Writing Frees the Soul

Alyssa. Side blog of the-regal-warrior focused on my writing.

[freeyoursoul-write]

Rest Stops Make for Great Meet-Cutes

This is something new I’ve been working on, so I hope you like it!

This is also a birthday present for @keep-a-bucket-full-of-stars - so, happy birthday Leah!!!

Summary: He works at a rest stop and she always stops there on her way to her family’s lake house.

Warnings: No warnings for this one

.

Nessa sighed in relief as she took the exit, grateful that she could get off the 648 for at least twenty minutes. Ever since she could remember, the sign for Exit 36 had been her favorite thing. It was the exit her family had always taken in their way to the lake house, since it had one of the nicest rest stops.

As a child, she’s mostly just enjoyed the fact that she’d be getting food, but now that she was driving, she appreciated the break it gave her from Highway 648 - her own personal hell.

In reality, the highway wasn’t that bad. Nessa just didn’t have the patience for ignorant drivers, and after three hours in the car, she needed a break.

Pulling into a parking space, Nessa grabbed her purse and headed for the entrance, enjoying being able to stretch her legs and the feeling of the sun on her face.

Opening the door and getting a blast of cold air to the face, she made her way to the little store with the prepared sandwiches and salads in the back corner of the building.

As she walked by the register, Nessa couldn’t help but notice the guy working it, a rush of warmth flooding her chest as she realized who it was. Fixing her brown hair subtly with one hand, the other one drifted to the strip of skin visible between her high-waisted jean shorts and the jade green crop top she’d paired with them.

Since the year she’d turned sixteen, she’d had a thing for the cashier who always seemed to be working every time her family came up to the lake. Nessa realized how pathetic it probably was to have a crush on a guy who’s name she didn’t even know for five years, but she couldn’t help it. With his dark blue eyes and shoulder-length blonde hair, not to mention the tattoos scattered on his arms, she couldn’t help being smitten.

Grabbing a turkey sandwich with a significant amount of veggies and a bowl of yogurt with granola and strawberries, she made her way to the register, grabbing a bag of chips on the way.

“Hi,” the guy at the counter greeted her. “Is this everything for you?”

“Yeah, this is everything - holy shit, you have a nose ring?” Nessa wanted to smack herself for that, but the sight of the jewelry - which he didn’t have the last time she saw him - had caught her off guard.

“Yeah?” he questioned, looking just as surprised by the question as she felt.

“Sorry,” she blushed. “It’s just - you don’t see many guys with it done, and it’s something I just really love. So, uh, yeah, it looks really good.”

“Thanks,” he chuckled, ringing up her dinner and taking the money she handed him. “It’s true, a lot of guys don’t get it done, but I’ve always wanted it.”

“Well, I really like it. Have a good night.”

“You too.”

Nessa nodded at him before finding a table, her cheeks still burning as she sat down to eat.

~*^*~

She’d just stared on the second half of her sandwich when someone cleared their throat from the other side of the table. “Is this seat taken?”

Looking up, Nessa’s eyes met the deep blue gaze of the guy from the store. “Uh, no, go for it.”

He sat then, setting a salad on the table in front of him. “I’m on break now, so I thought I’d join you.”

“Really? I mean, why?” Nessa couldn’t help the awkwardness; she always got like that with guys she was into.

“Eating along gets pretty boring after a while, and you seem like the type of person I’d get along with.” He paused, taking a bite of his salad. “After all, you are the only person who’s commented on my nose ring.”

He finished his comment with a smirk and a wink, and Nessa couldn’t help but laugh. “I can’t help it - I’ve always had a thing for a guy with a nose ring.”

He shook his head at her then, a giant grin lighting up his face. “Oh, so you have a thing for me?”

Nessa blushed, but held his gaze. “Maybe I just have a thing for your piercing.”

He clutched his heart in pain, but Nessa could see the laughter in his eyes. “Cruel, cruel woman.”

~*^*~

Eventually, he pushed himself away from the table, his break clearly over. “Have a good night,” he called over his shoulder as he walked away.

Nessa began cleaning up her trash, and she had pretty much everything collected when she noticed a napkin that the guy - had she really not learned his name? - must have left behind.

