Teagan in the Labyrinth Part3

And here is the end of the chapter!

She shook her head slowly, “No, it’s not possible. It’s just this place, it’s magical isn’t it?” She looked up to him hopefully.
“Well, you are right about this place being magic. In Animus Gratia magic just exists everywhere, like oxygen. But some people can control it more than others.”
“Like Maggie?” She asked. He raised his eyebrows.
“Yes, Maggie can control magic a little. She kinda specializes in comforts; food, clothes, a warm place to sleep…”
“And you? What do you specialize in?” she asked quizzically.
He smiled and ran a hand through his sandy hair, “Well…some say I can work my magic with the women.” He smiled and winked at her. Teagan stared back at him with wide eyes, feeling as if she had been tricked. His smile slowly faded.
“Teagan, that was a joke.” He said.
“A joke? Liam, I don’t need jokes right now. I need the truth.” She stared at him, waiting for a reply. He sighed deeply then picked up a handful of sand and closed it in his hand.
“The truth? I can barely control any magic at all. I can alter things slightly, but that’s the extent of it.” She looked at him raising one eyebrow. He held his closed hand up in front of her and opened it slowly. He had been holding sand but now tiny blue pebbles slid off his hand and piled onto the soft sand. “It isn’t very useful for the most part, I could never turn sand into a butterfly like you just did.”
Teagan looked out across the water thoughtfully. “How did you know I could do it?” she said quietly.
“Well, for one, you have a group of fairies following you.” She looked behind her and saw the tiny creatures that she had assumed were butterflies and gasped in surprise. “They are drawn to people with magical abilities.”
Teagan stood up and studied the fairies closer. “Will they hurt me?” she whispered.
Liam laughed as he stood up next to her, “Of course not, they worship you. In fact, they kind of protect you. You do not want to come across a pissed off fairy. Here, watch this…” He gently grabbed her arm and held it up, palm up.
The fairies fluttered and slowly, hesitantly flew towards her out stretched hand. A red-winged fairy stepped onto her palm and bowed. Teagan brought her hand slowly towards her face to examine the tiny creature. It had beautiful rose colored skin that glowed slightly, it wore a dress of what appeared to be woven rose buds and grass. It’s short hair floated around her head as if she were under water.
“She is beautiful.” Teagan said softly, smiling.
Liam smiled, “ Yeah, they are.”
Teagan stretched her arm out again and a green and blue winged fairy landed on her hand, both bowing deeply. Teagan smiled widely. The swarm of fairies began to fly closer and land on her arms, shoulders and hair. Before she knew it she was covered and they fluttered there bright wings, cooling her. A tiny fairy floated in the air in front of her nose. It reached out a tiny hand and touched the tip of Teagan’s nose. Then it leaned closer and kissed her. Teagan could feel the cool, wet kiss on her nose.
“The kisses of fairies have the same effects as the pond, but it lasts a little longer. They are blessing you.”
“Wow,” Teagan breathed at a loss for words.
The fairies slowly started flying away one by one until they were all gone and flying in the air above her.
“That was amazing. It was the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me.” Teagan said beaming.
Liam smiled at her and to Teagan it looked like the first genuine smile she had seem from him since arriving here, free of all smugness and self-assuredness he usually possessed.
“I just have one question; you keep saying that you can’t tell me anything or that it’s not your job to tell me. Why can’t you tell me?”
“Well, it’s in the name. We are the Guardians of Truth. That is exactly what we do. We are kind of an elite secret society. We are sworn to secrecy and cannot ever break that vow. I know it’s hard to understand to an outsider, but I hope you understand that if I could I would tell you everything. Please understand that.” He looked at her pleadingly.
She studied his face and wondered what great and terrible secrets lay behind those warm brown eyes.
“Why have you been avoiding me?”She asked in a voice barely above a whisper.
He hesitated and ran a hand through his hair. “That’s two questions; you said you only had one.” He smiled in that charming half-smile of his.
Teagan rolled her eyes, “Liam…”
“Teagan, I like you. I really do. When I talked to you in the bookstore that day, well, it was the first time I felt like I could be myself. The first time I felt I could connect with someone.” She smiled shyly at him, “But, it is forbidden. It is not advisable for me to have any kind of a relationship with you, even friendship.” Her smile faded and she looked at her feet. He stared at her waiting for a response. After several minutes she looked up at him and smiled.


