First Lines Fridays #02 |11/25/2022

First Lines Fridays #02 | 11/25/2022

#FirstLinesFridays

I saw First Lines Fridays on Kerri McBookNerd but it was originally hosted by Wandering Words. First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines? If you want to make your own post follow the rules below: Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR)…

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Dec. 15th: 10-Days Before Christmas (2022 Story Relay Marathon)

Hi, kindred souls! This is the third story relay of a 12-day story relay marathon I endorsed to my friend, ShiaraS (Discord: Shiara#5382) , that we will be doing from Dec. 13th to Dec. 24th—AKA 12 days before Christmas!

Since this is a marathon of sorts, we decided to lay some ground rules so we can "finish" each relay for each day. It would start with me drawing a prompt every morning from a plastic container that will serves as our bowl for this occasion. These prompts were collected by us from different sources (I will do my absolute best to give appropriate credit for the original creators/source material).

The story relay would then consist of 5 turns for both of us with a max. of 10-16 sentences each turn. After these, the story relay for that day would be considered "finished". THERE WILL BE NO EDITING DONE FOR ALL STORY RELAYS.

These rules were placed since ShiaraS' exams were also scheduled during the set week.

[We started this on the night of the 15th but we fell asleep. XD We then continued it today during our free time. We hope to post the prompt for the Dec.16th sometime tonight.]

HERE'S THE WRITING PROMPT FOR TODAY'S STORY RELAY:

An old and homely grandmother accidentally summons a demon. She mistakes him for her gothic-phase teenage grandson and takes care of him. The demon decides to stay at his new home. (via @writing-prompt-s)

START OF STORY RELAY:

Nana has been living by herself in the retirement village for a few years now. Her two kids live far away and neither they nor their children visited much. Until, one day when she was making her special apple pie and her grandson, Tyler, popped up for a visit. The last time she spoke to Tyler, the boy was going through his goth phase so Nana assumed that explained why he was now wearing a silver studded leather jacket and ripped jeans. "Granny," He smirked, "what a change from the usual - " "Quit dawdling, Tyler, and give your Nana a hug." Before Tyler could do anything, the older woman closed the distance and wrapped her thin arms around him. Tyler froze, not knowing what to do. Because, Nana was wrong. Her grandson did not come to visit, in fact he's currently in his friend's apartment 300 miles away as they slept off the hangover from the night before. No, the boy Nana had mistaken for her grandson was a demon she had accidentally summoned. The demon stood with his arms in the air, not hugging and not pushing away the old woman either. "Come now, Tyler," Nana said, "I haven't seen you in years, I missed you." Somehow, feeling the sadness in the old woman's voice touched the heart the demon would have sworn he never had, and he hesitantly returned Nana's hug. Maybe it's because he had only been a demon for 150 years and he still remembered bits of his human life. Like the old woman across the street who let him crash in her place whenever he needed a decent place to sleep in.

Humans are indeed a complex breed. Tyler wondered how long would it take for this old woman to realize that he wasn't her grandson. "Oh look how much you've grown dear," Nana cooed as she accosted the demon. Demons don't get a name of their own up until the 333rd year since they become one. On the 666th year, they get the chance to either torture souls sent to hell or possess a specific object on earth. Overtaking a human body and ensnaring human souls are highly diabolical power that only the most nefarious and malevolent of demons could do. These are the fiends that raked in the Devil himself's favor. It came as a surprise that he get to be named by a wrinkly human being. A bland name at that. Either way, he decided to accept this mistaken identity at least for the time being. He was summoned by this granny after all, by mistake at best. "How old are you again, Tyler?", Nana turned her back and went straight into the kitchen. "I'm 150—15!" "Oh wow. I thought you're way past your high school. I guess I was mistaken once again." she turned the kettle on after pouring water into it. " I do hope you still like to drink my nettle tea. Come on, sit here. It's been a long time since I have been with a member of the family for the holidays." It seems that nana's in the mood for a monologue. Tyler wondered if this was the only time the old woman received a visitor for days or even for months in her house. "Please pardon me for not getting you anything teenagers nowadays like for Christmas. But I intend to buy you those leather gloves I see the local bikers' been wearing by the pub whenever I pass by for my groceries. I was about to ask Jerry where they buy those but I haven't been able to go out due to this cold weather."

