A Duck In Her Pond

Wings 26

Blond Duck — Wed, 16 May 2012 09:00:19 +0000

The only thing better than storming out of a room was flying out. With a handful of Gabriel’s feathers, my own sparse wings flapped indignantly as I zoomed across the house. Ok, floated was more like it. Maybe barely levitating.

“Ariella, you can’t meet your father!” Gabriel dashed after me, his own full wings opening and closing with gale-like winds that knocked me back into the Christmas tree. Sprawled across the limbs, I glared up at him.

“Why not?”

“Because…” he sputtered. ”Because…”

“Because he’s not here.” Lucky raced into the hall, panting. His own wings rose and fell with every breath, drooping with his tail.

“No duh.” I rolled my eyes. ”If he was here, I wouldn’t have to worry about mom. He’s at the creek, right?”

They looked at each other, than at me.

“Right?” My voice rose.

Gabriel coughed, inspecting a rouge ornament that had rolled away. ”Not exactly.”

Down the hall I could see my mother hanging onto every word. Hope sparkled in her eyes, years of worry and fear wiping away the wrinkles that creased her temples. ”Then where is he?”

Gabriel turned his head. I reached for his wings and he jumped back. ”Oh no. You won’t get it out of me that way.”

“But it’s worked so well before.” I brushed the feathers across his arm and he cringed.

“Ariella, you don’t understand. This is so far off the plan, off of what’s supposed to happen…”

“Even if I knew what I did the first two hundred times, obviously it didn’t work that well,” I snapped, shoving Gabriel’s feather into my back pocket. ”You’ve got twenty seconds to tell me where my dad is. Otherwise, I’ll go ask Samantha myself.”

Gabriel swore for a second time. ”You wouldn’t.”

“Watch me.” I flopped against the branches, trying to untangle my wings from the glittering white lights.

“Ok, ok.” Gabriel sighed. ”I’ll take you there”–

“–to meet my dad,” I clarified. ”Not just to peer through the window and run away.”

“There’s no windows in”– Lucky snapped his jaw shut at Gabriel’s look. ”Never mind.”

Fear prickled in my gut, but I forced myself up anyway. Gabriel extended his hand and I took it. Sparks sizzled between our fingers, a warmth spreading up my arm and through my chest. I was all too aware of his lips near my temple, his skin inches from mine. He stepped back, but his hand tightened around mine.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” His thumb rubbed over the back of my hand. For a moment, I forgot to breathe. I met his blue gaze and nodded.

“As you wish.” He turned to Lucky. ”Keep them safe. No one in, no one out.”

The tiny dog rolled his eyes. ”Remember, junior, who the senior angel is.”

“Remember, dog, who got distracted twenty years ago and”–

“Ok, ok.” Lucky growled. ”We don’t need to bring that up in mixed company.” He sat in the hall and puffed out his chest. ”We’ll be here when you return.”

“Ariella”–

I slid my free hand into my pocket, brushing my fingers over Gabriel’s feathers. My eyes stayed locked on the ground, refusing to look in her direction. I knew the moment I looked the tears burning the back of my throat would fall. And once I started crying, I wasn’t sure if I could stop. If I saw the locket, the locket with my dad’s feathers…

My mother had already lost the love of her life. She wouldn’t lose another.

“I love you, Mom,” I whispered. Closing my eyes, I rested my chin on Gabriel’s shoulder. ”Take me, now.”

This time, there was no icy wind. There was only flames and a wall of heat slamming into my chest and face. It was like walking into a sauna after being in the arctic. I gasped for breath as my head spun. ”Gabriel..” I croaked.

“Keep them closed.” His cool fingers slid over my eyes. ”We’re almost there.”

Panic swirled in my chest as I gulped in hot air. ”I can’t breathe, Gabriel. I can’t make it. I can’t….” Struggling in his arms, my lashes fluttered against his fingers.

“Ariella!” His hand tightened over my face. ”You can’t see this, sweetie. Once you see it, you can never return. He’ll have you, have you forever…”

My burning lungs overrode any sense of logic. ”Gabriel, I…”

Cold lips swallowed my words. Melting into him, our lips danced together, a fiery tango of ice and flames. Our wings sizzled, the feathers crackling and smoldering with a terrible stench as flames licked our backs. But with Gabriel’s lips to mine, I couldn’t feel pain. All I could feel was joy.

Gently, he broke apart, his arms still strong around me. ”Ok. Open carefully, now.”

My eyes peeled apart slower than Christmas morning. The moment they had, I wished I’d kept them shut.

“Oh, hell,” I muttered. ”Why did my dad have to go here?“

Jagged black peaks shot into a grey sky. Below our feet, parched earth cracked in desolate patches far into the horizon. There were no trees, not even a single tuft of grass. A marsh of black and putrid green lay before us. The bank burbled with bile, a three eyed toad glaring up at us.

“You wanted to visit your dad,” Gabriel reminded me. Extending his arms, he gave me a mock-bow. ”Welcome to Hell.” He raised an eyebrow. ”How do you plan to save him now, Old Soul?”

