Odd Prompts

Another week, another set of odd prompts. This is Week 37 for Odd Prompts and as always they are giving me the creative kick in the butt that I seem to need and a great way to stretch my writing muscles. I am having a lot of fun with this and the responses have been encouraging and supportive. Again, lots of fun here. This week’s prompt was gifted to me by Leigh Kimmel and it was a photo. The best way I can describe it is she is dressed in a mish-mash Darth Vader outfit that is clearly her own unique creation. You can see the photo over at More Odds Than Ends if you click on the link to Week 37 above.

In the spirit of continuing to see what happens with Jack and his curse-breaking mystery, I managed to get this prompt into the Cursebreaker saga. So, our story so far: Jack, Greg, and Monica are meeting with Nikolas Jonnson a dead Viking who was sacrificed to the entity that is controlling the haunted house. The entity is also controlling the two witches who have been cursing other magic-workers into dolls. The previous installments can be found at the link on the main page.

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“Very good,” Nikolas smiled as he took Jack’s hand. He shook hands with Greg and Monica in turn. He glanced down at the dogs who were still crouched against Jack and Greg.

“I do like dogs and would not hurt them, but I am afraid that they recognize me for what I am…I believe I could say…dead man walking?” He gave a surprisingly boyish grin.

Jack burst into startled laughter. “Yeah, you could say that. Where did you hear that?”

“The most recent…living…occupants of the house frequently watched what you call movies. The mechanism fascinates me and the stories are usually good. So, I watched as well. It was something to do,” Nikolas gave a small shrug.

He gazed around at the neighborhood, his eyes avoiding the house across the street. “It has been several hundred years since I was able to feel the warmth of the sun on my face. I do miss it.” He touched the hood of Jack’s SUV. “Would it be possible to ride in this?”

“Well, yeah. Depending on what we need to do today, we’ll most likely be driving somewhere,” Jack answered.

“Oh, that would be nice,” Nikolas smiled.

“Okay. We’ve only got until sunrise tomorrow and I don’t think any of us really want to be around this house in the dead of night. So, what do we need to do, Nikolas?” Greg brought them all back to the main problem.

“Nikolas, did you see the truck with the racoon on it the other day?” Monica spoke for the first time.

“You mean the red truck? Yes. There was a dragon’s spirit around then too…over the house. I believe the entity compelled it to be here.”

“That explains why I didn’t see the dragon. I think we need to start trying to put all these dolls, sightings, and witches together,” Monica stated. “Right now we’re just running around like headless chickens.”

“You’re right. But then you usually are,” Jack winked at his wife.

Nikolas gave a startled jump. “What is that?” he pointed across the street.

Jack and Greg spun around. Jack didn’t know what to expect but the vision strolling down the sidewalk was not it.

The heavy-set woman wearing a Darth Vader outfit with what looked like mouse ears on the helmet, a black and pink tutu, red tights, and black boots gave a cheery wave and pointed at Nikolas. “You’re cute! I hope I see you at the con!”

Nikolas simple stared, his mouth hanging open. “Um…what was that?”

Jack, Monica, and Greg were laughing too hard to answer him right away. Finally, Monica took pity on the ancient Viking.

“I…I’m sorry,” she gasped. “She’s…she’s going to a convention, um…meeting, where people dress up like…um…story characters.” Monica started laughing again. “She’s kinda combined a couple into her own unique look.”

Nikolas still looked very puzzled. “But why did she point to me? I’m not dressed as a character.”

“Well, if you hadn’t noticed, you’re still wearing…well…um…whatever it is that I suppose you would have normally worn…um…when you were…um…alive,” Greg finally caught his breath.

Nikolas looked down at his tunic with its simple leather belt, woolen trousers, and rough boots. “These are the clothes I was wearing when I was killed. I cannot change them. Is that a problem?” He glanced at Monica, perhaps sensing that she was more sympathetic to his plight than the other two.

“No, it’s not a problem. You can borrow some of my clothes. I think we’re about the same size,” Jack answered him.

“Yes, that works. Let’s go back to the house, get Nikolas some more suitable clothes and then start working on this puzzle,” Monica moved to the passenger door of the SUV and opened it. “Nikolas, I think you should ride up front for your first ever car ride.”

An excited gleam showed in Nikolas’s eyes as he moved around the front of the vehicle and climbed in. The others got in and Jack explained the seat belt to Nikolas before starting the engine and heading back home.

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Image by Anne Wipf from Pixabay

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