tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85391092340093815582024-02-20T01:53:25.763-08:00Sail Vanleer"We feel cold, but we don't mind it, because we will not come to harm. And if we wrapped up against the cold, we wouldn't feel other things, like the bright tingle of the stars, or the music of the aurora, or best of all the silky feeling of moonlight on our skin. It's worth being cold for that.” - Phillip PullmanSail Vanleerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16098090510490195652noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539109234009381558.post-22450193280683892442017-05-15T17:55:00.000-07:002017-05-15T17:55:10.853-07:00Final BlogWinthrop place was just a rundown apartment building on the wrong side of town, nudged between a laundry mat and coffee shop. In the scheme of things, it really didn't matter to anyone. When the occasional tourist wandered away from the nearby city and happened upon the town, they usually avoided the stretch that was Blackburn Ave and focused on the "local color of the Rose Records" or the "charming little skating pond". <div>
No, Winthrop didn't seem like much to anyone else. A traveler would know nothing of the handful of wanders who found their way to Winthrop, or the girls who lived in the flats, attempting to escape the past, and the small children who miraculously survived alone, or the shut-ins too afraid to set out on to the dimly lit hall of floor 9. </div>
<div>
But to Sail, she could feel all these things as she glanced around her faded apartment walls for the last time. <i>There's something cursed here </i>she thought. <i>Or at least something tragic and forgotten.</i></div>
<div>
Maybe is was this that had pulled her and the wicked Primrose girls to the building in the first place. Or had inspired the gothic mystery party. Or the reason that three murders had been tied to Winthrop Residents. Like the nameless girl that Sep had killed last night. </div>
<div>
<i>Yes, something tragic. </i>Sail tucked her chin under her shirt and sighed. This was the end; no more murder, carnivals, strange children, or disappearing handymen. This was a goodbye to Winthrop, one final time. And there was something tragic about that too. </div>
Sail Vanleerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16098090510490195652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539109234009381558.post-57222779082550727882017-05-03T09:28:00.000-07:002017-05-03T09:28:16.669-07:00Of Course<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sail never thought that a magical, glowing rainbow would whisk her off to the fluorescent, futuristic floors of her neighborhood IKEA. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I guess I’m really not meant for adventure, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sail mumbled to herself. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Two seconds ago she had been standing in the center of the Winthrop Woods, reaching out for the shining arc in front of her. This was supposed to be her change, her new life, an escape. But all the anticlimactic rainbow had done was carry her a mile west to the giant superstore, which was now filled with seemingly hundreds of people milling around. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>This is what I get for trying to dip my feet into the realm of magical realism, </i>Sail sighed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">After wandering around the Swedish furniture and brightly colored door knob BOGO bins (and moping in her lack of daring escapades), Sail found herself among a crowd of shoppers listening to an announcement. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Glancing around, she noticed many of them were from her old apartment building, and Sail remembered how the last time she was with all of them, a dead body was found. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Suddenly, the booming voice on the loudspeaker rang out, “Now, we will finally find the Winthrop murderer.” </span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-2b54f553-cf21-7899-a0e6-e416438d1e63"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>This again, of course</i>. Sail felt like that rainbow was still in the woods, laughing at her. “How’s this for adventure?”</span></span>Sail Vanleerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16098090510490195652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539109234009381558.post-25152635947179281482017-04-26T08:52:00.000-07:002017-04-26T09:05:31.296-07:00One YearIt was too soon to return to her apartment. Too soon to be greeted to her graying kitchen and her tousled bed, probably with blankets still strewn on the floor from the last sleepy morning she'd awoken there, one year ago.<br />
One year ago when her father had knocked on the door, crisp and professional as always, face revealing nothing. But his fist clenched around a rolled up newspaper does.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
LOCAL GIRL REVEALS STAGED MURDER</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
a gulp, a slammed door, and clothes hastily shoved in a bag. And then goodbye. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
One year wasn't enough time to distance herself from that apartment and those girls. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
But the shady, green forrest that stretches its trunks and branches tall into the sky is shelter enough from that town.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
There's nothing here but the rhythm of wind and leaves falling and sticks cracking apart. And the smell of a retreating spring shower.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
And then, suddenly, a rainbow is raining across the woods to an unknown spot behind boulder. It whispers something unknown.<br />
She knows she should go back to see those she left behind. Timma, Noel. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
But, one year isn't enough time to return to a town that sees your hands covered in blood. But one year is enough time to realize its time for something new.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
sprint past the forrest</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
see that rainbow? it calls you</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
to journey forward </div>
