Tuesday's Tales -- Spider

I wasn't going to join in on Tuesday's Tales this week. When I saw the prompt -- spider -- I didn't think it would fit in any of the projects I currently have in the works. Then I looked back at the last scene I'd written and realized I had a perfect place to hide an itsy-bitsy spider.

This is a brief excerpt from "Summertime" -- the historical romance I'm getting ready to send off to the publisher. I've kept it very short, not wanting to give away too much in this scene...just enough to hide an itsy-bitsy spider and maybe make you curious about what Linn and Ed find.

Dangling the key from her fingers, Linn returned to the parlor. "Why would anyone lock an armoire? Did she think somebody might steal her clothes? For that matter, why did she have the armoire here in the parlor?"

"Tabitha Ann wasn't quite like anyone else, remember."

Linn laughed. "How true." In a perverse way it seemed perfectly logical that the cantankerous old woman would leave her jewelry lying about in open boxes yet keep her clothing under lock and key.

"Nothing Tabitha did should surprise me," she said, as she slipped the key into the lock. She smiled as the key turned. "Yes, it works." She swung the doors open and peered inside.  “What a musty mess!” She brushed at a spider’s web, jumping as its displaced owner scurried away. “But, what is this? I don’t understand.”

Ed came to stand close beside her. He too peered into the armoire.  "It's empty."

Linn nodded. "An armoire in the parlor. No clothes, yet she kept the doors locked. That's odd, don't you think? No, wait! There’s something there." She quickly reached inside.

That's all folks! As I said, I don't want to give away too much here. I'll leave you guessing about exactly what Ed and Linn found in that musty, dusty armoire.

Now, for more Tuesday's Tales, click HERE!

Once a Toad...

A story? In 300 words or less? What a challenge. I've never been good at "flash fiction", but this week's picture prompt was so lovely, I couldn't resist. Fortunately, the moment I saw the picture, I heard a voice speaking in my head. So, I listened, took it, ran with it, and here's the result. Enjoy!

“Now you see it, now you don’t.”  Michael held out a tiny box wrapped in red paper. Before I could grab it, his hands went behind his back. When they re-appeared, the box was gone. One of the frustrations of loving a stage magician. Michael was always playing tricks.

My heart skipped a beat. I knew what the box held.  An engagement ring!  

“Not fair!” I protested, running my hands over his body in hopes of finding his hiding place. The ring had not disappeared into thin air. Magic was illusion, not real.

“Is this what you’re looking for?” He grinned. The box re-appeared in his outstretched hands. “Be forewarned,” he said, his voice low. “It’s not what you think.”

My breath caught. Not the ring I expected for Valentine’s Day? The man had been leaving hints for weeks!

Seeing my confusion, Michael laughed again. Another gesture, a few more magic words, and the little box was gone again.

“Forget it. I’m not playing games.” Disappointed -- and frustrated -- I turned away. “You’re lucky I don’t know magic,” I called over my shoulder. “If I did, you’d be a toad about now.”

He hopped across the room toward me, making r-r-r-ivet noises. Not only a magician, but a clown too. How could I not love him?

“Sorry, honey. Yeah, I’m a toad. Can I have a kiss?”

I held out my hand. “Not yet.”

He pulled the red box from nowhere and handed it to me.

I tore the paper off, opened the box, and stared -- at nothing.

“It’s empty!”

“My love is too big to fit in a little red box.” He grinned and reached out. “What’s this behind your ear?”

He handed me the diamond of my dreams.

“Still a toad?”

I kissed him. “Always."

~ ~ ~

I hope you enjoyed this short short story!

For more Tuesday's Tales, click HERE!

More from Love Spells

Welcome to Tuesday's Tales...and to another excerpt from "Love Spells".

About the story:

Ellie was devastated when David betrayed her. After finding a book of spells, she decided to learn magic in hopes of bringing David back. With the help of Stefan, owner of a New Age shop, she's discovering who she is -- and continuing to cast her "love spells" each night.

~ ~ ~ ~

David called on Monday morning. Ellie’s hands shook so bad when she heard his voice, the phone fell from her grasp. While Miranda and the other girls in the office stared, she rummaged through the trash can where it had landed.

“What? Say that again?” she mumbled as she retrieved the fallen phone. “I’m sorry, David, I didn’t hear what you said.”

At the mention of his name, Miranda huffed out a breath and gestured toward the trash can. “How fitting."  She mouthed the words. "That’s exactly where he belongs.”

Ellie turned away. Yes, her friend had a good point. David’s past behavior qualified him for the rubbish heap.  Men who lied, cheated, and broke the hearts of the women they professed to love deserved a dumping of their own. They deserved to wallow in soured milk, rotting vegetables, and moldy cheese. Figuratively speaking, that is.

But what David had done was in the past, and the past was no longer relevant.

Ellie’s new-found magic could erase all the pain; it could obliterate the anguished  memories and take away those crippling feelings of inadequacy and inferiority she’d suffered at his betrayal. David had hurt her badly, yet she’d grown from it. Maybe he didn’t exactly deserve forgiveness, but at the very least, Ellie owed him a small debt of gratitude. She was enjoying this process of discovery, this mystical journey upon which she’d embarked. For the first time, Ellie truly liked who she was -- and who she was becoming.

“Your silver lighter?” She nodded in response to David’s question. “The one I bought you for your birthday?” Ellie winced, remembering how much she’d paid for the gift. It hurt to think he’d carelessly misplaced it. Obviously it hadn’t meant too much to him.

“I think maybe I left it at your place. Would you look around and let me know?”

“Sure. If I find it-- ”

“I really need it. He cut her off. “I know you’ve got it. I remember leaving it in the drawer of the night stand. When you get off work, will you run home and pick it up? I’ll be at the gallery tonight.”

“You want me to bring it to you?”

“Yeah. I won’t have time to come get it. We’re opening a new exhibit, so I’ll be busy.” He paused. When he spoke again, his voice held a softer note.  “Contemporary photography. Black and white. You might enjoy it.”

“Why, yes, I think I might like that.”

“So, you’ll do it?”

“Yes, I’ll be there.”

A smile spread across Ellie’s face. Any lingering doubts about the power of magic quickly  disappeared. Her love spells were working.

David had called. He wanted to see her. He might claim it was only because he’d left behind a silver lighter, but Ellie knew better. The lighter was only an excuse, and a flimsy one at that. David wanted her back. 

~ ~ ~ ~

For more Tuesday's Tales, click HERE.