Promptvent - Day 3

25 days of winter prompts to thaw your writers (ice)block - and this year it's all about being Cozy.

For some wintry musical inspiration whilst you write, why not try listening to The Carol of the Bells (Christmas Piano Version) by David Shultz on Spotify

Listen to me narrate the guided invitation via audio below or if you prefer to read the transcript, that is also available for you underneath the audio.

Hello and welcome to day 3 of Promptvent!

You have returned to our Promptvent village advent calendar and find yourself standing once again before the cozy Christmas window.

Bundled up in your warm woolen mittens and thick scarf, you are eager to to know what wintry word of the day awaits you. What world will you step into and discover today? The sound of distant bells ringing brings you back to the present moment. You can feel the eagerness in your fingers as you pull off your mittens and reach for the iron latch on the window, lifting it with care.

Through the open window, you can see the inside of a small cozy church, the aisle between the pews is lit by hundreds of small lanterns, leading to an altar. Behind the altar is a large stained glass window lit from behind by the winter sun. It illuminates two golden bells hung by a red ribbon in mid ring, with a sprig of holly in between. The sound of bells ringing grows closer and a gentle music can be heard coming from the inside of the church itself. Is a service about to begin?

Suddenly, the red wreathed door to your left slowly opens, inviting you in. You step inside, stamp off the snow from your boots and hang your winter coat up on a golden brass hook. This church is warm and peaceful, nobody else is around. You follow the lanterns between the pews and head towards the magical sound of bells. The chimes reminds you of that time you travelled Europe where each small town rang their bells every hour in celebration and service. You think of all of the weddings you have attended and how the bells marked the beginning of a new chapter or the end of one. You are brought back to your childhood where the sound of Santa’s Sleigh Bells would make your heartbeat quicken, squeezing your eyes tight so as not to ruin the magic. You try to push the sound of the school bell from your mind, but that too has a place in the fabric of your life and you give it time and space to say hello and slowly fade.

On the altar, you notice there is a familiar candle flickering on a silver dish, (if you’d like to light a candle, now is a good time to do so). Leaning on the altar stand, is a fresh notebook and pen with your name on them. You gently pick them up and take a seat on a red velvet cushion in the first pew. You open the first page and see one word in large cursive script written at the top of it.

It reads: BELLS

You look up at the bells illuminated before you and spend a moment lost in the music, then you pick up the pen - and write.