Picking it up, she saw what looked like black ink sprawled across the napkin. Unfolding it, she realized that it was a phone number and a name.

Beau.

Nessa grinned, tucking his number in her pocket for safekeeping before making her way back to her car.

~*^*~

Nessa didn’t have a chance to text Beau until late that night, since her brothers insisted on taking the boat out the minute she pulled into the driveway. That meant she didn’t have a chance to unload her car and unpack until after dark.

It was sometime after 11:00 before she finally had a minute to herself. Picking up her phone, she typed a quick message before she could lose her nerve.

Nessa: Beau? This is Nessa, the girl from the rest stop.

She had her answer within a minute.

Beau: Hey, I’m glad you found my number. I’ve got a random question for you.

Nessa: Okay, shoot.

Beau: You’ve been coming to the rest stop for a couple years, haven’t you?

Nessa: Yeah, why?

Beau: I thought I recognized you!

Nessa: You actually remember me?”

Beau: Obviously. You’re absolutely stunning.

Nessa blinked a couple times to make sure she’d read that right. When she realized she had, it took her a minute to come up with a response.

Nessa: You’re not so bad yourself. You’re one of the most beautiful guys I’ve ever seen.

Beau: Well thank you, beautiful. I hate to cut this short, but I’m supposed to be working. I’ll talk to you later.

Nessa fell back on her bed, a grin taking over her features.

This had been a very good day indeed.

.

If you want to be tagged in this or any of my other stuff, just let me know!

Tags: @highqueenofelfhame @city-of-fae @throne-of-ashes-and-beauty @tacmc @musicmaam @keep-a-bucket-full-of-stars @tamaranianprincess @tonystarkdadmode @tangledraysofsunshine

[freeyoursoul-write]

Balconies Are Great Plot Devices Chapter 5

Okay, so I know it’s been a while, but here’s the next chapter!

Summary: Meissa makes friends with her downstairs neighbor.

Warnings: there’s none that I can think of for this chapter, except maybe some language?

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We did not, it turned out, get to talk about it the next day. I’d been halfway through my morning run when I got a frantic phone call from my boss, basically screaming about something that had gone wrong and how I needed to get into work right away to help him fix it. Why I was responsible for fixing things that weren’t my fault, I’ll never know, but I did it anyway.

By the time I’d gotten that all straightened out, it was well past lunch and, as a member of the class of people who never eat breakfast, I was basically starving, so I had to stop somewhere for food before I could head home.

I finally got back to my apartment around three in the afternoon, and it was to find a note taped to my door. “5C - Stopped by to see you, but I guess you’re out. Pop down when you get home and we’ll talk! 3C.”

Giddy with excitement at the prospect of actually getting to see Austin, I practically stumbled through the door in my haste to get changed and head down to his apartment. Tossing my keys in the general vicinity of my futon, I all but ran to my closet, stripping my shirt and leggings off and tossing them in the laundry basket.

I stopped in front of my closet, staring into its depths like I could find the answers to life in there if I just looked hard enough. After about three minutes of internal debate, I finally decided on an outfit that was cute without making it seem like I was trying to hard.

Ten minutes later, my hair was fixed, my makeup was touched up, and I was wearing light-wash denim shorts, a black v-neck, and black high-top Chucks. Grinning at my reflection in the mirror, I shook my hair out one final time to give it that messy-on-purpose look and headed for Austin’s apartment, trying to refrain from throwing myself down the stairs in excitement.

When I got to his door, I bounced nervously on the balls of my feet as I knocked on the door. I waited anxiously for thirty seconds before knocking again, too excited for our conversation to care if I was rushing him.

I listened more closely after the second knock, and when I didn’t hear any movement from inside the apartment, I realized that he probably wasn’t home.

Sighing in defeat, I jogged back up to my apartment, grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled a quick note. “3C - Sorry, my boss was being dramatic and needed me to fix things that I didn’t mess up in the first place. Popped down like you said to, but you weren’t home. Stop up when you get back - I should be in the rest of the night! 5C.”

As I was reading the note over to make sure I hadn’t written anything dumb, I realized that I didn’t have his number, and he didn’t have mine either, so I quickly scribbled my number underneath with a “call me!” next to it.