It was such a mundane, senseless dialogue that Tyler the demon couldn't help but laugh. "Are you laughing at your Nana?" Nana said, trying to sound stern. Tyler wasn't the least bit intimidated but he decided to humor her. "Sorry... Nana, I was just thinking of a funny joke." Satisfied with the apology, Nana continued her monologue. Switching from the leather gloves to this new herbal medicine she saw on TV. It was easy for Tyler to tuner her out. He was amused by the old lady but he wasn't going to submit himself to mindless chatter for no reason. So, his mind drifted to what brought him here. Summoning a demon isn't an easy feat. Well, technically, it is. It had to be to invite more fools to make demon deals. Still, it's not the king of thing you can do by accident. You'd need an open space for the pentagram, sacrificial blood, and not to mention the summoning spell that needed to be recited. It was completely impossible for this sweet old lady to have summoned a demon. And yet, she did and Tyler intended to find out how. "Hey, Nana," He began "Yes dear?" "I was just curious, were you doing anythin... new before I got here?" Nana thought about it for a moment. She smiled, "I was baking, dear. I was trying a new twist to my famous apple pie." Tyler groaned. "Anything else?" "Hmm well, I was using the recipe from this new cook book I got at the library." Nana went to the kitchen to retrieve the cool book. When she got back, she gave it to Tyler whose eyes nearly popped out of his skull. "Sinful Cooking" The title read. Although perhaps more worryingly was the giant pentagram on the cover.

"You got it at the library, you say?" Tyler racking his unholy brain. Nana nodded and proceeded to check her apple pie from the oven. It was still warm even though it was a while since she turned the machine off after Tyler' arrival. "You see, Cindy, the librarian told me they have new arrivals of books donated from Europe. I do think those folks were nice to send over their books to a tiny American town such as ours." She now placed the apple pie on a wooden tray on top of the table by which enabled Tyler to view the scorched infernal patterns on each strips on top of the pie. There was no question that Nana summoned him through this. "How did you do these symbols Nana?" "What do you mean by that dear? I saw them in the cook book and traced them using just the cooking stave I bought from the thrift store last year." And that 'cooking' stave happened to have a symbol of a ram's skull at the tip. "How did you cook this new recipe, Nana?" "It's quite simple but a bit bizarre, Tyler." Nana proceeded to recite all the common steps to bake an apple pie but the "twists" were she put a 5-pointed star pattern on the oven tray by sprinkling dried hibiscus leaves for the medicinal smell. She placed the pie on top of it which included a trickle of pig's blood. "Oh also dear, there was this European affirmation at the end that I must recite to persuade my pie to be come out as best as it could." There's no question that through this book and Nana's apple pie that she unknowingly summoned a demon. Tyler doubts that there were any purpose for him to be at the old granny's house except to act as her grandson who happens to be a naughty and irresponsible one which he approved. "Let's taste this special apple pie then begore it gets cold." Nana started slicing up a portion for Tyler and placed it on two tiny plates. Tyler gobbled up the pie, it was surprisingly good. Nana seems to also enjoy her baked good despite it's demonic origins. "So Nana, do you have anything you want to do?"

It may have been an accident that Nana summoned him, and he should really tell his superiors about this cook book, but Nana did summon him and the rules dictate that he give the old lady a deal. That and he quite liked Nana. She baked good pie. "I don't know, Tyler, dear." She said, "I'm quite content with things as they are. When you reach my age, you'll realize every day is a gift and regret is pointless." "Aww come on Nana, surely there must be something you want. Anything at all." Nana hesitated as she served Tyler another slice of pie. "Well... I guess it would be nice if my family came to visit more often." Tyler smirked. This was one deal he would happily make. He liked Nana and when he realized how alone the woman was, well... never piss off a demon. "I'm sure I can make that happen." "Thank you, sweet dear." Nana smiled. While Nana turned her back to wash the dishes, Tyler disappeared in a flash of black to grant the old lady's deal.

