Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Evolution of a Story


Back in February of 2015 I posted a short story that I wrote as my first assignment for one of my courses in Children's Literature. I've been wanting to revisit that story for a long while,  but not to rewrite it and make it cleaner. No, my goal was to revisit the characters and see where Zack and Chloe wound up eleven (11) years after I originally wrote the story. But the big draw for me was to see how my writing has grown and how my voice has matured.

So, first things first, you can read the original story HERE. When you've finished that, continue on down below for the continuation. And don't forget to enjoy!

~~

“Welcome to the Daily Memo, kid,” His hand was gripped tightly by a gravelly voiced gentleman, balding and smelling like stale cigars. “Follow Myra and she’ll get you acquainted with the other interns.”
Zack felt his face redden as he stammered “Yes, sir. Thank, you sir.” but the man was already turning away, distracted by the events in the newsroom, and Zack was being led to the elevator by a tall, slim lady who could only be Myra.

The ride down the elevator was deathly silent, Myra inspected her professionally manicured nails while Zack fidgeted uneasily. Nervous couldn’t begin to define how he was feeling. He wanted to be sick and felt a little faint, but he always felt like that when he was uncomfortably nervous. Or he though he was going to get in trouble. It was his coping mechanism.
            The doors opened to a large room filled with desks, filing cabinets, old newspapers, and stacks upon stacks upon stacks of loose paper. The room was dimly lit, darkly coloured, and smelled of dust, must, and felt slightly damp. He was mentally rejoicing in it compared to the tomb-like feel of the elevator.
            “Look what the princess has brought us now,” the voice emphasized ‘princess’ with so much sarcasm that Zack actually flinched with the word as he stepped out of the elevator. “Fresh meat.”
            For Myra’s part, she sneered at the speaker and flipped the bird, holding it until the elevator doors closed with finality. Zack took a couple of steps into the room and found himself next to a dark haired girl not much older than he was. She glared at the elevator doors for a moment, painting herself as the speaker.
            “She’s a bitch. She thinks she’s so far above us, working as a secretary for the editor. But she’s not. We’re gonna be reporters someday.” She finally turned to him and smiled, her blue eyes standing in stark contrast with her dark hair. She took his hand in a grip that was nearly as strong as the guy upstairs. “Laura of the interns, at your service.” She mock bowed to him as she spoke.
            “Zack, of –“
            “Butt-fuck nowhere Alberta. We were told all about you.” She looked him up and down with a smirk and a critical eye. He found himself blushing under her scrutiny. She noticed. “Take it easy, Farm Boy. We don’t bite.” She put her arm around his shoulders and led him to the desks.
            The introductions were short and to the point. There was Jonathan, who reminded Zack of a weasel. Beady eyes and a skittishness very similar to the animal; Francine, with her caramel coloured skin and frizzy hair; Josephine, her blonde hair pulled back into a messy ponytail and glasses that kept sliding down her nose; and Geoffrey, who generally didn’t go any further past his desk than he had to and had a slight dusting of grey through his dark hair. They were, as Laura stated, The Misfits. And he was one of them.