She walked over to the pond and dipped a toe in the water. “So, what else can I do with this magic?”
He smiled widely at her, “You can move the world of you want to.” She playfully kicked water at him and he ducked out of the way.
“Show me.” She said holding out her hand.
He walked over to her and held her hand in his. “Remember, the first day you were here? I had you and Taryn hide in the cave? What happened right before I came back?”
Teagan bit her lip in thought, “It started raining.”
He smiled at her, “Before that?”
“The lightning? It struck the branch and caught it on fire.” Teagan said.
“And when it fell into the cave, you were scared right?”
“Of course I was. I thought we were trapped inside. I thought we would die. I remember wishing that…” realization swept over her and she looked up at Liam, “…wishing that it would rain. Did I make it rain?” she asked excitedly.
“You figured that out all on your own, I didn’t technically reveal anything to you, remember that.” He said smiling.
“I made it rain? I really made it rain? It’s impossible…” she said shakily.
“No, Teagan, not for you it isn’t.” He took both her hands in his and faced her, “And you can do it again, anytime you want.”
Teagan closed her eyes and took a deep breath. After a few seconds it began to rain softly on them. She lifted her head up to the sky and smiled gleefully. The rain was warm and gently falling on her face, it felt like a thousand tiny kisses from a thousand tiny fairies. She let go of Liam’s hands and laughed as she began dancing in the rain. Spinning happily in the falling rain that she had created.
“You did it Teagan! You made it rain, and you can do so much more. You can have anything you need.” Teagan stopped spinning suddenly and looked at Liam sadly.
“What I need more than anything right now is a friend to get me through this.”
He smiled sadly at her, “I think…” he brushed the hair out of his eyes, “ I think that I can handle that. Everyone needs a friend.”
“It’s not forbidden?” she asked.
“Ah, screw them. There is nothing wrong with friendship, right?” he smiled at her and she smiled back.
“We should be getting back, it’s almost dinner time. You know by now how Maggie is about punctuality.” Liam said walking over to her and holding out his hand for her.
Teagan picked up her bag and reached for his hand. They began finding their way through the labyrinth as the rain slowed and stopped and the sun warmed them, drying their hair.

Teagan in the Labyrinth Part 2

This is the next couple pages...so if you are just tuning in...read part 1 first!




