Story Fragment #5: Heather

Location: Library
Object: Fur coat
Character: Heather Robson (19 yrs old, gentle, impulsive, scared of dentists)

Heather Robson sat in the library pretending to read the book in front of her. Unfortunately, it was impossible to concentrate on the words. Nothing was able to hold her attention this morning other than the throbbing pain of her toothache.

Heather had been terrified of dentists for as long as she could remember. Now, at 19, she really needed to go see one, and just couldn't bring herself to do it. There had to be some other way to deal with this problem. Maybe she could just pull the tooth out herself and get on with her life.

Just as she was about to head home and give her solution a try, she was approached by another library patron. An elderly woman, wearing a fur coat which had seen better days, patted her on the shoulder.

"Don't fret, dearie," the old woman whispered to Heather. "I know just what you need. Take this card, and be at this address in an hour. If you are, your dental problem will be solved in no time."

"But...how...what?" Heather stammered. She got no response from the woman, who shuffled away and disappeared into the rows and rows of books.

Looking down at the card in her hand, Heather couldn't believe what she was seeing. The dark blue card, dotted with tiny yellow stars, contained the following information: Melisande Kaldar Othalon, Spiritual Healer. It also provided an address ten blocks from the library.

How had the woman known about her toothache? And how was she going to help her? Just what was a "spiritual healer," anyhow?

She knew she should probably just toss the card in the trash and head for home. But something deep inside her was intrigued by the situation and wanted to know more.

Story Fragment #4: Callista

Callista Carmichael was looking forward to her waitressing shift at Red tonight. The restaurant was undeniably unique, in that it catered strictly to vampires.

She had seen some pretty crazy things in the three years she had been working there. One evening, a group of vampires had arrived on motorcycles, their leather jackets emblazoned across the back with rainbow unicorns. Another night, she overheard a conversation about ostrich races in Africa, and one patron had even shown her a picture of himself astride his winning bird.

She hoped that tonight wouldn't involve any catastrophes, however. She shuddered as she remembered last year's  Halloween party, when a clueless human had wandered in with a pop gun, and had nearly gotten himself attacked by the group of angry vampires who surrounded him.

Walking up to a table of four patrons, Callista greeted them and took their order. As they ordered, she observed a tiny black cat under the next table, contentedly munching on a pile of cheese crackers. One she had written down the preferred blood types for the vampires at the first table, she continued on to the next, where a lovely young lady sat alone.

"Hey, Katrina--what's up with the cat?" Callista inquired.

"Funny story, Calli--that's my friend, Patrick. He was playing around with this old spell book he found in his grandmother's attic, and the next thing you know, he'd accidentally turned himself into a cat. So we have an appointment with Madame Yvette, so see if she knows how to change him back."

Callista chuckled and shook her head. "You know, I could never make up stories this good! I wouldn't trade this job for anything, not even a bag of gold."

Story Fragment #3: Meghan

It was a quiet morning in the desert. The lonely ghost town was miles away from any real form of civilization. Fifteen year old Meghan woke slowly, confused by her unfamiliar surroundings.

As she became more aware, it all came flooding back to her in horrifying detail. She had been walking home from school yesterday while talking on the phone to her best friend Kristy. She hadn't given any thought to the black van parked several blocks from the school--at least not until two men in dark clothes, with ski masks over their faces, stepped out of the shadows, grabbed her, and tossed her into the van.

The van ride had been long and uncomfortable. Her captors forced her to remain on the floor, and they had bound her hands and feet, as well as covering her mouth with duct tape. She couldn't see where they were going, and she soon lost all sense of direction as well as time.

When they finally stopped and she was pulled to her feet, she realized any dream of escape was futile. They were miles away from her home in Phoenix, deep in the desert. Even if she found a way to break free, there was no chance she could find her way home, especially not on foot.

The three captors, who still hadn't spoken a word to her, let her into a small cabin, shoved her down onto a bed, and after removing the bonds from her hands, handcuffed her to the headboard. Then they unbound her feet and removed the duct tape from her mouth.

