Night Sky

She stood in the dark gazing up at the night sky.  The dome of stars soaring above filled her eyes with wonder as she lost herself in the immensity of the black velvet expanse sprinkled with an infinite number of glinting lights.

It’s so beautiful she thought, definitely worth the long drive up from the city.  She did not believe as the others did that the world would end that night, instead she simply took in the glorious sight.

Suddenly, the group of stargazers was bathed in light.

“This is private property.  The park entrance is just down the road.”

The other day when I went to open the shades on my living room window I noticed my Christmas cactus had bloomed.  It is such a pleasant surprise, as it always blooms on the window side of the plant first and I don't notice until the first blossom is fully opened.  Very pretty!

Communication

Without fail he arrived at the bus stop on time.  The 6:15 a.m. bus was the one she rode and he would not think of catching a different bus, even though there was one nearer to where he slept.

He stood in the grey morning light watching for the vehicle to top the hill.  When it came into sight he stood up straighter, squared his shoulders and prepared to board.

Perhaps today he would find a way to communicate?  Perhaps today she would understand the slight breeze causing her to shiver was his attempt to contact her from beyond?

Backyard Get Together

Mesmerized by the glowing coals of the dying fire, she sat listening to the conversations around her.  Sparks whooshed upward into the dark as another log was tossed into the ring.  Flames rose up casting light on the faces of those seated around the campfire. 

Off to one side a flashlight was flicked on, lighting up the make shift table and causing her to blink in the added brightness.  He assembled a sandwich in the cooking iron and locked the halves together, handing it to her while he flicked off the flashlight, isolating them in the fire’s glow once again.

Every Family Needs An IT Person

“Okay, how do I get the photos from my phone on to my computer?  I want to send them to our daughter.”

“You’re kidding, right?”  He said looking at his wife.

“Oh don’t give me a hard time about this.  Just help me out, okay?”

“Use the cord you use to charge your phone and plug the phone into your computer, like your iPad.”

“It’s asking about setting up my phone, what do I do now?”

“Sometimes you amaze me, you handle a multi-million dollar company without hesitation and yet, some of the simplest technology stumps you.”  He said, chuckling.

I am 25 percent of the way to completing  my challenge and have found this daily ritual of writing to be both easy and a bit difficult to meet.

There have been mornings when I have awoken later than usual, with a headache or just plain tired from a restless night of sleep and the last thing I wanted to do was be creative.  There have been days when my schedule was so full of obligations the idea of squeezing in a half hour or so to write anything seemed unrealistic.  Then there were the days when the events of the world were pressing in and everything I wrote seemed dark or off kilter and I deleted most of it, making a conscience effort to write stories less intense.  Those were the hardest days to do anything and I think the quality of the stories was, also, less.  And then there were the days when the house was quiet, there was nothing going on and I felt on top of the world providing me with the opportunity to create and write with ease.

This daily ritual has given me insight to myself as a person and into my writing as well.  I have learned I am a much more stick to it sort of person then I thought.  I have found myself focusing on the components of a story and how they work together to make a whole.  I have discovered, in the process of editing to meet the 100 word count, how changing, eliminating or adding one word can impact the dynamics of the story being told and the feelings invoked.  As odd as it may sound this has led me to be freer in my writing of longer pieces, to let the story unfold as it will, knowing part of the creative writing will occur during my editing of the work.  

It has become a great way to kick off my work day and loosen up my creative energies.  Sort of like a morning exercise and stretching routine will loosen up stiff muscles preparing you for the activities of the day.

I am curious to see where this journey takes me over the next 75 days.

Nighttime Visitor

The moonlight glinted off of the windows and the side of the house creating deep shadows under the bushes planted along the wall.  In the distance a dog barked.  The prowler froze in place.  Everything remained still.  Slowly, with precise movement the shadowy being crept closer, slipping into the dense space under the window.

Unaware of her nighttime visitor, Vicki entered her living room with a cup of tea in her hand and settled herself on the sofa.

In one swift motion he gained the windowsill and pressing against the glass demanded to be let in with a loud meow.

Tuning Out

“What are we going to do today?”

“Hmmm.”

“Any ideas?”

“Hmmm.”

