splitting hairs. "Hey. You still here?" Okay, she was certain that that had to have been coming from right next to Emily... But the only thing next to Emily was a stapler, a binder and a fan, which to be honest Emily had assumed should have had a more tinny voice.
Again, the voice spoke. It was definitely coming from the binder. "Hey. I'm talking to you, there's no one else here..."
"Urm.. Hi Mr Binder... How are you?" Emily said, nervous about talking to a binder, especially one she'd previously launched across the room in anger two days before.
"Mr Binder?! What are you talking about Em?" All of a sudden, the maintenance man Pete jumps up from the desk beside her and startles her.
Emily is stunned... And embarrassed.. "I should go home... Its been a long week" and a red faced Emily walks out of the office.

30 Day Writing Challenge// Day Seventeen: Highs and Lows Of The Year

30 Day Writing Challenge// Day Sixteen: Favourite Story

30 Day Writing Challenge //Day Fifteen: You Come Across Home Videos But Not All Is As It Seems...

• And so here we were again... Another year, another chance for gran to show us the damn home videos of us as kids... Usually I had my phone to scroll through Facebook so I didn't have to endure the "aww you're so cute!" But that had died and I didn't have a charger.. So here it goes. With help from my mum, the video goes in and starts playing. The rest of the family has their phones or their kids to distract them so its pretty much just me, mum and gran watching this. Uncle Dave offers to make tea, so he's out of the room. That was a good idea... Why didn't I think of that.
  Its the usual stuff, blurry videos of half naked kids. And here comes half naked me... "Go play with your brother Ellie" mum says to the camera. I've basically walked on, seen mum recording and froze, hand in mouth, staring vacantly at the camera. And ironically enough im here in my grans living room doinb the same, hand in mouth (biting my nails always was a bad habit) wondering who exactly mum meant by "brother". I'm am only child, so perhaps she meant a close family friend. But I do as she says and totter over to this other kid.
  In the living room mum must see my confused face. "Okay Iris, let's stop this video now..." "Mum, what did you mean by 'brother'" I ask. "Nothing, sweetie. Its just a phrase I used for your friend James" her eyes looked glossy, as in the kind of glossy when someone's upset. She was lying to me and not very well at that. "Mum, please be honest... Tell me what's going on". Uncle Dave has just returned with tea, to a room filled with stunned silence. All eyes are on mum. "I suppose it's time you knew" she starts. "When I was 16 I had a child. I named him James. But when he was 5, and you had just turned 1, we found out he was ill. He had cancer. This video was taken when you were about 2 and a bit and he.." Mum paused and just let the tears stream down her face. "He didn't last much past this video".
  I'm upset by this story. But I'm also hurt that I've never known this... How could they keep this from me for nearly 14 years.

• "Why am I finding out about this now? He was my brother, did you not think I needed to know!?" I scream across the room at my mother.
  "Because, the more you knew, the more questions you'd ask. Can we drop it now, you know all you need to know". Mum stands up and straightens herself, wiping the tears from her face and drinking the tea Dave brought in. No one else in the room knows where to look, thy continue scrolling through phones and playing with their kids, pretending they're not fully enthralled with the conversation. Mum gets up to leave and I grasp her arm as she walks by.
  "What are you not telling me?".
  "You were the only chance we had to save him. But I said no. I didn't want you to go through so much pain and operations. I made a decision. And I don't regret it because it means I get one beautiful, untouched, healthy child. It was damn hard and I hope you never have to make that choice"
  Stunned, I let go of her arm and she leaves the room.