Writing Exercise
Pick a character who are already using or make a new character. Have them talking but the first words out of their mouth is “I remember.” Go from there and tell us what they remember.
Side Note
I will be using Scout, Jennifer, and Katlyn, but to change things up, I will be using Jennifer as the main character speaking for this exercise.
My Story
“I remember when we first met in Kindergarten. Back then we didn’t know what we would be when we grew up or that we would become best friends. That first day was sunny, beautiful, and we saw cotton candy clouds scattered in the blue sky.” Jennifer stared into the flames of their campfire as she spoke. “We met in the classroom. I was in the corner crying because I was scared and missing my mom. Scout, you were playing with Tommy and Travis, the twins. And Katlyn, you were in the dress up corner with Sheena, Rachel, and Ariel, pretending you were fairy princesses.”
Scout shifted in her chair as she watched her best friend. Katlyn smiled at the memory, but she kept silent.
Jennifer picked up a stock close by and poked at the fire. “Katlyn, you were the first one to come over to me and asked me if I was okay. Rachel and Ariel called me a baby and laughed at me. Then Scout and the twins walked over and I though you all were going to laugh at me, too. But the twins yelled at Rachel and Ariel for being mean to me, and you, Scout, you brought me tissues. You told me that I’ll be okay and that I could sit with you. Katlyn and the twins sat with us too, and after that we were inseparable. Until the twins had to move away in second grade.”
“I found them online, too, and they be visiting soon with their parents during their Spring break,” Scout said as she popped a marshmallow in her mouth.
“Oh, I’d love to see them again,” Katlyn said as she kicked at a rock by her chair.
Jennifer grinned. “I’d love to see them, too. We’ll have to take them to Cheeseburger Heaven.” She tossed the stick he held into the fire, growing quiet.
Katlyn and Scout watched her before they glanced at each other. She clicked her tongue for a moment before she raised her sad eyes to her best friends. Scout and Katlyn looked back at Jennifer, waiting for her to talk since they could see she had more on her mind.
“Do you…” She let out a slow breath. “Do you ever think about the what ifs? Like what if we hadn’t met that day? What if we went to separate schools? Or what if we could choose what we really wanted to be instead of being demon hunters? What if we never heard of demons and hunters?” She shifted in her chair and stared back at the fire. “Would we go on thought life not ever knowing about demons? Each other?” Jennifer clasped and unclasped her hands on her lap.
“Jenn? Are you okay?” Katlyn asked, reaching over to grab her best friend’s hand. “Where is all of this coming from?”
Scout sat silent while he watched her friends. Jennifer sat back in her chair, letting Katlyn’s hand slip off of hers, and shrugged. She wiped her eyes before the tears could fall.
“I don’t know. I guess I am just scared. Two of our classmates were killed a week ago in a fight with a demon and I… I…” She shook her head.
Scout stood up and walked over to Jennifer and knelt down beside her. “I’ve thought a bout the what if’s too, but I always come back to this what I am meant to do.” She looked in her best friend’s eyes. “I am scared, too. I don’t want to die before I truly see the world and pick a career besides demon hunting. But I know in my heart that things happen for a reason. I wasn’t even supposed to have gone to that school, but my dad got the job offer here in Southern California. So there I was that day.”
“And I was supposed to go to that other Elementary school in another county, but they were full so I had to go to Sunshine Hills Elementary School,” Katlyn said as she joined her friends. “We are going to be scared, Jennifer, but like Scout said, this is what we are meant to do in life. Always by each other’s side.” She grabbed her friend’s hand and squeezed it. “Remember when you saved that baby and her mom when they were being stalked by that cat-like demon three weeks ago? And how they felt so relieved when they got home safely, never crossing paths with the demon? You did that, Jennifer. Never forget all of those you have saved so far, Jennifer, they are alive because of you.”
“And Cory and Calli, they knew what they were getting themselves into when they went out that night. They knew that there would be a demon but they didn’t die in vain. They saved that house full of people before the fire demon could destroy it and the lives inside,” Scout said. “They died saving people and they loved to save people.”
Jennifer sniffled and forced a smile on her face. “Yea, you’re right. I guess I’m just being silly.”
“You’re not being silly. I’ve been reliving my memories too since Cory and Calli were killed.” Scout hugged Jennifer. “That’s why I looked up the twins.”
Jennifer hugged Scout back, Katlyn joining them. “We have our memories and each other.”
The girls laughed while Scout and Katlyn sat back down in the chairs. They continued to talk about their memories with each other and those they had lost along the way and those who had moved away. The night around them stays quiet as the crickets, owls, bats, and other night animals listened to the best friends tell their stories.