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Post by Kpatch on Jan 25, 2021 14:16:02 GMT -5
Nice girls edition. LOL. Love that.
I don't think Sydney and Johnny were doing anything wrong by trying to make that dessert. It didn't work out well because Sydney panicked, but it's a fun thing for kids to do, even without supervision.
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Post by heroicmuse on Jan 26, 2021 7:26:19 GMT -5
Week 320 - 2 “I don’t know,” Vicki said. “I think I’d rather read.”
Claire and Allie glanced at each other. Allie said, “We’re not going to do anything mean. Promise.” Vicki shrugged and turned a page in her book.
Claire sat down next to Vicki on the air mattress and said, “What’s that book about? It must be really good if you’re that into it.”
Without looking up, Vicki said, “It’s about an inhumane science experiment. This guy is mentally retarded and they give him some sort of scientific method of making him into a genius instead, but it’s only temporary.”
“It’s on our reading list for the spring,” Allie said. “I guess you’re getting a head start.”
“I didn’t even know.” Vicki turned another page.
Claire leaned over and said under her breath, “Hey. Don’t hide in a book once we get to school, okay? People’ll think you’re unfriendly.”
Vicki bit her lip. “Really?” she said. “Haven’t they ever got lost in a book?”
“Well, yeah,” Claire said, “but usually I do that when I’m by myself. When I’m with my friends, I want to pay attention to them, you know?”
A confused look spread across Vicki’s face. “I told you guys, I’m lost when it comes to people.” She threw the book on her air mattress and Allie could see she was blinking back tears. “I didn’t mean to be rude. Honest.”
“It’s okay,” Allie said. “I don’t always get people either.” She put her arm around Vicki. “We’re your friends, okay? We don’t tell you things to make you feel bad or to judge you. We know you don’t know. We’re just trying to help you out.”
“That’s why we wanted to play truth or dare,” Claire said. “We want to get to know you a little better, and we can’t do that if you sit on the sidelines reading a book instead of hanging out with us.”
“Right,” Vicki said weakly. She made herself smile. “I’ll do the truth part.”
“That’s a good idea,” Allie said. “How about we just ask each other questions and we have to answer truthfully?”
Just then, the door opened and Sami came in. Allie said under her breath, “Nice to knock.”
“What?” Sami said.
“Nothing,” Allie said. “Are you going to bed now?”
“Maybe,” Sami said, “but first I wanted to make sure you girls had everything you need. You all have blankets and pillows and someplace to sleep?”
“I even have a pump in case the air mattress deflates,” Vicki said, “though if it does before morning there’s probably a leak in it somewhere.”
“Right,” Sami said. “Okay. Um, well, have fun, don’t stay up too late, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do or half of the stuff I would.” She went to give Allie a hug.
“Mom!” Allie said. “I have friends here.”
Sami looked hurt. “What was I thinking, hugging my daughter in front of her friends? They might think we actually have a decent relationship.”
“I didn’t mean it that way,” Allie said. “I just - “
“It’s fine,” Sami said, giving Allie what was an obviously forced smile. “Good night, sweetheart.” She left.
“ARGH!” Allie said. “Is the door closed so she won’t hear me complaining about her?”
“I don’t think she’s so bad,” Vicki said. “If it were my mom, she would be freaking out about whether I’m going to climb out a window because you said to.”
“Moms,” Allie said. “All right, let’s play before I get into a mood. Here.” She took a small notebook out of her purse. Ripping a page out of it, she then ripped the page into three sections and wrote something on each piece. “When it’s your turn to ask a question, choose one. Obviously if you choose yourself, put it back and choose someone else. Ask that person a question that they have to answer truthfully and then put the paper back. Fair?”
“Fine with me,” Claire said, and Vicki added, “I’m not sure what fairness has to do with it, but all right. Just don’t ask anything embarrassing.”
“Don’t worry,” Allie said. “We wouldn’t do that to you.” She mixed up the papers and put them in the middle of the floor. “Want to go first, Vicki?”
