Happy Halloween Eve! Our small town always has its annual trick or treat several days before the actual holiday. On Thursday, it was brisk and chilly, but we had a whole host of costumed kiddos strolling the streets. So much fun!
On the television front, Gotham had another great episode. I'm happy with how things are going on that show. Here's hoping the consistency holds through the end of the season.
The Flash and Agents of SHIELD pulled out some surprises. The new director guy on AoS is actually kind of fun and hopefully not evil. LOL I'm not gonna hold my breath on that score.
Arrow keeps making me happy. Diggle is out of prison, but who knows what'll happen next with him. The new team suffered some shake-ups. We'll see how that all shakes out.
Legends of Tomorrow delivered again. I like the new guy. And Mick is fast becoming another favorite. Brutal honesty goes a long way with this group and he's definitely not afraid to embrace the truth. LOL
MacGyver's episode might have been the set up for introducing Murdoc. I guess we'll see if the ghost pops back up again.
The Walking Dead… I skipped the premiere and watched The Talking Dead instead. I honestly couldn't see the point in watching when I couldn't bear watching any of my favorites die. I'll be watching tonight's episode… I think. LOL
And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Quit the Music, a novella that got a start with a prompt—dancing, kitchen, belt.
Here's the mini-blurb:
Prosper Bates, bartender and music lover, hears Drew Langerford play and his songs haunt her. Drawn to the gorgeous musician, she falls hard for him, but when his mentor shows up, the new relationship may end before it even gets started.
And a snippety peek…
Prosper Bates rocked her hips and swayed to the lively song on the radio. Elbow deep in dishwater, she scrubbed the pan from dinner. Singing along with the popular tune, she rinsed the pot and set it in the drainer.
Pulling the plug, she grabbed the hose and sprayed the sink. When the last of the suds swirled down the drain, she lifted the nozzle to her mouth and belted out the chorus.
The sting of the belt when it landed across the back of her thighs caught her by surprise. The burning sensation no longer phased Prosper, but the screech coming from her mother when she raised her arm for another strike spurred Prosper into action. She squeezed the button and doused her mom with a blast of cold water, giving Prosper time to avoid the bite of the blow.
Her mom growled and followed through with a swing. "Is this what you do when I'm not home?" The tip of the leather missed Prosper by a narrow margin. "Shake your ass and spew Satan's garbage?" Rage twisted Lanie Bates's face. "I told you. No dancing. No singing. And most of all"—she dropped the belt and charged over to the counter, yanking the radio off the surface and jerking the cord from the wall—"no fucking music!" Lanie heaved the device against the wall above Prosper's head where it shattered into pieces.
The room filled with silence, except for the snarling breaths coming from her mom. Prosper didn't point out that without the radio for the weather and traffic reports in the morning, her mother would be unhappy. Clearly, she'd reached a whole new level of irritation.
Prosper didn't move. She didn't speak. Her mom never wanted or expected a response. But she did believe in obedience and Prosper waited for her punishment for breaking cardinal rules.
Lanie stomped forward, stopping inches from Prosper's face. "You are your father's daughter. And you disgust me." She flung an arm outward and pointed toward the bedrooms. "Get out of my sight. If I could kick you out, I would. But the state says one of your parents has to be responsible for you and I’m it." She sneered, her words punctuated with the unspoken truth.
Because your dad isn't around.
Prosper fought the sharp stab anger that tempted her to pop off with a sarcastic comeback. She held her mother's gaze for a long moment, then turned and headed for her room. As far as punishments went, she got off lightly.
"I want the entire kitchen scrubbed from top to bottom tomorrow. Hope you didn't have plans for the weekend."
Okay, not so lightly.
And Prosper stopped making weekend plans six years ago, at the tender age of ten.
I like to dig down and see the defining moments for a character. This one definitely helped shape Prosper.
That's it for this week. Happy reading!
Skylin
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