Writer's Challenge - 28 May - New Beginning

Lauren opened her eyes and slowly scanned the room. She’d never been in this house before. Was it a house though or a clinic, maybe not? She had no idea, but whatever it was she had definitely never been here.

Slowly she began to sit up. No – upright wasn’t working - head spinning around and around – her body felt weightless and ugh, she felt sick. Lauren gripped the sides of the bed and let her head fall back into the soft white pillows. Better, she thought. The room was still revolving, but slower now and the nausea was passing.

Images were flashing through her mind, strange, weird images that she couldn’t quite put together, yet they were familiar. Antonio appeared in one of the images. She smiled dreamily for a second and then sat bolt upright in the bed. Ugh, this damned sickness, she thought to herself as she made her way cannily across the room.

Holding onto both sides of the dresser she looked at herself in the mirror. Anticipation and fear collided in the pit of her stomach. She chided herself. Wasn’t this what she had wanted? What she had pleaded for day after day? She stared back at her reflection in the mirror. What she saw there was proof enough, if she needed it at all, but still she looked.

Her fingers came up to gingerly trace the left side of her neck........nothing. Frowning, she turned her head slightly and stared at the long creamy column that was her neck. It was flawless........no trace of anything there. Mmm , maybe it had been her right side, but no, there was nothing there either.

She felt slightly faint now. As she staggered back to the bed something caught her eye. She grabbed hold of the bed to steady herself and held the lapis lazuli ring up to the light. For a moment she was overcome and felt light headed. Climbing back into the bed, she closed her eyes and steadied her breathing. Well, he had kept part of the promise, the ring part at least, she thought wearily.

Tiny droplets of tears escaped her eyes, flowing silently down her cheeks as realisation began to finally ring home.

In one swift movement Lauren sat up and hurled the ring into mid air with no particular destination.

Antonio caught it effortlessly, frowning as he did so. It was clear that his little newborn was becoming stronger by the hour, but why would she be throwing her ring away with such vehemence. Had she forgotten the importance of the ring?

His preoccupation with the ring threw him off guard and rather than sensing the onslaught, he felt it has her teeth plunged into his neck.

In one swift movement he pulled her away, holding her firmly at length from the wound.

“Hungry darling?”, he murmured. “All in good time. I’ve some willing donors downstairs.”

Lauren frowned. What the hell had she just done, and why could she not taste blood? She licked her lips slowly, savouring the sweet, sticky, berry flavoured, yes definitely berry flavoured substance. Her eyes travelled slowly to Antonio’s neck. She must be seriously ill, hallucinating, that was it. Just as well, coz she could have sworn her teeth had gotten tore into her boyfriend, and yet, stranger still, where had the berry flavoured substance come from?

She shook her head, as if to bring herself out of a trance. Ill, she was definitely ill, because she could have sworn Antonio had just said donors. No – he had said donors. Maybe she needed a donor. That was it, she was ill, that would explain the feelings of weakness just now, the dizzy spells earlier. She’d had some terrible accident – why that’s what the mixed up images were all about – blood – she just needed a transfusion and then everything would be okay. It was all making sense now, this was wasn’t a house, it was a hospital or a clinic of some description.

Antonio was watching Lauren. She was relaxing, he could feel it, sense it in every bone of her beautiful body. Suddenly, remembering the lapis lazuli ring, he lifted her hand saying, “we should put this on, and remember, it needs to stay there.”

She found her voice, it was clipped and short. “I don’t see why.”

Antonio frowned. “Darling, don’t you remember what I told you about the ring and it’s importance?”

Lauren spat back – “Oh I remember perfectly, evidently ......

The room door flew open and Carla came rushing in, either not sensing the tension in the room or as was more likely to be the case, choosing to ignore it.

“So, how is our newborn vampire?”

Lauren answered in a flash – “Still human!”

Antonio frowned. “Why would you think that Lauren?”, he asked softly.

She turned on him replying hysterically – “Because I checked.”

“Checked for what?”

