100 Word Song: Mirrors

         I'm linking up with the 100 Word Song over at My Blog Can Beat Up Your Blog. This week's prompt was Justin Timberlake's Mirrors. As I read over the lyrics, I thought it would be fun to write two pieces that “mirror” each other about how others see us—and how sometimes people get it right and sometimes they get it wrong. Depending how you look at it, I've either done extra credit, or I cheated by writing 200 words. I'll leave it up to Professor Leroy to decide. This piece picks up where I last left Karen and Danny. You can read more about them here. 

Karen's Mirror

         Karen and Danny spent the afternoon decorating the church basement for the CYO dance. They transformed the cold gray room with crepe paper and balloons before the Ladies' Guild arrived with cookies and punch.

         Mrs. Doyle looked scandalized to see Karen with Danny. To her, Karen was the girl who “got in trouble” after her father ran away and her mother drank herself to death. Unfit to associate with the deacon.

         To Danny, Karen was the little girl who got straight A's and sang the “Pie Jesus” at Mass.

They were both right. And they were both wrong.

Danny's Mirror

         Karen could still see the same old Danny under the cassock—the boy who had holes in his jeans and dirt under his fingernails and got into fights. When the Ladies' Guild arrived, they treated him with a reverence that made him uncomfortable.

         “Deacon Daniel, you mustn't bother with moving those chairs. We'll take care of it,” Mrs. Doyle insisted, banishing the Prodigal Son to his office to work on his next sermon.

         The coffee she brought him tasted bitter in his mouth. Mrs. Doyle couldn't see that he had come home to get his hands dirty, only Karen saw that.

100 Word Song: A Good Feeling

           Charlotte had been observing ghosts for years—watching their memories like a silent film. But today they spoke to her. Filled with the euphoria of purpose and belonging, she walked the hotel grounds as the sunlight dissolved the mist. The once manicured gardens were now a jungle of rhodedendron and tall grasses. It would be be easy to be discouraged by the monumental task of refurbishing the old hotel, but she felt good about it. A bird lighted on a wild rose bush and made eye contact with Charlotte. He tilted his head, twittered his approval, and soared into the sky.

           I'm linking up with the 100 Word Song prompt over at my friend Lance's place. Our inspiration for the week is the incomparable Nina Simone singing “Feeling Good”. If you like reading about Charlotte, check out her page here.

100 Word Song: Galileo

This story picks up where I left off here.
  

                   “How long 'til my soul gets it right,” Danny prayed.

                   He had fought to serve as deacon in his hometown against the warnings of his advisors. With so many factories closing, things were getting worse. He wanted to minster to the people he understood best―hard workers who knew how to take a punch.

                   Karen was still here, like a wild flower growing out of a crack in a rock. Danny always thought someone would pluck her out of Brockton and bring her someplace filled with light.

                   “Now I'm serving time for mistakes made by another in another lifetime.”

                  

It's been ages since I've linked up with 100 Word Song over at My Blog Can Beat Up Your Blog. This week's inspiration is one of my all-time favorite songs, Galileo by The Indigo Girls. It was nearly 100 words of memoir this week. But 100 words couldn't do justice to the story of my roommates and I serenading a hockey team in a Montreal elevator in the '90's. Three part harmony and the confidence of youth need much more than 100 words―another time perhaps.

100 Word Song: I Won't Back Down

 

            She straightened her back and willed her voice not to tremble.

“I won’t back down,” she said.

            “I thought you’d say that,” Manny sneered. His face looked like he was holding a handful of aces.

            Manny couldn’t possibly know, she told herself. As far as he knew, she had no attachments. There was nothing he could hold over her head.

            Frankie pulled a sheriff’s badge out of his pocket and tossed it on the table. It was dented and scuffed.

            “Huh,” he said with a nasty grin. “I think your new boyfriend lost something. Are you to cooperate now doll?”

  

           

           

 

            I’m linking up with the 100 Word Song Prompt over at my friend Lance’s place, My Blog Can Beat Up Your Blog. This week’s inspiration is Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down”.

Another Auld Lang Syne

            “Time to move up in the world,” Tony had said. “Come work with me.”

            So Karen left the diner for the country club. Her feet still hurt, she still had burns on her fingers and old men still pinched her ass. Money didn’t mean class. She held her head high and did her job. She would survive.

            “They’re about to announce the new couple,” Tony said.

            She opened the door enough to watch them enter the ballroom. Her knees buckled when she saw the groom’s whiskey colored eyes.

            “Ladies and Gentlemen,” the bandleader announced. “Welcome Mr. and Mrs. Henry Petersen.”

