1576 Words Toward NaNoWriMo, Still Behind

I have a warning for you all who are reading going forward, there are adult language, situations, and content in the coming pages. If you think this might offend you, you probably should refrain from reading the story. I think I will be able to write without being too explicit, but at this point I am not positive where the story will take me. I would think it could get by with a PG rating were it a movie, but it might possibly be R. I don’t think I have what it takes to write X rated content. I did want to warn you though. There are also possible triggers for those who might have experienced abuse… As with all stories, you read at your own risk…

Otherwise Entertained (9)

One afternoon after coming home from work, Tony changed out of his brown uniform and put on gym shorts and a tee shirt. He suggested they go to a local burger place for something to eat before heading to Ramsey’s for the evening of gaming.

In the line for their orders, Morgan noticed several high school girls staring at Tony. She followed their gaze and realized his penis was sticking out of the leg of the shorts.

She leaned over to him and whispered, “Your parts are showing.”

He laughed, “It’s okay, I meant to do that.”

Morgan just stared at him a few moments incredulously. She wondered whom this man was she had married.

When they got in the car after the embarrassing moments spent eating, she suggested they go home for him to change before going to Ramsey’s house. She did not want to sit through whatever comments might be lobbed at them if the guys saw him that way. He agreed and they hurried to make it to the apartment and then arrive for the game on time.

Kelvin, Wagner, Jason, Max, Cade, and Ramsey were waiting and Morgan apologized for her and Tony being late.

Kelvin said, “Actually the rest of us are early, you two are almost always on time.”

She smiled at him, grateful for his kind remark.

In moments, they were embroiled in a battle with giant spiders and somehow Celeste was killed. Kaos put her on his horse and carried her back to town. The party tried to find someone to resurrect her, but they found they did not possess enough gold to buy such a miracle. Therefore, she was burned on a pyre and her ashes were scattered on the water of a river.

Morgan rolled a new character, while the others discussed the next adventure. She named the human magic user, Morgana, and rejoined the game. The rest of the evening, Kaos stayed near her, and Cornelius did not seem to mind.

Morgan wondered at Kelvin’s interest in her character, but figured since his Kaos was a half-orc and Morgana had an eighteen charisma score that it might all be part of the game.

After two hours of unrelenting game play, everyone packed up their stuff and went to the kitchen for snacks. Ramsey suggested they do something different since it was a full moon. He wanted to play a game of war in the wooded acreage surrounding the house. Evidently, everyone except Morgan had known about it beforehand, because they all simply went to their vehicles for flashlights. Tony went to the car and came back with one light. Morgan thought this would mean she was left out of the fun, but Kelvin went back out and came in with an extra flashlight.

Sawyer decided to join the rest of them and Ramsey explained if someone hit you with their light, you were dead. They divided into teams based on dice rolls. Tony and Morgan ended up on opposing teams. Kelvin knew the woods because he and Ramsey had been friends almost as long as they could remember. He told her to stay close to him.

Under the trees, the moon only dappled a portion of the paths. They all spread out and Morgan had trouble keeping up because she kept stumbling over roots. Kelvin seemed like he belonged in this environment as sure footed as a mountain goat. They had to keep their flashlights out so as not to draw attention to themselves and be killed. There were bursts of running and then times when they tried to move as quietly as ghosts.

After about an hour in the woods, a couple had been killed. Kelvin began to move again and Morgan followed. She looked away a moment because she thought she heard someone else moving nearby. She somehow managed to fall down a small ravine. Her ankle twisted and she gasped at the sharp pain, but she could not call out because it would mean being captured or killed by the other team. She waited, hoping Kelvin would realize she was no longer with him. After several minutes, she heard someone approach on the path above.

Kelvin said, “Morgan are you somewhere here?”

She whispered, “I fell down and hurt myself. I cannot climb out of this ravine. Can you help?”

Kelvin said, “Yes, I think I see you. Just be still and I will be down in a minute, but keep quiet, others are not far away.”

She waited, watching him carefully scale the slope. After he reached her, he helped her to her feet.

“I cannot put much weight on my right foot. It really hurts,” she whispered.