“For marks, marks on my neck where you bit me, you imbecile.”

Carla started laughing, and with the speed of lightening itself, Lauren flew across the room and pinned the younger woman to the wall.

“Get her off me Toni – explain to her.”

“Explain what?”, Lauren spat out through clenched teeth at the same time thinking, what the hell is hurting my tongue?

Antonio prized her away from his sister and took her to stand in front of the mirror.

“Look, he said gently.

“I see nothing”, she cut in.

“You won’t, WE heal quickly.”

Realisation dawned slowly. Lauren propelled herself around in Antonio’s arms.

“You turned me, you made me a vampire.”

“You’ll not be a vampire for much longer if you don’t wear the ring.”

“I’ll never take it off”, Lauren replied breathlessly.

“Now, you must eat, you are weak from the turning.”

Lauren groaned and replied, “Oh Antonio, I’m not at all sure that I can, I mean, you said that you had um donors?”

“Don’t worry baby, for your first time, we decanted. We have the rest of our lives to go hunting together.”

Writing Competitions

So I'm wondering - anyone know of any writing competitions I can throw myself into? I keep wondering how you all seem to come by them.

M

Baseball Shower

The message alert tone on Caitlyn’s IPhone pierced the silence of her Sunday morning slumber. Her hand clumsily plundered the bedside table in search of the offending implement. Still drunk with sleep she fought to prise her eyes apart.

One new message. Ugh, Kellie should know better than to disturb her beauty sleep on Sunday morning.

Eyes still not quite focussing, Caitlyn squinted as she read the message.

‘OMG, you’re never gonna believe who the Toxic Stars just signed’, it read.

Caitlyn groaned. Kellie, God help her, had one dream. They were both gonna marry famous baseball players and live in the style they were so not accustomed to!

Her fingers flew over the keyboard in answer.

‘Not interested’.

Her phone chimed again.

‘I know you don’t mean that girl.’

Caitlyn sighed a long slow sigh as her fingers flew over the keyboard again.

‘Okay, so tell me.’

The answer came flying straight back.

‘Wow, I mean only the best pitcher in the game. THE. JACE. STRICKLAND!’

Caitlyn sighed. Like Jace Strickland would ever be interested in a girl like her or even Kellie for that matter, despite her china doll face.

Her fingers flew over the keyboard in answer again.

‘Don’t care. Now I’m going back to sleep. Talk later.’

Later never materialised, but Jace Strickland had, well at least in her dreams. She’d seen photos of him in magazines, so dreaming about that wonderfully carved chest, long strong arms, perfectly sculpted face and those piercing baby blues was no trouble at all.

The piercing trill of her IPhone yanked Caitlyn from what was shaping up to be the dream of her life.

Kellie!

She didn’t get a chance to say a single word. Her best friend did all the talking.

“Girl, where are you? If you don’t get down here in double quick time Kellerman swears this hotel’s gonna be short one maid.”

“CRR...AP”! In disgust, Caitlyn wiped the drool away running steadily down the side of her face. “Kellie, why didn’t you call me earlier? It’s gone ten already.”

“Ahh, Duh. That’s what I’ve been tryin to tell ya girlfriend.”

Caitlyn was dashing around her room, grabbing her housemaid’s uniform, at the same time talking frantically to her best friend.

“Listen; keep Kellerman busy until I get there, pleeeese!”

“Hey girl there is only so much even a friend can do”, Kellie hissed back.

“Yeah well if you don’t, I know one girl who is not gonna be sitting with you in the Legends Suite this coming season”, Caitlyn replied frantically.

“Ha, thought you no longer gave a care”, Kellie sniped back.

“A girl can change her mind! Just deal with Kellerman. I’m on my way”, Caitlyn squeaked, slamming her front door behind her.

“Have you even washed girl?”

“Don’t make me tell you lies Kellie”, and with that Caitlyn hung up.



Jace shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He had one pet hate in life and he was doing it right now. Flying!

