Romantic Friday Writers: Haunting

Romantic Friday Writers: Haunting

http://romanticfridaywriters.blogspot.com/ This blog has a challenge for writers of romance/love stories to write 400 words on a theme each Friday.  The theme this week is Haunting.

This is the last excerpt related to the ongoing Kaitlyn and Jason story before National Novel Writing Month begins and I start posting excerpts from that story. Be sure to come back on November 1-3 to find out more about my NaNoWriMo project!

Other bits of this story can be found:

https://ruthmadison.com/blue-moon/

https://ruthmadison.com/theme-first-love/

https://ruthmadison.com/rock-candy/

https://ruthmadison.com/fearful-heart/

https://ruthmadison.com/whispers/

Word Count: 288 (Full Critique Accepted)

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Kaitlyn believed in hauntings, just not in the traditional sense.  She knew that a place could be haunted. Not necessarily by the ghosts of the dead, but by the ghosts of memory. She thought of that every time she drove by her old school or darted into the mall on an errand.  The mall used to be her favorite place, but she avoided it now.  Every time she walked down the too-bright corridors and heard the buzz of people with voices blended together, she looked over her shoulder every few minutes, distinctly feeling that her sixteen-year-old self was following her.

She could imagine turning and facing young Kaitlyn, who was full of anger and disgust at how things had turned out.  “Why?” The ghost her would ask.  “Why did you give up on us and our future? You should have fought harder.”

 What should I have done? She wanted to ask those accusing eyes in her mind.  Nothing she said could make that child go away.

Whenever Kaitlyn went somewhere that she and Jason had been together she could almost hear their laughter trickling down through the years. Sometimes she thought she heard his voice just behind her, whispering her name.

Yes, Kaitlyn was haunted. The ghosts were herself and her own choices.  I didn’t know any better, she pleaded.  I didn’t know how to make him mine.

Posted by on Oct 27, 2011 in Friday Excerpt | 14 comments

14 Comments

  1. L'Aussie
    Oct 28, 2011

    Hi Ruth! I loved this excerpt from the Kaitlyn and Jason story for Haunting. Who hasn’t been haunted by ghost whispers from the past.

    I too am doing NaNo and will be looking forward to your postings during the month. I wish you all the best for the writing frenzy. Only a few days and away we go!

    Denise

  2. Andy
    Oct 28, 2011

    Hello.
    Yes indeed…our inner self haunting our memories.

    Nicely done Ruth!

    Here’s mine:
    This Unknown Spirit

  3. Francine Howarth
    Oct 28, 2011

    Hi,

    Oh nice one! The “Haunted self”.

    Shall look forward to more of Kaitlyn and Jason in the coming weeks.

    best
    F

  4. N. R. Williams
    Oct 28, 2011

    I love the use of haunted in your piece. We are all haunted by memories and our choices at times. I don’t live near any place I frequented as a young person, but I can feel how it would affect me just by reading your excerpt.
    Nancy
    N. R. Williams, The Treasures of Carmelidrium

  5. Donna Hole
    Oct 28, 2011

    That was a cool take on the haunting theme. The inner dialogue flowed well.

    …….dhole

  6. RuthMadison
    Oct 29, 2011

    Thanks, guys! I’m late getting around to reading yours, but I’ll be there 🙂

  7. Anna's Adornments, Sweden
    Oct 29, 2011

    Dear Ruth,
    I agree with Denise, Andy, Francine, Nancy and Donna; this is an interesting take on the theme Haunting, because it is the kind of haunting that many of us actually experience. It’s real.
    Good luck with your NaNoWriMo! I wish I could do it too, but I don’t think I’ll have time. I’ve got an essay to write that is long over due.
    I’ll be back with RFWers in December.

    Take care,
    Best wishes,
    Anna
    Anna’s RFWers’ Challenge No. 25 – ‘Haunting’

    • RuthMadison
      Oct 29, 2011

      Can you tell, I had a lot of trouble fitting my story into the theme this week! 😛

  8. Madeleine
    Oct 29, 2011

    Haunted by memories, great minds think alike. I liked the lines: ‘Whenever Kaitlyn went somewhere that she and Jason had been together she could almost hear their laughter trickling down through the years. Sometimes she thought she heard his voice just behind her, whispering her name’. It adds that spine tingling ghostly chill to the piece.

  9. Kiru Taye
    Oct 30, 2011

    Ruth, this is so moving. I totally agree, our pasts can haunt us if we don’t make peace with it and lay it to rest. I hope Kaitlyn finds peace soon.

  10. Kiru Taye
    Oct 30, 2011

    Hi Ruth, this is so moving. I totally agree, our pasts can haunt us if we don’t make peace with it and lay it to rest. I hope Kaitlyn finds peace soon.

  11. deniz
    Oct 30, 2011

    Oh that last line is just so sad. I hope she finds healing.

  12. L'Aussie
    Oct 31, 2011

    Hi Ruth!
    How’s it going? Just a reminder that you’ll need to refollow us at our new RFWer site so you can keep in touch with out news!

    http://romanticfridaywriters.blogspot.com

    Thanks!

    Denise <3

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