He turned on his flashlight and said, “Sit back down, but let me look at it. If you are badly hurt the game is over anyway.”

She pulled up the leg of her jeans and they both saw the ankle, which was already beginning to swell.

Kelvin leaned over her and said, “Put your arms around my neck and try to stand. I will take you in my arms and carry you back to the house.”

She began to protest, “It’s too far for you to carry me. I’ll…”

“Quiet now, it’s no problem. I have you. Remember, no man, or woman, left behind,” he said.

He slowly climbed the steep wall of the ravine. She was surprised he could carry her because he was rather thin and did not look very strong. When they got back on the path, he stopped.

He looked around and seemed to determine they were still alone.

“I’ve wanted to do this for quite a while,” he said and gently kissed her.

It was so sweet, and Morgan responded to kiss by returning it. She thought this was probably very wrong. In fact, she knew it was wrong, but now it felt totally right.

He gripped her body a little tighter and said, “We should get back, someone might wonder what happened to us.”

She said, “Yes, that would be best.”

After about fifteen minutes, they made it to the area where the cars were parked.

Tony, who they had killed earlier, appeared out of the shadows and asked, “Why are you carrying her?”

“I fell and twisted my ankle. He brought me back because I could not walk this far,” Morgan answered.

He laughed, “Oh yeah. I knew this was no game for a girl like you. I would have made you walk. You want to act tough, you can be tough.”

Kelvin set her on her feet near Katie and said, “Some sport you are, Tony.”

He headed to Wagner’s car and sounded the horn in three long blasts. Soon everyone appeared out of the woods.

Ramsey asked, “Why did you call off the game Kelvin?”

“That is what we usually do when someone is hurt. Morgan twisted her ankle falling down the ravine,” he replied.

Tony said, “Yeah, she cannot run with the big boys.”

Ramsey said, “Well, it was a good night and we can always do it again. You’re going to go get your books and things, aren’t you Tony?”

He said, “Sure,” and went into the house.

Kelvin asked, “Is he like this often?”

Morgan shook her head and said, “Sometimes, not usually where anyone sees it.”

Ramsey said, “That really sucks.”

Wagner spoke up, “Yeah, he should not act that way with his wife.”

When Tony returned, Kelvin said, “You should drive home. It would not be good for Morgan to do it. Do you have an ace bandage to wrap that ankle in?”

Tony answered, “Yeah, she has one from the last time she sprained something. I’ll get her home alright.”

Morgan opened the door and got in the car, when Tony turned on the ignition she rolled the window down and told the guys, “Thank you all for the great night. We will see you soon. Maybe Friday night at our apartment.”

Kelvin said, “Yeah, we will see you then.”

Tony drove home with the stereo blaring and did not even speak to her the whole way. When he parked in the driveway, he got out and went in the apartment leaving her in the car. She limped to the door and found he had locked it. She took her keys out of her pocket and unlocked it.

When she got inside she saw he had already went to the bedroom and shut the door. She silently thanked God that she had her keys. She sat down at the desk she had used for homework growing up and thought over what had happened.

She had not expected Kelvin to help her by toting her through the woods. The kiss had come as a total surprise, but she wondered if it would happen again. It was very special. She knew it should never be repeated, but she hoped it would be.

It was unusual for Tony to act so mean where others could see and hear it, but she was well aware he could be abusive.

She went to the bathroom and found the bandage to wrap her ankle. It was extremely swollen by now, but she hoped it was not broken. She went back to her desk, took out some paper, and began writing a poem. At least writing would keep her mind off the pain.

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Monday, November 4, 2013

PAD Challenge Day 3: My poem

The prompt was to write a “the last time I was here” poem. I am not absolutely positive I did it right, but I hope you will like my offering anyway…

Traveling Backward

Looking over these waves
Softly, slowly lapping shore
I do remember
Moments of childhood splendor
Spent dreaming in sunshine here.

I conquered such waves
Shimmering over surface
On my narrow skis,
No one knows the songs I sang
To God, earth, water, and sky.

Now I have nothing
But memory to link me
To those magic times,
I come again a stranger
Not visiting for so long.

