Flash Friday 5-9-14

Picture Prompt for Flash Friday @ http://flashfriday.wordpress.com/ 

Click the link for rules and to enter your own flash, then read my response below.

Past and Present No 2, by Augustust Leopold Egg, 1858. Public domain photo.

The Strong One

I heard Mama scream and ran into the bedroom. I watched her lift his lifeless body. She held him for several long minutes. I broke the silence. “Mama…” She looked toward me and then blankly past me. Absently, she passed baby Jonah to me and stumbled across the floor to her rocker.

Mama was still rocking when I saw Lizzy coming up the lane from school. I wanted to keep from upsetting Mama more, so I stepped out to meet Lizzy. I explained what had happened in the best way I knew how, but I mustn’t have done a very good job, because she ran inside and buried her face in Mama’s lap.

I re-entered the house to find Mama absently smoothing Lizzy’s blond curls and felt a pang of jealousy. I wished momentarily that I was small enough to crawl into Mama’s lap and let her take away my troubles.

Now it’s my turn to be the strong one...

(The above is a (condensed) excerpt from the historical fiction novel I am writing.) 

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 Here is my second entry.

No More Secrets

Loraine’s sentient hair curled around her mother’s fingers, drawing her closer. Warmth spread through her body under Leda’s touch.

“Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“I’ve kept this secret for sixteen years. Your father doesn’t know we lived and I didn’t think you would understand.”

Loraine pulled back from the embrace. “Understand what? That my father tried to kill both of us—simply because I was going to be different than other kids?”

“He was trying to protect us both—or so I am told.”

“From what? And you don’t protect people by killing them!”

“Your father was confused and scared—he didn’t know any better way.”  

“Loraine, I want you to know; you saved both of our lives.”

“Me? How? I wasn’t even born yet.”

“I didn’t understand until later, but somehow a tendril of your hair coiled around my heart—and started it beating again. I thought I had dreamed it until you were born with these abilities.” 

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Edited to add: I won honorable mention for this second piece at #FlashFridayFic. I am truly grateful.

I'd love to know what you think--leave me a comment!

You can also follow me on social media.

Twitter: @CharityPaschal2 https://twitter.com/CharityPaschal2 

Google+: https://plus.google.com/111131437103050318091/posts/p/pub 

A Writer's Journey of Self-Discovery

I want to be a writer. There it is--in print. No taking it back now. More accurately, I am a writer--I want to be an author. 

Why do I want to add something else to my already overloaded schedule? Well,...I enjoy it. Writing is an outlet for me, a way to experience life through someone else's eyes.

I have loved to read for all my life, and generally liked to write as well. Writing is only fun when I get to choose the subject though, or at a minimum choose between a few options. 

I write about things I love, things that irritate me, and places and times that interest me. 

My current favorite is writing historical fiction; the book I am working on now is set during the Great Depression. (Update: this book has been shelved while I write children's books for awhile but it is still a favorite.)

I am writing this post requesting the support of my family and friends through this journey.

I have a couple of submissions going out at the end of this month which may or may not get published. (Update: they didn't).

I don't have much written that is anywhere near finished, but have begun work on a book, and have a poem or two that I believe may be good enough. 

When I post new blog posts, I would love for you to read them. I hope to eventually post small excerpts of some of my stories and get honest feedback.

What I don't want from writing: I am not looking to make millions as an author, but would love to make enough so that I can stay home with my kids eventually.

I would love to make a little money, but mostly I want to share my writing with people who will appreciate it. I love being a home-school mom, and don't want to change that either. (Of course, this means less uninterrupted writing time, but my family will always come first in my life).

What do I want from you? I would love for you to follow my blog, or just check out my posts when I post them. They may or may not pertain to writing but I want to blog at least weekly about writing or share something I have written. 

I also like to exercise my abilities and stretch them to new lengths, so I welcome comments with suggestions you would like to see me do a blog post on. Or you can specify that you would like me to post a poem or short story about your subject. No promises whether it will be good, but it will be fun!

Thank you in advance for your support. I would love for you to follow me on social media also--use the links below to find me.

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