Consecutive Letters Scene

A blast from the past. I was going through computer files and found this assignment from years ago from an online writers class. The assignment was to construct a scene where every sentence started with a consecutive letter of the alphabet. For today's post and you're enjoyment, I repost here today for your viewing pleasure...the alphabet scene.
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Always on weekends, the market was full. Baboons, elephants, and exotic birds lined the dirt road, kicking up small clouds of dust as they played around the length of their chains. Chandra enjoyed coming to the marketplace. Daring the wrath of her father and brothers, she would sneak through the servant's quarters, down the back stairs, over the shiny wrought-iron fence, and on to freedom. Easy as pie, she thought to herself.

Frequently, she would entice Sharban to accompany her. Getting the young handmaiden to disobey rules was difficult, but not impossible. Hearing the music and bustle of the crowds only streets away from their quiet, non-changing interior, made most young females in the house long to slip away.

Inside the safety of the crowds, Chandra let her eyes and hands roam randomly over the bright baubles and fresh food available. Just last week she had for the first time tasted the sweet bitterness of an early strawberry, barely ripened on the vine. Knowing that sweets of any kind, even in the form of fruit, were forbidden to women in her position, made the taste all the sweeter.

"Lady, you like to buy an orange?" shouted a vendor across the way. Merriment danced in his eyes. Nao knew Chandra was not supposed to be out of the house and at the market.

"Oranges?" asked Chandra, sliding up to him. Picking up a large one, she tossed it in the air. "Quality oranges, I assume Nao, since you are selling them." Rakishly she grinned at him.

"Seeing as how you wouldn't know the difference,"  he reached over and plucked the orange out of her hand, "yes, I would say they are quality oranges.�" Turning Chandra to face him, Nao became serious.

"Uri is here," he said softly.

"Very funny," snapped Chandra, jerking away.

"Why would I lie about something like that?" asked Nao hurt showing on his face. "X-ray my brain for the truth, I saw him earlier today walking around the market."

"You're serious then?" asked Chandra, drawing a sharp breath in.

"Zebra!"barked Nao, shoving Chandra out of the way of the animal that had broken free from his chains.
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""X-ray my brain" and "Zebra!" That's just too funny... Oh yes, it's scary the amount of talent I have. (!!!)

Ahhh...warmth

Heat's back. Checkbook is significantly lighter, but the heat's back.

Today is just an odd weather day inside our home. It's about 62 degrees outside. With the heat off downstairs, the temp was about 53. Upstairs, also with the heat off, the temp was 74. I had doors open downstairs, trying to warm the place up, and windows open upstairs, trying to cool it down. I draw the line at turning the heat on downstairs and the AC upstairs.

Apologies for the short entry today. I have to get some material in the mail before day's end and couldn't leave earlier because the heating guy was scheduled to show "sometime between 10 and three."

I think I'm going to start offering similar deadlines as a writer. "Yeah, I'll have your article for you sometime between June and mid-August. Depends how long a lunch break I decide to take."

Sweet.

Chattering Teeth

Tell me, anyone reading this...do people still laugh in the outside world? I miss the laughter.

Day Three of the upstairs vigil continues. It is, quite literally, warmer outside than it is in the downstairs of our home. Walking from the heated upstairs down our staircase, the chill hits you on the third step. By the time you get to the bottom, you are squealing and racing for whatever it is you ventured down for, the only thought in your mind to return--as fast as possible--to the upstairs warmth.

(Oh, excuse moi. My husband passed by and wants it noted for the record that he does NOT "squeal" and "race." Fine, it's just me).

I think it's in the mid-40's downstairs. My husband rolls his eyes and says I'm exaggerating and that it's more likely in the low to mid-50's. However, this is coming from someone who I could probably use to solar power our home. When we're in bed at night, I don't even have to touch him to receive warmth. I can hold my hand about 3 inches from his back and feel the heat radiating from him (This is what I do at night when he's asleep and I'm bored).

So the fact that Mr. Sun thinks it's mid-50's means it must really be in the low 30's down there.

The part is supposed to be in at noon tomorrow. Or rather, that's what time they said to call and see if it's in. They're toying with me. They know I have no heat and am fully dependent on them so what am I going to do about the wait? Cop an attitude? I think not.

The cats are a little freaked out that we don't leave the upstairs. Too much together time is apparently not a happy thing for our furry friends.

So I leave you now. But think of me, trapped in my attic, as you enjoy the full reign of your house.

Lucky bas---s.

Dena

Muy Frio

Our heat went out late yesterday afternoon and it's just like our first year in the house--we're broke and freezing our asses off.

When we moved, almost ten years ago, into our 1907 home with the 6 fireplaces (none of which are operational), we were enchanted with the high ceilings, crown molding, and hardwood floors. Being young first time home buyers, it didn't occur to us to check out those pesky little details like heat and plumbing.

The home had oil heat that came up from floorboard heaters in every room of the house. At least, that was where the heat was supposed to come from. Our first winter in the home we couldn't get the thermostat above 52 degrees. We carried room heaters with us from room to room, barricading ourselves in the living room with the doors shut and heater cranked, only the tops of our eyes emerging from blankets. It was a hard winter with more snowstorms than NC had seen in years. Normally a huge fan of snowdays, I remember being depressed one such day because it meant I couldn't go to work and be warm.

This time around we're in much better shape. We've since done over our attic space into an office, sitting area, bath, and guest bedroom and have a separate heating/ac unit upstairs. So last night when the repairman informed us the little wheel thingee isn't cranking anymore (he was more detailed, but that's all I remember) and that replacement parts won't be in until Monday, we grabbed our pj's, the cats, several good books and headed upstairs. Coming downstairs this morning into the icy cold was a bit of shock, but we cranked the oven and opened the door, set up the bathroom heater, ran long, hot showers, and we're good to go.

I do want to see a TV program tonight though, and the TV is downstairs. So I'll pull out the blankets, mittens, and extra space heaters so we can warm the room up enough to enjoy.

It will be romantic. Just like the good old days.