July 31, 2008 – Write From Karen

Thursday is the day I post a bit o’ fiction.

This was originally posted May 16, 2007.

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Caught on Tape

“What in the world does she hope to gain by doing this?”

“I’m not sure,” Sharon replied, her eyes glued on the fourteen-year old girl on the TV monitor. “I honestly don’t know what to think.”

Kathy placed a comforting hand on Sharon’s arm. “I’m really sorry about this, Shar.”

Tears welled up in Sharon’s eyes and she blinked them away impatiently. “I have to say, if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I never would have believed it.” Sharon could sense Kathy nodding beside her. She sighed. “What am I going to do? I mean, do I ignore this and hope it’s a phase? Or do I confront her so she can act oblivious and lie to my face?”

“I … honestly don’t know.”

“If it were your daughter going through your jewelry box …” Sharon slapped a hand against her thigh and gestured hopelessly at the screen, “and now going through your purse, what would you do?”

The two women watched the girl pocket three twenty-dollar bills into her jeans and then dangle a gold necklace from her fingers. She appeared to be mulling over whether or not she should take it.

“Maybe she won’t take the necklace,” Kathy offered helpfully. The girl shrugged and stuffed the necklace into her pocket. “Or maybe not …” Kathy’s voice trailed off.

“I simply can’t believe my own daughter would steal from me. I mean, if you hadn’t talked me into planting a video camera in my bedroom, I never would have bought this crap.”

Kathy sighed next to her. “Teresa is my friend, Sharon. I knew she wasn’t the type of person to steal from you. She’s been cleaning my house for, oh God, years and we never had any problems. I just didn’t want you to falsely accuse her of something.”

“So instead of firing my housekeeper, now I have a delinquent daughter to deal with.”

They continued to watch the girl rummage through Sharon’s purse before finally giving up, glancing one last time through the room to make sure everything was in its place and finally leave.

“This is going to break her father’s heart,” Sharon mumbled. “I can’t let her out of the house with her stash.” She spoke the last word bitterly. “Is she going to buy drugs? What else would a fourteen-year old girl need money for?”

Sharon stood up and headed toward the door. She paused and turned around. “Unless …” she swallowed. “She doesn’t need the money for drugs. What if she’s …” Her eyes widened in horror. “And she needs the money for a doctor …” Her hand flew up to her mouth and she hurried out of the spare bedroom after her daughter.

“Sara!” She walked briskly to the stairs and grabbed her first-born child by the arm before she could get away from her. “We need to talk.”

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I started a new tweet (I guess that’s what you call them) on Twitter called, appropriately enough, Blog Fodder. Every day I post a writing prompt, just something extra to help you get through the blogging humps. It’s not really a question, per se, but rather something that might trigger a memory, or something you can use as a springboard to write a story, or a blog post. Anything goes. Use the prompt any way you wish.

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(TT number #112!)

This list is a continuation of last week’s TT.

1. N What’s the story of your NAME? were you named after anyone? Do you go by a nickname? Any aliases?

I’ve written about the story of my name before. In essence, my mom wanted to call me Carrie (don’t you just think about the Carrie covered in blood in Stephen King’s novel? I’m so GLAD that name didn’t work out) but my dad wasn’t crazy about it (thanks dad!) so they compromised and called me Karen instead.

(Added: Though being named Carrie wouldn’t be all that bad nowaways – it could be cool to be compared to Carrie from Sex in the City – sans the shoe fetish. Oh all right, I sort of have a shoe fetish, too. Only I’m too cheap to really DO anything about it. I just settle for slobbering all over them when I’m at the store – I’ve been asked to leave on more than one occasion. Did I just say that out loud?)

I was called KK a few times when I was little, but it didn’t stick for some reason. Pity, I rather like that nickname.

Aliases? Oh probably, but none I would want to repeat here. 😀

2. O OBSERVANT – What’s around you right now? What do you see?

My cluttered desk, which consists of: my Baby Blues desk calendar, Lands End catalog, Washington DC paraphernalia, a Writer’s Digest renewal form (note to self, mail that off!), a ton of old calendar pages that I’ve torn off and used as scrap paper and am too lazy to throw away, school information letters/forms about the upcoming school year, post-it notes, a check stub, a copy of JUICY email correspondence (would love to tell where I got that or what the “juicy” part is, but alas, I’ve been ordered not to talk about it on my blog – but think SCANDAL). On the floor next to me? The book I’m currently reading, an Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World (because we’re going there next summer even if I have to drag my three guys there by the short and curlies – ew, that’s a gross visual), and a fan that I turn on because I’m hitting that time in my life where I get FREAKING HOT ALL THE TIME.