Grabbing a piece of tape from my desk, I jogged back down to Austin’s apartment and taped the note to the door before heading back upstairs to occupy myself until Austin came to find me.

~*^*~

About an hour later, as I was rewatching Sherlock for the millionth time, my phone started ringing. It was a number I didn’t recognize, so I immediately thought that it was Austin.

Upon answering it, however, I was disappointed with the sound of a female voice, but my spirits were immediately lifted when I figured out that it was the lady who ran the bookstore down the block, and that she was calling to tell me the books I’d been looking for had finally come in.

Thanking her happily, I grabbed my keys off the floor and made my way down the stairs, figuring that, even though I’d told him I’d be in all night, Austin would just call me if he got back and I wasn’t in my apartment.

I’d just rounded the top of the second floor stairwell when I literally bumped into Austin. “Oh gosh, I’m so sorry, I should have been paying mo- oh, hey 3C.”

“No, really, it’s oka- Meissa, hey!” He placed a hand on my shoulder to steady me, the other one coming to rest on my waist. “You okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m all good. What are you up to?”

He sighed heavily, taking his hand off my shoulder so he could rub his eyes. “I had to go deal with my ex and it was this whole big ordeal when it didn’t need to be.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, running my thumb along his jaw in comfort. “Do you want to talk about it? I’m on my way to The Corner Book Shop right now, but you can come with me and we’ll talk about it, if you want to.”

“I would love to, but Sadie’s actually coming over in like thirty minutes.” At my look of confusion, he added “Sadie’s my ex. Apparently we didn’t get it all squared away, so she has to come over? I don’t know. Hopefully we’ll get everything figured out once and for all.”

“Okay, well, if you want to talk about it later, I should be back within an hour.” I leaned in and brushed my lips gently against his jaw, humming contently when the grip he had on my waist tightened reflexively. “Don’t forget: we have another important talk to have!”

Austin’s eyes brightened at that. “Trust me, I haven’t. I’ll come up later and we’ll talk. About everything.”

“Sounds good. Oh, and there’s a note on your door.”

He nodded once before leaning in and pressing his lips to my forehead. We stayed that way for a moment, but eventually he pulled away, his hand finding mine and squeezing lightly as he continued up the stairs.

I tightened my grip on his hand in return before walking down the rest of the stairs and out into the bright afternoon sun.

I had just made it to the bookstore when I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I pulled it out to see a text from a number I didn’t know. “It’s Austin. Thanks again for everything - I’ll call you when Sadie leaves?”

Sending him a text of agreement, I wandered through the doors of the shop, content to browse while I waited for Austin to call me.

.

Tags: @highqueenofelfhame @keep-a-bucket-full-of-stars @tamaranianprincess @tonystarkdadmode @musicmaam

Let me know if you’d like to be tagged, and please let me know what you thought!

[freeyoursoul-write]

Balconies Are Great Plot Devices Chapter 4

Here’s part four! Lowkey decided to post this part right now because someone (cough @highqueenofelfhame cough) is hurting my heart and I needed to post something that doesn’t hurt. Note: this is a direct continuation of the last chapter - it takes place the same night.

Summary: Meissa makes friends with her downstairs neighbor.

Warnings: mild swearing, kind of a cliffhanger ending, things gets a little heated in this one

.

As the credits rolled on the screen, I took one final swallow of my beer and set the bottle on the floor. I would’ve put it on the table with the others, but I was laying with my head in Austin’s lap and I wasn’t particularly inclined to move. He had one hand thrown across the back of the couch, but the other was resting lightly on my stomach, and I was almost afraid to move for fear that he’d retract his hand.

We’d both had enough to drink that we were happily buzzed, probably beyond even that, and his hand had found its way to my stomach seemingly of its own accord, just like I had found myself sprawled across his lap without any recollection of consciously deciding to do so.

As peaceful as the moment was, it had to come to an end. My phone chose that exact moment to start ringing - loudly, and with a sort of aggressiveness I didn’t realize a phone could possess - on the coffee table, and I couldn’t reach it without standing up.

