2nd Campaign Challenge: Our Imago
So, it’s that time. Yep – for the second Challenge of Rachel Harrie’s Writer’s Campaign.
And the directions were:
The Challenge is:
- Write a blog post in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, whether flash fiction, non-fiction, humorous blog musings, poem, etc. The blog post should:
- include the word “imago” in the title
- include the following 4 random words: “miasma,” “lacuna,” “oscitate,” “synchronicity,”
- If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional and included in the word count), make reference to a mirror in your post.
- For those who want an even greater challenge (optional), make your post 200 words EXACTLY!
For my piece I chose flash fiction, included all of the words including Imago in the title, made a reference to a mirror (albeit a broken one) and managed 200 words exactly (as per Microsoft Word). Check, check and CHECK!
Hope you enjoy – if you do, please remember to vote for it! I’m #17 on the List
~
Our Imago
Our synchronicity is gone. Just like the happy reflection I once saw when I looked in this mirror – before I cracked it. Your love (our love) cloaks me in a miasma of confusion. It leaves me aching and alone in your absence.
I remember the days we were full of life, love and expectations. Days nothing could compare and no one could interfere.
They told me you were bad for me, that they’d fix it. Drugs and memories battle with the exhaustion spreading through my body. I hate it here. The lacuna nags at me, at the strangers face looking back at me. Is this what we’ve become? Were they right?
“Of course they weren’t,” your words flow through my mind. At first, I oscitate in shock and splay my fingers on the glass to make sure. The pain is gone and our eyes are bright again.
“I knew you’d come back,” I whisper to you and the answering smile on our face.
“I love you.” The murmur inside my head rejuvenates me. I free a piece of broken mirror and test its weight.
“They shouldn’t have interfered.”
I nod because you’re right.
“Let’s show them just how wrong they were.”
~~
This one was difficult. Oscitate almost drove me insane!
Looking forward to reading everyone’s entries! Please comment with your number if you’ve entered so I can find you!
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I like the way you used dialog in your story. Some sentences sound forced but I like the romance of it. I like the sentence of testing the weight of the broken mirror. Thank you for posting early and setting an example.
Thank you. Sorry it sounded forced
It’s definitely not romantic. She’s insane and talking to herself
I love this! I’m so drawn in by the madness aspect and how *real* the voices are to the main character, not to mention how strongly they influence her actions. A creepy but satisfying little story that met all the standards!
Great work!
Thank you! I’m so glad you got it. I was a bit worried the our smile and our eyes brighten would be a little too subtle.
Thank you again
Wow, that sure was deep, dark, disturbing….but just plain lovely!
Thank you
I was aiming for both of those and I’m glad you find dark and disturbing lovely 
How fun! You manage to tell an entire story plus evoke mood in so few words…very nice. I’m heading over to “like” yours. Mine is #27, but you already visited
Thank you so much! I loved yours! I can’t write poetry to save myself. Your poem was beautiful.
Don’t know about that–your use of language is very poetic. I thought this was a poem at first!
Aww, thank you so much. I take that as a huge compliment from you
Very disturbing. This person is clearly a little unhinged. Really enjoyed your entry (in a twisted kind of way!).
Yes, she is! Very unhinged and slightly psychopathic
I’m glad you enjoyed it, twisted or not
Great use of imagery here K.T! The imagery makes me think of a girl in an insane asylum, and that she romanticizes the voices she hears. I am getting scared thinking what is about to happen next;)
You got it! That’s where she is. That’s why she hates it there, and why ‘they’ told her they’d fix it. Thank you so much for reading.
Wow, you did great! I loved how dark and twisty this was.
Thank you! Dark and twisty – some of my favourite things
Whoa…leaves me wondering…Is she crazy? Is he some paranormal lover beckoning her to join him on the other side? Is she going to hurt the person(s) responsible for breaking the mirror? Nicely done! ~ Nadja
Oh she’s definitely 100% crazy. She’s going to hurt those responsible for thinking they could fix her (them).
