Writing Prompt Stories, Mini Stories That My Mind Cooked Up – Part 8

"We've been friends for so long, I can't remember which one of us is the bad influence."

"Considering you're the one suggesting we skip out on class, I'd say it's you." I raised my eyebrows in his direction, and he shrugged.

"So? I don't care. We doing this, or not?" Mark asked, and I hesitated, readjusting my book bag on my shoulder. I could feel the weight of my human psychology book, and I could practically see the scathing glare of my lecturer (who's name I still could not remember) when I walked into the next class. He would definitely know. He would single me out, glare at me, and then announce some sort of quiz on the material covered in the last lecture.

"Fine, what are we doing?" I asked, throwing all caution to the wind. I could catch up, I had the right books, I could just teach it to myself.

"I was thinking we could go and get something to drink..." Mark started, and I turned to glare at him.

"Seriously? You're making me leave campus, while I have classes to go to, because you want to go and flirt with that cute girl at the cafe?"

Mark shrugged.

"Whatever," I sighed. "As long as you're not expecting me to help you catch up on the classes you're missing."

"But, June..." he whinged, giving me a puppy dog eyed stare that I tried desperately to ignore. I pouted, purposefully not looking at him, and I could tell he was grinning. If only he knew how that stare makes me melt. And that dragging me along to be his female wingman as he chats up other girls makes me want to throw up with how jealous it makes me.

"I'm not taking English, and yet, I seem to know more about your course than you do."

"That's because you're awesome. So? Help me catch up later?" he asked and I looked away again, not wanting to see his messy hair fall over his eyes as he waited for me answer.

"Fine." I sighed my defeat, and Mark celebrated by attempting to do that jump where you kick your own foot to the side, but he failed miserably and it just looked like he was trying to trip himself in the air.

The cafe I often found myself in, due to Mark and the girl who worked there, wasn't all that big, although with the amount of students who used it as their gateway to caffeine, I sometimes wondered how the workers deal with so many people in such a small area. When it was quiet, though, it was a heavenly place.

The smell of coffee and chocolate hits you as soon as you open the door, and, with all the wooden decor, it looks like you've just stepped into a cosy cabin. Apart from the counter and all the tables, that is.

I watch as Mark makes a beeline to the counter, leaning against it on one elbow, and smiling at the girl who smiled at the attention, but pretended to ignore it. I turned away, and looked for a table.

What did she have that I didn't? Sure, her hair was a beautiful red, which was was clearly her natural hair colour, and mine was a dull brown colour that looked, at the best of times, like mud. And sure, she was tall and slender, and my thunder thighs couldn't hold a candle to her thigh gap. But, I had witnessed firsthand her inability to calculate the smallest of sums, and I was managing to learn everything on my course, while simultaneously teaching myself Mark's course, so I could help him with it. Surely that stood for something?

Mark briefly returned to me, putting a cup of hot chocolate down on the table for me, topped with more whipped cream than I had ever seen this place serve, and a large blueberry muffin, my favourite.

"Thank you," I reached for my bag. "How much was it?"

"It's on me. Enjoy," he said, sending me a lob-sided smile as he turned and walked back to the counter, glancing over his shoulder at me. I picked up the hot chocolate, careful not to spill any, and held it up to cheers him before sipping it and giving myself a whipped cream moustache while simultaneously burning the tip of my tongue.

I pulled my human psychology book out of my bag, and lay it on the table, opening it to the page I had got to. The class today was supposed to be on chapter ten, so I pulled out my highlighter, and started reading. 

Every so often, I glanced up at Mark, who had obviously intentionally brought me here just in time for the girl to go on her break. They were sat at a table together, and Mark seemed to be listening intensely to everything she said. She didn't seem to be flirting with him, but I was sat across the room. Maybe I wasn't seeing her correctly. I narrowed my eyes slightly, staring at her. She seemed to be... explaining something to him? Was she letting him down gently? But he was hanging onto her every word.

I shook my head, looking back down at my book. It was none of my business what they were talking about. That didn't stop me glancing back up every now and again.

My hot chocolate was gone, and I was just finishing my muffin when Mark walked back over.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked, looking down at the table and not meeting my eye.

"Yep." I put the last bit of blueberry in my mouth, and closed my textbook, shoving it back into my bag.

"Can we go for a walk?" Mark asked, and I looked up at him, waiting for him to properly look at me, frowning when he didn't. I glanced over at the girl, now behind the counter again, and she quickly looked away, before looking back over and sending me a thumbs up.

What?

