Lately [Haven't] Read // Writing Challenge

I've been wondering what I could do to make me read more because quoting a book isn't incentive enough for me to read consistently. I still haven't even finished Americanah. But I don't want to do book reviews. I don't want to review books. I just want to reeeeeeeeeeeead them. GASP! I've got it. I'll do a writing challenge.

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write a story using these things/elements/objects

• rabbits
• ice skates
• lighthouse
• rosebush

Mother shoved the ice skates into my face nearly cutting off my nose. "Don't be so dramatic," she said when I called out. "They're just ice skates. Now. Put them on." 

   "But I don't want to."

   "Jared. Put on the ice skates."

   "It's summer."

   "Put. On. The ice skates." 

   I stared at my mother who face looks as severe as an unexpected tsunami, all the more violent for its unexpectedness. I pulled on the ice skates without another question but my tongue burned for every word I didn't say. I almost asked my mother to open my mouth for me just so she could read all my questions. 

   As soon as I finished pulling on my ice skates she blind-folded me. Luckily for her, I have underdeveloped ninja skills and didn't slice off her leg with my tightly laced ice skates. 

   "Okay," she said, huffing and puffing, "I am going to carry you to the car."

   "What?! I can walk on my own."

   "Yeah, I know. You're ten years old, but if you walk around the house in ice skates you'll tear and scratch everything up. So, I'm going to pick you up now." 

   I opened my mouth to say, "Then you shouldn't've told me to put the ice skates on! I should've put them on later at the, you know, ice skating rink," but said instead, "Whose ice skates are these anyway?" She swung me over her shoulder. Out of breath, she murmured, "They belonged to the kid next door. She didn't want them."

   "These are girl skates?!"

   "An older girl's. Now, shh. No such anti-feminist things will be said while I'm around. Skates are skates. Do Mommy a favor, and try your best no to squirm. I don't want to drop you."

   Eventually, she got to the front door, and rushed out to the front lawn where she unceremoniously dropped me on my bottom. I growled, but she paid me no attention as she took my hand and instructed that I walk the rest of the way to the car. But as soon as I took my first step she yelled, "Wait! Don't step there." She let go of my hand. I lost my balance and landed flat on my back. I heard her whispering something, but was too winded, and too much in pain to care. 

   "Good thing you didn't drop me, Mom."

   She laughed, and after a minute helped me back up on my feet. This time, she lead me to the car uninterrupted. 

   She started the car and drove away with the music blasting as loudly as she could. I could hear her talking but I was too angry to bother responding to her. She deserves my cold shoulder, since I can't really afford to run away or anything like that. I mean, I can't leave! I need someone to make me my food. 

   Hours and hours later, she stopped the car and said, "Okay, my blind, incapacitated son, now you need to be deaf so I'm going to put in these ear plugs. Oh, and I also need to deprive you of touch, so I have to wrap you in a blanket!"

   "Enough!" I yelled. "Are you trying to kill me?!" Angrily, I kicked off the ice skates (well, I had to angrily untie them first) and ripped off my blindfold. I was just about to ask all those questions I wouldn't ask earlier when before me, people yelled, "Surprise!" 

   "It's not my birthday!" My face felt angry. My heart felt surprised. My voice sounded happy. "Why are you yelling 'surprise'!" All my cousins and aunts and uncles, and my dad stood behind my mom who was holding the fluffiest rabbit I'd ever seen. It was one in the pet shop window. "Is that mine?"

   My mom nodded her head. She passed the rabbit to my dad and hugged me. "Oh, I'm sorry, Jared. I wanted to keep Rosebush a secret from you. And you know how I am at keeping secrets, so I decided that if I couldn't talk to you about Rosebush, I'd just talk nonsense at you. But since I bought the ice skates, you'll have to start taking lessons, okay? Okay. Good. Win Mama an Olympic medal."

   I nodded, but I still didn't really understand. She must still be hiding something because that last part was still nonsense. "So," I said to distract her, "Rosebush is the rabbit?"

   "I hope you don't mind. Your little sister took liberties at naming it. It stuck."

   Before I could say, "I would rather name it Satan than Rosebush," my mom pulled me away, along with my family, to the beach where we stayed until the lighthouse awoke to warn passing ships of the rocky shore. But from where I lay with my family, Rosebush the rabbit, and some sun burn, on the sandy shore, not even the sinking of a ship could bother me. Because I'd probably swim out to save it anyway.