Sneak Peek at My Mystery
So the votes are in and Mystery was the decided winner. I'm still mulling out a few things, but here's the beginning. The mystery will be in New Mexico and based around the history there. Don't have many more details yet, but I hope you enjoy this first look.
Marissa sighed as she walked up the steps to her front door. It had been a long day at school and now she was more than ready to just head up to her room for a nap. Her history teacher had kept her late after class to discuss a project she was working on. “She didn’t even have the decency to wish me a happy birthday,” Marissa grumbled as she twisted the doorknob. Her mood didn’t improve to find it locked. “Great, that’s just great. Mom would lock the door today.” In the back of her mind she wondered why the door was locked since her mother had never locked it before. She fumbled in her purse for her keys. She’d missed the bus from being held over and when she’d tried to call home, there had been no answer. None of her friends had answered their phones either and she’d finally walked the thirty minutes to her house, which only left her more frustrated. Finally reaching them, she unlocked the door. As she walked inside, she was surprised to find it dark and quiet. Mom never left the house without turning a light on. “Mom? Are you home?” she called as she walked further inside, threading her keys between her fingers like her father had taught her. Her heart was pounding in her throat as she walked towards the studio, her mother’s retreat. Maybe she’s so wrapped up in a project she didn’t hear me, Marissa thought hopefully. She was surprised to find that the curtains had been drawn about the windows. Mom always left them open so she could see out into the house. Something was definitely wrong.
She slowly opened the door. “Mom?”
“SURPRISE!!!” several voices cried out at once as light flooded the darkened room.
Marissa screamed and jumped a good foot in the air. The small room was filled with smiling people, balloons and streamers. “Good grief, Mother,” she said, trying to remain annoyed but failing as a smile spread across her face. “Scaring the life out of me as a birthday present isn’t the best idea in the world.”
“Everyone needs a little jolt every now and again,” Mom replied with a smile.
“Who’s giving who gray hairs now?” Marissa retorted.
Laughing, Mom threw her arms around her daughter. “Happy birthday, sweetheart,” she said and planted a kiss on her daughter’s forehead.
As her nerves settled, Marissa looked about the room, taking in more details than she had in her brief glance earlier. She was surrounded by friends and family. Even her history teacher, whose name she’d been cursing all the way home, was there. Mom’s worktable groaned under the burden of presents that had been stacked precariously on top. There were balloons and streamers everywhere with a large banner across the center of the room reading in hand-drawn and elaborately flourished letters:
Ye Olde Mayd’s Commemoration of Birth
Wyshing Marissa Gregory Joye and Prosperity
“Old maid?” Marissa questioned, raising one eyebrow.
“Well, you’re not yet married, that makes you an old maid by some culture’s standards,” Mom shrugged.
Marissa laughed. It was impossible to feel angry with her. The frustrations she’d felt earlier melted away as everyone around her wished her happy birthday.
“Sorry I made you walk home today,” Mrs. Thomas said apologetically. “It wasn’t my idea.”
“I take back all the horrid things I said on that walk. But you weren’t the only one. I have some friends who were in my bad graces too for not answering their phones.” She turned to the huddle of three girls coming towards her.
“Your mother wouldn’t let us!”
“Yeah, she made us turn in our phones when we arrived. Jake’s called me three times! He probably thinks I’m ignoring him.”
“Why didn’t you just bring him along? You know my mom wouldn’t have cared,” Marissa replied.
“Oh, he said I should have some girl time.”
“Yet he’s called you three times? What kind of girl time is that?”
“He probably just wants to know that I got here safely.” A popular song started blaring in the corner of the room. “Oh, that’s him!”
Marissa laughed as her friend practically ran to get her phone. “Thanks, guys, this was awesome.”
“It was your mom’s idea. We just went along with it.”
A short woman with shaggy blonde hair walked over to Marissa. “Happy birthday, my dear,” she said, hugging her.
“Thanks Aunt Chrissy,” Marissa replied. “But I thought you weren’t going to make it this year.”
Aunt Chrissy winked, “Have I ever missed your birthday?”
Marissa didn’t have a chance respond as her mother shouted over the noise, “Will everyone please take a seat? It’s time for cake and presents!”
There was some scurrying as people took their seats. Then Marissa’s father walked in carrying a large, chocolate frosted cake with “Happy Birthday Marissa” written across the top. Two lit candles, a one and an eight, flickered with his movement as the crowd of party-goers began singing loudly. When the chorus finally ended, Marissa closed her eyes and blew out the candles.
“While we cut the cake, we’d like to share eighteen years of Marissa with you,” Dad said as Marissa groaned.
“Do we have to?”
He laughed and went over to his computer. With a click of a button the presentation began on one of the walls of the studio. The title slide read:
Marissa Louise Gregory
January 17, 1993
The show continued with photographs and home videos ranging from her birth until just the past week when she’d had a snowball fight with her parents out on the front lawn. As it continued there was a lot of laughter and at times Marissa wanted nothing more than to crawl under her chair. The last slide went up and the screen went blank. “And thus concludes the known life of Marissa Gregory,” her dad said. “May the next eighteen years be just as eventful and joyous.”