"Sure..." I slung my bag over my shoulder, and followed Mark to the door, which he held open for me. Weird, usually I had to slip out quickly before it closed on me.

"So... I have something to say, and I want you to be deathly silent until I'm finished." Mark announced after we had been walking aimlessly for five minutes.

"By deathly silent, you mean..."

"Don't open your mouth until I'm done."

"Okay." I watched as he took a deep breath, looking down at the floor, and started speaking.

"So, first off, you're amazing. Like, literally, I don't know how you're so smart, but you're the smartest person I know. I don't think I would be passing any of my classes right now without you, and I have no idea how you're passing, because you're learning my stuff as well as your own," he rambled, and I listened, waiting for him to get to the point. Did he want me to stop tutoring him? Was cafe girl going to start helping him instead?

"And you're also, like, insanely pretty." What? "You have the prettiest eyes I've ever seen, and I hope you haven't noticed me staring at you ever, because I will die of mortification if you have. And even though we've been friends forever and you know everything about me that is gross and disgusting, I also know everything gross about you and I don't feel any different, so I'm hoping that, maybe, you might pity me enough after this terrible speech, to perhaps go out on a date with me?"

My mouth hung open, my eyebrows slightly creased as I stared at him. He looked me in the eye, waiting for my answer, but I couldn't make my brain connect to my mouth.

"The confused silence isn't really what I was after..." Mark said, awkwardly chuckling, before falling silent again.

"What about cafe girl?" I finally asked, and Mark frowned.

"Poppy? She's my second cousin. She's been trying to get me to ask you out for weeks, and she's been helping me figure out what to say and do. The rambling speech wasn't part of the plan, but still."

"You want to take me on a date?" I asked and he nodded, looking down at the floor and moving a stone along the path with the toe of his shoe. I don't think I've ever seen him looking so bashful.

"Okay."

"Yes?" Mark's gaze shot up, and grin pulled at his mouth.

"I'm just curious at how you haven't seen me looking at you... I'm not exactly subtle about it." I said, smiling.

"How do you know I haven't?" Mark asked, and I reached up and pushed him playfully.

"You're so annoying." I told him and he nodded.

"I know. Does this mean now we can walk and hold hands?" he asked, and I pretended to think about it before holding out my hand to him.

"I suppose." His hand closed around him, his fingers entwining with mine. It felt comfortable, safe, right. "So where are we going on this date?"

"I was thinking the cafe?" he said seriously, but I could understand the sarcasm behind his words.

"No way, if the place doesn't have burgers, I'm not going."

"Great, I'll pick you up at six. And by that, I mean I'll knock on your door at six, and then we'll walk."

"Sounds perfect."

And done!

I must be in some sort of mood, because recently, all I've been writing is sappy romance stuff. I just want to hold hands with someone and cuddle while watching movies, is that too much to ask?!

Okay, that's all for now...

Bye!

A Review – On the Doorstep by R. A. Hutchins

 

There are some books that you find on your ereader randomly, and have no idea what they are about, when you got them, or what they are. This is one of those books.

I started reading this book because my phone was dead and I had nothing else to scroll on. I am glad I did though!

Let me introduce the book, and then we will get into my review!

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may get paid or receive a commission if you purchase through my link.

In her twenties, single and with the Covid-19 pandemic almost behind her, Abigail should be living her best life.

Which she is, as long as it’s within the confines of her own home.

The problem is, Abi can’t bring herself to leave the house. Suffering from agoraphobia, her life now revolves around her work as a freelance web designer, her art hobby business, and her infrequent chats with her attractive delivery driver, Sean.

When things progress towards a relationship, Abi’s happy to welcome him into her home, but what will happen when Sean wants to take her out?

A story of courage and limitations, of anxiety and baby steps, interwoven with sweet romance and more than a sprinkling of hope.

There are no miracle cures or quick fixes in this standalone novella, just support, understanding, and a whole lot of love!

Amazon UK • Amazon US

My Review!

Some phobias are small, but can feel big. Being scared of spiders, for example, comes on different levels. It can be that spiders make you a little uncomfortable, or that you freeze in fear whenever there is a spider around. Agoraphobia, though, is a little different. There are some things that people take for granted in this world. Warm clothes, a roof over your head, fresh air outside. But one that doesn’t seem to fit on that list is the ability to go outside.

While COVID-19 gave everyone at least a little concern over leaving the house, it gave Abi more than a little. The threshold of the front door is one that she cannot cross, and even the thought of doing so is enough to throw her into a panic attack. And, when she finally works up the courage to ask the cute delivery guy who has been bringing her art supplies out, she finally had to face the fact that people go outside on a regular basis, and while it terrifies her, it might become a necessity. 