Reggie The Rhino

The last time I wrote a poem was in December 2014, but one of the exercises at writer's group this morning inspired me to write one, and it just came flowing out in a rush.  I had a few people say that it would make a good children's book, so that's something for me to think about.  :)

There was a young rhino named Reggie
Whose political views were quite edgy
His jungle friends knew he was a winner
When he received an invite to the White House for dinner
On the night he was scheduled to dine
He polished his horn till it shined
He was dressed to impress--
In a tuxedo no less--
And he entered the room with an elegant air,
Then looked around for a suitable chair.
After surveying the room with a critical glint
He strode right up to the President
With a haughty tone he loudly declared
"Dear sir, I believe you are quite unprepared
To accommodate someone of my girth
As I would crush any one of these chairs of great worth.

TDK  7/23/16

Story Fragment #2: African Adventure

Sinece was excited to be on her first photo safari in Africa. Having spent most of her adult life in New York City, this was well outside her comfort zone but was something she had always wanted to do.

Today the group was headed toward the river, hoping to catch sight of animals as they came to quench their thirst. Sinece had overheard the guides discussing both a pride of lions and a herd of elephants in the area this morning, so she was dreaming of the shots she would take.

Laurence, one of the guides, suddenly shouted and pointed off in the distance. Following his gaze, Sinece saw a cloud of dust headed their direction. It was obviously a vehicle rather than wildlife, which gave Sinece a feeling of dread.

The vehicle, which turned out to be a truck full of military personnel, drew to a stop inside their camp. The guides and tourists gathered around the obvious leader of the group, who introduced himself as Major Obongo.  As he spoke, Sinece became even more distressed.

According to Major Obongo, he and his men were looking for a lost group of tourists who had been canoeing down the river. They had last been seen, with their four canoes, two days ago. Yesterday, one of the canoes had been located, devoid of tourists and equipment, at the bottom of the falls a mile away from this camp. There had been no sign of the other canoes or any members of the group.

Story Fragment #1: Possible scene for Daycare Can Be Murder

Arabella looked around the classroom at her young charges and smiled. They were all quickly settling into the routine after just two days, which was an epic accomplishment.

Just as she was ready to jump into the morning's activities, a wail sounded from the block corner. Kelsey Hanna, looking adorable in her pink sundress, had huge tears in her bright blue eyes as she spoke. "Miss Bella, Max threw a block at me."

Arabella  looked at Max Randall, who was staring at the floor as he twisted his Spiderman shirt in his hands. "Max, what's going on?"

"Sorry, Miss Bella," he muttered. "I just wanted to build by myself."

"Next time, try using your words instead of the blocks, Max," Bella suggested. "Now, how about you tell Kelsey you're sorry and give her a hug?"

Once the two children had made peace, Bella distracted Kelsey from the block corner by asking if she would like to be the one to feed Pickles, the classroom fish, this morning.

Hope Lives On

HOPE LIVES ON

By Teresa Kander

Hope trudges out the back door of the diner. The long shift had her head spinning, her legs weak. After she unlocked the car, she sensed someone’s presence. She turned, blinking twice, not believing what she saw.

“Will?” She was barely able to make the words come out of her mouth. “What are you doing here? How did you find me?”

He pushed his blonde hair away from his twinkling green eyes and his mouth formed what Hope had once thought of as an impish grin. “You know what I always say--where there’s a Will, there’s a way.”

She opened the car door then turned back to face him before getting in. “I’m sorry you wasted your time. I’ve got nothing to say to you.”

Hope’s mind was racing during the drive home. What did he want? How had he found her? What was she going to do? The knot in her stomach was growing, and the tears in her eyes threatened to spill over.

She sighed, recalling her teen years in Ohio. She had dreamed of a career in the music industry, of being a pop star someday--but those dreams were broken and left behind, thanks to a disastrous relationship with Will. They fell in love, he introduced her to drugs, and her life went downhill from there. Now she was fresh out of rehab, working as a waitress and trying to put together a new life. She hadn’t seen Will since they were arrested, and she had certainly never expected to see him here in Arizona.

She had to pull herself together. She was no longer the girl she used to be. No way would she let herself be moved by one short encounter. She knew she was stronger than that.

By the time she got home, she had calmed her nerves and formulated a plan. She knew what had to be done, and just who could help her.

As soon as Hope got inside her apartment and locked the door behind her, she picked up the phone and dialed a familiar number. The instant someone picked up, she had two words to say.