Everyone clapped and then Mom passed around pieces of cake. “And now we will open the presents before they cause my worktable to collapse.”
This was met with more laughter and Marissa took gift after gift and slowly unwrapped them. There were new DVD’s, jewelry, a laptop from her grandmother, and various other items. As she opened them, she excitedly looked for the package from Aunt Chrissy. She always gave the best gifts and there was something in the twinkle in her icy blue eyes that made Marissa sure that this year would be no disappointment. Finally her mother brought her a long envelope. Marissa tried to hold back her disappointment. Just a card? After eighteen years of historic reproductions and exotic gifts she was getting a card? She looked uncertainly at Aunt Chrissy.
“Well, open it silly,” Aunt Chrissy said, the playful light never leaving her eyes.
Marissa turned over the envelope and slowly tore it open. Inside was just a plain piece of lined paper. She pulled out and unfolded it, allowing a plane ticket to fall in her lap. “Wait a minute, what’s this?”
“You tell me.”
Studying the ticket, Marissa found the destination. “New Mexico?”
“You’re going to join me for my latest expedition studying the cliff-dwellers,” Aunt Chrissy replied excitedly. “Happy birthday!”
Marissa’s disappointment fled in the wake of giddy excitement. “You mean I finally get to come with you on when of your expeditions?”
“I believe that’s what I said. Unless of course you are no longer interested in being an archaeologist.”
“This is the best present ever! When do we leave?”
“Well, your mother seemed to think you needed to finish high school first and I must admit that I do agree,” Aunt Chrissy conceded. “So you’ll be coming out the first of June and we’ll make a summer of it.”
Marissa couldn’t contain her excitement. She threw her arms around her aunt. “Thank you so much! This is going to be awesome!”
“Yes, it probably will be.”
The rest of the party went by in a blur. Marissa hardly noticed the other guests wishing her a happy birthday and expressing their excitement for her. “New Mexico,” one of her friends said. “You’ll be in a different country!”
“New Mexico is one of the fifty states you blonde,” a different friend said.
“Well, it’s almost a different country. I’m so jealous!”
“Yeah, deserts, rattlesnakes and scorpions. Real jealous,” another said. “But I am happy for you Marissa. I’m just glad it’s you and not me.”
Marissa laughed. “You just wait; this is going to be the adventure of a lifetime. My first field experience!”
“Well, I’m sure for a history geek like you it will be thrilling.”
She couldn’t let her friends spoil her mood. All of her other gifts paled in comparison to the plain envelope that held her plane tickets. She was finally going to go on an adventure like Aunt Chrissy. And best of all, Aunt Chrissy would be her guide.
Marissa sighed as she walked up the steps to her front door. It had been a long day at school and now she was more than ready to just head up to her room for a nap. Her history teacher had kept her late after class to discuss a project she was working on. “She didn’t even have the decency to wish me a happy birthday,” Marissa grumbled as she twisted the doorknob. Her mood didn’t improve to find it locked. “Great, that’s just great. Mom would lock the door today.” In the back of her mind she wondered why the door was locked since her mother had never locked it before. She fumbled in her purse for her keys. She’d missed the bus from being held over and when she’d tried to call home, there had been no answer. None of her friends had answered their phones either and she’d finally walked the thirty minutes to her house, which only left her more frustrated. Finally reaching them, she unlocked the door. As she walked inside, she was surprised to find it dark and quiet. Mom never left the house without turning a light on. “Mom? Are you home?” she called as she walked further inside, threading her keys between her fingers like her father had taught her. Her heart was pounding in her throat as she walked towards the studio, her mother’s retreat. Maybe she’s so wrapped up in a project she didn’t hear me, Marissa thought hopefully. She was surprised to find that the curtains had been drawn about the windows. Mom always left them open so she could see out into the house. Something was definitely wrong.
She slowly opened the door. “Mom?”
“SURPRISE!!!” several voices cried out at once as light flooded the darkened room.
Marissa screamed and jumped a good foot in the air. The small room was filled with smiling people, balloons and streamers. “Good grief, Mother,” she said, trying to remain annoyed but failing as a smile spread across her face. “Scaring the life out of me as a birthday present isn’t the best idea in the world.”
“Everyone needs a little jolt every now and again,” Mom replied with a smile.
“Who’s giving who gray hairs now?” Marissa retorted.
Laughing, Mom threw her arms around her daughter. “Happy birthday, sweetheart,” she said and planted a kiss on her daughter’s forehead.
As her nerves settled, Marissa looked about the room, taking in more details than she had in her brief glance earlier. She was surrounded by friends and family. Even her history teacher, whose name she’d been cursing all the way home, was there. Mom’s worktable groaned under the burden of presents that had been stacked precariously on top. There were balloons and streamers everywhere with a large banner across the center of the room reading in hand-drawn and elaborately flourished letters:
Ye Olde Mayd’s Commemoration of Birth
Wyshing Marissa Gregory Joye and Prosperity
“Old maid?” Marissa questioned, raising one eyebrow.
“Well, you’re not yet married, that makes you an old maid by some culture’s standards,” Mom shrugged.
