Tag Archives: Short stories

I Sold My First Story!

I’m so excited! Over the past few years, I’ve gotten less shy, putting my scribblings here on this blog for the world to see. But, I was still afraid to submit anything to be published. Secretly, I was terrified of being rejected. Finally, a few months ago, I gathered up my courage and sent a story and two poems out to a local paper. Weeks went by and I didn’t hear a word. I gloomily accepted the fact that they must have rejected my story.

Then, the last Wednesday in October, I came home from work and found an envelope waiting for me on the kitchen counter. It contained a check for $45 and a letter of acceptance! Click here  to view a PDF of my story, as seen in the Green Mountain Trading Post.

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Kay’s Story (Part Twenty-Five)

Stop! This is the twenty-fifth episode!

Looking for the beginning of Kay’s Story?

The day went by quickly and before long, it was almost closing time.

Humming softly to herself and balancing Destiny on her hip, Kay carried an armload of boxes out the back of the store. The sunset was a glorious display of red and orange, bathing the rooftops in the colors of fire.

She dropped the boxes by the loading dock and stood, stretching her back with a tired but contented yawn. As she stepped back, she was suddenly stopped by the strangest sense of déjà vu.

I could have sworn I heard something in that dumpster. Ever so slowly, she lifted the huge lid. There, wild-eyed and cowering among the garbage was Belinda! Before Kay could react, the woman pounced up and grasped at Destiny’s chubby little arm.

“Give me the baby! Quick! Before they see! They’re watching, watching, always watching! …must hide, have to hide…” Belinda’s voice was frantic and her whole body was rocking back and forth.

Pure panic and fierce maternal protectiveness joined forces.  “Let. Go. Of. My. Daughter!” Kay ground out the words between gritted teeth. Without stopping to think, she yanked away the woman’s gripping fingers and whirled the now screaming infant out of reach.

“Help me! Somebody help!” Kay screamed as loud as she could, clutching Destiny close and scrambling back towards the store.

Her boss, Brian, appeared in the doorway, pale and out of breath. “Kay! What the-?” His gaze took in the scene, uncertainly darting from the shaking mother and baby to the ghoulish apparition rising from the trash.

“No-no-no-no! Don’t let them take me! Don’t let them take the baby! Hide! Hide! Hide!” Belinda let out a final shriek and without warning, her eyes rolled back in her head and she crumpled out of sight.

Brian cleared his throat and spoke slowly, as if his voice could imbue some sort of calm into the chaos. “Kay, I need you to walk into my office slowly and quietly, okay? Then, I want to you sit down and take a few deep breaths.” As he spoke, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed 9-1-1. “Don’t worry about the customers. Just take a minute. Is the little one okay?”

Kay nodded her head vigorously and with wobbly legs, she followed his instructions.

In the safety of the office, she inspected Destiny’s arm. Angry red finger marks were plainly visible on her tender skin. With a sob of her own, Kay gently pressed her lips against the crying baby’s forehead and murmured to her softly. “Oh, sweet girl, Mama’s so sorry. Hush, brave princess. You’re okay. It’s okay now.”

To be continued…

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Kay’s Story (Part Twenty-Four)

Stop! This is the twenty-fourth episode!

Looking for the beginning of Kay’s Story?

Kay’s breath escaped in a dreamy little puff as lifted her head off the pillow. Yesterday…what a perfect day! Except for Cassy’s little sideshow, the whole day had gone better than she had ever dared to hope. Jeff seemed to feel at home with her church and friends, he genuinely seemed to connect with the sermon, and her friends all heartily approved of him.

Kay waltzed her way through her morning routine. During most of it, Destiny was sound asleep, all tuckered out from the long day before, without her usual nap. Ready in record time, Kay clattered her way downstairs.

The early morning light cast strange shadows across the entry hall at the foot of the stairs. Kay set Destiny’s carrier down and tugged at the door; testing the lock to be sure it clicked shut. Satisfied after several moments of fiddling, she dropped the keys into the depths of her cavernous purse and stooped to retrieve the baby.

Her peripheral vision picked up swift movement, punctuated by a guttural grunt and the stale odor of urine and sweat. All her senses screamed out a belated warning, as she found herself face to face with the homeless woman.

