Monthly Archives: July 2009

The Dating Game

Sunday Scribbling prompt #170 : human

She dressed with care, having discarded dresses that were too short, too revealing, not sexy enough, made her look fat.  She had finally gone shopping, blew a weeks pay on a little cocktail dress and shoes to match.  Got it zipped, where are those earrings?

Two weeks ago she had made the decision to go ahead and sign up for an account on eLove.com and she had filled out her profile of likes and dislikes and what she looked for in a man.  Hmmph, breathing, single, heterosexual, and employed.  She really wasn’t that fussy.  The website promised an experience that was out of this world. She had splurged on a manicure and pedicure, had her roots touched up,  She slipped on her shoes and examined herself in the mirror.  Not too bad.

The mirror showed a slightly middle-aged woman with thinning hair, a little bit of bulge and skin no amount of moisturizer would make look nineteen again, dressed to go on the prowl.  She saw an attractive, put together, vital creature in her prime, ready for love. She put on her Luscious Wine lipstick, blotted her lips on a tissue and grabbed her little purse with her mad money, I.D., pepper spray, and breath mints tucked in the bottom.

Last week she had checked her inbox and there was an email notifying her that someone had checked her profile and wished to meet.  There was a link to click on to see his profile and respond.  she clicked it and was pleasantly surprised.  He wasn’t bad looking, had all his hair.  He had beautiful green eyes and a nice smile.  He liked traveling, having new experiences, learning new things.  He listed his business status as consultant.  That sounded like it paid well and when she suggested they meet at Brocatto’s he didn’t bat an eye.  She decided to use some of her bill money on a taxi instead of taking the bus.  She wanted to make a good impression on what could be her future and smelling like some of the riff raff on the bus was not her idea of classy.

She took one last look around the apartment.  She had dusted all the knick knacks and arranged her lacy pillows just in case they ended up back here.  You didn’t plan on that, at least for the first date but you never knew.  There hadn’t been a man here since Ted and he didn’t even stay long enough to get the tour.  He finished and half dressed mumbling something about dark bars as he made his exit.  He had never even called back.  Riff raff!

The cab honked and she locked her front door and entered the cab telling the driver the address.  He dropped her at the door and she stepped into the foyer.  She gave the Maitre ‘d the name of the gentleman she was meeting and he escorted her to a secluded table in a quiet corner.  Great place for quiet conversation.  He stood as she got to the table and held out his hand.  They exchanged pleasantries and he held out her chair for her.  He ordered a bottle of wine and they talked quietly.  The waiter came and she allowed him to order for her.  She didn’t care what she ate, she was salivating thinking about her rosy future if she could work this right.  She wouldn’t have to worry about the bill money she had spent and she could quit her crappy little office job.

When the soup came she carefully placed her napkin in her lap and took a taste.  It was wonderful, nothing like the cafeteria food she was used to.  She looked across the table as she raised her face from her soup just in time to see the worm looking thing from his mouth retract leaving an empty soup bowl behind.  His green eyes glittered and glowed and spun as they bulged from his head and then sunk back into their orbits.  He smiled, or at least she thought he did.  How does one know, after all?

The waiter came to remove the soup bowls.  He had ordered her the special House Salad, prepared with fresh greens and the Chef’s own special dressing. He said he preferred to watch her enjoy her meal and the soup was all he required.  He made small talk while she savored the salad.  There was an odd flavor to the dressing that she couldn’t quite identify.  It was delicious though.  She felt very comfortable and found herself chatting about her life and job and for some odd reason it didn’t bother her that his eating habits were a bit well, inhuman.  She chuckled to herself, thinking that her preferences for a mate had not included human.  It was confusing why that didn’t bother but the salad was so good, she had the urge to lick the last drops of dressing from the bowl.  He nodded and smiled as though he read her thoughts and even held the bowl up for her.

He paid the check and took her elbow to guide her out of the restaurant.  On the street she was thinking his travels and wondered if they were on this planet.  He suggested they go for a walk and she just grinned and signaled her acquiescence.  They strolled down the street and turned down a lane that was not as well lit.  She giggled, ready for his kiss and just as the strange proboscis extended from his mouth toward her eye, she screamed.

One word: Surround

One Word prompt: Surround

The wind was blowing so hard I could hardly stand, but still I pushed ahead hoping to get to the next block, to shelter, to a place behind closed doors before whatever was blowing in on this storm could surround me.

