I would like to present a word challenge. Thanks to Elusive Trope for encouraging me to get off my lazy ass and actually try to get more readers involved in this weekly game. I would never have attempted it if you had not pushed me, ET!
The premise is simple. I provide one phrase every Thursday, an incomplete string of words, and it is up to you to complete it in your own, inimitable way. However you like, taking it in any direction you want.
If you like the concept and think other people might be interested in participating, please play along and post the complete challenge on your blog and leave a link in the comments section below. If you’d just like to take part yourself, please post the reply directly in the comments section. I will be posting all the replies together with links to the contributors in 10 days, i.e. the Saturday after next.
I love the mental exercise, I hope you do too!
This week’s phrase –
“I held the glass before my eyes……”
My attempt
“…….and there she was, behind me, my ghost.”
Your turn!
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About hbhatnagar
I need to fill this up with much better content than I had populated it with earlier. Why I write a blog maybe? I started blogging in 2009 or thereabouts. I was a newly turned atheist and wanted to converse with others of the same persuasion. We're not exactly a big population group in India! It didn't go very well and I sort of lost interest, posting a few things now and then.
I got a lot more regular over the last few months and have been posting almost daily since February '15. There were many reasons why I gradually became more regular in posting, but one way or the other, here I am! So this blog has taken shape, being at different points in time my showcase, my comedy club, my art gallery, my book club, my therapist, my close friend, my innermost self....but always my little corner of the world. You are all welcome to visit and I hope you stay awhile!
A few points about me because I don't want to lead anyone on(and trust me this does become an issue more often than I'd care to admit).
I'm Indian, the brown-skinned variety; if race, ethnicity or skin colour is an issue, you don't have to get to know me any more than what you see on my blog.
I'm 40, so if age is an issue, please be informed accordingly.
I was a doctor, an ophthalmic surgeon for 10 years before I quit practice.
hbhatnagar 
Nice one.
I held the glass before my eyes to avoid those prying eyes.
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Posted by Indira | 25/04/2016, 2:44 PMAnother’s prying eyes or our own, I wonder… 🙂
Thanks for joining in, Indira!
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Posted by hbhatnagar | 25/04/2016, 3:23 PMGuilty are those who avoid others…Thanks for this challenge. Good exercise for me.
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Posted by Indira | 25/04/2016, 3:39 PMYou’re welcome. 🙂
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Posted by hbhatnagar | 25/04/2016, 4:06 PMI found this on jane Docherty writes and came to see. Thank you for allowing me to intrude.
“I held the glass before my eyes… But still it was dark as night, not a flicker beckons me as I blindly stumble, and leave the room.
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Posted by ellenbest24 | 24/04/2016, 1:33 PMYou’re most welcome Ellen, and thank you for joining in the fun! 🙂
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Posted by hbhatnagar | 24/04/2016, 6:14 PMI have met new people read amazing blogs and hope to have made connections that will last. And I almost forgot I had fun. 😇thank you.
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Posted by ellenbest24 | 24/04/2016, 6:16 PMI agree with you fully, WP is a much warmer, friendlier place than I could have imagined. 🙂
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Posted by hbhatnagar | 24/04/2016, 6:24 PMAnd I am no longer the isolated loon. Because *whispers* they are all a bit bonkers in here . 😇😉
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Posted by ellenbest24 | 24/04/2016, 6:26 PMyup, any and all kinds of insanity will find its counterpart, and partner, here. 😀
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Posted by hbhatnagar | 24/04/2016, 6:32 PMI loved this challenge! I saw it on Jane Dougherty’s blog and gave it a go myself.
I held the glass before my eyes and wrapped my fingers around it as she had done, awkward angles with my longer fingers bent to conform as I melded our fingerprints, briefly smudging reality, her hand in mine in her final moments.
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Posted by 10000hoursleft | 24/04/2016, 7:29 AMThank you 1 (may I all you 1? ::D).
I loved it, the image comes to life as you read the words….