“K,” Vicki said, not sure what she was supposed to ask. She picked up a piece of paper and saw it had a C for Claire on it. “Claire,” she said. “Um, how come you don’t have a boyfriend?”
Claire bit her lip and Vicki hoped she hadn’t made a mistake and hurt Claire’s feelings.
Elizabeth Harper smiled at Paige. “I came up to Chicago for a work conference but then I got snowed in. How about you?”
“Oh. JJ and I decided to go out of town for the weekend, though it looks like it’s going to be more than a weekend now.” Paige twisted her ring nervously. “I’m really glad I ran into you. I have a new therapist and everything but I could use someone to talk to right now.”
Elizabeth frowned. “Are you and JJ having problems?”
“Uh uh. In fact, we’re going to get married in May. Assuming this storm ends by then.” Paige made herself smile. “Joking, of course. But we really are getting married, and invitations are going to go out as soon as we get home.”
“That’s wonderful,” Elizabeth said. “So what’s upsetting you?”
“This storm’s got me anxious,” Paige said, “especially after what happened when we went to the grocery store.” She looked away, embarrassed. “There was this homeless guy outside the store and I gave him money because I felt sorry for him. He had barely any coat or anything. Anyway, he kind of leered at me and said something about wishing he could come home with me and ever since I’ve been really on edge. I think it triggered my PTSD and it’s like I’m expecting him to come out of nowhere and hurt me.” “I can understand that. Have you seen any evidence that this man is anywhere near you?”
“No,” Paige said. “That’s why I feel so stupid.” She sighed as the elevator dinged. “I’d better get upstairs before JJ starts worrying. He’s waiting for me to bring these groceries up. But is there any way we could talk later?”
“If you want to come by my room when you’re done unpacking groceries, you’re welcome to,” Elizabeth said. “I’m in 473. Otherwise, maybe I’ll see you at breakfast tomorrow.”
“Just down the hall from us,” Paige said. “I might take you up on that. I don’t want to take it out on JJ just because this storm is making me lose my mind.” Elizabeth got in the elevator too and Paige pushed the button for 4.
“You don’t think we’ll get stuck in here because of the storm, do you?” she said nervously as the doors closed.
“I hope not,” Elizabeth said. “If we do it’s too late now.”
Paige held her breath as the elevator slowly made its way up to the fourth floor.
Aiden reached for Hope’s hand. “You mind sharing what’s in this book?” he asked their host.
“Aye,” the woman said. “I will. Just give me a moment, yeah?”
Aiden and Hope exchanged glances. She squeezed his hand and whispered, “Whatever it is, we’ll face it together.”
AIden nodded.
The woman said, “Sorry. It just took me a moment. The language was quite jarring and I had to recall that in the 1800s it was common to call children with Downs’ Syndrome mongoloids.”
“Down’s Syndrome?” Aiden asked. “So he…”
“That is correct. His parents came to the conclusion when he was only five years of age that they could not provide for his needs at home. In those days, of course, it was not well known how to care for such children, and among other things they were believed to be closer to animals than people. I suppose his behaviour was out of control, from what it says here, and they believed it was best for him to be placed permanently in hospital and then to never speak of him again.”
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Post by André DiMera on Jan 26, 2021 9:22:07 GMT -5
Glad Allie and Claire convinced Vicki to stop reading the book and play with them. I doubt that the question has upset Claire, but I’m sure it’s kind of awkward, since both she and Allie like Chase. Elizabeth! I wasn’t expecting her! It’s good to see her! Glad she offered to talk to Paige. That’s really sad, especially for Aiden to find out. Great chapter, heroicmuse!
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Post by lumiforeverandalways on Jan 26, 2021 23:15:35 GMT -5
loved this
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Post by billiereed on Jan 27, 2021 3:43:30 GMT -5
I love this series. I want to read the whole thing (binge-style) soon. I am curious about your writing process. How far do you write ahead of posting? Do you take notes or do outlines? I want to become a more prolific writer (and updater!) and would appreciate any advice.
