The Storm

Email from Max the other day that got my creative juices running. There was a zoom session with a writing circle I am a part off, but I forgot all about it. But Max makes sure that we never forget the one he’s runs.

Hello All,

<Cue Mission Impossible music>

Your challenge, should you decide to accept it, is to write a 100-200 word piece titled, ‘The Storm.’

See you soon… keep writing!

After seeing this email, I decided to have another writing battle with AI. I let AI write a story called The Storm, and it immediately felt like something I had read before. There’s an eerier sense of abstract linear tone that comes across as it was written by a spammer who’s first language isn’t English.

The Storm written by AI

Darkness engulfed the sky as clouds swirled ominously, heralding the arrival of an imminent tempest. The wind whispered through the trees, carrying a sense of anticipation and unease. Nature's orchestra tuned up, with distant rumblings and flashes of lightning playing their foreboding melodies.

The first drops fell, like tears of the heavens, tapping on windows and roofs with increasing intensity. The streets emptied, as if in reverence to the approaching tempest. Nature's wrath unleashed its fury—a torrential downpour washing away the sins of the land.

Trees danced wildly, their branches swaying in a desperate struggle against the raging gusts. The thunder roared, shaking the very foundation of the earth, while lightning painted jagged strokes across the sky. The storm's symphony crescendoed, drowning out all other sounds, as nature's elements collided in a spectacular display of power.

Amid the chaos, there was a strange beauty—a reminder of nature's unstoppable force. The storm brought both destruction and renewal, cleansing the world with its fierce embrace. And just as suddenly as it had arrived, the storm began to retreat, leaving behind a calmer, revitalized landscape.

As the last raindrops fell, the sun emerged timidly from behind the dissipating clouds, casting a golden glow upon the glistening earth. The storm had passed, but its impact lingered, etching memories in the minds of those who had witnessed its might. And in the aftermath, life would continue, tempered by the knowledge that storms may come and go, but resilience endures.

As promised, here is my short story called The Storm that takes a very different turn from this one. Just a few days ago there was a thunder storm in our area and a friend of mine went out in. She found I so liberating. She has two cats called Yulliah and Lucky, so I’ll write about them.

The Storm written by Chloe Gilholy

The two cats lounged by the rain-streaked window, batting empty cans of Monster with their paws. As indoor cats, they found contentment within their sheltered world, provided for by their two devoted humans, affectionately known as their mummies.

“I always wondered what catnip would do to humans,” Lucky said. “I think I know now.”

Yulliah paused her meticulous paw-licking and looked up, intrigued. "What do you mean?"

“Look!” Lucky got Yulliah to stare beyond the foggy and wet glass. “They’re out there with no coat on.”

“I wouldn’t want to go out in that,” Lucky meowed.

Yulliah wagged her tail. “Me neither. But I’m hungry, so I hope Mummy comes back to feed us soon.”

A sudden bolt of thunder shocked both cats as they ran and took shelter. “Are you okay?” Lucky asked.

“Blimey!” Yulliah shrieked. “That was louder than the hoover. They had only ever witnessed such electrifying spectacles on their humans' screens. Yet, the live rainstorm, splattering rhythmically on the roof, carried a strangely calming melody after a little while.

“Hey! They’re gone!”

They don’t know. What they did know is that they were lcherished. Before midnight there would be hugs and maybe even a Snapchat session.

Here’s another writing face off I did with AI