|
Ascriber / Writers Eyes Workshop - 1 Submission
The Magic Lake
by Stuart McDonald
I watched Lucy and Robbie, my little West Highland terrier, playing down by the lakeside. He still wasn't too old to chase after the piece of wood she threw for him. Thinking back to last night's outburst I wondered if maybe she should get a pet of her own, for company.
"Gran," she had said. " I'm really fed up. Fed up with London, fed up with my job. It's a dead-end and I'm surrounded by a crowd of yuppie idiots who think money is a substitute for manners, and a bunch of no-hope Sharons and Waynes who don't think at all."
"Oh Lucy. I'm sure it isn't as bad as that."
"It is you know," she replied. "I have absolutely nothing in common with any of them. If only Tony . . ." She stopped and stared into the fire, the light from it shining on her fair, wavy hair. Just like her mother's.
"What about friends?" I asked, wanting to move quickly past Tony and the divorce. I never really thought he was right for her. And, after, all, it had been over a year.
"How can you make friends in a city," said Lucy. "Everything's miles away from everything else. Taxis cost a fortune and I wouldn't go anywhere on the Tube on my own in the evening."
"What about that nice young man, the one with the red hair? What was his name? You met him at Myra's wedding."
"Oh, Ian," said Lucy, smiling slightly.
"Well?"
"Too wrapped up in his career. Busy studying. No time for women," said Lucy, sighing.
"Wasn't he a surgeon of some kind?" I said
"Not then, but he probably is now. That's what the exams were about."
"Pity," I said. "He seemed so nice. I thought he was quite interested in you."
"Can't have been. Anyway, I haven't seen him since then." She stood up and bent to kiss me. "Good night Gran. Thanks for putting up with my moans."
"That's one of the things Grans are for," I replied. "Good night, dear. Sleep sound, and don't worry."
Comments Received
From John Ryley
A well written story, but for my taste, a little short. Not all of the elments of the workshop were written in, but perhaps that is not necessary. Plenty of dialogue, which I like, and have some difficulties with myself.
Back to workshop