3. P Who are the special PEOPLE in your life?

Why, my family of course. Duh.

4. Q Any Little QUIRKs About Yourself:

I love to wear sexy underwear.

HA! NOT.

Okay, no underwear.

HA! NOT.

Seriously? I can’t think of anything. I’m boooring. Waah!

5. R What do you like to do for RECREATION?

You’re kidding, right? You really want me to answer that? Why blogging, of course! And reading! And writing! and sipping Starbucks drinks!

6. S Do You SING in the Shower? In the car? For your friends? Shower?

I’m not a big bathroom person, period. I do my business and I’m outta there. So no, no singing in the shower. But the car? Oh yeah, I have a tendency to really crank the music, especially when I’m by myself (my husband tried calling me three times on my cell the other day and I had no idea because I was jamming my heart out at the time). Not only do I crank? I totally sing. And depending on my mood (or the time of month, ladies you know what I mean), I totally don’t care if other drivers see me singing. In fact, I have a tendency to ham it up if I know I have an audience. *grin*

7. T What’s at the Top of your TO DO list?:

Get this website project DONE! Upload a website that’s ready to go (HA! That one’s not my fault, thankyouverymuch), and write something for this literary mag because I LOVE them and would certainly die and go to heaven if they ever published something of mine.

8. U Any UNUSUAL Experiences:

I’ve had quite a few unusual experiences in my life – many I’ve already talked about on this blog. But two come to mind that I don’t think I’ve mentioned before.

1. My husband’s remote control airplane, the one he built FROM SCRATCH, was stolen right out of our garage one night. He (and we still debate as to who actually left it open) left our garage door open one night and some perp (we suspect our next door neighbor – they had the police over there quite a few times and he was actually taken away in handcuffs one time) stole it. My husband toughed it out, but I think it really depressed him that he spent all of his time and money building something so cool and only flew it once before it was stolen. People suck sometimes, don’t they?

2. We woke up one morning, opened our garage door to go to work only to discover a strange truck parked in our driveway. It was parked askew as if someone had parked it and then ran – which is precisely what happened. We called the police and they tracked the owner down, which happened to be one of our neighbors. We’re not sure why the thieves decided to abort the crime so close to the owner or why they left it in our driveway, but it was creepy and fascinating at the same time. In fact, that would make a great story, wouldn’t it? *grin*

9. V VEGAS,Vienna,Venice,Vladivostok… How far have you traveled? What’s your favorite City?

Cozumel, Mexico is the farthest I’ve ever traveled. We went there for our honeymoon nearly 18+ years ago. I completely cried like a baby when I got there because duh, no one spoke any English and it freaked me out. (I never claimed to be smart ~~back in those days~~).

Favorite city? Oooh, a toss up between St. Petersburg, Florida and Estes Park, Colorado. St. Petersburg was uber cool and oh so beautiful (full of beautiful people) and Estes Park … well four words – COOL AND NO BUGS. ‘Nuff said, right?

10. W WINTER, Spring, Summer, Fall… What’s your favorite season?

Oh Fall, hands down. I can bury my girth in sweatshirts and jeans and not FEEL fat, you know? Whereas summer, you can’t HELP but be aware of all of your flaws because geez, they’re on display for everyone to ~~gawk laugh stare at~~ admire.

And Fall is my opportunity to wear my cowboy-looking shoes!! (They aren’t full boots, just a shoe with cowboy heels, CUTEST things!)

11. X EXes – Things You Don’t Do Anymore (but did, once (would you, again?))

I used to be able to stay up late, but then I married an early bird and it’s all I can do to keep my eyes open past 9:00 p.m. Geez, how pathetic is that??

Would I marry my hubs again? Absolutely. (Really, what did you expect me to say? 😉 )

12. Y Any secret/deep YEARNINGS?

I have several secrets, but nothing suitable for Internet consumption. Yearnings? Oh yeah, to be published – several times to be greedy, but once in my lifetime to be satisfied.

13. Z ZERO to ZENITH – Where are you in your life? Still growing? On an upward (or downward) curve? Just skating along?

I’m doing good. I have matured a lot in the past ten years and I’m starting to finally feel comfortable in my own skin. I’m happy in my life and I’m looking forward to enjoying the next twenty/thirty years of graduations, grandkids, and good times travelling cross country.

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