Wednesday's Written Word on a Thursday: QUILL

The papers lay waiting,

Slips with words needing to be discovered,

A few weeks have passed,

will I find them or will I sit lost...

He hands me one - conviction in his smile...

I nod and unfold it...my grin matches his...

QUILL

***

The cold, cruel wind slapped at my cheeks; no doubt making the rouge I had applied obsolete.

It wasn't supposed to be this way.

Soft layers of cotton wrapped around my legs. I could feel the weight of the fabric, much lighter than was needed for the season, cling to my chilled skin. A heavier scarf fluttered behind my head, desperately trying to make me turn around and return to the house. It's pattern was simple, lines of deep navy, white and pale cerulean traveled from tassel to tassel. The thick threads knotting with each gust.

He loved blue.

Even now I could hear his voice.

"Who would not love the shades of heaven?" The words, a deep baritone that bellowed when excited. Then he would lightly kiss my cheeks. His rough beard scratching gently and his face glowing with love.

I always thought that if heaven were blue it would be the blue of his eyes on a warm spring day and that hell would be the blue I saw only once - so dark, so deep a navy that in its depth black at the core. That one moment, that one color, that one anger - I swore I would never evoke since and kept my promise.

The chuckle escaped my lips on a sob. Others had seen that darkness, had felt his wrath and knew that he was a formidable man. A man that did not back down from any creature. Yet when the cool cerulean blue returned they saw only the man I loved, the man I idolized and the man who had taught me of living.

Tears stained my cheeks, running down my chin and dripping onto the light blue eyelet dressing gown. He would not approve of the tears, of the sadness, he would tell me to remember that life is still right here. That standing here at this moment is proof that there is more to be done.

Dark brown mud glistened with dew. At the top of the mound lay wreaths of flowers, colors that seemed too bright, too perfect to be real. But I knew they were. I had walked among them in the garden for years, had played beside the petals and smelled their sweet essence. The marble headstone etched only with his name and our family symbol; the swan.

The breath ached as I took in the cold air of morning.

I know he is right.

But why must it be me...all alone...here?

The scarf continued to flail behind me, towards the house. Turning I put my back to the wind and looked up.

Above me, yards away stood the only home I had known. Stately arches and gardens all at once seeming larger than before. Eccentric lines, painstakingly built generations before my own, appeared too much for one woman, one girl to oversee.

"You are the mistress, Carina, you are the one I will leave Dowelunder for. It has always been yours. For in its walls life spills, in its garden life grows, and in its heart you are the keeper. Guard it well and it will guard you." At seven the words had meant only that the castle like home was a fun playground. It was a place where hallways changed, windows were more for traveling than looking and gardens where creatures I had once thought only in my imagination lived. There had been adventures, shared with those I loved and the one man who had taught me our ways.

But now, knowing the secrets he had so carefully guarded, I saw its grandeur, its possibilities and the idea that my destiny was still to be discovered.

Glancing back at the marble grave, I saw that no longer did mud cover the mound. In the seconds I had turned grass had risen to the top; deep blue green grass. Amongst the strands small bluebells had slipped in, creating a blanket of pale perfect blue.

A pain shot through my heart at the beauty but I held back the tears and let the smile come freely.

"Yes, papa, it is mine. As you were, as I to you and as we are to the day before us. I will be the mistress, I will be the keeper and I will see you again...one day..."

As the words left my lips I felt the object appear in my grasp. Small, silver and extraordinary - the quill of a Swan.

The key to Dowelunder and to the awakening day.

***

Have a Terrific Thursday!

"Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I just have one day, today, and I am going to be happy in it." - Groucho Marx

Wednesday's Written Word: Beloved + Love Letter Blogfest...

My Wednesday's Written Word has been taken over by loving thoughts for the literary characters who stole my heart years ago... Frankie came up with this idea in order to honor our literary loves the day ECLIPSE premiered. It is for some to showcase Jacob & Edward and for others to give light on their favorite literary loves.

The word for today is Beloved and it is for more than one man! *GASP* yes, I am in the love triangle (really a square) so commonly found within the pages of our books, so common that it is rare to ever select a book that does not have the now expected 3 hearts where one is meant to be broken no matter the odds or actions of the others...

Yet here in my Kingdom my heart is safe, my love intact and my dreams filled with thoughts of not two but three men (I mean my husband isn't fiction but come on my heart beats for the real life humorous character who fills my days as well as the ones who fill my dreams)...

***

My Dearest Professor Bhaer,

It is over tea, as we both dislike coffee, that I revel in your sweet demeanor and unique wit. Try as I might to avoid running into you on my daily walks, it appears that fate has still managed to direct my hands.

You at once recognized my inky fingers for the writer I have hidden. Your kindness knows no bounds and your patience unlike any other.

It is in your sweet smile that I blush and lose all train of thought. You care not that I forget my umbrella in the rain, or run sometimes through the fields forgetting my stature. Your counseling when I need help is something I treasure.

I will never let your love for learning, your excitement for teaching those children who would not have the opportunity and your ability to make me forget everything around me when I feel your hand in mine be taken for granted.

Thank you my beloved Fritz.

Your dearest Courtney

Professor Friedrich "Fritz" Bhaer - Little Women 1868; Jo's Boys 1886; Little Men 1871 by Louisa May Alcott ( I read Little Women every summer, it has been that way since I was nine. It remains one of my favorite stories and Louisa is one of my favorite classic authors.)

