The Pink Journal

Rain Drops
Character: Katie Storm
Word count: 1487
Rating: PG
Prompts: 1. This was all my fault./2. All I can do now is scream/3. I need to figure this out - now!/4. Is it ever going to get better?/5. How can this get any worse?/6. I don’t know how this will feel./7. Where am I?/8. What the heck!?/9. Oh my God!/10. I can’t let this happen.

Katie woke up with a headache and a pair of handcuffs on her wrist. She looked around and tried to make out where she was. “Where am I?”

She didn’t expect an answer. Her eyes adjusted to the light in the room. “What the heck!? How did I get in the back of a …a limousine? I was doing laundry in the basement of my building.”

Katie looked down at what she was wearing. It wasn’t the college sweatshirt and yoga pants she remembered putting on. She was wearing a formal evening gown.

“Oh my God! What is going on here? I need to figure this out - now!” She looked at the gown and her shoes. They were expensive. There was also an engagement ring on her hand … a very big engagement ring.

The door to the limousine opened. There was the smell of rain in the air. A dark haired man got inside and sat next to her. “Kathryn? What’s wrong?”

“Who are you? How do you know my name?” Katie scooted away from him.

“I am Daniel, your fiancé. Kathryn, I’m afraid you have been ill. You have been experiencing blackouts and memory loss.” He reached out to her but pulled back at the last moment.

Katie gave him a doubtful look. She held up her hands. “Why am I in handcuffs? Am I a prisoner?”

“We were playing a silly game but we should stop now. It’s upsetting you. Daniel reached in his pocket and took out a key. “Give me your hands and I will take them off.”

“Is it ever going to get better? This illness that I have? Katie held still as Daniel took off the handcuffs. She rubbed her wrists and looked at him. She still didn’t trust him. “Thank you.”

“This thing that happened to you. This memory problem you have now. This was all my fault. I was driving the night we crashed and you became this way.” Daniel looked down at the key in his hand before he put it in his pocket. “We need to find a way to make you whole again. We need to see the specialist in the morning.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about. I don’t remember an accident. I don’t remember you. I can’t let this happen. I want to go back to my apartment. Take me home. Now!” Katie reached for the door handle. “If you don’t then I will go on my own.”

“I don’t know how to tell you this.” Daniel took out a needle. “But this is going to sting.”

“No! I don’t want that. I just want to go home.” Katie struggled against his grasp. She was almost out of the limousine when she saw the rain and felt a pinch on her shoulder. “NO!”

As the world went black around her, all she could think of was how surreal this whole situation was.

“How can this get any worse?” Katie thought to herself. “All I can do now is scream.”

But she couldn’t.

The next time Katie woke up she was in a bed. She was handcuffed to the headboard. She pulled on the handcuffs to see if they were locked. “No! Not again!”

She looked around. The room was decorated in rich tapestries and antiques. She sat up and tried to get a look out of the window but the blinds were closed.

Katie was just about to start screaming when the door opened and Daniel walked in.

“Hello darling. Did you sleep well?”

“You drugged me! How do you think I slept?” Katie pulled on the handcuffs. “Why is it that I always wake up in strange places with handcuffs on?”

Daniel laughed. “It was a precaution. You have a tendency to walk in your sleep.”

“You know, I’m not buying any of your crap. Take me home or I will start screaming.” Katie mustered up all her courage to face this man he was still a stranger to her.

“Kathryn, please calm down or I will have to give you another dose of sedative.” Daniel raised an eyebrow at her. “I don’t understand why you are so confrontational suddenly. Maybe it’s a side effect of the accident.”

“There was no accident. You are just telling me that so that you can keep me here.” Katie pulled on the handcuffs again. “I’m your captive! Nothing more!”

Daniel sighed. “I’ll get you some breakfast. Maybe if you eat something you will feel better.”

“Are you going to un-cuff me?” Katie asked.

“I don’t think that would be a good idea.” Daniel turned and started to walk out. He turned back and faced her at the door. “I wish you would see that I’m doing this for your own good.”

Daniel came back twenty minutes later with a tray of fresh fruit and toast. Katie sat up as he walked in.

“I thought that I should bring you food that I can’t possibly drug.” He sat the plate on the bed next to her. “Eat something.” 

