A Joyful Shake

    Hey guys!  Here's a little bit of my story for the challenge.  Right below is the prompt that I got.

Fifteen year-old Joy hates her life...and her name. Her daily routine consists of the same “joyous” old tasks day after day...eating, school, eating, chores, more eating, sleeping, and repeating. She is convinced no one could ever have a more boring life. In her few and far between prayers, she often complains, “God, why can't you just shake my life up a little bit?” Joy doesn't think God actually hears her. Her prayers are just wistful wishes whispered to the wind...but then God literally shakes her entire world. 

  

    There was actually a bit more to this prompt.  However, I had permission to leave it out if I wanted because it was so crazy.  As you can probably guess, I decided to go ahead and do that. :)

    Anyway, here is a little taste of the story.  Hopefully I will get a much larger chunk of it up soon.

             “Joy!”

             Joy’s green eyes shot upwards from the pages of the small diary she cradled in her hands. 

             “I need your help!” her mother’s voice was laced with irritation.

             Dear Diary, the evil stepmother calls.  I must go.  However, I will return quickly with more complaints. 

             Yours Truly,

             The Girl with the Absolutely Most Boring Life in the World

             The green fur branches pulled gently at her hair as she crawled out from beneath the safety of their boughs. 

             “There you are!” her mother stood not ten feet away, hands on her hips.  “I should have guessed that is where you would be.  Could you come watch Susie while I make dinner?”

             The question was really an order.  There was only one answer that would meet with approval.  “Sure.”  I always watch Susie.  Why can’t Mark do it?  Glowering she walked past her mom and slammed the screen door as she entered the house. 

             At least her mom hadn’t lectured her on how she, above all people, should act joyful because her name was Joy.  ”Who cares?  If I had been named Fly would people expect me to fly?”  Still grumbling to herself she ducked the diary away in her room and went to find her baby sister. 

˜  

             The moon cast a beam of light through the window.  Besides that all was dark.  Joy pulled the covers up tightly beneath her chin.  Here in the quiet, within the confines of her mind, she could go through all kinds of exciting adventures.   However, these moments of contentment did not change the fact that her life was downright boring.  Why me?  Why does my life have to be son uninteresting?  God, why can’t you just shake up my life a bit?  Make something happen out of the old routine?    She snorted.  Did God exist?  Maybe.  But if he did he didn’t care a bit about her or her prayers.

             She tried to plump up her flat pillow before closing her eyes.