Jillian Chantal

I am still working on my new Christmas story. This is the beginning of the second scene.  The word of the week is knife. Remember, there are a number of us writers sharing tales – check them out. They are amazing story tellers.

Be sure to check out the other tales here.

Dashing quickly into the grocery store on her way home, Candace pulled her collar up to keep the cold wind from sliding down her back. She’d left home that morning without realizing the temperature was going to drop so much before the shop closed. Now she was paying the price. The denim that was too warm in the early fall was now not nearly enough to keep her comfortable.

She took a package of oatmeal off the shelf and tried to recall if she had any grape jelly at home to put in it in the morning. Thinking she didn’t, she made her way to that section and picked up a jar.

Still shivering and needing to grab a bit of milk so she could have some warm cocoa when she got home, Candace was tempted to skip it since she’d never thaw out in the refrigerated section. Deciding to head down the aisle with the boxed hot chocolate she didn’t really like, she made a U-turn as soon as she arrived at the aisle before the dairy case.

Her stomach lurched as she recognized Priscilla Kane at the other end accompanied by both her soon-to-be husband and her brother.

It had been eight years since Candace had seen Hank, but she recognized his physique immediately, even from the back. He’d been a soccer player and had the leg and buttock muscles those guys always seemed to have.

She scurried to the refrigerated section after all and prayed they wouldn’t come to that area of the store. She couldn’t breathe. It was as if someone had stuck a knife in her left lung and deflated it.

“Great. Just great. All these years and now this,” Candace muttered under her breath.