By the time Nana finished putting the cleaned dishes aside. Tyler came back trying to still himself after he planted whispered illusions to each of Nana's family. By nighttime, each one of them would dream about a moment when Nana did a good thing to them after or before a tragedy or traumatic event happened to them. He surmised that Nana's family will visit her a week after he left for Hell. "Say Nana, we go out and build a fire pit and lit up a handful of fireworks?" "I don't know, Tyler dear. It's so cold with all the snow." "Don't worry about it, Nana. I'll make sure it would be warm for you." "Alright. Let me make cocoa and cookies for our snacks." Nana trotted towards the kitchen island with pots and jars. Tyler liked warm places because he wanted to become a torturer in the coming centuries. He was thinking about torturing drug dealers, mafia members... He wanted to give them different punishments but most especially has anything to do with fiery tortures. They spent the afternoon firing up different types of fireworks. More than once did Nana inquired where Tyler got all the firecrackers and he would just showed her a bag he conjured full of them saying he collected them on the way to her house.

The night Tyler spent having dinner at the fire pit and watching the fore works with Nana, was probably the most serene the demon's ever been. The old lady was surprisingly good company and starved for companionship. She even set up the guest room and insisted he stay the night. Of course, being a demon, Tyler didn't need to sleep. So, he waited until Nana had gone to sleep before disappearing to go back to Hell. He requested a meeting with Azazel and after 13 years, he got his chance. "Sir, I think we have a problem." Tyler wasted no time in telling the older demon about the book. Azazel wasn't happy about it. His eyes burned in his amger and Tyler feared a smiting was on his way. But Azazel spared him. "Go back to the surface." He ordered, "Find out more about this book and who wrote it. I want to know who's responsible for this." "Yes, sir." Tyler said and disappeared again. By the time Tyler got back to Nana's house, it was only the morning after she accidentally summoned him.

Nana was up early and singing by the front porch all covered up holding a cup coca singing to herself. "...You always break the kindest heart with a hasty word you can't recall, so if I broke your heart last night. It's because I love you most of all..." The door squeaked a tiny bit as Tyler closed it behind him. "Mornin', Tyler. Hear have some cocoa." Tyler took a couple of sips while Nana continued singing her old heartbreak song. "Hey, Nana..." "Uh-huh..." "About your cookbook, do you think you could let me read through it?" Nana looked at him "I just wanna see if I could try a recipe or two from that book. Your apple pie came out splendid." "Sure, Tyler. You could read it anytime. It's on the tiny bookshelf near the refrigerator. Perhaps you could make me meal from that book." "Thanks, Nana. I'll try to make an edible meal after reading the recipes." Tyler proceeded to open the book once he took it off the shelf. It was a leatherbound book in emerald coloring. This was proof that this book was way older than a century or two. He sniffed it and there was still a hint left of the arsenic used to color the leather green. This was even more problematic than he thought it would be. How can a book such as this slip through their radar? Even worse, it might have been used and circulated in Europe for decades, even a century. Why weren't their any accounts of demon casting up until Nana called upon Tyler? He flipped through the book and there were tons of recipes and notes taken on herbs and their uses in curses, healings, protection against white magic, and at least 10 ways of summoning demons. This was a diabolical book published in pretence for a cookbook. There was no author indicated but instead a publishing company called "The Grapevine Publishing House" located in Poland. TYler decided he will visit the address so he told Nana he will buy a dozen of fish from the wet market. Nana was delighted by the prospect of a grilled fish for lunch. Tyler snapped his fingers and he was in front of the publishing house. It was now dilapidated but there were still remaining bricks of walls and columns. He went inside and surveyed the mess left by junkies and the homeless who sought shelter within. He then popped outside the town's archival office and asked for the records of the publishing house. He read through it and found out the one who owned the publishing house was also the sole author of the books produced. She was aptly named Lilian Circe. Of course, it has to be Lillian Circe, Lilith's human form.