Hey you’re a natural. 200 words, I’m wordy, I need a bigger canvas [so to speak]. LOL. Good luck;-) LOL
Hey you’re a natural. The dialogue just flows witin the s tory and to do so in 200 words… More power to you. ‘m wordy, I need a bigger canvas [so to speak]. LOL. Good luck;-) LOL
Thank you so much! Yeah, I think Twitter has been helping me refine my flash fiction skills so I can fit stuff in 140 characters lol.
Eerie! Great way to employ the mirror and I also like the sentence about testing the weight of the glass! Nice job!
Thank you very much. What better way to use a broken mirror
Wow. I really enjoyed this. I’m getting the feeling I don’t want to be on her – erm – their bad side.
Thank you! That’s pretty much the feeling I got too – and they’re in my head
I’m glad you liked it.
This is great, really unexpected, wish I’d thought of it!
Lol – Thank you. I’m not sure how happy I am I thought of it, if you know what I mean lol
I really like the emotion and images you conveyed here, very heart wrenching.
Thank you
Wow! That was quite a challenge. I think you did great.
Thank you, hon *hugs*
Nice and creepy. I love it, of course. Glad to see you using the words without explaining them, which I’ve caught many doing. lol Good luck!
Thank you. Creepy is goooood.
I figured most of us would have known or looked up the words, so they should just be used as if they weren’t trying their best to drive everyone insane
I found this challenge really hard too. nice job. Mine is #29
This challenge was killer. Yes – I loved the use of Synchroni City. I thought that was really inventive!
The first line is just heartbreaking. Well done.
Thank you. I’m glad it seems to catch people’s attention
Twisted and disturbing and a little like Newlyweds! ; )
Haha – Thank you! I like twisted and disturbing
Very enthralling bit of writing you’ve done here. Makes me wonder what she’s going to do with that broken piece of mirror. Oh my!
Great job!
Thank you so much. I loved yours. The mirror is sharp
mwuah hah hah!
I never thought there could be such a thing as “delicately creepy” but I think you’ve gone and done just that. Good job!
Excuse me while I take a moment to squee…
What an awesome tagline: Delicately creepy.
Thank you SO much!
You’re welcome! Glad you could get a squee out of it!
thats just crazy talk, i love it!
LOL – Why yes, yes she is. Thank you!
Ha! Yes, they are maddening to put together in any sensible fashion. You did good! I like this – sweet, but I am sensing a bit of violence in their future.
A bit, a lot… fine line really
The one that I found so hard to put in was oscitate… not sure why, I just wanted to stab it, with the broken mirror… Lol.
Thank you
I love the questions this piece creates. Nicely done!
Thank you very much!
I love the dialogue between the characters, and the POV–I have to wonder who “you” is, exactly.
Great entry!
Thank you! I’m glad you wonder who you is
She’s just slightly unhinged 
Great job getting all those words in seamlessly – lacuna was the one that drov eme mad!
My entry is #3.
Thank you! I thought the words were almost cruel lol. Lacuna? Yeah, it was really hard to use that word instead of something that… doesn’t sound so odd lol. I loved Tiberius btw.
Ooh – I’m thinking Gollum. Nice and creepy!
Mmmm precious! Haha. Thank you so much! I like that comparison
I got it when I read ‘our eyes are bright again’, although I had begun to suspect just a little. I like the way you hid it at first and slowly revealed it. It felt real – as I would imagine it, so good job!
Thank you so much! I’m really glad it worked. I wanted it to be gradually obvious but to definitely be there – subtle like. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Oscitate also boggled my mind.
Your piece is disturbing and well-written. Loved it.
Thank you
Disturbing is awesome!
And yes, oscitate is just… evil. My spell check doesn’t think it exists lol.
I really liked this! Just the right amount of ambiguity that had me wondering who ‘they’ were talking about at first- Great job!
Thank you! That’s perfect – just what I was after.
By the way, I LOVE your blog name!
Love the imagery of the mirror. Very cool.
Thank you. I’m glad you liked it!