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Posted by hbhatnagar | 24/04/2016, 11:54 AMThat is cute- calling me 1. You can call me that, or Mek. What shall I call you? Thank you- it was a really inviting first phrase and a nice change for me to keep a story brief.
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Posted by 10000hoursleft | 24/04/2016, 4:11 PM🙂
Most people call me H or Dr. H or HB. I’m Himanshu, BTW so you have a number of choices.
I want to have a challenge where people have to write a shorter, more immediate response instead of a longer, considered one. I hope you drop by again! 🙂
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Posted by hbhatnagar | 24/04/2016, 6:21 PMWas mine too long Dr H? 😄
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Posted by 10000hoursleft | 25/04/2016, 3:01 AMWell, it was a phrase and you have 10000 hours to fill in, so it wasn’t too long..:D
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Posted by hbhatnagar | 25/04/2016, 6:17 AMYeah, just watching the click tick over s l o w l y 😊
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Posted by 10000hoursleft | 25/04/2016, 6:19 AM“I held the glass before my eyes…and lo the lens did make me wise, beyond my years, beyond my fears, I saw into each of my lies.”
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Posted by denmaniacs4 | 24/04/2016, 1:09 AMThat’s a very beautiful verse, and so very true The past gets refracted through the lens and is focused searingly in our mind.
Thank you for joining in, Denmaniac. 🙂
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Posted by hbhatnagar | 24/04/2016, 11:49 AMJust realised, we were thinking along the same lines. Great minds…
“I held the glass before my eyes…
…and saw the door behind me open slowly, felt the air grow chill, but there was no one there.
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Posted by Jane Dougherty | 24/04/2016, 12:56 AMWe were! 😀
Thanks for joining in, Jane!
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Posted by hbhatnagar | 24/04/2016, 11:46 AMI have a couple of comments left on my blog—two phrase stories—that should really have been posted here. I’ll try to redirect them.
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Posted by Jane Dougherty | 24/04/2016, 12:53 PMThank you Jane! I have bookmarked your post where those comments appear, so I will include them in the thank you post next Saturday.
Thanks for the linkup and it was great to hear more people enjoying my challenge. 🙂
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Posted by hbhatnagar | 24/04/2016, 12:55 PMI can’t have made it clear in my post to follow the link before posting the comment 🙂
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Posted by Jane Dougherty | 24/04/2016, 1:05 PMpossibly the only remnant of her controversial and last sculpture.
https://elusivetrope.com/2016/04/23/heresy/
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Posted by Elusive Trope | 24/04/2016, 12:19 AMThat’s a lovely one, Doug! Thanks for joining in. 🙂
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Posted by hbhatnagar | 24/04/2016, 11:45 AMI held the glass before my eyes…and I spent the rest of my life like that, unsure if it was half full or half empty.
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Posted by LionAroundWriting | 22/04/2016, 7:22 AMI hope it wasn’t which in that there glass, going sour…. 😀
Thanks for joining in LAW!
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Posted by hbhatnagar | 22/04/2016, 9:30 AMScotch, not which, my autocorrect should know better by now! 😀
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Posted by hbhatnagar | 23/04/2016, 10:06 AMA great challenge, and I enjoyed the response you got.
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Posted by Otto von Münchow | 22/04/2016, 5:38 AMThank you Otto, I enjoy posting it and it’s encouraging when people respond. I collate all replies in a Saturday post, if you’re interested in reading all of them in one go. 🙂
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Posted by hbhatnagar | 22/04/2016, 6:38 AM…and my eyes were singed by the last drop of straight vodka.
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Posted by tedgiffin | 22/04/2016, 3:00 AMThat’s a novel way of imbibing Vodka….;) 😀
Thanks for joining in, Ted!
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Posted by hbhatnagar | 22/04/2016, 6:37 AMI held the glass before my eyes, mesmerized how my eyes now bug eyed reminding me of a frog I just the other day mercy killed having inadvertantly chopped his leg off with my garden spade.