When Is a Prize Not a Prize?

One Word prompt : Ticket

The contest promised adventure, excitement, and maybe romance to be found on this weekend trip to the island.  As the passengers disembarked and looked around blinking in the bright sunlight they saw what looked like cattle trucks backed up to the tarmac.  When she gave the steward her ticket she never meant to sign on for this.

Stealing Time #7

It’s dark,  fog brained, pitch.  What is that sound??  Where am I?  Kell struggled up from sleep, trying to make sense of the messages his brain was sending him.  He felt around the bedside table next to him and found the  lamp and turned it on.  “Wha….Cassie, baby, what is it?” Cassie was standing in front of the window, arms wrapped around herself, eyes wide open, staring at nothing.  The sound coming from her made goosebumps on Kell’s arms.

He jump. stumbled to her and tried to put his arms around her but it was like hugging an ice sculpture.  He spun her around so he could see her face.  “Cassie, talk to me!  I’m right here.  It’s ok!”  Kell rubbed her arms and touched her face and she slowly closed her eyes and leaned against him, shaking and limp.

“Give me a minute” she said.  She was ice cold and pale.  Kell pulled her over to the bed and sat down, still holding her.  Tears were streaming down her face now.

“Was it him again?”  Kell asked.

“Yes and you too.  You looked so…I don’t know, bereft!  I couldn’t stand it.  And he  was smiling, happy.”  Cassie cried.  “I hate him!  He’s there when I’m awake and shows up when I’m sleeping.  This time my mother was there too.  I wish I knew what it means, what he wants!”

“I know.  So do I.” Kell was rocking her like a child now, holding on to her, warming her.  Her robe had slipped down off her shoulder and he pulled it back around her.  The shaking had stopped and her color was coming back.  He bent his head down to kiss her on the forehead and as he did she turned her face up to him.  She had stopped crying.

“Do you think you can go back to sleep?  It’s too early to get up.”  Kell asked her.

“I think so.  I’ll try anyway.”  Cassie answered. “Could you get me a drink of water?”

“Sure, be right back.” Kell said.

Kell went to the kitchen to get her a glass and when he came back, Cassie was already in bed.  He realized the robe was on the floor.  She sat up with the sheet wrapped around her and took the glass from him.  He got in the bed and waited.  They had been through so much lately, he didn’t want to misunderstand.  She set the glass on the nightstand and scooted down in the bed till she was laying down face to face with him.  “I love you”  she told him.  “I’m sorry about, well everything.  I feel like it’s all my fault somehow.”

Kell reached for her and folded her in his arms.  “If it hadn’t been for you I would have been killed.  You didn’t ask for this.  It’s happening to both of us.” He said.

“But maybe if I hadn’t come looking for you, you wouldn’t have been in danger to begin with.” She whispered.

“You can’t know that.  Maybe the man would have come looking for me and you wouldn’t have been there to warn me. I’m glad you found me .  We are going to figure this out.”  he said.  “Whatever happens we will face it together and someday we will be looking back at all of this and it will be nothing more than a great story to tell.”

As he finished talking, Cassie smiled and kissed him.  “I want somedays and I’m glad I found you.

This time Kell kissed her and the kiss, at first tentative, grew to more, and they held on to each other and to the love that had come with them through time. For a little while they left  the fear behind and time stopped for them.

Later they talked quietly.  Kell remembered he meant to ask Cassie about her medallion.  “You never take it off.  Where did you get it?”

“It belonged to my mother. Before she died she took it off and gave it to me.  She had worn it as long as I could remember and she told me to never take it off.”  she told him.

“It looks familiar to me. I think I’ve seen that symbol before.  Maybe we could stop by that coffee shop with the internet cafe and search for it tomorrow.  It feels important somehow. It looks a little like a figure eight”  he said.

“I never thought about the symbol meaning something.” she told him, shrugging her shoulders.

“What happened to your mother?  Did she get sick?” Kell asked her.

“No, it was a car accident. She was called in to work on a Saturday and someone ran her off the road.  I called her job when she didn’t come home and they said they hadn’t seen her.  I got a neighbor to give me a ride and retraced her regular route.  If I hadn’t been looking, I wouldn’t have seen her car.  It was a big drainage ditch and the trees and shrubs around it hadn’t been cleaned out in awhile.”  she told him. The driver of the other car never stopped.  She was still conscious when I got to her but she was hurt so bad….. I still miss her.”  She said.  “I was seventeen.”