The water calls me,
Makes me want to leave safety
Far behind my back,
Dive deep and grab hold a rope,
But my boat, drivers, are gone.

I linger land locked,
Wishing I could retrace paths
That are no longer
Left open for one such as
I have now fully become.

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Sunday, November 3, 2013

Otherwise Entertained (8)

Many evenings the group spent at Ramsey’s house, but other times they would meet at Morgan and Tony’s apartment. The space there was very crowded, but no one seemed to mind.

One evening, around 7:00, Kelvin, Ramsey, Wagner, Jason, and Cade came to visit. Morgan and Tony offered Olde English 800 Malt Liquor to the guys along with various other beverages. Kelvin and Wagner decided to have a sword fight out in the yard with their machetes, just to set the mood. Tony, Ramsey, Jason, and Cade chose to take their turns with the blades as well. Morgan watched their antics with a mixture of amusement and fear. She knew one wrong move and someone could be seriously injured. The athletic males finally decided to go inside.

Everyone was hungry after the exertions, so Morgan decided to fry some chicken. It was something she had never done before, but she guessed it could not be too difficult. Her mother had prepared it at least once a week for years. She did wish she had paid a bit more attention to how it was done.

The guys sat around drinking and talking on the bunk beds, turned couches, in the tiny front room. When the perfectly browned chicken was finished, she served it up with corn on the cob and green beans.

When Kelvin took a bite, he sputtered and cursed, “Damn Morgan, this chicken is raw! What the hell do you think you are doing to us? Are you trying to kill us, as you do in your world? I thought we were safe outside of EverMost! Damn!”

The others returned their plates to the counter. Morgan began to tear up, but she refused to let them see her cry. Although she was mortified by the horrible mistake she made, she did not want to have anyone go hungry.

She turned to Tony and whispered, “Pizza?”

He nodded and answered, “Sure, I’ll order.”

Morgan dumped everything in the trashcan without another word. She was grateful Tony was willing to make the call for pizza and pay the bill. Another disaster averted by his kindness. Everyone except Kelvin seemed willing to let the situation go. He kept glancing at her and shaking his head.

He finally commented, “If you can cook no better than that, you should stay out of the kitchen.”

She sighed and said, “That was the first time I tried frying chicken, but I will take your advice into consideration.”

The pizza arrived and everyone ate happily, seemingly willing to forgive the mess Morgan had made. When the boxes were empty, the group appeared satisfied.

Ramsey asked, “Ambazzar or EverMost, Morgan?”

Tony answered, “She has been working on an adventure for days, staying up late, doing drawings, and studying the books. I think we should try her world tonight.”

Kelvin said, “I hope it works out better than the chicken!”

Everyone, except Morgan, laughed and began arranging their gear for play. She smiled, thinking perhaps a little payback was in order. The dice rolled in the adventurer’s favor and they had a very fortuitous foray into the dungeon. Only Ramsey’s character, Garrison, was injured in the melee with kobolds. The group traveled back to the Sleepy Eyes Inn and retired for the night.

Ramsey had introduced Tony and Morgan to the music of Neil Young and she put the album, Live Rust, on the stereo. Everyone was in a party mood, choosing to stay late since it was a Friday night. Tony was off for the weekend, as were the students, and Wagner was not likely to apply for work until Monday. After another hour or more, Ramsey, Cade, and Jason told them good night and went home.

Sometime later, Tony suggested they go for a ride. Kelvin and Wagner agreed and loaded into Katie. Morgan drove to a stretch of highway where she could let the 472 engine run wide open. She managed to hit 100 before she got to the end of the road. As she slowed, blue lights popped up behind the car. She heard metal clanging together as the machetes were pushed under the seat. At that moment, she wondered why they brought those in the first place.

The police officer came to the window and she rolled it down, “Good evening officer,” she said as politely as possible.

“Good morning ma’am. Can I see your license and insurance please?” He asked.

She took the cards out of her purse and handed them to him. He walked back to his vehicle.

After several minutes, in which the atmosphere in the Cadillac became increasingly tense, he returned to the window.

He asked, “What are you all doing out here at this time of morning?”