For the first time, I didn’t have a witty comeback.

All I could do was scream.

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends! We have a new recipe mañana!

Creative Woman of the Pond: Charlotte

Blond Duck — Tue, 15 May 2012 09:00:43 +0000

Hello, Invisible Friends. Queen Bitty here.

The Blond Duck is still recovering from her sister’s graduation weekend.

Which I find ludicrous, considering she isn’t even the one who graduated. Like grilling burgers and getting your hair curled is hard.

Luckily, her buddy Charlotte agreed to be a Creative Woman of the Pond to entertain me. Charlotte is the fabulous author of My Pixie Blog and is a living romance story. Once a single girl a la Carrie Bradshaw, now she writes about her new boyfriend and exciting life in New York.

I have an exciting life with pie-eating lobsters.

Let’s learn more about her, shall we?

1) What made you want to start a blog? How did you get into it?

I was in Hawaii with my then-boyfriend. I knew this trip would either make or break us. We had been together for six years and I knew that if he didn’t pop the question in one of the world’s most lush and romantic landscapes, chances were slim that we would survive as a couple. About a week into our trip, I saw the ring wasn’t coming and I felt a strong urge to write and document what the next few months of my journey would be like. And that was how My Pixie Blog was born.

2) Why do you think it’s important for women to be creative?

We all lead stressful lives. Many of us commute to big cities to work jobs where we’re underpaid and underappreciated. I know some mothers who need a creative outlet when the little one(s) is/are unruly and they are almost at their breaking point. We are strong, resilient, and self-assured, but sometimes we just need to read, write, dance, play music, jump rope, paint, photograph, or do whatever our creative minds beg of us to break up the monotony of the day.

3) How do you incorporate creativity into your life? What’s something you do daily?

I’ve recently started meditating on a daily basis. Not sure that it’s necessarily creative, but it feeds my mind, allowing the creative juices to flow.

4) Who inspires you?

My mother for her patience, love, and understanding. My father for his reason and practicality. My brother for moving to Asheville to pursue a career in physical therapy. My boyfriend for finding the silver lining on the darkest cloud. My friends just because.

5) What creative women do you look up to?

So many! TORI AMOS (leader of the pack). Kate Chopin, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Elizabeth Gilbert. And as a strong, successful business woman, I’d have to pick Bethenny Frankel.

6) If someone gave you a million dollars, what would you do with your life?

Yes. A check can be made out to… :p I would adopt some dogs, open up a sanctuary in upstate New York (maybe even a bed and breakfast), donate to some charities benefitting the health and safety of our pets, and then take my closest friends and family on a trip around the world.

7) You’ve been dropped on a deserted island with a box that has three things. What three things are inside and what would you create with them?

A CD player. Paul Simon’s Graceland. An endless supply of matches. I’d try to live off the land as best I could, but without music, I’m not sure I’d want to survive.

Queen Bitty wants to know what pie you like.

And what a great question that is, Queen Bitty! I’d have to say a peanut butter and chocolate chip pie sounds delightful, don’t you?

9) Where do you see yourself in ten years?

Far away from Manhattan but never too far from my blog. Hopefully living in at least a larger shoebox, surrounded by dogs, some kids, and a wonderful hubby. Oh, and that “book” I’ve been working on? It’s finally finished and on shelves.

10) What’s something people would be surprised to know about you?

I’m actually painfully shy at times and socially awkward.

11) Where do you want your creativity to take you?

I would be lying if I said that I’m completely satisfied with my writing where it is. I hope I can always learn from my peers and push myself even further to make publication a reality in my life.

12) What’s the most creative date you’ve ever been on?

Hmm… Great question! Sadly, I can’t think of any mind-blowing dates from my days online, but Bryan and I recently brought our breakfast to a local park in town overlooking the hudson/NYC skyline and we had a lazy Sunday afternoon people-watching and gazing at the clouds. It was simple, unplanned, and blissfully romantic.

For more, visit Charlotte at her blog!

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends! We have a new Wings mañana!

Dancing

Blond Duck — Mon, 14 May 2012 09:00:36 +0000

“There’s no class.”

I stared at the woman, fully decked out in hot pink and neon green. ”Huh?”

“There’s no zumba tonight.” She crinkled her nose, her lips curled like she bit into a lemon. ”Some kind of ab class.”

My shoulders sank. ”Are you serious?”

She nodded, reaching out her hand to a woman walking by. ”Hey! There’s no class!”

“No class?” The woman gasped. ”But…but there’s always class on Wednesday.”

“Tonight they’re doing something new. Ab class.” The woman wrinkled her nose again.

“I don’t need to do sit ups, I can do sit ups at home,” the second woman fumed. ”I need to dance!”

“There’s no class?” We turned towards a skinny young woman. Purple shadows ringed her eyes and dabs of white and yellow streaked across her stained shirt. ”You can’t be serious.”

