For this year's A-Z Challenge I have selected a word from the dictionary for each day and written a story around it with a 100 word limit. For extra interest I have chosen words that are unknown or unfamiliar to me. All definitions are from the Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus 2007 Edition. Today's word is Debouch.
Debouch: Emerge from a confined space into a wide, open area.
Clara
debouched herself from the cupboard and stretched. Where were they? This had
been the longest game of hide and seek ever.
She
wandered around, calling out for her brothers and sister. Her tummy twisted
itself in knots. Had someone stolen them? Outside, nobody was on the street.
What if the entire human race had been wiped out? Actually… maybe that wouldn’t
be so bad. She could do what she liked for a change.
Clara
went outside to investigate and yelped as her siblings leapt at her.
“Clara,
you’re too easy!” howled her brother as they doubled over in laughter.
Glad to hear the entire human race was still intact :) Hope Clara remembers this for the next time they play together :)
ReplyDeletebetty
Hehe, aw, that was sweet.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have a TV and live out in the middle of nowhere so I often joke to my husband that the human race could be wiped out and we'd know nothing about it!
Cait @ Click's Clan
Nice insight into a child's thoughts about the world. I remember being up in our house when I was little, it was big and if you were right at the end of the house in the bathroom upstairs, you had to go the entire run of the top floor to get to the stairs and down to where company might be - it could feel very lonely for a pre-teen and I remember having similar momentary thoughts about there being no-one left but me. :)
ReplyDeleteSophie
Sophie's Thoughts & Fumbles
FB3X
Wittegen Press
Debouch has a great sound to it, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteI can't help but laugh at that first sentence. That is one word I am probably never going to use in my writing, but I am still glad for the opportunity to learn something new.
ReplyDeleteI've had that feeling of everyone dissappearing - I was outside in the middle of a road, and even the birds had vanished. I had that same panic/curious feeling.
ReplyDeleteSo much like how my brothers would torture me as a kid. :)
ReplyDeleteFun and silly! And that's a neat word to say. Have a great Easter!
ReplyDeleteDebouch is a funny sounding word. I almost can't take it seriously. lol
ReplyDeleteCute story. Very well written.
Cruel brother! :) I have never heard this word before - debouch ... it's a bit too close to debauch for comfort ;)
ReplyDeleteTasha
Tasha's Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)
They caught her unaware!
ReplyDeleteAnd to think she thought she'd been hidden away for long.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new book!
Clara needed to learn that time goes by much slower when you're sitting in a dark cupboard, waiting to be found!
ReplyDelete~Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
Member of C. Lee's Muffin Commando Squad
Story Dam
Patricia Lynne, Indie Author
Loved the end, thought it would be different!
ReplyDeleteOh Clara, just when you thought you had the world to yourself! By the way I recently learned that the term for a 100 word story begins with D - It's drabble apparently!
ReplyDeleteFor a brief second, I thought you were going to talk about "debauchery", but this was fun too. ☺ Clara is obviously given to over-dramatization and I'm sure she's relieved the human race is still intact. "Debouch" was new to me, and here I thought my vocabulary knowledge was superior. Nice one!
ReplyDeleteHaha, yep - just wait around till they get impatient and come out of their hiding spot! ;)
ReplyDeleteThat's a new word for me too.
Oh, those brothers. :) I'm glad the human race is still around.
ReplyDeleteThat would make for an amazing story. She emerges from the cabinet to find everyone gone!! Love it:)
ReplyDeleteThat is a great word--new to me! And cute little story too. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Nick - I don't think I know debouch .. but playing hide and seek was fun (at times!!) .. and hiding somewhere out of the way - where no one looks was always disconcerting .. love the prank they pull on Clara .. cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteI love love love this theme. I wish I would have thought of it. Debouch. I must use this word the rest of this day.
ReplyDeleteAll these words, sometimes I wonder where you find them!
ReplyDeleteCute story :)
Great use of a new word. It reminded me a bit of the movie Home Alone.
ReplyDeleteAwesome. April fool's prank, no doubt.
ReplyDeletePlay off the Page
Don't all kids like to hide in the cupboard. And play there.
ReplyDeleteOh, hide and seek.. Always so many opportunities to sneak up on people when they can't hide anymore!
ReplyDeleteFun theme :)
~AJ Lauer
an A-Z Cohost
@ayjaylauer on Twitter
Love today's story! So cute. I got to learn a new word, too! :)
ReplyDeleteAnother new word to file away! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI bet she gets them back. Later.
ReplyDeleteLiz A. from Laws of Gravity
Betty - She's the youngest sibling, so she's always getting pranked on. I know, I am one!
ReplyDeleteClick - I'd like to be in the middle of nowhere. But no TV would need some adjustment.
Sophie - I know, it's a funny feeling a lot of us have as kids, I think.
Jeff- It does! I'm going to use it often.
Michael - Thanks. It would stick out if you came across it in a book, so maybe that's why it's obscure.
Annalisa - Sounds spooky!
Djinnia - Yep!
Christine - Thanks, you too!
Chrys - Thanks! Yeah, it's a funny little word.
ReplyDeleteNatasha - I hadn't thought of that!
Alex - Cheeky boys (and girl).
Joy - It probably wasn't that long, but it feels like it alone in a cupboard!
Patricia - Exactly.
loverofwords - Thanks!
Keith - Thanks! Good word for D - some of mine are under 100 so I haven't been too strict.
Debbie - Another debauched reader! Thanks. I think she is given to flights of fancy.
Trisha - A classic trick.
Tyrean - Me too!
Jennifer - Thanks! It could have been Narnia-esque, taking her to an alternate world where we are wiped out.
Cortney - Thanks! I definitely like new words.
ReplyDeleteHilary - Thanks! That's the other thing - choosing a place that's too good. Then everyone gets bored and goes away.
Teresa - Thanks so much!
Jeanne - In the dictionary!
Rhonda - Thanks. Good comparison.
Mary - Probably!
Susan - Cupboards are magical!
AJ - Thanks!
Heather, Lilian - Thanks!
Liz - Hopefully.
Fun story!
ReplyDeleteYvonne
Brothers! I had two so I know what they're like. Debouch - I thought I knew that word but actually I was thinking of debauch. One letter can make a lot of difference!
ReplyDeleteThat's a great new word for me, thank you! And a fun story to boot. :)
ReplyDeleteI was kind of hoping this was going to take a dark turn, but light and cheerful is probably much better for Clara in the long run.
ReplyDeleteDebouch is one of my favorite words. Hahaha, and Clara will learn patience someday.
ReplyDeleteSounds like many hide and seek games I remember from childhood!
ReplyDelete