"Write a scene that is between 500-1,000 words of all dialogue. You can't use any dialogue tags (he said, she replied), you can't use any action, no description, and no internal dialogue. And the characters can't, at any time in the scene, just come out and tell us what is happening."
--catrinaburgess
"Ronan!"
"You're awake."
"What time is it?"
"More importantly, do you want to know what day it is?"
"Wednesday?"
"Ha! Try Friday."
"I've been out for two days?"
"Almost. It's only ten a.m. How are you feeling?"
"Like I have a hive of bees in me. And you know how I feel about bees. How long have you been here? When did you have this...done? Have you yet?"
"Ah...yes. About six months ago."
"Was it painful for you?"
"More of an...awakening. Do you have pain now?"
"At first...but now it's more of a buzzing, like I said. I'm surprised I've been asleep so long with all this...energy."
"Some of the girls reacted the same."
"But not you boys? Odd. Who else is here from Valiant house?"
"Do you mean, who is left?"
"What do you mean? This hasn't...hasn't killed anyone, has it?"
"Not that I've been told. But some who went through it early on have...disappeared. The hopeful among us like to think they've been sent to a real wizarding school, or they're already out on missions, but..."
"I can't imagine any school accepting us like this."
"I think that's why they brought you in."
"To teach, I know. My options were teaching, or being obliviated. You can imagine why I chose this procedure, and teaching."
"Ruby?"
"And a general terror of being obliviated, yes. But I need to learn so much first, so much they aren't telling me."
"About what?"
"Who is here, how long, how they are doing. Has anyone, I don't know, 'flunked out?'"
"Not that I know of, but again, I've only been here half a year or so. Unless those that have disappeared have actually flunked out, like you say."
"Who do you know of from Valiant house?"
"Gone, or still here?"
"Both."
"Connell, Omari, Wynnie. Gone after about a year, or so I heard. From Aston and Raina."
"They're still here? After how long?"
"Raina's been here the longest - just over a year. Aston, Edie, Delia - just under. There's more, we're just -- newer."
"Percy said they started keeping track about 18 months ago."
"Who?"
"Never mind. I'm just trying to put the pieces together. Aah -- ugh."
"Just stay lying down."
"No -- no, I really need to move. I just need to keep the bees still."
"Take it easy."
"I've been taking it easy -- for nearly two days, apparently. And longer, when it comes to my charges. Former charges."
"Sorry?"
"More pieces. I've been complacent about all of you for far too long. Why didn't I see it? Sense it? You all were my life -- for so long. And I let it slip away. I let all of you slip away. Time to grab the pieces and start solving this puzzle."
"Just stay away from the head honchos. They don't like too many questions."
"Like, what kind of missions would they send an 18 year old on?"
"Exactly."
"Don't you wonder?"
"About what?"
"What kind of 'missions' anyone would need to go on...in peace time."
"I...I guess I haven't really thought of that."
"Maybe you should. You might be the next one to disappear. Be careful, Ronan."
