daily prompts – Wordings

Chapter 4: Duty Calls

Posted on April 17, 2018 by fromthebrainofsarah

The peace was broken by the shrill alarm of her cell phone. Elizabeth sighed as she felt her muscles tighten up. Her work phone. Couldn’t ignore that one.

“Davis.”

“You’re needed at Oceanside beach.”

“This is my day off.”

“You know our department is depleted. ”

“I’m at the beach. Where is it?” she nodded then hung up, rummaging through her bag she found what she was looking for. Jeans and t-shirt with flip flops was going to have to do for professional attire. She shrugged into her clothes, topping it off with her shoulder holster and badge. Packing up her towel, she made her way toward the pier and the crowd of people she could see in the distance.

She noted the police SUVs on the beach with flashing lights. Uniformed officers had partitioned off the scene with yellow crime scene tape. The body lay in the middle of it, tide was still out, but she would need to work fast. She looked around and saw the CSI team was already taking photos to preserve the scene as best they could. A man in jogging shorts and sweat-soaked T-shirt was speaking to another officer. Elizabeth looked back at the victim. A girl. Young. Naked. Kelp and sand crusted in her long dark hair.

A pang of grief hit her, but she grimaced and suppressed the emotion. Focus. She walked up to the scene and ducked under the tape. Younger than she thought, maybe still in high school? Body unmarked. No sign of struggle. CSI handed her a pair of gloves. She pulled them over her hands then squatted down, gingerly picking up the girls hands and examining her fingers. Nothing. Clean. Too clean?

She looked up and met the light-brown gaze of the jogger. Her heart jumped. She frowned. Did that really just happen? Annoyed with herself, she shook her head. Ain’t nobody got time for that! She looked away to compose herself. She was going to have to speak to him.

daily prompts, fiction

Chapter 3: Kidnapped

Posted on April 16, 2018May 25, 2018 by fromthebrainofsarah

The girl came to consciousness slowly. It was dark. Her right cheek lay against the cold floor. She could hear a steady drip, drip, drip from somewhere in the room. She shivered. So cold. Her arms hurt. She tried to move them. Bound. Terror caused her mind to come to full awareness. She struggled to sit up. Her heart pounded. She could feel herself start to hyperventilate, and forced herself to slow her breathing.

A glimmer of light came under what she presumed was the door. She could vaguely discern the murmur of voices, but could not make out the words.

She and her friend Andrea had been walking to their car after leaving the mall. She remembered laughing at something when a white cargo van had pulled up next to them, the sliding doors flung open and two men with black ski masks on had grabbed the girls and hustled them into the van. It had all happened in less than a minute. Where was Andrea?

“Andrea?” she whispered. Silence. “Andrea?” Nothing.

Slowly, slowly she crept around the room, reaching out with her toes. Nothing. The room was devoid of furnishings and devoid of Andrea.

daily prompts, fiction, Uncategorized

Chapter 2: Morning Run

Posted on April 16, 2018April 16, 2018 by fromthebrainofsarah

He came down the steps to the beach at a jog; so familiar with the path, he no longer had to think about where to place his feet. His gaze was drawn to the horizon where sea met sky. Breathtaking. Deep breath. Salt. Kelp. Laundry detergent from his freshly washed T-shirt. The view never got old. The tide was out. Screeching seagulls. Sand pipers poking into the ebbing waters, looking for snacks. Thank You. He whispered the prayer.

To his immediate right was the pier, a few old men fishing off it. He remembered at time from his childhood being there with his dad when a fisherman had caught a small hammer head shark. He smiled at the memory. To his left in the distance he could see the power plant; that way looked relatively empty and he chose to run that direction.

He stretched, then set off down the beach at a jog until his muscles warmed up. His Nikes slapped the wet sand in a comforting rhythm. He gradually increased his pace until he was sprinting down the shore. Heart pounding, blood pumping, breathing measured. Every muscle in his body felt alive.