            “Why The Misfits?” Zack asked on his fourth day of employment. He was cataloguing newspaper archives with Laura, though he was pretty sure that the newspapers didn’t need cataloguing. They looked like they had been done numerous times before.
            “Because that’s what we are, Farm Boy,” Laura eyed him from above her computer screen. “Why do you think we’re down here and not up there learning how to be reporters?”
            “I just figured it was because this is how we all start…” Zack trailed off and narrowed his eyes at her. “This isn’t really how we start off as reporters, is it.”
            “No, it’s not. We’re here because we’re not fit to be up with the real news people.” Laura stood and grabbed his arm, drawing him farther away from the others. “See Geoffrey there?” Laura gestured to the salt-and-pepper man tirelessly plugging away at his computer keyboard. She continued when Zack nodded. “He was up there. He was one of them. Rumour has it that he uncovered something while on a story and the top decided to bury it. Geoff was sent down here quicker than you could snap your fingers. Whatever happened has completely broken his spirit.” Zack looked closer and noticed Geoff’s hooded and hollow eyes. Zack shivered.
            “But what abo—“
            “And look at Jonathan. It’s cruel of me to say, but he doesn’t look trustworthy. All he wants to do is report the news, but he kind of looks like a rat.”
            “I thought weasel…”
            “Fact still stands. Who would want to be questioned by Jonathan?”
            “Well, what about Josephine and Francine? They’re both attractive enough and wouldn’t suffer from the same thing that Jonathan has to put up with.”
            Laura gave Zack a sidelong glance with a bit of a smirk. “Fancying one of them, Farm Boy?” Zack blushed under her gaze. “Francine doesn’t talk much about what sent her down here. I think there’s some embarrassment there, but I’m not going to push. Josie is much too shy to do or say anything. And she would worry about hurting someone’s feelings if she had to write an article about anyone in a negative light.”
            “Why are you down here Laura? For that matter, why am I down here? I just got the job.” Zack thrust his hands into his pants pockets and toed his foot along the ground.
            “You’re here, Farm Boy, because you’re just that. A farm boy. You’re an unknown quantity who just decided to relocate from the prairies to Big City Toronto. It makes people uneasy. You’ve gotta prove yourself before you make it to the big leagues.” She turned to walk back to her desk, but Zack stopped her with a hand around her arm. There was a slight look of shock in her eye before another one of her grins.
            “You didn’t tell me why you’re down here, Laura of the Interns.”
            Her grin widened. “I’m down here because I’m too inquisitive for my own good.” She winked and returned to her work leaving Zack to blink at her back.

            “Hey, Farm Boy. We’re heading for drinks. You in?” Francine was leaning up against Josie’s desk with her arms crossed, staring at Zack waiting for an answer. Work was finished for the day and the weekend was starting. Apparently ‘Farm Boy’ was his new nickname and he didn’t think he would lose it anytime soon.
            “Sorry France, I can’t tonight. I’ve got plans.” The next thing Zack knew, he had the entirety of The Misfits surrounding his desk.
            “A date?” Francine leaned closer, a hungry look in her eyes.
            “Obviously a date. Sure didn’t take him long. Who’s the unfortunate lady?” Jonathan wheeled his chair in close to Zack’s desk.
            “Well have fun tonight, then.” Josie blushed behind her glasses.
            Geoff loosened his tie. He was the only one of The Misfits to wear a tie, even though his clothes weren’t pressed and polished. He looked like the embodiment of a reporter. Or a hardboiled detective from television. “Everyone needs to blow their stress sometimes. I prefer a nice drink. Farm Boy must prefer more cultured distractions.”
            “How cultured can you get on a farm?” Laura mocked. “’Slop for the pigs!’, ‘Cud for the cows’, ‘Milk the horses!’, and so on and so forth. Ain’t that right Farm Boy?”
            Zack tried, albeit unsuccessfully, not to cringe at Laura’s inaccurate portrayal of existence on a farm. “Actually, I do have a date,” Francine leaned in even closer, her nearness and hunger causing his cheeks to flush. “Well, it’s not a date. Maybe it’s a date? It could be a date. But it’s not really a date… Is it hot in here?”
            Jonathan’s beady eyes narrowed and his nose scrunched up in the most weasel-ish grin that Zack had ever seen. He was almost certain he wasn’t just imagining whiskers and buckteeth appear on his coworker’s face. “Sounds like Farm Boy’s got some hopeful ideas in his head.”
            “She’s just a friend,” Zack protested in defense. “A friend from back home.” His blush, he knew, had nothing to do with the proximity that Francine had positioned her body. “As much as I’d love to banter with you guys all night, I’ve really gotta go.” He gathered his jacket and made his way to the elevator.
            “Well if you change your mind,” Francine called after him. “We’ll be at the Bird In The Belfry.”
            Zack stepped into the elevator, which had the overpowering smell of Myra’s perfume lingering in the enclosed space, and turned to press the button to take him to the lobby. He glanced up and, before the doors closed, noticed Laura. One elbow was nestled into her hand while the other hand stroked her chin, eyes narrowed and watching him. Zack felt his cheeks colour again as the elevator doors closed, sealing him in with his thoughts. “Too inquisitive for her own good is right.” He muttered and proceeded on his way.

