Never ending story, come in and see...

Hello everyone!

I want to invite you to take part in a little project....you may call it a game or an experiment .
So, what do I want you to do?
It´s very simple. I will start to write down a few sentences of the beginning of a story, then the next one of you will ( hopefully) add some more and so on.
Don´t think too long about what to write to keep it exciting and funny....
and you don´t have to stick to a special genre....or a special style just let your mind wander...

I am anxious for seeing the result...

" Towards evening the air started to get colder and the night sent forth its heralds of darkness in form of heavy clouds, darkening the sky.
The sound of the first raindrops trickling down on the surrounding trees was the only noise. The world cloaked itself in silence . But suddenly..... "

(I know my english is not the best so please be indulgent)

[Moved] Great idea!

As an additional rule I suggest everyone uses the form below to post here:

That way we'll be able to tell the story apart from anything else we might post here about the story.

Also, everyone should feel free to correct any mistakes in previous parts of the story, it can only get better that way. (But don't change the meaning. )

Maybe we should also have a maximum length for the story parts, because I know I'll keep rambling on forever. What do you think? Something like 10 lines in the reply-window? Might be easier than a fixed word count, at any rate... Or do you want to keep it open?

I agree with you Lyta but let´s say 15 lines.
In case you have a great, great idea and realise that 15 lines are not enough don´t falter to write on

This post has been edited by Lyta on Nov 3 2007, 04:27 PM

I inserted some line breaks for readability. 15 lines? Or even longer? Now, I really don't think that's a good idea... A round robin isn't about writing down your ideas, it's rather about being able to work with other people's ideas, no matter what you would have done with the story if it was your story. Let's say 10 lines max regular, 15 max if anyone can't restrain themselves. Sounds okay?

Okay..you convinced me

Story up to now : As dusk was falling the air started to get colder and the night sent forth its heralds of darkness - heavy clouds, darkening the sky.

The sound of the first raindrops trickling down on the surrounding trees was the only noise. The world cloaked itself in silence. But suddenly I thought I heard a sound as of the hinges of an old door screeching. I flinched but then told myself off for being so fearsome. It was, after all, just an old castle, completely uninhabited. There was no reason for any doors to screech. The sound had probably been caused by an animal of sorts. Yes, that had to be the explanation. Keeping close to the trees and avoiding the open moonlit lawn, I edged closer to the old building.

By now it was so cold that I could barely feel my fingers and my teeth began to chatter. There it was again, the sound of a screeching door and this time I was sure that it were not my nerves playing tricks on me.

Slowly I leaned forward and peered at the castle.

It was looming high above the surrounding yard, gargoyles standing guard above the main gate. Everything was completely clad in darkness expect for a small spot of light somewhere in the courtyard.

As a cool breeze touched my face I almost jumped. "That's ridiculous and you are a fool. It's nothing but the moonlight reflected by some piece of garbage."

"But the moon is hidden behind clouds and this light looks rather as if it comes from a candle than from the moonlight... look how it flickers, does moonlight flicker?" a second voice in my head piped up.

Nonetheless I walked on a few steps until I could see the ominous light more clearly. It was indeed flickering and seemed to come from a candle or fire. I strained my eyes to see whether anyone was standing there on the courtyard, but couldn't make out anyone.

And anyway, if the person who stood there was who I feared he was, he'd have seen me long before, and would probably be laughing about me in that chillingly silent way.

Only thinking of it sent shivers down my spine.

Awesome, I have been here only for a few minutes and already forgotten everything I had been told.

"Rule number one: Don't think about the things you fear the most, for it's the fear that will bring you in serious danger, not the things you fear!
Rule number two: When you see something abnormal stay away from it!
Rule number three: When you managed to stay away from it, don't wait around long enough to let it change your mind again."

Stupid rules, written in books and looking clever. I had no choice, I couldn't stay away. I had to go there, now, and see once and for all what this was about.

My story must be confusing for you though. Let me explain a few things before I go on. I've been living in the village just below the castle for almost all my life - 27 years, that is. It had been a perfectly normal life in a perfectly normal family, and there was nothing sinister to it at all. Grew up, went to school, had the usual quarrels with my parents and two younger brothers. Then I studied art and design, came back to live in the old village eventually with my fiancé, Frederick.

At all times, the castle had inspired people to tell the wildest tales of its real or supposed mysteries. Of course, I never believed any of them, because honestly - this is the twenty-first century, not the Middle Ages.

But shortly I've had reasons to doubt the harmlessness of this place.

The dreams were back.

Ten years I had lived without thinkig about them anymore; ten years without nightmares and waking up in sweat, shaking all over; ten years since the day I had left this town.

But when I arrived here, I woke up in the middle of the night with cold sweat covering my whole body, the yell of a human being in pain still ringing in my ears and the picture of this castle before my inner eye, as if it were burned in there with a marking iron.

The next morning I read in the paper that a young man was found dead in the wood near the old castle.

The person hadn't yet been identified because the body was in such a bad condition. The authorities hoped to learn more from a thorough medical examination of the body.

My heart skipped a beat but then started pumping again violently, my fingers were cold, I tasted bile in my mouth, and in my ears I heard the echo of the screams from my dream, making me sick.

All I could do was to save the cup of coffee I was holding in my hands from scattering on the floor and run to the bathroom.

I was sitting on the floor trembling when I heard Frederick's voice on the other site of the door, asking me if I was okay.

My part : But what could I say to him? That I was having premonitions? Nightmares that come true? I can almost imagine the look on his face if I had told him that. He would have laughed at me. But then again, I don't blame Frederick. He is a human. And I suppose, everyone would mock me if I went on saying that I had seen the death of a man before he died. Even saying it sounds weird, doesn't it?

I couldn't suppress a bitter chuckle as I edged closer to the castle's entrance. If it looked scary from afar, it definitely looked absolutely frightening from near. At that time, I thought I was being brave... but now, I think I was just foolish to further venture into that haunted castle. I had no idea that this would turn my whole life upside down...

15 lines and one typo correction... I couldn't restrain myself.