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flipflop_divaI normally don't do intros to my entries, but I thought this one needed it. I was originally only going to post the prologue for the suspense/thriller novel idea I had in my head, and then go back to non-fiction entries. But I had a few requests for Chapter 1, and I ended up spending a lot of last night just brainstorming how I want it to go and a bunch of details I hadn't quite decided on when I first got the idea. Also, I realized with this challenge potentially going on forever, it was probably good to have some variety :) And let's be real, the chances that I will sit down and write it when there is no deadline? Not very high. So I might as well take advantage of the opportunity!
So, all that said .... this can stand alone, but it would probably be better to read the prologue first.
SIX MONTHS EARLIER
Audrey
It’s the absolute perfect morning — the ocean glints a deep navy blue, the sun peeking just above the waves turns the sky a mix of pinks and purples and oranges, a soft breeze blowing across the land gently lifts her hair from the back of her neck and swirls her dress around her legs, and the sand below her feet is soft and warm, even for how early it is.
She can tell already it’s going to be a hot day, perfect for lying by the ocean and taking a dip in the pool and sitting around in a circle with her three best friends, drinking wine and laughing and chatting.
But that is for later. This right now is for her.
She’s always been a morning person. There is just something about rising with the sun and knowing you have the whole day stretched out before you. She also loves the quiet that encompasses the world when most other people are still sleeping. It’s peaceful and comforting and the best way for her to harness her thoughts.
There is no one else out here on the beach with her now. It’s just her and the waves, crashing against the sand, and a few little crabs scurrying around.
Her three friends were still deeply sleeping when she woke up and slipped out of bed, the house full of remnants from the night before. Dishes piled in the sink, empty wine bottles in the trash, a tipped over wine glass on the kitchen table. There were crumbs on the floor and on the counters, an open bag of chips on the bathroom counter. Clothes and shoes littered the hallway to the bedrooms, as though none of them had been bothered to put anything away before bed.
She had snagged some gourmet can of coffee that had been chilling in the fridge and headed out into the first light of day, her friends none the wiser.
She settles herself down on to the sand now and stretches her legs out so her toes reach the water when the waves come in and gets lost in her memories.
They have been coming to this beach house, re-enacting this same trip, for almost ten years now, since the summer they had graduated from high school.
It had been Kelley’s idea back then. She had been fascinated by anything ghost or goth or magical, and so when she had read about a haunted house people could rent for a week, it was all she could talk about.
“That house is not haunted,” Lizzie had said, with a roll of her eyes. “And what a waste of money.”
But Audrey hadn’t been so sure. Sure, she didn’t believe in ghosts, and she thought the haunted part was probably just a ruse, but the idea of renting a house together for a week stuck with her. They had all been through so much, and they were about to venture off on new chapters of their lives — didn’t they deserve to celebrate first?
In the end, Kelley wore everyone down, and Audrey used the money from her trust fund so none of the other girls had to chip in. She’d always felt like it was her duty to help them out, like she owed that to them. It was why she still paid for the house every year.
But she still remembered that first year when they dropped their luggage in the entryway and then explored all the rooms, huddled together and tiptoeing across the floors like they were expecting a ghost to appear out of nowhere and attack them.
They hadn’t found any evidence of anything supernatural — “I told you so!” Lizzie had uttered — but they did find a group of kittens in the basement that had apparently come in through a broken window. Immediately, they had new little furry friends, and they also had what was probably the best week of their lives up to then. The whole trip had been a blur of laughter and happiness. And for Audrey, it had been more than that.
She can still feel the warmth swell in her belly as she thinks of that last night under the covers, touching and exploring and …
No. That was a long time ago. And she can’t allow herself to get caught up in that time. It won’t lead to anything good.
She shakes her head and takes a sip of her coffee. It had been a wonderful week, though, and they had returned home to their small town with their new kitten friends and a new bond between them.
And they have come back every summer since. The house had been remodeled a couple years ago and the haunted part had fallen off the advertising for it ages before then, but they always spend the first few minutes of each trip creeping through the house, searching for ghosts, just in case.
Of course, Audrey has a feeling this might be the last year coming here together. Everything between them is becoming much too tangled and complicated, and the balancing act she performs on a daily basis is getting harder.
Besides, maybe it’s for the best that they don’t spend much time together moving forward. She’s not sure how much longer she can keep it all a secret.
Audrey isn’t stupid. She can clearly see the looks and the signals Lizzie keeps giving her from across the room, no matter how far from her she tries to stay. But Jenna and Kelley aren’t stupid either, and that’s the worst part. She can’t bear the thought of them finding out. If they do, if they find out what she’s done …
No. They can’t find out. There is no way around that.
Audrey drains the last of her coffee and stands up, wiping sand off her skirt. The others will be waking soon, and she needs to be there when they do, to make sure no one says anything they shouldn’t.
Plus, she needs to keep a better eye on Jenna today. She is beginning to suspect she isn’t the only one with a life-altering secret.
Jenna has been acting off for a few months now. Keeping herself more isolated, being more secretive. But she’s barely said a word since they piled in the car to come here, and they’ve been on this trip for two days now.
Audrey knows there is a guy. Or at least there was a guy. But she’s never met him, and she doesn’t even know his name.
That part stings. She and Jenna used to tell each other everything, but now she can’t even be bothered to tell Audrey about a guy she might be seeing?
No, there is more to the story than that. Audrey is sure of it. She just needs to get it out of her during the next five days.
