January 19, 2008

Last Saturday

Last Saturday has worked as I always hoped it would: this month's challenge inspired me to write another scene for a character who's story I've all but given up on. Perhaps there is hope for the Great American Novel yet. It's a small snipet for Alice, but it's more than I had before. That's a good enough reason for writing exercises once a month.



“It’s all your fault, you know,” Alice says to Freddy.
“My fault? Who me, what I do,” Freddy replies.
“You brought all this cold back with you from Michigan.”
“Who went to Michigan, I didn’t go to Michigan.”
“I thought you went back home to Michigan for Christmas,” Alice says.
“No, my mom came from Michigan to visit us this year. It’s too cold up in Michigan.”
“Oh, so it’s your mom’s fault.”
“What can you do,” Freddy shrugs.
“Well tell her I don’t appreciate it.”
“I’ll tell her. No more cold. Alice said so.”
“That’s right,” Alice smiles. “I don’t do well in cold. I know it’s cliché, but I really think it’s making me moody.”
“It’s not cliché. They’ve scientifically proven it. If people don’t get enough good weather they get depressed. They call it seasonal affective disorder. In Michigan they used to always do stories about people moving from Florida and getting SAD and going bonkers.”
“I thought that was cabin fever,” Alice says.
“That too.”
“See. This weather sucks.”
“It’s supposed to be this way,” Freddy says with a slight lilt of concern.
“Yeah, yeah, it’s January. Cold and wet,” Alice sighs. “Well at least there’s a reason I’m like this. I’m SAD.”

2 comments:

murat11 said...

Seems Alice may be SAD, but she ain't going out of your vault without a fight. Good for her.

"Slight lilt..." That had me puzzling. Where these two talkin: Jim's booth? (same or opposite side?) Phone? Couch? Kitchen table? Bed? (better be more than a lilt, Freddy) Santikos Rialto, when the power went out? (It did, yesterday) Brackenridge Eagle (nah, not in that weather)? VIA Bus, Route 14?

Something tells me Alice wants more than 207 words to live in.

jsd said...

I like Alice's wit and Freddy's "used to ness" with Alice...I hope I didn't give you any germs, the wife's the last on standing.