Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)
This is the Doctrine’s contribution to the Six Sentence Story bloghop.
Hosted by Denise, constrained by a sentence limit (high and low) of six, there are worse ways to spend the remaining time you have on earth.
Prompt word:
RELAY
Sister Aclima, entering the Salvation Army Store dressed in the habit of the Order of Lilith, stepped out onto the Hell’s Kitchen sidewalk wearing: pin-striped bell-bottom slacks, macramé belt (with a brass Ankh buckle), Ralph Lauren button-down shirt and a grey hoodie with ‘Property of the University of Ingolstadt’ stenciled on the back. Her Rieker Ballet Flats the better to maintain a sense of continuity despite her Order-approved habit safely in a red Salvation Army tote bag,
The former Kayla Sheperd decided that, for the moment, perhaps her mission was as much a test of her personal resiliency as a trial of her faith in the Order. That the details were scarce and vague and relayed by a guide-slash-mercenary rather than properly presented by her Mother Superior back at the Abbey was not reassuring.
Her phone rang,
“Saints be praised, Sister Mary Surreptitious answers her phone; had you an inkling of the trouble you’ve created for me with your gallivanting around this foine city, you’d surely be heading to confession…wait, sorry, mixing the habits with the cassocks,” a bark of masculine laughter stood in for a semi-colon; “So lass, are ye ready to get serious now?”
“Now Rover, don’t make me get all Cesar Millan on your mangy ass, I’m actually glad you called; there’s been a change in my M.O. so I need a place to crash, off the radar, if you get my drift.”
About clarkscottroger
That Salvation Army Store looks like a great place to get clothes. That Sister Aclima wants to go off the radar makes me wonder what she’s up to. Nice phone dialog, especially, “Sister Mary Surreptitious answers her phone”.
I did back in the day (i.e. college days…what a surprise! lol)
as always you have a sense of potential story paths
(Just between us: I’m thinking the refuge provided by the Order of Lilith as worn off which is unfortunate as the damage she (Kayla not Aclima) is an ongoing process. I suspect it’s not so much being ‘up to’ something as her character defects* are exerting themselves (as character defects tend to do)
*the twist in character from adversity is never not sad, but when a child is subject to abuse and they compensate by developing what are only temporary and totally not healthy compensation, they become in a very true sense of the word ‘deformed’ and that is fricken tragic
Excellent line from Brother L “….Sister Surreptitious”…. Can’t fault him for a perpetual sense of humor. Sister Aclima, on the other hand, should work on lightening up a little. She does have a point about Mother Superior not instructing her on her mission, seems a little odd.
yeah, maybe Sr Aclima is tired of being used or…or maybe Kayla is chafing at the constraints of the life of a nun
Could this be the night Sister Aclima gets lucky? hehehehe
define ‘Luck’
lol (no, yeah, I know what you mean… but who might be that person? the Sophomore, Brother Lymphocytus… seeing how she appears to have a weakness for external discipline (joining the Order) or perhaps Rosetta. They’re about the same age.
Sister Aclima seems to have good sense in fashion. I definitely want her pants.
lol
thank you! (I struggle with describing women’s clothing, lacking the vocabulary)
Don’t tell anyone, but for the ‘outfit’ I indulged in my normal go-to… remembering college days. Not sure why i remember the clothing worn by coed…wait a minute… I suspect I do (remember why)
Ooh I do like that tote bag… I want one too!
lol they are right up front with the institutional marketing, no?
I would’ve thought she’d prefer St Vincent de Paul’s. And I second, Chris’s comment. I want one of those bags, please.
She’s going to either cause or prevent a world of trouble, at least so it seems, and only time will tell which.
the question (of which) is, I suspect the ingredient of a compelling story hope I find the words in time!
This is all kinds of wonderful!
thank you Cale.
( I was Replying to Reelika, something to the effect that sometimes we are totally blessed with characters who simply show and know their lines, all I need to do is type. Others are more of a challenge, Sister Aclima/Kayla Sheperd being and example. A terrible past, a possibly transformative association with the Order of Lilith yet risk of being dragged back to the suffering (by that persistent part of the mind that many of us have that ‘nothing is too bad for us’)
sorry, running on, enjoy talking about writing. thanks
Thank you for chatting-I totally relate to having characters who know their lines, and all I have to do is type–hallelujah! Have a blessed weekend! (As usual, I couldn’t reply to your comment the easy way…had to copy and paste and haul it over here🙄) Cale
you too!