I was not aware of the extent agoraphobia could get to. I was not wholly aware of the phobia itself, to be fair. To physically be unable to step outside, to only feel safe within your own home, but also trapped within it, is portrayed perfectly in this story. This is not a particularly long novel, you could easily read it within an hour, if not less, but that does not take away from the feelings or the story at all. Sean, the delivery driver, is the change in Abi’s life that prompts her to realise just how debilitating her illness actually is. It is normal for couples to go for a walk together on a nice day, but, scared to tell Sean about her inability to do so, Abi ends up coming up with lies, reasons to stay inside. Her fear that this man, whom she cares for, will turn and walk away when he finds out about her issues with mental health, is heartbreaking to read about. She is so scared that he will judge her and turn his back to her that she would rather continue to live a lie than to tell the truth. 

Sean and Abi are a lovely couple to read about. While Sean does not know about Abi’s agoraphobia for the majority of this book, he is no less of a wonderful and supportive man. Even when he barely knows her, he does what he can to make sure she is comfortable. He is not without his own issues, for a past relationship has left him with a guarded heart and a careful approach, but Abi’s beauty, both that inside and out, seems to be simply irresistible to him. Their relationship was so incredibly sweet to read. 

Once again, this is a very short novel and, sometimes, books this short can miss out on some of the emotion to make way for the backbone of the story. Not so, in this novel. There is not only emotion, it is felt by the reader as well as the characters. This book has been written with a certain touch that makes it such an incredibly experience to read it. There are some people who can decorate cakes beautifully, and in a way no person could ever replicate. This author has written the story version of that metaphorical cake. And it is one that you don’t want to say no to, but one that you must pick up eagerly, and simply devour it, every single word, until there is nothing left. Not even crumbs. 

And done!

I recommend you grab a copy of this book! It is short and sweet, and the chapters are wonderfully bitesized – perfect for a coffee break, five minutes of relaxing, or an hour curled up in a cosy blanket.

I started reading this as a break time thing, but I stopped being able to put it down, so I didn't.

That's all for now...

Bye!

Short Story – Questions of Love

"I thought sleepovers were meant to be fun," I complained, from where I was lying on the floor.

"I thought sleepovers were meant to be either all girls or all boys, but here we are," Finn added, sitting down next to me on the floor and holding out a bag of crisps to me. "Want one?"

I reached out and took a crisp, putting it in my mouth as I turned to look at Rosie, sat on the edge of the sofa, blowing softly on her nails, and Max, her boyfriend, lying across the sofa with his head on her lap.

"Rosie?" I began and she looked over at me.

"What?"

"Do we have to spend the whole night waiting for your nails to dry, or can we do something actually entertaining?" She pulled a face at me, before her eyes lit up and I immediately regretted ever saying anything.

"Let's do that thing, with the questions!"

"What thing, what questions?" Finn asked, the bag of crisps rustling as he reached in and pulled out a handful, offering it to me again when he saw I was looking.

"The questions that are meant to make you fall in love with the other person!" I stopped short of the crisp packet and sent a glare Rosie's way. Luckily, neither Finn or Max seemed to notice.

"I thought we were already in love?" Max asked innocently, sitting up, as Rosie seemed about to jump out of her seat and it would have been dangerous for him to remain where he was.

"Yes, so it can make us more in love." 

"What about us, though?" Finn asked, frowning. He didn't know I had a massive crush on him, I wouldn't be here tonight if he did. Telling Rosie about my crush must have been the worst mistake I ever made. She was my best friend, but she schemed and loved match-making like no tomorrow. She was a modern day Emma.

"Well, we can use you as the test subjects. If you fall in love, obviously the questions work!" Rosie announced, standing up abruptly and walking off in search of her phone. Max looked almost proud of himself for foreseeing the danger and sitting up. There was no way Rosie wouldn't have stood up just as quickly, even if Max was lying on her lap.

"She has too much energy for one in the morning." Finn announced in Rosie's absence, and I agreed, rolling over so I was face down on the carpet. 

"I want to sleep." I mumbled, turning my head to the side when I felt someone tap my arm. Finn held out the bag of crisps to me again, and I pushed myself up onto my elbows, reaching in and taking a handful.

"I found them!" Rosie flounced back into the room, waving her phone around.

"Great." I mumbled, face-planting the carpet again.

"You two start," I heard Max say. "I'm going to get a drink." I felt his footsteps as he stepped over me and Finn, both of us sprawled across the floor, albeit Finn was upright, and disappeared into the kitchen.