I like the madness/sadness vibe! Great story. Mine is #18
Perfect! Thank you. It is a bit of madness and sadness
I loved yours btw. Enough to vote! But I do like dark things and death soooooo… I was probably biased haha
Love this internal dialogue – very clear to me what you were expressing!
Thank you so much! I’m really happy so many people got it. It’s like a goal to be as clear as possible
Very nicely done. I really like how you ended this!
Thank you
I’m so happy you liked the ending!
Very nicely done! It seemed very real to me. I’m #34:)
Thank you! I’m glad it seemed real.
I’m struggling with this one a lot. I’m impressed that not only did you use the words in a natural way but you managed a creepy, and sad, story too
When I first saw these words I was a little daunted. The story kind of happened differently than intended but I like this version better
I’m glad you like it and I hope you find a groove for your own 
Oooh! This is so good! Nice use of the words. They don’t come across as forced in your story. Nice job!!
Thank you so much! I’m really happy it doesn’t sound forced. I think with these words, that’s kind of difficult lol
That was great! Dark and edgy with a nice twist
Thank you
The twist surprised me too. Until I wrote it in the first draft the story was completely different lol
Provocative. I had to read it a couple of times. I finally got the sense that she’s locked in a psych ward. Am I right?
Yes, she is
Woot! The ‘you’ is her talking to her other personality. The broken mirror is for shutting all the outside people up. Slightly batty, she is 
Good job! You’re right–oscitate is a heck of a word. ; )
Thank you. Oscitate is an evil word. Did I mention evil? Like really evil? Yeah, Evil.
I LOVE this piece. Excellent job. The ending gave me the best sort of chills.
I haven’t even tried to write mine yet. This one has me a little nervous, but you did a fantastic job with it.
Oh perfect! I’m so glad it gave you chills. Thank you.
You can do this – it’ll just be a little harder than the last one. Looking forward to reading it.
Nice, very creepy. Good portrayal of madness. I guess I didn’t get it though, in ur response to someone else’s comments I thought you said she was going to get revenge on someone, I thought she was totally getting ready to kill herself.
Thanks
Creepy was one of the goals.
You almost got it. The people who told her ‘they’ didn’t belong together and that they’d fix it. Her and herself didn’t want to be fixed and have found each other again. So ‘They’ must pay for placing them in the asylum. Lots of thems. But I think killing herself works too
Either way lol
You did a terrific job with this piece. I also agree that oscitate was the hardest word to use. I love the phrase “miasma of confusion.”
Thank you so much! I really loved that phrase too – because sometimes it can really feel like that. And oscitate almost made me give up lol!
Oscitate drove me batty as well.
You did a great job with it though. This is incredibly creepy.
Thank you
And yes, Oscitate must die.
Wow! I love it. Very well written, and I can understand all of the content. Wish there was more to read of it, but it’s a great short story.
Thank you muchly
*hugs*
It was great! Left me feeling really sad. Great job. I am #92
Thank you a lot! I’m currently working on my WIP but when I break for dinner I’ll read all of today’s entries
Hi KT, I’m stopping back by to let you know I have 3 blog awards for you over on my site whenever you feel like stopping by!
Wow! I love getting awards, I will add them to my little trove down the bottom. Thank youSO much! I’ll be checking on that when I break from my WIP
Wow, this is superb. Really well done.
Thank you so much! I remember really enjoying the historic aspects of yours and your ‘British’ feel to the piece.
I like this…especially the ending. Great twist!
Thank you. I’m really happy you liked the ending
great writing!
Thanks
Hi,
This challenge was sure tough, and you did well to place the words in so smoothly. Nice slick piece of writing!
best
F
Thank you very much
It was a tough one. And the story idea changed from inception to the end of the first draft lol. Lots of fun though
This challenge definitely wasn’t an easy one to get those words into it, but you did a great job. Well done!
Thank you! Easy is probably the opposite of this challenge, but it was definitely fun
Nice use of the words. Very intriguing. Well done.
I’m glad you liked it. Thank you
Oh, I like this one a lot–beware the wrath of lovers denied. Great job!
