The Get to Know Me Tag

Hello everyone o/
Today I am going to do a tag, a tag is a challenge where you answer a bunch of questions and tag other people to answer questions too.  I don't think I've done a tag since my previous blog.  But now, I am going to introduce it here.  Rachael at The Art of Writing for Him, tagged me to do the "Get to Know Me Tag."  I am to answer the questions below and then tag more people to do this little challenge.  I hope you all enjoy the interesting bits about me and I hope to see anyone else participate.


Vital Stats

Name: Anna

Nicknames: Banana, Anna Jo, I've been called Anna Montana... By one person, multiple times.  I don't even think my best friend knows this.

Place of Birth: Coon Rapids, MN

Star sign: Taurus.

Firsts 

Best friend: Katie <3

Award: A violin ribbon for being diligent... I think.

Sport:  My first sport was soccer, kind of... I took this learning class that only lasted for a few weeks, and we didn't compete or anything.  But after that, I've done softball, swimming, and dance.

Real holiday: Does this mean vacation?  Or time off from school?  'Cause my family has been going to a resort up North on a lake since before I was even born.

Concert: The first concert I can remember was a TobyMac concert.

Favorites

Film: The Princess Bride, I know I have more... I just couldn't think of any others at this time.

TV Show: Lost, Doctor Who, Merlin, and the Flash.

Color: Any shade of green, though I have been into orange lately...  Can you tell from my blog?

Song: I really like Migraine from Twenty One Pilots, but really, any of their songs will make me happy to listen to.

Restaurant: Applebee's.

Books:  Can I go with series?  'Cause then I would say- Ilyon Chronicles, The Leviathan series, The Out of Time series, and the Tale of Goldstone Woods.... Except, I've only read two out of the current seven.  But it's still a good series.

Currently

Feeling:  Tired, I had an exceptionally lazy day.

Single or taken: Presently single, but you never know when someone will come into your life.

Eating: Technically I just finished a cup of hot cocoa, does that count?

Watching: My cousin's messages pop up on the side of my screen.

Wearing: I have these... Llama pajama pants, they are really comfortable and soft.

Future

Want Children: Yes. 

Want to be married: Yes, but if no one that significant comes into my life I will believe it is for a good reason.  I'll just live with my hedgehog, writing each day for the rest of my life...

Careers in mind: I don't have any big ideas in mind, but I want to further my knowledge and experience in both writing and photography.

Where you want to live: Close to family and friends, I think it'd be hard living somewhere "alone."

Do You Believe In

God: Undoubtedly.

Miracles: Yes. 

Love at first sight: Not really, I think it's your own brain making you think you're in love... Although, my dad says he fell in love at the first sight of my mom.  They've been together for almost thirty years, so actually, yes I do believe in love at first sight.

Ghosts: No, but I did used to joke around with a friend and pretend there was a ghost in her room.

Aliens: Yes, but it depends on your definition.

Soul Mates: Why not?

Heaven: Yes. 

Hell: Yes. 

Kissing on the first Date: Other people can, but I'm not too fond of the idea.

Yourself:  Of course, I'm right here... Aren't I?


So that will do for this tag.   I would like to see Katie, Alea, and Mickayla do this.  But anyone who wants to participate is welcome to.  Just let me know if you do, I'd love to see them!

Another thing, thank you to my brother AJ for lending me his computer to edit this post while my computer was being pokey.  I hope to get it working soon, but for now I will do my best to continue writing and taking pictures to show when it's fixed.  I think it's just a Chrome deal, since my computer is getting too old to get updates.  Hopefully that's just the case and nothing is seriously wrong with my computer.

With that, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
-Anna Jolene <3

Flash Fiction - The Ocean of Sand

Hello everybody,

Remember that Flash Fiction challenge I mentioned in my update?  Well, this is how it works.  Rachelle from The Ink Loft paired each of us participants together. We give someone a prompt and receive a prompt from someone else, then we write something from what we were given, in under 1,000 words.  I received a dialogue prompt from Emmerayne at Writing in Rivendell.  This is how I perceived it, and to be honest, this story gets pretty weird.  Here's the prompt:

"How can you possibly be okay with this?"

"Quite simple, really. I'm realistic." 

