NaNoWriMo 2016 Project

Day 22 - Plot Background Story - Contest #3

Saturday, Oct. 22
Required: Contest Round 3: Plot Background Story ▼

Write a story that sets up your plot. EXAMPLE: The Lord of the Rings story revolves around the One Ring, its significance, and how it's destroyed. But how did Frodo get the One Ring in the first place? We learn that in The Hobbit. You obviously can't write a full-scale novel in 15 minutes, but you could write the scene where Bilbo encounters Gollum and stumbles across the ring. That would be a background story that sets up the plot in Lord of the Rings.

*Submit your ITEM or ENTRY number by 1200 noon WDC time on Sunday, Oct. 23 to compete. WDC time is New York City time and can be found at the top of thisIM Console . If you miss this deadline or choose not to compete, you may still post your assignment completion for the grand prize per the standard Challenge guidelines.


The week had been rather wild so far. Taygen had managed to get several supply days that week, but rainy weather had kept the students inside making them antsy... and that, combined with having a supply teacher, made her days hectic. She had used many of her strategies to hold things together and change the direction of lessons when she could see them start to go off course. By the end of each full day she had been exhausted... rung right out. She had made dinners, but they had been quick affairs - frozen meals like chicken fingers and fries. The clean up had been quick and easy too.

Even working with Kent on Tuesday night, had not gone so smoothly. Being the fall, he was feeling the seasonal change and his autistic challenges had mounted, making Taygen have to rethink her evening's plan with him. Having worked in Kindergarten during the day and then working with him, she was feeling it by the time she got home after 10 o'clock.
When Thursday came and she got no calls, she sighed with relief. Finally a day to get caught up on her writing. She was feeling antsy to get back to the story she had started last week.

In the morning she wrote. She managed to finish the story to her liking, then she got her stuff together and headed over to Guelph in the hopes of seeing Gwyn for a little bit before going to her women writer's group at seven o'clock that night. She had not seen Gwyn in quite awhile. Their lives had gotten so busy... with work and their men.

By the time she headed home it was after ten. She felt tired, but refreshed and energized by the day. She was fired up to write some more and could hardly wait to get home.

At home, the house was dark and she wondered if Carson had already gone to bed. Strange, he usually left the lights on for her when she got home after dark.

She let herself in and flipped on the hallway light. She could hear the TV in the basement. So Carson was home and awake. She moved to the stairs to call down a hello. There was no answer.

She took a moment to hang up her jacket and move her book bag out of view of the front door. Then she went upstairs to see if Carson was in the computer room or if he had gone to bed. Nothing. An uneasiness built as she moved through the house. A sense of impending doom and gloom engulfed her, sending her lovely energized soul into hiding. She went back downstairs to find him lounged out on the couch ignoring her.

"Hey, I called down to say 'hello' I thought you were...." she let her voice trail away when he turned and gave her a hard look.

"You texted me that you weren't working today." he began in a cool, calm voice.

"I wasn't."

"Then what did you do all day?"

Taygen's heart sank. It was going to be one of those 'discussions' again. "I got caught up on some writing and went to see Gwyn before my writing group this evening."

"Ah..." he said, his tone laced with displeasure. "And you couldn't have spent a few hours tidying the house."

"Well, I tidied a bit..." he raised a brow at her and she let her voice trail off.

"The place looks like a pig sty. My father came over tonight and I had to keep him outside because I was embarrassed to let him into the house. Couldn't you have at least cleaned off the dining room table?"

"I'm sorry...."
"Sorry. I don't need apologies Taygen. I shouldn't have to say anything. You know I like the place clean... for just this reason. I didn't want him to see what a lousy housekeeper you are... and I shouldn't have to scramble to tidy up... I work twelve hour days... I don't need to be doing this as well..."

Taygen felt herself shrink into herself and her head lowered to not meet his gaze.

"Why do you do this?.... you always put yourself first before me. You know I want the house clean, but you leave it like this...."

"But you don't want me to move your tools or your stuff?" Taygen began. It was a sore spot for her. All his tools to work on the flooring were in piles under the dining room table... for her that was the worst of the clutter. Besides, half the stuff on the table was his... if she moved that he'd have a fit.

"I'm not worried about the tools. Dad knows I am still working on the renovations.... besides if you had a full time job to help us out, I wouldn't have to work so much and kill myself in the process. I hate Toyota, you know that... and when was the last time you vacuumed down here? he asked.

The basement was his 'man cave'. It was a hovel. A place he dumped his 'stuff'. More stuff he would be upset about if she moved any of it on him.... so she chose not to disturb the area too much. She would gather food dishes and cups, but she left the rest, in hopes he would pick up some of the clutter so she could work around down there.

"And the spare room. You still haven't done anything in there. I asked you to clean that up so we could have guests stay over... have you done it?" she shook her head, "I told you to rent a storage unit. Have you done that?" Again, she shook her head.

She wanted to yell that she had worked this week, but she knew that would solve nothing. He considered her supply work play time and Kent as well. Besides if she yelled or showed any defiance to him she would not be happy with the results. Instead she shrunk into herself further and wished for his calm, eroding words to fall away and leave her alone.

"I am not asking for much Taygen, A couple of hours a day on the house that's it. That's not asking for much is it?"

Again Taygen shook her head, feeling that the whole mess was her fault. If she could only be the woman he expected her to be, things would be okay... but these discussions drained her, just like they drained the energized refreshed feeling she had come home with... it was like getting a bucket of cold water thrown on her... and she should expect it. He had done it every Thursday since she had started with her writing group three weeks ago. Of all the times to pick for a 'discussion' - Thursday night when she was tired and right after she had had a great night. An energizing evening with friends and like minded souls.

She let her mind consider possibilities as Carson continued to barrage her with his complains... everything she had done wrong over the last week. She'd have to leave the group. Give it up. She did not want to feel this draining emptiness every time she came home from her one night of fun. Carson would win again.... but would he.

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