GoT Writings

House of Black and White GOT Prompt 1

1. The whole world is cut off from the internet for a whole day. Write about random people spending a day without it.

The Turning
Music was important to Dennis. He formed the band and put his girlfriend in as a backup. All should have been fantastic. Before the turning.
That’s what Shay called it. The full moon cycle led to crazy tempers and mood swings. Shay could hold her own against Dennis in the scream fests. Somewhere along the line, maybe it was the three-month mark, or maybe the one year mark, things went sideways. Shay would never have married him if she knew about the turning. There had been no hitting, just a lot of hurt. Neither one wanted to be the one to say goodbye. They could not figure out the why just the had to. Each had to have the last word, the chance to slam the door, the sudden and abrupt end to a phone call, and the list goes on.
And then there was the chance to come together in need and want and seek forgiveness. However, that looked. Life was beautiful for the next 25 days – until the next full moon. Tragedies follow patterns like the moon chases the sun. On rare occasions, normally fun events fall on the full moon. Shay knew better than to book band engagements on the full moon. She did it anyway. Vegas called, and the girl knew how to play poker.
Dennis and Shay both played the game. Dennis lost, and Shay won. A lot. Dennis took his temper to the bar to make a nasty situation downright volatile. He emptied the bottles in the hotel room and still had the snares to let loose on someone. On the way to somewhere, he shared his verbal vomit with anyone he came into contact with.
Then he saw Shay. She was laughing, teasing the other players, and raking in yet another kitty of winnings. He should have been happy for her, but could only hate that she was flirting with his friends and making a spectacle of herself. He was furious.
“Shay! It’s time to go.”
“I’m winning. Can’t it wait?”
“No! Now! Leave it. Let’s go!”
Mark was nice, “I’ll cash in your winnings. I’ll get it to you tomorrow before the show.”
Shay laughed. “Maybe, maybe not. Don’t lose it all!”
The boys were in good temper and wished her “good luck” as she walked off with Dennis.
Shay lifted her wine glass to toast the boys in the band, let the Chardonnay slip down in her throat in slow and delightful pleasure. She did like her wine. She was one of the few who could still pull it together by the next day and produce.
Shay teased and flirted with Dennis all the way to the room. It would be a good night. She did not see the heat rising in Dennis’s temper.
Shay was teasing again, “Do you want me to open the door? Doesn’t your key work? Don’t you know how to use a key?”
Three years ago, that would have been funny, and he would have given it back as good as he got. This time, he slammed the door open and did not let her pass first. This ungentlemanly action should have been the first clue.
“You bitch!”
Shay hit the wall hard. The glass fell from her hand as she tried to pull his hands from around her neck and keep her toes on the floor. “Better make it a good one!” Shay’s taunt spurred him to drop his fist and strangle her instead. Shay managed to tangle her arms and legs with his to drop to the floor.
With her back arched to gasp for breath, all Dennis saw was getting a better grip on her neck. Spittle flying, curse words in abundance, rage leading the attack, Shay was losing consciousness, knowing only that Dennis was straddling her and had her throat in his vice grip.
What was that? Something clear and shiny? At the edge of consciousness, Shay figured out that it was the wine glass dropped earlier.
It took all of her wills to reach for the glass. Years of athletic training gave her power that most women did not have. Glass in hand, legs set to steady her, she put every ounce of power into slamming the glass against his temple. It did force him to roll off her and spray his blood around the room. Shay did not waste time. She had not unpacked. Her gift was the ability to pack four days’ worth of outfits into a backpack. She grabbed her bag and started throwing her things into it whichever way it fit.
“Call the doctor.”
“Do it yourself, asshole.”
“Shay, I’m sorry, help me.”
“Forget that.”
It took three minutes to gather her things and get it done. Without a second look, Shay was out the door and flagging down a taxi.
Dennis tried to follow, but the blood kept getting in his eyes. The porters and bell hops, the valets, and maids, all of them could see what happened. Each of them would step in, “Excuse me, sir. Do you need help?” He would brush them aside and try to get to her. The hotel must have had this thing before because they just cleaned up after him.
Outside the hotel, a slender, blond woman with streaks of blood on her cashmere sweater and leather pants was seen hailing a cab. There is no police record to witness that this woman managed to win an argument with a man who claimed to love her.
When they first married, Shay warned Dennis, “You will not hit me. Ever. You will get one shot, so you better make sure that if I go down, I stay down because if I get up, I will kill you.” Dennis laughed at that. They were in love, and the world was theirs for the taking back then.
Three short years later, Dennis was dripping blood all over the hotel looking for her – probably to offer some feeble apology.
Two weeks later she filed for divorce. Dennis got to take his one shot.


word count 1012 including title 1010 without




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