Teagan picked at a piece of grass, suddenly feeling embarrassed. “I have been trying to figure out how to get you alone ever since you came here. When you weren’t with Taryn at breakfast I figured today was my chance. Though it took me all morning to figure out you were here. I should have known you would be here.” Liam said, “Why did you come here anyway?”
“I just came here to be alone. I don’t really belong here.” She said quietly, staring at the grass.
Liam looked at her and lowered his voice, “Of course you belong here. You are part of us, you know? This is your true home.”
She looked up at him, “ You have been looking for me? Why?”
He studied her a moment, “I wanted to talk to you.”
“If you wanted to talk to me you could have at any time. You have been avoiding me and you know it.” She said an edge of anger creeping into her voice. “You have no idea what is has been like for me here. I have no one to talk to. I have been thrown into a foreign land with nothing. I am used to being ignored by Taryn, we never have been close. But part of me was hoping that I would have you to talk to. Do you realize that besides Taryn, you are the one person I know the most? And honestly, I know nothing about you at all. You are an enigma. No matter how hard I try I just can’t figure you out.” She stood abruptly and walked over to the soft white sand burying her toes in the warmth.
Liam hesitated and then followed her. She stared out at the lake, “It’s frustrating. I am here in this strange place, surrounded by strange people. I don’t even know who I am anymore. My parents weren’t who I thought they were. My whole life has been a lie and I feel like I am trapped in a bad dream. I don’t belong here. I don’t understand why I am here.” She spit out as tears fell down her face.
“Have you been reading the book?” Liam said quietly.
“The book? What does the book have to do with anything? The only thing I have figured out from that book is about Noemi and Devi. What does that have to do with me?” She said angrily.
Liam looked at her knowingly, “The book has the answers you look for, if you read it. That’s why the book chose you; it has a story for you and you alone.”
“God, that’s another thing, everyone here seems to know the answers but doesn’t want to tell me. If everyone knows the answers why not make my life easier and just tell me?”
“It’s not my place to tell you.” Liam said looking out at the pond.
Teagan sunk to her knees frustrated and covered her face in her hands and sobbed. Liam stared at her a moment and then sunk down to her level.
“Look, Teagan…I can’t,” he started and then hesitated biting his lip thoughtfully “I can’t really tell you, but maybe I can help you.”
She looked up at him, “How?”
Liam pulled her hand from her face and held it palm up. He scooped up a handful of sand and poured it into her hand. Teagan watched intently, confused. He then folded her fingers closed over the sand and held her hand in both of his.
“Now, think Teagan, think of anything. Focus on that one thing.” She closed her eyes tightly.
“Are you thinking of something?” She nodded her head.
“Ok, now open your eyes.” He let go of her hand and she opened her fingers slowly. Two bright blue butterflies opened their wings in the palm of her hand and flew off into the air, the sand had disappeared.
Teagan gasped and looked at Liam “That was you, you did that. How?”
He shook his head, “No, Teagan, that was all you.”

Teagan in the Labyrinth Part 1

I have heard that there a lot of people out there reading my blog! I know you're out there....but I can't see you...or hear you. So send me an email and let me know what you think of my writings. I need feedback so I can grow. So go ahead...tell me you love it...tell me you hate it. If you can't leave a comment here email me at bookwormquinn@gmail.com

So here is my favorite chapter of the book I am attempting to write. If you have read parts in the past this will be a sneak peek of the next installment. This is the first two pages, I will post a couple pages a day.