"Claire, sit up." Rosie instructed, and I reluctantly pushed myself up, making sure to send a pointed glare her way. "Now sit and face Finn."

"I don't want to."

"Come on, Claire. If we play along, we might get a gold star and takeaway!" Finn joked and I pulled a face at him. "Why don't you want to do it so much?"

When in doubt, tell the truth.

"Because I'm madly in love with you and I don't want you to find out." I said it quickly, and Finn hesitated for a moment before chuckling.

"Okay, well, play the game and maybe I'll fall madly in love with you too."

I hadn't thought of that.

"First question!" Rosie announced loudly, making me glad we weren't still teenagers living in our parents houses. We surely would have woken someone up by now if we weren't here alone. "Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?"

"That's a stupid question. How is that meant to make us fall in love?" I asked grumpily, before yawning. I just wanted to sleep. And to kiss Finn. Not necessarily in that order.

"Do they have to be alive?" Finn asked, and Rosie pondered it for a moment.

"It says 'anyone in the world', so I guess if they're buried, they're still in the world."

"What if they were cremated?" I asked, and Rosie narrowed her eyes at me while Finn grinned.

"Just play the game!"

"Fine! Brad Pitt."

"I don't think you're meant to say the first person to come to mind," Finn said, and I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Who would you have over then?"

"Colonel Sanders." He said and I mocked his 'you're not meant to say the first person who comes to mind' in a weird voice. "I'm not! I would win him over with my home-cooking, give him a bit of wine, and get him to tell me the secret herbs and spices so I can make KFC at home."

"You're weird." Rosie announced, and moved onto the next question. "Would you like to be famous? In what way?"

"Yes, for my wonderful ears." I said quickly, and Finn laughed, reaching over to tuck my hair behind my ear.

"They are wonderfully shaped and proportional ears for your head." He said, and I found myself smiling. He liked my ears! "I would want to be famous as your ear stylist."

"Guys, I don't think you understand this game." Rosie said, looking as if she were about to throw a tantrum.

"I think we do." Finn said, not looking away from me. "What's the next question?"

"Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? Why?" Rosie said, sitting back on the sofa grumpily.

"Yes, in case I accidentally give away my entire evil plot to take over the world." Finn said and I nodded, pursing my lips as I thought.

"No, because I don't make phone calls. I text. It's so much easier."

"Touche." Finn said, and I gave a little bow.

"Is that it? Next question?" Rosie asked, and we both nodded. This game was starting to get fun.

"What would constitute a "perfect" day for you?"

"I think you said 'constitute' wrong." I said, grinning at her when she turned to glare at me.

"I hate you."

"Ditto. Perfect day? Um..." When in doubt. "Making out with Finn in a little cottage in the forest where no one could find us." Just to top it off, I added sarcastically, "oh look, we must be falling in love!"

"You can't tell my perfect day as your perfect day!" Finn announced, and I studied him, trying to figure out if he was messing around or being serious.

"You want to spend a day making out with yourself?" Max asked, walking back into the room.

"No! Claire knows what I mean, don't you?" Finn said, leaning his head back against the sofa.

"Um... sure." I said, looking up at Max. "Did you get me a drink?"

"No." He stepped around me and Finn again and threw himself down onto the sofa.

"Why?"

"You didn't ask for one."

"Fine, I'll get one myself. Pause the game." I pushed myself up and walked, yawning, out of the room and into the kitchen. WHY HAD I SAID THAT AS MY FAVOURITE DAY? And what did Finn mean? And why was Rosie so good at match-making, but also so incredibly embarrassing at the same time?

"Claire?" I turned at the sound of my name, to face Finn.

"Yes?"

"I wasn't joking then, you know that, right?"

"You weren't joking when?" I asked, my breath catching in my throat as he stepped closer, his hand reaching up and cupping the side of my face.

"When I said you explained what would be my favourite day." He was so close I could feel his breath on my face, and I was sure he could hear my heart trying to beat out of my chest.

"I wasn't either. Joking, I mean." I said quietly, still slightly unsure as to whether he was still being messing around or not.

"Good." He said the single word on a sigh of relief, before leaning forward and pressing his lips against mine.

And done!

I didn't know what to write, and I came across a mention of the 36 questions to fall in love yesterday. So here we are! 

I also wasn't sure what to call this story. This will have to do!

That's all for now...

Bye!

Story Time – The evening of things getting worse and worse

I am not the kind of person who has a lot of interesting things happen in their day to day life, so I have not had many story time posts on my blog.

HOWEVER!

I just had the most chaotic evening of my life, and if I don't share it, it's going to be a story lost to time. No matter that I've already verbally told this story three times, I will now tell it here as well!

