TUESDAY TALES -- WORD PROMPT "SCARY"

 

Howdy doodles and Happy Halloween. I wish I'd had time to write a Halloween story. I promise to try to do something more holiday-ish for the next holiday. In the meantime, we have another episode of "Two of Hearts." Terry runs into Jen on his morning walk with Queenie. We pick the scene up from there. 

When you're done, hop on over and read the stories from the fabulous Tuesday Tales authors. Find them HERE 

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Terry bent down to pet Queenie and Willie.

“Wife still away?” Jen asked.

“Yeah.”

“When is she coming back?”

“A couple of months,” he mumbled, hoping she’d drop the subject.

“Oh. That must be tough.”

“It’s her ‘chance of a lifetime’. A foot in the door to scriptwriting.”

“Wow, that’s exciting.”

Studying her face, he saw the first glimmer of anything other than sadness or nervousness since he’d met her. “You a writer?”

“Not really,” she said, glancing down at the dogs and blushing. “I mean not yet. But once Stan gets better. Well, he’s going to help me. I’ve outlined a book. Fiction. Stan’s going to help me write it.”

“He is?”

“He’s a famous writer. Maybe you’ve heard of him? Stan Hogan? His book, Destiny Becomes Her won the Pulitzer ten years ago. He’s published mostly thrillers since then.”

“I don’t read literary fiction. But thrillers. Any made into movies?”

She nodded, her face softening, her voice filled with pride. “He’s done the Miller Shade series.”

“Miller Shade? Like in Unmasked?”

She nodded, sporting a wide grin. “That’s him.”

“Oh, wow! I loved that movie. Clare will be impressed that I met you.”

“He’s a great writer. And he said he’d help me.”

“There you go. Gives him a reason to get it together and get better.”

“Sure does.”

He glanced at his watch. “I’ve got to go. Nice talking to you. Come on Queenie.”

Her face clouded. She grabbed his arm.

“He is, you know. He is going to get better. He is going to wake up. He is. He has to. He promised me. He is.” Her voice rose with every sentence and her eyes filled. He gripped her arms.

“Of course, he is.” He made eye contact anyway. 

She brushed at a tear, nodded, and backed out of his grasp. Tugging on the leash, she steered Willie in the opposite direction.

Terry returned home and fed Queenie then headed for the subway. As he rode to work, he thought about Jen Hogan. Her pride in her husband touched him. Does Clare feel that way about me? He hadn’t won a big prize or anything, but he pulled down a damn nice living. The blonde’s tears seemed genuine, like hope fighting with logic. Powerless to help, he wished he’d said something comforting. What could you say to a woman whose beloved husband might die? Nothing good –or meaningful, either. It was damn scary. 

That's all. Thanks for stopping by.