“We could go to the store.  You could get me a new pair of jeans.  I need a new pair.”

“Hmmm.”

“What are you doing?  You aren’t even listening.  Mom?”  Tina said reaching out and touching her mother on the arm.

“Sorry, sweetheart.”  Cindy said removing her hands from the dishwater, drying them on a towel and pulling the tiny ear headphone out of her ear.  “I was listening to a song I loved when I was your age.  This iPod thingy you and Dad gave me is great.” 

Early Morning

Consciousness slowly penetrated her cocoon of sleep.  She became aware of her surroundings.  A quick glance at the clock and she confirmed the time.  It was early, more than an hour before the time she usually got up.  She listened; trying to determine what had brought her out of her needed rest.  Her room was gray with lingering night leaving the doorway a shadowy rectangle beyond the end of her bed.  Her mind foggy from the late night celebration began to clear and registered faint sounds of movement.

Unexpectedly from beside her bed her daughter and son shouted ‘Merry Christmas.’

UFO Sighting

We interrupt the current programming to bring you breaking news.

Earlier today, a large fleet of flying craft of unknown origin appeared in the skies over the North Pole.

Everyone is cautioned to remain indoors for the next twenty-four hours while the situation is accessed.  We have been told there isn’t any need for panic.

Wait!  I am getting an update from our reporter in the field.  It appears a red light has been spotted at the leading edge of one of the flying crafts.

Yes, its been confirmed Santa is utilizing multiple sleds this year to complete his deliveries.

Too Much To Do

Gift buying.  Done!

Cookies baked.  Done!

House decorated.  Done!

She laid in bed with her eyes closed, trying to fall asleep, her list of things to do scrolling through her mind.  The past month had taken its toll, with all the events and obligations, the studying and working while caring for two young children and the press of the nightly news.  Will it get easier?  She wondered.

She listened to the creaking of the house as it settled in for the night.  All was quiet, except for the snoring of her husband.  She smiled, relaxed and drifted off to sleep.  

Searching

He sat sipping his coffee with the daily newspaper in his hands.  Occasionally he would glance at the coffee shop door as if he were expecting someone.  At this time of the day it was quiet.  The mid afternoon sun slanted through the windows.  He had sat there for three days now, knowing the person would come in sooner or later.  He had made the effort, traced all the evidence and it came down to this, waiting.

The bell above the door jangled as it opened.  It was she, the daughter he had not known about until two weeks ago.

Card Party

The bright, red, ball bounced down the carpeted stairs making a muted thud each time it landed.  It reached the bottom, announcing its presence with a smack on the tiled floor of the entryway before hitting the front door and sailing out into the living room.

Conversation came to a halt as guests and hosts alike turned to look.  Mortified, the lady of house’s cheeks flushed pink, as the sound of her three giggling children drifted down the stairs. 

“Excuse me.”  She stood up from the card table and headed up the stairs to direct her offspring back into bed. 

A Bit Of Whimsy

Once upon a time in the tiny village of Carthmat a blacksmith worked his wares.  He pounded and hammered, bending the iron to his will.  He was known far and wide for his skill and integrity.  All who came were served with the same dissembling grace.

One at time he would say, nodding toward a bench along the wall.  Whether prince or common man he greeted each in turn, expecting all to respect the one who came first.

When a bully arrived, full of bluster and swagger, he didn’t bat an eye, simply picked him up and set him outside.

Art Gallery

“Good Afternoon.”

“Hmm.”

“Stunning isn’t it?”

She shifted her focus away from the priceless artwork in front of her to the man standing next to her.

“Yes, it is.  It’s one of my favorites in the gallery.”

Beside her, the man turned to meet her eyes.  He smiled at her.  She smiled back, thinking how handsome he looked.

“Thank you.  I spent a lot of time working on it.”

Her confusion was evident; after all, the artist had died more than a century ago.  Her eyes flicked back to the painting before glancing back to the empty space beside her.

Fall Day

On a bright, sunny, fall day, with the air crisp and clear, the last yellow leaves clinging to the branches let go and drifted to the ground.

All was quiet until the back door opened and a child dashed out into the yard followed by her mom.  She picked up a rake and with focused effort wrestled the fallen leaves into a pile.

