Something's Gotta Give

I have been Missing in Action for a while.  I know.  Life caught up with me mostly.  The hubby has been away for two weeks after we sat down and made a decision about our future. 

Mainly, there isn't one for us here.

There are no jobs outside of the medical field.  The economy is geared more towards the older crowd here and we're struggling too much where we are at.  Basically I can work from anywhere as I do work for a publishing company VIA Email.  Plus I work on my stories. Not that any of them have been published yet, but I'm going off track here.  The point is I work from home.  Brian doesn't.  So we need to go where the work is for him.

So he's in South Florida now staying with his father at the moment.  I grew up in Ft. Lauderdale, Brian moved there when he was fifteen.  We know the area, we have friends, there's plenty to do, and lots of jobs to be had.  He has another job interview tomorrow for an armed security task force for a private yacht club tomorrow.  Cross your fingers.

Basically he's down there looking for a job, I'm up here, and I'm missing him IMMENSELY.  It's put a damper on my writing.  The good news is though, that hopefully after the interview he's going to come and pick me up.  We'll head down there.  I have to reorganize my work stuff to go off my laptop, but that's simple enough.  Although someone has stolen my flash drive.  Okay so I lost it, but it has to be around here somewhere!

There I go on a tangent again.  So I'll be down there for him for hopefully a few weeks. In that time, we're hoping he gets a job.  Then we can come back up here get our stuff and move down there...again.  As long as we're making money, as long as we're progressing and not just...stagnant we're both happy  It's just gotten to the point where something's gotta give.

Catch Me If You Can BlogFest!

I really love all these challenges and contests on blogger!

KayKay's Corner is hosting the 'Catch Me If You Can Blogfest'.  It's really simple to sign up for and it seems like it'll be a lot of fun.

Basically the idea is to get some critique back on your current WIP. So today, I'm going to be posting the first 550 words of (for lack of a better title at the moment) Vengeance.

Also one of the participants will get a $20 gift card to Amazon!  Come on, you know you want some feedback anyways!  Give it a try!

Vengeance

“It’s a bad idea,” Derek said for the third time. Each time he said it his Puerto Rican accent thickened.  “There are a lot of variables, which ups the risk.  We need to keep it simple."

               

Lucy rolled her pretty green eyes and sighed in annoyance.  “This is simple.  Look as soon as I over ride the codes and loop the video—“

                 

“I don’t speak geek,” He reminded her with a flat glare.

She turned back to her computer screen.  “You’d think after eighty seven years you’d have picked up more than just information on cars and women.”

                 

Derek leaned against the wall of the van and smirked.  “Chica, I think you just wish you had the skills I have with women.”

                  

I sat in the back of the van quietly.  They’d figure it out.  They always did.  Derek’s face twisted and contorted, his eyes shot little red lazer beams at Lucy.  I closed my eyes, willing the images to disappear.  I’d waited too long between burnings and the flame was pissed.  When I opened my eyes the images were still there.

                

 “This is efficient.”  Lucy said changing the subject. Her words jumped around my head like ping pong balls bouncing off the sides of my skulls.  I heard her, but I couldn’t quite comprehend it.  “It’ll get the job done better than a back alley grab where any witness could be lurking.  It’s a high tech age, get with the time wolf boy.”

                 

Derek huffed in annoyance but didn’t argue.  His laser eye beams narrowed and suddenly he turned towards me.  I flinched, expecting to get burned by the red lights, but they faded when he looked at me.  “You all right, Hails?”

                 

“Pretty lights can’t hurt me.”  Wait that wasn’t right.  Closing my eyes I shook my head as if that would get rid of the craziness.  After a moment I peaked with one eye. Derek’s olive features were sharp, with a square jaw and strong nose, and they weren’t moving around anymore.  A few strands of shaggy dark hair fell into his eyes. Taking that as a good sign I opened the other eye and said, “Yeah, what’s our status?”

