User blog:Zmario/Creative Writing

Hey everyone, I just had a cool idea for a creative writing challenge, that is both fun and original!

Find an image on the internet of a place (anywhere, any time of the day, any time of the year, any weather of your choosing) and write up a small excerpt of what you think is happening there. Optionally, if you want to include a song that would tie in perfectly with your setting, feel free to do so!

The song that I chose for my setting is Burial - Homeless (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R9Fvo2cwi4).



Somewhere in South London, a man, in tattered clothing, has made the alley his home. No one would even glance in his direction to see if he was alright or needed assistance. He would sit on top of a dumpster to avoid the wet ground. The only company he could afford was a stray dog, who goes by the name of Grover. To a majority of people, this life is not worth living, some would even go as far as to say "if I had to live like this, I would kill myself to end the torment." But this man was different...he enjoyed his life. He would gather up scraps from the nearby restaurant to feed him and the dog. He was able to gather enough loose pieces of clothing to sleep comfortably in the cold, as well as a lost umbrella he collected to avoid the rain.

Although all was not well.

The man was sick. Gravely sick. He didn't want to leave his "home" in search of treatment, because he wouldn't have a way to pay for it. A young girl, about the age of seven wondered down the alley (her parents owned the restaurant) and noticed the man. After staring in silence, she blurted out "Hi!". The man, in his weakened state, offered a subtle but powerful smile. The girl asked if he would like some food, and he nodded. She ran inside, and returned with a small cup of tea and a bowl of soup. She smiled as he devoured the tea and soup, as if it was the first meal he's had in weeks.

"Tell me, what is your name" the man asked.

"Sophia" the soft-spoken girl replied. He smiled.

"Sophia. That's a nice name. Now you go run along inside, it's bad to stay out in the rain you know!" he continued to smile. She offered him to come inside, but he politely declined. Grover, on the other hand, was more than happy to go inside. The door closed behind the girl.

As the days went on, the man became shriveled and frail, the slightest bump would result in him tumbling over, unable to get up. Sophia managed to visit him almost every day. The man still had a comforting smile on his face. He told Sophia that his time on Earth was almost over. Tears formed in Sophia's eyes as Grover rested peacefully next to the man.

"Sophia" he barely managed to speak the words. "I want you to have this." He had handed her a small necklace he found the other day. Sophia was very appreciative and hugged the man.

"Don't be sad now child, I'll be in a better place soon. Why don't you run home and try on the necklace, I'd bet you look really pretty with it.".

"Thank you mister!" she cried as she ran home. About an hour later, Sophia came back to the alley to see her friend, but he was gone. There was no trace of the man that once sat there. Grover looked to be in a depressed state, occasionally howling. A nearby officer came by and asked the girl what she was doing. She told him about the man and he gave an aside glance before stating, "He has peacefully moved on from this world. He is no longer homeless."