And this is my Flash Fiction: 

-            -            -

The desert caravan made its way across the sand dunes, wind blowing sediment into their masked faces and whipping at their wrapped ankles. With the sun beating down on the travelers, their water supply ran low and dehydration was beginning to be a problem. Piper and Stuart, two wanderers, had joined up with this caravan. Yet, they themselves had run out of the water in their canteens.

Piper's camel had just stopped and caused a camel-jam for the caravan behind her. Everyone had to halt and wait for her to get moving again. The dry air made it hard to breathe; the sand below their feet shifted as they trekked across the ridge of the sand dunes. Everyone's feet had grown sores and the skin rubbed against their sandals making plenty of blisters.

Stuart helped the children within the caravan; some of them couldn't bear the harsh conditions and fell over quickly. He would pick them up and carry them on his back for a while until they were able to walk again. A few of the children were allowed to sit on top of their family's camel.

In the middle of nowhere, there was no water, no shelter, and no place to take a rest. They were in a setting where there was nothing to be seen for miles upon miles. Only dust and sand, clouds and turtles.

Piper pointed to a boulder off into the distance. The rock formation jutted out of the sand. A large shadow encased the ground below it, engulfing the heat. The caravan walked another half an hour before coming upon the formation. Everyone gathered underneath it like a massive umbrella, keeping the sun off of their skin.

"Do you see that?" Piper asked. Her gaze looked directly up at the sky.

"Are those flying turtles?" one man asked. "Couldn't be, we're in a desert!" another one answered.

Stuart glanced up into the sky and saw a multitude of flying figures in front of the blue expanse. They floated around gracefully as if were gliding through a jet stream. "Piper, we don't have much water left. We're all dehydrated and seeing things."

"What do you mean?!" Piper's mouth gaped open with stupefaction, she couldn't believe what came out of his mouth. The fact that she and the other people around them could see flying turtles in the sky was crazy for her to think that he couldn't comprehend it. "How can you possibly be okay with this?"

"Quite simple, really. I'm realistic." His expression was smug, face showing that he was proud of himself for being the only "sane" person in their group of twenty or so.

"What do you mean?" is it even feasible for us to see the same mirage?" Piper asked, her curious side unveiled. And that would get Stuart going off on a rant.

His face went blank, she was right. Is it scientifically possible to see the same crazy visions in the middle of a desert? Sure it is if everyone was on the same mindset. Right? He looked up again at the flying turtles and shook his head, "They aren't real."

The girl stared at him with disbelief. "I don't understand how you can say that when they look as realistic as you and me." Piper watched as the sky-faring sea turtles danced across the blue sky. They were all gray, almost white colored. One by one, each of the reptiles moved across the desert plain, through the air and dusty atmosphere. "You are a very confusing person, Stuart."

"I am a realist, I don't see things the way you do. Everything to me has to make sense or some kind of logic." Stuart leaned against the rough surface of the boulder and sighed. "If those things were real, what good would it do any of us?"

"They could be traveling towards a waterhole." Piper smiled at the thought of drinking something; she licked her lips and laughed.

"Or, they are just a figment of our imaginations and we end up diving into another sand dune." Stuart pulled out a flute from his sack and started to play it, but then he paused to speak. "I think everyone should get some rest. It'll be dark in an hour and it might be a good idea to travel at night." After that idea, the caravan was temporarily stopped at the boulder for what seemed like an eternity for the kids. But Piper kept the young ones running around and playing games together. After a while, Stuart was the only one still awake and he started to play his flute again quietly.

As if it was like a switch, a small, white, sea turtle had glided down to listen to Stuart play. It landed right next to his legs and nestled down on Stuart's lap. For the man who said they weren't real, he was really enjoying the reptilian company he was getting. He stroked the turtle's shell and smiled. If Piper saw him right now, she would probably have a fit. The night had started and it was already half-way till midnight before he decided to let the caravan sleep and gain their energy for the next day. A day full of surprises to come.

The little sea turtle closed his eyes, resting its flippers from the aggressive winds. Blowing sand across the desert, the jet streams moved sediment around like a pillar of steam. Same as the sea turtles, they follow the breeze through the desert to their destination. By the time the rest of the caravan awoke, the sea turtle stream was gone and only left a clear blue sky for the sun to beat down on the travelers again. Another day, another journey across the dry landscape. Going to search for water one thought was all on their minds: did they just imagine the turtles in the ocean of sand?