            Zack practically floated to the café he was to meet her at. He had been imagining the moment since he arrived in Toronto. What he would say, how he would dress, her reaction… Fits of fantasy took him away and he couldn’t wipe the grin off his face. He almost walked right past the café, so entrenched was he in his daydreaming. He bounded up the short steps to the entryway and swept inside, ordered a coffee, and found a nice quiet table near the back. He pulled out a notebook and casually began jotting notes, hoping that with enough practice he would be able to prove himself in the newsroom and move out of the archives at the paper. He was so engrossed in his note taking that he didn’t notice when his companion showed up to his table.
            “Zack? Oh my god, it’s been so long!” He looked up and he almost didn’t recognize her. Chloe had changed. A lot. He stood up and they hugged. He was the first to let go. Her once golden blonde hair was now a mish-mash of pinks, blues, purples, and black. A collar with a bell attached surrounded her neck, making Zack think of a house cat, and her clothes seemed to be all punk rock and greaser. But what disturbed him the most was the trail of scars trailing up her arm as she engulfed him in a hug. She was cutting herself, it seemed. “Sorry we’re late.”
            “We?” Zack repeated, though Chloe didn’t seem to notice.
            “It was such a pain to even get T to agree to come. He gets awfully jealous when I talk to people.” She motioned to a very large, very bald gentleman behind her glowering away. ‘Gentleman’, however, was not the term that Zack would be inclined to use, but he wanted to give Chloe the benefit of the doubt.
            “Tee? As in the letter ‘T’? Or is it Tea? Tee?” Zack was beginning to realize that the visit wasn’t going to go the way that he had imagined. A lump was welling up in his throat, much like the one that threatened to choke him when he watched her leave on a train seven years prior.
            “Jeez, Zack. Don’t be such a bagger,” Chloe scolded him. “It’s T. My boyfriend.” The duo sat down at Zack’s table and he quickly pocketed his notebook. T, Zack deduced, was definitely a juicer. His shoulders were as wide as he was tall and he had no neck to speak of. What little neck he did have was covered in tattoos, along with his arms, fingers, and Zack wouldn’t be surprised if his palms were tattooed as well.
            “Uhh… Don’t you want something to drink? Like a hot chocolate or something?” Zack asked, trying to piece everything together in his head. Wait… Boyfriend?
            “Hot chocolate? Gawd, I haven’t had one of those in for ever.” Chloe grimaced. She pronounced the words ‘for’ and ‘ever’ separately, almost like one of the girls from their school back home. The ones that really didn’t like either of them. “Besides, T says we can’t stay long. He’s got a thing later on.”
            “Oh… okay, I guess,” Zack stammered. “I was just hoping that we could catch up and everything…” He petered off as T stood up.
            “C’mon, babe,” T’s voice was almost high-pitched, yet gravelly. An Oxymoron if Zack had ever thought of one. “Ditch this bagger, and let’s get out of here.”
            Chloe looked away from T and turned apologetic eyes to Zack. He was relieved to note that they were still blue, but had a glazed look to them instead of the mischievous gleam he was used to. “I’m so sorry, Zack,” she said, getting up and backing away from the table. “But I have to go. We’ll catch up soon though, I promise.” She was almost out the door when she called back to him. “I’ll call you!” He highly doubted it.
            In the ensuing silence, Zack was left to piece together his disappointing, awkward, and very brief reunion with the love of his life. Yes, Zack thought, a lot has changed. He bitterly finished the last of his coffee and with unshed tears clouding his vision he stepped out on to the street.

            He wandered aimlessly up and down streets without any thought to where he was going. His attempts to clear his head failed, but he tried nonetheless. He was surprised to see that the fall dusk had turned to a crisp night when he finally did look up.
            The smell of cigarette smoke, sounds of dozens of people talking at once and rock music on speakers, and the sight of several people milling about smoking heralded a pub in the vicinity.
            “What the hell,” Zack said to himself. “I could use a drink.” He grimaced to himself. “A strong one.” He stepped into the pub without even looking at which one. It was the Bird In The Belfry.