Dear Colin,

At first I was unsure as to why your presence unnerved me. Your dashing good looks and loner demeanor made me suspicious. My own haven had become habit and the fear of the unknown tried to hold me back. But it was the kind heart that you tried so hard to conceal that when discovered stole my own.

You gave me a new outlook, a realization that love can see past the physical qualities that we think mar us to relationships. Instead you embraced me. The me from the inside, the soul, the spirit that yearned to be understood and wanted desperately to be seen as stronger than even I thought I could be. You saw that. You saw me and I am forever grateful.

It is your love that steered me beyond certain prejudice and opened a young mind to the idea that anything is possible, mysteries can be solved and love can remain through the test of time. Our journey through myth, legend, trust, fidelity, past lives and reincarnation planted the steps needed for my current imagination to continue creating stories.

Thank you Colin. I will love you always...

Courtney

Colin McCallum- The Court of Three Sisters by Marianne Willman 1994 (This, like Little Women, is a book that my young hands read over and over and over again. The spine is worn down almost to nothing, the pages crinkled, it was a book more than likely considered a bit too old for my young mind but my heart understood every page. I still read it now at least once a year. It holds the adventure, the romance, the paranormal, the unbelievable story line that has since inspired many of my own works.)

So please visit the other Love Letters and discover new dashingly delicious hunks/ladies to haunt your dreams...

Have A Wishful Wednesday!

For other blogfest entries and other Wednesday's Written Word entries please visit my Original Works page.

Wednesday's Written Word (on a Thursday): Xeric

Back to the routine, he looks at me...

I nod, gesture to the bowl...

The slips are few, only 1o lay waiting...

He unfolds one, grins....

Xeric

I will kill him later...

***

Hard, red earth crackled below my feet. Beads of sweat dripped down my forehead, lingering only at my chin before splashing against my chest.

Why in God's name would anyone live here? Too damn hot!

My foot connected with a small rock on the ground and I watched it tumble beneath the prickles of a cactus plant. Splotches of red dirt covered my new white flats.

Six hours I had been walking around.

Six hours staring at shades of orange, red, and green.

Six hours - one big circle.

Of course the car breaks down in no-where-Arizona. Why on earth would I expect it to break down in sunny LA? Oh no! God's sense of humor is definitely at work today.

The lone bottle of water in my pack had been gone for four hours. The lilac and honey scented makeup remover cloths (not so tasty by the way) had dried out an hour ago and the concept that cacti are easy to extract water from had died fifty six seconds before being pricked.

I love that my GPS system - "Guaranteed to work anywhere - we have the strongest signal!" yeah right salesman - lost signal the minute I took that last turn. Serves me right, this trip was a stupid idea anyway.

My father wanted me to finish school at Brown. I wanted to see the world.

Well so far the world has made you bleed, sweat in places you failed to know you had sweat glands and jam a toe while kicking the tires on a lovely Land Rover. Outback vehicle! PSH! More like out of gas, out of service and out of its mind vehicle!

Thank goodness the sun was going down.

I had not realized that exploring the Arizona desert was going to be like leaving the country. There had been road maps, hiking trail guides - not that I would ever hike purposely - and Discover the Wild West! booklets at every convenience store. It would have been more convenient had they said: "Stay away - you will get lost city girl - the desert is really one giant dust bowl - go shopping instead."

For six hours I had walked around. Well for three hours I truly had walked a circle, then I realized that I needed to walk away from the car to find help. Yeah took three hours to nail down that I really needed help - go figure.

Father would laugh at this. He would tell me I was ridiculous and that in an hour he could have a helicopter scoop me up to bring me home. Only this time I wasn't going to call for help - as if the cell phone had not been dead already this morning.

I really thought I plugged it in last night.

I can only imagine my father's face when he gets the call that I missed my morning classes. The last time he had taken away the credit cards. Too bad I've known those numbers since I was nine. He was furious when he discovered that I had charged a month's stay in Paris - but never went. I hope that couple had a great time. They were so in love and such nice neighbors.

What were their names? Hmmm... oh well it doesn't matter.

This time I had cashed in some bonds and empty the account he kept for me. Now the money was hidden beneath the backseat of the car - just waiting for me to spend it all. He had always said that money was the answer to any problem in life. That it can write the book or erase the words.

Well, daddy too bad it could not erase six wives, two jealous step-brothers and the fact that your only biological daughter rebels at every rule you set. Money hasn't fixed that yet, has it?

Perhaps it would be different if I would not have realized that my own father values me less than his own income. Sending me to a boarding school because wife number five felt that living with a teenage girl would make her age faster!

My laughter echoed among the barren land in front of me; the only sound to accompany the jingle of my car keys against my leg. Oh she had not aged faster but she'd divorced quickly when she caught him with a woman half her own age!

The Gucci sunglasses hanging from my now stretched tank top slid to the ground. I bent down to pick them up and saw a beer bottle in the dirt. That's odd. It is the first piece of trash I have encountered. Straightening I began to survey the area I had been walking. The sun was setting and a light darkness had begun to descend on the dry ground.

Thoughts of my father had distracted me from my surroundings. The cacti, the sporatic long grass, the xeric flora was still around me but it appeared to also show signs of human activity.

