17 more days to go. I have managed to squeeze out my word count for today. Dialogue sure adds a lot of pages, but doesn't really help the word count very much. Hope you enjoy today's excerpt!
I need to get her away from here. I know that if I do not force her, she will never leave. She will continue to watch as the house is reduced to ashes. I touch her lightly on the shoulder.
"C'mon, grandma. Let's go back to my house."
She is reluctant to leave, as I knew she would be. I begin to lead her over to my car, pulling her gently by the arm.
"I'll make you some tea, grandma, and we can sit at the kitchen table and try to unwind a bit before going to bed."
She does not even make an attempt at continuing the conversation. Instead, she begins to resist me and plants her feet firmly in the gravel. I stop pulling on her arm, fearing I may pop it out of socket if I do not let go. She looks at me and I see that her eyes are now moist, though her mouth is set in a firm line.
"Please, just give me five more minutes. I promise, then, I'll be ready to go."
Her voice wavers, and I can hear the anguish she is trying so hard not to show. How can I refuse such a simple request? I don't. I stand beside her for the entire five minutes. I might even throw in a few extra for good measure. This time, when I lead her to the car, she offers up no resistance.
Once I have her settled into the passenger side of my silver Honda Civic, I climb behind the wheel. My grandmother's eyes are fixed on the passenger window, but I know she is really looking beyond the glass. I can see the house reflected in her eyes. She does not turn away until the house dips below the horizon and the darkness of the night swallows the glow of the flames.
Lol! Yes, but dialogue is what brings your characters into 3-D. I think this is, no holds barred, my favorite of the excerpts you've posted so far, because the dialogue and the pleading bring us out of the narrator's head and into the story. It's relatable. How many times have we had to plead with someone to walk away from something that's not good for them?
ReplyDeleteThumbs up chickie :-)