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Posted by AmyRose🌹 | 21/04/2016, 8:30 PMThat’s too detailed for it to be just a story….thank you Amy Rose! 🙂
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Posted by hbhatnagar | 21/04/2016, 9:32 PMHuh. Better luck next time. 🙂
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Posted by AmyRose🌹 | 21/04/2016, 10:28 PM😀
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Posted by hbhatnagar | 22/04/2016, 6:34 AMHere is mine: I held the glass before my eyes, I remember the first time I saw your face…
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Posted by Amy | 21/04/2016, 8:11 PMAnd so the memories started to parade before me….Thanks Amy, for that journey….
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Posted by hbhatnagar | 21/04/2016, 9:31 PMThanks to you, Dr. Hb! 🙂 Enjoy your “Two Phrase Story” as always.
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Posted by Amy | 21/04/2016, 9:41 PMI held the glass before my eyes mulling whether to ease my pain in one gulp or drown in my sorrows, sip by sip.
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Posted by neelwritesblog | 21/04/2016, 7:49 PMI’ve been there….
Thank you Neel, for joining in. 🙂
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Posted by hbhatnagar | 21/04/2016, 9:29 PM“…and saw the finger prints that would lead us to the perpetrator.”
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Posted by Victo Dolore | 21/04/2016, 4:48 PMWhich version of CSI were you watching last night??? 😀
I know though, this is too low-tech for CSI Thanks for reminding me of Dana Scully though, Victo! 🙂
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Posted by hbhatnagar | 21/04/2016, 7:28 PM“I held the glass before my eyes and for the first time saw how the crystal disfigured his otherwise handsome features. Was this the real him?”
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Posted by Borderline Med | 21/04/2016, 11:09 AMThat’s a very existential question….
Thanks for joining in, BM! 🙂
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Posted by hbhatnagar | 21/04/2016, 7:27 PMand stared, mesmerized at the sight of the world through the amber liquid, then with a violent shake of my head, slammed the shot and hurled the glass to the hearth! ; )
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Posted by williamleeone | 21/04/2016, 10:57 AML’chaim! 😀
Thanks for participating, William!
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Posted by hbhatnagar | 21/04/2016, 7:27 PMI held the glass before my eyes, turning my world into a sea of red.
I love creative challenges like this, they’re so much fun to do and it never hurts to flex that creative muscle every now and then.
I do creative challenges on my blog as well, it’s called SixThreeOne. I’m providing an image for my readers and I challenge them to write me three six-word stories inspired by the chosen image. You’re more than welcome to check it out. 🙂
So, your challenge is quite different from what I’m used to, however I’m looking forward to more. I’ve licked blood now! 😀
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Posted by prospermind | 21/04/2016, 10:32 AMMy mind went to a wine glass immediately. 🙂
Thanks for joining in and you’re welcome to play along whenever you feel like flexing the brain muscles!
I’ll surely check in on your challenge and try to attempt it as well. Thanks for commenting!
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Posted by hbhatnagar | 21/04/2016, 7:26 PMGladly.
And yes, any time! 😉
Be well.
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Posted by prospermind | 21/04/2016, 7:51 PMI have nominated you for the 3 Days 3 Quotes Challenge….If interested go ahead and check my post for the same….😄😄
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Posted by itsmeharshi | 21/04/2016, 10:20 AMMy fourth nomination for the 3D3Q challenge! I’ll have to scour my resources for this one, but I’ll try it. Thanks Harshi! 🙂
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Posted by hbhatnagar | 21/04/2016, 7:24 PMFourth Nomination……lucky you😂😂😂😂😂😉…..Thankssss
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Posted by itsmeharshi | 21/04/2016, 10:43 PMThank you Harshi! 🙂
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Posted by hbhatnagar | 22/04/2016, 6:34 AMThanks for the linkup, Jane!
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Posted by hbhatnagar | 24/04/2016, 11:45 AM