Wednesday, June 21, 2017

JOURNEY THROUGH THE CROSSROADS OF LIFE...INVISIBLE BRIDGES...

Hi, All,



Welcome to the WEP Bloghop. Today the featured prompt is Bridges...

Certainly leaves a lot to the imagination, don't you think? The possibilities are endless. 

Leave it to my dear friends Denise Covey and Yolanda Renee to post Nilanjana Bose's wonderful idea. 

As for the badge, isn't it simply beautiful... thank you Olga Godim for creating it for the challenge.

I am sure you will enjoy all the entries in the HOP today. As for mine, well, it's been a while since I wrote anything, but this prompt spoke to me. 

As we all journey through life, there are many obstacles in our way and at some point we have to choose which "bridge" to cross. I hope you enjoy...



INVISIBLE BRIDGES


Many, if not all of our journeys in life, lead us to an invisible bridge. 


A mist of silver haze clings to a sketchy outline. Moving shadows play hide and seek on the other side.  

Do I cross? 

Or—go back to the safety of the road just traveled?

Droplets of sweat leak down my face as I watch the images before me. Every fiber of my being screams, TURN BACK.

My throat constricts. I close my eyes, but only for a brief moment. 

Breathe…just keep breathing.

Something fizzles.

I spin around. Swallowed by pitch, the road I had just traveled no longer exists.

Echoes of an eerie silence weave like delicate threads shrouding me.

A loud pop… 

Pinpoints of light flicker, then ignite. 

A network of lines brand the midnight canvas set before me. Within seconds another bridge appears. This one clear and glowing like hot embers. Somehow this one is more terrifying… 

It leads nowhere.

A choice must be made, but to what avail?

Is my mind playing tricks on me?  Is it real? 

How could it not be? 

This is my destiny. How often has this happened to me? Once, twice, a dozen? A hundred times? 

Chills freeze and burn within me. I tear myself away from the bright lights and inhale as much as my lungs will allow. I cough out an acrid and unpleasant scent. One that I have never experienced before—not a hint of floral, grass, woods, or sea, but some type of chemical. The bile bites hard at the back of my throat and I cough again.

I strain to focus on the blurry lines of the invisible bridge. The mist lingers like a haunting ghostly shadow at the base. Now the swirls of silver are mixed with reflecting prisms of colors seducing me to make a move…

A warm, yet icy breeze, ruffles my hair. With my first step, a gust pushes me toward the edge. I loose my footing and plunge into the depths of the mist, stumbling onto what seems to be a clapboard bridge. A transparent railing breaks my fall as a splint of wood pierces my hand. Droplets of blood trickle and disappear into the billowing mist.

Can this be my payment for crossing?

Is this real or a fantasy? 

A fog horn blares in the distance and echoes like a ghoul playing a musical saw. 

I stand tall and take a few more steps. The mist clears as if an unseen hand swept it away. A dim phosphorescent light peeks over the low lying hill miles from the water’s edge. My boot heels thump on the clapboards as I continue along the bridge. Step after step the view remains the same. Hours later, I travel no further.

“What gives!,” I cry out and drop to my knees.

Over the deadly silence a whisper reaches my ears. I can’t comprehend the words. Another whisper, but this one is a fraction louder. Then another. And another… 

I am breathing heavier now. With each new chant the words becomes clearer. It seems to go on forever. 

Then, I hear the final whisper.

“The journey you take is a difficult one, my Son. This is but one of many bridges you will encounter. Take heart. Your inner strength will get you through them…

“Remember to always…keep your faith.”

I spring to life, my breath escapes me. “It was just a dream…it was just a dream,” I tell myself over and over. 

I sink back down into the sweat soaked sheets.

Or was it?


Thank you for joining me today. I hope you get a chance to read some of the other entries. Just click on the WEP link. Have a wonderful day everyone!



Thursday, June 15, 2017

A NEW BEGINNING....