Chapter 8 from House of Dust

Teagan in the Labyrinth

Teagan lay on the soft grass and stared up at the glorious blue sky. Once again the weather was perfect, as it had been every day since the thunderstorm the day they arrived. Maggie wasn’t joking when she said that it never rained here. She sighed and rolled over onto her belly looking out across the crystal blue pond of water.
It had been over a week since Maggie had sent out messengers to find out more information on the whereabouts of Teagan’s parents and now she just waited impatiently. Wanting to escape the strange world she was currently trapped in, she woke up early and packed her bag full of food borrowed from Maggie’s well-stocked kitchen. She brought along her journal and the mysterious leather-bound book and searched for a place where she could be alone and not have to face another person, especially her sister who she feared she had disappointed, and Liam, who was content with ignoring her.
After hours of exploring Pond Haven in the early morning light, Teagan happened upon a beautiful labyrinth set behind the training fields. The walls of the labyrinth were tall, thick leafy bushes that were spotted in lavender flowers and smelled like a heavenly mixture of lilac and honeysuckle. She spent the morning wandering these strange pathways and getting happily lost in the flowers. She had never felt lonelier in all her life, but at this moment she was happy to be ignored.
She had explored the mysteries of the labyrinth for what seemed like hours when she finally came to the exact center of the labyrinth and found the most beautiful pond she had ever seen. Its water was a clear, sparkling blue and it was surrounded by soft white sand. Butterflies flew lazily in the air and Teagan could swear she could just make out a soft sound like wind chimes. The breeze blew gently and the sun warmed her skin. Instantly, she smiled widely at this piece of perfection and threw down her bag and the book. She kicked off her leather, strappy sandals and ran to the pond, jumping into the water. It was the perfect temperature, cool but bearable. She swam slowly in the water reveling in the perfection. After awhile she floated on her back and relaxed. It was the first time she had felt completely at ease since her parents had been taken and she wanted to stay here forever. She reluctantly stepped out of the water to dry off in the warm sun.
Now she lay on the soft grass just outside the pond, relishing in the warmth of the sun. She felt different somehow, peaceful and at ease, she felt that she had come to terms with everything that happened and was ready to face her fears. She felt more powerful, and somehow, beautiful. She wondered if it was something in the water or if it was the magic of this place, but at the moment she didn’t care where it had come from. She closed her eyes and realized her skin felt somehow more alive. It was tingling pleasantly and the grass felt somehow more soft than it had felt before, the sun more comforting and the smell stronger, but more pleasant. She could clearly here wind chimes now, but now it sounded more like the mellow chimes that are made of bamboo. She felt as if all her senses were heightened somehow and she ran her fingers over the grass enjoying the richness of it all. Liam crept into her mind and she felt her pulse quicken and her cheeks warm. She imagined his sandy hair and his deep brown eyes, the curve of his mouth, the ropy muscles of his arms. She smiled wanting to lose herself in his arms, but she stretched lazily and slowly opened her eyes.
She ran her fingers through her hair and realized that it had dried already and felt somehow wavier than ever before. She sat up and looked at the dress she had put on this morning, a simple knee-length, cotton spaghetti strap dress. She stood up and spun a slow circle, feeling her dress and suddenly the fabric became softer, smoother. Her dress had suddenly transformed into a pearly satin dress, the same dress, only better. She stopped suddenly, staring at her hands.
Her breath came in shallow gasps. Had she just done that? She had been thinking that the dress seemed too simple for this beautiful place and when she had run her hands across the fabric it had miraculously transformed. I couldn’t have done that, it’s not possible. She thought as she dropped her hands and shook her head. Suddenly she heard a noise to her left and though she should have been frightened, she felt amazingly calm. She stared at the break in the bushes that opened towards the pond with curiosity and not with fear as she would have done before.
Liam strode through and stopped short, staring at Teagan with surprise.
“Teagan? What…” he stopped midsentence and stared at her. His eyes moved slowly up and down her body, over her hair and finally settled on her face. Teagan knew she should have felt embarrassment, knew she should have felt the familiar flush in her cheeks but instead she felt strong, beautiful and charming. She smiled at him watching her, not feeling self-conscious in the least. Somehow she felt empowered and more confident. She confidently walked up to him and stopped an arms length away, she had the urge to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him and she knew, somehow, by the look in his eyes he wouldn’t protest. Yet, she was feeling strangely powerful and a little spiteful.
“Teagan, you look…You look amazing.” He stammered and smiled shyly, this was unexpected to Teagan who had started to notice that Liam was a little smug and cocky.
They had been here a week and for the most part Liam seemed to be avoiding Teagan at all costs. She was hurt and confused, Liam was the first guy she had ever had feelings for and before they had arrived in Animus Gratia she was starting to think he liked her, too. But since arriving here he had begun to be cold towards her, turning his head when she looked at him and sometimes even leaving a room when she entered.

Bucket List

So Brooke and Sarah have both posted great Bucket lists so I was inspired to do the same. But Before I do that , I wanted to talk about challenging yourself. I am really trying to get to know myself again. After you have a baby, a lot of your identity gets temporarily misplaced. You suddenly just become a "MOM". I love being a mom, but sometimes I can't remember who I was before being a mom. When I started this "Get Healthy" challenge I honestly didn't think I would do it...but I have and when I hit 100 days, I was so impressed with myself. I never finish anything. Ever. And here I am ....100 plus days later, still going strong and looking for more challenges! On April 1st I challenged myself to write 10 stories in 100 days because I love to write and I want to write, but I hold myself back because I am scared of what other people will think. But I don't care anymore, I just want to do things because.....well, because...I want to..it's as simple as that. Why not? Why not live my life without regrets? So I think when I finish my 10/100 challenge(and I will finish it) I will start a new challenge...maybe learning guitar, taking a Kung Fu class...I don't know. I just know I want to challenge myself this year, to see what I can do. That is the kind of role model I want to be for my daughter, someone who is not scared to take a chance. Another challenge I MIGHT be doing is this thing called Urban Dare. I say might because I technically have class this day. Urban Dare is kind of like the tv show "Amazing Race" in Minneapolis. It's a race...5 miles long...you have to stop at different check points and do fun dares like climb a rock wall or eat something weird (no bugs). AND you wear fun costumes! It raises money for breast cancer research. My sister and I are thinking of teaming up. I am excited and hope I can get out of class.

