A Message in Time

Mondays Musical Musings

A story inspired ( or begun) by listening to:

What Sarah Said by Death Cab for Cutie

"Is love watching someone die"

This first draft has been removed as it has been chosen to be edited and used in either submissions or competitions.

When it is published I'll provide a link here to it.

The Assignment

Prompt: Have your character give thirteen good reasons they need to learn a new language

This first draft has been removed as it has been chosen edited and used to submit for competitions or anthologies in the future.

It has been published here - so please check it out!

Lost in Song

Friday Fiction
This Week’s Theme: Your character was lost in her own thoughts. When she snaps back to reality, she realizes she was singing out loud. Unfortunately, she wasn't somewhere private. How embarrassing... Anita left the glowing comfort of the backyard makeshift campfire and stumbled into the darkness of the overgrown allotment. Confused and distraught at what she had just overheard, her feet propelled her automatically away from the light and laughter. Earlier that night, Simon and Quinn had comfortably joined Clarissa and Anita; sitting cross legged on the grass at the party. Conversation had flowed easily as they had similar gripes and concerns with their studies at university. Anita knew Clarissa had been attracted to the tall, curly haired Quinn since they first shared a literature tutorial with him in first term; but for some reason, her usual bravado was absent whenever he was around. Simon was a frequent visitor at Anitas house; being good mates with one of her flat mates. These visits had given her a lot of time to sit next to him, join in on drunken conversations, feeling part of the comradery. Simon treated her with the same easy going familiarity afforded to her flatmate and the other two blokes who treated her house like a second home. Anita felt that delicious edge of uncertainty and sexual tension everytime he was close and was now sure his frequent visits had little to do with visiting her flatmate. Clarissa and Anita finished their drinks in unison and in an unspoken command got up together to refill; glancing behind them at the boys with secret smiles of promise. Clarissa sauntered towards the bathroom and shrugged at Anita as she discovered the line up. Anita wordlessly walked back to the darkened grassy patch where they had left the boys. Amused at overhearing them planning their next moves on the girls, she stood in a shadow to listen further. “Sure that Clarissa is a fox, but how are we going to shake that dog? Woof!” Smirked Quinn. “Huh” grunted Simon, “I’ve seen Anita naked – well nearly and that aint a pretty sight – so fat. Really disgusting.” Anita started in shock knowing that statement was completely untrue. The boys both laughed and saluted each others prowess with women and upon spying Clarrisa approaching them, cheered even more. Anita quickly looked down at her size 14 body and a tear slid down her cheek. In direct contrast to Clarissas exotic size 6 physique, Anita knew she would never be able to compete, but she prided herself with her long locks and bohemian looks. She crossed an old carpark, full of potholes and broken bottles and climbed up on top of a dumpster. Swinging her legs into the dreary and somewhat smelly depths, she lay back on the half lid and stared up into the night sky. Anita attempted to pick out familiar constellations and tried to block out the boys conversation. Guitar notes have a way of floating its way across the distance. Anita unconsciously started to hum along to the well known classic tune of unrequited love . Tonight, the words held a deeper meaning for her. Icy shards of her shattered heart dug deep into her chest. The night sky surrounded her as she sang louder. Anitas torn heart shouted out at the stars and they in turn, glittered and winked their seductive secrets into her soul. She could see Simon’s face; reacting - in her fantasy, with remorse. Anita climaxed with the songs most desperate plea, imagining Simon’s face softening as he approached her to passionately embrace her, wiping her tear streaked face and stroking her hair. As they embraced his shirt crinkled and clinked. Anita frowned. Shirts don’t normally have a plastic crinkle quality about them. She jerked herself up into a sitting position and looked straight at a puzzled middle aged man holding two large garbage bags. Behind him in the apartment block; which had been darkened when Anita had arrived; was several; now lit - balconies containing couples and singles; all staring at her…….
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Life Long dreams

