TUESDAY TALES - WORD PROMPT "RUN" , MORE OF "TWO OF HEARTS"

 

Welcome! Our word prompt this week is "run". We have an episode in Jen's point-of-view of "Two of Hearts." Don't forget to hop on over and read the great stories by our Tuesday Tales authors. Find them HERE. 

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Holding her mug of morning coffee, Jen stopped in front of her credenza littered with pictures of her, Stan, and Willie. Her eyes lit on her graduation picture. Clad in cap and gown, she stood next to Stan. He had convinced her to switch to creative writing from journalism. As he had predicted, she’d excelled. 

She adored Stan. As she sipped, Jen recalled their first meeting. She’d been overwhelmed by his assignment, write a nightmare. Jen had come up empty and panicked. She’d gone to see him, hoping to convince him to let her do a brief story about something else, anything else, instead.

He’d been the stern, aloof professor, totally unbending. She’d begged to no avail. 

“If you expect to get excused from every challenging assignment, Miss Carter, perhaps you’d better transfer to journalism,” he’d said.

Wide-eyed, and out of hope, her self-control gave way. Tears broke through. She had tried to leave before he saw but failed. He’d taken her by the elbow and drawn her back into his office and shut the door. She recalled their conversation.

“Okay, young lady. You’re going to sit here until you finish.”

“But professor,”

“Shh. Don’t talk. Listen.”

She’d taken a deep breath to calm herself.

“What’s your biggest fear?” he asked. .

“Flunking this course,” she replied.

Stan laughed. “Besides that. Spiders? Heights? Getting mugged?”

She’d shifted in her seat. “Getting raped, I guess.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Really? Here at school? I thought the campus was safe.”

“It is. You asked for my biggest fear. That’s always been it.”

He’d taken her hand between both of his. “I don’t think you have to worry about that here.”

“You never know. The paper?”

“Oh, yes,” he said, dropping her hand and moving to the window. “Okay. So how about your next biggest fear?”

“Snakes.”

“Aha! Snakes? Good one.”

He’d drawn out a scenario with snakes that would make her blood run cold. A knock on the door interrupted their session. She’d checked her watch. They’d been at it for an hour.

“My next appointment is here, Miss Carter.”

“Oh. Of course. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to take up so much of your time.”

“Do you think you can handle it from here?” he asked.

“I do. Thank you, professor. This was great.” She closed her laptop and rose from the chair.

“I hope you will abandon any misgivings about creative writing. You have a gift. You’re a natural storyteller. I hope you’ll stick with this class.”

“I will. Thanks.”

She’d taken his hand in an awkward shake, feeling a zing she hadn’t experienced the first time. He opened the door and a harried looking young man entered. Jen returned to her room and crafted her first A+ paper. Professor Hogan had read it out loud, in front of the class. Jen had floated on air for days.

That's all for this week. Thanks for stopping by.