Ghost Town chapter 1 part 2

Hello a new installment in my horror/romance story. I hope everyone who reads it enjoys it and whether you do or don't I hope you comment. Thankyou very much to Scout, Merv & Searcy for commenting.

Part1 is linked below

http://the-writings-of-lady-laughalot.blogspot.com/2006/05/ghost-town-chapter-1-part-1.html

‘Daddy’s got a new family now doesn’t he?’
‘Yes he does, but he still loves you just the same, and he’ll visit and call all the time.’
After a few moments thought Abby said, ‘Ok,’ seeming to accept this explanation with the kind of grace only small children possess, then ‘what kind of puppy will we get?’
Rachael laughed at the abrupt change of topic, and the rest of the trip passed pleasantly enough with discussions of puppies and, if Abby was a good girl, possibly a pony.

Several hours later Abby slept peacfully in the passanger seat and they costed smoothly up the main street of the quiet rural city. Looking around Rachael noticed, with mild surprise, that all of the shops were closed and the streets were practically deserted. It seemed amazing that Sunday trading had not yet reached parts of the civilized world.

Their new home was on the outskirts of the Milawara across from the last petrol station before you hit the open highway once more. Rachael had called the Real Estate Agent when they first reached town and by the time they got to their new home he was there waiting for them. He was a handsome man with strong regular features, sandy brown hair and the type of physic that suggested he played some kind of competition sport regularly. An easy smile lit his face as Rachael parked the truck and stepped out onto the pavement.
‘Hi you must be Rachael.’ He said as he approached.
‘Yes that’s right,’ she replied shading her eyes from the glare of the late afternoon sun as she looked up at him.
‘I’m Garry McMillan, the real estate agent, it’s a real pleasure to finally meet you,’ he said holding out a hand for her to shake, which she did. His handshake was warm and strong, just like the rest of him she thought smiling.

‘Shall I give you the grand tour?’ he asked letting go of her hand and indicating the building behind him with a tilt of his head.
‘That’d be great, just let me get my daughter from the truck.’
‘Sure thing’ he said treating her to the warm lazy smile again. In a few minutes she was back with a tired, somewhat grumpy, Abby in tow. Garry smiled down at the little girl who was looking up at him with bleary eyes and clutching a blanket in one hand and a toy horse in the other.
‘Hello, what’s your name?’
Abby looked at her mother as though asking for permission, they were well versed in stranger danger, Rachael just smiled and gave a small nod.
‘Abigail’ she said her voice quiet and shy.
Garry’s smile broadened, he seemed delighted by this shy little girl. Wait until he gets to know her, Rachael thought amused by her daughters apparent shyness.
‘Well it is just lovely to meet you Abigail, I’m Garry. Now let’s all go and have a look at your new home.’

The house was just as lovely as the many pictures she’d been sent. Some people had thought it irresponsible to purchase a property without ever having set foot there, mainly her ex-husband, but Rachael had felt a pull to this place that was undeniable and after getting building inspection reports, plumbers reports, electrical reports and an engineers report she felt she knew exactly what she was getting herself into. Somehow, as much as she’d fallen in love with the place from only seeing the pictures and as detailed as all of the expert reports had been, nothing in all her research had prepared her for just how lovely it would be. It was a beautiful bluestone structure with a wraparound bull nose verandah complete with squeaky wooden boards and a low border of rose bushes.

The front entrance led into the tearoom and general store, a few tables and chairs stacked against a wall, a short counter with an ornate old-fashioned til, a few empty shelves and a vacant fridge all combined to give the place a feeling of expectancy, as though it was just waiting for someone to come in and breath life into it once more. Rachael’s fingers itched to begin cleaning and setting her own stamp onto it, some people might think it would be dull task but she was looking forward to it more eagerly than she had looked forward to anything in years.

Abby was staring around wide eyed as though she, like her mother, could see the potential all around her. Garry was looking at them both a big grin of real happiness on his face, he lived for moments like these when he showed someone a house and they fell in love.
‘Well, is it living up to your expectations so far?’ He asked, even though he was sure he knew the answer already.

Click the below link for part 3

http://the-writings-of-lady-laughalot.blogspot.com/2007/07/chapter1-part3-and-still-not-finished.html

Questions or When Cliches are true

A short story I typed up just to show that I am still writing. Next time It'll be another post to the Horror/Romance story. I have been working on it but it's not ready for posting yet, shouldn't be too much longer though. In the meantime I present you with the following little ficlet.

"Questions" or "When Clichés are true."

It started with a kiss, but doesn’t it always?

I knew from the moment his lips touched mine, but doesn’t everyone?

How do you know if what your feeling is real when it all seems to be one big cliché?