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Post by heroicmuse on Jan 27, 2021 8:09:25 GMT -5
I love this series. I want to read the whole thing (binge-style) soon. I am curious about your writing process. How far do you write ahead of posting? Do you take notes or do outlines? I want to become a more prolific writer (and updater!) and would appreciate any advice. Thanks @billiereed! I write about a week ahead (like right now I've written through next Monday and plan to write next Tuesday's post today.) I'd actually like to be a little further ahead and used to be about a month ahead but life got busy so here we are LOL. I generally come up with an idea on the fly but then I flesh it out by writing some notes, especially if it's a mystery or something like that. There have been times where I get an idea later and have to go back and add it and rewrite some even with a few notes, but I like to have the basics, especially things like who did it, so that the story makes sense.
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Post by heroicmuse on Jan 27, 2021 8:10:29 GMT -5
Week 320 - 3 Johnny scowled. “We weren’t doing anything wrong! But you don’t have anything better to do in a snowstorm than bother us. Isn’t there an accident for you to investigate or something?”
Abe said, “I am investigating an accident -- this one. So I suggest you keep the next smart remark that occurs to you to yourself.. Now, I am not here as a cop, but as a friend of your family, and it is clear to me that you two were engaged in some sort of foolishness that resulted in Sydney hurting herself. And until your parents are able to get back home, I am in charge. So I suggest someone start telling the truth now before I begin handing down punishments based on my best guess of what happened here.”
“Sydney got hurt cause she’s dumb!” Johnny said.
“I’m not the one who got frostbitten and won’t tell anyone!” Sydney shot back.
“I DIDN’T GET FROSTBITE!” Johnny yelled. “I was just cold! God! And it wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t insist you needed a pan full of snow!”
“That’s enough,” Abe said. “Do I need to treat the two of you like suspects and separate you so I can find out the truth?”
Sydney stared at her feet. “No,” she said.
“Good,” Abe said. “Now, the most important thing is to make sure you both are all right. What is this about frostbite?”
“Nothing,” Johnny said, but Sydney told Abe, “Johnny said he couldn’t feel his hands when he first came in and they were all red. Then he said his fingers were tingling.”
“I see,” Abe said. “Let me see your hands, Johnny.”
Johnny rolled his eyes, but he held out his hands. Abe frowned as he looked at them. “Your fingers aren’t numb anymore, are they?”
“No,” Johnny said. “I told you, they just needed to be warmed up.”
“And your feet are all right?” Abe asked.
“I’m standing and walking, aren’t I?” Johnny crossed his arms.
“You are,” Abe agreed. “Which leads to my next question: why were you outside in the middle of a blizzard?”
Johnny shrugged.
Sydney said, “It’s my fault. I wanted to make snow candy.”
“Snow candy?” Abe asked.
“It is something they used to do in the 1800s,” Theo said, coming back with a first aid kit. “You are supposed to pour boiling syrup onto snow. It freezes into a hard, if dirty, treat. Here is the first aid kit, Dad.”
“Thank you,” Abe said. “Let me see your arm again, Sydney.” Sydney held out her arm and while Abe opened the first aid kit so he could get the antibiotic cream out, he said, “Is that what you and Johnny were trying to do?”
“Uh huh,” Sydney said. “I’ve always wanted to and Mom never lets me, so Johnny said since she’s not home we should do what we want.”
“I see,” Abe said. “And as a result of that decision, what happened to you and Johnny?”
Sydney bit her lip. “I got burned and Johnny got frozen.”
Abe nodded. “So,” he said, “I think you can see why your mother prohibited this activity, and why engaging in it when she wasn’t home was not a good idea. Now, Johnny may have suggested breaking the rules, but you are old enough to know better. So both of you are going to have to face some consequences for this behavior.”
“You can’t punish us!” Johnny said.