Of course, upon standing and actually being able to see the screen, I realized that it was a call from some number from a state on the other side of the country, and therefore there had been absolutely no reason for me to get up.

Sighing in frustration, I set my phone back on the table and was in the process of turning back around to face Austin when my feet got tangled in his. Letting out a gasp of surprise, I felt myself begin to fall, and I was convinced I was about to go crashing to the floor when I felt another body beneath mine.

Somehow, I had been turned enough that, as I fell, Austin was able to wrap his arms around my waist and pull me into him, which kept me from falling. It also meant that I was effectively straddling him - not that I was complaining.

“Hey,” he whispered, shifting me slightly so that I was resting more comfortably against him.

“Hey yourself,” I whispered back, leaning close enough that I could link my hands behind his neck. “I guess the alcohol made me a little clumsy.”

“I guess it did - how else would you have ended up in this position?”

“Well,” I replied, thinking for a moment before continuing. “There’s lots of ways for me to find myself straddling you.”

“Oh, really?” His fingers danced lightly across the exposed strip of skin on my back from where my shirt had ridden up, the warmth of his touch causing goosebumps to erupt as his hands ghosted over my skin.

“Mhmm,” I breathed, my fingers toying with the hair at the nape of his neck that had escaped from the bun. I leaned closer, grinding down into his lap lightly as I did, so I could whisper “and all of them are a lot more fun than me stumbling into your lap” in his ear, my lips skimming across his jaw as I pulled back.

My eyes met his as I pulled away from him, and the intensity in his gaze made me shiver. We stayed like that for a minute, breathing heavily, never breaking eye contact. I was infinitely grateful that he’d removed his glasses sometime during the movie, because it gave me an uninhibited view into his deep green gaze.

I wasn’t entirely sure who moved first - alcohol was a strange beast - but the next thing I knew, Austin’s lips on were moving against my own, and I was kissing him back - and I hated to say it - like the ship was going down.

His lips were warm and soft against mine, and I couldn’t help the small groan that rumbled in my throat as his tongue swiped against my bottom lip, a silent request for entrance. Austin’s answering moan as I parted my lips for him was enough to send a jolt of fire through each of my nerve endings.

I pressed closer against his chest, pulling his hair free from the hair tie and running my hands through it, the strands soft between my fingers. Our tongues danced with one another, and the harder and deeper he kissed me, the harder I pushed myself against him.

We stayed like that until he pulled back, gasping slightly and drawing in deep breaths, clearly out of air from the intensity of the kiss. I took advantage of the moment and moved my lips across his jaw and down his neck, sucking lightly at the junction between his jaw and his neck as I moved over it.

His answering moan was all the encouragement I needed, and my lips continued their trail down his neck until I reached the hollow of his throat. I bit down - just hard enough for him to feel the pressure - before tracing my tongue over the slight indentations I’d left in his skin.

Austin only moaned louder and gripped my hips tightly, drawing me down against him as I began to suck lightly on the skin of his throat. He hissed in a breath as I sucked a little harder, my name falling off his lips in a breathless whisper as I ran my tongue over the mark I’d just made.

Sitting back to inspect my work, I hummed contently at the light bruise that was already blossoming on his skin. Austin’s head was thrown back on the couch, and his breathing was heavy - a sight that set me on fire. I leaned in to press my lips to the base of his throat again, and his grip on my hips tightened to the point I was sure he would leave bruises - not that I was complaining.

I lifted my head enough to capture his lips with my own again, and suddenly I found myself stretched out on the couch with Austin on top of me, our legs a jumbled mess of limbs. I let out a gasp of surprise at the motion, and he used my moment of shock to take control of the situation, kissing me with a bruising intensity.

Once he’d kissed me breathless, his lips trailed down my neck to the junction with my collar bone, and I couldn’t help but arch up into him as he began nipping lightly at my skin. One of my legs hooked around his waist so I could move against him easier, and the hand that wasn’t fisted in his hair slid under the back of his tee, moving the fabric up his back in the process.

The hand that was tangled in his hair drifted down to join my other one on his waist, and my fingers explored the muscles of his back. My right hand had just drifted to his abs when he pulled the skin of my neck between his teeth lightly, and I couldn’t help but moan out his name in a breathless whisper.