             This latest installment of Karen’s story comes in response to two prompts. The inspiration for this week’s 100 Word Song is Dan Fogelberg’s "Auld Lang Syne"—one of my favorites from way back.  In fact, my very first Karen story was entitled "Auld Lang Syne". I’ve been singing it non stop over the past couple of days (apologies to my family). It’s also in response to this week’s Trifecta prompt:

 survive

1: to remain alive after the death of <he is survived by his wife>

2: to continue to exist or live after <survived the earthquake>

3: to continue to function or prosper despite : withstand <they survived many hardships>

           

100 Word Song: O Holy Night

  

            While going over my posts of the last year, I realized it’s been far too long since we took a glimpse into Karen’s world. So this week, I’m linking up late (sorry Leroy!) with 100 Word Song over at My Blog Can Beat Up Your Blog. This week’s musical inspiration was a song I’d never heard before by a band I’ve never heard of, “Carry Me Home” by Hey Rosetta! Give it a listen if you haven’t already heard it. You can download it for free from their website.

O Holy Night

            Edmond sat on the edge of the bed in the cheap motel room. He should have been grateful the manager had taken pity on him, but he felt empty. Across the country, Karen was standing on the kneeler at St. Coleman’s, singing along with the choir. Peggy would have dressed Karen in green velvet and put her raven hair in ringlets. Christmas Eve had always been his favorite night of the year—a night of magic and possibilities. This year, it smelled of stale smoke and regret. The gin bottle slipped from his hands as tears rolled down his face. 

100 Word Song: Something New

  

                   My fiction writing has been put on hold lately because of the wonderful craziness in my life these days. But I couldn't resist linking up with the 100 Word Song this week. Lance has offered us Jimi Hendrix's “Are You Experienced” for inspiration. Mr. Hendrix would have been 70 years old this week. I give you 100 words of Fiction on Friday.

Something New

                   The hike had been a mistake.  She thought she was in shape. But the miles on the elliptical machine had not prepared her for the rocky terrain, the steepness of the trail or the thin air.

                   “It's only a few steps more,” he assured her, pausing as she gasped and stumbled.

                   “There,” he whispered as she reached the summit. “Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?”

                   She drank in the world below and forgot about her blisters and bruises and remembered the meaning of the word breathtaking.

                   “No Sheriff. I've never seen anything at all before.” 

100 Word Song: Lying

            I’m linking up this week with 100 Word Song. This week’s inspirational tune was “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol. I’m picking up with the story of Henry and Karen. You can check out their previous moment here and the rest of their story here.

Lying

            Henry stared at the ceiling, knowing  this mistake would haunt him forever. This internship was a bribe from his father. It was too good to pass up. Now loneliness was the price of this privilege.

            “Maybe we dodged a bullet,” he told her. “Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise.”

            He tried not to see her touching her now empty abdomen. She was so good at being strong, but her hope had bled away.

            He’d be back from Chicago, he had said. But it wasn’t the truth. Tears streamed down his face as he dreamed of babies with her violet eyes.

100 Word Song: Wait

            I'm linking up with the 100 Word Song challenge over at My Blog Can Beat Up Your Blog. Each week we're given a song to inspire a story told in exactly 100 words. This week's song choice was "I Will Wait" by Mumford and Sons. The gorgeous lyrics that caught my attention were:

Now I'll be bold, as well as strong

And use my head along side my heart

So tame my flesh and fix my eyes

a tethered mind freed from the lies

            They made me think of my character Karen. If you'd like to read more of her story, click here.

Wait

            Karen watched Henry’s car pull away. He had held her in his arms and wiped her tears away as he tried not to cry.

It isn’t the end.

It’s only an internship.

Chicago isn’t that far away.

            But she knew.

            Chicago could be next door or on the other side of the world. More than miles separated them now. She could pretend he’d be back for her. But that wasn’t her way. She stared the truth in the eye as she always had. Lying to herself would keep her tied to the ground. Knowing the truth would cut the tethers.

100 Word Song: Twilight

             I’m linking up with the fabulous 100 Word Song meme over at My Blog Can Beat Up Your Blog. The source of this week’s inspiration is “Monkey Wash, Donkey Rinse” by Warren Zevon. Charlotte is a character who has been on my mind for some time now and I’m just now beginning to put her story on paper. You’ll be hearing more from her future posts.

Twilight

            Charlotte’s hand was still on the doorknob when she heard a crash. Through the window she saw the remains of a slate blue Honda Civic crumpled against a telephone pole. She slid awkwardly across the icy sidewalk and wrenched open the car door.

            “The sun was in my eyes,” the girl whispered. “I couldn’t see.”

“You’re going to be okay,” Charlotte insisted. “I can hear sirens. Help is on the way.”