Focusing I began to listen for signs of a highway. Instead I heard a coyote howl and what appeared to be music; faint and in the distance.

MUSIC! Yes! Okay where is it coming from?

Quickly I stepped to my left and followed the sounds. As the music grew louder so did laughter. At first I paused to make sure I was not laughing.

Desert sun really does make you crazy!

Stepping around the various cacti I started moving faster. The ground was hard in spots and slippery in others; the sandy earth was killing my calves with every step. The terrain shifted and I found myself climbing a crimson hill, dodging rock and weed with each foot closer to the sounds. Finally reaching the peak I froze.

Below me, only two hundred yards was a ranch style building. Lights surrounded a large pool, music drifted from a stone patio. I could see people mingling and hear their laughter. To the south of the building I saw more smaller buildings, each built in the same Mission style. I could not see a road but I did see an area designated for cars.

A few young woman carried trays amongst the group laden with glasses and what I assumed was food.

What on earth? Wait - is that margaritas? OH THANK YOU GOD!

Stumbling forward I began to head towards the crowd.

I passed underneath a light fixture and an alarm began to blare. The sound startled me and I tumbled forward the last few feet, landing beside a wall. My back slammed against the dirt and I hollered out.

"Over there! I just heard something!"

The music stopped playing and the alarm was turned off. I could hear footsteps as I began to get back to my feet.

Just as I straightened up a bright light was shone in my eyes.

"Hold still! Who are you?"

Raising my arms I closed my eyes to the bright light.

"Lucidia Grayson Calhoun - from Manhattan. My car broke down, like so far away from here and I have been trying to find someone. Please, dude, drop the light - its killing me."

The light maniac chuckled and lowered his flashlight. I assumed I must look harmless - but also like a tumbleweed.

"Welcome to Heaven' Agua Seca, Lucidia from Manhattan. I apologize for the alarm, we set them at night so that our guests feel safer. "

I caught the word heaven and again wondered whether or not the sun from today had gone to my head.

A warm hand grasped mine and I looked at deep brown eyes peeking beneath dark black hair. He was built like a swimmer and boy did I want to see him in a swimsuit.

"I am Cosa. Owner and manager of the spa. Welcome. Let's get you inside and we can help you contact someone for your car. 'K?"

Holy crap he's cute.

"Um, did you say spa?"

His grin grew and I watched as he assessed my dirt laden clothes. He paused at the Gucci sunglasses and the emerald ring on my right hand. He was no idiot.

"Yes, we are happy to offer you accommodations if you like?"

He led me to the front of the building, passing people all along the way. Everyone looked concerned until the music started again and the party continued. Two guys at the bar looked me up and down as I passed then grinned as they downed two shots.

"Sir, what are your rates?"

"Ma'am, for a standard room nine hundred per night. For a suite, two thousand - it does include all our services when you stay in a suite."

"Two suites, please, adjoining. I like my space. Oh and give me double the services - I've had a long day."

"Do you have a credit card you would like to use?"

The giggle bubbled out and I began to recite the numbers to my favorite American Express card.

Oh daddy! So sorry you could not come on this vacation either....

***

(Feel Free to visit past entries via the Original Works page at the top of the blog or the right sidebar menu - How WWW works: these are written on the spot with a time limit of 45 minutes - no word limit. Each word is drawn from a bowl where the 26 letters of the alphabet are represented by words selected by my husband. I have no idea what words are in the bowl nor which ones will be pulled out each week. I use this as a great 'interruption' from my current work in progress to keep my creative juices flowing & to not get bogged down with current major projects)

***

Have a Toe Tapping Thursday...

Update on this week's Wednesday's Written Word! + Contest Winners!

Good Afternoon!

Wednesday's Written Word will return this week - it will just be posted tomorrow on Thursday. I have a close friend who was admitted to the hospital and we went to visit him last night so I was unable to type one up for today.

BUT IT WILL RETURN!!!

Look out for it tomorrow! But I DO have an announcement today.....

***

Last Friday I hosted an interview with the lovely Vivian Marie Aubin du Paris! If you missed it, click HERE Well it wasn't JUST an interview, you know me...I had to give something away...

So, I know you all want to know if you won the books...the ring...the giftcard...yep...all that awesomeness...

Okay - I decided to do 5 Winners with the prizes:

Winner of the THE EROE & the OPAL Ring:

Carolina Valdez Miller!!!

Winners of THE EROE only:

Janet Johnson!

Liz @ Cleverly Inked!

Shannon O'Donnell!

Winner of the $10 Amazon.com Giftcard:

Anne!

Please email me with your details within 48 hours or I will be forced to draw another name - don't make me do that.... ;o)

clsbarr(at)yahoo(dot)com

HAVE A WONDROUS WEDNESDAY!!!

Wednesday's Written Word: Wicked

The word he selected last week for today...

Wicked

I begin...

***

Stinging pellets of rain attack my cheeks and forehead. The tiny beads pound against my eyelids while I lay on the grass; my clothes clinging to me as my body sinks deeper.

"Will she come?" The words are soft and barely audible.

I do not move in response to his question, I let it fight the drumming of the rain against our bodies, dodging the answer by pretending I did not hear.

I could sense his tension and wanted to laugh. So many things we had done before now. So many nights spent trying to find her; the atrocities we had committed in order to prove to her our faithfulness. He had always wavered, carefully walking a balance of how far he would go.

