Saturday 2 October 2010

They're people, too! Honestly!


Today's the day of my second BLOGFEST! YAY! 

For those of you who don't know about it yet, you can find the rules HERE.
(you can also still join till midnight tonight, London time)
(that's London, UK)
(if you're looking for the Bad News entry, see below)

First of all, let me thank you for joining in the fun and/or popping in to see what everyone (and me) got up to! I hope you enjoy the fruits of our imaginative labour. Don't forget to read as many entries as you can and give everyone some comment love (and no, taking part is not a prerequisite to commenting so feel free!). 

I plan to have read all entries by Sunday night, Random.org shall be employed thereafter and the winner of Seven Steps on the Writer's Path will be announced on Monday! 

Now to get to the writerly part...here's my story (exactly 500 words btw)! Enjoy!

ps. I won't tell you in advance just what it is I'm personifying here...can you tell?

***


One of my all-time favourite things is sitting down in a coffee shop with a huge mug of coffee, watching the hustle and bustle of town life all around me. It was noon by the time I got to my usual spot that day and I found it already taken. 
Thankfully it took only the blink of an eye for the unkempt student currently camping out there to remember he was late for lectures. He ran off, leaving papers behind like breadcrumbs, and I fell into the chair to settle in for the day. 
I grabbed my current book from my messenger bag - for some reason people were more wary of me if I just sat there than if I had a book in my hand - and pretended to start the third chapter. There was a young mother right in front of me, wrestling with her brat whilst venting her sorrows to the obviously unmarried friend sitting across from her. 
I watched the friend’s face, the hint of wrinkles around her eyes, the flutter of her eyelashes. I could see her break out in goosebumps as a cold draft swept by her. She listened to her friend and started to worry, started to wonder why she wasn’t married yet, why she didn’t have a child, if she’d ever have one. 

I saw her realize that her friends marriage wasn’t even close to ideal, nowhere near the fairy tale she’d thought it might be, and started to stress about how that would probably be her life soon, how she’d have to marry the next potential suitor just to beat the biological clock, to have a child she could then fret and worry some more about. I saw her eyes go glassy with tears and watched her jump up, make a flimsy excuse to her friend and run off to cry in the toilets. 
The young mom sat there staring at the seat her friend had used, absently putting down the little boy in her arms. She picked up her non-fat latte and then put it down again quickly to grab an old napkin from her son’s pudgy fist before he could stick it in his mouth. I could see her thinking of all the horrid diseases he might catch if he did something like that, if he picked up a stray bit of rubbish and actually touched it to his mouth, never mind chewing it, swallowing it. She picked the squirming kid up again. 

He was a cute little thing. I could see he had his mom’s eyes, and what was probably the father’s nose. Even as it scrunched up with a fearful cry, it was a cute little face he had. The mom felt his forehead and gasped, then packed her stuff and hurried towards the pediatrician’s office around the corner. 
It didn’t take long before someone else took her place, and I watched them think, watched them worry, watched them run off in panic. 
I really do love sitting in coffee shops.


***

So, what did you think of that? Could you recognize Fear (or Worry, as the case may be)? Highly contagious, he is... ; )

Don't forget to check out the other entries and let them know what you think, too! 



19 comments:

Roland D. Yeomans said...

If I could have my say, I'd have Death sit at the next table. Perhaps give Fear something to Worry about!

That's the Sam McCord in me I guess. An excellent entry. Mine will be at midnight my time.

I still have the BAD NEWS blogfest entry up. Roland

Denise Covey said...

Well, seeing people worry if he's sitting there without a book, I predicted he must be a paranormal of some kind - vampire...I love the way you had the language down pat - it reminded me of an uncaring vampire type. I may be way off, and it may be an abstract as Roland guessed. Fear is deeply ingrained in the text.

Well done, whatever it is Tessa. Thanks for a great idea for a blogfest. I had to really work for this one. Good for creativity.

Will enjoy reading more..:)

Anonymous said...

