The Line of the Day--NO CRITTING

Putting this one up in part because I think it's going to end up getting cut, sigh, and I like it.

A couple of old and dear friends having a long-distance chat, in which advice is given:

"I'm not sure, though," he confessed, "that I can keep going with her the way I've been going."

"Then maybe it's just run its course," she said. "There's nothing wrong with that, you know. Many fine things in life are not meant to be forever."

For a moment it was hard for him to speak. "So is that what life is?" he asked her. "A series of goodbyes?"

There was a long pause, and he wondered if she had thought about how her words would sound. When she spoke at last, her voice was soft. "I hope not."

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From the first paragraph of the second chapter of my WIP titled: The Sweetest Death.
In exchange for my signature, a paycheck was handed to me, and my postman's holiday turned into a paid, month-long vacation. Or my exile, as I preferred to call it. How apropos, that I was spending November in a town that was founded bypeople that were also told to go piss in a corner.

NateSean said:

How apropos, that I was spending November in a town that was founded bypeople that were also told to go piss in a corner.

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LOVE this last part.

"He wiped his pale face and padded across the kitchen floor in his socks and sagging boxers. Betty recognized that look in his eyes and turned away, hoping he would lose interest. She didn’t want to be molested while she was on the phone."

From the second book in my Clint Wolf Mystery Series.

Writing some random scenes before NaNo to get to know my characters some more. This little bit made me smile.

A former marine stood on her doorstep with a pink stuffed elephant in one hand and a blue stuffed elephant in the other. ‘You should have seen the looks the lady at the gas station was giving me,’ grimaced Rick Raskin.

‘I’d have been happy with just one. Two, Rick? You spoil me.’

‘Yeah, yeah. Or you gonna let me in or are you gonna leave me out here looking like I’ve lost my Ark?’

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Ha!

Reviving this thread - excerpt from The Riverwalk Murders

From The Riverwalk Murders. In Cal Jessup's POV. The killer kidnapped Cal's daughter, Lisa, an SAPD officer and recently reunited with her estranged father. He is hot on the trail, or so he hopes.

Despite having Maylor and Herrera sit on the shack the night they found Lisa, the son of a bitch never showed up, which hadn’t made sense to him at the time. Now he understood why. The two trophies left behind weren’t as important as the trophy that got away. Cal shuddered at the thought of Lisa lying helpless, having to watch as that psycho carved up his victims. But maybe this misstep would be his Achilles heel, the thing that would help catch him. Admittedly, the guy was smart, above average intelligence, but he was no Harry Houdini.

Reviving again!

It took longer, much longer, to mow the lawn than he’d expected. He kept drifting off, losing time. At one point he realised he was standing stock-still in the corner of the yard, the mower rumbling at his feet, the fingers of one hand plucking repetitively at the crown of his head. He brought his hand down in front of his face and stared at the clump of hair in it.

He laughed. He laughed so hard that he had to bend over and prop his hands on his knees. He laughed for so long that tears began to fall, disappearing into the freshly cropped grass.

He decided he needed a quick nap, and he was already halfway down, so he dropped to his knees and folded forwards onto the lawn, where he lay – eyes wide open – until the first crack of thunder jolted him out of his stupor.

The MC has dust in her mouth --
Here it turned to a clay type substance as soon as it touched human saliva. Even brushing teeth could not get it fully out of the mouth. It had to wear off, like the ink on the back of a hand from a week old concert.

rfitzwilly63 said:

The MC has dust in her mouth --
Here it turned to a clay type substance as soon as it touched human saliva. Even brushing teeth could not get it fully out of the mouth. It had to wear off, like the ink on the back of a hand from a week old concert.

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Ew, but very evocative...

My MC Detective is on the verge of a PTSD flashback:

His mind was like one of those old tractor lawn mowers with a two-stroke engine. Today’s events had revved it up so that it was churning over and over again. Only, this time, someone had dragged the damned thing up against the precipice. One tiny little push, and it would spiral downward, brakes failing, steering wonky, until the only option was to pray for the inevitable crash. Memories flooded back unbidden into his consciousness, overwhelming his senses. He closed his eyes hoping that he could forestall the inevitable ride downhill.

This is from my first part from my latest short story series:

She scolded him with the flames of red caught on her face as she read the condescending letter, much to the horrified status that rang on her husband’s face.

This is from my WIP, The League of Extraordinary Ladies of the Evening. Abbreviated. Samuel Clemens shows up at a party:
“Would you care for a drink, sir?”
“Care for? Nurse and make much over it? Coddle and pet it? No, madame, I will not! I shall toss it down my throat and let it and my stomach go at each other. Fisticuffs if need be.” Sally looked like she was about to run away. More softly, Sam said, “An old fashioned, if you don't mind,” and Sally hurried off to the bar.

“Sam!” Euphoria scolded. “You frightened poor Sally half to death.”
“That was not my aim. She looked liked she needed humoring.”
Euphoria sighed. “Unfortunately, poor Sally has not yet developed a sense of humor.”
Sam sighed back at her. “Well then, you might as well take the poor thing out back and shoot her. Put her out of her misery.”

rfitzwilly63 said:

The MC has dust in her mouth --
Here it turned to a clay type substance as soon as it touched human saliva. Even brushing teeth could not get it fully out of the mouth. It had to wear off, like the ink on the back of a hand from a week old concert.

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Blecch! But in a good way

“The last time you just knew Alex was going to bring back a string of trout he came home with a mess of catfish and a dagburn snapping turtle"

Cindyt said:

“The last time you just knew Alex was going to bring back a string of trout he came home with a mess of catfish and a dagburn snapping turtle"

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Dag nabbit. Catfish are good, but snapping turtle?

cdecho said:

Dag nabbit. Catfish are good, but snapping turtle?

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Snapping turtle? Sounds like an intriguing character.

"It’s cold as a bugger’s snout out there."

The droning of the motorcycles continued south, towards town on the highway.

“I wish we had some way to warn Chief McCall.” Allison said softly.

Great to see this thread coming back to life

“They say she lets that free darky Tildia sit to table with her!”

There were a thousand bullshit excuses he could have sold her, but he was lying enough just telling her she'd be fine. She wouldn't be. He knew it as deeply as she did.

He held her close, kissed her head, and whispered soothing fiction until she stopped shaking.

"It's true, I can't make you apologize, but I can make you sorry."