I was looking at my Bucket list from a few years ago and realized I have completed some (like going to a Paul McCartney concert.) and some I still need to do. So here is my new bucket list, I am making it up as I go...

1. Dance in the rain with Harliegh (to show her its okay to do things like that)
2. Dye my hair a funky color at least once
3. Learn to play at least one song on the guitar
4. Take a Kung-Fu, Tae Kwon do, or Karate type class
5. Take a dance class ( I always wanted to be a ballerina)
6. Run a marathon
7. Go to NYC for Christmas with just Tyler and my kids
8. Go on a beach vacation ( I have never been on a real vacation)
9. Read all 100 books on the classics list (at last count I think I had 40 or so)
10. Watch all the classic movies ( I love Casablanca and Singing in the Rain!)
11. See old friends and meet online friends
12. Paint a picture I am proud of
13. Write a book
14. Publish something...a book, a story, a small paragraph...
15. Randomly and anonymously send money to someone who needs help
16. Write letters to all my friends and family telling them how much I love them
17. Plant a garden
18. Learn to knit
19. Stand in the front row at a concert
20. Get a Bachelor's Degree
21. Get a Master's Degree
22. Go canoeing
23. Go camping with my kids
25. Be a good role model for my kids
26.Be somebody's muse
27. Go to the Ellen Degeneres Show
28. Go to a Conan show...if he ever gets back on tv :(
29. Visit all 50 states
30. Have a huge dinner party with all my family and friends


I can probably think of a million more...but that's all I've got for now!
Goodnight y'all!

Round Two

I think I am going to do something a little different with my next story. Instead of coming up with a brand new story I am going to finish a children's story I started a long time ago and I am also going to take my favorite chapter from the fantasy book I started writing and rework it into a short story. So...I am not coming up with a new one, but will be reworking TWO old ones. So you will get two for the price of one! If you have any ideas for story challenges for future stories ...send them my way.

Hopefully I will be posting at least one of those in the next couple of days. Stay Tuned!

Dancing with Ghosts-Part 2

Here is the last 6 pages of my story....so if you haven't read the first part, scroll down and read that first!

***

Charlotte sat near a grave a week later running her fingers over the engraved name and concocted the story of the life of the young woman buried here. She could feel Death watching her, knew he was close but she wanted to prove to him that he hadn’t won. He may have taken this woman, and millions more, but she wanted to show him that she still remembered them. She stared at the grave and thought of this victim of Death.

Cecelia Jane Moretti
September 16, 1962-November 8, 1977
Loved Daughter, remembered forever

She imagined Cece with long dark hair and a mouth that got her in trouble more often than not. She imagined that she was outspoken about civil rights and fought for equality for all. She died defending the rights of others as she got trampled during a riot. Her death silenced the town and they all mourned her in peace because she was loved by all. Her death was the crux that brought forth many changes that she fought for during her last moments of life. It was at this part in the story that Charlotte saw the girl once again.
This time she was dressed in a light pink tutu and twirled a handful of flowing ribbons in her hand above her head. She leaped and spun and laughed, blatantly ignoring all the unwritten rules of etiquette in a cemetery. She bubbled over with life and Charlotte watched her with envy at how unafraid of death she was. She was mocking death, daring him and Charlotte watched with wide-eyed fascination. Charlotte stood and walked towards the little girl, slowly, quietly so as not to disturb her. One step, two steps. Three. Her cell phone chimed and she sighed. Not wanting to go, but knowing it wasn’t a choice, she turned and left the cemetery.

***

A week later, Charlotte walked slowly through the cemetery. She was tired to day and wasn’t really feeling well, but she had to soldier on with her ritual. It was vital for her to show Death that she could conquer him. She stopped at a grave she had not visited yet and kneeled on the grass in front of it, preparing her paper and charcoal.