She moved away, dropped the rake and with a grin ran and jumped, sinking into the dry, crackling mound.  There was a brief pause and then she leaped up, tossing leaves into the air with glee.

Dreamless

Dark, it’s so dark I can’t see my hands in front of my face.  I am perfectly still, listening for any sound.  There is nothing to hear.  My eyes are closed and I focus on my other senses.

My nostrils flare as I inhale seeking any stray scent in the air around me.  Nothing!

Where am I?

I reach out with my hands and feel empty space.  There is nothing there.  My mind drifts, wandering in the blankness of forgetfulness.

What’s that?

There is a flare of light as my husband turns on his bedside lamp.

“Mind if I read?” 

Approaching Rain

The flat grey sky spoke of the possibility of rain.  Undulating fields of grain reached upward waiting for the life giving moisture to descend. The landscape is still, waiting. 

Insects filled the air with their rasping buzz as I pass through the tall grass, seeking to finish their tasks before the approaching rain drives them away.  A momentary break in the blanket of clouds sent a beam of sunlight earthward to shimmer on the stand of trees in the distance. 

I headed toward the trees with a quickened pace seeking shelter of my own before I continued my journey home.

A New Home

A mist hung over the meadow, seeping down among the tall grass and rising up in places to blot out the view of the trees on the other side.

To the east a band of light could be seen expanding across the sky.  Soon the rising sun would burn off the fog allowing them to see across the meadow, allowing them to decide the safety of crossing.

Many days of breaking camp had made their morning preparations automatic and they worked without speaking.  There was a sense of excitement as they realized the end to their journey was within reach. 

Tis The Season

The three women approached the doors with the anticipation of children.  It was the middle of December and they were making their annual pilgrimage to the mall for a day of shopping, lunch and visiting.  Mother and daughters, the three of them reconnected in this ritual of female bonding.

In silliness they teased each other, holding up outrageous items for consideration.

“How about this?”

“Ha-ha, very funny.  Where did you find that?”

Soon they were burdened with bags and packages, having found something special for each name on their lists and with hunger nipping they headed to their favorite restaurant.

Summer's Heat

Shadows danced across the window blind, creating patterns of light and dark.  Cool air flowed from the air vents bringing relief from the humid, sweltering heat of late summer.  Swarms of mosquitoes waited outside, hidden in the grass and bushes, they hovered ready to dive and sting the brave adventurer to leave the shelter of the house.  Inside, the residents were secure from the heat and the bugs. 

Restless from inactivity, the two young children clung to their mother’s legs begging for treats as she moved about the kitchen making lemonade to satisfy their demands.

“Enough!  Or outside you go!” 

Ten days into my personal challenge and I am starting to feel it.  When I came up with the idea to write a story every day for 100 days, I didn't think too much about it.  After all I was writing pretty much everyday, so no big deal to make it sure I did every day and, well, 100 days that's not such a long time.

Now reality is settling in.  I've committed nearly a third of a year to this project and that is a long time.  Not only is it long, but in looking ahead on my calendar I've noticed at least one week when getting access to my blog to publish a story every day could be tricky.  But I have confidence I will persevere and make it to the end.

The other part of this is the writing itself or rather not the writing per-say, it doesn't take me long to write these stories, most of them take less than twenty minutes, and its a good warm up for the work day, but coming up with a story idea and editing it to the correct word count is the hard part.  I will finish up a story only to check the count and find I am two words over or worst case one word under.  Now the work part sets in as I take out words, add words, rewrite sentences, check grammar and recheck the word count and repeat at least twice more before, hey look at that 100 words and I am happy with it.  How about that?

For me there is a big sense of accomplishment when I finish one of these stories and publish it which inspires me to work harder on the novel I am writing and the other projects I have in the works.  A great way to start the day.

The Waiting Room

Anger coursed through him as he paced.  Pale linoleum flooring and soft white walls reflected the fluorescent lighting. Inside the room she lay unmoving.  The soft whoosh of the machine sustaining her life mingled with the beeps of the monitors standing sentry around her bed.  Head bowed against the wall, he banged his fist as tears leaked from his eyes. 