Friday Fiction
This Week’s Theme:What is your character's lifelong dream? Why didn't she persue it? Tara watched Heidi with more than a twinge of jealousy. Her glossy, golden hair rippled in the sunshine. A swarm of make up artists and people from the costume department were fussing over last min changes. Heidi graciously allowed them to pedantically arrange each hair in its preordained spot, knowing that this was the price of stardom. Tara shifted her gaze to beyond the set where another starlett, Pricilla , resplendent in glittering jewels and little else; her tight ringlets bouncing and jiggling seductively as she practiced her walk. “Sigh” – this may have been wistful and glamorous from anyonelse, but escaping from Taras mouth was a disharmonious whine. She quickly looked round to see if anyone had noticed and to her dismay, several of the camera crew were looking at her with alarm. Tara sniffed, pretending not to notice their stares. She had heard Heidi had just released her own get fit DVD. “Huh! Who’d want to watch her for a 30 min work out? If I did a DVD, it would exciting, adventurous and show other gals just like me that they don’t need to look like Heidi or Pricilla to be fabulous.” Taras thoughts swept her way from the bustle of the film crew, the shouting of the director and the incessant whining of some of the ‘talent’. “Peeeeep” a languid whistle forced her consciousness back to reality. What was it with Harrison? Why did he whistle at her for her attention when a simple mention of her name might suffice? She found it so demeaning; especially in public. “Come on you silly bitch, lets get going. You’ re on soon.” She too, had an appointment with the make up department, but was forced to line up with the growing throng of extras, animal handlers and their charges; great and small. No one - on - one fussing for her! Tara let out a small ‘pfff’ of annoyance as they wandered towards the makeup department. Harrison had been good to her, acting as her manager, confident, teacher and friend. She knew that anything further relationship wise was impossible; but it didn’t stop her loving him with all her heart. Besides, that sort of relationship could get a bit weird and almost certainly will end in the wrong sort of publicity. She just wished that the types of roles she longed for; the ones that Priscilla, Heidi seemed always get – were the ones that she could have crack at. Instead, she, Tara, was cast; as always, as the sensible one, the dowdy but smart one, the comic relief or worst still the one she was doing today, the ‘before shot’. How she longed to be cast in one of the more serious, substantial roles. Tara shook her head. She knew you needed to have ‘a look’ that she just couldn’t attain. The commercial being shot today focused on a new haircare range – apparently with near magical properties. Taras role saw her walking down the street looking very scruffy. The next shot zooms onto the bottle of whatever it was called - being sprayed into Taras hair and then somehow she is transformed and the shot pans out onto Heidis hair - who is being fussed over by a laughing muscle bound man. It then sees them bounding through the park, being joined by other beautiful hair. The crew had just completed erecting the wind and leaf machine in preparation to blow her already untidy hair into a state of complete disarray in the first shot. As she strolled past a ‘practice’ gust of it caught her unawares and she yelped with surprise. Harrison, by her side stroked her head and calmed her down, smiling; directed her to where the make up department had set up. Tara settled down in front of the make up artist; ignoring all around her as she started to get into her ‘zone’. Tara felt strongly that acting was a serious business and she needed to be on top of her game in all situations. Hot breath prickled her neck and she moved in time to avoid a wet tongue – attached to a devilishly handsome face. “Ewww. Conner. Gross! “ Tara growled. “Gee they must be scraping the bottom of the barrel to call you in on this one!” she lightened up; glad to see him here in this madness. They’d met at a number of film sets during the year and he had a knack in cheering her up each time. Conner grinned at her and bounded off to join the extras who were cast for the park scene. One of them had a frisby and Conner was showing off, attempting to grab the disk out of its flight path every time it left someones hands. Tara sniffed again . Why does the male population think that their tongues anywhere near you will turn you on? Another lost cause though. Everyone knew Conner didn’t chase the girls. The make up artist finished Taras ‘do’ off gave her hair and final spray and called for the next candidate. As she leapt off the stool, the director approached Tara and Harrison, shaking his hand enthusiastically and smoothing Taras hair. “ So, this is Tara?” She’s not much of a looker, but I have seen her work and she is certainly very talented. I mean look at her, if those eyes could talk hey? Well, we’d better get this pooch ad rolling – you know what they say about never working with animals in films hey?”
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