Kay’s mind worked frantically. This poor creature looks far from happy. What is her name again? She was dreadfully uncomfortable with street people, despite multiple attempts at urban mission trips to the inner city with the church’s youth group during high school. She loathed herself for her panic and prejudice, trying in vain to act like she would with any other person.

But this wasn’t just any other person. This woman smelled and looked scary, not to mention, she was completely blocking the doorway.

Kay was only too aware of being essentially trapped between the looming figure and her securely fastened apartment. The woman lifted a visibly filthy hand and pushed back her hair from her face. Kay flinched at the slight movement, then blushed guiltily. The woman’s mouth worked in silence, her lips seeming to form words she couldn’t quite speak.

For the first time, Kay met her unwanted visitor’s gaze. She’s crying! And she has beautiful eyes. These two thoughts collided in Kay’s brain, along with the nagging feeling of familiarity. What was it about this woman’s eyes? Belinda. That’s her name!

“Baby.” She said the word reverently, her voice cracking softly on the second syllable. “Tiny, beautiful baby.” By now, Belinda’s tears were making pale tracks on her cheeks, washing the grime away in tiny rivers.

“Thank you, she is beautiful, isn’t she?” Kay tilted the carrier to give her a better view. “Her name is Destiny.” The minute object of attention cooed happily, waving her fingers in the air.

To be continued…

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Kay’s Story (Jeff’s Turn) (Part Twenty-Three)

Stop! This is the twenty-third episode!

Looking for the beginning of Kay’s Story?

Jeff pried himself loose from the talkative blonde and edged away mumbling excuses. He made his way back towards the church building, glancing back to make sure that Cassy wasn’t following him. He was relieved to see her pulling at the sleeve of another young man. He sighed. Good. She found a new victim.

As he walked, he caught sight of Kay amid a group of girls. He changed direction and approached the giggling group.

“Seems like I keep missing the best of all the humor today. Let me guess, did it have to do with Chuck Norris?” The sound of Jeff’s voice made Kay turn even redder and seemed to only encourage the laughter.

The tallest of the trio wiped tears of laughter from her eyes and gasped in a deep breath. “Sorry, Jeff. Terribly rude of me. Let me introduce myself. I’m Hanna, and I’ve known Kay forever. And this is Shari. We are also known as the Three Musketeers.” She threw an arm over both girls’ shoulders and gave him a carefree grin. “It was just one of those silly girl jokes- completely Chuck Norris free, I promise.”

“Well, in that case, all for one and one for all, right?” Jeff slashed an imaginary sword into the air then paused, trying to gauge whether or not he was making a complete fool of himself or if Kay was secretly enjoying his attempt at humor.

She seemed uneasy, glancing from him to her friends. Just great. I really felt like we had a connection for a minute back there on the blanket. Now it’s gone.

Jeff ran his fingers through his hair and shifted from one foot to the other. “Hey, uh, it was nice meeting you both. Excuse me for a second, I’m gonna go get something nice and unhealthy to wash the taste of those banana chips out of my mouth. Is there anything I can get any of you on my way back? Maybe another burger or something?”

Kay mumbled “No, thanks.”

Hanna raised a single eyebrow. “Gee, thanks, Jeff! I’ll take my well done please, with nothing on it but ketchup and cheese.”

Jeff bowed with a dramatic flourish. “Yes, M’lady. Tis my pleasure to serve.” As walked away followed by more laughter, he silently prayed they were laughing with him and not at him.

To be continued…

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Kay’s Story (Part Twenty-One)

Stop! This is the twenty-first episode!

Looking for the beginning of Kay’s Story?

 

Right after the service ended, Jeff disappeared into the men’s room to change his clothes for the picnic. Even though he had been unsure of the formality of the church setting, he had the good sense to know that suits plus grass and ketchup usually don’t mix well.

Kay paced as she waited for him in the overflow hall, bouncing Destiny gently with each step. She was dying to ask him what had happened during the prayer time, but something inside told her to let Jeff initiate the topic. He was visibly moved when he had returned to his seat and she couldn’t help wonder what he was thinking. Whatever it was, it seemed to be good.

She thought about how very little she really knew about Jeff. Maybe this picnic would be a good chance to get to know him a little better.