After confirming that Lilian really was the author and publisher of the Sinful Cooking books, Tyler vanished immediately. The last thing he wanted was to come face to face with one of the most powerful demons ever to exist. He didn't immediately go back to Nana's house. He needed a place to regroup and gather his thoughts and stop shaking. So, he chose a druggie's den. He had no idea where to go from here. Does he follow Azazel's order and risk being killed by Lilith? Or does he pretend he still hadn't made any progress with Azazel's order and hope that he wasn't watching him too closely? Whatever he chose, Tyler was sure a fireball to the face was awaiting him. Frustration mounting, he couldn't help but lash out at the druggies around him. Giving them powerful nightmares even if they're awake. He was in the den for what felt like forever. In the end, he decided to keep quiet for now. Because even though Azazel was a powerful demon, he was nowhere near as powerful as Lilith. Tyler would rather risk his wrath than Lilith's. Decision made, Tyler snapped his fingers once more and returned to Nana's house. It was past noon when he got there and all he wanted to do was sink into the bed Nana made for him. He didn't need sleep but he was damn near exhausted. He walked through the living room intent on doing just that when he was suddenly greeted by Nana's anger. She was fuming as she stood in the kitchen, an uneaten lunch for two laid out on the table behind her. "Where have you been?" She asked, "I've been worried sick!" Tyler sighed and tried to walk closer to her but as he did, she caught a whiff of him and the anger turned to shock. "Tyler have you been doing drugs?!"

"I was hanging out with a few druggies but didn't take some." it seems to be better to tell her the truth as drugs were not pleasurable nor tempting for a demon like him. "Why?" "I stumbled upon something big, Nana." Nana squinted her eyes in confusion. "Hellish big, Nana. I am confused about what to do because no matter what I choose, I am sure to get a punishment or might die DIE." "I don't understand, Tyler but you'll be safe here. Stay for now and we will discuss this with your parents after some time has passed." Nana pulled him into a hug which TYler accepted wholeheartedly. "Do you want to cook a recipe together? From the cook book? I'll guide you." Tyler exhaled and smiled. "Let's visit the pub Nana and ask your friend Jerry about those gloves."

THE END. OR IS IT?

Please stay tuned for the rest of the story relays we will be doing!

Book Blogger Hop: Are you lost if you don't have a book to read?

#bookbloggerhop #coffeeramblings

Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme which begins a Friday of each week & end on a Thursday of the following week. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. This week’s question…  Are you lost if you don’t have a book to read? (submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver’s Reviews) I have not read a book for the past couple of years and more so since the pandemic started. My mind…

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Sonically

everything's muddy

soured yet longed for

Perhaps

it's these crazy gaps

seeping up all the gore

Dec. 13th: 12-Days Before Christmas (2022 Story Relay Marathon)

Hi, kindred souls! This is the very first story relay of a 12-day story relay marathon I endorsed to my friend, ShiaraS (Discord: Shiara#5382) , that we will be doing from Dec. 13th to Dec. 24th—AKA 12 days before Christmas!

Since this is a marathon of sorts, we decided to lay some ground rules so we can "finish" each relay for each day. It would start with me drawing a prompt every morning from a plastic container that will serves as our bowl for this occasion. These prompts were collected by us from different sources (I will do my absolute best to give appropriate credit for the original creators/source material).

The story relay would then consist of 5 turns for both of us with a max. of 10-15 sentences each turn. After these, the story relay for that day would be considered "finished". THERE WILL BE NO EDITING DONE FOR ALL STORY RELAYS.

These rules were placed since ShiaraS' exams were also scheduled during the set week.

