NANOWRI PREP

Assignment 9. A-typical Antagonist Backstory

Saturday, Oct. 10
Required: Contest Round 2: Antagonist Background Story ▼

Write a story about your antagonist that takes place outside of your novel. The object of the contest is to make your judges understand and empathize with the antagonist's motivations. If your antagonist is a situation rather than a person, write a background story about that. Add the background story to your character database (if applicable.)

*Submit your BITEM or ENTRY link by 1200 noon WDC time on Sunday, Oct. 12 to compete. If you miss this deadline or choose not to compete, you may still post your assignment completion for the grand prize, per the standard Prep guidelines.

Laurie placed her tiny three-year-old hand tenderly on her daddy’s knee. Something was wrong. Daddy was talking in the phone and crying. Daddy never cried.
“Can I bring them over, mom? Please.” Her daddy, Victor, was nodding. He hung up the phone and grabbed Laurie and Bro. “Come on, kids. Time to visit Grandma June and Grandpa George.”
Laurie usually liked grandma and grandpa’s house. Today they were sad. It was not a happy time. Grandpa and Grandma spent a lot of time walking from one room to the other. When Laurie put her hand on the radio, grandpa hit her hand. That made Laurie screech. It did not hurt that bad, but grandma always comforted her and scolded grandpa for telling her no. This time Grandma cried. Laurie did not understand why Grandma was crying, but she knew it was her fault. “Grandma, I sorry.” Grandma grabbed her and hugged her so tight. Laurie squirmed a little to breath and saw grandpa doing the same to Bro.
Laurie and Ambrose liked to stay overnight at their grandparents house. This time, even Bro was trying not to cry. Laurie crept out of the bedroom and sat at the top of the stairs. Grandma did not like putting her to bed twice. But she wanted to see her daddy. He was still crying and mumbling something about a hospital. Grandma and Grandpa kept saying everything would be all right and things would work out for the best. Laurie crept back to the bed and spent a long time wondering where her mommy was.
As the morning light started hitting the shiny things in the kitchen, Laurie watched grandma move around getting breakfast ready. Grandma was not humming like she usually did. Laurie started singing, “itsy bitsy spider climbed up the waterspout…” that’s as far as she got. Daddy interrupted, his eyes were so red, “Laurie, I’m taking you and your brother to see mama it the hospital. Maybe you can sing that song for her when you say good-bye.”
“K. I need my tutu dress.” Victor began to cry again. “It’s okay daddy. I sing for mommy.”
“Come here, angel girl.” Her daddy’s hugs were so tight she had to squirm again. Laurie saw grandma and grandpa trying not to cry. Laurie felt bad.
“Daddy, I sorry.”
Victor just shook his head. George put his hand on Victor’s shoulder, “We’ll go get her dress for you, son. We’ll meet you at the hospital.”
“Thanks dad.”
Laurie put her tiny hand over her nose. “Daddy, it smells bad.”
“Sorry, angel girl, it can’t be helped. Can you be a good girl for daddy? Can you sing for mommy? That will make her happy.” George and June were already in the ICU and tentatively handed a bag to Victor.
“Thanks, anyone need the bathroom before I get Laurie changed?”
Laurie liked her pink recital dress and ballet slippers with the white bow on them. Laurie swished a pirouette for her daddy and waited for him to hold the door open for her. “Mommy! Watch me!” Gloria opened her eyes briefly and smiled a little to let Laurie know she had her attention. Laurie performed better than at the recital, “I’m a little teapot ...”
Over the next three weeks, Laurie performed for her mother. Mommy got stronger and happier each day. She and Bro did not have to stay at Grandma and Grandpa’s house anymore. Daddy saw that man Brian a lot. She heard daddy use a bad word to talk about the man who hurt mommy. Brian kept talking about courts and a judge. Laurie did not understand. Laurie peeked around the corner and saw daddy ball his hands into fists. That was scary.
That must have scared Brian too, “His name is Vite.”
“Spell it.”
“Victor … Um, Okay. W Y T E.”
“That starts with W!”
Laurie crept back to her room. She now knew that if she sang and danced her best, it made her mommy happy. And that W was a bad letter.