For those of you new to my blog, this is one of a series of posts. I started joining in with #SummerOfWords (a linky started by Helen Braid) and writing my novel one bit at a time a couple of months ago; and whilst I enjoy writing these posts, I do find them incredibly difficult. Publishing them makes me more nervous than any other type of post I publish! If you’ve been following and need a re-cap you can read part 5 here. (and if you’re new to my story then you can start at the very beginning here.)

2006

“Hi, are you Megan?” Glancing nervously up from under her recently cut fringe, she took a proper look at Elliot. He was tall, very tall and as he’d asked her who she was she could swear his eyes had twinkled. Bright blue piercing eyes, in the middle of a few laughter lines under suspiciously neat eyebrows.

“Um, hello, yes…Elliot?” She answered, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Her heart was racing. ‘This is ridiculous,’ Megan thought, ‘ I’ve been in more nerve racking situations than this what on earth is wrong with me?’

“Phew thought I’d approached the wrong person for a minute! Hi, nice to meet you, you look lovely,” Elliot blurted out, knowing that this was a cheesy line and sounded as if he was just saying it because he knew he should. He’d been trained by Sarah to always compliment a woman when she had made an effort, the consequences if he’d forgotten had been catastrophic. Shaking himself out of that thought he looked at Megan. He hadn’t been lying, she did look absolutely lovely. She was simply wearing jeans and a top, but it looked well thought out and he began to relax. ‘Ok, not bad, worst part over,’ he thought. “Would you like a drink?”

“Um, yes please. I’ll have a erm a white wine please.” Megan attempted to smile as she said this, but still feeling nervous and awkward she thought it must’ve looked forced. Wine was a good choice, she must not get too drunk and make a fool of herself. No gin or vodka allowed, they did not mix well with her brain at all, the last time she’d drunk those particular spirits had been very messy indeed.

They found a comfortable sofa and table to sit down at the back of the bar and from a distance looked like a normal couple. No evidence of the nervousness or the fact that it was the first time they’d ever met. If you’d been in the bar that night you’d have smiled at the happy couple in the corner, deep in conversation about travel, family and work, laughing at each other’s jokes. You’d have seen her blush occasionally when he gave her a compliment and you’d have watched him stare at her and smile when she walked to the bathroom. And if you looked closely you’d have seen her relax over the evening, shoulders loosened and brow less furrowed. If you’d been in the bar that very night, you’d have witnessed the start of something initially so very wonderful.

I am joining in with #SummerOfWords and writing my novel one bit at a time! You can read Part 4 here. (and if you’re new to my story then you can start reading it here.)

2013

The B&B was dated but perfectly comfortable. Looking out over the local beach the room was full of items from the sea. Dusty old shells, red and white striped lighthouses and a beautiful painting of a sandcastle sitting alone on a sandy shore. They’d really gone overboard on the seaside theme and it made Megan smile. It reminded her of her son’s bedroom; he loved the beach and every morning woke up asking if they could go.

“No!’ She suddenly said out loud, and quickly that thought was pushed to the very back of her mind. She mustn’t think about them, mustn’t remember what she’d put them through and why she was here, it was too raw, too painful.

Tears pricking her eyes, angry that she’d allowed herself a fleeting memory, she hung her coat up on the back of the door and sat on the bed which creaked and gave way under her. Megan looked out of the window and rubbed her neck, easing her aching muscles that had been tense for so long. She was safe, no-one knew she was here, they were all safe.

The landlady, Mrs Lane, had seemed somewhat nosey earlier when Megan had explained that she didn’t know how long she’d be staying, but had seemed happy to accept payment for three nights. Thankfully Megan had had some cash in her rather worn purse and so was able to book in under a false name, not having to show her real one on a credit card. She really wasn’t ready to be found, not even close so it was important that a gossiping landlady didn’t know anything. Mrs Lane had explained that breakfast was served between 8am and 10am and had recommended a local pub for dinner. Not that Megan was hungry, she rarely was these days and had become gaunt and looked pale. Her physical appearance epitomising the weakness of her mental state. For her brain also seemed pale and was not functioning as it should. It didn’t have what it needed to work. Megan thought of it as something that was broken, that needing fixing, but couldn’t seem to mend it herself.