Madeline Claire Baker
January 20, 1980-April 2008
Wife, mother and daughter
Gone but not forgotten

Madeline was twenty eight years old, the same age as Charlotte now. She shivered and rubbed her arms; Death was close and was breathing his icy breath. She pushed him away and started rubbing the charcoal across the paper. As she rubbed, she invented a story for Madeline. She was beautiful and full of life. She was a dancer and loved life. She never wasted a moment and cared deeply for her perfect children and doting husband. She lived like to the fullest and when she breathed her last breath she knew that she hadn’t wasted a single moment. Her children would grow up to live happy, full lives like their mother. Her husband would eventually find love again, but would always know that Madeline was his one true love. Her family would never go a day without thinking of her and loving her.
Charlotte breathed deeply as a wave of nausea overcame her. She shook and stood up weakly. She regained her composure just as a she felt a gentle tug at her skirt. She jumped, startled, and turned to look into the bright smiling face of the dancing girl.
She grinned widely and waved before giggling and running off to the grave near the large oak tree. Charlotte watched her as she curtsied over a grave and began dancing gracefully in her ballerina slippers and tutu. Charlotte stood and walked towards her hesitantly, abandoning the grave of Madeline Claire Baker that had affected her so badly. When she rounded the big oak tree she noticed a young woman sitting at the base of the tree. She was watching the little girl dancing with a sad smile on her face. Charlotte approached the woman slowly and sat next to her; the woman looked up at her and smiled.
“Is that your daughter?” Charlotte asked softly.
The woman brushed a stray strand of hair from her face and chuckled quietly. “Yes, I guess she is my daughter.” She smiled widely and looked up at the girl dancing proudly. She turned to Charlotte, “I’m Linda, by the way, is she bothering you? We can come back later.”
“Oh no, not at all, she’s beautiful.” Charlotte smiled.
“You know, I thought it might be a tad bit inappropriate, bringing her here to dance, but usually there aren’t too many people here. You must be visiting…” she left the question hanging waiting for Charlotte to fill in the blank.
“Friends, just visiting old friends.” Charlotte glanced over her shoulder at the grave she had abandoned.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” the woman frowned.
The two women sat in silence for several minutes, watching the little girl twirl and giggle. The swans glided on the smooth surface of the pond as if they were the little girl’s back-up dancers. There was no music playing but Charlotte could almost sense a tragic melody that only the little girl could hear.
“You know,” Linda said, breaking the silence, “Today was the first time I have called her my daughter. It feels nice. I thought it would feel wrong, like a betrayal. But it doesn’t at all.” Charlotte stared at the women quizzically. The women half-smiled as her eyes rimmed with tears. She brushed them away hastily.
“Her mother named her Astrid. I hated that name, but I never told her. It just sounded so harsh for a little girl. She wanted her daughter to grow up to be fearless and strong. Astrid means “God’s Strength”. There couldn’t be a more fitting name for such a brave little girl. Her mother was my sister, she died with her husband in a car accident a month ago, and I got custody.” She pulled at the blades of grass near the tree and threw them in the air.
“She cried a lot at the beginning. We both did. But then one morning she woke up and was dressed and ready to go to school. I told her she didn’t have to go if she didn’t want to. She looked at me and told me that she wanted to go. I started to cry because I wasn’t ready to go on; I didn’t want her to go anywhere. I wasn’t ready. She looked up at me and she said ‘I am still sad that they died. But I can still feel them. They live in me and you and everywhere they touched,’ this coming form an eight year old. Can you imagine?” Linda lifted her head to the sky and laughed. “After that she insisted that we come every day to see them. She wanted to dance for them because they loved it when she danced. When she dances, somehow, I can almost feel them here, too.”
Charlotte stared at the little girl who paused a moment in her dancing to wave happily to her aunt. Suddenly Charlotte’s cell phone chimed its weekly reminder. She glanced at her watch and sighed.
“I am so sorry, but I have to be going.”
“Oh, no problem. Sorry, I didn’t get your name,”
“It’s Charlotte.”
“Charlotte. Thanks for listening to me ramble on. I didn’t mean to burden you with all that.” She stood up offering her hand.
Charlotte held her hand lightly, “No, thank you for sharing that beautiful story. I think it may have changed my life.” Charlotte smiled and walked away.