Sail Vanleerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16098090510490195652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539109234009381558.post-38069909709077304362017-01-23T13:09:00.003-08:002017-01-23T13:09:42.904-08:00#6 Powder Blue<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">She was woken up from her afternoon nap with a loud rap on her apartment door, a steaming cup of hot chocolate, and an annoyingly awake and chipper grin.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“C’mon, we’re going skating.” Noel had practically been jumping when he said it.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sail had begrudgingly accepted the hot chocolate but not his offer.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“It will be fun!” He’d countered, “And I can start my research for your in depth exposé on the secret societies of Brookline Academy.” </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Society,” Sail had corrected him, “there’s only one at Brookline.” He shrugged, leaned against her doorway, and held out a pair of powder blue ice skates. </span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-e2cd4929-cd28-a59e-c47c-6b44d48faa54" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Half an hour later Sail found herself wrapped in a baby pink sweater stepping onto the gelid blue ice behind the Winthrop police station.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“So you guys were responsible for the mayor’s missing goldfish and replacing every album in Rose Records with whale sounds?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sail stumbled a little on the chipped ice. “Haha yep.” </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Noel barked out a laugh, he seemed to find all their pranks amusing. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sail winced. She hadn’t gotten to the big one yet, if she got to it. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maybe he wouldn’t even remember about the giant pool of blood in the park. The town had virtually forgotten all about it only two weeks later. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As if someone could sense her guilt, the police station backdoor swung open, revealing two cops. But they paid no attention to Noel and Sail. Instead, they walked over to the other side of the pond with 3 inmates shuffling behind them, handcuffs and all. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sail stopped skating, baffled. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Oh yeah, they let the inmates out here sometimes,” Noel nonchalantly said, following her gaze, “aren’t they cute?” he half joked as they watched the criminals slip around on the ice. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A laugh escaped Sail’s chapped lips. All she could think of was Caroline and the other Primrose Girls out here in orange jumpers fumbling around, all of their pranks finally catching up with them. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Her cheeks reddened from laughter, joy bubbled up in her chest from the outrageous, amusing picture. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But then Sail remember she’d be out there with them. She’d been a part of all of it. She looked over at Noel, who was currently attempting a figure eight. He thought he was writing a story about missing goldfish and innocent jokes, but he completely oblivious to the, not-so-innocent, pool of blood still weighing down on Sail’s chest. </span>Sail Vanleerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16098090510490195652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539109234009381558.post-79350167282873250442016-12-13T15:41:00.002-08:002016-12-13T15:41:19.579-08:00#5 Gold Tinsel<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“That’s $14.” the jean-jacket clad girl behind the movie theatre counter quietly said. Her red and white striped candy cane pin gleamed up from her blue shirt. Sail noticed a small tear glide down her pale cheek. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I’m sorry.” she wiped at her face, “It’s just- I’ve just found out that my father is sick, and I can’t go home, and-” </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Her face was streaming with water now and she looked away. Sail wondered how someone could care for their parents with this much emotion. Sail only knew betrayal from her own; lonely nights and listening to harsh words being yelled through closed doors.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I’m so sorry.” but she didn’t know what else to say. So she silently took her change, ticket, and shuffled off to the theatre.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That was why she was at the movies. She didn’t want to go home for holiday break, unlike Caroline, and Noel, and all of the Primrose girls. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">She found a seat near the front in the empty theatre and poured her chocolate candy into her popcorn. Then, her foot bounced against something below her seat. It was a clear bag filled with glimmering silver and gold tinsel that seemed to have been abandoned. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sail got an idea. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">10 minutes later, her and the movie theatre employee, Timma Jean she’d found out, were munching on popcorn, wrapped in the tinsel. They were wearing it like Christmas trees.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“We look ridiculous.” Timma Jean had cried out and Sail had agreed with her. But they kept the bizarre tinsel on and watched Christmas movies until her shift was over.</span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-f8aefd0a-fa8e-cf4d-a152-cc8b38c716b2"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As far as holidays went, it wasn’t a bad one. </span></span>Sail Vanleerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16098090510490195652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539109234009381558.post-59953760164820812722016-10-26T05:33:00.003-07:002016-10-26T09:18:36.351-07:00#4 The Murderer<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Irony. That’s what it was: irony. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Irony that Sail had been given a tiny white card with the words “murderer” spelled out when she walked into the 7th floor that night. It was like whoever creepy mastermind who orchestrated this whole murder mystery party knew about the pool of blood, and the chandelier, and the countless other pranks she’d been a part of this year.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now, awkwardly standing on the edge of the party, Sail pulled at her blue velvet dress and focused on the glass of water in her hand, avoiding eye contact with all of the furtive glances of her neighbors probably searching for the murderer. She shouldn’t be here. She should be back in her shoebox apartment on the phone with Noel talking about the article he was writing about her. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sail was about to bail on the party when Paul Paul stood up on a chair, assumed the stance of a detective, and gleefully called out, “I do believe we have our murderer,” he paused and everyone silently leaned forward. He raised his hand and steadily pointed straight across the room to where Sail was standing. “ It is Ms. Sail Vanleer.