Creative story Flashcards
(11 cards)
1st paragraph (gymnastics story)
Beginning “my eyes”
My eyes remained firmly fixed on the floor, trying to ignore the insatiable crowds. I could tell that it was going to go wrong already. I was trying desperately to appease my instincts, putting the burning feeling in my knee down to pre-routine jitters.
2nd paragraph (gymnastics story)
beginning, “Katie”
“Katie,”
I glanced up furtively, fearing that anyone who came close to me would be able to hear the cries from my body, begging me to not go onto the mat. I became painfully aware of every movement I made, ensuring I didn’t so much as glimpse at the source of the burning pain that was rendering my body useless.
3rd paragraph (gymnastics story)
beginning , “Are you ready”
“Are you ready? You go on in 5 minutes, straight after Canada.” My coach didn’t wait for an answer and walked off with alacrity, taking the silence as a yes, not as if he’d accept a no either.
4th paragraph (gymnastics story)
beginning, ‘I forced…’
I forced myself to stare up at my surroundings, the vociferous stands, the stony-faced judges, cameramen running around at the same speed as the competitors. The dreams of my childhood blended seamlessly with the view. The glittering blue, white and red leotard that hugged every inch of my skin was the same one I used to draw in notebooks in my bedroom. The audience of my sister and parents in the garden had turned into tens of thousands of strangers packed tightly into an arena. My family were now no more than indistinguishable specks. If I didn’t go on I wouldn’t be letting myself down, but that little girl who used to sit in front of the TV, enthralled by the lithe bodies of Olympians, defying gravity whilst they twisted, turned, tumbled.
5th paragraph
(gymnastics story)
beginning ‘Breathe’
Breathe. I closed my eyes, cajoling my mind into a sense of serenity, shutting out fabricated images of everything that could go wrong; my knee giving way during a jump, falling during the first turn, having to limp off the mat.
6th paragraph
(gymnastics story)
beginning “I want”
“I want this. I always have.” I whispered under my breath, a mantra that had become inveterate over the years. A fleeting sense of doubt entered my mind as I spoke, which I brushed off. Now was not the time to be questioning every decision I’d ever made.
7th paragraph (gymnastics story)
beginning ‘in a blur’
In a blur, my coach appeared next to me, and began his usual speech, impressing the importance of each millimetre I move.
“Remember, this isn’t just about you. This is about our entire country, that’s who you’re representing, not yourself.” My coach had discovered over the years that his forte was making threats rather than inspirational speeches.
8th paragraph (gymnastics story)
beginning ‘After ensuring’
After ensuring he had shocked me out of complacency, he wished me an insincere good luck, only as a formality.
9th paragraph (gymnastics story)
beginning ‘with a start’
With a start, I became aware of my body walking up to the mat, bowing to the judges, my mind taking a few seconds to catch up. A rush of fear paralysed me; the incessant throbbing in my knee became the only sensation I could feel.
Music started to play, my sign to start.
10th paragraph
(gymnastics story)
beginning ‘my mind’
My mind stopped. My body took over. The turns and twists so ingrained in my mind became materialised. Every muscle seemed to know its exact purpose at each second. Time slowed. The roar of my surroundings dulled to a silence, being replaced by the sound as my feet hit the floor and subsequently launched off again. I floated, soared, leaped through the air, barely in control of what I was doing yet maintaining the positioning of each bone in my body.
11th/final paragraph (gymnastics story)
beginning ‘time sped up’
Time sped up. I found myself lying on the floor on my back, the crowd still deathly silent. Uncanny faces swarmed over me, their mouths were moving yet no sound reached my ears. Unaware of what happened, I tried to move. A blinding pain struck through me body, as if every inch of me was being torn apart. Was I still performing? What had happened?