I had given up on balance the the first time I had drawn blood.

It had been a hot summer day and we were discovering that only certain acts would attract her attention. He had stolen thousands of dollars worth of items from a local department store and no vision. We had burned down an apartment building but she had not come. We had wrecked cars and gotten into fights. We had forced people to admit and act upon their worst fears yet nothing had worked.

Then there had been the brunette, Sarah. Sweet and funny, wanting to 'fix' our bad ways. She said she saw good in us that we weren't all bad.

He had liked her. He wanted to keep her, to take her away and to have her all to himself. It was then that I knew how to summon the one I wanted. The girl had screamed, had struggled, but I had won the battle. Her blood on my hands and my love had appeared.

She had stood in front of me a vision in coal black. Hair flickering with shades of fire whipping around her face and the smile was for me and only me. Then she had seen him. He was standing behind me, tears streaming down his face as his first love died on the concrete floor. Her eyebrow lifted as she glanced from Sarah to him and back to me.

Her hand outstretched she beckoned me forward and told me a secret. One that would allow her to be free, to be with me forever - then she vanished.

Since then I had avoided the secret, wondering if there was another way. I had stained my hands over and over again with the blood of strangers praying she would come. That it would be enough to have her here without it.

No.

It had to be her way.

He had forgiven me. He had stood beside me, helping me with every kill and hoping she would come for us.

The rain slacked off and I opened my eyes to a solid gray sky. The filtered light barely allowed me to see the trees around us. I had chosen this spot because it was special.

We had come here as children and first played with the darkness. It had been here that the shadows had come, teasing us, tempting us with their ideas. At first we had been afraid but then she had appeared. She had been our age, funny and engaging. She knew things that we did not and we wanted to know more. She had shown us how to start a fire with our minds and how to steal small items from the market. She was with us each time we succeeded. She had made it fun, an adventure that we came back for every day.

When we were thirteen she had quit visiting. Our special friend who was with us during every punishment was no longer here. That was when we began to search for her.

"Maybe we should begin." His voice was clear. The confidence appeared now that the rain slipped away.

"Yes. We should." Standing I looked down at him, a mirror of myself. Our eyes the same green, our chestnut hair parted on the same side, and our bodies built with the same athletic lines. We were identical.

I held out a hand, pulling him up easily.

His gaze traveled the edge of the clearing before meeting mine.

For an instant I wavered. My hands began to sweat and I wanted to turn away. Closing my eyes I saw her face. Porcelain skin, against a sea of fire; a curvy frame that beckoned things I had yet to discover and a mouth that with the slightest curve made my own water with desire. Needs rocked my body.

Shaking my head I looked at him. No longer seeing the mirror image, only the obstacle.

Before he could speak my fist connected with his jaw. He staggered backwards, shocked and dismayed slipping on the muddy ground. I did not wait for him to recover, I swung again. He barely had time to block my movement. Our bodies beat against one another for a moment before he regained his stance. His hands shoved against my chest forcing me on my back. Panting he stood over me.

"Why?"

"Because she promised." My words hung between us.

She had always been something we had shared. A friend that had appeared to both of us, had taught us both until Sarah's death. It was the only time she had spoken privately to one of us.

"I see." He stood up straight, towering over me. The advantage was his now and for the first time in our lives the fear of our mirrored strength crept into my mind.

Then he held out his hand; the creases of which matched mine. Hesitantly I accepted it and he pulled me to my feet.

We stared at each other; panting from the exertion.

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out the knife he always kept. I began to step back but he caught my arm. Placing the knife in my hand he looked around the clearing.

"She will come." Raising his arms to the side he waited for me.

I looked down at the blade before meeting his eyes. There was no fear only acceptance.

Clutching the weapon I nodded before thrusting it through his chest. The scream echoed through the trees as I plunged over and over again. The rain no longer here to wash away the crimson as it flowed against my skin.

My hands trembled and my body began to shake. Tears streamed down my face as I stared at the blank expression reflected in his eyes...my eyes. It took awhile for my breathing to slow down and my body to allow me to move.

Carefully I stood, watching the sky and the trees, waiting.

The minutes ticked by becoming hours. My head throbbed and my eyes grew weary.

As the light began to fade I sat down, propping against his side. I glanced back at his face, the life gone from his eyes and the mirror now nothing but an image.

My heart pounded as the pain racked my body; a moan escaped my lips and I closed my eyes to the darkness around me.

She never came.

***

For new members of the Royal Court, if you would like to peruse past Wednesday's Written Words please peruse the sidebar menu on the right or click on my Original Works page above.

Oh & by the way I just began doing the EMAIL COMMENT reply system - we will see how it goes! ;o)

(How WWW works: these are written on the spot with a time limit of 45 minutes - no word limit. Each word is drawn from a bowl where the 26 letters of the alphabet are represented by words selected by my husband. I have no idea what words are in the bowl nor which ones will be pulled out each week. I use this as a great 'interruption' from my current work in progress to keep my creative juices flowing & to not get bogged down with current major projects)

Have a Wicked Wednesday!

(though not TOO wicked ;o) )

Wednesdays Written Word: A CHALLENGE for YOU!!

This week is going to be a little different. Call it a Holiday twist for those celebrating Memorial Day...

