Whats Your Secret?

[Day 21 of 30]:

I have good news and bad news.  The good news is that I finally figured out why my MUSE has been getting stuck so often while writing the Shattered Soul’s scenes.  I have realized that my main characters just don’t have real, emotion inducing conflict keeping them from their goals.  They go about their daily lives and barely notice the antagonist that I’ve created.  They take easily achievable steps toward their goals and nothing seems to stand in their way for very long.   This is great for real life, but takes the excitement out of my story arc.

The bad news is that I haven’t figured out how to fix this lack of conflict yet.  But I’m working on it.  In the meantime, I’m going to keep work on writing every single damn day, come hell or high water and learning the black arts of conflict creation & plot development.  Either I figure this out, or I give myself up to writing nothing but miniature vignettes of people and places.  I’m not giving up though, not by a long shot.

Writer’s Prompt:  Today’s horoscope: Somebody close to you will tell your secret.  —The Pocket Muse by Monica Wood

I used to love reading the funnies.  The newspaper was always full of silly two dimensional cartoons making fun of politicians, stock brokers, and housewives.  Everyone was fair game.  And I usually skipped right over the Astrology section.  I didn’t believe in hocus pocus and I wasn’t about to start now.  Except today my Virgo sign was in big bold print, proclaiming it had all the answers.  I remember thinking, what could it hurt?  I’ll just read a little bit.

“Somebody close to you will tell your secret.”

Ha.  Well, that’s obviously false I thought and smiled.  I haven’t told anybody my secret. But my forehead creased and my eyes looked around the coffee shop to see if there was anyone close by who knew me.  Nobody was looking over my shoulder, nobody was even looking my way…. Except maybe that guy in the blue sweater vest.  He seemed to be taking much too long with the milk and creamer.  Did anybody really need that much sugar in their coffee?  I was sure he gave me a few more furtive glances before he walked out.  And suddenly, I was very afraid.

I folded up the paper quickly, tucking it under my arm and abandoning my half full mochachino.  I wasn’t about to sit around and wait for them to come for me.  If they knew, I was going to have to leave now.  And not just the coffee shop, but maybe the town.  Maybe the state.  God, maybe the whole country.  What was I going to do?  I hadn’t planned for this.  It hadn’t even occurred to me that somebody else might know.  I had never said anything to anybody, but what if someone had figured it out.  Fear gripped me and refused to let go.

Relax. I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself.  I left the cafe and pretended to  enjoy the last rays of sunlight streaming across the ocean.  I had walked into town instead of riding my bike since I had the afternoon off.  But now I was regretting what seemed like a snail’s pace as I began walking home.  My anxiety got the best of me and I started to run.  My purple bejeweled flip flops smacked onto the pavement. Smack, smack, smack. I would probably ruin them at this pace and I started to wonder if I’d ever be able to get another pair.

If someone had discovered my secret, would they take everything away?  Would they make me give up my small two bedroom townhouse or my late model Mercedes?  I had worked hard and saved harder to get what little luxuries I owned.  Could they threaten me with my own secrets?  My breath felt labored and weak.  I was clutching my keys in my pocket and shoved them into the lock as I reached my door.  A quick turn of the wrist as I held my breath and took a final look over my shoulder.  No, they weren’t waiting for me here.  I slammed the door behind me and finally released a slow exhale.

My shoulders lowered.  I dropped my guard for just a moment.  Maybe it was all in my head.

And then I heard something clam shut.  Or at least I think I did.  Wait, was that the sound of breaking glass? Were they hiding from me or were they looking for proof of my secret.  I grabbed a purple umbrella from the coat stand beside the door. There it was again; a shuffling, clinking sound coming from the kitchen.  I considered calling 911 and then realized that they may already be here.  Or worse.

I flicked off my sandals and slowly walked down the hall, hugging the wall like they do in all those cop shows.  The kitchen door was swinging on it’s hinges, but no more sounds emanated from the darkened room.  The noise had stopped.  But, I couldn’t bear it, I had to know.  If they knew, they would be here, waiting for me.  The lights were off, but the orange light of sunset trickled through the door, like a psychedelic strobe light.

I took a deep breath, steadied myself and shoved the door open.  “ Surprise!” 15 voices shouted at me.  I started to swing my umbrella at the loudest one and watched my great friend George duck out of the way.  Fortunately, I missed him, but not the cake.  Oh god, they knew!  I don’t know how but they all knew.

Cake splattered up into my face as they sang “Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday to You, You look like you’re 40 and you smell like it too!”

I don’t know who told everyone about my secret but at least they remembered how much I love German chocolate cake.

“Nothing is given to man on earth – struggle is built into the nature of life, and conflict is possible – the hero is the man who lets no obstacle prevent him from pursuing the values he has chosen.” ~Andrew Bernstein

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