Weekly Writing Challenge
Your assignment this week, should you choose to accept it: The opening scene of your story is set in the place depicted below. Present your main character and show why they happen to be in this place. (No length restrictions this week - but if it's long, send it to me in an email and I'll post any really good ones when I deliver the results.)
8 Comments:
What a great idea - If i have time, I'll write something and send it over.
Congrats on your publishing post below! That's great - I'd love to read it when they post it.
I would love to try that...
Jim shook his head slowly, reminding Sara of a nodding dog. She bit back the smile.
"You sure this is the place?" It's not that she doubted him, but she had expected something...well, somewhere more private, secluded. And she's expected at least a few cars outside, not a bicycle! Who was this man she was to meet? A delivery boy?!
The shake of Jim's head turned into a nod, passing through indecision like a late-night train.
"He'll be here. He said he would. And whatever he says, happens, see?"
Jim wasn't the brightest brother in his family, and the other two were pretty dumb. Sara had trusted his ox-like form so far though, and had come this far.
"OK, let's see just where this leads." She crossed the pavement, and allowed the darkness to swallow her. She felt the silhouette of Jim's form on her back, blocking the afternoon sun and preventing the rest of the world from following.
The alley held a doorway to the left, it's colour indeterminate in the monochrome gloom, but the cracked paintwork all too visible. Sara felt the need to touch something, anything tangible, and flaked a shaft of the paint with her thumbnail, taking a piece of it's reality with her as she pushed the door open, and entered.
"There!" hushed Jim, pointing into the room, his arm scraping past her head by mere inches.
The room, light by it's sole bulb stood almost empty. Ancient blue drapes locked out the world, and sodden newsprint clung together in the corners, as if hoping a passing tramp would give them warmth.
Sara's eyes adjusted to the gloom, and could barely make out the focus of Jim's attention and her desire.
"Hello, Sara,"
These were the the first words she heard her father speak.
She would remember them forever.
very nice!
"Memories of Another Day".
I stood across the street looking at the ramshackle place. I was waiting to see if she still lived there. then, I heard the barking dog. The barks of Gringo! My heart was throbbing. She still kept my dog. I wanted to run across the street straight into the house. But, something held me back. Then, I saw Charlie, Thomas and Chuck on their Honda motorbikes as they rode to the side of the street. They were all in their denim jackets, pants and boots. Blue jeans and black boots.
"Jenny!" Charlie shouted aloud in his husky voice.
The others laughed. They must be drunk.
The sun was going down behind the Windmills.
Then Gringo responded with his barks. I thought Jenny would soon appear. An old woman walking with the aid of a stick came out. They regarded her without saying a word. Thomas coughed. That same old cough. I thought he told me he stopped smoking? He looked ill.
I swallowed lumps of saliva.
"Jenny is gone."
I heard the old woman.
"Jenny gone? Gone where?"
Charlie, the self-appointed ring leader asked and gnashed his teeth. Thomas spat. Chuck snarled.
"She's gone to New Orleans," the old woman replied and quietly sat down on the bench nearby.
Jenny had gone to New Orleans?
To see me?
But, I told her to wait for me.
That I was coming to pay all I owed the boys.
"Damn the bitch and damn Johnny!" Charlie yelled.
The old woman just looked up at him and turned away to pay attention to Gringo as the dog barked at Charlie.
"Sharrap!" Charlie yelled at the dog and spat in fury.
"Let's go boys. We are going to New Orleans!"
He jumped on his bike and the others too.
I waited until, I couldn't see their backs as they rode out. Then, I walked across the street.
"Good evening Ma'am," I greeted the old woman.
She looked and before she could say a word, Gringo pranced up to welcome me with a yelp and wagging the tail.
"yeah," she replied.
"Is Jenny home?"
"Yes."
I heard the voice from within the house.
A voice I couldn't mistake for any other voice. The voice of the only woman who never rejected me. the voice of the woman who suffered untold humiliation for my sake. And she never gave up on me all these years. The voice of the only woman I have vowed to spend the rest of my life with.
I did not wait for her to come out. I rushed inside and as she saw me she fell into my longing arms and we embraced.
The End.
Just on the spur of the moment following your idea.
Sparky hated it when his owner parked him outside the opium den.
The end.
and minutes later the bicycle was stolen
The Pick Up Spot
She had agreed for his sake to come to this place. She yielded grudgingly so he wouldn’t have to drag her with him, but she had to drag her mind, which was heavier. She was sick of doing him favours like going to this place, sick of going anywhere with him, sick of her, sick of him. It would be another act in an opera she was tired of playing in, she couldn’t sing anymore she couldn’t even breathe. She used to have such a beautiful voice but he made her sing to him too often until the songs ran horse and dry, and there was no point.
Every laborious stair she climbed with a pain and a whisper of grief and guilt she might shout it aloud but still none would hear, they were though listening to her. She shouldn’t be here, she shouldn’t be with him; but she is and she was and then came the oath that if they got to the top she would no longer be either. And this she spoke aloud, but he never hears. So onwards and upwards they climb and she continues to shed layers and lose wait, she’s gaining back everything she had given up and allowed to him devour and destroy.
She’s epiphanising right in front of him, right under his nose but he gives it not the least of his trouble or worries. He just wants to get up these steps, get in the door, get out, get high. Again.
And so for them there will be no tomorrow. They love each other more than anything, too much, and are utterly terrible for one another. There’s no where left for them to go, nothing left to do. They’ve been everywhere terrible together and have trouble seeing the beauty now in anything, have trouble seeing anything at all.
They should turn around now and start walking backwards away from each other. Walk back through your life, keep walking until you don’t know her anymore, forget that you did. Don’t think she ever made you happy, nothing does, your scum you’re useless. Start moving, keep going ‘til you’re gone and she’s clean, and you can still be high but not here. She’s going to choose life and you can get fucked, you can stay here and score or whatever just not where she is, never again where she is. If I see you with her after this moment I’ll send you back from where I wish you never would’ve come.
You got here on the junk, you gave her the virus. She’s sick cause of you and if she has to die it’ll be warm safe in her bed, not alone in your arms. She was sixteen once, this is where you brought her, this is what you told her, fed her. She needed someone and got you.
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