“I can,” Abe said. “I told you, I am in charge until your mother gets back. Now, we have a pot full of maple syrup that will have to be cleaned out as soon as it is cool enough and a pan full of melted snow that will need to be cleaned. You can get started on that while I am tending to Sydney’s arm, and I would not suggest attempting to defy me.”
Johnny glared at him but Abe didn’t blink. “Bet you don’t make Sydney do anything when she started it,” he mumbled, looking away.
“The sink is that way,” Abe told him.
Johnny scowled, but he got the pot and pan and threw them in the sink. “How am I supposed to clean maple syrup? It’s all sticky. And Sydney put it in this pot so she should - “
“I am sure you can find a solution using Ewe Search on your phone,” Abe said. He finished putting cream on Sydney’s arm and bandaged it. “Now,” he told Sydney, “as tempted as I am to forego additional punishment because you were so badly injured, I think you will agree that would not be fair. Help your brother clean out those pots and when you are finished you will both need to go to your rooms to do some thinking and writing.”
“Okay,” Sydney said. She blinked hard. “Are you going to tell my mom when she gets back?”
“No,” Abe said. “You two are.”
Sydney gulped. She dragged her feet over to the sink to help Johnny.
“Good thing we got dinner ready before the power went out,” Malcolm said. He had lit candles on the table so that he, Kenneth, and Nan could see to sit down and eat.
“Lord knows that’s right,” Nan said. She put her hand on Kenneth’s wrist as he reached for the serving spoon to give himself some rice. “Where’s your faith at? Let’s say Grace before dinner, all right?”
“Won’t it mean more if we got food on our plates to thank Him for?” Kenneth asked.
Nan said, “It’s a good thing I can’t see you to slap your wrist. What has gotten into you? Seems like you and your sister have switched places lately.”
Kenneth swallowed hard. “Nothing,” he said. “But I sure would feel better if Vicki was here with us.”
“So would I,” Nan said. “I don’t like not being able to as much as call her, and if this power outage lasts long enough we’re going to lose our phones altogether.”
“You really think it’ll last that long?” Kenneth asked.
“Could,” Malcolm said. “If Vicki was here she’d tell us the exact probability. But if enough people have lost power it will take time to restore, and the crew won’t know the extent of the damage or be able to do anything about it until the snow stops.”
Nan rubbed her hands together. “Enough of this kind of talk. Let’s be grateful for what we do have. Lead us in prayer, baby.”
Kenneth sighed, feeling a heaviness in his chest he’d never felt before when it was his turn to pray. Usually he loved saying Grace and felt super connected to God but tonight he wasn’t feeling it. He took his mother and his uncle’s hands anyway and said, “Bless us O Lord, and these gifts were are about to receive from thy bounty from Christ our Lord.”
As he crossed himself, Nan added, “Thank You for keeping us all safe during this storm and before and for bringing my baby back to me in one piece.” She patted Kenneth’s cheek affectionately.
Kenneth looked away. Malcolm said, “Amen and amen. Let’s eat.”
Hannah sat on her bed, hugging herself. It was cold without the heat, and she could barely see anything.
Teenage Hannah lay awake on the mattress in the warehouse, staring at the ceiling, or what she could see of it. It was real dark and there was loud music playing from the other room, which covered whatever Nat and Marcel were saying in there. She knew they were doing hard drugs, not just pot. The first time, she’d been curious about what they’d be like high but now she just wanted to get this over with.
Marcel tiptoed into her room. It was so dark she barely saw him til he was on her bed laying next to her and pressing his hand over her mouth. “It’s time, baby girl,” he said, laughing. “I don’t want to hear no noise today from you. We gonna pretend I took you off the street to do whatever I want with and you gonna pretend you scared of me and do what you’re told, understand?”
Hannah nodded, her eyes wide with fear that she told herself wasn’t real.
“Good girl,” Marcel said, and squeezed her breasts while she held her breath to keep herself quiet and tried to convince herself she wanted this.
