Perky Cups

That's the name of the new drive through coffee place I pass on my way to and from work. There's a 1940s era-looking pinup girl on the sign that reminds me of the women in my mom's old album, young women in shorts and halter tops with curly bangs and a pageboy hairdo. It makes me smile every time I see it.

Most of the day has looked pretty darned nice but now it's started to cloud over. It'll probably be all dreary, damp and chilly tomorrow when I'm off and want to walk with Dusty and finally get the leaves taken care of. (Oh, don't mind me, you know how I love to complain.) Mrs. Boss suggested that I might want to start decorating the store for Christmas but I decided that it's not really less than a month away so I'm not gonna. I made a counter display out of some new stock instead.

November 28--North Male, Maldives. Rhea kicked off the damp sheet that was tangled around her and reached over her head to turn on the light. Nothing. She slid her hand under her pillow for the little flashlight she always put there and switched it on. She turned it off just as quickly. Loud male voices raised in argument came from somewhere overhead. There was the sound of a scuffle, a grunt, something heavy hit the water, and then an outboard motoring away. When the only sound she heard was her breathing and the creaking of the boat as it drifted, she got out of her berth and peeked out of the porthole. There were no lights, nothing pierced the utter darkness. Keeping alert for any sound she went to her cabin door and eased it open. The passageway was totally dark, even the emergency exit light over the ladder to the deck was dark. Taking care not to make a sound she slowly moved toward the ladder to the deck. She kept one hand on the bulkhead just for the comforting sound of her fingers on the paneling. As she emerged into the fresh air of the open deck the boat lurched and she heard the crunch of the bow grinding into the shallows. She steadied herself and looked around but saw no one, heard no voices.

Sorry to leave you hanging but I'm not sure where this is going. If it's going.
--Barbara