Creative Writing Prompts taken from The Writer's Book of Matches: 1,001 Prompts to Ignite Your Fiction #2

Prompt of the Day: Tears run down the face of an old pirate as he sits at a table, surrounded by treasure. In one hand, he holds the sketched portrait of a woman.

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A scrawny cabin boy, clad in little more than tatters, knocked warily on the door to the captain's quarters. "You wanted to see me, captain?" The boy, whose name was Elijah, wondered what could be wrong. Had he done something to displease the captain? Was he going to be beaten? Discharged from Captain Burns' crew? Elijah had no idea how much his fortune was about to change for the better.

"Enter." Captain Burns did not bother to hide the raw pain in his voice.

Elijah swung the door open, his brow knotted with worry at the unfamiliar sound in the captain's voice. "Is there something amiss, captain? Are you wounded? Your voice...it sounded as if something was paining you." The treasure crowding almost every corner of the room and piled upon the table had not even registered in his mind; his focus was consumed by the captain's face. It was wet with tears and contorted with anguish.

Captain Burns laughed, and it had an ironic sound to it. "My wounds are not physical, Eli. I sent for you because I knew I could trust you to honor my wishes. Shut the door and sit down."

Shout-Out of the Day: Lauren Cadahia

So, this girl is one of the most awesome friends I have. We RP all the time, and she does a great job of keeping my muse whipped into shape. If it weren't for her, I would never have dreamed up Poisoned Apples. She's always willing to listen to my ideas and give me advice. She has been a great inspiration to me, and I value her friendship and advice. She does a great deal for my writing.

Prompt: Write about what you'd say to an uninvited guest.

"How many times have I told you that you are not welcome here, Dimitri?"

Anna knew that where Dimitri Petya Sokoll appeared, trouble was sure to follow. He was a gypsy, a thief, a vagabond, and an excellent con artist. She knew this because they had been friends when they were children. Things were different, now. She was married to a wealthy Englishman, Sir Richard Anderson, Baron of Westminster. Could she afford to have a wanted criminal in her home, even if they were lifelong friends? Certainly not.

Dimitri swayed on his feet and clutched at his right side. It was then that Anna noticed how pale her old friend was, and her heart wrenched. "Sod it! Come in and let me see to your side."

He nodded and winced as he did so. "I have terrible news, Anna. Your husband, the Baron, he has been murdered."

It was Anna's turn to pale and sway on her feet. "What? How? By whom? Were there any other witnesses? Dimitri, you must tell me what happened at once!"

She shut the side entrance door quietly and led him into the kitchen, glad to see that there were no servants present. It wouldn't do for them to see her bringing a strange, wounded man into the kitchen on the very night that her husband was murdered.

As Anna guided him to a chair, Dimitri began speaking in a strained voice. "There were plenty of other witnesses, but you may not like what you hear. He was killed in London. Apparently, he and another man were arguing over an actress that your husband has been having an affair with for months. The younger man shot your baron several times. He died within minutes. I tried to stop your husband's killer, but he managed to stab me with a small dagger and he got away. I'm sorry."

Anna's voice was very tired when she replied. "There's nothing to apologize for, Dimitri. It was no fault of yours. Just sit still and allow me to see to that wound for you."

((I may continue this later on. Suggestions?))