Mythic Moments plus Bear at the door! Week 6

 Part 1:

Brainstorm a story that would follow a mythic structure

Ordinary World- A brother and sister are on a train heading towards their boarding school

Call to Adventure- A mysterious black fog rapidly approaches the train they are in and are forced to make a decision to escape 

Refusal of the Call- the sister doesn't want to jump but the brother tells her it will be alright so they jump out of the moving train         

Meeting the Mentor (Wise Old Man or Woman)- They run from the fog and spot a cave and an old woman lets them in to hide from this mysterious fog

Crossing the First Threshold- They are stuck inside this cave with this strange old woman that lives in the middle of nowhere and they don't know when they will be able to leave

Test, Allies, Enemies- The old woman in a cave is actually an oracle that has been waiting for a pair of blood siblings to come to defeat the darkness. She shares a prophecy with the kids and tells them what the dark fog is and how to defeat it.

Approach to the Inmost Cave- They venture to the darkest parts of the forest where they find a tall hidden black mountain carved in like a castle.

Supreme Ordeal- They come face to face with the darkness that only takes the form of a shadow.

Reward (Seizing the Sword)- They defeat the darkness with the powers they had within

The Road Back- With a promise to come back and claim their now succeeded castle they head on their way to find their train.

Resurrection- The threat now gone, the train continues to head on its way towards their boarding school

Return with the Elixir- The sister wakes up in her bed with her brother telling her it's time for them to get on their train to boarding school.

Part 2:

Begin your story that uses this mythic structure. Write the first two pages, making sure to place the reader in an ordinary world before introducing the call to adventure.

Madison and Alex are on their way to their new boarding school preparing for another year away. The train ride there seems to take forever as they head through forest and woods but they know they will eventually land at the content village that serves their boarding school. With Madison in her third year and Alex in his fourth, they feel at ease knowing they are finally upperclassmen and should have the best time ruling the school. Like every year, they take a train from their busy city home and venture to the quaint village that surrounds their school with almost everyone that lives their serving the school in some way. Both children do well in their studies and are prepared to head back to the city after school and find competitive jobs. While the first day's arrival is usually more hectic, the rest of the school year is calm almost mundane. 

Their long journey is almost at an end as the sunsets casting a beautiful golden glow glaring through each window of the train cars. They travel through mountains and forests speeding by as the kids slowly start to shift in their positions. While they may be used to the yearly train ride it doesn't make it any less long. As they head through the woods which signals the near end of the train ride Madison peers out the window seeing the sun make its way down. But not far along a black fog so dark you could mistake it as night rips through the forest with its intent being the train cars. Madison eyed fixed outside sees the fog in the distance traveling rapidly towards the train swallowing it from the end. Signaling to her brother they both get the attention of the rest of the car and panic starts to set in on this mysterious fog. The fog swallows the train cars and you can hear the screams of other students. Alex makes a haste decision and opens the car door dragging Madison along. Scared Madison tells her brother it's crazy she can't jump out of a moving train. He tells her to trust her older brother that always does what's best for them and they jump together. Rolling as they land they peer up and see the fog still chasing, they dash through the forest trying to escape the fog and the screams of their classmates. The pounding of their blood drowns out the thundering sound coming from the black fog. 

In the distance, they see a cave with a clear door inside the mountainside to which they run towards hoping for safety. As they approach the door they bang on it as it is locked and plead for assistance. An old woman harshly answers the door and but with wide eyes pulls them inside. The old woman shuts the door and ushers them inside the safety of her house. They and see if the fog approaches and invades their hiding spot but it never comes. They turn towards the old lady and thank her for saving them. She says there was no need because she was expecting them. They question what she means and how she knows them. The old woman reveals she is an oracle and has been trusted to see the future and prophecy. Not believing the old woman shows them proof by her glass sphere and shows them their lives and their charming characteristics. Wide-eyed and confused they ask what the prophecy is. She explains to them that a brother and sister duo bound by blood is meant to defeat the shadow darkness that haunts these once glowing woods. The darkness knowing they have arrived tried to get to them first. With the power they hold within themselves they are the only ones that can defeat the darkness and restore the woods. Thanking the kind woman they take her advice and venture into the woods towards the darkness this time.

They follow her directions and head to the brightest part of the forest because that is where the most darkness lies. As they near a cliff they see the sun in all its glory. They look down and see a hidden trench inside the cliff to which they spot a dark castle. climbing down they run towards the end of the trench where the castle lies and stand by the doors. The darkness comes forth in an intimidating manner and shows its powers. The siblings scared hold their heads high and face the darkness head-on with the rings the oracle gave them. They join their hands together and cast them up into the air where a bright glowing light like the sunshine shines from within the rings flowing through them and casting out into the darkness. The darkness not being able to handle the light evaporates slowly lifting its curse throughout the forest. Creatures of all sort start to appear and give their thanks. The sibling pair promise to return and claim their castle but for now, need to finish school. They climb up out of the trench and head off to find their train before the last of the sun disappears. Finding it at the edge of the woods near the village they quietly slip in as the car and passengers continue on forgetting whatever happened. 

The train starts once again and the sun takes its final dip into the sky disappearing. Madison now rests with her head in her hands and falls asleep as the sunsets. Just as she closes her eyes her brother shakes her. She gets up from under a blanket seeing the sun brightly invading her eyes. she sees her brother in a doorway and a hand on a light switch. He tells her to wake up and get ready or they will miss their train to their boarding school.