I know that’s a lot of questions to ask, and difficult questions at that, but I’m so confused about what’s happening in my life that I really don’t know what to do. Every time I try to express how I’m feeling it just comes out being so corny and clichéd that I honestly wonder if what I’m feeling is real or if it’s just wishful thinking brought on by reading to many romance novels.

When did life become so difficult?

I guess the problem lies in the fact that I’ve only been single for a few months. It’s March and my ex and I broke up in December. It was a long time coming, but then we were together for a long time so it was still quite difficult in the end. He was really terrible to me and dragged my self esteem down in ways I would never have imagined possible. When I was a little girl I used to think I was so strong and so powerful, I could do anything I wanted, I was going to be a doctor, or a journalist, or a scientist, I never imagined I would go as low as I did. I never imagined I would become a drug addict.

Where did that strong, smart little girl go?

Don’t get me wrong I was never on heroine or cocaine or anything strong like that, I’ve always had a rule about chemical drugs. Thank goodness for the rule about chemical drugs, or it would have been even worse. Marijuana can be just as detrimental, it’s a depressant and when your circumstances are already pretty bad downers are really not what you need. So I was depressed, and with a guy who had been treating me like crap for years, life was pretty terrible.

Will I ever forget the night we broke up?

He’d gone out without me, again. He’d taken another girl out and left me at home, alone, to smoke myself into depression, again. When one of my girlfriends called me,
‘Is he there?’
‘No’
‘Good, I’m coming to get you.’

Can I ever thank her enough for saving me from myself?

When he came home and I wasn’t there he called me in a rage.
‘Where the hell are you?’ He screamed at me down the telephone.
‘Out with my friend.’ I replied trying to stay calm, ‘You went out without me.’ I couldn’t help but add somewhat bitterly.
‘So? You fucking knew where I was going, you should have called me and told me you were fucking going out. And who the fuck are you with?’ He wouldn’t stop screaming and I started crying.
‘I’m with Mona.’ I said my voice as small as my self esteem.
‘Well get your ass home right now Lisa or we’re through.’

Is there anyway he could have been more of a jerk?

‘Well I guess we’re through then.’ I answered back amazingly finding a shred of dignity.
‘What?’ he sounded surprised, imagine that.
‘I said we’re through.’ It was a lot easier saying it the second time.
‘What do you mean?’ he sounded confused, like he didn’t understand what was happening. Truthfully he probably didn’t understand, he really was that arrogant.
‘You know exactly what I mean Alex. I’ve had enough. It’s over, I’ll come by tomorrow and get my stuff.’ And then I hung up.

Could I have been any clearer about what I meant?

I moved out and spent the next for months being fabulous. I got dressed up in tight clothes and went dancing till four am, I kissed random hot guys on the dance floors of crowed nightclubs, and I loved every minute of my new found freedom. It was like being born again, and I was like a child. None of it meant anything, and the next morning all I had for my trouble was a bad hangover, sore feet and a lingering sense of guilt that what I was doing wasn’t right. I knew I had to stop it, I knew that the new behaviour was just as destructive as the old but I thought I had all the time in the world.

Does love ever strike when you expect it to?

Then university started up again and, as a reward for breaking things off with my terrible ex, my parents paid for me to live on campus for the year. That’s where I met him. I think they were hoping I’d meet a nice university boy and get my shit together and it worked. He was nice, maybe too nice. He seemed like everything I’d ever dreamed of, and here we are back at the clichés again. He was smart, well groomed, well mannered and handsome and he seemed to like me. I knew from the moment I laid eyes on him that he was the one I wanted.

Is love at first sight even possible?

All the clichés all happening at once, he confessed that he thought I was out of his league, that I was too good looking for him. He made me feel shy and coy yet at the same time helplessly flirtatious. I couldn’t resist him and as much as I told myself it was too soon for another relationship, and I knew that’s what I wanted with him, I couldn’t stop myself. He was so infatuated with me and so inexperienced with girls in general, he’d gone to an all boys school, that I couldn’t help but respond to him.

Has there ever been anything more appealing than a cute shy guy who is hopelessly infatuated with you?

We looked into each others eyes and everything else melted away. I was drowning in the depths of his clear blue eyes. I could see the desire plainly written across his face. He leaned in to kiss me and I was powerless to resist. When his lips touched mine for the first time it was as though an electric spark jumped between us. His lips were soft and warm and gentle and I felt safe and secure in his arms. When we broke apart and gazed into each others eyes we both knew that it was love, the kind that lasts forever.

Can I help it if the clichés were true?