Austin sucked on the skin his teeth had just been holding, and the groan I let out that time was definitely louder than a whisper. He laughed against my neck - it was a breathless sound - and drove his hips down against mine.

I raked my left hand down his back hard enough to raise scratches on his skin at the feeling of him pressing into me, and his lips found mine again as my right hand skimmed the waistband of his jeans.

I felt the hitch in his breathing as my fingers dipped inside his waistband, and it was that tiny movement that brought me back to reality.

There was no doubt that I was attracted to Austin, and clearly he was into me, but exploring those feelings we had while we were both drunk probably wasn’t the best idea.

I pulled both of hands up to Austin’s chest and I pushed hard enough to separate myself from him. “Austin, wait. We shouldn’t do this.”

“Meissa, I’m so sorry!” Austin pulled away from me like I’d burned him, and he settled himself on the opposite side of the couch. “I shouldn’t have been so forward, I just thought that we were both into each other, and I just -”

“Austin, whoa, slow down.” I sat up and placed my hands on his knees, effectively silencing him. “I want to do this, don’t get me wrong, but we should probably wait until we aren’t drunk.”

He smiled at that, reaching out with one of his hands to cover my own. “You really mean that? You want to give this a shot?”

“Yeah, I really do. I just don’t want us to do anything we’ll regret, and I certainly don’t want us to ruin any chance this has of being something by not taking the time to get to know one another first.

Austin nodded in agreement, his thumb rubbing circles on the back of my hand. “I think that sounds like a great idea.” He leaned in to press a kiss to my lips, but I stopped it after only a few seconds.

“Maybe we should wait to talk about this until we’re both sober, huh?”

He chuckled. “Yeah, that sounds fair.”

“Good,” I agreed, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Now that we’ve settled that, I think I’ll head home before we get carried away again. We’ll talk about this tomorrow?”

“It’s a date, 5C.”

.

Tags: @highqueenofelfhame @keep-a-bucket-full-of-stars @tonystarkdadmode @tamaranianprincess

Let me know if you’d like to be tagged, and please let me know what you thought!

[freeyoursoul-write]

Balconies Are Great Plot Devices Chapter 3

Here’s part three!!! Also, don’t my love for guys with nose piercings.

Summary: Meissa makes friends with her downstairs neighbor.

Warnings: mild swearing, slight cliffhanger ending

.

Once again, I’d found myself on my balcony after yet another long day of dealing with my asshole of a boss. I was on my way to happily buzzed - okay, just buzzed, the happily part I was still working on - when I heard a “hey 5C” from below.

Setting my beer on the table, I stood and leaned my head over the railing, offering him a lazy wave and a nod.

“How’s it going?”

I shrugged before answering. “Not great. My boss is an ass and I’m drinking alone. I’m doing a great impression of a crazy cat lady, minus the cats.”

He actually snorted at that, clapping a hand over his mouth to hide the sound. As he did it, I realized that he was wearing glasses - the alcohol had to be kicking in, because I was usually much more perceptive.

“As a pretty solid candidate for the next Bachelor myself, I’d say you hide it well.”

I practically doubled over in laughter at that, gripping the railing to keep myself upright. I probably would have kept laughing, but I was struck by a sudden idea. “Hey,” I called down. “What are you up to tonight?”

“Haven’t you been listening?” When I cocked my head in confusion, he added “practically a bachelor, remember? I’m literally doing nothing. Why?”

“Because I’ve got no life, an almost full case of beer, and the phone number to the pizza place in my phone. I was thinking we could actually hang out? You know, not on separate balconies?”

He nodded, a grin lighting up his face. “Sure! You coming down or am I coming up?”

I thought for a second before realizing that I’d chucked my stuff all over my futon the minute I’d walked through the door and I didn’t feel like cleaning. “I’ll come down!” I called.

“Great, I’ll see you in a couple minutes!”

I turned on my heel and moved back into my apartment, grabbing my beer off the table and finishing it in one swallow. Setting the bottle on the counter, I grabbed the case of beer and my keys, slipped my feet into my shoes, and headed for the stairs.