“We’re serious.” The first woman relished her role as the bearer of bad news.

“But I have to dance!” The new mother’s eyes filled with tears. ”I can’t go back now–I can’t go back to dishes and diapers. I need to dance!”

“I can’t go back to the office,” the second woman groused, raising her heels in her hand.

“I work the graveyard shift. I’ve got to move.” The third woman shook her hips to demonstrate.

I pulled open my car door and turned the ignition key, rolling the windows down. ”So let’s dance.” Popping in a CD, I cranked up the dial as music filled the air.

“Here?” the first woman squeaked.

“Now?” The second woman glanced around.

“In the parking lot?” The third woman gasped. ”But people can see us!”

The new mother’s face lit up. ”Who cares?” she cried, wiggling her hips. ”Let’s dance!”

I joined her, shaking and shimmying and twirling across the asphalt. The other woman slowly joined in, stiffly swaying. A few songs later, they were tangoing across the parking spaces and doing hip hop in the alley. The new mom looked at me and grinned. ”You know what I love about dancing?”

“Losing baby weight?” I guessed.

“The way it makes me feel.” She beamed. ”Free and beautiful.”

“And that’s a whole lot cheaper than the high cost of liposuction!” another woman chimed in, laughing.

“And a lot more fun!” the second woman crowed.

“This is almost better than class!” the first woman cheered.

“And we didn’t have to pay for it,” the third woman cackled. As people drove past, grabbing dinner and dry-cleaning and groceries, we twirled and leaped and popped and locked.

For sometimes, you just have to dance.

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends! A new woman of the Pond mañana!

Saturday Series 14

Blond Duck — Sat, 12 May 2012 09:00:22 +0000

For previous editions, go here.

Kevin squeaked. Sweat poured down his purple face as he gasped for breath. Sassi tightened her grip. ”What do you know?”

Kevin pointed to his pocket. Sassi rolled her eyes. ”You’re such a pervert.”

He jabbed his finger toward his pants and Sassi snarled. ”You sick little nerd”– She broke off as his pocket began to sing a Pitbull song. ”Wait a minute, that’s my ringtone!” Fishing the phone out of his pocket, she flipped it open. ”Ruiz!”

Kevin collapsed to the floor, gasping.

“Ruiz is calling you?” Alexia glanced at Lissa.

“I didn’t know she had her number.” Lissa raised an eyebrow.

“She got it in Mexico,” Kevin panted, his face fading to a puce.

“How did you get the phone?” Alexia crossed her arms.

“Um….” Kevin grinned sheepishly. ”I just wanted to see if I could help.”

“Journalist,” Alexia whispered.

“Ah.” Lissa wrinkled her nose.

“Ruiz, Ruiz calm down.” Sassi held the phone away from her ear, wincing. ”Where are you? You’re what?” She stared at the phone. ”Ok, ok. We’ll be there. We’ll leave tonight.” She shoved the phone in her pocket and slicked her hair back. “Well, at least one mystery is solved.”

“She’s pregnant?”

“Oh yeah. Apparently, that waiter got around.” Sassy clenched her teeth. “You know her mom. She banished her to her Mexican grandmother’s for nine months.”

“Doesn’t she know what year it is?” Lissa rolled her eyes.

“You underestimate her family.” Alexia rubbed her hands together. ”So when do we leave?”

“We don’t.” Sassi scooped up the iguana. ”We’re leaving. You guys will stay here. All of you.” She eyed Kevin.

“But”– he protested.

“No buts.” Sassi shook her head. ”I need to go alone. I can’t watch out for all of you.”

“But you wouldn’t know the legend if it wasn’t for me!” Kevin whined. ”What about my paper?”

“Ridiculous,” Lissa muttered.

“Sassi, I can’t just let you go out like this,” Alexia protested. ”I mean first you come in here with some crazy story and make me take a pregnancy test, now you’re marching off to save a girl you barely know? I mean, she’s my high school friend for goodness’ sake.”

“We’re Facebook friends.” Sassi frowned.

“So?” Alexia nearly shouted.

“We spent a week together at your birthday,” Sassi pointed out.

We’re wasting time. The iguana placed his claws on her arm. We have to leave. Now.

“Lissa, you can take them home for me, can’t you? Thanks.” Sassi slipped out the door, shutting out her friends’ protest. And Kevin. She wouldn’t dare call Kevin a friend. More like the nerd that fixed your computer once and thought that you would get married and stare at each other over Thai food for eternity. Climbing into the car, she turned towards the iguana. ”Where to?”

He pointed through the windshield with his tail. Follow the guides. They follow the stars that serve the goddess.

“What guides?” Sassi flipped on her lights and groaned. Normally, the sight of a million iguanas writhing in front of her car would make her scream. Or vomit. Now, it just made her tired. ”Ok, ok. Let’s put on a little mood music.” Flipping on a salsa station, Sassi crept down the road, careful not to squish her scaly friends.

Behind her, a dark car followed, rolling silently down the road.

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends! A new week of whimsy awaits!