The sleepy town of Oak Grove had a famous candy shop. The quaint shop was decorated for Christmas all year round, and people came from all over to partake in the activities they held, especially at Christmas time.
Cassandra parked the car in the parking lot and headed toward the store with a huge line in front of its entrance. She had been warned that the store would be busy and that she should have arrived before the store opened to get in right away. She should have listened, as they only let a few people in at a time.
**********100 words**********
Tessa–
Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses
As I reached for the glass of red wine, my nemesis made a similar move. Our fingers collided, and two glasses of red wine cascaded onto the pristine white carpet at our feet. A sense of dread washed over me as I realized the mess that was surely staining the carpet. There was nothing I could do about it.
Maria, with a smirk on her face, wasted no time in shifting the blame onto me for the collision and the subsequent accident. “Oh Joanie, just look at what you’ve done to Dana’s brand new, spotless white carpet!”
“I didn’t do any such thing. Your hand collided with mine. I turned to Dana, who was rushing over. “I am so sorry for the mess,” I told her, tears in my eyes.
“It’s okay, Joanie. I saw the whole thing happen, and I know that Maria was the one who pushed her hand in to grab a glass without waiting until you pulled your glass off the tray. She will pay to have the carpet cleaned.”
Maria stared at Dana. “What do you mean? I didn’t do anything. It was all Joanie’s fault,” she whined.
“Maria, you were at fault, and you will pay for the cleaning. You had better find a good company because I don’t want any stains left behind, or you will pay to replace the entire carpet.” Dana turned away from her and refused to listen to anything else.
Maria hissed at Joanie, “You will pay for this. I will not take the blame. Just because Dana likes you better doesn’t mean I will stand for this.”
Dana returned to Maria, saying, “Get out of my home right now. I will not stand for another minute of you bullying Joanie. I expect a rug cleaner at my house tomorrow morning, and you had better hope that they do a great job because I won’t stand for substandard work. I paid a lot for that carpet, and you ruined it with your haste in getting another glass of wine. You have had enough wine, so please leave before I call the cops.”
“You wouldn’t,” Maria said.
“Just try me.”
Maria grabbed her coat from the bedroom and exited the door, glaring spitefully at Joanie. Joanie shivered despite the warmth in the room. She hated thinking about her next confrontation with Maria. She wasn’t a nice woman, and she wouldn’t forget tonight, Joanie was sure. Dana put her arms around Joanie and hugged her. “Don’t worry about her. I can handle her. She doesn’t want to be on the wrong side of me, and having her actions be the reason why she will no longer be invited anywhere. She won’t want to be left out from now on.”
Joanie hugged her back, “Thank you, Dana. I feel a little bit better, but she still scares me.”
“Don’t be scared, I tell you. She won’t do anything else, and tomorrow, she will have a carpet cleaner here first thing. She doesn’t want to be on my wrong side. Here, have another glass of wine,” and she handed her another glass off the tray of a passing waitress.
“Thanks, Dana,” Joanie sat on the couch, sighing. She hoped Dana was right.
Tessa–
Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses
As I waited to enter the unemployment office, I placed my hands on my hips and scowled at the people ahead of me. I looked up at the sky and tapped my foot. I was irritated and ensured everyone ahead of me knew it. I had gotten to the office half an hour early, and a long line was already ahead of me. What time had everyone else arrived?
This is taking too long. I let out a loud breath, sighing as I looked around at the line that was growing behind me. I massaged my temples, wishing I had a chair to sit in while waiting for the line to move. While we waited, many people tried to cut in line. They were angrily dealt with.
Finally, the door opened, and people started to file in. The line was so long that I was still outside waiting for my turn when the office was supposed to open.
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Tessa–
Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses
Charles had dreamed of climbing the highest peak in North America as a child. Denali, the highest peak in the United States, was located in Alaska, so he learned what he would need to make the climb as he grew into manhood. He learned that he would need skills in glacier traveling and backcountry winter camping. He also knew he would need to be strong to pull off the climb, so he started working out as a teenager to improve his cardiovascular and physical condition.
He planned to make the climb on his 21st birthday. The climb would take approximately 17 to 18 days, plus an additional 4 days in case of inclement weather. Charles made the climb safely in 20 days.
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Tessa–
Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses
Tessa Dean - Author 