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Tales told - a.k.a free reads
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October 2013 F/F Story Challenge - STORIES
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Rain, what rain? I knowNothing but the taste of you.
The world is made new.
Two girls in the rain met one nightHeld each other and touched, soft and light
Their kiss was so sweet
Swept them both off their feet
Because they knew that their love felt so right
Aww, Kaje and Macky, I love both of these!I'll have to get my thinking hat on for these pics, I love them both!
Lori wrote: "Aww, Kaje and Macky, I love both of these!I'll have to get my thinking hat on for these pics, I love them both!"
I think I'm going to try something longer for this too, nice pics aren't they Lori? :)
Aw nice! And yes. Nice pics indeed!
I find Kisses in the rain incredibly romantic ...
I don't really get the location in the first picture. What u reckon the setting is? Oo
Riina wrote: "I don't really get the location in the first picture. What u reckon the setting is? Oo"
The two boys? I'm not sure - could be a storage unit, or a closet in a house under construction, or one being torn down, or part of an unfinished basement or trailer... You don't need to be absolutely spot-on correct. The pictures are for inspiration.
Mmmh, well I'm just pretty curious cause I really can't identify it. Guess it's not just me and could be anything really.. Well it's definitely inspirational :)
Dear Jen, Do you still remember the night when my parents kicked me out? When I stood alone in the rain, trying to act brave. Trying to look tough, like nothing mattered?
I guess that's what made me try to use in the first place. I wanted something that numbed the pain. Just so I could appear strong, even while I was breaking into a thousand pieces inside. I'm not strong like you, never was. I'm much more fragile than I ever let anyone see. Anyone, except for you.
I needed to appear strong to survive ... I think. My parents never understood me or really wanted to. I knew they would love the opportunity to stop caring for me. I knew they would not be there for me. Still their words hurt ... more than any pain I could have inflicted upon myself. I think I desperately needed to protect myself. My walls were the bandaid that stopped me from bleeding out. I had to look tough, appear strong ... so they didn't know they had the power to shatter me with a single word.
The crap I swallowed down ... I knew it would hurt me. I knew ... know it was bad. but ... I couldn't let them win. See me break. So I broke myself down piece by piece. And on that one day, when everything came crashing down ... I don't think you have any idea how important it was. How important you are for me.
When I was standing outside in the rain, alone, there was an easy exit flashing in front of my eyes. two symmetrical lights, the end of a dark tunnel that had been my life. I considered ...
It hurt so much. So much that I'm still not okay. Will not be okay for a long time. You should probably avoid me like the pest, not wait around until I draw you down into my darkness. But before you do, I just had to ... you just needed to know what you meant ... mean to me. What you did for me. You have to know that on that day, when you found me in the corner cowering, you saved my life. I was about to stop the pain forever. The pain that's nearly killing me still after so long. Even knowing how they would react I just ... I used to dream that I was wrong. For once in my life I prayed to god to be wrong. Probably the only time I ever talked to him. He was probably too busy than to listen to gay junkie who only talked to him. her. it? because she needed something. I actually think I can understand, but ... still I hoped that everything might be different. Even while knowing in my bones what would happen. Preparing for what would happen. Except that when it did, I wasn't prepared. At all. It hurt worse than I could have imagined. It nearly killed me right then. They were family, after all. I thought ... I knew I screwed up, but I thought it would be harder for them. Harder to abandon me, write me off. Thought I had worked hard to shield myself. But they destroyed everything I build with one look. Cut through me with their words until I was left for dead, bleeding. How I craved for my drugs then. Sweet Oblivion ... forever. It wouldn't hurt. Finally stop hurting.
Did you know that when you found me, my hands were filled with meds. I had quite a collection from the parties I went to. It wasn't hard to get them ... if you would do what was necessary. I ... it was so easy. One last big high after crashing to the bottom.