“No fork?” Katie rolled her eyes. “This is getting ridiculous. Just let me go and I won’t tell the cops what you did.”

“Kathryn, I have explained this to you. You have a head injury from an accident. That is why you don’t remember me. I love you, darling. When you speak like this, it breaks my heart.”

“I bet you say that to all the girls you kidnap.” Katie took a bite of toast. She made a face as she chewed. She put the toast back on the plate. “Butter would have been nice.”

Daniel went to the door. “I will be back in a few hours. I have some errands to run.”   

“You seem like a rich guy. Don’t you have people to do your errands?”

“I will be back soon, darling.” Daniel went through the door and the lock clicked behind him.

“Wonderful!” Katie looked at the bed frame. There were no marks from handcuffs being on it before. She checked both sides to be sure. “He’s lying. I have to get out of here.”

Katie tried to move the piece of wood that the handcuffs were around. She managed to move it a little. She kept working it until she got it loose. It finally gave way after almost twenty minutes of working at it.

Katie got up and went to the window she looked out. They were in the middle of the city. She recognized where she was from taking the train to work every day.

As she looked out the window she realized she was in a second story bedroom. It would be easy to drop down to the ground from where she was.

Katie looked around and saw a set of marble bookends on the desk. She tapped the window to make sure it was glass before she picked up one of the heavy bookends to break the glass.

The glass showered down on the street below. Katie grabbed the blanket from the bed and put it over the window ledge. She climbed out and dropped to the ground.

Katie realized that she had to get to somewhere safe and fast. She remembered that there was a hospital near where she was. She quickly made her way there.

When she got to the emergency room she went up to the first nurse she saw. “Help me! Please! I’ve been held captive.”

The nurse looked her over and saw the handcuffs still on her wrist. The nurse took her into a back room. “Come in here and we can call the police.”

“Thank you.” Katie looked around the break room. “What is the date?”

“It’s Thursday the tenth of November.” The nurse looked at her closely. Do you know when you were taken?”

“It was Monday the seventh. I can’t believe this. I hope the lying bastard gets what’s coming to him.”

The nurse called the police and an officer came to take her statement. Katie had to submit to a full exam including a rape kit.

Officers went back to the house where Katie was last kept and picked up Daniel. They discovered that he had done this before and his name wasn’t even Daniel.

The police went to the laundry room of her building and found signs of a struggle. They also found Katie’s clothes were still in the dryer.

With her captor in custody, Katie went back home. She didn’t stay in that apartment long. She had another one in just a few days.

On the day of the trial, Katie walked in the light rain to the courthouse. She looked at the face of the man that had held her captive and tried to convince her that he was the man she loved.

“State your name for the record please.” The prosecuting attorney said as she sat in the witness stand.

“I’m Kathryn Ann Storm.”  

Characters: Mason the explorer
Word Count: 196
Prompt: Would I?/ Wood eye?

Mason entered the temple. He blew the dust off the wall panel. The image of the all seeing eye was revealed to him.

“We're in the right place boys!” Mason looked back and saw his men running for their lives. “Damn! I knew I should have waited to pay them.”

Mason put his hand on the wall panel. A larger panel opened across the room. Inside, he could see what he came for.

He poked at the floor with his staff to check to see if moved. It didn't so he stepped forward to that stone and repeated the process across the room.

Mason entered the secret chamber and grabbed the golden statue and ran.

Mason made it base camp then looked at the statue. It was a big eyed little man in a loin cloth with bones around his neck.

“This has to be the ugliest thing I have ever seen.” Mason said in disgust.

“You’re not so handsome yourself.” The little man said.

“What the fuck?” Mason dropped from the surprise.

The little man and he ran off laughing.

“Hey!” Mason said.

The little man turned and waved. Then he disappeared into the jungle.

Cinderfella
Characters: Gale/Gary
Word Count: 261
Prompt: If the shoe fits .....

There was something very fairy tale about a shoe on the staircase. This particular shoe was bright blue and had a five inch stiletto heel.

Gale picked up the shoe and walked up the stairs to her bedroom. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach.

She reached the room and saw the door was partially open. She pushed it the rest of the way and went inside.

