Today’s Tale is based on a picture prompt. The one I chose is an old train station. I’m still working on the Pensacola based story. Interestingly, one of the hotels in downtown is built attached to the restored downtown train station. This station has been around a long time and when the hotel was built, the builder made the station the lobby entrance. It’s a beautiful place and I’m happy to have worked it into my story both with this photo and with the plot I already had in my head when the picture was posted. Read the other posts here. We are limited to 300 words for the picture prompts so I had to cut out a lot of the action of the scene to get that short.
She ran on, her feet thudding across the sidewalk near the civic center and across the street to the hotel that was constructed from an old train station. One foot hurt and she limped a little in a funky loping run. She would’ve laughed if she wasn’t in so much danger and if she didn’t hurt so bad.
As she moved toward the train station, Margot didn’t hear anyone pursuing her but didn’t take the chance to look over her shoulder as she pumped her legs to get herself to safety. No reason to waste those precious seconds.
Arriving at the door to the hotel lobby, Margot flung it open and stepping inside the lobby, almost fell due to the slickness of the tile floor and her ruined shoes. She chanced a look at what she could see of herself and was appalled to find sticks caught in the hem of her dress and clinging to her little cover-up sweater. Dirt streaked down her legs and one shoe was missing a heel. She couldn’t begin to imagine what her hair and face showed of her ordeal in the cemetery but she was positive that she would frighten small children and maybe even grown men.
Margot walked through the lobby that was lined in deep mahogany wood and furniture that evoked the years the train station was operational. The front desk had to be through this foyer, she was sure it had to be close. She hobbled on.
Jillian Chantal 
Great suspense! Now I need to know who’s chasing her and why. Will she get away? I hope you’re going to continue this story and you now have me on the edge of my seat. And the front desk damn well better be through that lobby!
By: jeanjoachim on April 22, 2014
at 6:44 am
LOL Jean!! I actually had the post MUCH longer but then I remembered, oops! only 300 words allowed so I chopped it! I knew I better behave and I love that you’re engaged with it the way I chopped it.
By: Author on April 22, 2014
at 7:04 am
Great excerpt! I`m wondering who the heck is chasing her, and why!
By: Vicki Locey on April 22, 2014
at 6:58 am
Thanks Vicki! It was set to be longer but then I remembered the 300 word rule. LOL
By: Author on April 22, 2014
at 7:03 am
Intense scene. You have me on the edge of my seat and anxious for more!
By: Sarah Cass on April 22, 2014
at 9:54 am
Thanks Sarah! I appreciate it
By: Author on April 22, 2014
at 10:00 am
Love the build up of suspense you’ve got here.
By: Lindsay Downs on April 22, 2014
at 7:35 pm
Thanks Lindsay.
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By: Author on April 23, 2014
at 7:11 am
Who’s chasing her ? You’re confusing the heck out of me … did I miss something again?
By: Iris B on April 24, 2014
at 5:42 am
Sorry, Iris. Lol. I’m sharing snippets that are chronological but not the very next scenes as I am working the prompts into the story as I move through writing the manuscript. There may be thousands of words between the scenes I’m sharing. I don’t want to post the whole book. Sorry to keep you lost.
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By: Author on April 24, 2014
at 6:22 am
Not to worry …. very good reason to wait for the book 🙂
By: Iris B on April 24, 2014
at 6:27 am
Lol. True.
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By: Author on April 24, 2014
at 6:47 am
This certainly revved up my curiosity!
By: Flossie Benton Rogers on April 24, 2014
at 1:24 pm
Thanks Flossie. Iâm glad. LOL
By: Author on April 24, 2014
at 1:33 pm
Great job. Excellent. You had us there through all the descriptive action.
By: trishafaye on April 26, 2014
at 2:04 pm
Thanks Trisha.
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By: Author on April 26, 2014
at 3:44 pm
Oh my goodness, what’s going on with Margot? Great scene
By: Morgan K Wyatt on April 27, 2014
at 12:45 pm
Thanks Morgan.
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By: Author on April 27, 2014
at 2:03 pm
Oh my, you may have cut out a lot but this is still a powerful scene full of unanswered questions.
By: Sherry Gloag on April 28, 2014
at 3:10 am
Thanks Sherry. I had to trim it drastically for the 300 word cap.
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By: Author on April 28, 2014
at 6:25 am
Love the description of the area and her running.
By: Stefan Ellery on April 28, 2014
at 5:32 pm
Thanks Stefan.
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By: Author on April 28, 2014
at 6:23 pm