But then suddenly you were there and with one look you understood everything. Everything that was important then. You knew that I needed someone to see me. Accept me. Hold me. I looked up at you and you were like an angel. The most beautiful girl I had ever seen. I don't know why you were there after everything we went through. Everything I did to keep you away from me ... and my darkness. But there you were and I was too broken and too selfish to keep away any longer. Drawn to you like a moth to the light. A cleansing light of love in your eyes that melted me, made me fall boneless against you. no judgement, no pity. just unconditional love. I didn't ... don't deserve it, but you gave it freely and rescued me. When I finally broke down and kissed you, my walls long since crumbled down to dust, leaving nothing to protect you from me, you were my lifeline. I drew out the life of your soft libs, drew out the strenght of your strong arms.
Our kiss in the rain, when i had nothing else left, it ... mattered. It rescued me. I was broken, shattered, but you held me in your arms, held me and yet didn't make me feel weak. You made me want to be strong for you, to be worthy of you. You pretended not to notice that the lines of water running from my eyes weren't tears but just the rain. You kissed me like there would be no tomorrow and made me want to live through it the next day. The day after. I can't say it wasn't hard. Trying to get free of theses chains I put upon myself when all I needed was to get away ... to be free. It wasn't easy. And I am not done by a long stretch. But because of you I am on my way. Because of you, there is hope for me yet. Even though I'm ... here ... I hope you will carry a part of me with you where ever you go.
But I don't expect you to wait for me ... you shouldn't. I just wanted you to know. You saved my live ... with a kiss. You brought me back to life when I couldn't breathe anymore. When the fire of my pain threatened to consume me. When I was about to choose the easy way out. Thank you!
Sarah
Wow, Marc! Thank you. Great story and so fast too :) Sad and sweet, you caught such clear emotions.
thank you so much. Glad you liked it. It's awesome to be able to choose any format for our words. This pic is really inspiring and the thoughts I had when looking at the image just wanted out, asap. Now if only I could catch the nefarious plot bunny that keeps avoiding me narrowly for the m/m picture prompt ...
Marc wrote: "thank you so much. Glad you liked it. It's awesome to be able to choose any format for our words. This pic is really inspiring and the thoughts I had when looking at the image just wanted out, asap..."No rush - we have the rest of the month to play with these. I look forward to whatever you come up with - this one was great.
Marc that was gorgeous..Poignant but there was hope. Thank you I loved it.
Macky wrote: "Marc that was gorgeous..Poignant but there was hope. Thank you I loved it."Thank you :) I'm happy you enjoyed it. There's so much energy in that kiss, like a lifeline. I just wondered how they ended up in the rain, needing this kiss more than air to breathe :D Ain't hope a beautiful thing? :)
Sure is...hope floats! It was a lovely interpretation of the picture. :)
Marc wrote: "Dear Jen, Do you still remember the night when my parents kicked me out? When I stood alone in the rain, trying to act brave. Trying to look tough, like nothing mattered?
I guess that's what ma..."
Beautiful. Simply beautiful. Well done! You have a way with emotions.
Love is freeLove is true
Love is me
Love is you
Love is kissing
In the rain
Love is helping each other
Through our pain
Love is beautiful
And so we'll fight
Into the deepest
Darkest night
You'll light my way
And I'll light yours
Together forever
I could ask for nothing more
Julia wrote: "Love is freeLove is true
Love is me
Love is you
Love is kissing
In the rain...
That was beautiful!
Jane wrote: "Julia wrote: "Love is freeLove is true
Love is me
Love is you
Love is kissing
In the rain...
Why thank you Jane!
I'm currently working on a lesbian narnia fan fiction
That was beautiful!"
Julia wrote: "Love is freeLove is true.."
Sweet :)
And I'm intrigued by the idea of lesbian Narnia fan fic.
Kaje wrote: "Julia wrote: "Love is freeLove is true.."
Sweet :)
And I'm intrigued by the idea of lesbian Narnia fan fic."
