Today is my birthday. It is also Lewis Caroll’s birthday. Over the past two years I’ve developed a livejournal tradition of posting a story or imaginative essay here to commemorate both events. The first two such entries can be found here: http://sandratayler.livejournal.com/59852.html and here: http://sandratayler.livejournal.com/127561.html. For this year I wrote a little story it is kind of a rough draft, but I’ve run out time to edit:
“You can’t get rid of that!” hissed the diamond-eyed demon from his perch on Jodi’s shoulder. “What if you need it later? Besides, Aunt Beth made that had for you. You can’t get rid of something that Aunt Beth made!”
“But it’s an ugly, lumpy, poorly made hat.” The pallid demon coughed out from Jodi’s other shoulder. “You’ll never wear it.”
“Aunt Beth made it just before she died.” hissed the first demon.
Jodi sighed and returned the hat to the drawer where it had spent the last 10 years. The diamond-eyed demon cackled with glee and gyrated it’s green body in a victory dance. the other demon sagged even more limply and surveyed the cluttered room with resignation.
Oblivious to both the rejoicing and despair, Jodi creaked to her feet to answer the doorbell. Both demons settled in for a nap. They weren’t much interested in visitors, unless the visitors also brought gifts.
“Thank you so much for coming Tricia!” Jodi said as she opened her door to an older woman with greying hair. “I tried to get some done before our appointment, but I can’t even see where to start.”
Tricia’s eyes flickered to the demons on Jodi’s shoulders as she spoke. “Jodi, it is my job to help people get organized. We won’t have any trouble at all.” The demons rustled uneasily. It was almost as if this Tricia could actually see them.
“I thought we could start in my bedroom.” Jodi said as she turned to lead the way upstairs.
Quicker than a cat, Tricia’s hand snaked out and snatched the green demon by it’s wings. It barely had time to blink before she dropped it into her purse and zipped the purse shut.
“Excellent idea.” Tricia responded as she tucked the purse under her arm. The diamond-eyed demon’s howls of protest were muffled by the layers of faux leather. Tricia looked around the cluttered bedroom. Her eyes lit upon the hat. She strode into the room and picked it up. “Let’s start with this.” She declared. The pallid demon sat up with interest.
“That’s the hat my Aunt Beth made for me right before she died.” Jodi said dutifully.
Tricia pinned Jodi with her eyes. “Do you wear it?”
“No.”
The pallid demon remembered his duty and repeated his earlier mutter. “It’s an ugly, poorly-made hat.”
The other demon shrieked from the depths of the purse, but it was impossible to discern any words.
Tricia raised an eyebrow. “Do you even like the hat?”
“You hate the hat.” hissed the pallid demon frailly.
“No.” Jodi mumbled. “I’ve never liked it much.”
“Then we get rid of it.” Said Tricia firmly as she tossed the hat into the large empy box labelled Goodwill.
The pallid demon on Jodi’s shoulder sat up straight. It focused it’s intent gaze upon the new ally, Tricia. A slow grin began to appear on the demon’s face as item after item went into the Goodwill box. From within the depths of Tricia’s purse, the wail of the other demon grew increasingly frail.
Argh! A cliffhanger! i want more 🙂
Happy, Happy birthday!!
Argh! A cliffhanger! i want more 🙂
Happy, Happy birthday!!
I love it!
I love this little story. It’s so frighteningly relevant…
I love it!
I love this little story. It’s so frighteningly relevant…
Happy Birthday To you!!!
Cool story, and relevant, o so relevant!
Happy Birthday To you!!!
Cool story, and relevant, o so relevant!
I don’t think it’s a cliffhanger. Is this one going in the collection? I think it could, if you wanted it to. There are some HUGE emotional truths in this story.
I’ve gotten pretty good at throwing away things I don’t want or need. I have gotten rid of the classics I hated in high school (but sometime I might have to read them again!) almost everything my grandparents gave me (but it’s a cool thing, even if it does nothing but remind me of people I hate!) and other assorted boxes of things given to me by people I like who won’t even know the things are gone.
I discovered, this week, one of my last stashes of things I probably don’t need–my letter box. This box contains (as I discovered a few days ago) letters from people I haven’t seen for ten years. Letters from people who if I ran into them wouldn’t have two words to say to me. Also letters from people I love and still talk to (though not many of those). A few old birthday cards.,.etc. etc. And I can’t get rid of them. My shoulder dragon is just too loud.