It all starts when I get a text from a friend, asking if I want to do something in the evening. Since it's a Friday night, and I never have plans, I decided it was a great idea. What followed was half an hour of us deciding that we were hungry, and that there's nowhere good (and fairly cheap) to get food near where we live. So, we come to the conclusion that we will head into town, get pizza, and do some bowling.

First off, I have to get fuel. And no one likes going into the little shop, so I decided to pay at the pump. I put my card in, it thought about it for about two minutes, and then announced that I had removed my card too early and should replace the pump. I hadn't touched anything. So, I took my card out, waited for it to reset itself, and tried again. Same thing. So, I just got back into my car, moved to a different pump, and everything worked fine.

That was the first instance of the bad luck that had settled over me.

Then I head to pick up my friend. Now, she lives in an area that is under a lot of construction, and the roads are very narrow. I came to her road, and it was blocked by a van, and two men tidying tools away for the evening. I waited patiently, they were well aware that I was there, because my headlights were on, and they were using the light to see. They spent five minutes doing stuff, which seemed altogether unnecessary, before moving out the way and letting me through.

The next thing happened a little while later. We were on the road, approaching a junction, when we came upon a lot of traffic. Cars start swerving out into emptier lanes, and the traffic was getting worse. I can see flashing lights at the junction. The junction splits into a left turn and a right turn. Across the left turn, a lorry is broken down, across both sides of the road. Police are directing everyone to the right. Guess which way I needed to go? Yes, that's right. Left. So, I go to the right, and start wondering where I was going to pull over to sort out the sat nav, because I hadn't turned it on. I know the way, but only if I had gone left.

Luckily, my friend announced that she knew exactly which way to go, and we made it with only one roundabout that I went around twice, because I missed the turn both times.

We were finally there, ready to eat some pizza, and then do some bowling. First, we have to queue to get into the pizza place. We get in, sit down. We have to order from our phones. I am an incompetent human being, and my phone decided the free WiFi wasn't good enough, and refused to connect to it. So, we ended up ordering twice, from my friends phone, so we could pay separately. But it's fine, because we immediately get drinks, so we're happy.

Until an alarm goes off. Now, sometimes you're not sure what to do when a fire alarm goes off, and that was certainly the case. One minute, everyone was sat down, looking around, and the next, everyone was on their feet, putting on coats, and picking up belongings. Children were grabbing as much food as they could carry. Everyone was being herded out the door. And then we were all sent to the other end of the complex, so I'm starting to think something's about to explode.

About fifteen minutes later, we're all brought back inside. I overhear the manager telling someone that there was no fire at all. We sit back down, keeping in mind that we are booked in for bowling at 8, and it's half past 7. We expected to be eating at this point.

My pizza comes out, and I start moving things to fit it on the table. And my drink falls over. I call to the waitress, asking if we can get a cloth or something, and pick up the drink. I put it down, in exactly the same place (where two tables join together, and there is a slight lip where one is taller than the other) and it falls again. Hilarity ensues. We clean up the mess I made, and I'm realising that my friend's food hasn't come out, only mine.

It is awkward to sit, when everyone has their food but you. It is also awkward to sit when you have food, but the other person doesn't. It took fifteen extra minutes for my friend to get her food, which I kind of understand, considering the whole fire alarm situation, and the fact that people were asking for new pizza, because their's had gone cold (it certainly hadn't. The ice in our glasses hadn't even melted) but mine came out fairly quickly, and I ordered second.

By the time my friend gets her food, we have ten minutes until we are meant to be bowling. I don't think either of us have ever eaten pizza so quickly. And, we didn't want our free drink refills to go to waste, so we downed our drinks as well.

Feeling slightly ill, we went to the bowling building, and had to queue for another ten minutes to say sorry we're late, can we still play? The person working there looked so fed up with their job, they asked if we were booked in as VIPs, we said no, they said 'you are now'. They literally upgraded us because they were fed up.

And then I awkwardly had to go back and ask how to put the barriers up, because neither of us can do bowling without those little kiddie barriers that stop your ball going into the gutter. That was a whole palava in itself. Turns out, bowling is actually quite difficult, and neither of us were very good at it. I won by about five points. It was very close the whole game.

And, it seemed, my bad luck was lifted. On the car journey home, I took a risk, and went the way that the lorry had been. It was gone, and all that remained was sand sprinkled across the road to stop other cars slipping on spilt oil.

I made it home, told this whole story twice, and then wrote it out again, here.

It was an incredibly eventful evening.

And done!

