Posted by hummingbird on 4/28/2014, 8:40 pm VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
Here's a story I've been working on. It's different, but I hope you enjoy it.
Prologue September, 1998
She faintly heard the sirens wailing and the sounds of voices speaking to her as she was pulled carefully from the wreckage. Through a haze, she could see figures around her...touching her.
“Ma’am, can you hear me? Can you tell me your name?”
She heard the voice. Her lips parted to speak, but the words wouldn’t form. She was in intense pain. She rolled her head from side to side. Her eyes opened, but her vision was blurry and there was ringing in her ears. She continued to hear the voices although they were growing more and more muted.
The voice closest to her spoke again, “Stay with me ma’am. Stay with me now. Talk to me. Can you tell me your name? What is your name?…”
She wanted to speak...she wanted to answer the questions...she wanted Bo...but she couldn’t speak, the pain prevented her...tears streamed down the sides of her face as she tried in her weakened state again to form the words…
Then slowly and silently her world went black...
Chapter One
Chicago March 4, 1944
...The blackness was shattered by the sounds of the swing music as it grew in intensity.
“Come on, Baby. Tell me your name…”
Nora smiled, but gave him her much-practiced answer. “No...no names. No personal questions, remember? I’m just here to dance.”
The man swung her around in what must have been his own version of the jitterbug. He was trampling her feet and trying to pull her closer. She couldn’t wait until this song ended and begged God silently that the guy had no more tickets.
She really needed to be more earnest in finding another line of work. While she liked the aspect of earning money to do something that she really loved, being a dance hall girl was not what she had in mind when she sought work at the Aragon Ballroom. She wanted to be an instructor...wanted to teach those who desired to learn the the proper steps of the popular dances. Instead she was told she had to ‘work her way up’ in the system...to ‘prove herself’, so to speak. So, in an effort to prove herself, she went home with aching and bruised feet every night after being awkwardly handled by every male clutching a ticket in his hand. If her parents knew the true aspect of her work, they would make her quit in a moment...they must never find out.
Nora never lacked for tickets and earned good wages. As she danced, she drew looks from other patrons who awaited their opportunity to dance with her. Not only was she a great dancer, but she was beautiful as well.
It was war time and people were looking for a diversion...anything to take their minds off the war in Europe. Men from all aspects of life visited the dance halls...upper class, not-so-upper class, single, married, civilian; and of late, soldiers that were stateside or on furlough. Nora didn’t mind the soldiers. For the most part, they were her most well-mannered patrons; and she felt like she was doing a little toward the war effort just making them happy if only for the length of a song.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the grubby man releasing her at the end of the song and saying, “Wait here, baby, while I go buy another ticket” before he disappeared into the crowd. Fortunately it was the end of Nora’s shift and she gladly exited the floor, went to the dressing room, and gathered her hat and purse to go home.
Pinning her hat into place, she headed for the door only to hear shouts behind her.
“Hey, wait! I got another ticket! Where you goin’?” The man caught up with her right outside the door where a few others were loitering, one a handsome soldier with dark hair and blue eyes. He glanced up and witnessed the scene before him.
“I’m sorry, sir,” Nora said, “my shift is over, but there are plenty of other ladies who would be glad to dance with you if…”
“I don’t want to dance with anyone else! I bought this ticket for you! You knew that when I went to buy it! His voice was growing frustrated and angry.
“Well, I am sorry, sir, but I’m finished for the evening. Maybe tomorrow night…”
He interrupted her, “NO! NOT tomorrow night. I said I wanna dance. You’ll dance with me now!” He grabbed her arm and pulled her close. He purse flew to the ground beyond her reach. Some of the guys close buy chuckled at the man’s behavior which only served to spur him on. “Maybe I can collect a kiss too…pretty little thing like you...” he leered drawing closer to her. “What do you think, guys...” he asked his audience, “should I get me some lovin’ too?”
The soldier observing had seen enough. He approached the man quickly, grabbed the back of his coat, and pulled him away from Nora.
“I believe I heard the lady say she’s done for the evening! Now leave her alone!” He shoved the man and a fight ensued. As Nora fled the scene, the soldier was brawling with the man while the others cheered them on. She felt terrible that he was fighting on her behalf, terrible that she just left the scene, and even worse that she didn’t have the opportunity to thank him for his troubles.
Re: FF- I'll Be Seeing You, Prologue and Chapter One