Every Wednesday I write a story around a word. Sometimes they develop into ideas for future WIP, sometimes they are truly just wonderful distractions from my current work. Distractions can be good, it can allow you to return to your work fresh and open minded when you may have left it a bit bogged or confused.

Anyway, when I opened the slip of paper I saw: ASK ME

My husband sneakily did this so that he had a bonus entry of sorts. Well I waited for a moment, tapping my fingers on the keys, before he told me he had an idea. He knew the word he wanted me to use but he also had a twist.

Rather than write a normal entry he decided I should make it into a contest for you, my Royal Court. Next Wednesday I will write my own selection for the same word and post as usual. But on Monday, Memorial Day it is all about y'all...

So here is the word he has chosen for YOU!

Wicked

***

Rules:

In the comments write a quick scene, flash fiction, or dialogue inspired by the word.

The winner will be randomly selected by the Hat program (you all know I love it).

I will showcase a few of the entries here on the blog on Monday as well as the winner.

You must be a follower to enter!

BONUS ENTRIES:

Old & New Follower +2

Tweet +1

Blog +3

Please be sure to tally up your extra entries in the comments before or after your snippets!

You have until Midnight CST, Sunday, May 30 to enter.

I will announce the winner on Memorial Day, May 31st.

The winner will be able to choose from the following prize packs!

READER PRIZE PACK

Bran Hambric by Kaleb Nation, Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble, Jonas - Beautiful Dead by Eden Maguire, Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris (A Sookie Stackhouse novel)

WRITER PRIZE PACK

The Fire in Fiction by Donald Maass, Hooked by Les Edgerton

Moleskin journal from Barnes & Noble in Red

This contest is open to US & Canada only

sorry international members...

(I promise I have one coming up for you guys)

GOOD LUCK!

***

Anyone who would like to explore previous Wednesday's Written Word entries please peruse the right sidebar menu or my Original Works page!

Oh btw The First Novels Club blog is holding a 573 followers contest...you could WIN FOUR SIGNED BOOKS!!! FROM NYT BESTSELLING AUTHORS!!

No more needs to be said. ;o)

Have a Wicked Wednesday!

Flirt Fest - Blog Fest!!!

The wonderful ladies over at Critique_This_WIP decided to host a Flirt Fest BlogFest! I loved this idea! What Southern girl doesn't love the art of flirting? *lowerslashesandgrins* So if you want to see some great flirt'n in the blogosphere be sure to check out the other entries as well!

Because I am deep within my current WIP I chose to treat this one similar to my Wednesday's Written Word projects. I asked my husband to come up with a word that he associates with flirting. I should have thought that through. He gave me: Embarrassment. After I giggled remembering him years ago I began to type.

So here you go...

***

"Hi Carson!"

The soft southern drawl had me tensing. I had not expected Anna to be here this morning. Turning towards her voice I swallowed.

"Hey Anna. I didn't know you worked Sundays." My eyes roamed the tables of books behind her in an attempt to be nonchalant before landing on her face.

My throat burned as air left my lungs.

God she's beautiful.

Dark brown hair fell over bare shoulders. A pale peach strapless dress highlighted her long neck causing my hands to sweat. Beneath the fluorescent lighting her skin appeared to softly glow. Her eyes, always gentle, were deep violet. I had thought them blue the first time we met but then I realized they were the color of amethyst - a dark purple core with violet edges. Her soft round cheeks were always flushed and her lips were in a perpetual smile.

"I don't. I am actually here just for me." She held up four books before setting them on the table beside us. "What about you? I did not know you came here seven days a week, should we put you a bedroom in the back?"

Chuckling I shook my head. "Well, I had considered applying for the position of office manager; requesting a salary of books and an in store apartment."

"I'd definitely work Sundays if you did that, Carson." Her tone dropped and she shifted closer to me.

Heat crawled up my neck. We had always talked whenever I visited the store, but it had been about books and life. Of course I thought she was sweet, smart, gorgeous... and way out of my league.

All of a sudden I noticed the music overhead beginning to close in on me while she stared, waiting.

I wonder why she isn't still talking? Did she really just hit on me??

Raising an eyebrow she held the gaze a moment longer then began to pick up her books; a frown on her lips. I don't think I have ever seen her sad.

Where is she going? I wonder...oh. my. god. Have I said anything back to her yet?

Nope. Its been like three minutes.

"Well it was good seeing you Carson." Shaking her head she moved to walk away.

No! Wait!

"Anna, sorry. Um, I just...you know...you would?" My hands fidgeted against my sides, pulling at the pockets on my shorts. I have never had this kind of trouble talking to a woman. Ever. What is wrong with me?

"Would what, dar'ln?" Propping her books on her hip violet eyes bore into me. Her lips began to twitch as though she were trying not to laugh.

Great. She thinks I am a blithering idiot. Is she really going to have me repeat what she said?

Her face told me that she was.

"You would work every day, I mean Sunday, if I um, you know, lived here or shopped here everyday. Well, I already shop here everyday. But I mean half the time its so I can talk to you. You always look beautiful and there's that perfume you wear. Smells like cotton candy in the summer. But I do enjoy the books also..."

I honestly believe that there should be holes that follow us around, ready at a moments notice to suck us in and remove us from our misery.

Her eyes lit up as my rambling died down. An echo of humiliation reverberated in my head blanketing any sound of overhead music.

I could crawl under the table and die a very pitiful guy now.

