In this series, I will take the Word of the Day from Dictionary.com and craft a short piece of creative writing around it. My goal is to embrace the meaning of the word in some unique way, all the while trying out different styles, rhythms and characterizations. It is as much an exercise in creativity as it is an exploration of grammar. Enjoy!
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By Alex Seise
Once the bark was peeled back, a magnificent specimen of xylography revealed itself to the travelers. Philip set his pack on the mossy ground and removed a folded piece of blank newsprint along with a small jar of ink. He uncapped the jar and smeared ink over the engraving with his fingers, then rinsed his hands in the brook. Meanwhile, Charla lifted the paper and pressed it against the tree, hugging it close during the transfer. When she was confident she had captured it, she stepped back and displayed the paper canvas hung between her outstretched arms. Philip nodded approvingly.
“That’s it alright,” he said. “If Grandpa’s journal was right, this map should lead us to the crack in the cliffs where he stashed the gold ingots. If not, well, I guess we got a nice hike out of the whole adventure.”