I was texting my Dad throughout the fire alarm/drink spilling situation, and he seemed utterly uninterested. When I told him I spilt my drink, he sent me a GIF of Yoda, with the words 'dumb you are'.

I hope this has been even mildly entertaining. And I hope I do not have another experience like this, at least for two or three years.

That's all for now...

Bye!

Movie Review – Catch Me If You Can – A movie of genius unlawfulness

This film is one that popped up on my recommended a couple of times, but I always avoided it. This was actually because I am dumb, not because I didn't want to watch it. In my mind, I had somehow mixed up the title 'Catch Me If You Can' with 'Now You See Me', and I didn't want to watch a film about magic tricks.

Then, I sat down to watch a movie with my parents, and my Dad put this one on. I kind of sat back, annoyed that I would have to watch a film about magic, and then I realised how stupid I was.

I proceeded to watch this film three nights in a row, and have returned to it multiple times.

So, without further ado, let us take a look at this movie (which has nothing to do with magic tricks).

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may get paid or receive a commission if you purchase through my link.

Based on the autobiography of Frank Abagnale, Jr., a true-life story of the most successful bank robber and con artist in U.S. history. Successfully eluding the FBI for years, Abagnale (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a master of deception: posing as a commercial airline pilot, pediatrician, assistant attorney general and history professor - and a brilliant forger passing millions in bad checks both in the U.S. and Internationally. FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks), has made it his prime mission to bring Abagnale to justice and pursues him relentlessly, eventually capturing him in Paris.

My Review!

Frank William Abagnale Jr. was a young man no different from everyone else. His mother and father were a lovely couple, and Frank could want for little. However, with his father in trouble about money, Frank’s life gets turned upside down when his family is forced to move to a smaller house. He has to change schools, and his parents’ relationship grows strained. It is when Frank is faced with the decision, which parent does he want to live with after the divorce, that he runs and doesn’t look back. 

The way Frank’s life goes seems to be that he has an idea, and rolls with it, without thinking anything through first, but thinking about it after he has made the decision of what to do next. When his checks start to bounce, it is clear he needs money, but the only question he faces is, where does he get it, especially when everyone stills treats him like a child. And so, his new life starts when he changes his birth date back ten years, and begins to force checks. 

The phrase ‘digging yourself into a hole’ certainly applies to this depiction of Frank’s life. He makes things up on the spot, says ‘yes’ to things without thinking about the consequences, and he bluffs his way through so much it’s incredible. Not to mention, he is incredibly smart. He does not manage to get his way through things by pure luck, he learns very quickly how the work of a pilot, a doctor, a lawyer goes, and follows it. He learns the trade, although considerable less so in some cases, and genuinely works his way through jobs he does not really have the qualifications for. When you think about it, especially considering he was under the age of 20 when he did all of this, it is astounding that people that smart really exist.

And yet, it is heartbreaking to know that, with everything Frank does, he is simply trying to put his family back together. He is trying to get his parents back together, to fix his father’s problems and mistakes, but along the way, his mistakes end up to be too much to simply put aside and, as it is said, two wrongs don’t always make a right. 

The irony of it all, of course, is that, having the knowledge about check fraud that he did, Frank ended up doing incredibly well for himself working to catch those using fraudulent checks – not that I’m saying check fraud is something we should all be pursuing, but it is ironic that Frank became what he spent years running from, and he found a job he didn’t have to pretend at, and that he, once again, excelled at. 

This film is the kind that you watch in amazement, wondering just how Frank is going to get himself out of the next situation, and what kind of strange scheme his next will be. There are many times that, while watching it, you are certain this will be the time that Carl Hanratty catches him, and yet, we know how the story ends before it begins. This isn’t a fictional story, but a depiction of real events. And Frank Abagnale was caught. 

I loved watching the developing relationship between Frank and Carl Hanratty, the FBI agent who is determined to catch the man who made him out to be a fool. Carl starts out despising Frank, and yet, as Carl gets closer to catching him, and with a yearly phone call from Frank, to wish him a Merry Christmas, their relationship grows from simply chaser and runner. Watching the realisation that these two people really only have each other, despite the fact that they are on opposite sides of the law, was wonderful.

I have watched this film at least five or six times now, and it is not the sort of film that you quickly grow bored of, and can’t sit through another time. It is the kind of film that holds your attention each time you watch it, and no matter how many times you watch it, you will still watch with rapt attention. I can predict what scene will come next, but I do not wish for it to hurry up, I sit and eagerly watch. This is the sort of film that fully entertains for the duration of it, and the pure genius of Frank’s mind, although it is not entirely put to good use for much of the film, is incredible to watch.

