(What If? Exercise: Read the description here.)

The phoenix is a legendary bird of strength and wisdom.

But it’s nothing if it cannot set itself ablaze.

She feared she would never have such courage.

Until the first time she touched fire.

Now she hungered for that power.

She summoned the magic within.

Suddenly, her feathers ignited.

She burned fiercely.

True phoenix.

Rise.


This piece is based on What If? Exercise 93: “Ten to One”. The exercise is to write a 55-word story in which the first sentence has ten words, the second has nine, etc., until the last sentence has only one word. The objective is to show that precision and thrift in writing can produce surprisingly powerful results. I hope you enjoy what I’ve written. Thanks for reading!

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