Two minutes later I knocked on his door, feeling strangely giddy about finally getting to hang out with him. When he pulled the door open, I was struck by the realization that he was shockingly handsome. His eyes were a stunningly bright green that contrasted nicely with the dark frames of his glasses, and the jet hue of his hair only made them seem brighter.

I also noticed that he had a nose piercing - a silver hoop through his left nostril - and I just about died. Guys with nose piercings were basically my favorite thing on the planet, and I was beyond thrilled that he had one (I was of the opinion that more guys needed to get them).

I realized I’d been staring at him for a little too long, and I felt heat beginning to crawl up my neck. Shaking my head to focus my thoughts, I held out the case of beer to him, saying a quiet “hey” as he took the box from my hands.

I followed him into the apartment, and I couldn’t help but be slightly surprised by how much it resembled my own - and not just because they were both built out of old shipping containers.

The most noticeable feature in the room was a bookcase, which was the central feature in my own apartment, and it was overflowing with books, movies, CDs, and even records. The walls were painted a light blue, and the whole room had a very calming effect - a similar vibe to the one my own home gave off.

“So,” I started, setting my keys on the little table inside the door, “this is what you look like when you’re not on a balcony, 3C.”

“Yeah,” he replied, turning from the counter where he’d just set the beer. “Oh, and my name’s actually Austin.”

“Well, Austin, I’m Meissa. It’s nice to actually meet you.” He chuckled when I stuck my hand out for him to shake, but he took it all the same.

“Likewise, 5C.”

I laughed and picked up my phone. “So, first test of this friendship: what do you want on the pizza?”

He thought for a minute, a mock serious expression crossing his face before he laughed along with me. “Pineapple and bacon, definitely.”

“Oh, you’re a man after my own heart - I like you more already. This is going to be a beautiful friendship.”

~*^*~

“So Meissa,” Austin started, leaning against the back of his futon with a beer in hand as I finished the last slice of pizza, “tell me about this asshole boss of yours.”

“Eurgh, okay,” I grumbled, leaning back into the futon as well. “Basically he’s just a sexist prick who thinks that I’m not capable of doing my job without constant directions because I’m a woman.”

“That sounds awful.”

“It really is, but I’d rather not think about him until Monday morning at the earliest. Distract me?”

Austin snorted. “Sure, I think I can manage that. How do you feel about ‘80s movies?”

I fixed him with the most serious expression I’d ever given anyone in my life. “If you put The Breakfast Club on I might actually kiss you.” Yeah, the alcohol had definitely kicked in. I’d always been a huge flirt, but I was never that direct.

Luckily, he just laughed and shook his head at me. “Well, I guess I don’t have a choice then - I would hate to disappoint you. The Breakfast Club it is.”

“I guess I have to kiss you now, huh?”

“Looks like it.”

Giggling, I leaned over and pressed my lips to his cheek. At the shocked look he gave me, I only said “I didn’t say where I had to kiss you” with a smirk on my lips.

.

Tags: @highqueenofelfhame @keep-a-bucket-full-of-stars @tonystarkdadmode @tamaranianprincess

If you’d like to be tagged, just let me know! And, as always, please let me know what you think!

[freeyoursoul-write]

Balconies Are Great Plot Devices Chapter 2

Okay, here’s part two!

Summary: Meissa makes friends with her downstairs neighbor.

Warnings: mild swearing, cliffhanger ending

Four days after my surprise encounter with Mr. 3C - his de-facto name until I learned his real one - I had gotten home from work early and I had just walked out onto my balcony when I heard muffled curses from below me.

Peering down off my balcony, I spotted my downstairs neighbor on his balcony, back against the railing and head in his hands, which would explain why his curses were coming out so muffled.

“Hey,” I called, watching as he startled a little before lifting his gaze to meet mine. Brushing a wayward piece of blonde hair back behind my ear, I continued with “everything all good down there, 3C?”

He sniggered quietly at the nickname before replying. “I feel like ‘yes’ is probably the wrong answer, huh?”

“Maybe not wrong, but definitely not the one I’d believe.”

“That’s fair.” He was quiet for a moment, and I noticed that his hair was up today, a haphazard bun resting on the crown of his head. “My ex just pulled a bitch move and I’m over the shit.”