Hi, All,

I just wanted to THANK all of YOU for your wonderful, kind, and supportive comments on my last post. As many of you know it has been a very trying and emotionally troubling few months for me. Each day is getting better. Although still stressed with life, I am managing to finally pop around the blogosphere and actually write a NEW PIECE for the WEP blog hop.

If any of you are in a slump and want to have fun writing something new just for YOU, why not join the hop...

Here are all the details....

"Write…Edit…Publish (WEP) is a permanent bloghop posting every second month. Check out our program for 2017 in our sidebar and Pages above. We usually post three times between bloghops–winners’ announcements, guest posts and up-coming bloghops. Submit your name to the InLinkz list to join us each challenge. WEP challenges are free, open to all. If your entry catches our eye, you will win a $10 Amazon Gift Card or a winners’ badge."

It is hosted by my two dearest blogger friends, Denise Covey, and Yolanda Renee... these two woman are amazing. They find time to host this blog hop and keep us all from falling into a slump if we need an inspiration and a place for others to read our submissions....

There is still plenty of time to sign up... WE post our submissions on June 21st. or Earlier if you like. And it doesn't just have to be writing, it can be photography too! 

I've missed the hop and haven't done it a long while. I am so looking forward to everyone's submissions. 

My submission is called INVISIBLE BRIDGES and I hope you will pop back here when I post it next week.

Thank you again for all your love and support! Sending you all a GREAT BIG BEAR HUG!









Wednesday, June 7, 2017

REJECTIONS....REJECTIONS....REJECTIONS....

Hi, All,

I hope you are all well and happy. Summer is upon us. YAY, blue skies sunshine and warm breezes. After a FULL month of daily rain, we finally dried out and for the past week or so the weather has been simply beautiful.

Today is another segment of the IWSG. Thanks to Alex, we all get to have a monthly rant about the industry we all love and hate. 

Sorry I missed last month's IWSG post. I was too bummed and depressed to deal with anything...life can be so overwhelming at times.

I know each and everyone of us has had their share of rejections, but this particular one hit me hard.

Which brings me to this month's question.... Did you ever say, I quit? 

In mid April I had won a twitter pitch hosted by the KNIGHT AGENCY. The agent loved my pitch and requested a query and the first three chapters. For A MONTH I held my breath waiting....waiting....waiting. 

It was an extremely stressful time for me. One of my dearest friends, Melissa Bradley, had been admitted to hospice. I was heartbroken. We spoke several times and she seemed happy and at peace. She refused to give up. 

Still in Florida, I had planned to visit Melissa the moment I returned back to Chicago the first week of May. I was too late. She passed away on April 30th and I was floored. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of her. WE had planned to collaborate on a new story once I returned. We were both so excited about the prospect.

She was so thrilled that I had won the pitch. She couldn't wait for me to tell her I landed my first agent. Two weeks after she left I received the REJECTION letter.

Although not a form letter, it shook me to the core. NOT AGAIN! I shopped this story for over four years and it had multiple requests for full by many top agents. But, once again, I was REJECTED. 

I fell into a deep depression. First because of the loss of a very dear and amazing friend. And then this... How does one bounce back from such a shock to their heart?

I was/am ready to quit. I haven't written anything new in years except for the editing and blurb writing I do for our community. I have absolutely no desire to write for myself.

I hope to one day, but as of now writing eludes me. I can't focus on anything but my work for clients, taking care of my precocious pup, and trying to find a new place to live... ONCE AGAIN. That is another story....

Now for the second part of this month's question...For those of you who have quit... what brought you back? I would REALLY like to know. I hope to find some answers as I pop around to your blogs later today and tomorrow.

I certainly know what Melissa would say to me.... "Get a grip! Suck it up and just  _ing do it..." I'm smiling as I see her saying it to me. 

ANYWAY.... enough of this GLOOM and DOOM..... It's a gorgeous day in Chicago and I have a busy afternoon looking at another five condos....This will make 100 in the past month. A new record for me and my realtor! At least I'll be breaking a record today! LOL.

I hope all of you are doing GREAT!!!! I miss you terribly and hope to be myself soon. It's time....

HUGS....