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A few people faked screamed, Paul Paul grinned, and one little girl glared at Sail so deeply, it seemed like she really thought Sail was a murderer. Red flooded Sail’s cheeks, and the water in her glass splashed over the sides because of her shaking hands. There was no reason to be embarrassed, it wasn’t like she was an actual murderer, but it felt real.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Then the lights went out, offering Sail a short relief. Someone screamed- a real one this time-, and when the lights came back on, a body was lying on the floor.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For a moment, only Sail saw the body because everyone's gaze were still fixed on her, but then a girl in a long green dress gasped, heads turned, and everyone saw it; a real murder mystery had just been handed to them on a silver platter.</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-f397d006-00f9-7f44-e61c-c1b63bbfbc33"></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And even though Sail knew that this whole party was fake, and that her role had just been some coincidence, she knew that the image of her face and a dead body would forever be engraved in minds of every resident of Winthrop Place. </span></div>
Sail Vanleerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16098090510490195652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539109234009381558.post-31722469652377360092016-09-28T14:02:00.002-07:002016-09-28T14:02:35.676-07:00#3 The Journalist<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sail didn’t know the reason she ended up going to the Environmental Forum. Maybe it was because she was so intrigued by the green gilded envelope that slid under her apartment door at 5</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> that morning. Perhaps it was the gusts of freezing winter wind that seemed to push her all the way to Poultry Lane. Or maybe she ended up at the Bar instead of Brookline because she was supposed to go to a Primrose meeting after school and she needed an excuse to skip. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Either way, something had beckoned her there, and she was feeling reckless. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Upon entry into the Bar, Sail realized how little the town cared about the environment. The stage that usually held up and coming indie groups now had a meager collection of pamphlets on the environment. In the corner, a dusty washing machine sat. There wasn't even a presenter on stage. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Disappointment sat in Sail’s chest. Her escapade couldn’t even manage to be interesting.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nevertheless, she found a seat -not like there was a lack of seats- next to two men. One of them was vigorously scribbling in a black notepad, while the younger one was reaching down and petting the dog at his feet. When Sail sat down, the younger guy turned and smiled at her.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Thank God!” he jokingly began, “I thought </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">was the only one in this town who enjoyed a good environmental forum.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Taken aback by his sarcasm, Sail just laughed a little and leaned down to pet the dog. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Who’s this?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“This is Tug,” He gestured to the man next to him who was still furiously writing, “and that’s Paul Paul. We’re from the paper.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Oh,” Sail exclaimed, “So that’s why you’re here. To cover this incredibly interesting story.” He coyly shrugged.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then, Sail didn’t know why she ended up doing the next thing either. Maybe it was the way he reached over to shake her hand and said, “The name’s Noel.” Or, maybe, it was the warm, secure sense she got from being looked at by his amber-tinged eyes. Perhaps it was mixed with her new-found disregard for her obligations at school, and her eagerness to get back at Caroline. </span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-c4206d67-7297-0ec3-04c9-064b452abe78"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Whichever one it was, Sail found herself grinning back at Noel and saying, “What if I told you I had a really good story for you to write?”</span></div>
Sail Vanleerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16098090510490195652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539109234009381558.post-44757330251177951262016-09-06T18:59:00.001-07:002016-09-28T14:02:51.114-07:00#2 The Twin Chandeliers <div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; text-indent: 36pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">It wasn’t until Sail and Caroline were halfway back from getting cotton candy that Sail realized something was up. When they had left to get the cloud-like treats the rest of the Primrose girls had been jumping around the black and gold gilded tent, but now, they silently stood around, watching Sail and Caroline return. And Caroline was acting strangely too. She had spent way too long at the booth- long enough to make the men behind them groan- and she seemed to be trying to delay their return to the rest of the girls.</span><br />
<span id="docs-internal-guid-0326776f-4d94-f11c-0f0d-ce4741d5aed1"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-0326776f-4d94-f11c-0f0d-ce4741d5aed1"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Caroline was planning something. Something much more sinister than the 7 cotton candy cones Sail was juggling in her arms.</span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Caroline,” Sail warned, an edge in her voice, “You said this was just going to be a fun outing to get our minds off of, you know, the blood. I know you told me it was fake, but chill out.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But before Sail could question Caroline any further about her intentions, a lively man with a pinstriped suit ushered her into the the golden tent.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The show was about to begin. Still worried, Sail stood up to look for Caroline, but was pulled down by another girl.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Sit down. It’s about to start.” She whispered. Sail felt like the event she was referring to wasn't the circus act.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Having no escape route, Sail stayed put and watched the show unfold. She watched a young boy walk out to the crowd’s cheers, and then a girl. Caroline. Sail watched Caroline glide across the stage to an audience member, grab his arm and whisper something. She saw the lights of the chandeliers go out, and then she saw nothing.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Only Sail yelled when the lights went out, the rest of the audience probably thought it was part of the act, but she knew. This was Caroline.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then, the lights came on and the chandeliers fell. Streams of shards of icy blue glass rained on to the awaiting ground below. Now, some people yelled when the glass hit the floor, but others clapped, still thinking it was part of the act. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But Sail knew better. </span></div>
