Young Writers Society

Hello again! I'm going to go ahead and post a revised version since I feel like Scott did need to be changed and if I could get a few more reviews lol

Oh yeah, for the poll: Does having a collection of short stories that revolve around people who knew Lucy and in the process tell the story? I know thats not a good explanation but if you read, you'll probably understand what I mean. 1 and 2 is the brother and father.

1.

Is that her? Judd Germaine thought to himself. A small girl with ebony hair and pale skin was sitting across the street on a bench. She was by herself. It could be Lucy.

“Mom, I think I see her. I…I think I see her.” Judd said, tugging on his mother’s sleeve and pointing towards the little girl.

“Don’t you think?” Judd asked pleadingly. His mother didn’t answer. Judd sprung up off the front porch and ran as fast as he could across the street. He could feel his own sweat going cold as he ran. He wouldn’t let the girl out of her sight. The hot Mississippi sun beat down on Judd as he got closer to the bench. He reached over to put a hand on the girl’s shoulder.

“Lucy!” Judd exclaimed happily. His smile was as long as the Mississippi river though it soon shortened to as long as a puddle.

It wasn’t Lucy.

The girl’s eyes were huge with fear. They didn’t sparkle like Lucy’s did. Her complexion didn’t shine like the stars in the heavens and her lips didn’t sing out like no one was listening. He made another mistake. It was the fifth one this week.

“I…I’m sorry. I think I’ve got the wrong....” Judd stammered, tears clogging his speech. It was like all hell broke loose in his throat and he couldn’t speak at all. He wiped the tears from his eyes in vain and opened his mouth.

“You’re not my sister.”

Suddenly, a firm hand gripped Judd’s shoulder.

“That would be my daughter, young man.” Judd spun around and looked straight into the eyes of Ms. Lansky, his school teacher.

Judd’s bluish gray eyes became saucers and slowly stepped away from the bench.

“I’m sorry…I’m…sorry.” Judd said as he backed away towards the street.

“Its ok, Judd. I know you miss Lucy.” Ms. Lansky said.

At that, Judd turned around and ran across the street back to his house. His mother was still sitting on the porch. Tears stinging her eyes.

2.

The beach was officially closed but one man still remained, looking out into the dark abysses of the ocean. Scott Germaine let the breeze flow through his blonde hair and the white, cold sand squeeze through his toes. His eyes were closed in meditation, thinking.

Lucy.

He mouthed the name over and over again as if he said it a million times; his only daughter would appear right beside him. His daughter’s soft hand would be once again wrapped around his.

But when Scott opened his eyes, all he felt in his hand was a jagged rock. He had picked it up while walking the many miles of the beach front. It was a stress reliever. He hoped that the smell of the ocean would cleanse his mind of

Lucy.

Scott shivered and put his free hand is his pocket. To his surprise, he felt a crumpled up piece of paper on the bottom. It was a drawing of him, Judd and

Lucy

playing catch. As tears started to flow down his face, Scott dropped the rock and touched the little stick figure resembling himself with his finger.

Scott.

He closed his eyes and it was like he was being transported into the past; into one of the several games of catch he played with his kids.

“Catch time!” Scott heard his own voice replay in his mind.

“I’ll get the ball!” Judd said. He ran to the garage and grabbed a green, worn, tennis ball.

“Got it!” Judd said as he ran back to the backyard where Lucy and Scott were. They formed a triangle with their bodies. It was decided that Judd would start the game.

And the game started. At first, all you could hear was the whoosh when the ball was flying through the air and then the humph when the ball hit the next person’s palm or the splat when if it hit the ground. It was musical. Whoosh, humph, whoosh, humph, whoosh, splat, whoosh, humph.

After awhile, voices where added to the mix of music.

“Hey Dad, I got an A on my math test!” Judd exclaimed happily between catching and throwing the ball.

“That’s great, son. Keep up the good work.” Scott would always say. He wasn’t the kind of father who put pressure on his kids to do well in school but when they did, he always made the effort to congratulate them.

“Tomorrow, I’ll take you out for some ice cream as celebration, ok?” Scott said.

“What’s ice weem, Daddy?” Lucy asked.

“Ice cream, Lucy Goose. You’ve had it before silly.” Scott said, gently throwing the ball Lucy’s way.

“It’s cold and—” Scott said.

“Sweet!” Judd added.

“Sweet? Sweet like you Daddy?” Lucy asked, with a confused expression on her face. Scott chuckled and said, “Yes, sweet like me. And sweet like you too!” Scott said.

Scott shook his head and inhaled the saline air. The backyard disappeared and he was once again on the beach. Those were the days, he thought to himself. The Germaine family’s bond was as strong as iron then. But now, their bond was a withering rose in the distance. There were no more afternoon catch games or ice cream trips. He could barely say “Catch time!” without the words gripping his heart. Scott needed to catch up to Lucy. He needed to find her. But, as the days kept going by, it seemed impossible. As Scott looked out over the ocean, he thought about how the waters were so dark and scary. You never knew what was going to come up behind you. For Scott, that was like finding Lucy. He knew nothing and probably will never find her. At that, Scott picked up the jagged rock he had before off the sandy ground and threw it into oblivion. That was how far he’ll have to go to find her. Oblivion.