Did I really just tell her that I come here so I can talk to her? Yep.

Did I really just tell her she smells like cotton candy in the summer? Yep.

Well at least I did mention books? Yep. Congratulations you are a Babbling Moron!

Masochism is not normally something I indulge in. Hives were popping up on my wrists. Yep, a panic attack is all I need to make this Sunday morning even more memorable.

"Carson. How come you never ask me out?" She took a few steps forward stopping inches from me. My stomach turns and I am dying to scratch the hives.

She has to tilt her head to look directly at me. I had never noticed how much taller I was than her or the freckles that run across her nose.

Even though I wanted to dive into the ground or at least roll around in cortisone cream my gaze was locked on hers. Her lips tilted forming the smallest pout and her lashes seemed to grow right before my eyes. A long stray hair lay against her left cheek almost touching the corner of her eye.

My fingers were fidgeting again. Only this time my right hand moved towards her.

What are you doing? No. Don't touch her.

My hand was at her cheek, hovering so close.

Don't do it...don't...yeah maybe you can get a trophy for being such a moron.

My fingers slid against her skin; the warmth of her body startled me as I moved the hair back. Gently I tucked it behind her ear. Her eyes softened and her lashes fluttered, butterfly wings held nothing on lashes like hers.

Ah well. At least she did not jump when you touched her. That's good. Right?

"Carson?"

I put my hand back at my side. "Yeah."

"What do you think about Italy?"

Did she just ask me about Italy?

"Um, as a country, I am sure its phenomenal. The history of course is mind boggling. Um, they uh, speak Italian there..."

Yep - too bad you can't somehow be teleported there after such a dumb statement. You are a history professor with an expansive vocabulary and you summed up Italy with mind boggling history and that they speak Italian? It is amazing you can walk without falling down all the time.

She laughed. Hard. The light caught her eyes and the amount of amusement was gut wrenching. Her free hand covered her mouth and for a moment I truly did want to die. Right then, right there on the dark blue carpet in the bookstore. The song over my head lamenting my humiliation with its horrible tune.

That's it. You are done for. You just became bookstore gossip and a failure at being remotely interesting for the opposite sex. Pack up your bags moron and lets head over to crazy town.

After what seemed like hours she cleared her throat.

"Yes - they do speak Italian. What about the food? Do you like pasta?"

Does she cook? I mean its okay if she doesn't but is she trying to say she can cook pasta or is she Italian? Of course she isn't Italian. Though she could be. Maybe. Wait, didn't she ask a question? Oh yeah..

"I love pasta."

Why love? I mean pasta's good but do I love it? Sometimes. I loved how she laughed. It was deep and rich, not some silly giggle. She's watching me again. There wasn't another question, was there?

"Okay...well there's a great restaurant down by the lake; Petrocinni's. It is wonderful! Have you been there?"

Her grin widens as I shake my head. "No. But I'll be sure to give it a try."

Chuckling she moves to my side slipping her hand through the crook of my arm. Immediately my body responds; electricity dances atop my skin. For a second I worry the hives will worsen but all I can feel is excitement from her touch.

"How about we go there tonight? After we buy our books." She begins to steer me towards the history section knowing it is where I normally camp out.

"Dinner? Tonight? Us?" It is difficult to process words right now as her invitation travels the channels of my brain.

"Yes. Though maybe we should grab a book on Italy. You know just to learn some interesting tidbits." A quick look at her profile and I see her try to disguise her amusement.

Oh my god is she making fun of me?

Well would it really be a shock after today's display? You're a professor for gosh sakes who can't even carry on a simple conversation!

Glancing down I see her smiling at me; her eyes twinkling between jet black lashes. She squeezes my arm a bit tighter as we walk side by side.

She is so beautiful. I can't believe she just asked me out! She asked me!

Maybe being a blithering moron isn't so bad after all....

Who knew?

***

Have a Sensational Sunday!

Wednesday's Written Word: Reminiscence

The television flickers in the background,

He puts the bowl on the table.

12 slips remain,

Nervously I nod,

He unfolds the crisp white paper....

Reminiscence

***

Soft chimes echo through the hallway while her feet slip along the hardwood floors. The sweet laugh escapes between her lips as she slides around a door frame; memories of skating flicker in her mind.

She steadies herself as her fingers curl around the doorknob. The mirror beside her shows a peach cheeked woman flushed with excitement. Her eyes are shining while long blonde curls fall haphazard over her shoulders.

Time has been kind to her. The soft lines along her eyes enhance the mischief conveyed in a grin and the soft sleeveless gray dress clings to curves that speak of motherhood; with a sigh she pulls open the door.

He does not speak only stares. He'd known she was the one from the moment he had met her. The day had been blistering, he'd lost his keys and she'd offered him a way home. but after the short ride she'd invited him over to visit. He had discovered sweet tea on a veranda wasn't just for the movies.

She'd made him court her. Movies with sidelong glances, dinners with talk of dreams, afternoons of picnics, evenings in the park skating during winter and weekends with friends.

Her parents had worried and his had hoped. Classes became more hectic and stress tried to break in. There had been one time where questions had risen but with work and love they had become stronger.

A spring night surrounded by friends and family had him on one knee where the words were few yet the love was overwhelming. Months later their love was shared with those who had witnessed its beginning. Their blessing was unanimous and their happiness was contagious.

Time passed.

Laughter filled hours.