The only thing that equalled his hate of flying had materialised in the last 48 hours. Two words, Toxic Stars. More like Toxic Vomit, he thought, if their previous record was anything to go by.

Hal Gorman, the team coach, sidled up beside Jace. The team had been excited when they’d heard Jace Strickland had signed up to play with them for the next year. The excitement, evidently, was turning out to be one-sided, from what he could see.

With a long, slow sigh he addressed the newest addition to the team.

“Enjoying the flight?” – he asked tentatively.

“I hate flying”, Jace replied, face poker straight.

Wonderful, Hal thought.

“Well, we’ll be landing in around ten minutes, so I guess you can start to breathe easy”, the older man replied.

“Hate landing”, Jace shot back.

Hal sighed. “Look Jace I know the Stars aren’t exactly the league you’re used to playing in, but hey given them a chance. Let’s face it, you’ve been out of the game for a while, you need to take it slowly.”

Jace gave him a withering look. If Toxic Vomit were anything to go by, he’d barely be out of breath!

The older man turned to go back to his seat.


Caitlyn shot through the fire escape at the back of the hotel. One of these days she was going to lose this two bit job and then her hopes of becoming a reporter for Channel 10 would be well and truly scuppered.

Kellie was skulking around the corridor waiting for her friend.

“I swear girl, one of these days”. The sentence never got finished. Kellerman rounded the corner and the two girls shot for cover.

Spilling out of the lift on the top floor, Caitlyn turned to her friend.

“Ten minutes, just buy me another ten minutes.”

Kellie huffed and puffed but Caitlyn knew she could count on her.

“Fine. Go do whatever it is you have to in Room 410 and then make sure you leave it as you find it. Kellerman’s already inspected it”, Kellie replied sternly.

Caitlyn frowned. But, there was no time to ask questions. She dashed down the hallway and disappeared into Room 410.

Room 410 was the equivalent to any other hotel’s Presidential Suite. Caitlyn smiled. She was born to lounge in rooms like this!

Tweaking a strawberry of the large fruit platter, she threw her bag on the bed and dashed into the shower room.

The shower was hot and the sheer force of the water jets prickled her skin. She luxuriated in the sharply scented shower gel, enjoying the tingly feeling it left on her skin.

In her world of make believe she was Caitlyn Morgenstern, notably successful Anchor Girl for Channel 10 News.

Rinsing the soft iridescent bubbles off her body she was totally oblivious to the sharp blue eyes that surveyed her silhouette, and even more shocked to hear the deep gravelly voice say “Please welcome the newest Toxic Star, Jace Strickland, to the field ...... play ball!”

Romance on the Dark Side

I must confess I've spent an awful lot of time since November of last year reading a different kind of romance. Now for me there was only one kind of romance ..... modern, modern heat, blaze ..... mmmm.. well maybe more than one! So what happens when you add romance to the darker side of life - well it just all becomes even more alluring! I guess what I'm saying is that I may have to stay on this side for a little while longer - Amazon have sent me lots of 'dark' books to read! They did - honestly - they really, really did!

M

Writers Challenge ......

It's always nice to win the Writers' Challenge, but I hate judging it! Tonight there are just too many good stories in there, but I must choose a winner! So - I'm off to read them all again for the umpteenth time!

M

Reading.......

I've been reading 'We Need to Talk about Kevin'. Kevin murders some of his school friends and the book is written as a series of letters sent by his mother to her estranged husband after the event. It catalogues their life together before and during Kevin. Now Kevin is one seriously disturbed child. The book explores the child but also the parents and I'm telling you that I see a little of myself in there .... but then anyone who takes the times to read this book could probably say the same. I've resisted the urge to peak at the end .... but I'm told that no-one that's ever read it has seen the end coming! I guess we shall see ..... I'll keep you posted!

Sharing a Line .....

Just thought I'd share this here. Favourite line of the day -

Me, I’m laughing my fur off – I guess if being a werewolf has to have a good side to it, then it’d have to be watching Seamus phase! As dad always said, stupid git’s never gonna get it right!

M.