            “That’s nice of you to say,” as the lids drooped over her green eyes. “I can’t feel anything. We both know I’m heading for a hole in the ground.” 

100 Word Song: The Stranger

            I’m linking up with the 100 Word Song meme courtesy of Lance at My Blog Can Beat Up Your Blog. Each week we are challenged to write a story in exactly one hundred words based on a song. I was thrilled that this week’s source of inspiration was Billy Joel’s “The Stranger”. I have vivid memories of playing vinyl records of The Stranger, 52^nd Street and Glass Houses over and over and over again on my parent’s record player. Wow, there is a fine line between being nostalgic and dating myself, huh?

Seeing Things

            Charlotte never had trouble focusing when she wrote science papers. But literature was another matter. Her mind wandered as she tried to write about The Scarlett Letter. She stared at the clock. The hands froze in place for a ages, then jumped ahead fifteen minutes. As her mind wandered she felt the familiar of sensation of falling that came over her when her visions came.

Casey is screaming. Her hands are covered in blood.

            Charlotte emerged from the trance gasping and shaking like a drowning person breaking the surface of the water.

            “Goddammit! I don’t even believe in this shit!”

100 Word Song: Floating

 

            It’s Tuesday and I’m getting my 100 Word Song entry in just under the wire again. This week’s inspiration was “Peel Me a Grape” sung by the fabulous Diana Krall. I haven’t written much Karen lately and I thought it was time for her to make an appearance.

Floating

            Karen gazed across the gleaming white marble surface. The bathtub was deep and wide, a perfect place to nestle in a cloud of bubbles while sipping champagne and nibbling bonbons. She imagined fragrant water soothing away the aches in her lower back and shoulders as a radio played in the background. The alto crooner sang her a lullaby while her cares floated away.

            “Karen? Snap out of it.”

            Maria’s voice yanked Karen from her daydream.

            “We have ten more rooms to clean Karen. You don’t want to lose this job. We’ll be stuck cleaning rooms in some flea bag motel.”

100 Word Song: Mountain Music

             I’ve been feeling very sentimental lately. Over the weekend, my family (all 20 of us) gathered at a lake house in New Hampshire to celebrate my parents’ fiftieth anniversary. A couple of days later, my eldest niece (who is also my Godchild and who was the flower girl at my wedding) became engaged to a great guy. When I heard this week’s song choice, "Swing Away Life" by Rise Against I was reminded of the Simon & Garfunkle songs we used to listen to on family trips when we traveled around the country with a limited number of eight-track tapes. The music selection this weekend was a lot wider and the memories just as warm. A big thank you to my nieces who introduced me to some great new music and still tolerated what the old farts wanted to listen to. 

             “America” by Simon and Garfunkle mingled with our laughter and conversation. One or two of us hummed along. Memories of other summer nights in other mountains joined us on the porch.

“That’s our theme song.”

Years of shared experiences and love put us at ease. There is comfort in the company of those who have seen you cry and laugh and bleed. Still each other’s siblings, we’re now mothers and fathers and uncles and aunts.

            “Anyone want a glass of wine?”

            “Just bring the bottle.”

            “You mean the box?”

            “Yes, just bring the box.”

            “That should be our family motto.”

 

100 Word Song: A Light Left On

 

            “Everything okay Bud?” I called, hearing little footsteps in the hall outside my bedroom door.

            “I brought you something,” Brian said. His face was shy and serious as he presented his Scooby Doo nightlight.

            “What’s that for?”

            “You keep leaving Daddy’s light on all night. I thought maybe you were afraid of the dark since Daddy went to heaven.”

            I didn’t even realize I was doing it, but Brian was right. Peter’s platinum wedding band looked like a holy relic resting in a pool of lamplight on his nightstand.

            “You keep that nightlight Sweetie. I’m not afraid of the dark.”

            For this week’s One Hundred Word Song, Lance presented us with the song “Leave Your Light” on by Tim Eriksen as a source of inspiration. It immediately made me think of Michaela, whose story I haven’t visited in a while. She’s the “star” of my very rough first novel "Lost and Found". If you like it, click here for more.

100 Word Song: Gray

 

            She fell into the seat as the bus lurched from the curb. Normally she would choose the cleanest seat she could find. Today the seat chose her. Caught somewhere between emptiness and agony, she stared out the window. The sky was gray. The streets were gray. The colors of the big city once dazzled her. Today they melted into gray. Her supervisor’s words devastated her.

            It isn’t you. It’s the economy.

            The bus driver’s gravely voice startled her.

            “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

            “It’s the end of the line Miss.”

            “I thought you said the end of the world.”