Yeah. I'll post it when I finish it. (:
***Theory and Practice***Tamsin stuffed one more shirt into her bag, giving in to the impulse to just shove it in there, wrinkle it, pummel it to fit. It was her favorite shirt. The one Melinda said looked so good on her. It deserved to have wrinkles. She almost pulled it out and left it behind, but... it was the one Melinda said made her eyes so blue. She tugged the zipper closed.
Outside, Uncle Charlie honked his horn. Tamsin slung the duffel over her shoulder. The strap rasped her bare skin, and she thought about grabbing a sweater, but the air was thick and sticky, with the oppressive heat of a looming summer storm. She had a long-sleeve T in her bag if she needed it. Probably. She wasn't quite sure what she had in her bag. Something. Screw it. She ran down the stairs.
Uncle Charlie looked sideways at her as she climbed in beside him. “You sure about this?”
“Yes.”
“I can drop you at the station, but if you wait a couple of days I can probably drive you out to your Dad's place. Save you riding the train.”
“I don't mind.” She didn't. Not the train part, anyway. It was a peaceful way to travel, with your forehead on the window and no need to talk, as the miles between Life One and Life Two rolled by.
“You did get your Mom's permission, right?”
“I'm seventeen and it's summer. I can go see Dad if I want to.”
“I suppose. But I don't want Lori taking my head off for helping you if she needs you in town.”
Tamsin sighed and turned to stare ahead. “I texted her. She said okay. Can we go?” Belatedly she added, “Please and thank you. Really.” Because it was good of Uncle Charlie to drive her, so she could catch the train now and not have to wait till tomorrow. She needed to get away today.
Uncle Charlie shrugged and pulled away from the curb. The train station was fifteen minutes away, or an hour and a half, if you didn't have a helpful uncle and had to take the bus. They pulled into the parking lot with time to spare. Tamsin said, “Thanks. So much.”
“Hey Sparky.” He put a hand on her shoulder. “Is there anything else I can do? You seem upset.”
Tamsin took a breath and put on a calm expression. “Not really. I had a little fight with my girlfriend. No big.”
“With Melinda? I thought you two were joined at the hip. So to speak.”
She winced. “People fight. It's nothing. I just need to get away for a few days.” Away from the memory of seeing Melinda with Josh. They'd agreed on it, Tamsin had told Melinda to go ahead, but then she hadn't been able to handle it.
“Well, call or text or something if you need me. You know I'm here for you.”
“I know.” Impulsively, she leaned over and kissed his raspy cheek. “You're the best uncle ever. I'll text you later.”
Tamsin settled her bag against her hip and made her way to the station window. The ticket cost more than she'd hoped. There went her iTunes budget for the month. Although Dad would probably reimburse her later, if she asked. She pulled out her phone and checked for messages. There was yet another one from Melinda, and a new one from Josh, but she couldn't look at those yet. Love was so confusing. Hell, life was so confusing. None from Dad. She hoped to God that he was actually home this weekend or her spontaneous trip would become even more pathetic.
The train was late. She sat on the bench under the eaves of the station roof. The sky was growing darker, even though it was just mid-afternoon. She hoped it wouldn't rain until she was on the train. The roof wasn't great protection, but the tiny inside waiting room always smelled of sour milk and feet. She leaned back on the bench and closed her eyes. It was a mistake, because without the trees and tracks and dingy backs of houses, a different sight floated into view. Melinda, her long blond hair loose from its usual braid, head tilted back as Josh kissed her. His fingers tangled in the strands at the back of her neck, where Tamsin's fingers had so often been...
She snapped her eyes open. Nope. It was her own fault. She knew Melinda was bi too, and she knew how close she was with Josh. They both thought Josh was hot. It had even been Tamsin's idea for the three of them to explore that. She'd wondered herself how it would be to kiss Josh, how his hands would feel. She'd thought they could do this, mixing it up, trying things out. But then...