                

 Lucy turned to her laptop. “Guards make their rounds every hour on the hour.”  She rolled her eyes.  “Think they could shake it up a little.  Not make it so easy on us.”  She scratched at her scalp underneath all the red, curly hair that was piled on top.  “The marks office is on the seventeenth floor, corner office on the west side.  Now, trying to get you into the elevators on the bottom floor is tricky, so you’re going to go in the side fire escape door and up to the first floor. Then –

“Lucy,” I said pinching the bridge of my nose.  She looked up at me questioningly, the freckles started dancing around on her nose and I suddenly had an urge to play connect the dots.  My chest grew warm.  The flame was anxious.  “Take a breath between sentences okay?”

***

So the actual word count is 507.  The next paragraph would have put me over.

I hope you enjoy, and this is just a first draft.  I've learned that if I constantly go back and edit I'll never finish it.  

Oh and my email is Sullys.scribbles@gmail.com for anyone who may want to do a longer critique!

Sunday Scribbles! (Ha that's right! I'm doing it on Sunday this time!

Okay if you missed the first part of Route 4 you can check it out Here.

Without further ado...

Route 4: Part Two

My jaw was gaping as John Doe looked around.  He seemed more curious than frightened.  My heart was pounding in my chest.  His gaze settled on me, eyes grayish and waxy.  “Is this the morgue?”

Unsure what to say or do, I simply nodded.  Was there protocol for when the dead sat up and started talking to you?  If there was I must have missed that seminar at the last convention.  This was a first for me.  I was very much a deer caught in the headlights.

“So I’m dead…” He lifted his hands looking at them closely. “It would explain why I feel no heartbeat in my chest.”

“I suppose it would.” My voice was quiet, filled with disbelief.  It was one thing to work with the dead all night.   It’s not like I haven’t talked to a dead body before.  Most often was something was eluding me to how they died.  They had never spoken back before.  It was a little unnerving that John Doe was.

He adjusted the sheet to cover him more comfortable and then rested his hands on the cold, metal table.  It was a bit late for modesty.  I had already performed an autopsy on him.  His chest and belly were sewed up in the stand ‘Y’ shape.  My eyes and hands had scoured every inch of his body searching for anything that would not only help the police find his killer, but maybe help identify John Doe as well.

“How did I…?”

I pointed to his forehead.  “You were um…”  Shot in the head?  Had your brains blown out? Murdered? For some reason it seemed rude to say it in any of those ways.  Where ever the spirits went after death, it was the greeter’s job on that side to tell them what happened if they didn’t remember.  At least I would assume.  My job was figuring out the last message they left behind.

He reached his hand up, fingers grazing over the bullet hole.  He opened his mouth slightly as realization hit.  “Oh dear, this is quiet embarrassing.”

I shrugged.  “Not really.  I’ve seen deaths a lot less dignified than yours.”

He raised a bushy eyebrow.  “Really?  Anyone you can think of in particular?”

Realization hit that I was having a conversation with a dead man.  Since he wasn’t overly scary and apparently hadn’t risen as a flesh eating zombie, I started to feel the same annoyance I got when around the living.  I hated chatty Kathy’s and gossip mongers.

“Look, I’ve still got work to do.”  I tried to keep my voice as neutral as possible.  “So maybe you can help me out by telling me your name?”

“I didn’t come here to tell you that.”  He suddenly looked confused.  “Not sure how I know that.”  His gray eyes settled on me again.  “This is an odd predicament isn’t it?”

I held my thumb and index finger about an inch apart.  “Little bit, yeah.” I shrugged.  “I’ve spent a lot of time speaking for the dead, but this is the first time the dead actually verbally spoke back.  I gotta tell you pal, it’s a unnerving.”

“Pal.”  It rolled over his tongue.  He seemed to ponder the word for a moment before nodding.  “Yes, Pal will do.  You may call me Pal if you wish.”