”He’s here.”

“Are you alright, Hope?” The male voice the other end of the line was full of concern. “What happened?”

Hope described her brief conversation with Will, then asked “So what do I do now?”

“Just go on with your daily routine, as long as he doesn’t threaten you. I’ll be there tomorrow, and we’ll take care of the problem.”

Sleep came in fits and starts that night. Every little sound had her wondering if Will were outside watching her. This was no way to live, for sure.

The next day was Hope’s day off, so she didn’t have to worry about Will lurking around the diner. Mid-afternoon there was a knock on her door. Looking through the peephole, she breathed a sigh of relief and threw open the door.

Anyone seeing Hope with the man standing in her doorway would have known in an instant they were family--same dark skin, same brown eyes, same shiny black hair. Her father had arrived, ready to take care of his little girl.

Hope hugged her father, then ushered him inside the apartment, once again locking the door behind them.

“It’s so good to see you, Daddy. I just wish it was under better circumstances.”

“Don’t worry, honey,” he said. “We’ll take care of this problem in no time.”

Hope smiled at her father and took his hand, leading him toward the sofa. Sunshine was pouring through the windows, so she could almost forget the fear of the night before and begin to relax. Just having her father with her made her believe that everything was going to be fine.

He turned to her, his only child, a somber look on his face. His eyes were dark and foreboding. It was time to get down to business.

“You know what we have to do now, don’t you, Hope?” His voice was cold and stern, and she was taken aback.

“Yes, Daddy,” she answered quietly. She was once again reminded of the chasm between her father’s life and the life she longed to create for herself. If she went through with what she knew he was planning, she would be drawn into his world again, and she might never be able to break free.

Before he could continue, she spoke once more. “Daddy, I know what you have in mind for Will, but I want you to let me try something first.”

But convincing her father wasn’t going to be an easy task. He had obviously formulated his plan before leaving Ohio, and he was determined to see it through.

“I don’t want you to get hurt, Hope. My way, we know for sure he’ll never bother you again.”

Hope twirled a strand of hair around her finger, just as she’d always done as a child. No matter how old she was, her father could always make her feel like that little girl. She often wondered if that was how he kept everyone in his life toeing the line--by that strong intimidation.

“Dad…” She hesitated before going on, taking a deep breath to steady herself. “At least let me tell you what I have in mind before you dismiss it totally.”

Reluctantly, her father agreed to listen to her idea. By the time she finished laying it out for him, he had to concede that it just might work, but he still had his fears and doubts. One area where he absolutely refused to compromise, however, was when Hope insisted he go back home to Ohio. He made it very clear he was staying with her until this situation was resolved.

After another night of tossing and turning, Hope set off for a day of work and of putting her plan into action. She had convinced her father to stay at her apartment, out of sight. If Will saw him, it might arouse his suspicions and ruin everything.

As usual, the diner was buzzing with activity through the early morning hours, so Hope barely had time to think. When she took her break, she went out the back door, looking forward to the quiet as well as the fresh air. To her surprise, Will was waiting there for her, leaning his lanky body again the building. His blonde hair looked as though it hadn’t seen a comb in days, and he was wearing his usual black t-shirt.

“Good morning, gorgeous.” He behaved as if their most recent conversation hadn’t ended on such a sour note. “Did you miss me?”

“Of course I did.” She forced a brief smile, then looked contrite. “I’m sorry about the other day. I was just so surprised to see you, you know?”

“No problem, babe. I was hoping for a more enthusiastic welcome, naturally, but I’m willing to let you make it up to me.” He opened his arms, obviously expecting her to step into them.

Hesitantly, Hope moved toward him and tried not to stiffen as he pulled her into his embrace. But when he moved to kiss her, she turned her head so his lips brushed across her cheek.

“Okay, okay,” Will smiled. “I got it. You don’t want to rush right back into things. It’s been awhile, so I can understand. You want to start out slow.”

Hope smiled and agreed with him, then realized she had to get back to work. Before she went into the diner, she agreed to meet Will at his motel after her shift so they could talk.

Five o’clock came much too soon for Hope that day. As she got into her car, she made a quick call to her father, to let him know she wouldn’t be home until later. He again expressed concern for the plan she was putting into action, but she assured him she would never let her guard down.