“We were just out enjoying a drive, listening to music, and taking in some fresh air,” Morgan answered.

He said, “Well, this is a dangerous neighborhood to travel in. You all be careful and stay out of trouble.”

Everyone in the car answered, “Yes sir!”

They drove back to the apartment at much reduced speed. Morgan was thankful he had not searched the car because of the weapons and the open beer all the guys had been drinking.

When they got back, Kelvin and Wagner gathered their gaming things and drove away.

Tony went to bed and Morgan stayed up to clean up the remaining mess. The night had not been a total loss, but it was bad enough she was sure she would never forget it. She had learned a valuable lesson about cooking. Never try something for the first time when the results were important and open to criticism. She considered that several moments and decided the wisdom could also be applied to other aspects of life. She thought of how close they had come to getting in serious trouble on their drive. She was grateful things had gone no worse.

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Sunday, November 3, 2013

PAD Challenge, Day 2, My Poem

Today’s prompt for the Poem-A-Day Challenge is to write a “news of the day” poem. I had not caught the news on television, so I went to Google News. I found little I wanted to read, but one article seemed timely…

They Did Not Tell US

Sometimes government
Gives citizens incomplete
Information or
Tells what appear outright lies;
Politician propaganda.

Everyone wanted
Improvement to the system,
But it was working
For many of the people;
Now it’s totally broken.

Some who were happy
With the coverage they had,
Now suddenly find
Their health plans being cancelled;
Replacements cost a fortune.

The outrageous fines,
The unneeded coverage,
Increased premiums,
Bank breaking deductibles;
Were never even mentioned.

Insurance reform
Was the promise as given,
But the cure seems worse
Than the symptoms of disease;
Affordable it is not.

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Saturday, November 2, 2013

I hope I am overreacting. I hope it is not the disaster it seems, but I am concerned that we may all be in for worse than we have ever dreamed.

I Am Late, But PAD Challenge Poem 1

The prompt for the Poem A Day Challenge Day 1 was to write an appearing poem. I am late as I did not get it done on November 1st, but I hope to stay current from now on… A tip of the hat to someone who made me think with a rather caustic remark…

How Things Appear

I am a writer…
I usually call all words
My beloved friends,
But when my motives become
Objects of question, I doubt.

Are some words really
So bad that using them in
Description causes
Others to feel besmirched when
The intention was no harm?

Maybe I need to
More carefully filter
The words I employ,
For I do not wish to cause
Anyone pain or offend.

People do come in
Varieties, differences
Are quite obvious,
I count it a great blessing
We are not exactly alike.

Red, Yellow, Brown, Black, White,
Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Atheist, Agnostic,
Democrat, Republican, Constitutionalist, Independent, Confederate,
Heterosexual, Homosexual, Bisexual, Transsexual,
Male, Female, Young, Old, Overweight, Skinny,
Morning people, Night owls, Mentally ill, Able bodied, Differently enabled,
I could go on forever…

Is using a description evil?
I love people of all types, I write,
I celebrate what makes each of us individual,
We are each one an original,
God loves us all alike…
But maybe I should be more careful with my words,
Keeping up appearances and being politically correct…

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Saturday, November 2, 2013


I may never hear the end of this one, but my creativity took the reins and I spoke from the heart.

Otherwise Entertained (7)

Morgan and Tony gathered their books, dice, drinks, chips, and character sheets together before driving over to Ramsey’s house. The date had been set at their previous session and no phone calls had come in to change the time. Ramsey’s mother generously allowed the bunch of them to set up in her rather large and very comfortable den a few times each week.

They were the last ones to arrive. Ramsey was already set up behind his Dungeon Master’s screen and Morgan had no doubt he had a harrowing array of events in mind for the evening. Kelvin, Wagner, Cade, and Max were already sitting scattered around the den. Sawyer did not play the game, but as Ramsey’s older brother, he sometimes made brief appearances, especially when the noise levels were high.