“Cassie, when did you start uh, ‘time traveling’?” Kell asked.

“Not long after that.” she said.

Stealing Time Part 6

No prompt – just story.

Kell and Cassie quickly scanned the article under the picture of the man.  Kell flipped back to where it was continued and they read on.  “This says he is a businessman from New Orleans and he’s planning on investing in this community where he now has some of his interests.” Kell said.  “It makes him sound like he’s a saint!” Said Cassie shivering.

“I know” Kell was yawning now.  “I am too tired to think .  The last few days are catching up with me, I guess.”

“Me too.  I feel like it’s been weeks since I’ve slept.”  Cassie said.  “I’m tired, but I’m not sure I’m going to be able to sleep.  It worries me that he is out there and  knows where we are.”

“I bolted the door from the inside.  If he was going to hurt us,  he has had opportunities.  I think he is waiting for something, though  I can’t think what.  Maybe if we get some rest we can make some sense of this in the morning.  Do you want to shower first?” Kell was folding up the paper and picking up the sack of toiletries.

“Sounds good.” Cassie got up tiredly and took the sack with shampoo and toothpaste.  A hot shower is sounding pretty good.”

“Cassie headed for the shower and Kell turned down the bed and looked in the closet.  There was her robe.  Now what should he do?  This was weird, to find they were married.  They hadn’t talked about it at all and now….well, with everything they had been through, they would face this too, he hoped.  Listen to me, thinking this is something we have to face.  This had always been easy before, as though they had always known each other. He took the robe off the hanger and knocked on the bathroom door.

Cassie opened the door a little and he could see she was in her underwear. He held out the robe to her and she smiled and said thanks and then froze.  I’m standing here in the door in my underwear like it’s nothing, she thought.  Why was this is so awkward? Now she was nervous.  How did he feel?  The whole marriage thing, they really hadn’t had time to talk about it, to get used to the idea.  She looked at his face and his eyes caught hers and she knew it would be okay.  She trusted him, and he believed in her.  He had the funniest look on his face.  She smiled and he grinned as though he had been waiting for her reaction.  Yes, it would be more than okay.  “Thanks!”  She said and closed the door.  She clapped her hand over her mouth as she felt the uncontrollable giggling start.  It’s the stress, she thought.  She stepped into the shower and let the hot water rush over her, calming her.  She was tired, full, and now clean.  Heaven, she thought.

She turned off the water when she was through and dried off.  Using the same towel to wipe off the mirror, she combed her hair out and brushed her teeth.  She hung the towel up to dry and then stopped and got a clean towel out for Kell and put it over the towel rack.  She pulled on her robe and stepped out into the bedroom.  Kell was sitting on the edge of the bed reading the rest of the newspaper.

“Learn anything helpful?”  She asked him.  “Ask me in the morning when my brain is working again.”  He said. “I’m way to tired to think.”

“Your turn. I even left a little hot water for you.”  She said.  She saw he had turned the bed down, and that he had a clean tee shirt and boxers with him.  She grinned at him as he gave a little shake and closed the bathroom door.  She turned on a lamp by the bed and turned off the big ceiling light.  She checked the lock on the window and shuddered a bit before pulling down the shade and making sure the curtains were pulled shut.  She wandered around the room, looking at their things and wondering what it had been like, picking them out together.  She yawned again and went to the bed and curled up on the pillows.  She could hear the water running and Kell humming in the shower.

Kell came out of the bathroom drying his hair.  He looked up and saw Cassie, sound asleep on the bed.  He sighed,  hung up his towel, combed his hair,and lay down on the bed beside her.  He reached out and touched her face and then picked up the little medallion she wore on the chain around her neck.  She never took it off and now he had the weirdest feeling.  It looked familiar, like he had seen it somewhere else.  He would ask her about it in the morning. He pulled the covers up over both of them and reached over to turn out the light.  Cassie turned onto her side and he curled up next to her, pulling her up against him.  Cassie snuggled a little closer.  Kell put his arm around her and she pulled the arm closer and in minutes, Kell was fast asleep as well.

Outside in the dark, the man in the leather coat frowned.  He stared up at the window where the light had been a few moments ago with hate and determination, turned on his heel and headed back down the street, whistling.

this truly is a bit rough.  I need an English teacher smacking my hand with a ruler on a regular basis.  I’ll go back over it later to fix it,  just had to get it down before it went out of my head.