Saturday, May 1, 2010

Blogfest, May Day, and Foxes

To begin with, today is Lilah Pierce's Last Lines Blogfest. Check out this link to her post today, and you'll have access to the list of all who are participating. (A gold-mine of last lines--from novels and short stories alike.)

Following these rules...

Sign up below, pull out your favorite ending, and post it to your blog on May 1st. Entries do not have to be last lines only, it is understandable that a build-up may be necessary. I'd say that the previous 25 lines would be a reasonable length. It also does not matter if the last line is for a scene, chapter, or book, just as long as you wrote it. And lastly, don't forget to spread the word! The more people that participate, the more fun the blogfest is!

...I am posting my entry below. These are the last lines from EPHEMERAL, my Beauty & the Beast re-write:


“Yseult!” he cries, incredulous.

“If you can catch me,” I yell over my shoulder, “I’ll marry you whenever you want. But I don’t think you have a chance against me now that you’re human again!”

I am laughing riotously as I fly down the steps toward the open forest. I hear his footsteps behind me, and I remember the first time we raced. It was exhilarating then, just as it is now.

The autumn grass is beneath my feet; slightly brown, crunching as I run. The leaves are falling in the forest, red, orange, and plum. They spin lazily down around me, their pace countering my own light speed. I am smiling so broadly it hurts, but I cannot stop. Behind me, René is laughing like a boy playing chase.

We are young, we are children, but I will let him catch me.

I’ll let him catch me for love, and for change.

When I reach a little clearing in the trees, I turn around to face him, feeling the sunlight on my back like gold. He is running toward me with the light on his face, smiling, radiant with love.

He is running toward me, and a happy tear escapes my eye. I smile at him, my own ephemeral beauty, and skip forward to meet him.


The End.


In other news, it is May Day. Happy May Day! Today is the perfect day to read Corinna's Going A-Maying, by Robert Herrick--one of my favorite springtime poems. (Click here for the pleasure.) Today is also a good day to leave a basket of flowers on someone's doorstep, and then run for it. You might just make their (May) day!

Lastly:

A few moments ago there was a fox at the intersection of my street and the next. He was just sitting there, looking from right to left, as if debating which way to turn. In the end he decided to go left, and continued down Main street at a trot; undoubtedly on his way to some fantastic party. It's nice to see foxes in the city. I always give them a little nod, as if to say: Good. Keep Foxing.



To cap off this May Day morning, there is now a rainbow in the west, where a moment ago there were only angry clouds. Happy Saturday, all! I hope your day is full of beautiful Last Lines, unexpected foxes, and triumphant rainbows.

16 comments:

  1. “If you can catch me,” I yell over my shoulder, “I’ll marry you whenever you want. But I don’t think you have a chance against me now that you’re human again!”
    Fun! I really like that. And the ending she skips toward him. Shows playfulness so well. A perfect ending!

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  2. Lovely last line, and picturesque last scene. (If you want a critique partner I'd love to!)

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  3. What a great happy ending scene. And I love that picture, too. :)

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  4. This is a lovely setting for the finale of Beauty and the Beast. You made me see the golden glade.

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  5. I joined the Last Line Blogfest and posted the last lines to the first chapter (I'm still writing it, so no ending yet) of MY retelling of Beauty and the Beast! Sorry, I'm one of those girls who thought it was cool when I showed up wearing the same dress as someone else...

    "If you can catch me," I yell over my shoulder, "I'll marry you whenever you want. But I don't think you have a chance against me now that you're human again!"

    Love. This. Line. And just from this small bit it's wonderful to see how different your retelling is from mine. I would snatch this book and scurry to register with it on those lines alone. I would read the book in one evening. I know I would because you've enamored me of it within this simple post!

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  6. I think that's one of the best endings I have read so far in this blogfest.

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  7. Like Stu, I do believe that this is one of the best endings I've read in this blogfest. My favorite line :

    I’ll let him catch me for love, and for change.

    You truly have talent, Roland

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  8. I love your scene - the description is fantastic and I love the playfulness between these two. Great job!

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  9. Thanks so much for the kind words, all. I've been off selling flowers all day, but it's on to reading your posts now! (I'm excited!)

    Lynn: Thank you. I'm glad you liked it!

    Amie: Many thanks. I might just take you up on that!

    sarahjayne: Isn't it a lovely picture? Thank you for your words.

    Elaine: You saw it? Ah, thank you! (There's something irresistible about a golden glade, isn't there?)

    A Grey: I love that we're wearing the same dress. I think it's cool, too. :)

    Stu: Sincerest of thank-yous. That is very kind of you to say.

    Roland: Thank you for such generous praise. I'm glad you liked that line. :)

    Susan: So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for coming by!

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  10. I like it! I'm going with the others word: lovely. It's just a perfect description. Thank you for participating!

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  11. Love those pens on your blog header!

    I'm hosting a spring themed poetry contest over at my blog -- your blog background is inspiration enough for a lovely poem, methinks!

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  12. Great job with the retelling of this story. I liked your last line. The present tense took me a few lines to get used to, but I loved your imagery.

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  13. A proper fox only attend the most fantastic of parties! :) Very nice post!

    xoxo -- Hilary

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  14. Lilah: Thanks for hosting! It was very fun.

    Terresa: Aren't they fun? I'll definitely come take a look at the contest--though I only write poetry when I'm heartbroken, and then only bad poetry. Still, it sounds like fun! (I love reading it, at least!)

    Raquel: Thanks very much. I know--present tense does take some getting used to. Glad you liked it in the end!

    Hilary: Absolutely. Foxes have very stringent celebratory standards. But they are always fantastic. :)

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  15. I'm posting late, fairly standard for me since I surf in spurts, but I didn't like your ending less for that.

    I agree about the loveliness of your golden glade, and liked that she consciously, cheerfully lets herself be caught. It's an ending thats the beginning of something, too.

    Very nicely done.

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  16. Thanks, Clare. I'm very glad you liked it! And pleased as punch that you stopped by. :)

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