           

Today I’m linking up with two prompts for the price of one. Write on Edge asked us to make an active phrase passive and build a 100 word story around it. “She was devasted by…” became “Her supervisor’s words devasted her.” Meanwhile, Lance over at My Blog Can Beat Up Your Blog gave us the song “Grey Street” by The Dave Matthews Band to inspire a 100 word story.

100 Word Song: Playing Possum

            
Professor Leeroy and Lance at My Blog Can Beat up Your Blog are letting me pass my 100 Word Song in a little late this week. I hope he doesn’t mind, I’ve given Karen the night off and introducing you to Charlotte. Musical inspiration is provided by Damien Rice’s song “Elephant”. 

Playing Possum

            The dull midwinter light filtered through the vinyl blinds into Charlotte’s dorm room. She tried to role over but something blocked her way. She placed her hand on the Brendan’s solid shoulder. Memories washed over her with a wave of nausea. They salved his broken heart with Jagermeister until it was empty. Then they turned to each other. Charlotte knew she just a warm place for Brendan to rest his wounded pride—just good friends. For her it was the unveiling of a long kept secret.

            “What now,” she whispered.

            “Damn,” he thought to himself as he pretended to sleep.

100 Word Song: Reprieve

            I’m linking up today with the 100 Word Song meme over at My Blog Can Beat Up Your Blog. This week’s musical inspiration is the song “This Too Shall Pass” by Okay Go.

Reprieve

            The soft clink of a pebble striking glass roused Karen. She had barely slept. Concerns about her mother tap-danced through her brain all night.  She lifted the shades and squinted at the sunlight. Henry stood in the yard below.

            “What are you doing Henry?”

            “I miss you.”

            “It’s only been three days.”

            “Haven’t you missed me? No, don’t answer. I’ll be crushed if you didn’t. Get dressed. I’m taking you to the beach.”

            She leaned back into the room, shaking her head.

            “You should go,” her mother said from the doorway. “I haven’t seen you smile like that in years.”

100 Word Song: Me Too

 

            I’m linking up with The 100 Word Song Prompt over at My Blog Can Beat Up Your Blog. Our musical inspiration for the week was Lacuna Coil’s “Within Me”.  The song opens with the line, “Something about you/That makes me feel bad/I wasn't there when a thin line/Destroyed your soul”. It was such a perfect fit into Karen’s story, there were a number of moments in her life I could have written about. But I decided to pick up where I left off in the last few posts. If you’d like to read more of Karen, click here.

Me Too

            Karen tucked the woolen afghan around her mother’s legs. “I’ll get you a cup of tea,” she said. Peggy nodded dimly. She hadn’t spoken since she came home.  Karen tried to be upbeat. Tried not to ask questions. The doctors said Peggy would talk about it when she was ready. If she was ready.

            “I’m ready to talk about it,” Karen whispered, putting the teapot down a little too hard. “Was it an accident? Were you trying to hurt yourself? We’re both a little broken inside.”

            She wiped the tears that streamed down her face and finished making the tea.

100 Word Song: Revolution

            Today I’m adding my one hundred words to the fun over at My Blog Can Beat Up Your Blog. This week’s inspiration was provided by the classic Beatles song “Revolution”. This story picks up where I last left off with Karen. If you missed it, check it out here.

Revolution

            “Thank you again Henry.”

            “Please stop Karen,” he whispered as he brushed the damp curls out of her eyes. “I would do anything for you.”

            She leaned her head on his chest.

            “I need you to do something for me though,” he said.

            She pulled away, suddenly wary.

            “Get dressed,” he said. “It isn’t easy to be a gentleman with only a thin cotton bathrobe separating us.”

            Sister Mary Michael’s lectures about virtue and her mother’s dire warnings about men thundered in her ears. Without looking away from Henry, Karen stepped back and let her robe fall to the floor.

100 Word Song: The Space Between

 

            I’m linking up with the 100 Word Song Prompt over at My Blog Can Beat Up Your Blog today. Our muse for this week was Tracey Chapman with her song Telling Stories. This picks up where I left off after the story "City of Champions". You can find that, and more of Karen's history here.

The Space Between

            “Well that didn’t go too badly,” Henry said.

            “Your mother was in tears before they served dessert. How can you say that didn’t go badly?” Karen asked.

            “She wasn’t crying over anything you or I did. So, I’d have to say it was a success.”

            “Do you know why she was so upset?”

            “She just gets emotional sometimes. Dad says we should just let her be.”

            “So your mother cries at dinner and you pretend it isn’t happening?”

            “Karen, it was a nice dinner. Don’t spoil it.”

            “Henry, I don’t think you and I were at the same dinner tonight.”