Hannah shuddered now. She heard something that sounded like a crash in the kitchen and made herself flat against her bed, praying that wasn’t someone breaking into the house.
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Post by André DiMera on Jan 27, 2021 9:24:11 GMT -5
I’m glad Abe was firm with Johnny and didn’t back down. His punishments sound fair. Though Sami won’t be thrilled when she finds out. Kenneth is definitely not okay! Hopefully the power outage won’t last too long. That was a creepy flashback! I doubt Hannah had to do much pretending. Wonder what that crash was. Great chapter, heroicmuse!
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Post by billiereed on Jan 27, 2021 14:42:21 GMT -5
I love this series. I want to read the whole thing (binge-style) soon. I am curious about your writing process. How far do you write ahead of posting? Do you take notes or do outlines? I want to become a more prolific writer (and updater!) and would appreciate any advice. Thanks @billiereed! I write about a week ahead (like right now I've written through next Monday and plan to write next Tuesday's post today.) I'd actually like to be a little further ahead and used to be about a month ahead but life got busy so here we are LOL. I generally come up with an idea on the fly but then I flesh it out by writing some notes, especially if it's a mystery or something like that. There have been times where I get an idea later and have to go back and add it and rewrite some even with a few notes, but I like to have the basics, especially things like who did it, so that the story makes sense. Thanks! That's very helpful. Keep up the great work you're doing
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Post by lumiforeverandalways on Jan 28, 2021 4:32:00 GMT -5
Drama filled chapter for sure. I think Nan needs to give Ken a break.
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Post by heroicmuse on Jan 28, 2021 7:55:04 GMT -5
Week 320 - 4 “Everything all right?” David called through the darkness.
“Just fine,” Valerie said. “The bottom came out of the flashlight drawer, that’s all.” She came out of the kitchen, her flashlight on, and handed another one to David. “I have a lantern one too,” she said. “I thought I’d give that one to Hannah. It’s a little brighter and that girl seems as scared of the dark as she was when she was four years old.”
“Yeah,” David said grimly. “I was talking to her when the lights went out. She’s not in good shape, Val. Soon as this storm passes we need to make sure she sees Eric again.”
He thought Valerie’s lips looked thin and pressed together, but it was too dark to be sure.
“One thing at a time,” she said. “Let’s get through this power outage first. You want to give her the lantern while I get out the extra blankets? It’s going to get cold in here without the heat.”
“I knew all electric heat was a bad idea,” David said, but he could feel Valerie glaring at him through the darkness. “Sorry. That wasn’t helpful, was it?”
“Just give our baby her light, please.” Valerie sounded tired.
“Right.” David turned on his flashlight before shuffling toward Hannah’s room, his shoulders hunched. He always said the wrong thing. It was like he couldn’t help it.
He tried to open Hannah’s door and found it was locked. Fear shot through him even though there was no reason to be afraid. He was sure she just wanted privacy, though it wasn’t like she could change her clothes in total darkness, and with Internet and phones out she couldn’t be talking to Kenneth either. “Hannah?” he called. “It’s Dad. I have a light for you.”
“Oh.” Hannah sounded like she’d been crying again. So that was why the door was locked. “Just a minute, Daddy.” He heard her stumbling around and wished he had a way to unlock her door before she hurt herself.
Eventually, the door opened just a crack. “Where’s the light?” Hannah asked.
“I have it. But hold on. Is there a reason you don’t want me in there?”
Hannah hesitated, then said, “I’m having one of my moments is all. Ever since I heard that crash I keep thinking someone’s in the house who shouldn’t be.”
“The drawer broke while Mom was getting the flashlights,” David told her. “Besides, you know I’m not going to hurt you. Let me in, okay?”
Hannah nodded, but David could see a wild, frightened look in her eyes. He opened the door wider and came in, then turned on the lantern. “Mom wanted you to have this one,” he said. “It’s a little brighter so she thought it would help.”
“K,” Hannah said. “Thanks.”
