Writing Explorations: Week 50, Buckets of What

1. A 'good guy' is a necromancer, and their craft gives them the insight to solve a problem.
2. Someone's parentage comes back to haunt them, but not through reputation. This leads to internal conflict.
3. Something that appears horrific and counterproductive helps the solve the plot.

• Write in a random genre.
• A chicken is someone's precious pet.
• Fifty of something is celebrated.
• Someone looks like they're part bird, and it isn't from a nose shape.
• "You're just a bastard of incest!"
• "Red eyes peer from among the gold. They seek a hand to hold. Into the hand a pair of dice. Protect the green."
• "Wow, you're horny. Literally. You have a lot of horns."

MST3K 4ever said:

Maggie was exhausted. It had been two weeks since her last good night's sleep. Not that a good night's sleep was terribly common given their circumstances, but even by those standards she wasn't sleeping much. It got so bad lately that she almost fell asleep standing up twice. Travis recommended sleeping pills to try and help, but Maggie didn't want to run the risk of becoming hooked on them. Not only was she afraid of having her skills dulled by them, but sleeping pills were not exactly in ready supply and she wasn't going to ask her boyfriend to become her supplier.

Maggie decided to take matters into her own hands. She went to the city and was hoping that Cilloos would be willing to help her. She banged on the door and said, "Cilloos, it's me Maggie I need your help. Please. I'm not here under orders I need your help."

She heard shuffling from inside and then the door opened. It had only been a few months, but Cilloos looked different than the first time that Maggie saw him. His hair, which was an unruly mess, was now pulled back into a pony tail. He was wearing a purple robe as opposed to the blue one and had sunglasses on instead of the bandages. Cilloos stood there and said, "Well if it isn't my ray of sunshine. What do you need?"

Maggie replied, "Help."

Cilloos shook his head and said, "Sad, no one really wants to just talk anymore. Okay come on in."

Cilloos led her down to his basement and said, "I can tell that your emotionally troubled, and not physically."

Maggie asked, "Because your hearing is more intoned that you can hear what is going on with my body."

Cilloos looked back to her and replied, "No, because if it was physical Travis would've escorted you here and you would be complaining about your injury."

He motioned for Maggie to have a seat in a chair in a corner and as she sat Cilloos asked while pacing, "So again why are you here?"
Maggie replied, "I can't sleep. I'm having these bizarre dreams, and you seem to know things."

Cilloos said, "Those dreams might be your mind's way of trying to deal with reality. Besides dreams aren't supposed to make sense in a philosophical or literal way Maggie, so what is so bizarre about these dreams?"

Maggie replied, "In this dream that I've been having for the last couple of weeks I'm a pet chicken."

Cilloos stopped pacing and looked right at her. He said, "Explain."

Maggie said, "Well when I'm in this dream I am this chicken, and someone, I can't see who it is they have a hood on, well they're caring for me. Feeding me, giving me a bath, taking me out for walks, and then suddenly they're pulling my feathers and throwing me into a deep fat fryer." Maggie shook her head and said, "It's not the same exact dream night after night but the constants are me as a chicken being cared for, and ending up getting fried."

Cilloos asked, "What does Travis say to all of this?"

Maggie replied, "I haven't told him the specifics. I just tell him I'm having trouble sleeping because of the war and stuff like that."

Cilloos nodded and asked, "Why come to me?"

Maggie replied, "You know things Cilloos that the normal person doesn't. You can help me understand. I think you're magician of some kind."

Cilloos looked almost insulted as he scoffed, "Magician? I know things that go beyond science and nature into the spiritual, but to say I'm a magician is not scoring points with me. I don't pull rabbits out of hat and I don't make things appear out of thin air."

Maggie asked, "Can you help me though? Please?"

Cilloos replied, "You remind me so much of my wife Elizabeth. The same sweet spirit and unfailing belief in hope, do you know that Maggie? If this ever gets out I will deny it, but yes I like you. So with that being said, I might be able to help you if you tell anyone about this I will not only deny it, but being a chicken in your dreams will be a warm memory compared to what I will do."

Cilloos pulled up a stool and sat in front of Maggie. He put his left index finger and middle finger on one side of her head, and then he put his right index finger and middle finger in the middle of her chest. He said, "Go to sleep."

Maggie drifted off to sleep and as she slept she saw herself as a chicken. This time though Cilloos was standing there with her in an open field. He said, "I like the dream world. Here I'm free from my blindness. Now, this time don't allow this person to care for you. Come to me."

A set of large hands reached for Maggie who then bolted to Cilloos. Maggie could hear footsteps coming behind her. Cilloos reached out and took Maggie into his arms. He waved his hand and knocked the hood away to reveal her grandfather General Stibold.

Suddenly Maggie morphed into herself. She asked, "You? What are you doing here?"

Then Maggie opened her eyes and Cilloos removed his hands. She took a deep breath and said, "My grandfather. He was trying to kill me."

Cilloos nodded and replied, "Indeed. I saw him. Why would he want to kill you?"

Maggie took a deep breath and said, "A few weeks back he was going to kill Travis and lead the Illuminati to our compound and he was going to let me die. I found out he hated me. So I killed him."

Cilloos shook his head and said, "I'm sorry about that Maggie. Betrayal by one's family is the harshest kind. I do have some possible answers for your dreams though."

Cilloos paced and said, "In dreams, according to certain cultures, a chicken represents fear and having to overcome them. Your fear right now is being hurt by someone else you trust. Whether it is Travis or someone else close to you Maggie or the more likely theory, it might be you're afraid of what you are becoming."

Maggie leaned back in the chair for a moment and let out a deep breath. She said, "I never thought I would become a soldier, that I would have to kill someone especially my own grandfather, that I would be in love, or still miss a little girl from a couple of weeks ago."

Cilloos nodded and replied, "Great changes in you and your afraid you're going to lose who you are."

Maggie felt a tear roll down her cheek as she said, "Yes…"

Cilloos touched her hand and said, "You can either let the change define you, or you can define it. You still have the same heart as the day you came in here and the same spirit. Although, you have undergone some physical changes since that day you're stronger than you know." He touched her arms and said, "Your wings are strong and soon you will fly like you've never known."

Maggie smiled and said, "Thank you Cilloos."

Cilloos nodded and replied, "Now, I suggest you get moving along patrols will be by soon."

She stood up and asked, "Your abilities, how…"

Cilloos interrupted, "Another story for another time, my dear."

Maggie replied, "Fair enough. Thank you again."

Cilloos led Maggie out the door and said, "Sweet dreams Maggie."

Maggie smiled and kissed Cilloos on the cheek. She then made her way back to the base, and once there she collapsed into her cot. Travis came at 515 wake her up, but since she was sleeping so soundly and smiling that he let her sleep in…until 5:30 am.

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