HERE'S THE WRITING PROMPT FOR TODAY'S STORY RELAY:

You just finished the ritual to summon a demon. However, your sacrifice was insufficient. Instead, they sent you their intern. (via @writing-prompt-s as submitted by @gearboxwritesbooks)

START OF STORY RELAY:

I furiously flipped through the grimoire trying to find out what I did wrong and how I could fix things. Because this is not what I wanted. I wanted to make a deal with a real demon, not his intern! This scrawny, over-gelled teenager in a beat up leather jacket who was trying very hard to look intimidating and failing by a mile. "What happened?!" I screamed at her, "What did I do wrong? How come I get you?" The intern rolled her eyes and walked to the edge of the pentagram on the floor. She swiped her finger on the line and put it in her mouth. She grimaced and spit it out. "Did you even check the blood you used? You think a demon will come for some cheap rat blood?" "Rat blood?!!"

"You know those cute fluffy dark crawling mammals with long thin tails and pointy noses and severe overbites? The ones that like to munch on substandard rotten earthly substances?" she explained as she flicks her porcelain pointed tail. I stared at her disgusted with how smooth and pale her tail and nails are. Definitely not a demon. "Those are rats," she finished with a flat dried-lipped smile. "I didn't use a rat blood. It's supposed to be a gallon of black stallion's blood." "Oops, I guess..." The intern shrugged and raised her brows. "How do I return you back? I want a REAL demon." I replied as I looked for an instructions— —"Hmmm... do you have a book about a botched summoning ritual?" "It's evocation for high ranking celestial entities. Summoning is only for spirits and lower class..." She grabbed the book I am scanning and smirked, "You're below an amateur then for summoning a demon intern."

I blushed a furious red. "Fine! I got the wrong book and the wrong blood but I'm still making a deal." She stared at me and the ... She laughed. The lights flickered. The dogs in the neighborhood started howling. "For an amateur who knows absolutely nothing about rituals and spells, you're pretty funny. So, for that, I will do you a favor by not killing you where you stand. Which, by the way, is the usual consequence for botched rituals." I know I should take the win and let the infuriating intern climb back down to hell. I shouldn't push my luck against her. ... ... But I'm desperate. One way or the other, I need to get something out of this whole mess. I've done too much to give up now. "If I can't make a deal with a real demon, can I make a deal with you? I'll do anything."

"You'll... do ... anything...you say," she folded her arms and her tail twirled glistening under the room light. "Y-yes." "You're that desperate huh," she turned her back and looked down at the pentagram on the floor. I bit my lip. I'll take it since I AM desperate. "So what can you d—" she cocked her head to the side still not facing me but her tail stopped moving and pointed at me "—I mean, what do you want in return" "Depends."

"De-depends on what?" "On what you want and how badly you want it." She smirked and for the first time that whole afternoon, I questioned whether what I wanted is worth whatever this creature from hell asks of me. My hand begins to shake and I make up my mind. "I... I'm a writer. I have good stories and I know I'm better than half the published authors out there but no one wants to publish me." "And let me guess, you want to be famous." "I want to be published. I want my words to reach millions of readers. I want my life to mean something." She stepped closer to me. As close as she can be while still being in the pentagram. Her forked tail rose and swept the braid off my shoulder. "That's easy enough. I don't even need to be a high level demon for that."

"H-How?" "First things first. You need to gather a handful of stuff before I explain it to you.", a dried pig's ear appeared in front of my face. I grabbed at it and could see scribbled list on it. I gathered my bag and keys and went for the door. "When you come back, I will give you my asking price for our deal." I nodded and closed the door locking it. I checked the list once again. It's a very short list, and a bizarre one. .... 10 gallons of blood from several sleeping beauties 2 Fountain pens from a dead holy servant 5 pounds of powdered gold fish scales .... I may be "below amateur" in demon casting but I am a veteran for scouting for what I need.