David looked her up and down as she took the lantern. “To turn it on or off, push the top.”
Hannah nodded again.
David said, “Are you sure you don’t want to talk, darling? We were making progress before the lights went out.”
Hannah bit her lip. “I hate being like a pre-schooler all over again,” she said, “but I guess I could use some company.”
David shined his flashlight on the floor to help him get safely over to Hannah’s bed. She said, “Memories were bothering me, that’s all.”
“What kind of memories, darling? Did the blackout remind you of something?”
“You could say that.” Hannah swallowed hard. “I… this is real awkward to talk about with my dad.”
David took her hands and leaned forward, looking into her eyes. “You can tell me anything. I won’t judge you. I promise.”
“It’s not that. It’s just…” Hannah bit her lip. “The reason it’s awkward is cause of what’s on my mind. The last thing I want is to talk to you or Mom about my sex life.”
David’s eyes widened. “Is this about Marcel or Kenneth?”
“Marcel. Kenneth and I haven’t…” Hannah trailed off, super embarrassed. “It’s the kind of thing I’d rather talk to Paige about but we got no phone right now and anyway she and JJ went away for the weekend.” She stared down at her feet as she said, “You already know what Marcel got me to do in exchange for drug money.”
“Yeah,” David said, “but as far as I’m concerned, that’s on him, not you. You were young, you were in a lot of pain, and he manipulated you.” He scowled. “Maybe if I was there it would have been different, so I guess it’s on me too but…”
“Doesn’t matter whose fault it is.” Hannah’s voice was flat. “Though I got this idea maybe you’re right. That’s kind of why I wish I could tell Paige, cause she’s been through it, she’d know.”
“Been through what?” David frowned.
Hannah played with her phone, which she was sure was dead by now. “Nothing,” she said. “I don’t want to tell her secret.” She stared at the ground some more, thinking. “The thing is,” she said, “when I first went to therapy Eric asked me was I sure I wanted the sex I had with Marcel and I thought I did. But thinking back now, I used to lie awake knowing he’d come in and just wanting to get it over with, and he’d call all the shots, like tell me how we were gonna do it and how he wanted me to act and I didn’t get a say.”
“What are you trying to say?’ David asked. “Are you telling me… no, he’d better not have. I knew that he took advantage of you but if he forced himself on you…”
“Maybe I’d better talk to Mom instead,” Hannah said quickly. “She’s a doctor, she’ll know what’s what.”
David made himself breathe. “I’m sorry if I’m scaring you. It’s just that it sounded to me like you’re telling me you think Marcel raped you and the idea of him doing that you makes me so angry I can’t think.”
“Yeah, well, imagine what it’s like for me.” Hannah swallowed hard. “Like I said, I thought I wanted it but now… what if I didn’t? What if… what if Eric was right? What if Marcel raped me and I didn’t even know that’s what he was doing to me?”
“Try to relax,” Elizabeth told Paige as she stared at the floor indicator on the elevator, breathing hard. “We will only be in the elevator a few minutes, so chances are we’ll be out before any power failure. And if we do get stuck, usually hotels have someone on staff who will help us quickly. It’s not likely we’ll be stuck for a long time.”
“Right.” Paige’s voice was flat. She squeezed the handles on one of the grocery bags to distract herself. “I’ll focus on this,” she said. “My new therapist taught me that paying attention to how it feels to hold something in my hand will help break up the anxiety.”
“That’s a good thing to do,” Elizabeth said. The doors opened just then. “There’s our floor,” she said. “Come on.”
Paige followed her out of the elevator. The lights flickered as the doors closed again and as Paige walked down the hall, they turned off.
“Looks like I got out just in time,” she said to herself. She slid her room key into the slot on the door handle, but nothing happened.
Crap. The locks had to be electric.
Paige checked with the flashlight on her phone to make sure she was in the right place so she wouldn’t do anything embarrassing. Then she knocked and called, “JJ? My room key won’t work.”