            Zack had done two shots of Irish Whisky and half a pint of a bitter ale when he heard a familiar voice calling across the bar.
            “Hey! Farm Boy!” Zack turned to the sound of the voice. Surrounding the pool table and dartboards were The Misfits. Jonathan quickly waved him over and Zack complied, relocating his pint to join his coworkers. “I thought you had a date. Or it wasn’t a date. Or it was.” Jonathan’s weasel-like features made his good-natured ribbing seem almost sinister.
            “I did. It didn’t go well.”
            “Oh?” Francine sidled up to him, getting closer than she would dare at the office. “No details?” She grinned and nudged him with her elbow.
            “I’d really rather not talk about it.” He replied. He really, really didn’t want to mention it at all. He finished the rest of his beer in one quick gulp. The others seemed to take the hint and didn’t press again.
            Laura clapped, bringing all attention to her and Zack was silently thankful to her. “Well, now we’re the perfect number for three-on-three at darts. No need to take turns between darts and pool now.”
            Geoff protested. “Hey, I was fine with playing pool.” His tie was still around his neck, but casually loosened even more than when he had left the office and Zack wondered if it would interfere with him at the pool table.
            “That’s because you’re a shark and we all already owe you a drink,” Josephine spoke up. Shocked glances were turned her way. No one was used to meek Josephine speaking out like that. She blushed and tried to hide behind her glasses. “Uhmm… Sorry… I mean…” she stammered and never finished her thought.
            Geoff, for his part feigned injury and placed a hand over his heart. “My lady, you wound me. I would never–“
            “Save it for the theatre,” Laura cut him off. “It’s three-on-three darts. But first we need a round of shots and drinks.”

            By the end of the night, Zack was feeling much better. Or worse. He didn’t remember. He had more to drink than he was anticipating, and he recalled having a thought that he probably should have eaten something after the café.
            Francine, for her part, was always quick on making sure that Zack had a drink in his hand. There was a hungry look in her eye, or Zack had thought, and he noticed that she gradually got closer and closer to him as the night wore on. Or he thought he noticed it. He wasn’t quite sure what he noticed and what he didn’t. It was all so fuzzy.
            When two o’clock rolled around and all the drinks were drank and it was time to go, Zack was stumbling out through the door. Francine leaned heavily on Josephine’s shoulder as they made it out and into a cab with Jonathan, who by then looked more like a drowned rat than a weasel. Zack laughed to himself at that thought. Geoff, for his part decided to walk back to his apartment. Apparently he didn’t live too far from the pub.
            “Where do you live, Farm Boy?”
            “Huh?” His vision swam as he turned his head to look at Laura.
“Where do you live?” she repeated her question.
“I, uh… I don’t know?” he slurred. “I just moved here.”
Laura pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. “Well I guess you can sleep on my couch then.” She hailed a cab. “Just no funny business, got it? My place isn’t the hay loft in your barn back home.”

Laura’s apartment was cozy and comfortable. But Zack didn’t notice any of it. He stood awkwardly swaying in the middle of her living room as she placed blankets and a pillow on her couch. He startled her when he spoke.
“She changed,” he mumbled. “I had everything planned out, but she changed.”
“What are you talking about?” she sat him on the couch.
“Chloe. She’s different. I was finally going to tell her how I feel after all these years.” He laid down and Laura tucked him in. “But she’s not the Chloe I fell in love with. And she has a boyfriend…” he trailed off and Laura thought maybe he had passed out. She was heading to her room when he stopped her again.
“Laura, what’s a bagger?”
“It’s a term that idiots use when they’re unimpressed by someone. The person isn’t even worth bagging your groceries.” She looked at him with sympathy.
“Oh.” He was quiet for a bit. “Laura?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for taking care of me.” Zack wasn’t sure, and he definitely wouldn’t remember in the morning and if he did she would deny ever saying it, but she surprised him with her response.

“That’s what friends are for, Farm Boy.”

~~

And there you have it. I'm curious to hear what people think of it. What did you like? What didn't you? What did I do well? What do I need to work on? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Sinceriously,

-Chad

Sunday, February 4, 2018

Colin And The Road Trippers


At the end of January, my friends Tina, Emma, and myself rented a car and went on a road trip from Queenstown, down around the southern part of the South Island, up the east coast, over to Mount Cook, and then back to Queenstown. It has honestly been the highlight of my time in New Zealand so far. I got to see some incredible sights that I think would have otherwise been overlooked had I taken a bus around. Not that I’m regretting travelling with Stray at all. I also got to spend the week with two of the loveliest people that I’ve met here. Win/Win situation for me!

