Young Writers Society

So, in my current story, I have a situation I'm not sure what to do with. It's not a serious plot hole or anything, but I want to understand it before trying to write it. And I think the best way of explaining it is putting it into your perspective:

You live in a fantasy world, your sister is the queen. The country is invaded and in one night of insurgence, your sister is killed while you both try to escape. The country is now in the hands of the enemy, the soldiers are everywhere, and you are hiding in the forest with your sister's body. You know if they find the body of the dead queen they will desecrate her body and display it publicly. You have no means of digging a grave, but you want to hide her body so no one will find it. What do you do?

The reason I ask is because originally I was going to have the protagonist sink the body in the loch by putting the body in a rifle crate, filling it with rocks, and pushing it off a cliff, but my sense returned shortly and I realised this is far too complicated. So, any ideas or input would be appreciated. Like I said, it isn't a plot hole, but it's been nagging at me for a while. Help would be lovely.

~Laz

I read once about a body that was buried in a hollow rotten fallen tree trunk, and then sealed with mud and leaves.

I agree with TheMessenger, something like that would be good, especially since she's in the forest. Good luck!

Interesting story.

You know if they find the body of the dead queen they will desecrate her body and display it publicly. You have no means of digging a grave, but you want to hide her body so no one will find it. What do you do?

Maybe you can add one character to help 'you' to hide her body. Like a sorcerer! This is a fantasy story, you can do anything with this kind of genre

TheMessenger wrote:I read once about a body that was buried in a hollow rotten fallen tree trunk, and then sealed with mud and leaves.

Ooh, good idea! That just might work. And it has a certain ethereal quality to it, that my protagonist might one day return to the tree. Much appreciated.

DreamWork wrote:Interesting story.
Maybe you can add one character to help 'you' to hide her body. Like a sorcerer! This is a fantasy story, you can do anything with this kind of genre

True, you can. But I think the solemnity and franticness of the situation might be dimmed by adding another character. I want her to be utterly alone and acting out of fear and partial madness. Thanks for helping though!

Sources of deep and/or running water+ stones well secured in clothing so the body doesn't float= sunk body.

Also, something to cover the smell of death (hence the specification the water be deep and/or running, a trunk that already stinks) is important. Death stinks badly and is a very hard smell to get out/mask.

it depends on what kind of woman my sister was when she was alive. if she was the typical fair-maiden you see so often in fantasy then I'd probably just build a pyre out of dead branches and burn the body.

if she was a strong-willed, confrontational type of person, the type of woman who owns more guns than Ted Nugent, then I'd set up a ruse for the enemy. boobie-trap her body and leave it out in the open. then, when they desecrate her body and put it on display, I'd blow them all to kingdom come. she would've wanted it that way.

though this also depends on your protagonist as well as the overall tone of the story you're writing.