And done!

Everyone knows my lack of preparation at this point, so there's really no need to point out that I started making this post last night, and finished it an hour before it's due to be posted.

I'm so predictable!

That's all for now...

Bye!

Character Stories, making short stories for everyday people – Charlie

Charlie

My fingers flew furiously over the controller, running, jumping, shooting. All I could hear was the sound of gunfire, and of my character's footsteps on the grass, loud in the headphones that covered my ears, blocking out the sound of the outside world.

I shifted in my seat, leaning back slightly when I realised the fighting section was over, and I was now moving forward to some sort of puzzle. It wouldn't take me long if I concentrated, and didn't think of my phone buzzing on my desk, turned face down so I wouldn't have to see the onslaught of notifications.

I managed to find the way to go easily, without using the hint that was waiting at the bottom of the screen for me to select it, to cheat. I had always preferred figuring these things out by myself, it almost ruined it when I was given hints, or was told where to go, because then I didn’t get to experience the feeling of being smart when I solved it. 

“Hey!” I jumped when one side of my headphones were pulled off my ear, and I spun around to confront my attacker, stopping when I realised it wasn’t someone coming with the intent to kill me, but my little sister instead. Then again, she could still have that intention. “Why did you do that? If I was in combat I would’ve died and had to restart it.”

“But you weren’t in combat.” She looked around my room, scrutinising my bed before gingerly sitting down on the edge. “How long have you been playing games rather than getting things done?”

“I am getting things done.” I argued. “I’m collecting all the valuables on this play through. Last time–“

“You missed one, and it annoyed you for days, I know.” She interrupted, and I glowered at her. “It doesn’t take away from the fact that you have an essay due in three days, and, by the look of things,” she picked up an empty packet of crisps from my floor, to prove her point, before letting it slide off her finger and fall back to the carpet, “you haven’t started.”

“Look, Marie, just because you are some super genius, and spend all your time studying, it doesn’t mean I have to be one too. You might find essay writing fun, but I find virtually killing things fun, so you just run along and study, and leave me to my game.” I turned away from her, and pulled the headphone back over my ear, pressing play on the game and wincing slightly as the loud game sounds blasted into my ears, not quite being used to the loud volume yet.

“What are you doing?” I tore my headphones off, turning to Marie again, standing by my bedroom window, grinning by the curtains she had just opened.

“Letting you photosynthesise. Maybe if you get some vitamin D in you, you’ll be less grumpy,” she opened the window as well, for good measure, perhaps.

“Humans don’t photosynthesise, I thought you were ultra smart?” I mumbled, staring at the pause screen of the game.

“Ah, so you do listen to me on occasion!” She exclaimed and I rolled my eyes. “Now, I’m going to go and make some food, I want you to get changed, quit moping about the fact Leslie cheated on you, because everyone saw it coming, and come eat a meal with me.” 

“If everyone saw it coming, couldn’t anyone tell me, or did you all find it funny to just sit back and watch her make a fool out of me?” I snapped, standing up, but getting caught by the headphones hanging around my neck, the wire holding me near to my console.

“We tried to warn you, Charlie, but you didn’t listen. Now block her number, because that buzzing is starting to annoy me, and have a shower.” She turned and walked out of the room, leaving the door open as she walked away. Sometimes, I greatly questioned my decision to share accommodation with her at university. It was like living with a whirlwind who thought they were always right, and tried to get you to study all the time.

Then again, I do, unfortunately, recall her telling me she had seen Leslie hanging around another guy, and me telling her that she was stupid to think Leslie would ever do anything like she was suggesting. I sighed, running my hands across my face, and turning, squinting slightly into the light coming through my window. When was the last time I had opened my curtains, let alone known what time of day it was? I was hungry, and I couldn’t deny that, for as annoying as she was, I had taken no cooking talent from our mother, so Marie had both of our share of that particular skill.

Blocking Leslie’s number was a weight off my shoulders. To think that, the next time she sends a message, begging for my forgiveness, telling me that she made a mistake, letting me know that I was the better of the two men, or swearing at me, a cycle she seemed to have been repeating for the last few days, she would get an automated response telling her she couldn’t text me anymore, was something I relished. 

I hated to have to walk into the kitchen and my mere presence to prove to Marie that she was right about something, yet again, but after a scalding shower, I was both starving, and feeling greatly refreshed. My hair still practically dripping, I walked into the kitchen.