In silence comfort was found.

Strength in a gentle touch.

Careers chosen.

Priorities were shifted.

He remembered the moment she had told him that their life was about to change forever. The fear that crawled up his gut threatened to ruin the announcement. It had been her smile that had chased it away. In her face he saw her faith and in his heart he had known that anything done with her was an adventure worth taking.

Falling in love all over again with her image incarnate.

Diapers.

First words.

First steps.

Dolls.

Giggles.

Dresses.

Makeup.

Fights.

Driving.

Hugs.

Tears.

Dating.

Patience.

Love.

Heartbreak.

High School.

College.

A life of changes, struggles, laughter, tears, heartache yet every day was worth repeating.

"What's wrong?" her eyebrow lifted and her dimple pierced her cheek.

He roamed her face then glancing down her figure. He shook his head at the stocking feet.

"Were you sliding in the hall?"

"What's it to you?" the indignant tone was playful as she stared back at him, her head cocked to the side.

His lips curled as he watched her.

"Nothing. I just wondered."

"Well, as much as I would love to chat. Did you um, need something?" Her stance shifted and he noticed the ripple of light cotton against her hips. All of a sudden the day's agenda did not matter.

"Matter of fact, I do." He stepped towards the door and she moved back. A confused look filled her hazel eyes.

Closing the door behind him he placed his hand on her waist and pulled her to him. She laughed at the movement; the sound abruptly cut short when she saw the fire in his eyes.

"Oh." the whisper was lost as he kissed her. Their bodies melded together, reacting to each other with a knowledge unlike any other. Desire swept between them sweet and strong; years of tasting and testing the waters filtered within their hearts.

Pulling back she smiled at him. Her fingers running through his hair lingering amongst the soft white tufts at his ears.

"Is everything okay?" A faint hint of worry laced her words.

chuckling he kissed her nose "I just forgot my keys."

"Oh and I thought it was your inability to resist my stocking feet."

Leaning back from her he slowly slid one foot then the other from his loafers.

"There is that. But really I just wanted to show you how its done!" he gently pushed her aside and headed for the hallway. His laughter floating behind him.

"Why you little - hey no fair!"

He heard her footsteps padding down the hall behind him and he grinned. Perhaps after "skating" they could go to a movie, have dinner or sip tea on the porch.

After all it was hot outside and he had forgotten his keys...

***

Have a Wonderful Wednesday!

As always, For members of the Royal Court new to my Wednesday's Written Word series please peruse the past entries under my Original Works page or via the right sidebar menu. (How it works: these are written on the spot with a time limit of 45 minutes - no word limit. Each word is drawn from a bowl where the 26 letters of the alphabet are represented by words selected by my husband. I have no idea what words are in the bowl nor which ones will be pulled out each week. I use this as a great 'interruption' from my current work in progress to keep my creative juices flowing & to not get bogged down with current major projects)

Wednesday's Written Word: LIGHT

The fan spins overhead...

Sweat beads below my lip...

My fingers anxiously await the deciding factor...

I watch as he begins to sift through remaining slips of paper...

He looks up...

I inhale...

Light

I let the air out and turn to the familiar keys....

***

Laughter.

Rich, full laughter fills my ears.

My body tingles with the excitement that her blue eyes hold. I want to move quickly, to find that special moment where she sees me for the first time.

Plush carpet beneath my feet has my mind on clouds of white and cotton candy summers. My legs no longer ache and my mind no longer burns with the disturbing heat.

The laughter comes again, only this time ending with a giggle. Sweet and cute, the sound is purely female.

Weaving through the house I ignore the piles of dirty clothes and magazines yet to be read. I'm oblivious to the dishes that wait to be washed in the sink. They no longer matter.

There is only the sound of utter joy that leads me to my goal.

I hear the voice of an angel singing her ABC's and the bark of a dog welcoming home it's favorite friend.

Her laughter rumbles again, smothered only by what I am sure is the love of a treasured pet.

I grin, steps away from what I know is paradise when I hear his voice. My smile grows wider. He compliments her on her dress and I hear her polite response.

My heart swells at the thought of two people so special, so amazing, so missed.

As I walk down the hall, photographs line every inch. She is so small, so precious. He is so handsome, so loving. There are three photos on the end. Very special photos.

We are all four together. Captured together only three times before the loss, forever frozen within the frame.

She laughs again and calls for me up ahead.

A tear begins to travel down my cheek but I brush it away. No longer will there be tears, no longer will there be sadness.

I step forward and see them.

She smiles, her deep blue eyes sparkle with joy. He holds out his hand and the dog dances at his feet. I cannot contain the love that pours from my heart as I grasp onto him.

She begins to sing again. Only this time it is the lullaby I used to sing when she was scared of the dark. I shake my head.

"No need, darling, I am not afraid. There is no more darkness."

Together we step outside and into an eternity only found within the light.

***

For members of the Royal Court new to my Wednesday's Written Word series please peruse the past entries under my Original Works page or via the right sidebar menu.

(How it works: these are written on the spot with a time limit of 45 minutes - no word limit. Each word is drawn from a bowl where the 26 letters of the alphabet are represented by words selected by my husband. I have no idea what words are in the bowl nor which ones will be pulled out each week. I use this as a great 'interruption' from my current work in progress to keep my creative juices flowing & to not get bogged down with current major projects)

Have a Wondrous Wednesday!