Colin

Our trusty steed was named Colin. A spacious car that needed a fair bit of coaxing, especially when going up hills. The personality of Colin was that of an older gentleman, wearing tube socks with sandals and going over his stamp collection. He and I got along quite well. He got us where we needed and wanted to go, though he was quite thirsty and gas isn’t the cheapest over here. At the time of writing it’s averaged at 212.9/litre New Zealand, or 183.9/litre Canadian. That’s quite a bit more than I’m used to paying. A quick search for gas prices back home in Edmonton shows that gas is currently averaged at 104.9/litre, a staggering difference. But what can you do, eh?

The Majestic Milford Sound

After leaving Queenstown our first stop was Te Anau for the night so that we could catch a boat cruise around the stunning Milford Sound. The sights were absolutely majestic and the weather was spectacular. In fact, one of the photos that I took and posted on Instagram (@distractedjedi, if you wanted to take a look) is one of my most liked photos ever. The Sound itself was sheer cliff faces, waterfalls, and seals and sea lions basking in the sun. The cruise was filled with interesting facts about Milford Sound that I must admit I didn’t really listen to. I was taking in the view.

The day didn’t end with the cruise. In fact, it was just the start. There were a number of stops that we had penned out for the return which involved a few short hikes in Fiordland National Park before heading back to Te Anau for the night.

It was my turn to drive on the way back and I am pleased to announce that I didn’t kill anyone with my first time driving on the left hand side. It was actually quite quick to get used to, and with both Tina and Emma napping in the back after the hikes it shows that they were quite comfortable with my driving.

Swimming With Dolphins

The next morning we were off for the southern part of the South Island, Colin chugging along reliably, if occasionally argumentative. Before we reached our destination at Curio Bay we made a few stops. A quiet secluded spot on top of a hill overlooking the ocean was our lunch destination and we got our first glimpse of dolphins swimming in the wild. Quite far away, but it was an exciting moment. Especially for Tina who, unlike me, shows excitement quite readily.

We also made a brief stop at Slope Point, the southern most point of the South Island of New Zealand. It is 337km closer to the South Pole than it is to the Equator. And it marks the furthest south I have ever been! Maybe one day I’ll see Antarctica, but this’ll do for now.

After a long drive on gravel roads, we made it to our accommodation for the next two nights. A cozy little backpackers hostel right off the beach and close to a penguin colony. Once we got settled into our respective rooms and had finished supper, we headed for said penguin colony for a brief look and to see if we could spot any penguins. We did, but the lighting was quite poor and they were too far away for some pictures. The sunset was quite a sight however, so the trip wasn’t a waste. Even though we were startled by a possum wandering around the place.

The next morning was Dolphin time. After a hearty breakfast which consisted of (for me) coffee, we were off down to the beach to swim with the dolphins. They did not disappoint! At some points they actually got quite close, though it was hard to catch them in photo. It was also my first time trying out my GoPro under water, and without goggles to see what the GoPro saw, the photos were a bit disappointing. However, on my Instagram account I have a video which shows how close the dolphins actually got. It was really surreal, and an experience that I will cherish and remember forever.

Unfortunately the weather turned in the afternoon and we were forced inside and had to scratch our plans for the rest of the day. Instead, we completed some administrative duties, sorted through some photos, and watched some Netflix. Perfect rainy day movie? What We Do In The Shadows. Highly recommended!

Catching Up With Friends

The following day saw us leaving the dolphins and the south coast, heading up on our way to Dunedin with a few stops along the way for photos and to stretch our legs before we arrived. Dunedin is a college town with students populating its streets, though at the time of our visit school had not resumed from summer vacation. To be honest, we didn’t see a lot of Dunedin. We were only there for one night, and that one night involved sitting in a pub and catching up with a couple of friends we had met in Rotorua. Kayla had sights set on settling down in Dunedin and succeeded in that, regardless of it not being the place she had originally wanted. Max is there for an internship at the University. Fred is also travelling around on his own and happened to be in Dunedin at the same time as us, and it was great to catch up with all of them. With my background as a bartender, I’m considering making the move there to work for a bit myself. Students like to drink after all. And it’ll be a great place to meet Locals and Internationals alike.

