Get to Know Your Character's Challenge - Antagonist

 

 

I am participating in a (very last minute) prompt challenge held at Athelas's blog: Red Lettering.

 

Here is how the prompt works in her words: Every three months, on the first Tuesday of the month, bloggers are challenged to write something about the specified character type from their novels (whether works-in-progress or finished) and post it on their blogs. The point of the challenge is to help authors learn more about their characters through writing prose, exploring situations in character’s past with their pen (or keyboard).

 

There were six prompts to choose from, and I decided to use this one:

 

Your antagonist is between three and ten. Write something that represents their life at that point.

 

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“Joseph, be quiet. Your brother needs to sleep.”

I frowned, sticking out my bottom lip. No one paid any attention to me since he came around. I stared pointedly at the sleeping figure lying peacefully in the crib. He was the one all the relatives crooned over. He was the one who was by Mommy’s side for the whole day. Everyone wanted to see him. I was just a figure in the background.

“I can’t be quiet.” I jutted my chin out, raising my voice.

My mommy’s eyes flashed a warning, a look I knew all too well. “I know very well that you can.”

I rose my arms up in the air, sighed dramatically, and then let my body fall to the floor with a depressing grunt, “I. Can’t.”

There was a short silence. I opened my mouth to fill it, but Mommy interrupted me, “You’re a big brother now, Joseph. You need to help take care of the baby.”

“I don’t like babies.” I rolled onto my back, staring at the ceiling fiercely.

“He’ll eventually grow up. Don’t worry.”

I stamped my foot on the ground. “I don’t want him to grow up.”

Mommy let out an exasperated sigh. “There’s nothing you can do about it.”

The door opened with a cool rush of air. “Daddy!” I cried, scrambling up to my feet and running over to hug him. He smiled, kneeling down to return the gesture.

“How’s my boy?” He said, grinning. But before I could even answer, his attention turned to the baby. “And how’s our little one? Doing well?”

     “He’s doing wonderful. Almost been sleeping the whole afternoon.” Mommy said as they both gazed at the baby, smiling. I was forgotten. And all because of the chubby, crying, bothersome baby. 

 

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Byeeeee!

- Katie