2016 – Day 17

Start writing a story that...

Step 1: begins with this sentence: She bought the train tickets and...

Step 2: add a character who: wants to discover a family secret

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She bought the train tickets and went to meet her sister, Jackie, on the platform. The train had just started boarding and Erin was grateful to get out of the cold January rain. They found seats at the back of one of the cars and settled in for the long trip to D.C.

"I wish I'd brought a magazine," Jackie said, digging in her purse.

"I told you to," Erin said.

"I know, and I meant to, but I got busy."

"Doing what?" Erin said, pulling a book out of her backpack. "I did all the planning."

"Packing and I had to talk to work about being gone for a week."

"You've known about this for two weeks."

"Stop with the judging, Erin," Jackie said, tossing her purse under the seat. "I'm sure Great Aunt Polly won't appreciate the negative vibes you're bringing down."

"She's dead," Erin said.

"I know she's dead! That's the whole point of this house clean-out and will reading. I'm not stupid."

Jackie reached down to grab her purse again and pulled out her phone.

"But her spirit will sense the negativity you're putting into the universe is all I'm saying," she said.

Erin shot Jackie a look, then turned her attention toward her book.

Jackie looked down at her phone, then began searching through her purse again.

"Ugh, this sucks," she said. "Let me use your earbuds. Come on, Erin. You're not using them."

Erin sighed and pulled earbuds out of her jacket pocket.

"Do not get them tangled," she said, handing them to Jackie.

Jackie rolled her eyes. She plugged the earbuds into her phone and began listening to music while Erin returned to her book. They sat in silence as the train began its long journey.

Ten minutes later, Jackie popped out the earbuds and turned to her sister, nudging her on the shoulder to get her attention.

"You think Great Aunt Polly had a secret second family?" she said.

"What are you talking about?" Erin said, carefully placing her bookmark and turning to frown at her sister.

"They're making such a big deal out of everyone coming to her house and going through things and then there's the special reading of the will. Doesn't that seem odd?"

"No," Erin said. "She was practically a hoarder and Uncle Tim and his family need help getting rid of stuff. And there's some legal reason why they have to read the will in person."

Erin went back to reading her book, but Jackie tapped her shoulder again.

"Yeah, but maybe the hoarding thing is a cover. I've seen photos of the place on her Christmas card, and there's never any mess in the background."

"Because it's a Christmas card! And it's just a corner of one room in her house," Erin said.

"There's still something not right," Jackie said. "I can feel it."

Erin looked like she wanted to say something, then simply shook her head. She reopened her book. Jackie raised her hand again, but Erin turned to glare at her.

"Don't tap my shoulder again," Erin said, then looked down at her book.

"Fine," Jackie said. "But, there's something going on there. You'll see."