Let's WRITE! It's Day 16..already!

Writing Challenge Word of the Day:

Feather

Kat was exhausted. It showed under her eyes, she felt it in her bones, she ached all over. It was a mental exhaustion that was keeping her up at night and her physically exhaustion was making her dog tired. She couldn't sleep if she wanted to.  Her world was foreign to her and she felt like she were drowning. 

"You OK?" 

She heard Mac's rugged voice through her thoughts, bringing her back to her own reality. 

"Sure. I'll be OK." 

"I wouldn't be.  I mean, they all kept this from you, it is kind of a big deal." he looked at me and I knew he somehow 'got it' and was showing his sympathy. 

"Yea, I guess. Look, it is not like there was anything left between Danny and I.  It ended a long time ago, before we were even married and when we parted, we did so amicably and cordially."

"Sweetheart, no explanations needed, especially to me."

"I know, but it is not even like I have seen Danny.  I haven't talked to him, seem him or even had anyone mention his name in years and now this.  I mean, it is just weird.  And who does not come back, no matter what the circumstances, when their damn wife is dead?"

"Someone who has something to hid is my first instinct."

"Yea, Mac, mine too."


He dropped me off at my door and I was more than relieved. It was early afternoon and I wanted nothing more than a hot bath, bubbles and my phone ringer turned off. 

I walked up to my slightly askew house.  It needed a lot of work, but the price was right and it had good bones. I just hadn't put the investment into fixing up those old bones, just yet.  The solid wood door was standing cracked open. I immediately drew for my gun, seeing Mac still waiting in the driveway. He jumped out of the car as he saw me make the reach. I waited, listening to what was going on inside my house. 

Mac reached me and we entered.  The old wood floors, original to the 1890 house, squeaked under our feet. Mac signaled that he was heading left and I should go right. 

I saw him in the mirror on the side of the staircase that separates my house.  He was tanner than I remembered.  His light hair shaggy and messy around his face. His blue eyes filled with worry, guilt. He saw me when I saw him. I held my gun up, ready to fire, ready to shoot if he made a move.  Mac reached him on the other side.  We had him cornered. 

"Kat, do you know him?" 

I was stuck in an alternate world. I could see Mac, hear his voice but my own would not work. I could not put my arms down, retreat my gun.  I felt frozen. 

"Kat?"

"Katherine, I am sorry. I am so sorry." his voice was light as a feather. It was soft and gently and calming, as it had once been. 

"Who are you?" I heard Mac say, his voice cold and stone. 

"Dan." his soft voice let out.

He had said Dan, not Daniel or Danny. He was not the person who I had given my soul to as such a young girl.  He was not the person who I had last seen that had no emotional ties to me at all, what so ever.  He was different. This person was grown, articulate, professional even. 

"What are you doing here Danny?" the words left my mouth but sounded as if they were from someone else in the room.

"I don't know.  I don't know what to do. I am sure you know by now and I am so sorry. I better Char to call you, tell you, invite you to the wedding and she was ashamed. She was so ashamed of what you would think of her."

"No. You don't get to do that.  You don't get to speak for her. You don't get to put the damn guilt trip on me, do you hear me." 

Mac came to my side, putting my gun down, back into my black leather shoulder holster. His hands were running down the sides of my arms, trying to provide warmth to a body that was much to cold. 

"Who the hell are you?" Dan..said to Mac.

"Her Partner. Not that it is any of your business.  Why didn't you call Kat? Tell her yourself?"

He just snickered. 

"Why are you here? Why did you break into my house? How did you even know where I lived?" my voice stuttered and sounded like shards of glass as it left my body.

"I don't know. I didn't know where else to go. Charlotte's house." he fell to his knees, tears leaving his body. "Charlotte's house is non-existent. I didn't know where to go."


"So you decided to come to your ex-wife's, oh, who also happens to be sister in law also. Only thing is, how did you know that I would know by now?" I eyed him curiously.  Mac knew I was in detective mode. 

"Kat, I know you. I knew Mary Ellen would have spilled the beans." 

"Your WRONG. Mary Ellen did not spill the beans. Mary Ellen kept those damn beans warm and would not give them up, even when I cross.. uh, questioned her. You don't know me. You didn't know me then and you certain don't know a damn thing about me know."

I marched away.  I heard Mac talking to Danny, telling him that he should go to the police station, pay his respects to his late wife and answer any questions they might have. Police stuff.  I heard the door to my house latch. 

"Kat, you OK?" 

"Yea." I said from behind my bedroom door. I had slid into my white rob and it felt glorious. Today was not the day. I just wanted a day to myself. I wanted a Kat day. I wanted this bad dream to be over. If no one else gave a damn about what happened to Charlotte, I wasn't going to care either. 

It sounded good, but at the end of today, I knew I would be diving back in.  What happened to my sister was inhumane, sick and whoever had done it needed to be dealt with.

"Do you want me to stay?"

It was a question that I hadn't been expecting. One that I was so glad he had asked, whether he knew it or not. 

"Would you? I just want to take a hot bath, relax. But, seriously, if you have stuff to do."