I’m thinking about pulling out one letter from each person and the cards that REALLY mean something to me and making some kind of scrapbook with them, so that I can keep a few things and get rid of the rest. Yes. Yes I will. I will not be a packrat. Down with packrat dragons!
I don’t think it’s a cliffhanger. Is this one going in the collection? I think it could, if you wanted it to. There are some HUGE emotional truths in this story.
I’ve gotten pretty good at throwing away things I don’t want or need. I have gotten rid of the classics I hated in high school (but sometime I might have to read them again!) almost everything my grandparents gave me (but it’s a cool thing, even if it does nothing but remind me of people I hate!) and other assorted boxes of things given to me by people I like who won’t even know the things are gone.
I discovered, this week, one of my last stashes of things I probably don’t need–my letter box. This box contains (as I discovered a few days ago) letters from people I haven’t seen for ten years. Letters from people who if I ran into them wouldn’t have two words to say to me. Also letters from people I love and still talk to (though not many of those). A few old birthday cards.,.etc. etc. And I can’t get rid of them. My shoulder dragon is just too loud.
I’m thinking about pulling out one letter from each person and the cards that REALLY mean something to me and making some kind of scrapbook with them, so that I can keep a few things and get rid of the rest. Yes. Yes I will. I will not be a packrat. Down with packrat dragons!
Grab a digital camera and quickly fill the memory card photographing those old letters. Then burn all the pictures to a CD, and be done with the box o’ paper.
when the CD fails in a couple of decades I promise you’ll hardly miss it at all.
–Howard
Grab a digital camera and quickly fill the memory card photographing those old letters. Then burn all the pictures to a CD, and be done with the box o’ paper.
when the CD fails in a couple of decades I promise you’ll hardly miss it at all.
–Howard
What a great story! You and Nancy have such a way of showing people pieces of who they are. I love it.
And happy birthday!
What a great story! You and Nancy have such a way of showing people pieces of who they are. I love it.
And happy birthday!
An excellent story! I like it, and I can picture those little demons so easily… and hear them squeak when I look around my own room, heh. 😉
An excellent story! I like it, and I can picture those little demons so easily… and hear them squeak when I look around my own room, heh. 😉
That would be one way to handle it. And would I ever look at those pictures? I betcha not.
That would be one way to handle it. And would I ever look at those pictures? I betcha not.
Happy Birthday!
Also: fun story. My motto became “Throw it away now and regret it later,” which I think has become amply apparent as we sift through the remainders of my family’s “heirlooms”.
We have a garage we can park two cars in, an empty shed, and an unfinished basement with empty shelves.
Happy Birthday!
Also: fun story. My motto became “Throw it away now and regret it later,” which I think has become amply apparent as we sift through the remainders of my family’s “heirlooms”.
We have a garage we can park two cars in, an empty shed, and an unfinished basement with empty shelves.
Oops! That was me.
Oops! That was me.
That’s a cute little story. Thanks, and happy birthday!
That’s a cute little story. Thanks, and happy birthday!
I really like this story too, everyone has a demon like that.
Happy Birthday!
I really like this story too, everyone has a demon like that.
Happy Birthday!
opps thats me!
Faren
opps thats me!
Faren
Happy b-day, Mrs Tayler… SO how’s it feel to be 25?
Happy b-day, Mrs Tayler… SO how’s it feel to be 25?
Yeah, I totally do this. I need someone to come snatch the hoarding demon from my shoulder. Fish does that sometimes for me. 🙂
Happy Birthday, btw! ^__^
Yeah, I totally do this. I need someone to come snatch the hoarding demon from my shoulder. Fish does that sometimes for me. 🙂
Happy Birthday, btw! ^__^
Happy Birthday!
Very cute little story!
Happy Birthday!
Very cute little story!
You are such a great writer! I love reading your stuff!
And what a great birthday gift to yourself and all of us!
Happy Birthday!
You are such a great writer! I love reading your stuff!
And what a great birthday gift to yourself and all of us!
Happy Birthday!
happy belated birthday 🙂 i think you have something intriguing there in your vignette. i would love to see where the book would go. wishing you continued successes and joys in the year to come.
happy belated birthday 🙂 i think you have something intriguing there in your vignette. i would love to see where the book would go. wishing you continued successes and joys in the year to come.
Yeah right. Try 34.
Yeah right. Try 34.