“Why her?”  He muttered.  His shoulders sagged in acceptance.

The door to her room opened.  The doctor approached.

“She’s awake.”

He raised his head in disbelieve and hurried into the room where his wife greeted him with a weak smile.

Dusk

They came out at dusk, hunting for the nourishment to sustain them.  They slipped through the growing darkness without a sound.  Here and there they searched, filling their bellies on the lives swirling around them.

Another world came alive with the setting of the sun, a world filled with creatures ready to pounce on the unsuspecting.

“There did you see it?”  He asked his young daughter pointing into the dark.

The girl nodded her head as she watched in wonder at the swooping, diving acrobats of the bats as they hunted in the growing shadows catching their fill of mosquitoes.

Winter Snow Part Two

For two days the snow had fallen, piling up and covering everything.

Two young children waded out into the snow, their heads covered with woolen hats, their faces covered with scarves, bundled in bulky snowsuits with feet cozy in insulated boots, they moved slowly forward.  The taller one went first, pushing into the snow to make a path.  The younger one followed.

They reached their goal and with fierce determination set to digging.  Soon two sleds were uncovered and they shouted with glee. 

Today they would not be contained inside, today would be spent sliding and playing in childish abandon.

Winter Snow

The snow drifted down softly.  It landed, covering everything with a blanket of white.  All sound was muted.

He peered though the falling curtain, his eyes narrowed to slits as he studied the expanse before him.

Hunger gnawed at him as he moved forward into the storm.  He padded through the snow forming a path as he went.  His stomach growled, making him aware of his need.  It all came down to this, do or die.

He breathed in the scent of baking bread, set the snow shovel next to the door, stamped his feet and entered the warm house.

Today we are enjoying the first major snow storm of the season.  We have roughly three inches of snow on the ground and more is falling as I type.  It is really beautiful to look out into the back yard and see everything covered in white.  It brings back memories of a childhood spent outside as much as possible, sledding, building snowmen and lying in the snow creating snow angels.  I just might indulge my inner child and spend some time out in the yard or maybe I will will just make myself a cup of hot chocolate and cozy up on the couch with a good book.  Either way it is a good day to put aside the mantel of responsibilities for a couple of hours and enjoy the beauty and peace of falling snow.

Doing The Right Thing

The sun beat down on the parking lot.  A young woman, her t-shirt sticking to her back climbed out of her worn, twenty-year-old car.  This stop at the grocery store would be her only respite from the heat.

She walked toward the doors, her last few dollars in her pocket.

Near the cart corral she spotted a wallet.  She picked it up.  Inside were several hundred-dollar bills.  She sighed, took the wallet inside and turned it in.

At the counter was a young man inquiring about a wallet.  In gratitude he offered her an award, then asked her out. 

First Contact

“May I be excused?”

“Why?”

“Homework.”

“Okay, but no computer games until your homework is done.”

Tess nodded as she placed her dishes on the counter and bolted upstairs.

Are you there?  She typed.

Affirmative. Request landing coordinates.

Not funny Jeremy.  You know where I live.

Query: What is Funny Jeremy?

Ha-ha.  Give it a break.  Are you going to help with our project?

Affirmative.  Request landing coordinates.  Landing protocol initiated.

Tess shrugged; she entered the longitude and latitude of her house and hit enter.

Moments later her bedroom was flooded with light as a spaceship landed in her backyard.

Ship Ahoy

A lessening of the velvet black of the night sky heralded the coming dawn.  The fresh morning breeze swept her hair back, bringing the pungent scent of land to her nose as her eyes took in the solid green wall of foliage along the shoreline. 

Thirty days of hard sailing had brought her here to a new land full of promise.  It had cost her everything to buy passage.  It would have cost her, her life if she had stayed. 

She inhaled deeply, feeling freedom within reach.

“Ship Ahoy”

She watched in dismay as his Lordship’s ship sailed into view.

In The Park

She sat upright, her back tense, her small hands wrapped tight around the chains supporting the swing, waiting for a push in the crisp fall air. 

