What's Your Story ? - a writing exercise

[Frank]

Since the Writer's Clique seems to stuck in neutral, I decided to try a writing
exercise I use in my creative writing class, here - the multiple author story.

I will write a TITLE and the opening paragraph.

I want you to add a paragraph of your own, hopefully carrying on the storyline, but if you want to change the story do so in the context of the story.

I know that makes no sense (even to me) so I will provide an example.

THE RAIN by Frank

The rain poured down from the sky effectively ending the dream of the picnic, they were supposed to be going on. What a bummer, thought Sheila, now what are we going to do ?
The children had been so looking forward to this, the day in the park, and now we are stuck inside once again.

{now the next writer adds a paragraph - does he/she like the story so far ? Does he/she want to change the story ? We will see -]

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Sheila opened the door and found a strange man looking at her. "Are you the lady of the house ?" he asked.
'Damn', thought Sheila, 'another bloody salesman.' Then she noticed that the salesman was not in the least bit wet despite standing in the rain.

[At this point, the next writer can either work with the idea of the salesman or move in another direction}

I leave the next step to you writers here at CCS -get your creative juices going - write a paragraph or two.

[Carol@Swallowcliffs]

Sheila stepped a bit farther out the door and looked up to see if there was a reason for the dryness of the man standing on her stoop. As she did this, the man, stepped closer to her. She could feel a warmth emanating from him, and smell his aftershave. She could find no reason for his dryness.
"I am not interested in whatever it is you are selling" she said. She stepped back to close the door but as she reached backwards for the knob, she slipped on the wet floor and fell head long right into the strange man.

[Anne Westlund]

He helped her regain her feet. She sensed the fluttering of wings, but didn't see any birds. "Sorry Mrs. Harrison, I failed to introduce myself, a common fault among our kind." Sheila was completely flustered now. No one had called her by her married name for a dog's age. "Your kind?" "Mrs. Harrison, I am an angel, sent by the powers that be, to help you straighten out your life. Apparently you've made quite a mess of it." Sheila felt her face turn bright red. "For one thing, I'm divorced, so you can drop the Mrs. Harrison. For another, I'm doing fine and don't need any heavenly help!" She tried to shut the door, but he held it open with his foot. "Perhaps a demonstration is in order," he said.

[Ang Monsoon]

Harvey and Ellie had heard the dialogue between Sheila and the dry man and were now clinging to Sheila's legs. "Is he a Jehova's Witness, Mum?" .
"No son, I'm not a Jehova's Witness" the dry man smiled at the boy.
Sheila tried to shake the kids off and hissed at them to go back to the lounge, but they were holding fast.
"You're frustrated aren't you, Sheila? Frustrated that it rained today, you thought it was a "bummer", frustrated when I knocked at the door, you thought I was another "bloody" salesman, and I won't repeat what you're thinking just now about your children, they're not being very obedient just now, are they". Sheila felt a cold fear snake down her back and the next minute he reached across to her and held her in his arms, held her tight, until the cold fear had crawled away.