The tepid water flowed down her back, erasing some of the afflictions of the day as the water grew warmer. She rubbed her shoulders one by one and smiled, glad to be away from the office. She enjoyed the fast pace of her job, but the inverse was stimulating as well.

She was so ready to jump into the shower that she forgot to lock the front door upon entering her apartment. She remembered this fact after she stepped into the tub, the water instantly drenching her. Oh well, she thought. It will be fine. Nothing ever happens in this neighborhood.

After a long, luxurious shower, she turned off the water – hot first, followed quickly by the cold. Water dripped from both the shower head and the faucet below. Those weren't the only sounds, though. She heard a creaking from somewhere in her apartment.

She froze, trying to listen; her neighbors could be making noise, after all. As the dripping of the water slowed to a crawl and then stopped all together, she realized that the sound would not be from either of her neighbors.

She clutched at her chest, trying to hide herself from a lurking degenerate even though visually she was quite safe behind the shower curtain – that is until the curtain was ripped to one side, exposing her to the rest of the bathroom where two men stood, their clothes soiled many times over.

She barely had time to scream before one of the men grabbed at her, gagging her after a short struggle. She continued to thrash as she was pulled out into the living room. After several more minutes of struggling and her energy depleted, she collapsed into unconsciousness.

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Author guidance for This exercise

Let's expand our vocabulary. Here's how it's going to work:

1. Write a chapter to continue the story.
2. Choose at least one new vocabulary word to use (either from the following list or a word that you feel would expand our vocabulary beyond perfunctory use)
3. Use at least one vocabulary word used by someone previous.
4. Make each vocabulary word bold so they are easy to spot.

I will strike out words as they are used so it is easy to pick a new word and to spot ones that have previously been used. Vocabulary words that are used which aren't part of this list will be added and subsequently striked out as well.

Note about the original list: I tried to pick words on both sides of the spectrum. There should be something here for everyone. There are obviously a lot of words that could be used that aren't part of the list at present. Please feel free to use your own.

Protagtionary List:

abdicate
abscond
accolade
acumen
adroit
adulation
adverse
advocate
aesthetic
affirmation
affliction
aggregate
aghast
allude
aloof
altercation
ambiguous
anarchy
annals
annilhilate
aplomb
apocryphal
arbiter
arduous
arraign
ascribe
askew
assail
attenuate
attrition
augment
auspicious
benediction
berate
bestow
blasphemous
blatant
broach
brusque
bulwark
bungle
buttress
cajole
callous
canny
capitulate
cascade
cauterize
cede
chafe
chagrin
chalice
chameleon
charlatan
circumspect
cloister
collusion
commensurate
concise
concoct
condescend
congeal
congruence
consort
context
convene
corporeal
cower
crass
cursory
dally
debase
decadence
decoy
defeatist
definitive
defunct
degenerate
deplete
derision
desiccate
digressive
dire
dirge
disavowal
discerning
discordant
disdain
dispersion
disseminate
diverge
drench
drudgery
ebullient
ecstasy
eerie
effervesce
embroil
emulate
encompass
encumber
endearment
enigma
enormity
enthrall
epitaph
epitome
epoch
erode
errant
evoke
exhort
expunge
exuberant
fabricate
facetious
fastidious
faux pas
fester
finesse
fissure
flaccid
flay
flotilla
fluster
foible
foreboding
fraught
frolicsome
fruition
gamut
gape
genteel
ghastly
grueling
gruff
guffaw
guile
haggle
hamper
harass
heedless
hiatus
humdrum
ideology
idiosyncrasy
igneous
ignoble
imbibe
imminent
impasse
imperious
impugn
incessant
incisive
incite
inclusive
increment
incumbent
indict
indulgent
inept
influx
inherent
inhibit
ingling
innate
innocuous
innovation
innuendo
instigate
invective
inverse
iota
iterate
jargon
labyrinth
lacerate
laggard
languid
lassitude
latent
loathe
loquacious
lucid
luxurious
macerate
maelstrom
maim
mammoth
meander
meddlesome
melee
meele
miscreant
misgivings
mitigate
modicum
morose
muse
nemesis
nettle
non sequitur
novice
obfuscate
oblivion
odoriferous
opaque
ornate
ostensible
overt
palatable
pallid
paltry
pedulate
pensive
perdition
perfidious
perusal
pestilential
placid
platitude
plethora
portent
postulate
precarious
preclude
precursor
prone
qualms
quibble
quip
rabid
rancid
rant
recant
recluse
recourse
reek
regale
remedial
renounce
replete
respite
restitution
revelry
sardonic
satiate
scourge
scuttle
seethe
sultry
supersede
surly
tepid
terse
thrash
thwart
torpid
transcend
trite
uncanny
veneer
verbose
vie
vilify
vivacious
voracious
winsome
zenith

updated Oct 18 '10 by marcuslee