Wednesday's Words on a Friday

 

The original Words for Wednesday was begun by Delores and eventually taken over by a moveable feast of participants when Delores had computer troubles. Sadly, Delores has now closed her blog forever due to other problems.

The aim of the words is to encourage us to write. A story, a poem, whatever comes to mind.

If you are posting an entry on your own blog, please let us know so we can come along to read it and add a few encouraging words.

This month the words/prompts are supplied by Wise Web Woman and can be found here

This week's words/prompts are: 

1. congregate 

2. impulse 

3. market 

4. peasant 

5. wine 

6. surging 

7. light 

8. hazard 

and a picture of a woman returning from the marketplace, which I have not used.

Here is my story:

On impulse, it had been decided that the year seven graduation dance would be fancy dress, and Catherine was happy about that. "I have the perfect thing," she declared. "I'll be a peasant. What will you be Emma?"  "I have a Japanese Kimono, sent to me by my aunt when she worked at the embassy for a while"  said Emma. The whole class got quite excited as the day neared.

The gym had been decorated and fairy lights from a store at the local market were everywhere. When the doors opened the children came surging through in a bunch, only to congregate in clusters on either side of the hall. Girls on one side, boys on the other. Suddenly they all seemed too shy to mix, with not a single one of them even daring to walk across to the punch and snacks table at the far end. 

"I wonder what sort of punch it is," said Mark, "it looks like wine from here." Bradley nudged him, "why don't you go and find out?" "Well, why don't you go," said Mark. An uncomfortable silence filled the room, until the teacher in charge of the music turned on the speakers and the playlist of songs, decided by the kids themselves, had toes tapping and heads bopping, yet still, no one made the first move. 

"Come on kids!" said Mr. Kennedy. "You've all known each other for a year or more. If you don't make a move I'm going to have to start you off with that good old-fashioned Barn Dance," he teased. That got a few laughs and several boys and girls met on the floor and began dancing, a little self-consciously at first, but soon others joined in and and hour later it was all just one big happy party. 

Josephine, who had worn a Marie Antionette dress, decided the long skirt was a trip hazard and hiked it up several inches with the help of a dozen safety pins. Simon stared, goggle-eyed. "Who goes to a dance with a purse full of safety pins?"