***

An hour later Charlotte sat in a tidy, sterile hospital room thinking of Astrid and dances with the ghost. Charlotte had been trying to fight Death, to prove to him that he couldn’t always win, and all along Astrid embraced him and accepted him.
Charlotte was going to die. It was inevitable. She was going to die soon and all the superstitious rituals in the world were not going to prevent it. For months she had done everything to deny this and today was the first day that she accepted Death. She had quit school, quit her job, distanced herself from friends and family because she could see the pain and truth in their eyes and she didn’t want to believe it. They begged her to spend time with them, warning her that she didn’t have much time to spare and she eventually changed her phone number. She truly believed that if she ran far enough away from cancer, it would never take her away.
Seeing Astrid in the cemetery had changed her. She didn’t want to waste her life getting to know the dead; she wanted to live life loving the living. She no longer wanted to deny what she knew was going to happen. She wanted to hold Death’s hand, who would smile kindly at her as he walked her through her last days. She wanted to live with love, not fear.
Her doctor entered the room, “So Charlotte,” he smiled, but she could see the cold indifference in his eyes, “You ready for this week’s treatment?”
She stared at him for a long moment then shook her head and stood up, “No, not today. It just makes me sick. I just want to live. I want to dance. I won’t be back again.” And she walked out the door.

Dancing with Ghosts-Part 1

So I was editing and proofreading my first shitty draft of the first story of my 10/100 challenge when I suddenly realized exactly what this story was supposed to be. That is why I love writing. you can struggle for so long trying to say what you think you want to write and then BAM!!!! it hits you and suddenly it all makes perfect sense. But by discovering this, I am going to have to make some changes with the form of my story and completely change the ending. which is good, I wasn't impressed with the ending to begin with so I am glad to see it go. So, I will be making changes and posting very soon. You will be happy to know that I have also already started my second story. I started writing a children's picture book story a long time ago and I have decided to revisit it and complete it for story number two. It will be a nice, happy change from this dark story.

But, without further ado....here is the first two pages of my first challenge story. I will post more as I finish making changes. Right now, the story is only 6 pages, so it's a pretty short one.

Dancing with Ghosts
Quinn Hay

Charlotte had never known Death. Never in her life had she had the opportunity to stare in Death’s face with his sunken eyes and stinking breath and feel the repercussions of his acquaintance. Never had he smiled cruelly upon her and crooked his finger at her beckoning her forward. She knew that before too long she wouldn’t be able to escape Death. It was inevitable that she would meet him. Many people much younger than her had met him and survived to tell the tale. Charlotte lived life quietly, holding her breath so as not to draw his attention. She was certain he was saving her for devastation. She was positive that she had been far too lucky in her life and knew death was breathing down her neck, waiting.
She considered herself lucky that no one she ever knew and loved had died. Sure, she had grandparents that had their own rendezvous with death, but she was so young when they died and never really knew them, having only seen them a handful of times. She knew that eventually death would catch up to her and she knew he would make up for lost time.
Fearing Death, she began a sort of ritual as her way of showing death that she was not afraid. It started as a sort of sick curiosity, which grew into an obsession, which grew into a superstition. She now believed that her ritual would fend off Death; keep him safely at bay away from her and her loved ones.
Charlotte was a grave walker. She walked among the graves of the cemetery as if welcoming Death and embracing him, making Death no more than a pleasant walk in the park with a friend. She counted the headstones and read them, studied them. She would press a smooth sheet of paper on to the headstone and rub a piece of charcoal across the surface. She would stare at the rubbing in melancholy silence and make up the story of the person buried six feet beneath the very spot she sat. She felt that in this way, she had figured out the secret of life and death. She was getting to know hundreds of people who had died; surely there was a limit to how many deaths a person can know. She imagined she must be getting closer to reaching her maximum.
Every week, once a week, Charlotte roamed through Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. It was her favorite cemetery and she loved that it was called Sleepy Hollow, as if you didn’t die, you just curled up for a long hibernation. She would walk the gravel trails and study the graves as she passed. Mourning over the lives she never knew. She would pause for a moment near the small pond and watch the two swans swim languidly in circles. She ran her finger of the plaque on the fence. Swan Pond donated by the families of Robert and Katherine Harper, May they rest in peace. She would walk in the shadow of the big oak tree and stare up at the bright sunlight reaching through its bright green leaves. Then she would be off to befriend yet another one of the dead.
It was on one of these ritualistic walks that she came across the little girl that would soon change her life. She almost missed her at first, dressed in white; the little girl could have been a ghost. It was an overcast and dreary morning when Charlotte first encountered the little girl. Charlotte was bent over a headstone carefully rubbing the charcoal across the surface of the paper as the words slowly appeared.

