between the click of the light and the start of a Dream

I wrote this as an exercise for a class I'm in the middle of with my fellow #fireworkpeople (www.wearefireworkpeople.com). It's simply a vision of my dream. A work-in-progress of where I'd ideally see myself in just a few years. What I'm doing, who I'm with, what my senses pick up, etc.

Written in narrative and a third-person perspective because...well, I can. 

**

She steps into her cozy apartment, bidding her friends farewell as they step off out into the murmuring street. The small city is quiet tonight, just the locals remain as they shake the dredges of winter from their coats at the first sprig of sunshine. It’s relaxed here — just enough life that it fills her up with what she needs, brings her comfort when she seeks ease. Big enough for her dreams and quiet enough to calm the chaos of The World.

She kicks off her shoes at the mat by the door and shrugs off her jacket, hanging it in the coat closet next to his. She hears the soft sounds of a movie playing off in the living room. She pads into the kitchen, her feet slipping a little on the hardwood floors. She fishes a lighter out of the junk drawer and lights her favorite cinnamon candle. Her tea kettle sits on the stove, already sloshes with water, so she flicks the burner on and tosses a tea bag into a large ceramic mug.

She slips quietly into the living room while she waits for the whistle, finds him snug on the couch after a long day, their dog curled up next to him. Her love is dream-weary too, eager to figure out his niche in this crazy universe. He flicks the TV down and smudges his mouth across hers in greeting, his fingers brushing just at her chin, sending a shiver down her spine. She presses her smile into his cheek and after a moment, the tenderness is gone, replaced with quips and witticisms.

She slips away from him at the sound of the whistle of the kettle, signaling the start of another writing hour. She leaves him to their ever-evolving collection of film, television, and music — their favorite media to lose themselves in. Promises of dinner spill off her tongue, a meal they’ll make barefoot in the kitchen together once they’ve gotten in their hour of solitude to shake the lingering remnants of the world from their bones.

She adds a touch of milk and a generous helping of sugar to her tea before she carries her mug with her down the hall, snagging a few Twizzlers from the jar on her way out. She allows herself the cheat every now and again, a sweet she hasn’t been able to give up, even with all the progress she’s made in living a healthier lifestyle. She loves salads and veggies, but dammit if a burger and fries from Wendy’s isn’t her favorite thing ever.

Even so, her body thanks her for the moderation. And her mood thanks her for the exercise, especially during the winter months when it dips below where she likes it. Coupled with the occasional visit to her therapist, she does pretty well most days. A relief from the darker days of her late teens.

She gently pushes the door open to her writing space. Creativity spills from every corner – splashes of color and found art collages litter the wall. Motivational prints and funky décor are the perfect accents. There’s nothing too overwhelming here. Just enough clean space to keep her focused.

A few copies of her two published novels sit on a shelf, a reminder everyday of what she’s accomplished and what she continues to work for. She’s had some success with it and she feels the strength of her words grow with each one as she learns, tweaks, and edits.

 Her characters are a part of her now; she can’t imagine a life without them. Their voices fill her to the brim, inspiring to create others like them. They want friends, lovers, teachers, families with histories as simple and complex as their own.  They want any life she can give them — life that rises from the page and into hearts of their (and her) readers.

She writes every day and knows no other life without it, doesn’t wish to ever know any other life without it.

And she's perfectly okay with that.