Unusual 4th of July

 Good morning, FFFs,

How are you this July morning? I'm doing well. Feeling a bit like a dog trying to catch up with the dog in front of him only to realize he's been chasing his tail. ;) There are so many little things that need done and it can feel overwhelming when I'm not sure just where to start.

I got my proof copy for "Phil Wood" yesterday! I love having book 4 in the series in my hands and I can't wait to get it into your hands as well.

Do you have a blog? Have you ever attended the Five Fall Favorites on my Read Another Page blog? If so, would you possibly be interested in being a blogger for the party this year? If you are interested, fill out the form HERE. This does NOT mean you have to do it, and it does not mean you will get asked, it just tells us if we have any interested bloggers.

My writing has been a bit different these days. At writing camp this month we have a Word of the Day being shared as well as a Picture Prompt each day. Well, just for a challenge and something new and different to do, I decided I was going to try to combine both the Word of the Day and the day's Picture Prompt into a scene or short story. I've been able to do it so far. Some scenes have been very short, only a couple hundred words. But some have been longer. I'll probably be sharing some of these stories and scenes on here. I do still want to get some of my other books finished, but I need to sit down and brainstorm about some of them, and since I've been so busy, that hasn't happened yet.

Another thing that is keeping at least my brain busy is that we are planning and getting ready to gut and redo two rooms in our house that have never been redone. And also finish the hall. This means we have to pack up all the books in the hall (hundreds of them), and then before we can start any construction we have to move my sister's sewing business upstairs. So right now we are thinking about what we want to change, how many outlets, lights, and shelves we want and where we want them. And we're trying to figure out where we're going to store all the boxes of books. Nothing like remodeling projects to throw life into extra busy. ;)

This story has a picture prompt of fireworks and instructions of telling what unusual thing happened during them. And the Word of the Day that I had to work into my story was Visage. I hope you enjoy it!

 July 4th

 

Okay, this is from Sunday's picture prompt + word of the day. It is unedited.
Enjoy it or don't. :) Kylie settled herself in a lawn chair beside her sister. “Are you sure you should be out here in this crowd watching fireworks this late in your pregnancy? We could have watched the neighborhood ones and stayed home. Or--”
“Oh, Kylie, stop being a spoilsport,” Kate scolded. “I’m not due for three weeks and the neighborhood fireworks will be lousy compared to this display. You’ve never seen our fireworks.” Kate spoke of “our fireworks” as though she had had a personal hand in the selection and arrangement of them.
“Well, I did promise Joe I’d take care of you while he was away,” Kylie began. “And this just seems like a crazy idea.”
Kate laughed. “I’m fine. Even if my water breaks and I go into labor here, we’re closer to the hospital than we would be at home.”
“Fine. You win. We’ll stay here.” Kylie pushed a few pieces of hair off her face and looked back in the direction their car was parked. The grassy field was filling up quickly, and she couldn’t help wonder how hard it would be to get to the hospital; after they got through the crowd.
“Ky,” Kate scolded, “stop worrying and enjoy the evening.”
“I’ll try.” And Kylie smiled at her twin. “We still have half an hour to wait before the fireworks start. We should have brought something to do.”
“We can talk. Tell me about Mike.” Leaning back against the back her chair Kate looked expectantly toward her sister.
“Mike? What made you bring him up? I haven’t heard from him in two years.”
“Has it really been that long?” Kate looked confused. “I thought you’d sent me a picture of him not long ago.”
Kylie shook her head. “Couldn’t have. I haven’t seen him or talked with him.”
With a thoughtful look, Kate began tapping her upper lip, a habit she had when trying to remember something. “I know I saw his picture and not long ago. Where was it? Joe didn’t send it. Are you sure--”
“Miss Kylie!” A shrill voice made every head in the area turn as a young child raced across the grass and flung herself against Kylie.
“Hi Lilly.” Kylie hugged the small girl and looked up for the rest of her family.
“I love you!” Lilly exclaimed, her arms still around her friend.
Kylie laughed. “I love you too.”
“Kylie, I’m so sorry,” Mrs. Matthews said, hurrying over.
Kylie quickly assured Mrs. Matthews that it was all right and she loved getting hugs from the exuberant child.
“Are you looking for a place to settle down and watch the fireworks?” Kate asked. “There’s some space right here if you want to join us.”
“We don’t want to be a bother,” Mrs. Matthews began, but her words were quickly brushed away by both sisters. And so, in a few minutes, the Matthews family settled themselves beside Kate and Kylie.
The fireworks began with a glittering display of lights. The crowd exclaimed over the colors and loud explosions.
Kylie’s attention was often distracted by Lilly’s antics, for the young girl couldn’t sit still. She danced and jumped, tried to turn somersaults, and often tripped over legs.
During the lull before the grand finale, Kate leaned over and asked softly, “Are you sure you didn’t send me an old picture of Mike?”
Kylie nodded. “Positive.”
“That’s so strange. I know I’ve seen his picture not that long ago.”
“Maybe it was just someone who looked like Mike,” Kylie suggested.
But Kate shook her head. “No, it was Mike Standish. Either the picture said his name or someone told me who it was. Now it’s going to bug me.”
Kylie laughed merrily. “Are you sure you didn’t just dream it?”
There was no time for Kate to reply before the sky was again filled with lights and colors. Red fountains, gold stars, silver, green, blue, and purple exploding one on top of the other.
The crowd cheered until a shrill scream of pain pulled attention from the fireworks to Lilly. She lay on the ground, crying and holding her arm.
Instantly forgetting the display above them, Kylie joined Mr. and Mrs. Matthews beside the little girl. “Her arm is hurt.”
“We need a doctor,” Mrs. Matthews exclaimed.
“We’ll have to take her to the hospital, but--”
“Is there something I can do to help?” a new voice asked.
Kylie looked up. A man stood beside her, his visage hard to distinguish in the kaleidoscope of colors, but the voice. Had she just imagined it?
Mr. Matthews answered. “I think her arm might be broken.”
“I’m a doctor, can I check?”
This time Kylie was sure, but she couldn’t speak. Not then. She doubted he would even know her now.
“Does anyone have something we can use for a sling?” the man asked after a quick examination. “I don’t think it’s broken, just sprained.
Kylie pulled off her bandana headband and held it out.
“Thanks, Kys.” The man smiled at her as he took the offered cloth.
Only one person had ever called her that.
After the Matthews family disappeared into the crowd just beginning to gather their things, Kylie looked up to see Mike watching her.
“I thought I heard your laugh earlier, Kys,” he said quietly, “but I thought I was mistaken. I’m glad I wasn’t.”
“Me too.”
“Do you live here in town?”
“With my sister for now.” She nodded back to Kate. “Until her husband returns from deployment. You?”
“Yep. I just got a job at the hospital.”
Kate’s voice broke in. “That’s where I saw his picture! It was in the paper from the hospital!”
Kylie had to laugh and Mike joined in.
“Can we have lunch together sometime soon?” Mike asked, acting ready to give Kate a hand if she needed it as she stiffly rose to her feet, but glancing at Kylie.
“I’d like that.”
“Tomorrow?”
Kylie nodded. This was a fireworks display she wouldn’t soon forget. 

Have you had anything unusual happen while watching fireworks?

Do you want to read more of my short stories from camp?

Are you feeling like a dog chasing his tail?