That particular idea (the clutter demon vs the clean-up demon) isn’t big enough to fuel an entire book… but the concept of “I can see the demons that drive you to distraction” MIGHT be.
Honestly, though, I like it better as a short story.
That particular idea (the clutter demon vs the clean-up demon) isn’t big enough to fuel an entire book… but the concept of “I can see the demons that drive you to distraction” MIGHT be.
Honestly, though, I like it better as a short story.
i could see a world in which a few folk could have personal demons that are visible to themselves (and thus not talked about in general public). a few folk might not have any demons. others might have good demons (oxymoron?). and that some folk can see all demons. perhaps they are using this ability to make a living, and why not?
the demons would unlikely provide enough for the main plot line. i agree with you on that. but i do think they would make for a interesting twist/draw. the fact that we all have personal demons or burdens/baggage that we carry around helps make it an identifable thing for me as a reader. i know that i want to know more about this person, how she got her demons, will she notice them being gone, how does she try to deal with them, and other questions. being a cat person- how do animals interact with the demons? are they chased, or the the ones chasing the cats?
don;t get me wrong, i really like it as a short story. but i am left feeling teased and tantalized more than i enjoy. i want to know that world more. there’s a soupcon of unfulfillment and frustration.
🙂 thank you for engaging this discussion. i am now wondering and debating about major and minor plot lines, what makes for a good book, or just a decent escape read. my friends will be in for some interesting talks.
i could see a world in which a few folk could have personal demons that are visible to themselves (and thus not talked about in general public). a few folk might not have any demons. others might have good demons (oxymoron?). and that some folk can see all demons. perhaps they are using this ability to make a living, and why not?
the demons would unlikely provide enough for the main plot line. i agree with you on that. but i do think they would make for a interesting twist/draw. the fact that we all have personal demons or burdens/baggage that we carry around helps make it an identifable thing for me as a reader. i know that i want to know more about this person, how she got her demons, will she notice them being gone, how does she try to deal with them, and other questions. being a cat person- how do animals interact with the demons? are they chased, or the the ones chasing the cats?
don;t get me wrong, i really like it as a short story. but i am left feeling teased and tantalized more than i enjoy. i want to know that world more. there’s a soupcon of unfulfillment and frustration.
🙂 thank you for engaging this discussion. i am now wondering and debating about major and minor plot lines, what makes for a good book, or just a decent escape read. my friends will be in for some interesting talks.
Impressive
Hi.
I liked it a lot, and I thought the style was good – a bit not serious, but just enough.
If this is how you write in general, you should be published. Good luck with that.
Yours,
Uri David Akavia
Impressive
Hi.
I liked it a lot, and I thought the style was good – a bit not serious, but just enough.
If this is how you write in general, you should be published. Good luck with that.
Yours,
Uri David Akavia
don;t get me wrong, i really like it as a short story. but i am left feeling teased and tantalized more than i enjoy. i want to know that world more. there’s a soupcon of unfulfillment and frustration.
Isn’t this supposed to be the mark of a good short story.
BTW, Happy birthday Sandra.
Yours,
Uri David Akavia
don;t get me wrong, i really like it as a short story. but i am left feeling teased and tantalized more than i enjoy. i want to know that world more. there’s a soupcon of unfulfillment and frustration.
Isn’t this supposed to be the mark of a good short story.
BTW, Happy birthday Sandra.
Yours,
Uri David Akavia
Young whippersnapper!
Young whippersnapper!
As usual, good stuff, Mrs Tayler. *grin*
I like the contrast from the classic shoulder-angel v shoulder-devil. Interesting take…
Unlike Howard’s comment, I could easily see this expanded into a novel or a series, dealing with the problems of balancing between competing evils – even when the evil in question is currently helpful (as the pallid demon in this nice tight story…)
Finding the ally (as evil as it may be) that you need at a given moment … Hrmm… Methinks you may have sparked an interesting thought! *smile*
-John
As usual, good stuff, Mrs Tayler. *grin*
I like the contrast from the classic shoulder-angel v shoulder-devil. Interesting take…
Unlike Howard’s comment, I could easily see this expanded into a novel or a series, dealing with the problems of balancing between competing evils – even when the evil in question is currently helpful (as the pallid demon in this nice tight story…)
Finding the ally (as evil as it may be) that you need at a given moment … Hrmm… Methinks you may have sparked an interesting thought! *smile*
-John