It was exactly what she expected to see.

Her husband was sprawled out on the bed. There was a blue ball gown heaped over a chair and the mate to the blue shoe in her hand was still on his foot.

Gale walked over to the bed and shook his shoulder. “Gary wake up!”

“Huh?” Gary's head rose off of a makeup smeared pillowcase.

“Was it a good party?” Gale asked.

“Yeah.” Gary smiled up at her. “Jack is in the guest room. He crashed after bringing me home.”

“You forgot to take off your make up again.” Gale said as she pointed at the pillowcase.

“I'm out of remover.” Gary sat up. He took the shoe from her.

“You should have checked under the sink. I keep a spare bottle there.” Gale told him. “Hit the shower and I'll make breakfast.”

“How was the conference?” Gary asked.

“Sucked as usual. I would have liked to have gone to the party.” Gale said at the door. “I would've worn that red dress I bought last month.”

“Glad you didn't.” Gary smiled. “Can't have my wife showing me up.”

Gale grinned. “Never gonna happen!”

A Date, Sort Of
Characters: Frank Jack
Word Count: 195
Prompt: Wrong Number

Frank looked at his ringing phone. He didn't recognize the number.

“Hello?” Frank answered.

“Hi Nick.” The voice said cheerily. 

“This isn't Nick. Who are you?” Frank asked.

“Um … I'm Jack. Who are you?” Jack countered.

“I'm Frank. Nice to meet you, Jack. So what are you calling Nick about?” Frank asked.

“Um … He and I were chatting on line and I … uh … was going to um well you know.” Jack stammered.

“Talk dirty to him?” Frank chuckled.

“Well yeah.” Jack sighed.

“Well, I'm not kind of guy but if you want to have a beer sometime I'd be happy to hang out.” Frank suggested.

“There's a sports bar called ‘Leon's’.” Jack said. “I like to watch basketball there.”

“I know the place. I love basketball. I was a power forward. Did you play in school?” Frank asked.

“Yeah. I was a point guard.” Jack laughed.

“Bet that was interesting. You liking guys and such.” Frank laughed.

“It was a lot of fun. Until, the guys on the team caught me staring.” Jack laughed. “Meet me at eight. I'll buy the first round.”

“Its a date.” Frank laughed. “Well sort of.”

“Got ya.” Jack laughed.

#10. "I'll Remember You" (Song Prompt “I'll Remember You” Kui Lee)
In a cemetery years later, an old man stood under a tree with a bouquet of red roses. He watched the service for a woman that was well loved by her children and grandchildren.

He looked at their faces and saw traces of the woman he once loved. She was a part of every one of them. Even in their moment of grief, she was there.

As the mourners walked past the coffin placing pink roses on it, the old man came forward. Everyone turned to look at him as he places the bouquet among the other flowers.

He turned and walked away quickly. He couldn’t bear to answer the questions they had on the tip of their tongues. He just wanted to disappear as quietly as he came.

One of the woman’s children looked at the red roses and pulled a card out that was tucked inside.

“My dearest Jackie,
I’ll remember you always.
Love Max”

A soft rain started to fall.

#8.Sometimes the healing is in the aching.
Jackie decided it was time to move on. She started to look for a new apartment. She didn’t want to live in their apartment anymore. It hurt too much to stay. They had picked that apartment out together.

Jackie found a loft and moved just as the three months ended. She left everything that they had picked out together. She didn’t want to bring anything of her past in her new life.

Jackie took one last look before she shut the door. It was almost as if she was shutting the door on any possibility that she and Max would ever get back together as well as her past.

Jackie’s heart ached but she knew that in time the ache would go away. She just didn’t know how long it would take. She would hurt and she knew it would take time. She would just have to be patient. 

Jackie started to live her new life and wait for the aching to go away. She just had to have hope for the future.

On the other coast, Max was facing the same dilemma. He immersed himself in work but it wasn’t helping. He was having a difficult time moving on with his new life. This wasn’t what he planned when he took the new job and left Jackie on the other coast.

The ache in Max’s heart was not subsiding. It was not going away as he thought it would. He had been gone from her for six months but it hurt just as much as the day he left. He wasn’t healing his heart he was torturing himself.    

