Let's write a novel now!

[T. Brown 1st MRB]

After the initial success of the story format, I want to see how we can do with something slightly more ambitious!

THE RULES:

-Pretty much the same as the last thread; Copy and Paste the previous words and write the next words to add on to the story.

You are only allowed to write ONE paragraph

Now, a paragraph typically consists of 3-5 sentences, so anywhere in that range is allowed, but to make things a little more interesting;

At LEAST 3 sentences must be added

Up to 7 sentences can be used

-You must wait at least two posts later to post another addition.

-Feel free for the story to go in any direction you want, as long as you keep your post to ONE paragraph.

-You'll notice there are two options to pick from. This way, if you don't like how the way one story is going, you can go to the other one and write for that. We'll keep them both in this thread unless this gets really hard to keep track of (or if one is much more favored then the other). Just indicate which one you are continuing by copying that story instead of the other one into your new addition.

-Also, since some may write faster than others, you can reserve a slot while you work on it by posting that you are adding to Option 1 or Option 2, and then edit that post once you finish. That way, if you see that someone posted that they are working on it, you know not to. Plus, you won't do a lot of work and then come back to find someone has already written the next part. Let's try to keep the reserved posts to an hour or so (i.e. don't post that you're adding something, then wait until tomorrow to add it...)

Here's hoping this works!

Option 1: "In the City"

When the first blast echoed into the store, Jim dismissed it subconsciously as a car backfiring or some construction equipment falling over. The city is a loud place and such auditory surprises began to lose their shock after his first year here. The second interruption caused him to look up, and when it was immediately followed by a third, well-defined explosion, loud enough to cause his eardrums to quiver, he ran to the front of the store and jerked open the door just in time to watch a yellow cab tumbling headlights over bumper down the street. As it passed, it paused during the peak of its arch just briefly enough for the driver, still behind the wheel, to catch Jim's wide-eyed gaze. He watched the driver's face change from confusion to terror, as if he had not yet comprehended his position in the world but was slowly coming to realize he was, in fact, upside down, airborne, and flying down 35th Avenue in a metal cage at an alarming velocity.

Option 2: "Well shit..."

The note was written in a rush, that much was obvious. Her handwriting had always been immaculate and intentional, each stroke of each letter carved with care for not only itself, but also for how it would relate next to the letter before and after it. She was proud of this ability too, so even before he had read a single word on the page, he knew it would not be something that she had enjoyed creating but something she had hurried through so as to lessen the pain in the process. Even so, despite his alarms being raised early, allowing an emotional brace to absorb some of the impact the letter would inflict, nothing could have prepared him for what was scrawled down on the page, the pen pushing through at points, a slight wrinkle from a wrist pressed hard against the surface.