My eyes widened ever so slightly.  “Right.” I lengthened the word.  It was slow, drawn out.  A soft word of sarcasm and surprise.  “Somehow I don’t think the name Pal is going to help the police find your next of kin.”

Pal gave a small smile.  “Ahh yes, that’s why I’m here.  I remember now.”  Reaching up he absently scratched the bullet hole.  Admittedly it was a little bit sickening to watch. 

Said the medical examiner talking to the dead guy.

I was beginning to think I was losing my mind.  I was, after all, sitting here having a conversation. 

Pal had been sitting in silence for a few moments.  He had trailed off and was now staring at the morgue body coolers.  “Oh my, I’m a bit claustrophobic. I won’t be put in one of those drawers will I?”

Usually by the time the dead were put in there they didn’t care.  Pal would be the first to even have an opinion on the subject.  Somehow though, I didn’t think that’s why he was here.  I snapped my fingers to draw his attention back.

“Hey, concentrate.  What are you here for?”

He blinked and brought his gaze back to me.  “Forgive my rudeness.”  Pal nodded. “I’m here because you are indeed a friend to the dead.  You often say for us what we can no longer say ourselves.”

I supposed some people could see what I do as noble.  In reality, the dead were a lot easier to get along with than the living.  I shrugged.  “It’s my job.”

“So it is, but what you do is still a favor towards those no longer living.” He held up a pale finger.  “Thus the dead wish to return the favor.”

My eyebrows rose.  “You’re here to kill me?

He scoffed.  “Goodness me no.” He almost looked offended by the notion.  “However would you be able to continue helping the dead if you died yourself?”  He waved the thought away.  “No my dear girl, I am here to warn you.”

“If you say I’m going to be visited by three ghosts I’m going to check myself into the psych ward.”

He smiled then.  “No ghosts.  Just me.”  He adjusted the sheet again.

“Well then could cut to the chase, Pal?  I’ve got work to do.” Leaning back in my chair, I crossed my arms over my chest.  Maybe I had come off as rude, but I wasn’t a people person.  Not even a talking dead people person.  Besides I was still debating on whether or not I’d fallen asleep at my desk or knocked my head on my something.  This could also be one very intense, very vivid hallucination.

“Very well,” Pal said.  “If you insist.”

“I do.”

“No need to get your knickers in a twist.”

I cringed.  “You’re dead.  Please don’t think about my knickers.  It’s really creepy.”

“Just a phrase my dear, just a phrase.”

“Can we get on with this?”

Pal made a movement that very much made me think he wanted to sigh.  Then he straightened and looked at me with those dead, gray eyes.

“Your normal route.  The one you drive every day to and from work?”

I raised a brow again when he phrased it as more of a question.  “What about it?”

“Take a detour.”  Pal’s gaze was piercing into me.  “We don’t wish you among the dead so soon.”

A chill slithered down my spine. Pal had been vague, but his point came across crystal clear. 

Something was going to happen my way home.  It obviously wasn’t anything good.  In fact it would most likely result in my death.   Then again I still wasn’t sure this was actually happening.

“If I avoid my usual route, will it stop whatever it is that’s going to happen?  Or will someone else take my place?”

Pal raised and dropped one shoulder.  A half hearted shrug.  “It isn’t for me to say.  Only for you to decide.”

“No pressure.”

He smiled. “Life is not easy, nor is death.  Every decision has consequences.”  Pal looked off into the distance as if seeing something that I couldn’t. Something that was only meant for the eyes of the dead.

Procrastinator's of the World Unite!......Tomorrow!

Word of The Day 

Congenial

Gah!  I feel like I'm so behind!  I still haven't gotten my Crusader's Challenge done.  :(  I know, I know.  No time like the present.  Especially since I'm writing up a blog post when I could be doing the challenge.  Anything I say will be an excuse.  I know that.  I could say it's because I've been cleaning like a fiend, prepping dinner for tonight, or the fact that the phone has been ringing wildly off the hook.  All excuses.  None of them good.

