I'm good for inspiration aren't I

I didn't get much sleep last night. I was pretty excited because I'd written something I was proud of and then I got the loveliest comment from Carol about it (made me grin so wide in the library, worried a couple of people) and then my mother approved. She's put up with a lot of my terrible scribbles but here was one she actually enjoyed. I might even let my Dad read it and he hasn't read anything I wrote since primary school. It's not perfect, I found at least three clunky sentences just this morning when I attacked myself with my leaky pen but I can look at it and think fuck yeah I can write. And then just to counter all of that and so my ego didn't dare show its face for too long (its an ugly thing, leads to brazenness and bragging) I found the princess story I think I mentioned earlier. I feel you should see what happens when my mind switches off. I tried to work it into something I dunno acceptable for the world but it got to the point where I just couldn't be bothered and I watched Firefly instead. Julie does not appreciate me singing he's the hero of canton the man they call...me! in her face but she will just have to learn to deal. Also my speakers are broken again and no amount of sellotape will fix them. So very pissed off.

Princess Katy sat in her tower and dropped sugared almonds into her pink, greedy mouth. From outside came the faint sounds of her hero battling through the maze to her window. She winced a little as he caught his leg on a thick root and the dragon snapped at his heels. A pastel pink sweet hung above her lips as she watched him fall and flounder for his sword. Her heart skipped as the beast roared and went for the kill. His blade pierced through the roof of its mouth and dulled its great eyes. Katy grinned and snapped up the almond. It had been a while since one had made it so far. Fired by the adrenaline of his kill her hero hacked through the remaining thorns that barred his way. Triumphant he marched to the great stone walls and tried to hide his limp. The princess watched with curiosity. She forgot how exciting this part was. She just hoped he could survive this last test. He stalked closer and she could make out his features: the yellow of his hair, the red of his cloak, the broadness of his shoulders. Her hero threw down his weapon and with outstretched arms spoke thusly:

"Oh, virtuous princess. From the mountains to the sea they speak of your beauty and I have swam the great moat of leeches and answered the riddles of the doors. I have solved the puzzle of the labyrinth and defeated the monstrous reptile that has plagued your sight for many years. Now I stand humbly before you, my love and offer you the freedom you deserve." His voice boomed with a rehearsed cadence. He swept his cloak over his shoulder with a flourish and sank to one knee.

"Captive Princess Katia of Scotia, I set thee free." The princess and her hero spoke in unison. She lay back in the window and propped her feet up as she rummaged in the bowl for more pink coloured almonds. A black kitten leapt onto her lap and watched her fingers chase the sweets around the bowl. Katy sighed and the cat perked up its ears of the sound. Her hero knelt awkward and anxious below her. She hesitated for a moment before snatching up an almond and nodding to the animal.

"He's all yours, Sophie," she muttered. The creature launched itself out of the window, changing as it did so from cat to bird to girl as she was close enough to twist the hero's neck and change back to bird before he could slump lifeless to the ground. She landed back on Katy's knees as the last gasp wracked the unfortunate man's limp body. Katy buried her fingers in the kitten's soft fur and marked a cross in her journal against the date. She didn't know where these men were coming from but someone was telling them to say that same speech. The first one had spoken so softly she couldn't make out half of the words. She'd asked him to speak up and he hadn't taken it well, complaining that he had just battled a dragon and she could make some allowances. Sophie had clawed his eyes out.

She wrote a summary of the hero's short adventure and watched the scene outside. The dragon shook itself like a wet dog and lazily flew back to the centre of the maze. The maze itself formed new roots and the hedges twisted and turned into new shapes. It took a matter of minutes for her prison to right itself for a new contender and soon the only sounds were the steady crunch of the almonds between her teeth and the purring from her final protector. With one last glance at the never-changing world outside, Katy went to bed and hoped for a more exciting morning.