Marissa laughed. It was impossible to feel angry with her. The frustrations she’d felt earlier melted away as everyone around her wished her happy birthday.
“Sorry I made you walk home today,” Mrs. Thomas said apologetically. “It wasn’t my idea.”
“I take back all the horrid things I said on that walk. But you weren’t the only one. I have some friends who were in my bad graces too for not answering their phones.” She turned to the huddle of three girls coming towards her.
“Your mother wouldn’t let us!”
“Yeah, she made us turn in our phones when we arrived. Jake’s called me three times! He probably thinks I’m ignoring him.”
“Why didn’t you just bring him along? You know my mom wouldn’t have cared,” Marissa replied.
“Oh, he said I should have some girl time.”
“Yet he’s called you three times? What kind of girl time is that?”
“He probably just wants to know that I got here safely.” A popular song started blaring in the corner of the room. “Oh, that’s him!”
Marissa laughed as her friend practically ran to get her phone. “Thanks, guys, this was awesome.”
“It was your mom’s idea. We just went along with it.”
A short woman with shaggy blonde hair walked over to Marissa. “Happy birthday, my dear,” she said, hugging her.
“Thanks Aunt Chrissy,” Marissa replied. “But I thought you weren’t going to make it this year.”
Aunt Chrissy winked, “Have I ever missed your birthday?”
Marissa didn’t have a chance respond as her mother shouted over the noise, “Will everyone please take a seat? It’s time for cake and presents!”
There was some scurrying as people took their seats. Then Marissa’s father walked in carrying a large, chocolate frosted cake with “Happy Birthday Marissa” written across the top. Two lit candles, a one and an eight, flickered with his movement as the crowd of party-goers began singing loudly. When the chorus finally ended, Marissa closed her eyes and blew out the candles.
“While we cut the cake, we’d like to share eighteen years of Marissa with you,” Dad said as Marissa groaned.
“Do we have to?”
He laughed and went over to his computer. With a click of a button the presentation began on one of the walls of the studio. The title slide read:
Marissa Louise Gregory
January 17, 1993
The show continued with photographs and home videos ranging from her birth until just the past week when she’d had a snowball fight with her parents out on the front lawn. As it continued there was a lot of laughter and at times Marissa wanted nothing more than to crawl under her chair. The last slide went up and the screen went blank. “And thus concludes the known life of Marissa Gregory,” her dad said. “May the next eighteen years be just as eventful and joyous.”
Everyone clapped and then Mom passed around pieces of cake. “And now we will open the presents before they cause my worktable to collapse.”
This was met with more laughter and Marissa took gift after gift and slowly unwrapped them. There were new DVD’s, jewelry, a laptop from her grandmother, and various other items. As she opened them, she excitedly looked for the package from Aunt Chrissy. She always gave the best gifts and there was something in the twinkle in her icy blue eyes that made Marissa sure that this year would be no disappointment. Finally her mother brought her a long envelope. Marissa tried to hold back her disappointment. Just a card? After eighteen years of historic reproductions and exotic gifts she was getting a card? She looked uncertainly at Aunt Chrissy.
“Well, open it silly,” Aunt Chrissy said, the playful light never leaving her eyes.
Marissa turned over the envelope and slowly tore it open. Inside was just a plain piece of lined paper. She pulled out and unfolded it, allowing a plane ticket to fall in her lap. “Wait a minute, what’s this?”
“You tell me.”
Studying the ticket, Marissa found the destination. “New Mexico?”
“You’re going to join me for my latest expedition studying the cliff-dwellers,” Aunt Chrissy replied excitedly. “Happy birthday!”
Marissa’s disappointment fled in the wake of giddy excitement. “You mean I finally get to come with you on when of your expeditions?”
“I believe that’s what I said. Unless of course you are no longer interested in being an archaeologist.”
“This is the best present ever! When do we leave?”
“Well, your mother seemed to think you needed to finish high school first and I must admit that I do agree,” Aunt Chrissy conceded. “So you’ll be coming out the first of June and we’ll make a summer of it.”
Marissa couldn’t contain her excitement. She threw her arms around her aunt. “Thank you so much! This is going to be awesome!”
“Yes, it probably will be.”
The rest of the party went by in a blur. Marissa hardly noticed the other guests wishing her a happy birthday and expressing their excitement for her. “New Mexico,” one of her friends said. “You’ll be in a different country!”
“New Mexico is one of the fifty states you blonde,” a different friend said.
“Well, it’s almost a different country. I’m so jealous!”
“Yeah, deserts, rattlesnakes and scorpions. Real jealous,” another said. “But I am happy for you Marissa. I’m just glad it’s you and not me.”
Marissa laughed. “You just wait; this is going to be the adventure of a lifetime. My first field experience!”
“Well, I’m sure for a history geek like you it will be thrilling.”
She couldn’t let her friends spoil her mood. All of her other gifts paled in comparison to the plain envelope that held her plane tickets. She was finally going to go on an adventure like Aunt Chrissy. And best of all, Aunt Chrissy would be her guide.
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message 1:
by
Sondra
(new)
Feb 09, 2013 06:06AM
Great start. You've got me hooked. I can't wait to read about her adventure in New Mexico.
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