Blog post #3 - In the eye of the Storm

Accidents happen all the time. Depending on the person, the place, and, of course, the circumstances, accidents are inevitable. Some people call it fate, others call it bad luck, but whatever the reason, anyone at anytime can be a victim of circumstance.

Take Mr. Evans for example.  Sitting in his car, he paused and reflected. After years of pinching pennies, eating the daily specials at Grandma's grits--regardless if it was palatable or not-- he was ready to move to Florida. His boxes, what few there were, would fit into his car.  He just returned from Steve's and the car was good-to-go.  He closed his eyes for a moment. The little girl noticed him, but passed on by. He awoke, and saw her walking alone and rounding the corner.  He thought she needed someone to walk her back to her apartment. "That child shouldn't be alone so much," he said as he got out of the car. He didn't see the car coming around the corner.

And now, weeks later, the weather was getting troublesome. Most thought the first winter snow was coming, but little did anyone know, it would soon feel like the second coming. 

Joseph and Eliana, ever the good souls, were in Yelsnag park discussing improvement projects for the park with one another when the wind started moving through the trees with startling speed. As they ran for cover, they saw Mr. Po sitting on a bench. He seemed asleep. They ran toward him, grabbed each arm and ran across the street to the parking deck. There was an night guard office that had long been abandon. All three ducked in.

When the hail started, it sounded like rocks hitting the metal roof of the Zip-n-Sip. All the parents grabbed their kids and headed to their cars. The doors swung wildly in the wind.  Caris and Anna sat together with their skates still on, drinking their shakes. They were alone. Their parents dropped them off for the day and told them to walk home. Now, they had no place to go and no one to look after them. "What are we going to do?" Caris said.  "I don't know," replied Anna.

The wind, mixed with snow and hail, started moving things through the streets. Trash cans flew around. Trash was held suspended in the air. Everyone scattered to anyplace they thought was safe.   Then tornado siren bellowed through the city.

Due Dec. 14th. If you are specifically mentioned, you should fit your next blog to the main page in some way. If you are not specifically mentioned, where would your character go? What "accident" happens to him or her?

Post #2 - Stranger Things

     "I swear," said Ollie.
     "You can swear all you want, you old drunk fool," retorted Coco. "But there's no such thing as a talking dog.  Now, I've known my share of dogs, if you get what I mean, but they walk on two legs."
     "I know what I heard," said Ollie. "That girl was talking to her dog--"
     "People talk to their dogs all the time, Ollie," Coco was now getting tired of Ollie's wild theories.    "But dogs. Don't. Talk."
     "Give him a break, Coco," Gabe said as he strolled up.  The two sat on a bench passing time between the two of them at the edge of Gertrude's junkyard. As her dog trotted from around the corner, all three heard "Jet!" shouted from around the corner, "you better come here!"
     As Gertrude rounded the corner, she clicked her tongue and said, "I told you guys to shove-off before the yard opened. Now people will see you and think its open season in here for drunks and bums."
     Coco, unfazed, looked up to Gertrude, "I will if you tell this idiot that dogs don't talk." She squinted into the morning light.
     Gabe laughed, "Strange things around here, strange things, Miss Gertrude.  Dead men in parking decks, talking dogs, next Ollie will swear he's seen an alien."
     "Oh, no,"  Coco rolled her eyes. "Don't get him started on that one again. Bugger thinks he heard a secret service guy telling an alien what she can and can't do."
      "You know what," Ollie says, "I'm going to find that woman and make her turn back into that alien. Then you'll all have to shut-up. I know what I know. "
     Coco slowly makes her way off the makeshift bench, glares at Ollie and says, "you all drive a woman to drink. Bunch a nutters" as she wanders off toward the gate.  She heads toward Cece's. She knows someone will buy her a drink and probably some food for her not to sing. She smiles at the thought.
     Coco spots Dante across the street when he whistles at her. "Forget it, son, mind your manners, and tell your daddy you probably shot the wrong guy."
     LeClerc stops in his tracks, looks across the street at the young man and back to Coco. He decides not to go for coffee; instead, he follows her into the karaoke bar. Thinking he is a man for all occasions- a James Bond if you will-- he will start his questioning with her. He thinks that she will be an easy mark for information about the death of Mr. Evans. Little did he know...
     And the day begins. People start to wander in and out of places. The sun seems to lighten the heavy times, but much is still to unfold. The residents of Point Place find themselves talking with people they've only met or the regulars on the streets. The death of Mr. Evans seems to have brought them out into the world.

Due date for Blog#2: Nov. 16th by the beginning of class. You must have a dialogue with either another character, or one of the common characters.  Or make-up another common character.

Post #1 - Mr. Evans

The day started very early for Coco and George. While Coco was just getting "home,"  George always arrived at 6:30 AM to greet residents who are heading off to work, and clear out any unwanted guests before the day began.

On this particular day, as George was cleaning the glass front doors, Coco stumbled towards him, grabbing his arm and said, "Georgish, there's a dead guy parked."
      "What?"
      "Hesh in..." Coco lost her train of thought for a moment, leaned a little closer to George and said, "in the deck. Georgish! He's dead!" She pulls George into the parking deck, points up the ramp and says "up there, Georgish, he's up there! Go!"
 
His eyes followed her shaking finger up the ramp and back at Coco. He hesitated, carefully leaned her against a parked car, and quickly walked-up the ramp.  Coco isn't always clear about her facts, but she seemed more lucid than normal so George decided to look around.  He thought that by the time he returned, she will have wandered into the lobby and passed out on the lobby couch.

As he rounds the corner thinking about having to move her once again to an unused apartment, he saw the body.  Sure enough parked in space 303. "Mr. Evans," George whispered more to himself than to the dead man.

Twenty minutes later,  the 3rd level of Pointe Place's parking deck is bustling with police persons and draped in yellow tape. Mr. Evans, an older resident of the building, was, in fact dead and had been for several hours. Many knew him as the guy who knew the odds and ends of the building.  He'd lived there for 40 years.

The policemen kept asking George questions he couldn't answer.
     "How'd you find the body?"
     "I always make a sweep of the deck," George lied. He was thinking that he needed to find Coco, and not have the cops get to her first. She'd be back in jail in a blink of an eye. As annoying as she often was, he didn't want to see her locked-up yet again.

Your character url is due on October 19th by the beginning of class.
Your blog is due the 26th of October by the beginning of class.