She should never have walked past Melinda's house. Stupid, dumb... Admit it - jealous. Although of whom and what she hadn't known when she did it. Of Josh, being with Melinda? Or of Melinda, having the first date with Josh? What had she expected to do, hanging about on the sidewalk three doors down? Served her right when they'd pulled up in Josh's car, and got out, and kissed.
At least she had suddenly known. To hell with how Josh would feel, or taste. To hell with strong male arms and a socially-approved date! It wasn't about being bi and open to all kinds of love, not now, not any more. It was Melinda she wanted, Melinda she loved.
Melinda she ran away from.
Her phone vibrated and she pulled it out.
Melinda. Message twenty three. ~Answer me, dummy.
She hesitated, but she knew her girlfriend... ex-girlfriend? Melinda had looked pretty blissed-out in Josh's arms. Anyway, Melinda never quit.
Sure enough. ~I'll keep it up until you go over your limit and your Mom gets mad.
Tamsin sighed and typed back, ~Quit it.
~Hey. Tams. Are you okay?
~Fine. Busy
~I saw you run away. Josh didn't but I did.
Well, crap. Dammit. She'd hoped she at least had her dignity, but she'd suspected not from the number of messages. Too many for just “Josh is wonderful and I'm going straight for him.” She typed slowly, ~I realized I was late for something.
~Yeah? Right. For what?
For what? For what? ~I'm going to Dad's for the weekend. I was about to miss the train. There. Perfect.
~Bull. We were going to meet up later and compare notes.
~I forgot.
~Where are you.
~Train It wasn't a lie, if she left off the “station” part, right?
~Already on it?
A flat lie was different. ~No. Soon. Very soon. She peered down the tracks in the gathering gloom, hoping for the sight of a headlight to make that true. The train was usually reliable, but it could be as much as an hour late. Please God, not today.
~I'm coming. Wait for me.
~I bought my ticket.
~Screw the ticket.
~Easy for you to say, rich girl.
~I'll pay you back. Wait for me.
She couldn't answer that, couldn't say yes or no. Instead she began flipping through the older messages now, reading them.
First the ones from Josh, salt in the wound. ~We had a great time... ~Melinda is so cool... ~You guys are so sexy... ~Can't wait for our date...
Not going to happen. Josh might be hot and nice and a fun guy, but it would feel like cheating, no matter what they'd said. She knew there was only one person she really wanted to date now.
Then Melinda's. Slowly. Opening each with an indrawn breath and a lurch in her stomach for what it might say.
~Why were you watching? You get off on that, pervy-girl?
~I was just joking, you know that. I like you pervy.
~Tamsin? Where are you?
She skipped through a bunch of repeats of that, in variations and with insults. Then with worry. The next one was longer. As she clicked on it, the skies beyond the narrow roof opened up, rain descending like a sheet from the leaden sky. She shoved her duffel further under the bench, and hunched over her phone. A mist of splashing droplets bounced off the concrete of the platform, soaking her feet. The air got suddenly colder and she shivered, cupping the little screen in her hand.
~Tamsin, I swear, you need to answer me. Listen up bcause I'm only saying this once. Josh was fun, and it's kind of nice to date someone big and strong. But seriously, he's not worth the trouble...
The screen blurred. This rain sucked. She wiped the phone with the hem of her tank top, but it took a moment to come clear. The next words leaped out at her, even as she heard the humming rumble of the train approaching.
...Yeah, I like guys and girls. You like guys and girls. Guys are hot. But y'know what I want? I wanna look at hot guys with you, and then I want to go home with you. I want to date just you. Being bi or pansexual or whatever the hell we are doesn't mean we've got to do it all. And I'll be damned if I'm gonna let Josh put his hands all over you. Your date with him is hereby canceled, okay? Will you do that for me? Can it just be you and me from now on?
The train pulled in, its headlight cutting a bright swath through the pouring rain. Tamsin stood automatically, and slung her bag over her shoulder. She looked along the platform. As the brakes hissed, steam mingling with the rain in a foggy haze, the first passengers began getting off. They hunched their shoulders, or held magazines over their heads. Umbrellas snapped open in bursts of color.
