A Visitor from the Past

     When I saw the writing prompt for today, my mind instantly seized on the idea of adding to a previous idea.  I had an hour in which to write and the guest prompt we were given was that our protagonist opens the door to an unexpected guest, a friend from high school that we hadn't seen in many years.  They are down on their luck, and their reminiscing about the old days leads to trouble.  Of course, my characters aren't sitting in the kitchen and there isn't a lot of talking over old times, but this is what I got for my hours worth of writing. The following is an excerpt from an original work in process, and I should probably tell you that this is a first draft at that, so there are probably errors.  This ties in with the 640 word prompt and using the words musky and vermillion.

     She watched as Helena made her way down the winding staircase, pausing midway as she swayed slightly, then placed a hand on her abdomen.  A secretive smile graced her beautiful face.  She took a deep breath before continuing down.  When she reached the bottom, she paused in front of the entryway mirror to check her appearance.  What she was looking for only she knew because her appearance was flawless.

 

     The doorbell sounded, bringing her out of whatever musings were going on in her head.  She looked around before taking the few steps needed to answer the front door.  Her eyes widened in surprise as she looked on the person standing on the front porch.  A hand came up to cover her mouth as her eyes lit up.  “Charlotte!  I thought you disappeared off the face of the Earth.”

     The blonde on the other side of the door lifted her head, the corner of her mouth tilting in a smug smile that didn’t reach her eyes.  “Aren’t you going to invite me in, Helena?”

     Pink tinged Helena’s cheeks and she hurriedly stepped back.  “Of course, come in.”

     Charlotte Dumont was a good five inches taller than Helena and had the looks to pull off her chosen career as a model.  When they’d graduated from high school ten years before, Charlotte had high-tailed it out of Beaufort, North Carolina, and made her way to New York, where she landed a lucrative job as a top model.  Two years after her appearance in the public eye, she had mysteriously vanished from sight.

     Helena couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to her best friend in that time.  “Would you like some coffee or tea, Charlotte?”

     “If that’s the strongest thing you have.  I’d much prefer whiskey or scotch if you have it.”

     Helena led the way to the living room where she offered her friend a seat while she moved to the bar.  After she’d poured Charlotte her drink of choice, she filled another glass with ice water before carrying both drinks over to the sofa then took a seat. 

     “So, what are you doing in this area again?”

     Charlotte grimaced.  “Things haven’t been going so well for me lately.  My husband decided he wanted a younger model and so we’ve divorced.  Luckily he agreed to keep the child so I’m footloose and fancy free once again.”

     Helena was shocked.  “You gave up your child?”

     Charlotte’s expression turned wry.  “I’m not the mommy type.  I got pregnant to make sure I got the wedding ring.  I would have gotten rid of it, but my bastard ex made sure that things were left too late for that.”  She sighed.  “How about you?  I see you’re married.  Have you told this one about all the things we used to do?”

     Pink tinged Helena’s cheeks once again.  “I’ve put the past behind me, that’s where I’d like to leave it.”

     Charlotte threw back her head in laughter.  Her eyes were hard as she sneered.  “You always were a little goody-two-shoes.”  She pursed her lips.  “I’d love to see the expression on your husband’s face when he finds out how you planned getting him to marry you and keep you in the manner you wanted to be accustomed to.”

     Anger flashed in Helena’s eyes.  “I love my husband.  That’s the reason I married him.”

     Charlotte’s smile turned smug.  “Of course you do.  So, what are my chances of staying here for a few days till I can get back on my feet?”

     There was reluctance on Helena’s face, but in the end, she let out a sigh before replying, “You can stay for a couple of days.”

     Charlotte let out a sinister laugh as she held up an envelope.  “I’m glad I didn’t have to use these photos to get you to agree.”

     A deep voice coming from the direction of the door said, “What photos are those?”

     Charlotte’s eyes lit up with excitement as she turned to face Carson Rutledge.  She’d always had a thing for him, unfortunately, he never wanted anything to do with her.  She lowered her eyes, looking up at him secretively. 
“You’re welcome to look, if you really want to know what your…wife…used to be.”

     She tossed the envelope on the coffee table and before Helena had the chance to grab it, Carson had a hold of it.  The look on his face as he looked at the photos made Helena cringe. 

     In that moment, she felt as if her heart was being ripped out of her chest.  Those photos needed an explanation, but it was one she wasn’t free to disclose.

     A muscle clenched in his jaw as his gaze found hers, the disgust obvious. 

     She opened her mouth to try and explain.

     His hand came up.  “Get out.  Both of you.”  With that he stormed from the room and a moment later a door slammed somewhere in the house.

     Katie blinked.  The vision shimmered before it vanished and she was once again back in the present.