Her father’s strong hands grabbed the edges of the seat and pulled her back.  A momentary pause, then she was released to sail forward, her hair blown back, chains squeaking as they moved in their brackets.  The swing swooped down toward the ground and then up toward the sky.  It reached its apex and hung suspended, before falling back.  Warm hands met her on the back swing pushing to send her forward once more.

The Clock

Time!  Too much time!

He moved briskly down the sidewalk, aware of the passing of time.  His head was down, his hands buried in his coat pockets; he avoided eye contact with the other pedestrians.  Almost there, he slowed. 

A quick glance around before he ducked into the watch shop, pulled the shotgun out from under his coat and fired one shot into the clock on the wall.  The sound of shattering glass mingled with screams as patrons dove for cover.  Everyone froze in place and silence filled the air.

The ticking in his head had finally stopped.  Mission accomplished.

Who's There

Sprawled out on the hard wood floor with paws extended, the white puppy lay sleeping. 

He seemed oblivious to his surroundings and lost in slumber.  At the distant sound of footsteps coming down the hall outside the closed door he lifted his head, ears forward, nose quivering to catch the scent, his body tensing with alertness. 

Silence permeated the bedroom as someone came to a halt outside the door.  A pause in time and then the doorknob turned and the door swung open.  He swiftly gained his feet, his whole body wiggling as he greeted his master with sloppy puppy kisses.

Writing Challenge

I am going to take on a personal writing challenge.  Since I enjoy writing 100 word stories, the challenge is for me to write one 100 word story a day for 100 days.  Each day the story will show up under the 100 word label and be added to the total.

I posted a couple of stories over the weekend and am not going to count them, so when I am done there will actually be 102 stories written.  The last story for the challenge will be written on March 13,2013.

This should be fun!  :)

Making Changes

Okay, I changed my URL to what I hope is a more search friendly format.  I have noticed most people use the format 'first name - last name' for their blogs and well, when I search for favorite authors or anyone for that matter, I search by 'first name - last name' it makes sense to use that format for my blog URL.  

Its done now so no going back and since I just started blogging it shouldn't screw things up to much.  Ah the fun of trying new things.  It gets the heart pumping and the nerves tingling, just like standing at the top of a black diamond ski run looking down.  Do I go for it or do I wimp out and take the lift back down?  Me?  I say go for it, even if I am just sitting in front of a computer trying to expand my working knowledge of the electronic world.

Escape

The fog-shrouded meadow at the edge of the woods was quiet.  I paused, supporting myself by placing my hand on the rough bark of the nearest tree and peered out at the tranquil space before me.  Taking slow even breaths to ease my rapidly beating heart, I breathed in the musty scent of vegetation.  I tipped my head to listen, straining to hear any sounds of pursuit. 

Only the drip of water and the scamper of little feet were heard.  With a sigh of relief I brushed my tangled hair back from my face.  For the moment I was safe.

Starting over

In the cool of the morning the glistening blue ocean called out to the woman standing on the hotel balcony.  A slight breeze brought the fragrant scent of exotic blooms to her.  

Breathing in deeply, she sighed in contentment.  Coming here with Michael was a wonderful idea.  It gave them the opportunity to start over, to relax and explore their relationship.  Busy with careers and raising a family, they had found themselves sharing their home as virtual strangers.  

Mark came up behind her, slipped his arms around his wife of thirty years and nuzzled her neck.  “Beautiful view, isn’t it?”

Its Friday!  Yea, the weekend is upon us.  I am not sure why I am so excited about the weekend.  It must years of conditioning from working a Monday through Friday job, since now I can work whenever the mood strikes me, and yet there is something about the anticipation that starts when you wake up on Friday morning knowing that its the last day of the work week and at the end of the day you have two days of unfettered time.  Everyone around you seems more relaxed, more easy going than earlier in the week.  There is a bit more socializing, maybe a bit more lingering over lunch before heading back to your desk.  I am talking mainly about the office environment since that was the environment I worked in before I decided to work out of my home office.

I often get asked if I miss my previous job and I have to admit, on occasion I do.  Like today, as my husband headed out the door, I felt a bit of a tinge that I was not going with him, that I was in fact going to spend my day in my basement office, alone, typing away on the keyboard with only our dog for company, following whatever whim strikes my fancy.  Hmmm, now that I think about it I am pretty happy with this arrangement.  Three cheers for working at home, in the peace and quiet with only my own agenda to follow.  I might just go shopping this afternoon, after I meet my writing goals for the day that is. ;)

Just because its Friday and I have found it fun to write stories with exactly 100 words, called a drabble, I am including one in this post.