“If you dare say anything along the lines of ‘I told you so’, I will take the ink out of your highlighters.” I warned before she could say anything, and although my threat obviously worried her, nerd that she was, I was sure she loved her different coloured highlighters more than she loved me, her only brother, she was grinning. 

“Bacon, eggs, toast, and,” she shuddered, “baked beans.” She gestured to the stove, where things were sizzling and bubbling in various pans.

“Don’t diss the baked beans.”

“They’re gross.”

“You’re gross.

“Thanks. Now grab some plates, and help me serve up. The sooner we eat, the sooner we can get started on your essay.” She said happily, and I groaned. I had almost forgotten. Goodbye video games, hello studying with my sister all afternoon, and having her tell me that my points were sub-par, and that I needed to revise more.

Then again, she did cook baked beans for me, despite her aversion to them, so that counted for something.

And done!

I wrote this an hour ago. I'm so well prepared!

And baked beans are great, no arguments.

That's all for now...

Bye!

A Review – Carrier

Carrier
By QCODE
A Review

At this point, I know I enjoy these podcast stories, especially considering the fact that they are immersive. This was, if I remember correctly, the third of these kinds of podcasts I listened to.

And, if I remember correctly, I have listened to this at least twice now. I have been meaning to write a review for this for ages, hence listening to it more than once, to get back into the feel of it, and am only just getting around to it.

So, now that we're finally here, let's get into it!

What happens when a truck driver picks up a loaded trailer, but has no idea what’s really inside? Tony, Grammy, and Emmy award winner Cynthia Erivo journeys down a dark and lonely highway in this original scripted thriller from QCODE and creator Dan Blank. With immersive audio techniques that create a dimensional listening experience, the audience is strongly advised to use caution, wear headphones if possible, and listen... carefully.

Apple Podcasts • Spotify


My Review!

Some forms of storytelling do exceptionally well when the story is creepy and suspenseful. This story is certainly both of those, and combined with the whole auditory experience that puts you in the cab of a truck, not entirely sure what cargo you are hauling, this is a story worth listening to.

Turning up barely past when she was due, Raylene quickly finds herself stuck, far from home, without a trailer to haul home. Without one, the journey will simply cost her money on fuel, rather than making her money with work. Her boss cannot find her a paid gig, and so, she takes matters into her own hands. She might have taken over work for her father, while he is unwell, but that doesn't mean she didn't have access to his contacts, people who will certainly have something she can haul.

But, when she hooks up to the trailer, and starts on her journey, she starts to suspect things aren't all that they seem. She wasn't allowed to inspect the trailer, which was bolted shut, and she wasn't exactly given a clear answer of what was actually inside. All that she knows, is that she must make sure the trailer stays at a constant temperature, and that she will have to routinely check it to make sure everything is running smoothly.

Raylene is the kind of character who is stuck where she should not be. Her children are at home, and she hasn't seen them for far too long, and with her father sick, she should be near, in case something happens. Instead, she must put her trust in her boyfriend, looking after her children, and her brother, looking after her father. She is trying to get home, but making the progress she needs to make grows difficult as her worries about what she might be hauling intensifies.

The whole trucking business is one that, in this podcast, Raylene finds difficult as a woman. At times, she feels incredibly unsafe, especially so when she is parked around other truck drivers, and not alone out on the road. Her frustration towards some of the treatment she receives, and her inability to do anything other than her job, when things happen at home, comes across incredibly clearly.

There is a whole element of mystery in this podcast. It is clear that whatever is in Raylene's trailer, it is not good, and it is certainly not food produce, but the whole question of what it might actually be goes unanswered throughout most of the story. As the story progresses, the truth starts to come to light, and Raylene must stop simply driving, and start fighting to make it through this journey alive.

The ending of this podcast was a little confusing the first time I heard it. There is a lot of chaos, and we almost lose Raylene's voice as more sounds are added. While the rest of the story works well as an auditory story, the last scene almost seemed like it needed visuals for me to understand it. Other than that, though, the audio was incredibly immersing, pulling you into the story and making you feel like you are actually there. I enjoyed listening to this, proven by the fact that I listened to the whole thing twice through, and I would certainly listen to it again.

Do not, though, listen to this while driving. It begins with a very loud lorry horn being sounded, and I can easily see it scaring people while behind the wheel. After all, the audience is strongly advised to use caution, wear headphones if possible, and listen... carefully.

And done!

In case you are keeping up with my podcast/colouring notes at the end of these podcast reviews, I actually did not do any colouring while listening to this, instead I listened to it mostly while out walking, or while doing some work. This does mean, though, that I still have to finish my colouring.

Who am I kidding, I'm probably never going to finish it.

Never mind!

Bye!