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Sail Vanleerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16098090510490195652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539109234009381558.post-83938619482186791272016-08-24T18:45:00.000-07:002016-09-06T19:47:39.664-07:00#1 (608)- Pools of Ink and Blood<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The day started with a folded up piece of paper wedged in her locker. In the center of the page, sat three words: Winthrop CP, ten. A location and time, easy enough to figure out. Caroline was getting sloppy; anyone of the students milling around Sail could find this note and decide to wander over to the abandoned community pool tonight and stumble upon the receivers of this note. But that was also part of the thrill of it, thought Sail. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sail tucked the note inside the pocket of her red blazer that was always around her shoulders- the same red blazer that fifteen others girls in the school wore. Brookline Academy had gotten rid of uniforms twenty years ago after every student’s jacket had mysteriously vanished from their houses in one night and then reappeared wrapped around all of the apple trees lining Applewood Lane. But Sail and her friends still wore the blazer with the school insignia everyday; it was easier to spot each other from across the courtyard if the others had a bright red beacon to follow. Sail spotted one of the red dots bobbing towards her in the hall, pushing it’s way through the throng of people heading to first block. A familiar face emerged from the crowd and ran over to Sail. It was Caroline, probably done distributing the notes. “ Did you walk past the park this morning?” eagerly questioned Caroline.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sail walked through Winthrop Park everyday on her way to school- it was one of the only perks of being a day-student at Brookline. The vibrancy of the park filled with flashing colors of green, dewy plants and the first rays of golden sun was a refreshing contrast to her bleary, grey mornings in Winthrop Place. But Sail knew that Caroline wasn’t asking Sail if she’d walked by the park to know about the nature there; she wanted to know if Sail had seen it. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Yeah, I did walk past the park.” </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Well… was anyone there? Did they find it?” </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It. The giant pool of blood that Caroline, Sail, and thirteen other red blazer-clad Brookline girls had left next to the fountain in the middle of the night. The crimson puddle that three police officers had been standing over as Sail calmly walked by that morning. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sail ducked her head down quietly said, “Yup. There were three officers there when I walked by. Everyone’s was freaked out.” Even as she whispered it, a silent thrill ran through her body, filling her up with the memory. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Caroline grinned, her nose stud flashing in the light. “Perfect! That’s perfect. Ok great, and you got the note, right?” </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sail waved her piece of paper in the air in response. “You’re getting sloppy, you know,” Sail joked, “I cracked this in literally a second.” Caroline laughed and shoved her shoulder into Sail’s.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Ok sorry, but you know I had bigger stuff to take care of yesterday.” she replied.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Yes, I know. But wait, you never told me where you got all that blood.” Caroline only laughed, turned around with a shrug, and disappeared around the corner of the now empty hallway. Once she was gone, the bubbly feeling of secrecy and familiarity from the note and blood stayed- the same rush she got from seeing the greens of the park in the morning after emerging from grey isolation. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The feeling didn’t reappear until the sun fell behind the trees on Blackburn, and Sail was walking past Serenity Cafe towards the drained community pool. Sail liked irony, but she didn’t like Paradise Ave.The abandoned apartments that framed the street silently remained and seemed so isolated from the rest of the town. And on the opposite side of the street, the Lake was ink black, and it looked like it could lure lonely travelers to its shore and carry them out with the tide. Sail hated Paradise, and she hated that the meetings had to be in the CP, but it was Sail and Caroline’s job to ensure that the tradition continued. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Soon, all fifteen girls- no more, no less- were sitting in the drained pool, beneath the high walls and starry sky. All of them were discussing last night’s events of the blood and the fountain. Sail had to agree with them, their prank was much better than Applewood Lane. As Sail looked around at her friends-more like sisters- she was struck by the same sense from before; she felt the camaraderie and friendship that enveloped the pool. It was perfect until Caroline smiled a smile that didn’t remind Sail of her best friend, but rather reminded her of the inky black lake’s pull and said, “So, what do we do next to convince the town of this murder?”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.08px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Primrose Society started out as an innocent joke- meetings at the town pool, secretly sneaking into dorms with a bottle of champagne stolen from a professor's office. The Brookline girls wanted to rebel, to cause some mischief, to create a legacy. Back then, the CP was filled and the Primroses were content. Now, the pool is drained and the Primroses are something else entirely. </span></div>
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Sail Vanleerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16098090510490195652noreply@blogger.com2