Morgan’s character died on the last adventure so everyone waited while she rolled a new character with her favorite green dice. Ramsey kept a watchful eye on the proceedings. He always made sure the scores were not enhanced to a player’s advantage. Her dexterity score was very high so she chose to be a thief, and because she had been reading Tolkien’s books, she chose to be a Halfling. This gave her some language advantages that would be an asset to the group. She named her character Celeste and joined the party at one of the inns in Devon.

Tony’s character was a human cleric named Cornelius. Kelvin’s character was a half-orc named Kaos, who being a chaotic fighter caused quite a bit of trouble in the game. Wagner played a human paladin with the name Marcellus. Cade was an elven magic user named Brandon. Max played a dwarf fighter named Silas.

Celeste managed to steal a few supplies they needed for their adventure before Kaos caused a fight that got the group run out of town. They found a curious hole in one of the hills several miles from town. When Silas went inside to explore, he soon returned saying it appeared to be a keep. They followed him into the darkness where their torches threw eerie shadows on the walls. They entered a large chamber and found several chests strewn around the room. Celeste attempted to pick one of the locks and succeeded. Inside the chest were some scrolls, which Brandon quickly claimed, a dagger, which she took for herself, and a few gold pieces, over which the others began to squabble. The noise rose and suddenly several orcs with weapons appeared. Celeste moved behind the stronger characters and took out her sling. Watching for an opportunity, she shot at their opponents in the melee. Ramsey told her each missile had a chance to hit the others in the group. He did rolls to determine if she hit her companions. Luckily, her shots hit her targets and she helped kill the orcs.

The guys had her try the lock on another chest, but she could not pick it. They moved on after she failed once more. Ramsey called for a break and they all went into the kitchen and devoured some snacks that each of them had contributed. Ramsey’s sister, Jane, made a rare appearance and quickly disappeared back into the private rooms of the house.

When they returned to the game, they went deeper into the dark halls of the keep. They decided to open a huge steel door, but Celeste’s lock picking skills were not up to the task. Brandon cast a spell he found on one of the scrolls obtained earlier and the portal opened. As they stepped inside the room, a group of skeletons attacked them. Cornelius and Marcellus had holy water and that was most effective against the monsters, but the whole group sustained serious damage before conquering the skeletons. When the weakened party explored the room, they found a very large chest. Celeste opened it with her tools and they found a sword, a mace, and a ring inside. There were also silver pieces, which they divided among themselves. An argument broke out over who would have the weapons and ring, Kaos began shouting as if he were berserk. Celeste, Cornelius, and Marcellus managed to quiet the others before something else could find them. They rode to another town and the game broke up for the night.

Morgan and Tony invited the others to come over to their apartment for drinks, but everyone had to be up early in the morning, so they went home alone. Tony went to bed soon after they got home. Morgan stayed up thinking about how Kelvin had acted during the game. Nothing about him, she decided, was simple.

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Edited Cover Concept - Otherwise Entertained 

This is the edited cover concept. I would love to have your opinions on which you like better.

Always,
Jo Ann

Cover Concept

I suppose I am going to participate in NaNoWriMo this year. On the website there was a place to upload a cover photo. My drawing from the other night did not work, so I created a new one. I hope you will like this:

Cover Concept - Otherwise Entertained

Remember I am an amateur…

Always,
Jo Ann

I Have Been Productive Today

Of course I stayed up all night, but I took a nap between 7:00AM and noon. During the dark hours of the morning I had a burst of creativity. I hope you will enjoy the following offerings…

Deserted

Wondering where you
Might be hiding on this night
When all the stars shine
With such brilliant clarity
Above this earthly coldness.

I have no chance to
See your face among the others
Lingering so near
Because you are now absent,
Doing whatever you do.

I wanted to reach
Beyond these four lonely walls
So I could somehow
Share in the wonderful life
You are so richly living.

I am totally
Lost among those few ignored
By your provision,
You are moving far away
Into tomorrow’s distance.

Your greatest treasure
Alludes my outstretched fingers,
No effort of mind
Can make your goodness return
At this moment to grace me.

Wondering where you
Might be hiding on this night
When all the stars shine
With such brilliant clarity
Above this earthly coldness.

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan 
Monday, October 28, 2013

DSC_0101

I found these weeds attractive. I sometimes think God’s greatest creations grow wild.