“That sucks, man. Anything you want to talk about?” I asked, strands from my ponytail falling over my shoulders.

“Not right now, no. Maybe some other time.”

“Okay, I get it. Well, you know where I am if you need anything.” I waved down to him before turning to go back inside.

As I stepped through the door, I heard him call “see you around, 5C,” and I couldn’t help but smile.

~*^*~

Our relationship progressed in much the same manner for a couple weeks. Apparently we both sought refuge from our problems on our balconies, and we crossed paths often. Our conversations were usually full of jokes and words of encouragement.

We still hadn’t learned each other’s names, but it still felt like we were becoming friends, despite how little we knew about each other.

That all changed, however, one Friday night.

Tags: Currently I’m just tagging my lovely mutuals who support me in everything! @highqueenofelfhame @keep-a-bucket-full-of-stars @tamaranianprincess @tonystarkdadmode

If you’d like to be tagged, let me know! And let me know what you thought!!

[freeyoursoul-write]

Balconies Are Great Plot Devices

Okay, so this is the first part of a longer story that I’ve been working on, and y’all can thank @highqueenofelfhame for convincing me to post this. I’ll post the next section in a few days!

Summary: Meissa makes friends with her downstairs neighbor.

Warnings: mild swearing

I let out a frustrated yell, dropping my bag on the floor with a resounding thunk and throwing my keys at the futon with significant force. So much force, in fact, that they bounced off the back of it and fell to the floor with a tiny crash.

Grumbling incoherently under my breath about how I’d have to pick them up later and how things just couldn’t ever go my way, I stomped into the kitchen and practically yanked the door off its hinges as I opened it. Scowling into its depths, I found what I was looking, and let out a sigh of relief as I grabbed a beer and turned toward the balcony.

I covered the short distance between my kitchen and the balcony door quickly - I lived in a building of studio apartments that had been built out of old shipping containers, so the space was small, but I loved it dearly and I wouldn’t give it up for the world - and I pulled the door open, feeling the rage from the day dim as the breeze washed over my face.

Leaning against the sliding glass door behind me, I took a deep drink from the bottle in my hand before setting the half-empty bottle on my patio table and walking over to the railing. Resting my forearms against it, I dropped my head into my hands and let out another frustrated yell as I thought about the day I’d just had.

I almost jumped out of my skin when I heard “hey, uh, are you okay?” yelled from somewhere below me.

Looking down over the railing, I saw the guy who lived two floors below me looking up from his own balcony, concern evident on his features. Because of the way the containers were stacked together - almost like a game of Jenga - the apartment directly below me had their balcony off to the side of the building, which was why I could see directly to his balcony.

“Uh,” I called back. “Would you believe me if I said yes?”

“Probably not.” He chuckled, running a hand through dark hair that was surprisingly long. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“No, I’m alright. Besides, you probably have better things to do then listen to your upstairs neighbor, who you’ve never met, complain about her jackass of a boss.”

“You’d be surprised how much free time a guy can have. But I get not wanting to talk about it. If you ever change your mind, I’m in 3C.”

“Thanks.” I smiled down at him before adding “I’m in 5C, by the way.”

“I’ll remember that,” he replied, waving once before walking back into his apartment.

I went back to leaning against the railing, staring out over the river and skyline, contemplating how even bad days could end with pleasant surprises.

Tags: @highqueenofelfhame @keep-a-bucket-full-of-stars

[freeyoursoul-write]

Pumpkin Head (Spooky Shorts Part I)

This is the very first part of a group of little drabbles based on spooky prompts!!

The jack-o-lantern sat on the porch of the old manor, eyes glowing in the early morning light. Passersby stopped to marvel at how intricately carved it was. Its expression, one of shocked delight, was so lifelike that many who saw it often had to look twice to ensure it wasn’t alive. Every year, these carved faces - plural, since the carver had a different jack-o-lantern out every day - never failed to amaze every single person who saw them.

The only catch was that if people wanted to see them, they had to come in the early morning or at twilight - basically dawn or dusk. Those were the only times of day the carver would part with his creations. No one understood why, but it persisted for years, so they’d basically stopped questioning it.