Whenever anyone read my work, I always felt a anxious over their opinion, that feeling multiplied ten times when I came back to my little apartment a couple of hours later and discovered the intern lying on her back while one of my manuscripts floated above her head. "That's my manuscript!" "Relax, I'm just reading it. If I'm going to make this world famous, I should at least know if I'll be torturing the rest of humanity with it. It's not bad, the bare bones of a good story are here but some of your metaphors fall a little flat." I bit my tongue, not wanting to say anything to offend the mercurial little demon. "I'll speak about it to whatever editor you get for me. I got everything on your list." She jumped to her feet, my manuscript following her movements. "Excellent. Now, in exchange for turning your little book into a best seller, you will work for me for 6 years. You will get me desperate souls willing to make a deal. One soul for each week your book is number one on the best sellers list." I paled. This wasn't what I wanted. I thought I would have to sell my soul, not drag others to hell with me.

"Are interns allowed to do that? How am I to know you're not using me to bypass any demonic rules for promotion?" I don't know what came to me but I feel almost confident to question this subrace of an evil entity. "For your information, despite the disastrous ritual you just did only demon interns who have been serving the longest and received the most merits would appear in place of a REAL demon. Hence, the lack of horns." She pointed to her head. "Sooo...", She continued, "you are in the presence of someone who is about to get her Horn of Demonic merit. Making you almost my very first human contract as a demon." "If you say so. I am just making sure I get the whole picture of this negotiation." I gave her a wry smile. This was even better. Way better than my initial plan. This was the moment I knew I didn't fail. I can now have my own demon slave for 6 years. Interns are still naive and this particular intern was too confident for her own good. I started to prepare all the ingredients she asked.

"I said fine powder. If you can't tell the difference between coarse and fine, no wonder you need to make a deal to sell your books." I gritted my teeth as I ground the goldfish scales some more. The intern, did not have faith in my potion making ability and it took it upon herself to watch over my shoulder. I ignored her as best as I could. I just reminded myself of the 6 years I would potentially have a low level demon in my pocket. Together, we finished the potion and under the light of the full moon, I soaked the pens in it as the intern chanted in an unfamiliar language. There's a bright burst of light and a shockwave that knocked me off my feet. When the light faded, the pens floated to me looking completely unblemished. "One of these pens is for you. Use it to write your stories by hand and they'll be a guaranteed hit." "By hand?" "Only the first draft, the copies can be printed if you're feeling lazy. But do not lose that first draft or let it be destroyed." I grabbed the first pen, anticipating the hand cramps to come. "And the second one?" "That is for the people you give me. They sign their contracts with this pen and their soul is mine."

1 week has passed and I had just submitted my manuscript earlier this morning. Each day for 5 days, I would led one person to see the intern and I arranged for them to discuss their desires & sign their contracts on the day I submitted my manuscript. The intern agreed to this arrangement given since they will make the transactions all at once. "It's one way to start your writing career with a bang, I guess", she chirped as she watched me rewriting my manuscript away from her. Few hours later, all the 5 people stood infront of each of the pointed corners of the pentagram while the intern stood at the center observing them. They each wrote their names on the dried pig's ear the intern provided. They then pricked their thumbs and put a bloody stamp of their fingerprint on the paper. The guileless intern's stature perked up. "There's no need for a blood pact. I am not yet allowed to do that anyway." "You are now to declare your desire to this lowlife." she whipped her head towards my direction in annoyance which instantly melted into alarm. "What are you doing?!" "By the remaining celestial hierarchy I still hold in this form, I command you to cast a binding spell tying this demon upon earthly planes!" Five glowing halos appeared above the head of the 5 fallen angels I located throughout the city. They then raised the blood-marked parchment and chanted an old Abrahamic prayer. "You tricked me!" "Oh dearie, didn't they warn you?" "You—"

THE END. OR IS IT?

Please stay tuned for the rest of the story relays we will be doing!

“Not everyone who is single is lonely; not everyone who is taken is in love.”

— Unknown