Ingrid Elisabeth Jacobs
June 7, 1920-August 4, 1928
Beloved daughter and sister

Charlotte was thinking of the tragic demise of Miss Ingrid Jacobs, only eight years old. She had fallen into a well saving her younger brother from a similar fate. The brother had survived and her family had considered poor Ingrid to be a hero. She will forever go down in family history as a saint and savior. Charlotte was just thinking about the grandchildren of Ingrid’s brother, who would owe their lives to Ingrid when a flash of bright white caught her eye, she looked up and there she was.
The little girl was dressed in a long white flowing dress. Her strawberry blonde hair glowed in the sunlight as she danced pirouettes around the tombstones, as if oblivious of the sadness and loss surrounding her. She was an angel dancing in the city of the dead. Over and over she spun as her dress twirled around her and she smiled and laughed. Charlotte watched her until her cell phone chimed, notifying her that it was time to go.

Soon...Very Soon!

Hi!
For those of you waiting patiently for my first challenge story...I'm not done quite yet. BUT...I am ALMOST done, then I will spend a day proofreading and editing and it should be posted by the tenth! Right on time. I am still reading Anne Lamott's book and I checked out a grammar book from the library to review some things. I requested the audio book of Stephen King's, "On Writing". I know it sounds weird to get an audio book on writing. But.....I am a SAHM and have very little time, so this works well for me.

I was really posting this today to show you what my creative writing teacher said about me and my writing. I grew to really respect my professor and trust what he says. Our class ended, unfortunately, two weeks ago, but he sent me a response to my self-evaluation yesterday. Here is a quote from his response:

"I hope you do keep writing. I hope you'll keep working on the Patrick Sullivan story. It has a remarkably sophisticated use of POV."

Compliments like that really keep me going! Sometimes I feel like I have no sense of whether my writing is good or not. I lack a sense of self-esteem, too. So when people say things like that, I want to strive to be better.

My story will be posted soon! Like I said, it is coming out a little eerie and dark. But I think I like the message I am trying to get across. Let's hope my readers will see the message!

Good day!

So just a quick blog to update you on the status of my story. Last night I started my first story for our challenge. It is coming out a little dark and depressing, but at least it's something. I have about 2 pages typed and I am guessing it will only end up being another 5 pages or so. It is not turning out my favorite, but that's ok. It's all about the practice.

So here are some blogs you should check out for some artsy stuff.


Nathalie
Sarah


And YAY for Nathalie for doing this challenge with me!

Five more days!

Hello!

Just a little update. I only have five days to finish my first story and I am not sure I can do it. But I am really, really going to try. I am finding it hard to sit down and try to write everyday. I do have a story in mind though so I am hoping once I sit down to do it, it will come pretty easily. I am pretty sure it will start out pretty shitty, but that's what is supposed to happen, right? According to Anne Lamott it is. I don't know, I have the really beautiful image I want to use in a story and now I am wondering how to use it. I guess you will find out in a few days, hopefully.

Send me some encouragement! I need it!