She reached into her coat pocket and once again twiddled the coin between her fingers. Heads. Tails. Heads. ‘What if it had been tails?’ She thought. ‘Would I still be here, would any of this have happened?’ Shaking that thought off, Megan knew she’d never know the answer to that question. Clutching the coin tightly, she lay down, closed her eyes, and uncomfortably drifted into another restless sleep.

I am joining in with #SummerOfWords and writing my novel one bit at a time! You can read Part 3 here. (and if you’re new to my story then you can start reading it here.)

Megan hated being late, she would always rather be an hour too early than a minute too late. So hurry up she did, throwing on an old faithful outfit that made her feel confident and comfortable all in one go.

Whilst Megan was busy applying her mascara with haste, a few miles away on a stuffy crowded train, Elliott sat twiddling his thumbs. He’d never been on a blind date before, but when a text had arrived on his phone a little over a week ago from a work colleague, with a photo of a smiling face and the text ‘date my mate?’ underneath, the few beers he’d had that night had given him the confidence to reply, ‘ok!’ And now here he was, heading into the centre of Bath not feeling very confident. It had been a particularly busy day at work and what he’d really prefer to be doing right now is laze in the bath with an ice cold beer. He knew that having a bath wasn’t very manly, but he was learning not to worry about those kind of things anymore, and besides, it’s not like anyone knew.

Looking out of the window at the lovely houses made from Bath stone shimmering in the warming summer sunshine, he took a deep breath and thought back to his last date. It had been a few weeks ago with a rather strange woman, who had laughed over enthusiastically at everything he’d said, even when he wasn’t making a joke. And even when he had been making a joke he knew that he wasn’t that funny. He’d been told so many a time in the past, too dry a sense of humour was to blame.

Smoothing his shirt nervously Elliott wasn’t enjoying this dating malarkey, but after Sarah, his partner of 5 years, had sat him down several months previously and told him she had met someone else he’d felt he needed to get back into it all. He worked as a plumber so there wasn’t much of an opportunity to meet women, unless they were customers of course, and he was far too old for clubbing and everything that brought with it. A thoughtful and considerate man he’d never expected to have such a flagrant disregard for the rules of dating and game playing. There were far too many dos and don’ts involved in dating for his liking; if he liked someone he had vowed to tell them. None of this waiting for three days before sending a text nonsense. Why bother?

As the train pulled into Bath station, Megan was leaving her flat, reluctantly. She’d put the coin back in it’s special box. She trusted that coin, which was understandable given where it had come from, and it clearly had landed heads up more than tails. It must be a sign she thought, I am meant to go this evening and I am meant to meet this man. Fate may have given her a bit of a helping hand as it was technically an organised and not fated meeting, but nevertheless, fated that the opportunity had arisen. With the coin in it’s box, sat neatly on the top shelf of her lounge, Megan summoned all of the courage she could muster, and pushed open the door to the bar where they had agreed to meet.
You can read Part 5 here.

This is Part 3, you can read Part 2 here.

2006
‘Heads, tails, heads, heads, heads, tails, tails, heads.’ The coin flew up and down, twisting in the air, glinting in the evening sunlight that was streaming through the ground
floor flat window.
‘Right heads I’m going tails I’m not, ok?’ Rachel nodded, whilst rolling her eyes, as Megan sat on the edge of her sofa, tossing a coin over and over again. ‘Argh it’s heads, right, best out of three.’ Sipping the large glass of wine she’d poured earlier, which was in fact her third, Megan got up and started pacing around the room. Having been sat, tossing the coin for over an hour now, a change of position was most definitely needed. Knowing in her gut that she’d have to go, it would be rude to cancel now, but at the same time not having the energy or the motivation to actually get ready Megan carried on with her own private battle and the coin tossing.
‘Heads, heads, tails, heads, tails….’
‘Oh just go Megs, stop being such a bloody wuss.’ Rachel interjected, never one for indecisiveness. ‘If it’s that awful then you can just leave, for goodness sake what have you got to lose?’
Good point, thought Megan, she always listened to whatever Rachel had to say. They’d been friends for several years now and not once had Rachel imparted any useless wisdom. But of course, thinking the worst as always, Megan still knew with certainty there was a lot to lose. She’d lost her heart before, and was in no hurry to lose it again. It hadn’t been a pleasant experience and had ended very painfully with the loss of a baby. And the loss of a love.
‘Sod it,’ she gulped yet more wine, ‘I’ll go, but if it’s horrendous then I will hunt you down and shout I told you so repeatedly.’
‘Excellent,’ said Rachel, ‘I shall look forward to that. Now go and get ready or you’ll be late.’
You can read Part 4 here.

