Still writing.
Still reading.
Still working towards the big picture goal.
Input and output.
I have two half stories.
Here’s the first half (third?) of a story I’m calling Continental about a woman who lives like her aggressively average town is some quaint European town instead of the 18th largest town in Missouri.
Here’s the first part of Continental. I have a couple different directions I’m working on and trying to make sure it doesn’t drag unnecessarily.
CONTINENTAL
Susie felt deeply within herself that she had been born under the wrong sign at the wrong time. Clearly, she was meant to have lived in more interesting times, culturally, and someplace more interesting, culturally. Susie was not meant for the life she was living. She was meant for a more Continental life. Like in the movies. And the movie in her head.
Rebecca called susie “delusional” and said she had “chaotic main character energy who was disconnected from reality.” Susie knew Rebeccah was wrong and was just mad with jealousy of her. Everyone was. Suse heard the way people talked about her and it was all well and good and positive. Exclamations of, “I can’t believe she did that? Can you?” made their way to her ears in shouted whispers. Suzannah knew she was doing something right to garner that kind of reaction from so many NON-tinentals, as she called them, in her orbit.
If she wasn’t culturally Continental would she have brought her own caviar or tinned fish on her transport to London or Paris? Goodness no! She was sure she would be the talk of the trip. She was sure everyone would rush to tell their friends about the “most Continental woman they had ever seen!” Susie was sure of it.
She was stocking up on necessary sundries for her next jaunt at a soulless big-box store. She waited in the queue and just knew that none of those with whom she was sharing space at the moment had the faintest clue of what the proper menu for a garden party should include. This made her sad. When the line had progressed and her transaction began she met the cashier’s eyes waiting for a comment on her choices. It did not come.
“I suppose by my choices it looks like I’m going to study abroad but actually…” Suzie started.
“Oh yeah, I’ve studied a broad or two too,” the scamp behind her injected.
Susiegh thought this must be how his kind flirt - how undignified - and continued to the cashier, “you see, I will be traveling to London and Paris in the next fortnight and need these basic sundries for my journey,”
“You have a Savings Club Card or phone number with us?” the cashier returned still not acknowledging Susie’s carefully curated selection.
“I… I don’t. I’m sorry. I can…” Susie started.
“Cash or card? Insert, tap, or swipe,” the cashier said.
“Sounds like a good night to me,” the scamp contributed.
“Sir! How goche of you! Have you no manners?” Susie said. She swiped her card and went on her way. She still had to pack and get to sleep early for her journey tomorrow. She knew she had to be at the terminal at least 2 or three hours before departure or she’d be all out of sorts and that would never do. One mustn’t arrive in London or Paris in immediate need of rest was her travel mantra. She remembered arriving in Berlin and Amsterdam not properly rested and it threw off the whole trip! Not a mistake she would make again.