“Be there in a sec,” JJ called. It felt like forever til he opened the door.
“Thank God,” Paige said, and collapsed into his arms.
“I could say the same thing,” JJ said, stroking her hair. “I was getting worried cause you were taking so long and then when the lights went out I was sure you were stuck in the elevator.”
“I almost was,” Paige said. “I ran into Elizabeth downstairs, you know, my first therapist. She’s here for some conference. Anyway we were in the elevator together and she kept me calm and then the second I got out the power went.”
JJ hugged her closer. “I’m glad you made it,” he said. “Go ahead and bring the bags in even though we don’t have a fridge to put them in til everything comes back on.” He kissed the top of Paige’s head and then took a few of the bags. “Soon as this is put away, wanna cuddle in bed?” he asked. “There’s not a lot we can do during a power failure but if we gotta have one, there’s no one else I’d wanna be with besides you.”
Paige nodded. She took the rest of the bags inside and let the door close behind her.
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Post by André DiMera on Jan 28, 2021 9:50:45 GMT -5
It’s good that Hannah realizes that she likely didn’t want to have sex with Marcel. She really needs to talk to Eric as soon as that’s possible! Glad David is there for her. Glad Paige and Elizabeth got out of the elevator before the power outage! Great chapter, heroicmuse!
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Post by Kpatch on Jan 28, 2021 11:04:10 GMT -5
I think maybe Elizabeth wasn't really there, but Paige imagined her being there to help herself get through her fears.
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Post by lumiforeverandalways on Jan 28, 2021 21:54:32 GMT -5
Love that Hannah confided in David.
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Post by heroicmuse on Jan 29, 2021 8:35:49 GMT -5
Week 320 - 5
“Are you sure this is what you want to do?” Hope asked Aiden. They’d gone to Snowdania National Park and were at the bottom of a mountain. They had their hiking gear with them and Aiden was warming up with some stretches. “According to Ewe Search, Sir Edmund Hilary used this hike as practice for climbing Mount Everest.”
“Good for him,” Aiden said. “You think you’re not in good enough shape for a two-hour hike?”
“Please,” Hope said. “I’m a cop. I could chase a suspect up this trail if I needed to.” She crossed her arms. “I’m worried about you, Mr. Jennings. You found out an hour ago that your great-uncle was institutionalized as a child for Downs’ Syndrome and now all of a sudden you want to climb the tallest mountain in Wales?”
Aiden shrugged. “We can’t get back to Salem til the storm ends so we might as well make the most of our time in Wales, right? Carpe diem, I think they call it. Seize the day. Live to the fullest.”
“Right,” Hope said. “I’ve got nothing against living fully, but running away is another story. Come on, Aiden, I know you too well for you to get away with this. You’re upset and if you really want to deal with it with a long hike, I guess I can’t stop you. But when we were married and even before I promised to always be there to listen and to get the things out of you that you’re scared to say. Now come on. Nothing can be worse than what happened to Meredith, right? And I didn’t run away screaming from that once you finally told me. So what’s going on?”
Aiden sighed. “You got me,” he said. “When I went looking for my family history, I didn’t expect to find this. I knew there was some secret nobody wanted to tell me, but I figured it was an affair or something. Not a kid my great-grandparents threw away, forgot about. I was hoping I’d find out about a whole other side of the family, that the Welsh branch of the Jennings family tree would have children and grandchildren, people still alive I could reconnect with. Instead it ends with Thomas, with a kid unlucky enough to be born with a genetic malady in the wrong era.”
“You don’t know that Thomas didn’t have children. Just because he had Downs’ Syndrome - “
“In those days? Come on. With the substandard care he got in that institution and the world’s general ignorance, he’d have been lucky if he made it to his 20th birthday.”
“Okay,” Hope said, “but we don’t know exactly what happened. We could still - “
“It’s a dead end. He had Downs, he was abandoned, the end.”