To be honest, I had no clue, but when you said fear, it made perfect sense. It was interesting that you really did personify the abstract. Had him (her?) sit in a chair, pretend to read. Funny, Discworld fan that I am, that I didn't think of doing it that way.

My abstract has a consciousness, but not a body. Am I doing it wrong? ;)

Mara Nash said...

Good job, as always. This is becoming your "thing!"

Wendy Tyler Ryan said...

Nice one. You really had me guessing. I was waiting for something even more sinister.

dolorah said...

I was starting to get an inkling, something with fate or coincidence. I didn't think of worry/fear. But once you said it, it was like a palm-face moment. Duh, so clearly written.

Excellent.

I wasn't entirely sure what incarnation this being would turn out to be, but I was engaged, and the end came almost too soon.

......dhole

Francine Howarth said...

Hi,

Hee hee, I thoroughly enjoyed this, but couldn't get my head round the cup of coffee and a book, which meant it wasn't a Paranormal plot.

Nor could I guage a reason for the observance i.e. killer stalking prey. But I get it now! Great Job. Guess I'm a bit thick at times.
best
F

Stephanie said...

Great job!! Thanks for hosting this blogfest!!

N. R. Williams said...

I had no idea there were so many blog fest going on. I enjoyed your post on people too and I will read your bad news and comment there. I'm following you.

My bad news post is up, cause I thought it was today.
Nancy
N. R. Williams, fantasy author

Lovy Boheme said...

I thought it was "Panic", so I was in the ballpark at least! You're entries are so much fun. Mine is up now. A little late, but at least it's there. Thanks for hosting!

Unknown said...

@ Roland: hehe you never know, once he's done being tormented by his kids Death might pop in for a chat

@ L'Aussie: close enough my dear! Though I guess I was just thinking that anyone sitting in a coffeeshop for hours just staring at people would seem a bit weird... actually, either that or he's a writer. LOL.

@vamp: there is no wrong in (w)ri(gh)ting!!!

@ Mara: let's hope not my MCs will rebel!

@Wendy: sorry nope just good old fear... maybe next time!

@ Francine: actually I meant it to be a sort of gradual realization who's 'talking'... my failure if it didn't come across properly!

@Stephanie: thanx and you're welcome!

@NR: there's LOADS of blogfest! I try to keep my "blogfests & contests" page updated and I put the closest ones and the new ones on my sidebar... Thanx for following, and I'm glad you liked my post!

@Lovy: Hah! That would be his big brother *grins*

Elena Solodow said...

Just posted my entries..Now I'm off to read the others. Thanks for hosting, Tessa!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for organizing this! It was a lot of fun :)

Great entry! Must now avoid coffee shops :p

Brenda Drake said...

At first I thought it was time because the boy was late and the lady's baby clock is all tick-tocking. And then, came the worry about the child having a fever. So I was coming around to worry but hadn't quite grasped it. I love how he just blinks and the boy remembers his class. Great job. Loved it! :D

Katie said...

I am now scared to go to a coffee shop for fear of meeting, well...fear. lol Loved this blogfest! Such a cool concept! Thanks for hosting. :)

Stephanie Lorée said...

Tessa, this was really great! I enjoyed it. And thanks for hosting another blogfest. So much fun!

J.C. Martin said...

Thanks for hosting the awesome blogfest! Worry seems to enjoy his job: sitting around being a voyeur with a cup of coffee! I enjoyed it.

Unknown said...

I love how we used the same concept but it came out so different. At first I thought worry like some of the others, but fear makes a lot more sense.

I like how Fear was so calm, just sitting there and observing everything. The only question I have is, was he making the people afraid, or was he just amping up their worst fears?

Anonymous said...

Hi Tessa. Thanks for hosting this blogfest!!!

Oh, Worry likes coffee shops too, huh! Imagine him and Betrayal wreaking havoc together!!! :) Great entry. I have to say, I didn't catch who he was at first. Great entry. :D

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