October Writing Challenge. Challenge 10

Write a story about your antagonist that takes place outside of your novel. The object of the contest is to make your judges understand and empathize with the antagonist's motivations.

If your antagonist is a situation rather than a person, write a background story about that. The Tom Hanks movie ""Cast Away"" famously features only one character (unless you count Wilson), and his antagonist is loneliness. Could you personify loneliness? Why does loneliness exist? What motivates it? How would a lack of loneliness affect survival of the human race? How did it drive main character Nolan to survive for years alone on a deserted island? Loneliness has a job to do. Make us believe it's a valid one.

*Contest Round entries may be any rating. Submit your ITEM or ENTRY number by 1200 noon WDC time on Sunday to compete. WDC time is New York City time and can be found at the top of the IM Console. If you miss this deadline or choose not to compete, you must still log the assignment complete (without linking your work) for the grand prize, per the standard Prep guidelines.

Yonkers, Saturday June 20th 1987

Nineteen Year old Gretchen McClure was sitting at the Waterfront along the Hudson river in Yonkers. Her boombox blasts out 'Livin On A Prayer'. She lies back on a grass embankment with a black Nick sports bag.

She found herself wondering if she in some ways was living on a prayer. A wild teenager that just couldn't be tamed. Three years on from being caught stealing a t-shirt from a boutique, she could not settle down. Her family ran a successful farm and had no need to steal. She longed to taste the buzz and adrenaline rush she experienced but the risks weren't worth it. Now working as a waitress, she didn't hate it but it didn't give her a thrill that she desired. University was not for her. Getting her to finish high school was a challenge.

Two of her friends approach Haley Bridges and Charlotte Marsh. "Hey Gretchie" says Haley playfully as she throws a back pack beside Gretchen and sits on the grass with her legs crossed in a yoga like position. Charlotte meanwhile plays the air guitar to Bon Jovi swinging her left leg like it is an electric guitar.

"Laaaaaaaaadies, have I got something for ye" states Gretchen enthusiastically as she grabs her back back and searches through it. She pulls out two ID cards and presents one to each of them.

They stare in astonishment "You got them, wuhoooo" cheers Charlotte as she does a dance on the spot"

"Yep" boasts Gretchen. "No more problems getting alcohol and cigarettes. Today is a great day".


"So Charlotte. Are you Prudence Buchanan too"

"Haha" laughs Haley, "I am!!"

"So am I" announces Gretchen proudly as she sits upright "and so are half the teenagers in Yonkers, as well as a scattering in New Jersey and New York"

"Don't you worry Gretchen, she'll find out you've been selling her ID?" asks Haley frankly.

"Ha" laughs Gretchen. "Fuck her! Little Ms Banking Scholarship".

Gretchen furrows up her brow and purses her lips in anger. She hated Prudence from a young age. It's not like she was ever wanting for anything, but perhaps Prudence was the girl she never could be. Prudence was two years older. She was a diligent high school student and was now in New York completing a scholarship with a top bank in New York University. Growing up Prudence loved working in her parents restaurant businesses. Gretchen hated working on the family farm.

"What's she like?" enquires Haley

"She's a four eyed, chubby, five foot three pain in the ass"

Gretchen smirks in satisfaction with her description. Her jealousy consumed her.

"I'd love to see the girl I'm pretending to be" jokes Charlotte "I'd love to go right up to her face and say "Hi"

Gretchen takes out a box of Benson & Hedges from her back pack, lights up and offers one to both girls whom both light up too.

"Well it's Saturday and she'll be in her parents restaurant off Journal Square in New Jersey" Gretchens tone was grating with distaste "filling her fat face and ruining peoples meals by talking shit to them"

A flashback hits her mind like an on coming train. Prudence is standing over a table with a family from Ohio. Two other members of staff, both students keep watch while Gretchen removes Prudence's ID from her handbag, photographs it with her disposible camera and puts it back. Her reminiscing brings a smile to her face in admiration of her completed mission. How she would love to do it again.

Haley stands up "I've Moms Bronco, let's take a road trip, c'mon get your butts moving"

"Ah fuck it" groans Gretchen "but I'm not going in there. I found it hard enough not to punch her when I did work there".

Though Prudence was older than Gretchen she was smaller and a lot weaker than Gretchen. Seeing Prudence she feared, would bring out the monster within and maybe cause her to do something that might cause friction in the family.

Charlotte turns off the boom box in the middle of 'Material Girl' "Yeah Gretchie, but it saved you from getting a wrap for the shoplifting"

"I know" groans Gretchen "Having her every weekend she was there, mentoring me like she was Mother Theresa"

The girls laugh as they walk towards the six year old red ford Bronco.

Two and a half hours later they are driving around the outskirts of Journal Square looking for parking

"Well she's definitely working that's her ugly brown Chrysler" states Prudence as the drive through a quiet side street.

The girls park one street away from it and get out of the Bronco.

They walk past a burger joint "I'll wait in here" states Gretchen.

"Okay, we won't be long" states Charlotte as they both give her a little wave.

Gretchen enters and takes a seat. After reviewing the menu, she orders food. Her mind turns to Prudence's car and the street it's on. A sadistic grin stretches her lips as she begins to plot.

Twenty five minutes later the two girls enter the burger joint. Gretchen is finishing off a coke and fries.

"Well did ye get to meet Roly Poly Prudence". Gretchen offers the girls some fries and they help themselves.

"Yep we sure did" States Haley as she looks through the menu "We pretended to be looking for work"
"And" slurps Gretchen as the sound of icy water rumbles through her coke straw.

Charlotte lets off a laugh "Man, does she not half rabble on. Asked us where we lived, what we done blah blah blah blah"

"Get this" Haleys tone enthusiastic "I told her my name was Prudence". Gretchen nearly choked on her coke in laughter.

"She said it was the first time she met another Prudence. Said we should drop in our CV's and she'd discuss with her parents and help find us a job in one of their restaurants".

Haley's stomach rumbles with hunger pain "I better get something to eat. Didn't she just babble on and on and on Charlotte? I thought I was going to pass out"

Charlotte laughs "yeah, I was like, doesn't she shut up!"

Thirty minutes later they leave and as they make their to the Bronco they pass Prudence's car.

"Isn't that her car?" asks Haley

"Yep" states Gretchen as she carefully scans the quiet street for watching eyes. "Walk to the side of me girls".

The two girls walk to the side of Gretchen as she withdraws a key from her blue jeans pocket and runs it along the driver side of the car, digging into the paintwork.

She smiles imagining the reaction of Prudence and the hurt it will cause her. Gretchen knows she will be on a high from her nasty vandalism for days to come.