POV exercise for Cache

Cache Lesson 2 Assignment 1

1) Only What I Need by Beckie Joki

ID: 1536855   (Rated: 13+) Only What I Need  A story of a small boy who only takes what he needs by Beck the Boilerlady

2) POV of Peter (& Lucy, actually, I realize now as I read it, the original might have switched from Peter’s POV to Lucy’s – which it shouldn’t have) The small boy is the other major charcter.

3) “Only What I Need”

He marched up the shoreline, secure in his disguise. He heard that humans had a soft spot for the young of their species, especially small waifs like the one he portrayed today. The elders told him that he would portray a small boy on his way to fish in this lake. He would reel in the prey, and they would take the lives they needed to keep their species alive.

The apprehension he felt earlier about preying on the unsuspecting faded as his leader’s words rang in his ears, “We take only what we need.” He moved toward an elderly couple who were obviously readying themselves for their midday meal.

“Well, Lad,” the older male addressed him, “Goin’ fishin’ are ya?”

Tekrit trained for this mission for months. He would act the part exactly as described. “Yessir.” He stepped past the couple.

Honey,” the aged female started out after him. “Are you hungry? We have some sandwiches in the picnic basket over by the pier there.”

Tekrit swallowed hard. He hesitated. He knew how it would end for them. It always ended the same way. This species was different, though. They seemed to care about a person unknown to them. Tekrit felt that, even if he were to appear in his true form to this pair, they would act the same.

4) The story is much different from the perspective of the being pretending to be a small boy. The reader would realize, much sooner, that Pete and Lucy were probably in grave danger. I don’t think it could have much of a “twist” at the end of the story with the “boy” (or being called Tekrit) as the story teller. The reader may have a sense that they hope Pete and Lucy will somehow get away or that Tekrit would change his mind, but it would be a much different story.



Assignment #2

POV mother:

“I don’t care!” Martha slammed her hand on the table. Her daughter was a full head taller than her, but she still ruled the house, and her rules we her rules. Stacy’s face was a red as her hair. Martha realized Stacy had picked up that Irish temper – but she wasn’t going to win this time. “You’re not going to some field party somewhere. It’s just not going to happen.”

“You don’t understand…” Stacy pleaded.

“I do understand, Young Lady! I understand very well.” Martha could feel her own face flush as she widened her green eyes at a daughter she once thought she knew. “I understand that your grades are bad. I understand that you don’t do anything around here but mope around with that MP3 player in your ears. I understand that you think I don’t know a God-damned thing. But I know that you are not going to that field party. End of conversation.”

“You suck! You don’t even know what you’re talking about. You have no idea what I’m going through.”

Martha reached out and slapped Stacy’s face, shocking even herself. She had never struck Stacy. She’d always been a good kid, until the last year. Martha wished she could take it back, but knew she couldn’t. “I will not stand for you talking to me like that! Go to your room. Now!”

Stacy retreated quickly. Martha felt as though she lost whatever small amount of communication she had with her daughter, but she couldn’t let this one go. “Leave the cell phone, Young Lady.”

Stacy threw the phone on the kitchen table and ran to her room.

POV Daugther:

Stacy knew her mother wouldn’t approve of her going to a field party, but she also couldn’t go without asking. She knew her mom was having a hard time since her dad left – but she also knew that this was her one chance to actually have friends. Since they moved a year ago, she hadn’t made one single friend. She didn’t drink. She didn’t smoke. Stacy definitely didn’t do drugs. She just wanted to be a normal kid and have friends and go do things. She desperately missed her old friends, and her mom didn’t seem to get that. She thought it was just normal day to day. It wasn’t that way for Stacy.

“I don’t care!” Martha blurted out at Stacy’s plea to go to the party. “You’re not going to some field party somewhere with a bunch of kids I don’t know! That is final.”

“Mom,” Stacy pleaded. “I don’t even know them. I don’t know anyone! I’m never going to have any friends if you don’t let me go out and do things. I can’t live like this. You don’t understand what I’m going through.”

Stacy’s face burned as her mother connected with her left cheek. She cringed. Her mother had never struck her before. She felt as though she’d lost the last person she could trust. She moved around the opposite side of the kitchen table to avoid further attack.

“Leave the cell phone on the table, Young Lady.” She threw the phone behind her as she escaped to her room. Who did she have to call anyway? There was no one here she cared about.