Today I've written myself into a corner, (a scene I'm not terribly interested in) and therefore am spending more time procrastinating than usual. The upside of this is that now I have a pseudo book cover!
Picture by me. Muffin by the grocery store. At least I'm not delaying enough to do my own baking. If that happens, you know I've hit a real block.
I've also posted an excerpt of the novel to the NaNoWriMo website, so I thought I'd paste it in here as well. This is the first scene in the book, as we're just meeting the female main character, Mabel. Enjoy!
-Meagan
"Welcome to Mabel's. What can I get started for you?" Janie asked.
"Uhm, a vanilla latte? And, uh, is Mabel around?" the blonde woman asked, fiddling with her keys.
"Yup, she's in the back. I'll get her for you," Janie answered while ringing up the order. "She'll be right out with your coffee."
The woman moved to a table with two chairs, perching in hers anxiously. Her eyes darted around the shop, as though she expected to see a ghost at any second. A casual observer would think she'd already had too much coffee this morning, but to Mabel's trained eye, she knew that the woman's visit to her shop had nothing to do with coffee. This customer was really here for the extra service, unlisted on the menu.
"Vanilla latte with a side of Mabel?" she herself joked as she handed over the coffee. The woman half smiled, but was clearly too hyped up to relax.
Mabel sat down across from the woman, pushing her short dark hair behind her ears. This was going to be a prickly one. No joking, no pushing. Most of the people that requested Mabel's palm reading service were wary. They'd heard something from a friend about her, or perhaps had seen her do a reading on a previous visit. The latter were prepared to take the reading lightly, and had no agenda of their own about the visit. The former were prepared, they knew exactly what they hoped to find out, had their question firmly in mind. If Mabel could only read minds, these visits would go a lot smoother. Alas, few of them wanted to give her anything at all to work with.
"You look worried about something. Perhaps I can help?" Mabel said gently.
The woman nodded, but stayed mute.
"I dabble in palm reading...?" Mabel lead. This woman wasn't giving her much to go on. Some didn't, the ones that thought she might be a sham, not wanting to give any information away that she couldn't "see" on her own.
"Yes, please," the woman finally spoke. Mabel smiled encouragingly as the lady put her hand out, palm side up. Mabel braced herself internally for the onslaught she was about to feel, and cradled the woman's hand in her her own.
The images came fast, a past lived out of order. The woman's children featured prominently in recent memories, as did a man, perhaps their father. Older memories were tinged with sadness, mostly at the loss of... her father? Mabel wished there were subtitles, speech bubbles, something. Only a rush of images, an onslaught of feeling. When the slideshow abated, Mabel could speak again.
"You have a strong head line. It tells me that you're very practical. I don't see that often, most practical people find it hard to put much stock in a palm reading. I appreciate you suspending your disbelief," Mabel said musingly. "Your heart line..." Mabel hesitated.
"Yes?" the woman prompted, edgy.
"Your heart line shows you set a high standard for your partner. Your husband?" Mabel asked, having noted a wedding ring on the woman's other hand. She didn't use charlatan tricks often, but even her gift could be aided with some external clues.
"Yes! He's..." the woman said before stopping herself. She'd been about to reveal the reason she'd come, and she didn't want to lead the answer.
And this is where Mabel's voluntary job got complicated. Mabel stretched her Sight forward towards the woman, willing her mind into the future. The woman stilled, as though she felt her mind focus, unbidden, on the future of her situation. Mabel clearly saw the woman's husband, smiling, happy. A feeling of relief came with the picture, and then it was gone as the woman steeled herself. She looked at Mabel questioningly, warily.
"It's not as bad as what you think. He does have a secret, but it's nothing bad. Trust him," Mabel said quietly. The woman's eyes widened, and then she smiled with wonder as the words sunk in.
"Oh thank you!" she said.
"Of course. I'm glad the news was good. Let me get you a scone on the house to celebrate," Mabel said. "Pumpkin's the special today." She rose and started toward the counter.
"Oh thank you, that would be lovely. Just lovely," the woman said, only half speaking to Mabel. She was lost in the joy of hearing her fears put to rest. She smiled beatifically at Mabel when she brought the treat back to her table. Mabel hoped she'd eat some of the pastry; the sugar would help with the weariness from having her past and future viewed. The effect was similar to that felt after giving blood, so Mabel always made sure they at least took something with them after a reading.
As Mabel returned behind the counter, she noticed two men watching her from a booth. Neither had purchased anything yet, and they weren't speaking to one another. Just watching her. She hadn't noticed them before, but they were likely close enough to have heard her palm reading.
"Looks like it's going to be a busy day for me," Mabel mused to herself as the two men came up to the counter.