"No. I am here. Mind if I get something to drink, make something to eat and watch some TV?"

"Make yourself comfortable. And Mac, Thank You."

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Couldn't we all use a day to ourselves? Poor Kat just wants some rest- let's hope she gets some, soon. Sounds like one heck of a roller coaster.

How are we doing on our writing? 

I am enjoying this challenge a lot, being able to put together a story around a word a day is exciting and to see where it is going has been a breakthrough of sorts. 

Let me know how you are liking the challenge. 

Share you blog so we can check out your writing and HAVE FUN!!

Thanks all!

~Kel

Channeling a Writer- Day 15

Wow, can you believe we are already 15 days into our challenge. 
(I might always say this because it is crazy!)


Today's WRITING CHALLENGE WORD OF THE DAY IS:

SONG

I was so nervous as I stood in front of my parents.  I needed to just spit it out. I needed to stop dwelling on the fact that Char, my baby sister, was married to my ex husband, and I did not even know.  It was at this moment that bile started to rise in my throat.  I tried to control myself, to stop this song and dance act that I was doing internally, but, it was to late.  I ran to the trash can and let the vomit rise out of my mouth. 

Mac was with me, holding my hair, rubbing my back.  When I was finished, he walked me to the stool that he had been sitting on and sat me down gently. 

"Mary Ellen, Gus, we found out that Charlotte was married." he stopped for dramatics.  I tried to look at my Parents faces, to see their shock.  Instead...all I saw was a look of aww. 

"We found a record that Charlotte married Daniel, as in Kat's Danny." He said with sternness. 

Still, their faces were not that of people who had not known.  Instead, they looked as if they might have attended the wedding itself. 

"Were you aware?" Mac said, his eyebrows rose as he made this accusation.

"Well.." stammered my Mother. "We, um, in fact did." she said as her cold, hazel eyes met my own. 

My Father would not even make eye contact with me, let alone speak.  I felt weak still, unable to hold back my lashing tongue, unable to control my sobs.  My own parents had known and not disclosed this information to me. 

"Do you know where Daniel is?" Mac asked, gently. 

"He is in New York.  We talked to him when we had been called. He did not want any drama, so he thought it was in his best interests to stay put in New York."

I could no longer hold back. "What do you mean he thought it was in his best interests to stay put?  His wife was...is  DEAD." I spat.

I was angry.  I felt like this big elephant had been in the room for so long and somehow, I was it. 

"Oh, Honey. I know how this must seem to you. You were always so sensitive, and we just..." She looked to my Father, who was still looking at the ground, offering no assistance to my stammering Mother. "We just knew that if you knew, you might resent Charlotte more than you already did." 

"Whaat...I resent Charlotte?  I was living MY life.  Apparently, I was never important enough for her to come to me, for her to reach out.  I tried a few times over the years, phone calls, letters, cards in the mail, which were returned because she moved around so much.  She never tried either, DO NOT put this on me."

"What business does Daniel have in New York."  Mac was still trying to interview, to keep the emotions out of the line of questions, thank goodness.

"Oh dear, he is building Charlotte a house.  A grand house with lots of windows, overlooking the beach.  He has been working on it diligently for over a year now.  They were only seeing each other on the weekends."

"How convenient for Daniel, the adulterer.  I am sure he did not come because Charlotte was just another pawn in his game.  For someone building someone DEAD a house, he sure did not rush to her side."

"That is ENOUGH Katherine." my Mother was upset now.  I was finally seeing emotions from her dull body. She came up out of her seat and demanded that I leave, immediately. 

"It is not as if I am even your Daughter. You keep major secrets from me, for years, apparently. NO wonder I was not welcome when Char was ever over, was not even invited. Somehow I think that was both of your doing."

Mac grabbed my arm, guiding me, gently, towards the front screen door. "Thank you Mary Ellen and Gus for your time. Thank you for answering our questions. I did have one more before we can leave, if that is OK?"  southern charm met with graciousness. 

"Sure, Mac." my Mother spoke.

"Did you know about Nathan?  What happened to him?"

My Mother looked confused.  She scratched her head, rubbed her temple. "Nathan, you say?  Well, he was a boy she had dated in high school and a little after.  Yea, maybe right before Char reunited with Danny.  I think they just went their separate ways. I think that is what Char had said." 

We left the house I had grown up in, now I was being kicked out of, no longer welcomed.  My Mother did not even look in my direction, did not even bid me farewell.  She simple Thanked Mac for his manners and slammed the wood screen door in our faces. 

I really wanted to go home...now.

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The struggle is REAL.  I am ready for the weekend myself!  

How are we all doing with the challenge? 

I had to miss yesterday, which is unfortunate, but due to having a rough cold, and being given the amazing Z-Pack, which did not do a lick for me, I have managed to bruise my ribs or something and am braced up, due to the pain. AGHHH..

The only time it does not hurt is when I get comfortable and fall asleep. Unfortunately, life wont stop because I hurt...

Anyways, I hope you all have a wonderful Tuesday!

Happy Trails!

~Kel