“There’s ways to find out more if you want to,” Hope said quietly, “but if you don’t, I understand. Anyway, you could still find out about his siblings, who their kids were, if they ever came to America or they’re still in Wales to this day.”
“Maybe,” Aiden said, “but right now I’m not up for it. Now are you joining me on this hike or not? It’s only two hours to the top.”
“We’ll see if you make it that far,” Hope said, her eyes sparkling, but she had a concerned look on her face as she got up.
Claire said, “Um.”
“Sorry, sorry!” Vicki said. “You said ask any question, I didn’t realize that was a bad one to ask!”
“It’s not that,” Claire said. “It’s… well, it’s kind of a sensitive topic for me. I’ve only ever liked one boy so far, and he’s not into me that way, so…”
“Oh,” Vicki said. “I thought maybe you were more into girls or something.”
“Not me,” Claire said. “Not that it’s not cool to be bi, but I’m just not. What about you? Are you into girls too?”
“It’s not necessarily my turn to answer a question,” Vicki said. “You’re supposed to pick a name first.”
“Way to dodge,” Allie said. “I’m not,” Vicki objected. “I just like to follow the rules.”
“We believe you,” Claire said. She picked up a card, glanced at it, and put it back. “V for Vicki. Now, what’s your answer?”
Vicki pulled her knees up to her chest. “Honestly, I don’t know a whole lot about what you’re supposed to feel. Like, I wasn’t even thinking about boys or girls either and then Theo came along and I fell hard. But if he hadn’t I wouldn’t have ever known I was into boys.”
“Really?” Allie said. “You’ve never, like, looked at someone on TV or online and been like, they’re hot?”
“You mean like an actor or something?” Vicki asked, pulling nervously at one of her pigtails. “I don’t know a whole lot of actors. I might see one that looks cute or whatever, but it’s not like I want to jump their bones.”
“I don’t wish I could jump boys’ bones either,” Claire said. “Ew. But I dream about kissing them and stuff.”
“Who do you have a celebrity crush on?” Allie asked her.
“You didn’t pick,” Vicki said.
“It’s okay,” Claire told her. “I don’t mind. Sometimes it’s nice for it to just flow naturally, you know?”
“I guess,” Vicki said, hugging herself and rocking back and forth a little bit.
Claire said, “Don’t laugh, because he’s older than Grandpa John, but I think Tom Selleck is cute.”
“I can see that,” Allie said. “I don’t know if it’s a crush per se cause I like the character more than the actor, but I like the DA on Law & Order.” She glanced at Vicki, who was still rocking back and forth. “Do you ever get crushes on fictional characters?”
“I don’t want to play anymore,” Vicki said, holding back tears.
Claire sat down next to her. “Why? Did we do something that upset you?”
Vicki shook her head. “I just don’t fit in is all,” she said. “I don’t watch TV except the Weather Channel and I don’t even know any of these actors, and I’m not even sure if I’ve ever had a crush or not. So it’s better I just read my book while you guys talk cause I can’t keep up.”
Claire put her arm around her. “We didn’t mean to leave you out. We can talk about something else if you want.”
Vicki bit her lip. “I think I just want to go to bed.”
Allie frowned. “You sound like me when I’m upset and I don’t want to talk about it. Are you sure you’re not mad at us?”
“Nope,” Vicki said. “Not mad. Just don’t want to talk right now.” She flopped back and rolled over so she was facing the wall. “Good night,” she said as she pulled her hairties out so she could go to sleep.
“Night,” Claire said uncertainly. She looked at Allie and whispered, “I don’t get it. What did we do wrong?”
Allie said, “I guess she felt too uncomfortable about not fitting in. I’m like that sometimes too.”
“So what do we do? I don’t want to leave it like this. I want her to know we’re her friends no matter what and we don’t care if she has celebrity crushes or not.”
Allie bit her lip. “Leave her alone for now, I guess,” she said, “and in the morning I’ll try to talk to her. Maybe she’ll be in a better mood by then.”
Claire nodded, but she couldn’t help worrying.
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