Six paragraphs from MIMSEY, a sweet, humorous, fantasy romance.
1. The last time she’d been to O’Toole’s was sometime in the last century. Back then, however, it had been called O’Sullivan’s. After the bar changed hands, she hadn’t returned. Renamed The Blue Chance, the place had been taken over by the bohemians, with loud music blaring into the streets and garish neon and black lights everywhere, making the place resemble some kind of bizarre carnival atmosphere. Personally, she liked carnivals. She’d worked at one herself a few decades ago as a fortune teller. It had given her the opportunity to find a new place to settle and assume a new identity. But this place had been too over-the-top for her. That, and most of its clientele were heavy into drugs, which Mimsey had a personal disgust for. Several times she’d seen on the news where police were called to the location because of a shooting, or some other crime. Since then, she’d written it off and not thought about it again, especially after the city closed it down.
2. Something about Mrs. Goddess hit that nerve. She was the grandmother he’d never had bake cookies for him. The grandmother who would read books to him when he was growing up. The grandmother who’d patiently listen to all his stories, his complaints, his worries, and celebrate his successes. Realistically, he knew Mimsey Goddess wouldn’t or couldn’t do any of that, but it would give his soul some comfort if she’d let him check in on her every now and then. If only to see how she was doing. If there was anything she needed. Lord knew he had enough money. Of course, nobody would know that by just looking at him. He didn’t live a lavish lifestyle. His parents had taught him to be comfortable with what he had. To enjoy the little things.
3. Setting aside her empty mug, she got to her feet and went over to pick up the dozing animal, placing him in the tree. By the time she rinsed out the mug in the kitchen sink, grabbed a pear, and returned to the living room to watch a little TV, Nim had resumed his usual upside-down position on the biggest limb and drifted back to sleep. However, she knew that, come tomorrow, the little creature would have a ton of questions for her.
4. It was an experience she’d never had with another man. What stunned her even more was the fact that she could tolerate him. The brashness and self-absorbed attitude she’d come to expect from most people wasn’t present in this mortal. She was aware there were people like him. People she and the others of her kind referred to as “sideliners.” The forgotten ones in time. The ones who never made waves, positive or negative, and thus never gained notoriety or fame. In the past, throughout history, men like Silas Barnett were always the soldiers, the underdogs who followed their commander into war. Or the shopkeepers, selling their wares throughout their existence. Men who built civilizations with their blood and muscle, or men who tore down civilizations. The silent bulk of humanity.
5. Exiting the building, a sense of giddiness filled her, to where she felt like drifting up into the sky and joining the sirens in song. She already knew how this evening would end. She knew he’d take her somewhere, either to his apartment or to a hotel, and he’d make love to her. Then, come the morning, with him thoroughly and finally out of her system, she’d be able to go her merry way again. Just like she’d done countless times in the past. Better still, she wouldn’t have to worry about him finding her, if he tried to discover where she lived, because at this point in time he only knew her as Mrs. Goddess, not Maude.
6. Giving Nim a hard hug, she handed the animal over to Silas and stepped away from them. A second before their judgment was issued, she stopped them. “Give me a second to change.” And proceeded to morph into her middle-aged self, her third self, to better match the man she’d committed herself to for the rest of their lives. When she was done, she nodded. “I’m ready.”
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