*

     "What's that?"
     "Humph?"
     "That noise. Don't you hear it?"
     Silence filled the bedroom as they lay still in the dark, ears straining, and eyes closed, listening for the smallest unfamiliar sound.  They heard a soft swoosh, swoosh, seeming to come from the hallway outside their closed door.  For a moment longer he listened before easing back the covers and silently standing up.  He picked up a book from the nightstand, raising it, preparing to use it, and moved across the room.  With a sudden jerk, he opened the door and there, tail sweeping across the floor, sat the family dog.

*

Have a happy Friday and a great weekend!

Success!  I added a short story as a post, figured out how to add the label gadget so my story posts can be found under a label tab on the home page.  Yeah!

Right now my big puppy is resting his head on my arm and looking soulfully up at me.  I think its time to take him outside.

In The Woods

There is a war going on in the woods… a war of survival… a war of dominance… a war to control limited resources.

There is only so much ground space to go around, only so much open air to allow the needed sunlight to reach the receptors.  Everyone stretches out exploratory units, competing for the best position.

“Sergeant.  How is production?  Are we getting enough UV?”

“The numbers are looking good overall, sir.  Nitrogen is registering slightly below normal.”

“Hmmm…  Send word to base command that we are seeing a drop in nitrogen and ask them to verify.”

“Yes, sir.”

Everyone turns back to their monitors while the commander continues making his way through the production control room gathering reports from various stations.  One of many control rooms located in this section, it is the one furthest from the roots and more susceptible to delivery fluctuations.

Outside the control room are scouts returning from the very ends of the new growth.  One of them, a young, newly formed recruit enters the room and snaps to attention in front of the commander.

“Reporting from sector 12AC.”

The Commander studies the young recruit standing there for a moment before responding.

“Sector 12AC, you say?”  The Commander asks as he checks the map on the wall.

“Yes, sir.”

“What is the situation out there?”

“We have stabilized our position along one of the opposing forces upper limbs and new growth is unfurling in the sunlight.  We expect to be providing UV and CO2 anytime now.”

“Any sign of resistance?”

“Not at this time, sir.”

“Very good.  Get yourself some nourishment before heading back to your unit.”

“Yes, sir.”  The young recruit says, saluting the commander before turning to leave.  The recruit’s unit has been struggling for days to extend their reach, to gain ground in the battle for survival and a short break from the action is welcomed.

Wild grape vines have reached the top of the invading plant and unfurling broad leaves they drape over the upper branches covering the thorny shrub in an effort to win the competition for sunlight, to soak up the energy needed to produce purple clusters of fruit and to restrict the growth of their mortal enemy, Buckthorn.

This should prove to be interesting.  I am not overly comfortable with the electronic world, but if I am going to pursue a career in writing then it makes sense in this day and age to get on-line and put my stuff out there.  After all isn't that the point, to have people read what I write?  What better way to do that then create a blog?  Where anyone with a computer can see it!  Yep, this should definitely be interesting.

You see, I am also not an extrovert.  I spent most of my adult life working in engineering with, well, other introverts.  I was comfortable there, IT support was available for those like me that understood mechanical devices with an innate sense, but easily got lost when it came to the workings of untouchable electrons and computer programs.  But that was before the downturn in the economy and my decision to return to something I enjoyed at a younger age, making up stories.  Now, I am branching out, navigating through various social networking sites, figuring out how to self publish an ebook, and now creating a blog.

There is a certain satisfaction in accomplishing each goal, both in developing computer skills and in honing my writing skills, I have set for myself.  I have found that my work days are full and interesting and not nearly as stressful as they used to be.  Although that might change as my husband has started making noises about, cough, cough, generating an income.  What?  The artistic value alone isn't enough?  I do have to admit he is my number one fan and very supportive, so I will make the effort to step outside my comfort zone and share my work with a wider reading audience than the couple of dozen friends and family members I currently share my writing with.