I am really good at procrastinating. Which is really bad for writing.

In other news, I've followed all of you Crusaders.  (I think!) So, if you're a Crusader and you come to my blog, and for whatever reason I may have skipped you just let me know.  I'll scamper right on over and make sure that's corrected.

Looking at the first Crusader's Challenge and reading through some of the blogs, I feel like my vocabulary isn't as diverse as it could be.  It's not that I don't know big words.  I do.  I just think I could learn more and maybe add some into my writing.  Thus I have started getting the Word of The Day from Merriam-Webster.

It's easy to sign up for.  Free, and each day I'll get a new word in my email.  Some I may know.  Some I may not. 

The goal will be to somehow finagle that word into my blog post each day.  Hopefully in the right context. It's a neat little personal challenge. I figured some of you other bloggers or Crusaders out there might find it congenial and decide to do it for yourself.  It’s always good to expand your vocabulary!

Okay, okay!  I'll go work on my Crusader's Challenge!  No more procrastinating!  Twist my arm why don't you! 

Dear Crusaders,

I am clicking to follow you all as fast as I can.  Blogger however, seems to think this means I am a spambot of some sort as now I have to type in a code so that it makes sure I'm human.  This is slowing my down considerably!  I'm not spambot, blogger! 

Thank you to everyone who has followed me so far.  If I'm not following you yet, I soon will be.  I love your comments and will try to reciprocate them.

Also, not sure what's going on with my sidebar, but every time I try to post something for the crusade, it stretches like crazy!  Has anyone else had this problem?  It's problematic and annoying!

So Close, Yet So Far

Last night as I was dozing off to sleep I got a story idea.  I love it when inspiration strikes.  I started jotting down notes and ideas for it, but I'm so excited to actually start on it.  It's always exciting to start a new writing project.  It's fresh.  New characters, new plot.  All the details to figure out of this new world.  It always excites me to start a story.

Which makes me wonder why I'm having such a hard time ending the current story I'm working on.  I want to finish it.  I love the story.  Is it that I don't want it to end?  Maybe I just can't find an ending that fits?  Maybe I've lost interest in the direction it's gone? If I've lost interest than more than likely the readers would too.  Except I don't know if that's the case and I'm just frustrated because every line I try to right is like ripping off my fingernails.  It makes me want to scream.  So close yet so far.

So, here's what I've decided.  This new project, while I'll still write down ideas, and characters, and all the fun stuff like that, I'm not going to let it over shadow the project I'm currently working on.  Meaning, I'm not going to actually writing the story, until I've completed this one. 

Now that doesn't mean I'm not going to probably jot down short stories and things like that, but this new story idea wouldn't be a short story.   I really want to finish the story I'm working on though and then while I'm going back to edit it, I can start the new project.

Rach Writes - Second Writer's Platform-Building Crusade!

So I came upon this and actually meant to sign up a few days ago, but life as usual got in the way.  I think this is an excellent idea, especially for new bloggers like myself.  Instead of just searching constantly for other writers and wanna be writers (again like myself) this will bring us all together. 

Jump on over to Rach Writes and check it out.  At the very least, it's worth a look.

Tallahassee Book Festival and Writers Conference

The Tallahassee Writer's Association is having a conference from March 18th -20th, 2011.

I've never been to a conference, but I've always wanted to go.  The biggest problem I find is having the money to do so.  Even if the conference is free, I still have to pay for a hotel or motel, travel arrangements, etc.  Yes, I live in Florida, and though we are not a very wide state, we are a very long state.

I live in the middle of this very long state and Tallahassee is very far north of me.  A three to four hour drive if memory serves.  Now I can't just drive up there and go to the conference and drive home.  It's a few days long and sleeping in a car is not fun.  These are the times I wish I had some sort of a better income so that I could go and get my write on with people in person.

Alas, I will have to settle for posting it, and hoping that someone brings me back detailed notes and juicy details on writing.