muse

Write about an ordinary ritual in which something goes terribly wrong.

*****

Bethany almost staggered into the very sold back door of her shop in the cold pre-dawn light of winter. She let loose a jaw-cracking yawn into her shoulder, since her arms were too full of jumbled papers to be much help. Gripping her keys in barely-mobile fingers, she pointed her whole body in the general direction of the lock. She stabbed the steel doorframe a few times, but then with a thrust, shuffle, turn, and click she was in.

The office was cramped, more of an oversized storage closet than a workspace, and it was presenty about as cold inside as it was out. The furniture was a jumble of whimsy and practicality. A small, cheap desk sat at the center of a nest of file cabinets. They were plain industrial things, but had their own unique wardrobe of dress-the-statue and sushi magnets. There was a faded persian rug on the floor that covered almost the entire tiny room. In one corner was an antique chair with a low back and turned arms and feet. The classic silhouette has been updated with a soft cherry-red upholstery that begged for curling up with a book. The tiny end table with the reading lamp practically demanded it. Shelves lined the walls and were stocked with gift wrapping accessories, a wild assortment of books and catalogs, and odds and ends of merchandise that didn’t yet have a place on the floor.

Bethany only had one thought: coffee. She let out another enormous yawn as she dumped her papers on the desk. Squatting down, lugged a twelve-cup coffee maker out from under it. This was her favoite part of her morning ritual. The first hints of that seductive aroma, the first bitter taste that glorious brew that would allow her to face the world with some semblance of grace.

Before Bethany could roll back onto her feet, she was knocked forward by a sharp shove between her shoulders. She cracked her head against the edge of the desk and ricocheted off a file cabinet beside her before slumping heavy and unconscious to the floor…

This entry was posted on Monday, October 15th, 2007 at 10:42 pm and is filed under ARWA 301, Writings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.