In the Park Part 16 (Weekend Freewrite)
A weekend freewrite is a whole different challenge! Three prompts are supplied, and the writer is supposed to tackle them one at a time, 5 minutes each, without peeking ahead at the next prompt(s). I confess I already have read two freewriters' weekend freewrites today, so I do have some idea what I am getting into. I am going to see how I can use the three prompts to continue my ongoing tale. Here goes!!
Richard loved to surprise her, she was learning. It had started when they were dating, some twenty years ago. He would bring her roses, chocolates, a new book, sheet music, jewelry, whatever he happened to think of that she might like. And he really did know what she liked! All of the surprises were good ones, even the stunning engagement ring he bought without any input from her. Richard's family was wealthy, so money was never an issue. They bought a lovely home in the suburbs, and they had four beautiful children who all attended private schools, and there were vacations in France, Hawaii, Australia, and Peru. The latest surprise, though, had been the BMW. She had been driving a mini-van for years; granted, it was a classy mini-van with all the bells and whistles. It had been practical when all the children were small, and she was always carting them around to activities, usually with a friend or two in tow. But now two of them had their drivers' licenses, and she wasn't always the chauffeur any more. And Richard has brought home this gorgeous BMW for her just two weeks ago. She had been thrilled!
She started taking up a lot of bad habits. It didn't make any sense to anybody, not even to herself. She had everything she could possibly want: a great family, an attentive husband, a lovely home, and now a BMW. But something was missing. She started sneaking out after everyone was in bed and going to bars. When she got bored with that, she took up smoking pot. Then she met this really unusual woman who could cast spells, and she started learning things from her. It was truly a bizarre thing for her to do, Richard's wife, Anne, who had everything, to learn how to cast spells. She had only done little, harmless things at first. Then she had started dressing up like a gypsy or a homeless person, and making up stories about herself and about other people, and trying bigger spells. The last one had actually upset her: she had accidentally turned a very nice young man into a parrot! She didn't know what had come over her, but suddenly she had gone and done it. She wasn't even high on weed, or drunk. She was simply going berserk. Sometimes she thought she should go see a psychiatrist or something. Maybe she needed medication. It felt like her life had gotten out of hand.
It was getting dark. Richard had gone to bed, and the kids were all off at some sports event. She was feeling restless, yet somehow subdued. She went to the big cabinet where all her old mementos were kept and began pulling out boxes. It was something to do, anyway. She found all her college report cards, and her thesis on the mating habits of fireflies, and the apron she had kept from her first job at the Dairy Queen, and then she found an old letter from Amsterdam. It was from Richard, when he had gone on a business trip before they were married. She read it through and was once again overcome by his deep love for her. He was such a romantic! Where had she gone wrong? What was her problem? How could she correct her recent big mistakes?
Just then Anne heard some sounds out in the front driveway. It was usually very quiet out there this time of night, but she could hear female voices. Stepping closer to the open window, she distinctly heard a young woman's pleading voice say, "Here, kitty kitty! Please come out from under the car! I need to pet you! This is an emergency! You must come out!" Anne straightened suddenly, shocked with the realization of what was happending right outside her window. she hurried to the front door and rushed out. There were Selene and Lisa, both on their knees beside her BMW, trying to coax a white cat out from underneath it!
If you would like to read the preceding segments of this story, here are the links. Thanks for stopping by!