I realize this started several weeks ago, but to be honest, this is my first opportunity to really get in here. Between trying to write to pay the bills, being sick and having other things to do I just didn't have the time. Hopefully I will be able to keep going each week, but we'll see. At any rate, I'm including the first paragraph which ironically is seven sentences from my short story "Beyond the Smile." Before I post those sentences, let me give you a little background on the story's development.
Many eons ago (when I was a teenager in the 60s) I dated a guy for 4 years on and off who was a member of a local motorcycle gang. He was very wild and when he came to my state he was actually on the run from the police. At 15-1/2 I thought that was pretty cool because I had caught his eye. Of course, it did have some distinct advantages because when any guys any school tried to give me a hard time I only had to mention his name and they left me alone. In addition, his adopted brother went to my school under an assumed identity, so I had double protection. By the time I reached 19 it was beginning to get old--that and his lack of ability to remain faithful. Fortunately I never slept with him and told him I never would until he stopped playing around, something I knew would never happen. We finally parted for the last time in 1970, and I have seen him only twice since then and only in passing on the street.
When I was trying to think of a good topic for a short story I thought of him, and the idea of a story focused on a biker guy came to mind. Like my ex-boyfriend Joey Spinelli is on the run from the police and has a very shady background. Angela Massetti is an innocent teenager who gets caught up in the excitement for a few months of her life. Of course, this initial paragraph is not about Joey but someone who has been following Angela around--she meets Joey after she manages to get away from her stalker. Hopefully this is enough of a hook for you to want to read more. I will post some more from this story at a later date.
The guy had been following her for weeks now, and as 17 year old Angela Massetti left Rainbow CDs & Tapes, she saw him right by the entrance to the mall. His cold dark eyes and blank stare reminded her of the cold-blooded killer whose face still graced the walls of the post office in her town. When she arrived at the exit her trembling fingers made it difficult for her to hold her bags. Even in the glistening Florida sunlight it was easy to see the white of her knuckles and fingernails as she held tightly to her keys. Her hand was in the deep pocket of her shorts with her finger pressed against the panic button just in case she had to summon help. His eyes were expressionless as they looked her up and down as though he were visually undressing her. His face was wrinkled, his cheeks were sunken and he had no teeth. The smell of both alcohol and marijuana was embedded in his old and torn clothing, permeating throughout the air surrounding him.
Please continue to follow me on Suspenseful Seven Sentence Sunday to read more of my Work in Progress not only about Angela Massetti and Joey Spinelli but also my novel in progress about an aspiring writer and her rock star boyfriend. Until then Good Night and Sleep Tight.