His morning run was suddenly disrupted when he tripped over something on the beach. His ankle twisted and he heard a crunch as he fell forward. He rolled onto his back and sat up. What he saw caused him to yell, but it came out as a gasp. Horror hit his brain and shot adrenaline into his system, causing him to feel cold and nauseated simultaneously. He scooted backward in the sand, then reached for his phone.

“911. What’s your emergency?”

daily prompts, fiction

Chapter 1: Serenity by the Sea

Posted on April 11, 2018April 16, 2018 by fromthebrainofsarah

via Daily Prompt: Froth

The prisms of light glinting off the water nearly blinded her as she stepped onto the beach. She slid her sunglasses off her head and over her eyes. The waves rolled in to the shore gently, white froth visible. She took a deep breath. Salt. Kelp. Her toes dug into the warm sand and she wriggled them happily. The grains still clung to a remnant of moisture from the early morning tide. Sea gulls called to one another. She had the beach to herself. She adjusted her bag on her shoulder and turned her head to the right. She spotted the pier in the distance. She looked to the left. Then she found it. The perfect spot. She trudged slowly across the sand to her favorite cove. She set her bag down, reached in and pulled out her suntan oil and the large floral beach towel, unfurling it to settle on the sand. She sat down and looked out to sea. A naval ship in the distance. A cloud or two. Dark blue waters, bright blue sky. Gentle breeze. She opened her suntan oil, the fragrance of coconut wafted about her. The tension left her neck and shoulders like water down a drain. It was going to be a wonderful day.

daily prompts, Random, Uncategorized

High School Field Trip

Posted on March 19, 2018 by fromthebrainofsarah

via Daily Prompt: Blush

There’s a rush to get on the bus.

Jostling and laughing, a few shouts. The bus rumbles to life. Diesel perfumes the air.

Amanda’s sweater is blush pink. It matches her cheeks. Cheeks made rosy by youth not cosmetics.

She sits on the slippery vinyl bench in the row with the “hump” to rest her feet on. Primly she folds her hands in her lap and waits. Will he sit by her? She watches the door eagerly.

He appears in the doorway. He looks her way. Smiles.

She blushes prettily. Her heart races.

He strides toward her.

Walks past her.

Sits on the last row with the jocks.

Her smiles falters. She pales. Embarrassed, she looks around. Could anyone tell how high her hopes had been? No one sees. Everyone is talking and laughing and joking while she sits alone on a bus full of people.

daily prompts, spiritual, Thoughts from the Word

Bliss

Posted on December 17, 2017December 17, 2017 by fromthebrainofsarah

via Daily Prompt: Bliss

Bliss. What do you think of when you hear that word?

When I hear the word “bliss” I define it more as a feeling. Bliss is that feeling of joy, contentment and peace after a productive day. It’s that feeling of “ahhh” when you sink into your bed at night, that first sip of coffee in the morning, or soaking in the tub with all the time in the world. It’s the satisfaction of having a clean house with all the laundry done and everything in its place and a fresh smell in the air. Bliss is sitting on the beach, watching the waves roll into shore, sinking your toes into the sand. Bliss is your child’s arms around your neck, a surprise visit from a friend, or finding that stack of letters from your spouse when you were first dating and losing track of time as you read through each precious line.

The dictionary defines bliss as: noun: perfect happiness; great joy.

This is the time of year that we celebrate Christmas. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the world. In the Bible, the book of Luke, chapter 2 tells us the story of Jesus’ birth.

I found it interesting that “great joy” is found in this story. After Jesus’ birth, angels announced his birth to shepherds. Luke 2:8-14 “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon the, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. ”

You’ve heard the terms “follow your bliss,” “find your bliss.” I submit to you that baby in a manger, the sinless Son of God who gave himself the only sacrifice for sin, is the true Bliss. If you are trying to find your bliss in anything or in anyone other than Jesus, you will remain empty and void of true joy. Only Jesus can satisfy that longing in your soul.

Those shepherds didn’t just hear the heavenly birth announcement. They went looking for that savior. Luke 2:15, 16 “And it came to pass as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.”

Once the shepherds found Jesus, Luke 2:20 says, “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.”

You’ve heard of Jesus.

Have you sought him?

When you find him, will you accept him? You will not be the same.