 

Otherwise Entertained (6)

She lettered in chorus during her freshman, sophomore, and junior years. Before she completed high school in the first quarter of her senior year, she took a trip to Washington, D.C. with the chorus. There was a competition held there for groups from all over the country. Tony insisted Morgan go, even though she was hesitant to leave him.

The trip was memorable because she visited some of the highlights of the city. She wished the time spent in the Smithsonian Museum had not been very limited. There was so much to see. The Washington and Lincoln monuments were inspiring. When she sang in the National Cathedral, she found its glory overwhelming. The Capitol was gorgeous, as was the White House, but she was disappointed in the great mall. The litter everywhere detracted from the beauty of the area. 

She did not call home to talk to her husband often because long distance was so expensive. There was a dance, but she sat to the side in her royal blue dress, only watching the others. She was often left alone when her roommates decided to do something interesting. She shopped for things to take home to Tony and her parents. She found a tee shirt for Tony, a necklace for her mother, and a carved pocketknife for her father. She also bought commemorative postcards. Traveling by bus was not very pleasant, reminding her of the harrowing times she had spent on school buses through the years.

When she returned home, she and Tony celebrated by going out for steaks and drinks. Morgan loved feeling her husband’s arms around her again. She had felt uneasy while so far away. She belonged back where love surrounded her.

She thought of this trip when they were planning their vacation. She hoped to go back and take time to see everything Washington contained, but Tony wanted to go to Panama City as they had on their honeymoon. Morgan could not argue. She had enjoyed the first trip tremendously, except the motorcycle accident. She had scraped herself up quite a bit and chipped a front tooth. He did not seem to realize his recklessness had caused her harm. She hoped the vacation would be more relaxing.

They checked in to the Fontainebleau in the early evening after driving most of the day. She and Tony showered together, taking their time, before getting ready for supper. They ate seafood in the restaurant and then went swimming in the indoor pool. The full moon hung huge in the sky as they walked the sugar white beach. She gathered shells, even finding a starfish and a sand dollar. They only had three days and those hurried by like the seagulls flying over the ocean. She managed to avoid sunburn on her pale skin because Tony kept her slathered in Coppertone. She did the same for him because he also had a light complexion.

On the drive home, they narrowly avoided an accident because Tony fell asleep at the wheel. Morgan’s scream probably kept Katie from sustaining significant damage and might have saved them from injury as well.

She hoped this time she would be pregnant, but it did not happen. After all their lovemaking, it seemed a baby should result. She began to think something was wrong with her, even imagining she might be cursed.

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Monday, October 28, 2013

 

2013-10 Contest Proof

 

2013-10 Featured Proof

I am grateful:

1)   Alex arrived in California safely.
2)   Laying out the Sweetwater Camera Club pages for the Chapel Hill News & Views has become considerably easier.
3)   I am enjoying writing Otherwise Entertained and believe it may develop into something significant.
4)   Window 8.1 works better than I expected.
5)   I am getting some use from my Adobe Creative Cloud membership.

You are highly creative, gifted with the ability to fulfill your dreams. All it takes is consistent effort. Make sure you take the time today to share your talent with the world. You never know what blessings you may bestow on others through your work. So many people are looking for something to allow them a few moments of escape, you can provide this gift.

As a prompt, write about someone who left you alone and how it helped you grow. You might write a poem, a story, a journal entry, or even a note for future use. This should be simple because everyone has suffered abandonment.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope it entertained you. If you enjoyed your time here, you might want to enter your email address above and subscribe to Chronicles. As I indicated, the snippet from Otherwise Entertained above is the sixth part. The whole story is on the blog, so you might want to catch up by reading the earlier pieces if you are new here. The archives contain a great deal of material you might enjoy, so feel free to explore.

I hope you have a totally awesome day and return here often in the future.

Always,
Jo Ann

Otherwise Entertained (5)

Nightmares plagued Morgan, but not only after the horror movies. She often awoke screaming or crying as she had for years. Luckily, she did not always wake Tony. Her husband would not have liked being disturbed during his sleep as frequently as she was terrorized.