She can do that. She is sure of it.
Fiction.
Thank you for reading! This was written for![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
therealljidol: Survivor Idol! We're at the final immunity challenge now, so there's no voting. We just write an entry every day until only one person is left standing.
That said, if you want to read the entries, you can find them all here.
So, all that said .... this can stand alone, but it would probably be better to read the prologue first.
Audrey
It’s the absolute perfect morning — the ocean glints a deep navy blue, the sun peeking just above the waves turns the sky a mix of pinks and purples and oranges, a soft breeze blowing across the land gently lifts her hair from the back of her neck and swirls her dress around her legs, and the sand below her feet is soft and warm, even for how early it is.
She can tell already it’s going to be a hot day, perfect for lying by the ocean and taking a dip in the pool and sitting around in a circle with her three best friends, drinking wine and laughing and chatting.
But that is for later. This right now is for her.
She’s always been a morning person. There is just something about rising with the sun and knowing you have the whole day stretched out before you. She also loves the quiet that encompasses the world when most other people are still sleeping. It’s peaceful and comforting and the best way for her to harness her thoughts.
There is no one else out here on the beach with her now. It’s just her and the waves, crashing against the sand, and a few little crabs scurrying around.
Her three friends were still deeply sleeping when she woke up and slipped out of bed, the house full of remnants from the night before. Dishes piled in the sink, empty wine bottles in the trash, a tipped over wine glass on the kitchen table. There were crumbs on the floor and on the counters, an open bag of chips on the bathroom counter. Clothes and shoes littered the hallway to the bedrooms, as though none of them had been bothered to put anything away before bed.
She had snagged some gourmet can of coffee that had been chilling in the fridge and headed out into the first light of day, her friends none the wiser.
She settles herself down on to the sand now and stretches her legs out so her toes reach the water when the waves come in and gets lost in her memories.
They have been coming to this beach house, re-enacting this same trip, for almost ten years now, since the summer they had graduated from high school.
It had been Kelley’s idea back then. She had been fascinated by anything ghost or goth or magical, and so when she had read about a haunted house people could rent for a week, it was all she could talk about.
“That house is not haunted,” Lizzie had said, with a roll of her eyes. “And what a waste of money.”
But Audrey hadn’t been so sure. Sure, she didn’t believe in ghosts, and she thought the haunted part was probably just a ruse, but the idea of renting a house together for a week stuck with her. They had all been through so much, and they were about to venture off on new chapters of their lives — didn’t they deserve to celebrate first?
In the end, Kelley wore everyone down, and Audrey used the money from her trust fund so none of the other girls had to chip in. She’d always felt like it was her duty to help them out, like she owed that to them. It was why she still paid for the house every year.
But she still remembered that first year when they dropped their luggage in the entryway and then explored all the rooms, huddled together and tiptoeing across the floors like they were expecting a ghost to appear out of nowhere and attack them.
They hadn’t found any evidence of anything supernatural — “I told you so!” Lizzie had uttered — but they did find a group of kittens in the basement that had apparently come in through a broken window. Immediately, they had new little furry friends, and they also had what was probably the best week of their lives up to then. The whole trip had been a blur of laughter and happiness. And for Audrey, it had been more than that.
She can still feel the warmth swell in her belly as she thinks of that last night under the covers, touching and exploring and …
No. That was a long time ago. And she can’t allow herself to get caught up in that time. It won’t lead to anything good.
She shakes her head and takes a sip of her coffee. It had been a wonderful week, though, and they had returned home to their small town with their new kitten friends and a new bond between them.
And they have come back every summer since. The house had been remodeled a couple years ago and the haunted part had fallen off the advertising for it ages before then, but they always spend the first few minutes of each trip creeping through the house, searching for ghosts, just in case.
Of course, Audrey has a feeling this might be the last year coming here together. Everything between them is becoming much too tangled and complicated, and the balancing act she performs on a daily basis is getting harder.
Besides, maybe it’s for the best that they don’t spend much time together moving forward. She’s not sure how much longer she can keep it all a secret.
Audrey isn’t stupid. She can clearly see the looks and the signals Lizzie keeps giving her from across the room, no matter how far from her she tries to stay. But Jenna and Kelley aren’t stupid either, and that’s the worst part. She can’t bear the thought of them finding out. If they do, if they find out what she’s done …
No. They can’t find out. There is no way around that.
Audrey drains the last of her coffee and stands up, wiping sand off her skirt. The others will be waking soon, and she needs to be there when they do, to make sure no one says anything they shouldn’t.
Plus, she needs to keep a better eye on Jenna today. She is beginning to suspect she isn’t the only one with a life-altering secret.
Jenna has been acting off for a few months now. Keeping herself more isolated, being more secretive. But she’s barely said a word since they piled in the car to come here, and they’ve been on this trip for two days now.
Audrey knows there is a guy. Or at least there was a guy. But she’s never met him, and she doesn’t even know his name.
That part stings. She and Jenna used to tell each other everything, but now she can’t even be bothered to tell Audrey about a guy she might be seeing?
No, there is more to the story than that. Audrey is sure of it. She just needs to get it out of her during the next five days.
She can do that. She is sure of it.
Fiction.
Thank you for reading! This was written for
therealljidol: Survivor Idol! We're at the final immunity challenge now, so there's no voting. We just write an entry every day until only one person is left standing.That said, if you want to read the entries, you can find them all here.
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