Air B&B In The Middle of Nowhere

After leaving Max, Kayla, and Fred in Dunedin (after an unproductive morning of shooting the shit), we proceeded on our way off to our next destination. A quaint little Air B&B just outside of the small town Kurow. The place that we rented was a tiny little home made from a converted motorhome. No power, but had running water and a wood burning stove for heat (not that it was needed).

The landlords, Bianca and Andrew, were equally charming. We spent our first evening with them playing cards, drinking wine, and chatting about nothing in particular. It was very comfortable. When the sun set too much to continue on with cards, we went into Bianca and Andrew’s kitchen for a few more drinks and chatting. Being a bartender, they had allowed us access to their liquor cabinet to see what I could conjure up. Alas, I must admit that there wasn’t much I could create. But I did try!

After the mostly unsuccessful round of cocktail creations, we headed up the hill behind their house to appreciate the stars. Their property was an old sheep paddock, their house is a converted barn, and on their 11 acres of property is a wooded hill with a clearing at the top. Perfect for stargazing. Unfortunately the moon was a tad too bright to really appreciate the stars. It was nearing the Super Blue Blood Moon phenomenon after all. But there were some good views to be seen regardless. And that was pretty much our evening in a nut shell. Low key and very enjoyable. Plus, it was my best sleep in ages.

Home of Glaciers

Though we had grand plans of awakening early and heading on our way to Mount Cook, that didn’t actually happen. As it turned out, we all had one of the best sleeps in ages so none of us got up when we were planning on it. We made it to Mount Cook during the day, but we had a hearty breakfast before hand. Mine involved bacon, eggs, and toast with jam. Definitely a winner in my books. The idea was to have a large filling breakfast and then perhaps just a small lunch during our hike.

After the two hour or so drive (including random stops at interesting points) we arrived at Mount Cook National Park. We were debating the few days before on whether we wanted to do the Mueller Hut Track, which is an eight (8) hour return hike, or a couple of the smaller hikes. We chose the smaller hikes option.

We started with the Hooker Valley Track, which was a 3 hour return hike and mostly flat. Only an eighty (80) meter incline, the hike was more of a walk really, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. There’s something about being out in nature that brings me great joy and the landscape is something else, as the pictures can attest.


It took us just over an hour to reach the end of the track, which was at Hooker Lake, on the tail end of the Hooker Glacier. We took our time there, with Tina and Em napping on the small stone beach. Oddly enough, the glacial lake was warmer in comparison to the streams that feed off of it. Though that doesn’t stop small icebergs broken off of the glacier from sticking around.


After lunch and napping, we decided to head on back for the next little hike we had planned. This one was shorter, though steeper, and ended at a lookout for the Tasman Glacier. The landscapes couldn’t be more different. Whereas the Hooker Valley track was quite green and full of life, the Tasman Glacier Track was only partly green. When you got to the top of lookout, the half down to Tasman Lake was barren and full of rocky scree. The glacier itself is the longest in New Zealand, measuring at 27km (or 16.7 miles).

After a nice long sit there, it was time to head back for a brief snackish type of supper and to see if we could see any stars. Unfortunately the stars didn’t pan out for us and we were forced to concede defeat and head on back to our cozy little home.

Road Trip Karaoke

After breakfast and coffee the next morning, we decided to head on our way back to Queenstown to drop off our trusty Colin. We had to have him there by 4:00pm, but decided to drop him off early and that meant there were very little stops along the way. But that was definitely made up for by the choice in music. Via Spotify, Tina put on a playlist aptly titled “Road Trip Sing Along”. And that’s exactly what we did. We pretty much sang the entire 3 hour drive back to Queenstown. It kind of reminded me of karaoke with friends in Japan. It also meant that our time together was nearing an end.

I’m not exaggerating when I say that the week was the highlight of my time in New Zealand so far. There’s something to be said about having the freedom to go where you will when you want. Something that can’t be done while sticking to the bus schedules. Eventually I’ll buy my own car here and when I do I’m looking forward to the next trip, and hopefully it’s with people as equally charming and kind as my friends Emma and Tina.

Sinceriously,


-Chad