When Will opened the door of his room and almost immediately suggested dinner at a nearby restaurant, she was glad she had taken the time to change out of her uniform before leaving the diner. Her skinny jeans and purple silk blouse seemed a much better match for the man who stood before her. His hair was combed back, and along with what looked like practically new jeans, he wore a pale blue long sleeved shirt that actually had a collar.

Will led her to a quiet table for two near the back of the restaurant. They made small talk until they ordered dinner. Then he finally got to the reason he had invited her to this meeting.

“I need your help, Hope. I know it’s crazy, me asking you for help, but you’re the only one I could turn to at this point.” He looked honestly scared, and she realized it was the first time she’d ever seen that emotion from him. “Before we got arrested, I stole some money from my supplier, and he still hasn’t forgotten that. He wants his money back, or me dead, whichever is easier. And Hope, I hate to have to be the one to tell you this...but the guy I worked for was your dad.”

She was torn between anger and revulsion. “My dad? Are you serious? Are you SURE?” She knew her father was involved in some rather unsavory ventures, but if this were true, in some ways it was because of him that she had been arrested, gone to jail, and had to give up her dreams. This was just too much to handle at one time.

Will continued to talk, giving her proof that he’d been working for her father, and that her father now wanted him dead. Hope listened, but remained in a fog during dinner. She had never expected to hear anything like this when she started to put her plan into action.

“Will, I want you to come back to my apartment with me right now. My father is there.” She paused as she saw the shock on his face. “I know it probably sounds like a setup, but I promise you that it’s not. I just think the three of us should sit down and try to work this out before something terrible happens.”

Even though Will was less than enthusiastic about her idea, she was finally able to convince him to go home with her. When they arrived, she opened the apartment door and, with Will still standing outside, called out to her father.

“Dad, can you come here, please? I need to talk to you.” Hope did her best to keep the anger and frustration out of her voice.

Her father came out of the guest room with a gun in his hand. “This is going to be even easier than I imagined,” he said to Will. “I was sure I’d have to trail Hope to find out where you were staying. But instead, here you are, threatening the two of us, forcing me to shoot you.”

Hope couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “So it’s true then? You were Will’s drug supplier all along? While you were lecturing me on my drug use, and on my arrest, you were the one behind it all? What a hypocrite!”

“There’s a difference between family and business, and he…” Her father waved his gun toward Will, “He was the one who blurred the lines between the two. And then, to add insult to injury, he tried to steal money from me.”

Hope put her hands on her hips. “And that was the real problem, wasn’t it? Not that he introduced your only child to drugs, or even that my relationship with him led to my arrest. No, what you cared about then, and what you still care about five years later, is your money.”

He ignored Hope and stood in front of Will, still brandishing the gun at him. Will firmly shoved Hope behind him, attempting to shield her from harm. The two men stood nearly toe to toe, staring each other down.

Her father sneered. “So, Will, do you have my money?”

“No, afraid I don’t,” Will told him. “But it sure helped my mom live comfortably while I was locked up.”

Her father didn’t say another word. Instead, he rapidly fired six shots into Will’s chest, then watched him fall to the floor and smiled cruelly. It was as though he had completely forgotten Hope was in the room.

But she was quick to remind him of her presence. As Will’s lifeless body hit the floor and his blood spread across the room, Hope pulled her own gun out of her purse and pointed it at her father.

“Don’t move--don’t even think about moving. Just stand there and listen. Do you think any of this was a coincidence? I found out about your drug business from the cop who arrested me, but I knew I had to bide my time. When Will got out of prison, I knew it wouldn’t take long for him to find me. And I knew the mention of his name would be enough to make you come running. Now I’ll be rid of both of you, and I’ll be able to take control of my life!”

As she finished speaking, she mimicked what her father had done to Will moments earlier, firing six bullets into his chest. His body joined Will’s on the floor, and Hope completed the scene by wiping her prints off the gun and putting it into Will’s hand. Now it would appear the two men had shot one another. No one would ever suspect a third person’s involvement...especially since the apartment had been rented in her father’s name.

Back in her car, heading into the night and toward Ohio, Hope congratulated herself. Once she got home and told her story, there would be no questioning the fact she was now the woman in charge. Daddy’s little girl had found her place in the world.

END