Through a darkened window, the carver observed the growing light of the day, knowing the time to draw the jack-o-lantern back into the manor was drawing near. Rolling his shoulders, the carver rose from his armchair and marched to his front door.

Those on the sidewalk watched as the door opened wide enough for the carver to reach out and grab his jack-o-lantern. It was the same every day: the carver opened the door only wide enough for his arms to be seen, and nothing else - no one had ever seen his face. The townspeople always just figured he was reclusive and shy, which was another thing they’d stopped questioning.

The door clicked shut softly, and not a moment too soon. As the carver leaned against the door, the eyes on the jack-o-lantern blinked twice and the mouth stretched into a Cheshire grin. As gently as he could, the carver lifted the jack-o-lantern toward his head - or the empty space between his shoulders where his head should have been.

Setting the jack-o-lantern on his shoulders, the head chuckled softly as it met its body once again. Eyes flashing in mischief, the carver set off into the depths of the manor, content to spend his day working before the time came to put his head back out on the porch in order to get some sleep.

If only the townspeople knew what lived among them.

Tags: @highqueenofelfhame

[freeyoursoul-write]

I Have Abandonment Issues (Part II)

Okay, here’s the second part of my abandoned places series!

The amusement park sat abandoned like some old Western ghost town. Tumbleweeds wandered the street in a sad pantomime of former patrons. The roller coaster rose like a dragon into the sky, guarding the treasures lying lonely beneath it.

And the haunted tower stood strong and proud, one sad light blinking forlornly atop it. It called to the townspeople like a lighthouse calls to ships in a storm, but no one answered it.

Well, no one living anyway.

See, tumbleweeds weren’t all that roamed the streets - there were ghosts walking the grounds too. And everyone in the surrounding towns knew it.

The blinking light called to the spirits of those who had passed on, drawing them into the park. And the ghosts were a lively bunch, running and talking as though they were still alive.

The living had come to realize this by watching the park. All of the the rides continued to run, even though no one alive dared set foot through the gates. The cars on the roller coaster were constantly cresting the hill, and the carousel just kept spinning, seeming to go without end.

This wouldn’t have been so bad to the townspeople, except that it all happened without making a sound. All of the those rides were moving, and not a sound to be heard. That was what bothered the living, what made them stay away.

There was a legend that anyone living to pass the gates would never be seen again - they would become a ghost themselves. None of the people were willing to offer themselves to see if the legend was true, despite their curiosites, so it persisted.

The living would let the ghosts have their amusement park - they had the rest of the town for themselves, after all.

Tags: @highqueenofelfhame

[freeyoursoul-write]

I Have Abandonment Issues (Part I)

Okay, this is part one of random little drabbles I’ve written about abandoned places!

The old building lay abandoned, instilling a sense of foreboding in all who saw it. The bricks, once whitewashed and pristine, had turned black with age, and the cement had become dingy over the years.

Ivy covered large patches of the walls, creeping steadily toward the heavens. The grass was unkempt, and the weeds practically ran the property.

Despite the fact that the property was basically in disrepair, everyone in the town knew better than to set foot on it. Not for fear of poison ivy or disease-ridden bugs.

No, the townspeople weren’t afraid of things like that. What they feared was so much worse.

They were afraid of the ghosts.

The old building was teeming with the ghosts of former patients, too angry over their supposed treatment within those walls to actually move on.

They were angry, and the needed blood to control it. They thirsted for the blood of those who had damned them, and the townspeople knew it.

See, it was their ancestors who had allowed the asylum to continue operating, thereby damning all those innocent people.

But the ghosts were restless tonight. Something was about to happen - a change was coming - and they could sense it.

Without warning, the mayor’s daughter and her boyfriend came walking down the sidewalk, heading home after a simple date. As seamlessly as clockwork, his hand brushed her side, tickling her enough that she stumbled slightly, one foot landing just inside the property line, right on the front lawn of the asylum.

Both shared a look of horror before sprinting into town, hands clasped tightly in an effort to protect one another, for they knew what they’d just done.

And the ghosts knew it too - this was what they’d been waiting for. The barrier around the property was broken, and they would finally have their revenge.

The ghosts would have their blood tonight.

Tags: @highqueenofelfhame