Thanks
It’s kind of – in a talking to yourself love between split personalities sort of way. They didn’t like being separated at all!
This was very well done! The words were tricky, but you did them smoothly.
Thanks for reading. I’m glad you liked it. And I don’t think I ever want to have to try and use the word oscitate again lol
Great use of the crazy words! I thought the story was sad…I wanted to know more…
I’m #99
Thank you. She is a little sad, just a little hehe
I liked yours
Was a really interesting twist!
Such a shame you had to stop at 200 words – I wanted to find out more! Well done; you certainly had me hooked.
I’m now No.102.
I’m so happy you liked it. I loved yours.
The bad thing about these challenges, is now I have more plot bunnies. The stories want to be expanded on lol!
What a strange and intriguing idea. It’s good it ended at 200 words because I see a bloodbath coming
Thank you! Yes, definitely a bloodbath. No one is every going to want to send their patients there again lol
Oh you hooked me with this. Bravo! Excellent work with those challenge words.
Thank you
I’m glad you liked it.
I love reading well-written second-person narration and this was fabulous. Totally got the emotionality of it. Beautiful job!
Thank you so much. It wasn’t going to be 2nd… and then it was. This piece took on a life of its own.
Couldn’t see all the comments, but I took this to mean a split personality, and one quite murderous. Awesome take. Of course I may just be seeing things that aren’t there because the MC in my book has a split personality. Still. Shades of The Mirror Has Two Faces! Mine is number 52, a little flighty after such a sharp entry.
Yep – she definitely has a split personality. One weaker and not too bad, the other stronger and overriding.
I read yours – I really liked how much lighter the tone felt. A lot of these are really heavy.
What a sad piece, infused with so much emotion. Nicely done!
Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it.
Awesome tension, voice and use of all required words. I really enjoyed this entry. I’m adding my vote
Good luck.
Thank you
I’m really glad you liked it. Currently working my way through the most recent 15 entries.
This was a fun challenge and I love your take on it!
——
Join me at the Rule of Three Writers’ Blogfest!
Thanks! Yes, it was so much fun!
Can we get a “love” button for the contest? This was fantastic!
Wow, thank you. I’m glad you loved it
Really enjoyed it. The narration was great and the ending has a great twist to it.
Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed it, I actually had fun writing it.
This was a fascinating entry. It really pulled me in. Nice job. btw, thanks for your kind comments about mine as well; and thanks for following me.
Thank you so much! Oh, yours was the mirror image one that wasn’t a mirror image. I LOVED that one
I’m so glad you enjoyed mine. Thank you for commenting and following me back. This campaign is fantastic for meeting people
A dark piece, like the way you give us the promise of the story in the first line. Good flash.
Wow, very intriguing and begs for more. Introspective and still revealing. Nice usage of the words!
Thank you, I’m really glad you enjoyed it!
Great emotional intensity here. think you did well with ‘oscitate’ – stinker of a word!
Thanx for your comment on mine.
AliB #163
I really liked yours too
And oscitate… I almost used it the other day. Lucky it was almost, or my WIP would have cried.
This was just fascinating! a little creepy, very compelling, and utterly fascinating…nice work!
Thank you
Just what I was going for, actually. Or at least what I was going for once I finished and realized my fingers had changed my initial idea 
Great piece of work! I’m just loving the different way everyone is handling this.
Thanks! Yeah, it’s been a great challenge. A lot of creative and different approaches to the piece.
Job well done! Thanks for visiting mine!
Thank you
I’m trying to get through every single piece. It’s very time consuming lol.
Wow! Intense, riveting, and probably insanity. Great job!
Thank you so much! I’m so happy you enjoyed it.
nic one! – used those horried words well – thanks for your visit by the way kind words – isn’t this challenge fun and hasn’t everyone done well with the words?
Thank you very much. Yeah, this challenge is awesome and I love the way so many people have used the different meanings of the words to accomplish the task.