WEDNESDAY'S WRITTEN WORD: ESCAPE + FINAL DAY CLUE!!!!!!!

On the phone...

Miles away...

He sits in front of the bowl...

Amidst sounds of a strange city I wait with bated breath...

In the quiet of our home he pulls the paper out...

ESCAPE

The city disappears as my fingers find the keys....

***

Screams echo off the stone walls as the smell of loss swamps the air. Another one is lost to the darkness. I feel the cold hard dirt solid beneath my feet; worn smooth by the diggers before me. My toes curl while I crouch beside the wall yet they merely scratch the surface.

I've been told that there is a place where the earth is loose between your toes. It is soft and comforting, a promise of life within its crumbling pieces. Here the floors only breed sorrow and death. Beneath my nails, caked with sweat, are bits of that death. I taste it when the nerves overcome me and I have nothing to grasp in my hands. It is impossible to stop the fingers from touching my lips, from my teeth nibbling on the nails and feeling the grit across my tongue.

Once I believed that the dirt was the only food I would ever eat again. No longer. Weeks had passed since the nerves had fed my hunger. Stories of hope now fed my belly.

At first I desperately tried to ignore them, to pretend that they were only in the imagination of the weak. Yet here I was crouched along the earthen wall for a glimpse of what was called sunlight.

Rumors had begun about a light so bright it could blind you and water that ran free, clear of silt and worms. The idea was preposterous but so tempting. It was a dream that I had banked for months after he came.

The man who held in his hand a small green leaf had finally convinced me. GREEN! The word was new and beautiful in my mind. We had never seen such a brilliance, never held such a tender object in our hand. I had stood there watching him talk, not hearing all the words only seeing the herb he clutched as though it were his child. He spoke of things I had never heard of.

The man had appeared in our crossway. Thrown on the ground by the Leaders, covered in mud. His wet appearance had been bizarre but it had been his hands that had made us listen.

No callouses wore down his palms. His nails were clean and his wrist free of the burns from the straps. The crevices in his knuckles were clean of the smoke that stains us so easily. He had not been down here before, he was from somewhere we had never thought to imagine.

We worked for the Leaders. Digging into the hard earth, breaking it away in huge chunks only to find small sections of a shining stone they snatched from our hands before we could even see what it was. The Leaders were brutal on those that could not produce enough of the shiny stones. A beating by their strap could cut deep into your back or worse break a bone that could not be seen.

So many people had been lost over the years. Today two more children had been turned over to the Leaders. Their bodies limp and their eyes wide, staring blindly into the darkness. The sorrow was palpable today.

I had watched the cold, damp earth claim my parents when I was five. Their bodies already brittle from the hard work when the sickness that stole their breath with its ruthless cough ripped them from me.

The man had changed everything. I had seen the herb, smelled its richness and now I stood facing the strap if discovered. My breath came out slow and steady as I waited for the Leaders to end their daily post. This would be easy.

The plan was simple. An object dangled from the hip of one of the Leaders. I had stolen it two hours ago when he fell asleep watching the early digs. The object now rested in my right hand. There was only one place in all the crossways that was not the familiar brown earth. It was an entry wall made out of a hard material with a hole that they placed the object into every night.

Right now the entry stood only a few feet from me across the hall. The Leaders would be here soon, especially when they discovered the missing object.

I straightened and glanced down at the cold oddly shaped thing in my hand. There is no promise that it would show me where the man had come from. I had nothing to guarantee that wherever it took me would be better or even different from here. Gripping it tightly I carefully crossed the room. The familiar padding of my feet gave me the confidence to make the final steps.

After inspecting the hole I glanced down the hallway. I was losing precious time, the sounds of our picks in the distance told me that digging would be halted for meal break. It was now or never.

Lifting the object I turned it to fit into the hole. It hung there not moving nor changing the entry. I remembered that the Leaders always moved it. Closing my dirt laden hand around it I began to twist it. After a second of resistance my hand moved in a circle. I jumped at the soft click and stepped back. The heavy entry moved away from me revealing its other side.

A silent stairwell curled upward in front of me. It was not dirt but a gray rough looking block system. Glancing back at the crossway I smiled. Turning I took a step forward. My foot hovered over the steps hesitantly before meeting a new type of surface. This one was not earth packed by the many steps of lost friends and family. It was cold, rough like a callous and most importantly it was something I had never seen before.

The man was right. Our dungeons were not all that existed...it was time to see about those herbs. I did not look back at the dark earth that had been my home for eleven years, I only looked up praying that with every movement I grew closer to what he had called freedom.

***

Okay here is the FINAL CLUE!!! Come back tomorrow to name everything before midnight!!!

Gnick was so excited for our final tour stop! He truly thought it the highlight of our trip.

#10 Name the landmark location. Yep it is said that the doors to this house are always open - even when the original family lived here. They loved to have guests! In fact in one year they had over 700 people stay here! Can you imagine?

Gnick loved everything: the view, the classic structures and his most favorite spot: The Garden!

He even said that if he wasn't such a roaming Gnome he might consider this place as a final destination! But alas, he chose to stay with us and we are so glad he did!

***

Have a Wonderful Wandering Wednesday!!!

(As always if you are not familiar with Wednesday's Written Word you are welcome to peruse my Original Works Page or click a dated entry on the right sidebar to read past entries)