Wednesday, December 16, 2015

A Holiday Story: Impossible Possibilities

Today's post is chapter 6 in a collaborative piece of fiction crafted by over 20 bloggers. It started with an experiment last December when 18 bloggers added their voice, one after the other, to a 3 chapter story. It was a huge success both with writers, many of whom have joined in again this year, and readers.




Progressive Story Projects: One cohesive piece of fiction written by multiple bloggers, each contributing their voice to the story | brought to you by www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics #fiction #blogging


This holiday season we're continuing the story. Some of the writers were part of the original project. Others have joined in this year for the first time. Once again each author is listed above their segment with a link to their blog. All of their blogs are worth a visit.
 
Before you read on, be sure to read the story so far:

A Holiday Story 
A Holiday Story: Part Deux 
A Holiday Story: The Finale
A Holiday Story: Set In Motion
A Holiday Story: First Steps


A Holiday Story, A Progressive Story Project: One cohesive piece of fiction written by multiple bloggers, each contributing their voice to the story | brought to you by www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics #fiction #blogging



Beth could not believe her eyes or her brain. Surely she was suffering from hallucinations. Seated in the Escalade was her great Uncle Nicholas. She had seen so many pictures of him over the years. He was a beloved member of her family. He had died when she was young, probably Damon's age, if she remembered correctly. How could this possibly be happening? He leaned out to take her hand and smiled his megawatt smile, the one she remembered so fondly from all the pictures of him.

She reached out to take his hand, half expecting her hand to touch air, but his warm hand wrapped around hers as he helped her into the back seat. This was by far the greatest Doppelganger she had ever seen in her life. How was it even possible for someone to look so much lick another person and not be that person? Her great uncle did not have a twin and he never had children. Come to think of it, Beth didn't think he was ever married. She looked up, trying to catch her breath and slow her racing heart. Movement from next to him caught her attention and she glanced over. She gasped loudly and shrieked in shock. How was this even possible? Surely her eyes were deceiving her.




"Hello, Bethy Blueskin."
Beth dropped heavily to the soft seat beside her great uncle and stared at the man seated next to him. "D-Daddy?"
The familiar smile she so loved and had almost forgotten lit his face.
Choking back a sob, Beth dropped to the floor and threw her arms around his knees. His real, solid knees. She felt the rough fabric of the heavy twill slacks he wore against her cheek.
A gently hand softly stroked her hair. "My angel girl."
She looked up at him, trying to reassure herself that he really was there.
He was.
She reached out a shaking hand to touch the beloved face. A face that looked younger. Not pinched with the pain of the cancer that had ravaged him for so many years before he . . . "Daddy?"
"Mom?"
Beth turned her head.
Damon and her mother were standing in the doorway, waiting to get in.
Damon's head was tipped to one side as he looked at her. Merely curious.
Her mother's face was paper white and she looked as though she was about to keel over.



Beth shook her head to clear her thoughts. "What in the world is wrong with me?" she wondered. She knew she was tired and over-stressed, but all these day dreams were getting out of hand. She had things to do. A child to care for. A home that was about to be lost. And a job interview to get to!

She most certainly was not seeing deceased members of her family waiting for her in the car that was to take her to her potential new job.

"Mommy? Are you okay?" Damon asked "Did you fall in the snow?"

"No, no, baby. I'm fine. Just a little light-headed. I think all the excitement from our trip is starting to me! Are you ready to go?"

She hugged him close and caught her mother's eye over the top of his head. Her mom still looked a little pale, but she had a certain twinkle in her eye that Bethryn couldn't quite place. She'd seen that look before.

 Steena of The Angrivated Mom


"Damon. Mom. I'm sorry. Get in, get in! I don't know where I left my mind today! Then we can do, ummm, introductions."

But those introductions, she discovered, were completely unnecessary. Before her mother could finish climbing in behind Damon, the men began speaking to her son with all the enthusiasm of a grandparent who hasn't seen their most beloved grandchild in far too long. They captivated his attention immediately with their jolly, robust, and even a bit whimsical, presence. Everything from the past few days was swirling rampant in Bethryn's mind as she tried to make sense of it all. Her eyes had not deceived her, in fact. She wasn't losing her mind, well, she hoped she wasn't losing her mind. Her mother's delighted squeals broke her trance and shook  her back into the present.

"Oh, Santana! You look just the same as you did on the day we parted. How I've missed you! I've fervently been awaiting this day to come for so long now, I couldn't stand a second of life without you by my side! It was so hard to keep up appearances, I wasn't sure I could make it", her mother gushed to the man Beth had thought was buried in the family plot located at her great uncle's old estate, which was no owned by some estranged fourth cousins or another. She didn't know much about that side of her great uncle's family, other than that his nephew and some of the nephew's children were afflicted with a type of dwarfism and preferred their privacy because of it.

Her mother turned to look at her just then. "Remember I told you I had a little story I wanted to tell you yesterday morning? I think it's time you and Damon heard it."


~~~ Come back next week for the conclusion of this story written by another group of bloggers ~~~


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10 comments:

  1. Wow! Great story. I can't wait until next week.

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  2. This waiting is...unbearable. I love this story so much! I'm so proud to have been a part of it. Thanks so much for all you do Karen. I've had you in my thoughts and then I too got that call. Its hard to stop and switch gears. I hope you get some enjoyment and happiness from yours.

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    Replies
    1. I can't wait to share the last chapter, but I really am sorry to see this story end.

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