Tamsin took a slow step toward the train, her phone still clutched in her hand. The downpour hit her as she left the shelter of the roof, instantly soaking her hair and trickling down her neck. The logical thing was to run for the door and get on, but her feet were leaden and slow.
Then, down the road, she saw a familiar car skid to a stop. The door opened and a slim figure ran toward the station. The rain hid the details, but Tamsin didn't need her eyes to recognize those long legs in rapidly-darkening denim shorts, or the athletic body in the striped tank top. Melinda's hair was still loose, and the rain was soaking its blond color to caramel brown, but she still looked perfect.
At the end of the platform, Melinda caught sight of Tamsin and stopped. Tamsin could see her breath rasping through her in a fast, hard rhythm.
The train whistle blew, signaling the two minute mark for boarding. Tamsin fumbled with the hidden pocket of her skirt, the wet fabric clinging to her fingers, and put away her phone. Clutching the duffel, she took one slow step towards Melinda, and then another. Melinda stood rooted in place, watching her approach.
When they were a foot apart, Tamsin stopped. They looked at each other. Melinda said, “The train is leaving.”
“Yeah.”
“You're not getting on?”
Tamsin shrugged awkwardly.
“Does that mean you're staying? With me?”
“Just you and me?” She needed to hear it.
“For sure. I'll tell you all about Josh if you want...”
“No. Don't.” She took a rough breath. “We can cruise other guys together, but I don't want to hear about that.”
“Okay.”
The silence stretched. There was a hiss of brakes, and a lurch and chug as the train began to move. Tamsin didn't even look at it, but Melinda's shoulders relaxed and she smiled. “You are staying.”
“Looks like it.”
“I realized Josh is fun but you're... more.”
Tamsin was glad the rain was wetting her face so nothing else showed. “I was afraid. How do I compete with a guy like him?”
“You don't. You don't have to.” Melinda's lips twisted in amusement. “He drools when he kisses.”
“I don't.”
“Prove it.”
The duffel bag was an inconvenient lump between them. The rain soaked them both, trickling annoyingly into eyes and down backs. The train whistle at the crossing made them jump, but couldn't break their kiss.
Eventually Tamsin leaned back enough to free her mouth. Melinda's hands still cupped her face, their warmth a burning contrast to the cold rain. “Are you going to give me a lift home?” she asked, because she couldn't quite manage the words she really wanted.
“Of course. And I'll help you get all dry and cozy.” Melinda reached for the bag, and Tamsin let her have it. Melinda grunted. “What the hell do you have in here?”
Tamsin laughed, in relief, in unloosed pain becoming joy. “You know, I have no feaking idea.”
***“As wet as it is, you'd better hope it's not paper books. Or your laptop.” Melinda slung the bag over her own shoulder, and reached for Tamsin's hand. She wove their fingers together tightly and held on, as if afraid Tamsin might still run off. Tamsin gave her a comforting squeeze back. They turned to the car, not hurrying despite the continuing rain. Melinda added, “You know, if you'd look at your messages and just trust me, we could have been doing this inside somewhere dry.”
“I trust you.” That had never been the issue.
“Good.” Melinda gave her hand a little tug. “And will stay with me and be my girlfriend?”
“Oh yes.”
“I'm sorry you saw me kissing Josh. It was nothing special.”
“My own fault. I shouldn't have gone there.”
“I'm not going to argue with that. God, Tamsin, we agreed to try it out.”
“I know, I just...” She stopped, pulling Melinda to a halt. She needed to say this, now. “I realized, when I saw you two, that it wasn't just about having fun and who is hot and, and, and lightweight stuff like that. I saw him kissing you and I knew, I want to be the only one to do that.”
Melinda blinked water out of her eyes and nodded. “And when I did it, I realized I really just wanted it to be you. So?”