The door to the restroom swung open with a squeak and Jeff appeared, looking much more comfortable in jeans and a T-shirt.

“Hey, there you are. Jeff, would you mind holding Destiny while I grab my cooler from the car?”

“Not at all.” Jeff reached out and took the baby in his arms, both pleased and terrified at the same time. His big hands dwarfed her little frame, yet he cradled her as if she was made of glass.

“She won’t break, y’know.” Kay smiled encouragingly at him and started for her vehicle.

A few minutes later, the cooler was unpacked, the picnic blanket spread and Jeff was sitting with a happy Destiny cooing on his lap.

The sun was shining down with all its summer glory and a gentle breeze kept it from getting overwhelmingly hot. Kay spun in a slow circle before collapsing contentedly next to them on the checkered blanket. “Ahh, it is just the perfect day! Thanks for holding my little punkin’.” She took Destiny back into her arms and reached for her bottle. “Jeff, just so you know, the burgers and hot dogs are over in the tent towards the back of the church. Each family was supposed to bring their own chips, soda, dessert and such, but the main course is provided. I don’t think the first batch is quite ready yet, but if you want to meet some of the guys, they’ll be hanging out by the grills.”

“Hey, you trying to get rid of me already?” Jeff twisted his face into a playful pout. Kay mock hit his shoulder and made a shooing motion with her free hand. “You bet I am! Skedaddle, mister! I can’t help you meet people if I hog your free nanny services all day.”

Jeff flashed her a grin as he stood. “So, seeing I’ll be over there anyway, what do you eat? Burgers or dogs? Please tell me you aren’t one of those tofu girls…”

Kay snorted. “Tofu? I don’t think so. Give me a dead cow smothered in salty tomato goodness any day!”

“So… does that translate into a burger?”

“Heh, it translates into whatever form of meat is done cooking first. I’m not picky. I’m a true carnivore. Thanks for offering to grab it.”

Kay watched Jeff walk away and sent up a silent prayer that somehow he would connect with the guys. He just seems so different from any other man I’ve ever known… not that I’ve known many well… Kay began mentally ticking off a list of males in her life. Dad, Uncle Mich, Cousin Freddy, Grandpa… Yup, that pretty much sums it up.

Her thought process was suddenly interrupted by a super bubbly female voice.

“Kay! Where DID you find that hunk? So, are you claiming first dibs or is he fair game?” Cassy, the owner of the voice, melodramatically batted her eyes.

Usually, Kay was able to tolerate Cassy fairly well, but suddenly her Barbie doll looks and “Gossip Girl” persona were almost completely unbearable. She gritted her teeth and forced a laugh. “Seriously, Cassy! He’s almost a total stranger, you know nothing about him, and besides, he isn’t some purse to be fought over at a store. He’s a human being with a personality and the ability to choose himself. Maybe he doesn’t WANT a girlfriend!”

Cassy tilted her head to the side, looking confused for a moment. “Wait a second. You’re trying to tell me that he’s gay, aren’t you?” She sighed, her glossy bottom lip protruding in a babydoll pout. “I shoulda known… all the really cute ones are.”

Kay sputtered on her sip of rootbeer, soda fizzing out of her nose in a most unbecoming manner. “NO! I didn’t say he was gay! Cassy!” She dissolved into giggles, the indignant look on Cassy’s face only making it funnier.

Just then, Jeff reappeared, with a plate in each hand. “What’s so funny? Did I miss a joke?” Cassy opened her mouth to respond, but Kay waved her hand to silence her. “Don’t ask, Jeff, just don’t ask.” Kay tried to stifle her amusement, taking the plate from his hand. “Potato chips? Soda?”

At this point, Cassy seemed to recover and tried to make her move. She smiled coyly and held out a daintily manicured hand. “Hi, Jeff. I’m Cassy and Kay and I are just the BEST friends. I’m sure she’s told you ALL about me already. Oh, oh dear. Potato chips? Kay, darling, do you know how unhealthy those are? Not to mention fattening?” She deftly looped her arm around Jeff’s and began to steer him away. “Come with me, Jeffy. I have these organic sun-dried banana chips that are absolutely divine.” She blinked up at him. “I don’t usually share my favorite foods, but for you, I think I’ll have to make an exception.”

 

To be continued…

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