Welcome to this year’s A-Z Blogging Challenge. My theme for this year is character prompts. Each day throughout April, you’ll find a new character prompt that relates to that day’s letter.
Day Twelve: L – Lost Child
Your character stumbles across a lost child. The child is distressed and just wants their mum or dad.
What does your character do? Do they help the child? If so, how do they locate the parents?
How does the child make them feel? Irritated? Protective?
Do they resent getting involved or are they happy to help?
Do they have an ulterior motive for helping? What is it?
I’d love to read some of the scenarios you create. Email them to me at debbie@myrandommusings.co.uk and I’ll share some of my favourites over the coming months here on the blog.
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Hari OM
The crying was low and dribbly. Snotty even. Sheena knelt down on the lower step and put her hands on the top one. Turning her head to the side she asked: “are you lost?”
snifffff….snifffff…”yesssss”
“Okay. Do you think we can work together to get you safe?”
snifff… “maaaayybeee…”
The sniffing and dribbling were already reducing and Sheena took a deep breath, leaning back on her heels, feeling the stone of the step bite into her knees. She hated when it reached the stage of dribble and snot. It meant she had lost control.
She stood up and turned away. “Which direction?”
“Straight ahead and just keep walking. You’ll get there eventually.”
Sheena’s inner child was a wild one but always managed to get them home safely after a party. After she’d lost all her senses and done what she’d sworn to never do again.
YAM xx
Nice twist!
That was a fantastic twist at the end. Very smoothly done. Kudos, Yamini.
I would so want to help but in these days, also worry about what the truth really was. My mind is working.
That’s true, things aren’t always what they seem!
I’d probably give the story a little Hitchcock-style twist and have the helpful adult become embroiled in bogus kidnapping charges… for starters.
Love it!
My brain instantly went to Criminal Minds level serial killer storylines. I don’t know what that says about me. #AnythingGoes
Haha my mind usually goes there too!
My character has genuine intentions to help, but the child is linked to a dark underworld. Children all over the city are forced to deceive others and bring them into this underworld. Not sure what the darkness is – but my character has to try to save children who are doctrined by this group. x
That’s definitely something I would enjoy reading x
This actually happened to me and I was so grateful that someone had handed the Tubblet over to a security guard. Longest 15 minutes of my life … When asked what she was doing, she answered, “Hiding from Mummy …”
It must have felt like an eternity!
these days it is actually really tricky as you don’t want people to end up thinking you are trying to snatch the child yourself! #anythinggoes
Oh another good one…’could the child be a ghost of a dead child? Is it lost at all or is the child luring the adult to something sinister?
#anythinggoes
Brought up all sorts of emotions as an adopted person. Like the challenge though #AnythingGoes
Sorry if it brought up difficult memories!
Another good one. As a parent, something I’ve thought of for myself, but not from my characters’ perspectives! (Though in my Choose Your Own Adventure, a character comes across a lost dog. Hint: If you don’t help the lost dog, you get a crappy ending, haha!)
Jayden R. Vincente
Erotic Fiction Writer
I think that’s fair haha
Interesting, I can’t imagine anyone being annoyed by a helpless lost child but I agree with the other comments about the fear of getting involved #anythinggoes
I think I’d find this one tough! So many different scenarios in my head. Leaning toward sci-fi I think. #AnythingGoes
I am so rubbish at making up stories. My gut reaction was wanting to help and being protective. The child having wandered off following their own thoughts whilst the parents were inside the house arguing. The child losing themselves in the outside world around them to escape from the chaos at home.
Good luck with the challenge. My head is blown just adding this comment! 🙂 #AnythingGoes
This child is lost for a reason and wants to be found. The child’s motives are unclear but you, the finder, also become lost with the child. Together, you have to find your way back to reality. But are you working together or against each other…@anythinggoes
I would totally read this!