In the dreams there were always large hands roaming over her body, and hungry eyes staring at her nakedness. There was never any way to hide. She was trapped and there was no escape. Sometimes she woke short of breath from being covered by a heavy body in the haunting dreams. She knew they were caused by memories she suppressed daily, but she never spoke to anyone about the abuse she had lived through. Her molester had told her he would claim she was crazy if she told anyone. She feared no one would believe her and she felt tarnished. Guilt usually dogged her hours. She had lived the secret as long as she could remember. There were people she protected by her silence. There was too much love involved to destroy other lives. She did not deserve absolution. She was a terrible sinner. She had brought all the suffering on herself and no one could ever understand. At least when she moved out of her parents’ home it finally stopped. She did not have to dress in voluminous clothes anymore. She did not have to hope she went unnoticed.

She was always looking for love. She craved it to fill the emptiness she felt inside her heart. Lust was usually what she found in games she played with neighborhood guys. There had been one serious relationship, but Charlie had never admitted she was his girlfriend. She supposed he was ashamed of her and she could understand because she did not consider herself attractive. That relationship came to a screeching halt one afternoon in his parents’ bedroom. They had finished making love and he had grabbed a loaded gun afterward. He pointed it at her head and began pulling the trigger repeatedly. He shouted he did not want to ever see her again as she ran out of the house. That experience sometimes found her in her dreams as well.

When Tony began courting her in high school, she was quick to respond to his kind words and sweet kisses. It did not take long to win her heart. She was like a homeless puppy craving attention and hoping to be taken home. He was handsome, tall, and generous with money and time. She gave him her body and heart simultaneously. Marriage was something magical she hoped would one day happen. When Tony asked she was ecstatic. The fact they were young did not seem to matter.

Later she could never remember exactly how they became a part of the group who got together several times a week to role-play. She only knew she loved the hours she spent with the special group of guys. Several of them had been acquaintances from her childhood and had grown up along with her. They became good friends over time. None of them were neighborhood guys, so they were not privy to her sordid history.

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Saturday, October 26, 2013

Otherwise Entertained (4)

One Saturday morning they got up early and packed a cooler full of Diet Coke, Coke, orange juice, and beer. Tony had bought Bacardi 151, Absolut Vodka, and Jack Daniels at the package store the evening before. Morgan made ham and cheese sandwiches and packed barbeque potato chips, Chips Ahoy cookies, and some fruit to carry on their excursion.

It was another first for Morgan. She had never rafted on the Chattahoochee River before. After all the years she had spent boating and water skiing on the area lakes, it was a bit surprising to Tony that she had not experienced this pleasure.

He joked, “You are such a water bug. I don’t know how you missed being a river rat.”

She shrugged and said, “Some people think rapids are dangerous.”

They stopped to pick up Tony’s best friend Michael before they left Metro Atlanta. As daylight filled the sky, they reached their drop off point. Morgan helped stow everything in the raft, pointedly leaving the life jackets jammed in the back with the cooler.

They raced through the rapids making her laugh as the guys horsed around, acting like they were going to fall overboard. When they reached calmer water, Tony tied the cooler to the side of the raft letting the water help keep everything chilled.

Morgan was drinking 151 mixed with Diet Coke and the guys were enjoying other libations. Everything was carefree. They stopped at some cliffs where people were diving. Tony and Michael dared her to climb up and jump off. She did not like the idea, but she was not about to let them think she was afraid. When she got to the top, there was a strange looking man there and he told her if she did not jump, he would push her off and she might die. She glanced at his malformed foot and hurried to the edge of the cliff. She felt a searing hand touch her back and screamed as she dived from the high place. When she told the guys what had happened they laughed and said it was her poetic imagination.

Later that day Michael put his arms around Morgan. When she pulled away, Tony told her, “Chill out. It is okay. We can share.”

She was not so very drunk that she liked the idea and tried to push Michael away. He tightened his grip on her and kissed her. Tony smiled when she looked over at him.

Other strange things happened that day, but Morgan did not like to remember the rest. Some things you had to let go to live in peace with yourself and peace was an important commodity.

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Saturday, October 26, 2013