Ghost Town chapter 1 part 1

* This is a Horror/Romance story I've been working on that the lovely Scout has encouraged me to post. I hope it's not too cliched and I hope you enjoy reading it. Please leave a comment on your way out, constructive critisim is always appreciated. At this point I'm not sure if it will be more Mills and Boon or Steven King, but I guess we'll all find out as we go.*


'Mummy can't we stop? I'm hungry.' Abigail wailed piteously from the passenger seat of the large four wheel drive.
'Not yet Abigail, we've only just left. Why didn't you say something half an hour ago before we started out?'
'I wasn't hungry then.' the little girl mumbled her little chin dropping down onto her chest.
'Why do we have to go away mummy?' she asked her lower lip now set firmly in a pout.
'We've been through this Abby,' her mother said with a deep sigh, trying very hard to stay patient, 'We're going to live in a lovely house in the country, with plenty of room to run around and we're going to get a puppy! Remember we talked about getting a puppy?' Rachael said injecting a little forced cheerfulness into her words.

It had been six months since the divorce and three since she'd seen the add in the paper for the gorgeous little corner store up for sale in Milawara. She'd always dreamed of living in the country and being her own boss and now with no hot shot lawyer husband to tie her to the city she was going to do it. She'd talked it all through with Abby of course before making any decisions, but she had to admit that most of the little girl’s enthusiasm had been directed at the bribes of puppies and ponies that Rachael had made.

Unfortunately this time the reminder of the promised puppy didn't seem to be having the cheering effect Rachael had been hoping for as Abby remained stubbornly slumped in her seat an air of gloom surrounding her little frame.
'Come on Abby don't be like this we've been over this. I thought we agreed it'd be fun to live in the country?'
The little shoulders of the still slumped figure beside her shrugged.
'Why isn't daddy coming?' She asked now, her voice barely more than a sad little whisper.
'You know why Daddy's not coming sweety. Daddy and I have both explained it to you.' Rachael replied, her heart breaking for her precious little girl who just didn't understand.

It was so difficult, to see her little girl so heartbroken. They were so much alike mother and daughter, they shared the same shiny dark brown hair, though Abby wore hers in pigtails and Rachael’s was softly layered framing her face, they had the same bright hazel eyes and the same clear porcelain skin. People would often look at childhood photos of Rachael and think that they were looking at pictures of Abby. That's why it hurt so much that Abby was now going through the same thing she'd experienced as a child. Rachael had tried so hard to hold together her marriage with Daniel, she'd been ready to leave him when she'd found out she was pregnant but hadn't been able to do it knowing there was now a child involved. She'd stayed in that loveless marriage for eight years pretending to the best of her ability that there was nothing wrong for her daughter’s sake. When Daniel had come home one night and told her that he was leaving her for another woman, it had hurt even more, because she should have been the one to leave him and yet she'd stayed, because she had done everything she could to be what he wanted and he'd still left her.

Seeing her daughter now, her broken heart clearly displayed in her clear hazel eyes, broke her heart all over again and brought back all the pain and sadness she had felt as a little girl when her daddy had left.

**Sorry it's so short but as I said it's only the first part of chapter one and I just wanted to get something posted to try and get the ball rolling. I'll post more soon. Please let me know your thoughts positive and negative.**

Cheers Lady L

http://the-writings-of-lady-laughalot.blogspot.com/2006/07/ghost-town-chapter-1-part-2.html

First post

Well as this is my first post I thought I'd take a little bit of time to introduce myself. I'm twenty six years old and I've been an avid reader since I was a child. I've always admired the authors who can create a new world for me, especially those whose influence has extended to generations. My own favourite authors are Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, David Eddings, Katherine Kerr, and Robert Asprin, JK Rowling may be added to that list but at this stage that's heavily dependant on how the Harry Potter Series ends.

I'm constantly having new ideas for novels that I'd love to write but I do have a lot of trouble writing. I've read that most writers do find it difficult so it doesn't worry me to much. I find it difficult to keep going with the projects that I start and because all of my favourite authors are such powerful writers I sometimes feel like my work simply isn't good enough. I read a lot of amature fiction, fanfiction mostly, and I'm very severe on a lot of the things that I read. I'm so severe on my own work that I don't like for other people to read my work because I'm so scared of what they might say. I think that's part of the reason I never finish anything aswell because it terrifies me that I will and then publishers say it sucks. Even if family and friends tell me that my work is good I never believe them because I think they kind of have to say nice things because they are my family and friends.

That's where I'm hoping this blog will help. I'm going to update once a week with whatever it is I'm working on and I hope that with some feedback and hopefully some encouragement I'll be able to write regularly and finish what I start. So please if you read my blog, and you have any comments, positive or constructive, I really hope that'll you'll reply.