Well slit my wrists and bind them up with duct tape, this was wonderfully insane, not just the mirror cracked down the middle then? Particularly liked the use of lacuna here, which seems such an awkward word – now that I’ve read a few of these, one of my own alter egos is starting to wonder how it can use these words in real life now that we all know the meaning of them. Great job and thanks for your welcoming message on mine.
Wow, thank you so much! Lacuna was awkward, but oscitate made me want to scream. I think it’s the only off word in my piece
As to using them in real life. After you read a heap of the campaigns the words become second nature. I’ve used synchronicity (which admittedly I may have used before anyway), but I’ve actualy had to stop myself from using oscitate in my WIP twice… I just don’t want my readers to go and have to look it up LOL
No problem, and again – welcome to the blogging world. It’s a lot of fun!
Thanks for stopping by and your kind comment on my blog!
Glad you did, otherwise I may never have seen this entry! Beautiful job with incorporating the words, and I really like the creative approach, via a “conversation with self.”
Definately gets a vote from me!
Oh you’re very welcome
I’m trying really hard to get to, read and comment on every entry in the challenge. I’ve really been enjoying them 
I can’t write poetry to save myself and I loved your approach to the challenge.
Thank you so much for your kind words. Makes me so happy to know people do like it. And yeah, conversation with self was fun! Thank you again so much for stopping by
This was REALLY cool. good job!!
Thank you!
Loved this! Great job. Lacuna was not my fav word.
Lacuna was definitely not fun to work with. Although now I feel like the words are commonplace lol. Thank you for reading. Glad you enjoyed it.
Wow KT. Fabulous! I LOVE IT!
Hi K.T., I love the way you included all the words, even the mirror, in your story. It is so REAL!!
Love, your auntie Ilse in Western Australia.
Danke Tante
Awesome piece. Liked the way you wrote this. Battling drugs and mind and maintaining sanity. Who are we? Does anyone really know? Hehehe. Ask my other self, cuz I don’t know.
Thank you
This one sort of took over. And don’t tell anyone – but I ask my other self alllll the time 
I love how you eased us into the twistedness of this piece, taking us on a journey from a what seems like a typical romantic lamenting of lost love to something much, much darker and utterly captivating. Bravo.
Wow. Thank you so much. Um… thank you. I’m really glad you enjoyed it.
The emotion was gritting. Well done! You conveyed the situation with tension and passion.
Thank you. Glad you liked it!
Lovely lyrical feel to this one – almost like poetry. And I love the way you incorporated the mirror via a split personality.
Thank you!
(I LOVE Yours)
Interesting take on ‘synchronicity’ and what a story you got out of it! Very nicely done. Also potentially very creepy ending, depending on what she does with that glass …
*grins evilly* Thanks!
Yeah – she’s a little – unhinged. To put it mildly
I enjoyed this piece. Your MC dances with insanity so well.
#189
Thank you very much
You should see her tango 
Was the ending in her mind?
I don’t know, was it?
*Grins evilly*
She could be slicing up the institutes staff… or rocking on her heels in a padded cell, laughing
Very nicely written. Sad but poetically beautiful. It’s taking me a while to get through all of these challenge entries.
Lee
Tossing It Out
Thank you for stopping by
I’m really glad you enjoyed the piece
Hi K.T. – I read it again and again and I’m amazed of your talent to write something like this. The story is sooo hounting!! I hope you win, you should because I read the other story’s as well.
Tante
Thank you. I’m glad you like it. I emailed you.
Amazing job. Eerie and sad, and loved the use of dialogue. I’m finally getting around to the entries. So glad I stopped by yours. And thanks for your nice comments about my piece at Depression Cookies!
Thank you so much for this
I’m really glad you liked it. And yeah, there are a lot of entries. It’s kinda overwhelming.
This is one of the few that used the challenge words not only properly, but well. It told a story, and the challenge words not only fit, but seemed appropriate and not forced.
Well done!
Wow – thank you very much.
Wow! Powerful. How does it end?
Either lots of blood shed – or a straight jacket
great article KT – bit dark
Thanks, Mike. Yeah this piece is a bit dark
congrats on your win!
Thank you SO much!