#6. Black Sky, Rain on a a Blue Window, a Broken Heart (Image 49f8ee456a9e158fc4689716a63d4e3f)
Jackie stood on the balcony looking up into the black night sky. She and Max had talked until the middle of the night. Several things had been revealed. Things that either one of them had not expected to come out.

Things were not working out the way Jackie wanted them to. She had hoped that a simple apology would fix everything but she realized that it wasn’t going to be enough. They were too damaged.

Jackie was going to talk to him again in the morning. She needed to process so she sent Max to his own room for the night. It was for the best. She didn’t want to see him at that moment.

Jackie headed back inside and went to bed. She tried to sleep but didn’t until almost dawn.

Max stood at the desk of the resort in the morning. He watched the rain falling through the blue glass of the front doors as he checked out. He realized last night that his relationship with Jackie was not repairable.

Mac left a note for her and took his broken heart back to the city. He thought he should just go before she came to his room to talk.

When Jackie woke up, she found a note shoved under her door from Max. She read it with a heavy heart. He had given up on them and left for the city.

Jackie ran out into the pouring rain to see if his rental car was still there. It wasn’t. She stood there and let the rain drench her.

When she finally came inside she was dripping. It was a good thing because it masked the tears she was crying.

#4. Stranded!
After Jackie told him that he had another chance with her, Max got on the first plane to the resort. He was going to be there in less than twenty four hours. That was the plan.

What Max didn’t plan on was the rental car dying in the middle of nowhere and his cell not getting a signal. Not even a half a bar. He refused to take this as a sign.

Max walked down the highway to the next town. By the time he got there he was drenched in sweat and exhausted. He headed for the first place he could find that may have a working phone. It was a diner with a cow on the roof and a neon sign that said ‘Bessie’s’.

Max walked into the diner and all eyes were on him as he walked over to the counter. The waitress looked worriedly at him as he sat down and asked to use a phone. He must have looked like he was about to die from the look on her face.

The waitress gave him a glass of water and pointed to the pay phone on the wall in the corner.

Max called the rental company about the car and was assured that it would be picked up as soon as possible. Max gave them the mile marker where he had left it and they dispatched the tow truck.

Max’s second call was to Jackie. He told her what happened and where he was. She surprised him when she said that she knew where he was. Jackie told him to stay there and wait. She was on the way.

At least Max didn’t have to be stranded in this hot dusty town for long. Jackie would save him. Then he would save their relationship that he had ruined. 

#2. Wish I hadn't looked at your phone….
It wasn’t like Max to leave his phone out in the living room. He usually put it on the charger in the bedroom as soon as he came home but they had just been grocery shopping and he laid it down when he came inside the apartment.

Jackie looked at his phone lying on the table by the door with his keys and decided to put it on the charger for him. she knew he would be looking for it there as soon as he was finished putting away the groceries.

Jackie didn’t mean to be nosy but she when she picked it up and the photo files opened. She was curious about what photos Max had on his phone. She assumed they were photos of the two of them.

She walked into the bedroom and over to the charger. She just stood there as she looked through the photos.

There were photos of the two of them but there were some of Max with a girl she didn’t recognize. Some of them were of the Max and the girl kissing.

Jackie heard a noise and looked up.

Max was standing in the door to the bedroom with a guilty look on his face. He knew he had been caught. The proof was in Jackie’s hand. There was no defense for what she saw.

Jackie threw the phone at him. She pushed past him and ran out the door. She grabbed her keys and left the apartment. She didn’t know where she was going all she knew was that she had to get out of there and she wished that she had never looked at Max’s phone.

#5. EvilBots, Thieving, Virus, Checking it twice, Dear scumbag, Revenge, Come-back, Band together

Dear Scumbag
Those thieving Evil Bots have plotted their revenge against us. It has finally happened just as you predicted. I didn’t want to believe it was true but it is. I owe you a peanut butter sandwich as per our bet.

It is my opinion they will band together to kill us all. They have a deadly virus in their possession. It is said to cause great suffering. It’s also said to cause itching and purple spots but that remains unconfirmed. So you see we have a very big problem indeed.

We need you to come back and deal with them. Nobody else seems to want to do it so we elected you. Surprise!
The NaNo NaNo Squad.