“So. Girlfriends. And...” Her voice dropped, thinned, but she made herself say it. “I love you.”
“Wow. Love you too.”
Melinda's slow, soft smile was too perfect to kiss. Tamsin could only gaze back at her. After a moment, Melinda shook their joined hands. “Car. Now. Before I float away.”
As they walked, Tamsin said, “D'you think Josh will be really mad?”
“Nope. Disappointed, sure, because he thought having two girlfriends would be really hot. But I don't think it'll be a big deal. He just likes girls. He's easy.”
“True. It did sound hot, us and a guy. But...”
“Not. Or not that guy. Maybe, if we found someone we both actually loved. Maybe. Someday.”
Tamsin clutched Melinda's hand because she wasn't ready to think about that again. “Maybe someday.”
They got into the car. The rain of course chose that moment to ease up and Melinda laughed as she stuffed the duffel over into the back seat. “Now it stops.”
Tamsin's phone chimed and she pulled it out. Her dad. ~Sorry, honey. This is a really bad weekend for me to get home. You know you can use the house of course. Or do you need me there? I can if you really need me.
She texted back. ~No, that's okay. It was just a thought. We'll do it another weekend. Everything is fine. Just really, really... She looked at the wonderful girl beside her, perfect despite the dripping hair and soaked clothes. Maybe even better with the soaked clothes. ~really, excellent. Love you Dad. Later. She closed the phone. “Want me to demonstrate again how I don't drool?”
And Melinda's smile was enough to warm the damp car to steam. “Yeah. Prove it.”
That, Tamsin could definitely do. When the rain began again, pounding on the roof of the car, neither girl noticed.
.
####
Wow. A really wonderful story. The rain gives so much atmosphere and intensifies the emotions of the girls. Loved the characters a lot. You did an awesome job ;)
Thanks - Now just the M/M left. I love doing these short fast stories, but I so often leave them to the last minute... I was really taken by the atmosphere of this picture, the intensity, which you captured so well in your story, in a different dimension. Fun to see all the ways it can be interpreted.
Thanks! - my plot bunnies always want to be novels, but I wrestled this one down :)
Kaje wrote: "Thanks - Now just the M/M left. I love doing these short fast stories, but I so often leave them to the last minute... I was really taken by the atmosphere of this picture, the intensity, which you..."I must admit that I'm probably not gonna have the m/m story ready ... because I haven't even started it. The reading challenges are kicking my butt. Gonna curb them down a bit after my long term challenges are finished. On the other hand, at least I got the push I needed to read A LOT of stories and with all the series I started I won't have a scarcity for stories to read.
can I post a link to another website where my m/m stort is when I finish it? I have been posting chapters of my m/m short story on Wattpad, and I was wondering if I could just post the link to that in the m/m thread? I'm not quite finished, I don't think I will be able to finish it before Friday, and as I'm doing NaNoWriMo for another story I highly doubt I'll be able to do the f/f story I was hoping to do :( however, if you read my m/m story, the two are linked; the characters in my m/m and my f/f are the same, and I reference the f/f story in my m/m one...did any of that make sense? anyway, you can get a hint of my f/f story in my m/m one, and I'm not giving any more than that away.
also, great job to everyone that posted stories on the m/m and f/f threads, they are all amazing!!
Jane wrote: "can I post a link to another website where my m/m stort is when I finish it? I have been posting chapters of my m/m short story on Wattpad, and I was wondering if I could just post the link to that..."Sure - as long as it's somewhere YA-safe as far as material, you can just post the link here, whenever. These prompts stay open too - you can always write after the end of the month, just fewer people may see it. But it will bump the thread back up for people so it will get read.
There are no constraints on length or format (limericks, haiku, novel? Go for it. Post here or give us a link.) You can make these girls anything you wish from vampires to aliens to just experimenting friends to two M2F trans girls, wherever your plot bunny leads you, just keep it YA and some LGBTQ content. Have fun.