This is part two, you can read part one here. Personally I think part two is a bit pants if I’m honest (and that’s not just me fishing for compliments!) but I am going to embrace #SummerOfWords and post it anyway. I don’t want to lose momentum and it can be edited to death later! Please be honest as always!

Thinking about everything that had led her to this moment, and this place, Megan turned and briskly walked, with the wind blowing sand into her face, back to her car. Closing the rusty door and happily shutting out the cold air she turned to look at her mobile phone. It sat lifeless on the passenger seat, switched off and silent. Would they have discovered her absence yet? Would they be wondering where she was; ringing, texting, desperately needing to know why she had disappeared in the middle of the night? Megan looked at the phone long and hard. It was better this way. Better that they didn’t know and couldn’t find her. It would be difficult for them at first, but soon time would start to heal them, and they would be ok. Besides this wasn’t to be forever, but just until it was safe for everyone for her to return. Which wasn’t yet. It wasn’t safe. For anyone.

A tear slowly trickled down her cheek at that unwelcome thought.
‘This is for the best Megan,’ she said to herself out loud, as if the words somehow made it better, made it all ok, which of course it wasn’t. ‘Now pull yourself together and go and find somewhere to stay and get out of this filthy, smelly car.’ For the car was smelly; another victim of the last few months. Full of bits of food and rubbish from weeks gone by, a range of smells emanated from the footwells and various stains on the seats, that no longer resembled what created them in the first place. The car looked and smelt as hideous as Megan felt. Driving off the deserted beach, as the sun was beginning to rise across the horizon, she thought back to how this mess had all begun. All with that bloody coin.
This is a work in progress! You can read Part 3 here.

This Monday I’m a bit nervous to admit that I have tried something new on my blog. The lovely Helen Braid has set herself a challenge. A challenge to write her novel organically across the summer, and she has opened up this challenge to other bloggers. You can read all about it here. So this Monday I am embracing that challenge and am offering this start to my novel for you all to read! I haven’t written anything fictional since I was at university which was a while ago now, so please be VERY honest in your comments! 😉

The Coin

August 2010
The sea air was as refreshing as it was chilling. The escape was complete. Wiping a stray strand of her rusty red hair from her face, Megan stared at the waves crashing onto the rocks ahead of her. She felt eerily calm. The wild waves represented her release, her freedom. They were fierce and strong, characteristics that had got her to this place. They wore down the defenceless rocks that stood in their way. They were noisy, relentless and never ending.

She shivered, and took a deep cleansing breath. Her trusty car parked at the back of the hidden beach was full of almost everything she held dear and everything she would need for as long as the escape lasted. Megan had planned this meticulously and had only taken what was absolutely essential. Pulling her coat around her to protect from the bitingly cold wind she placed her hand in its pocket and grasped a coin tightly. She couldn’t have escaped without it. Grasping the coin so hard it dug into her palm, leaving a small indentation, Megan thought of all she had left behind. The coin absorbed what little warmth there was in her body and strangely comforted her. Everything that had led her here had started with that coin. So small and unassuming, yet so powerful.

You can read part 2 here.

I’m also linking this up with Jaime Oliver and #magicmoments as it’s pretty magical that I’ve finally got round to starting a novel!