OUaT Journal: My story - Part I

The following is the beginning of my Once Upon a Time journal meant for a swap on Swap-Bot.com. The task was to write the beginning of a story in about 5 pages and leave it open ended so that the person who received it next could add on to it, etc. I will post each entry in separate posts so this one isn't extremely long. I will not be including usernames (as I've gone back and edited previous entries on this subject to protect their identity and myself from being labeled a meanie for criticizing their work).

Cold Blooded Companion

    Once upon a time, fairly recent in fact, I had a pet. Well, I've had other pets like the family dog in my teens, the less successful hamster phase and the previous fairly short attempts at carnival goldfish. But those pets don't warrant any formal record keeping. In fact, maybe I shouldn't refer to it as a pet since perhaps it is deserving of its own category - and retracting my thoughts, this will seem more like a tale than actual records, but I assure you that during the few months with the cold-blooded subject of this 'tale', I journaled my suspicions.

    While the journal may have been a more accurate depiction of the events, I also felt it was too revealing of my lonely, stressful life and perhaps may have been used as evidence to claim insanity - which I assure that I am not. I've read stranger things that thousands believe. Please allow me to describe the evening I found Luna.

    My freshman year of college was a bit lonely, spent mostly in class and local diners; rarely in my dorm. There were even weeks where I got more sleep in a booth or my car than in my own bed. I had been roomed with, who seemed to be, the 'lay of the century.' It was obvious that my next years' living situation would require a change, and as I packed up my belongings and headed to the address of my soon-to-be apartment the week before my sophomore year, I couldn't stop wondering if I'd be more lonely. I knew having dried noodle cups thrown at my head was not something I wanted to put up with anymore, but perhaps any sort of communication was better than silence.

    I exhaled heavily as I put my car in park and made my way to the apartment office that smelled like Raid. The mound of curly orange hairs in a sweat-stained shirt rose from behind the desk, threw a clipboard at my chest and motioned me to follow. During the guided tour I discovered some run-down facilities, an over-crowded pool, a smaller-than-expected everything in my soon-to-be apartment and that this man apparently found Raid to be a suitable cologne.

    Finishing up the paperwork as the late afternoon sun was preparing to clock out, my eyes revisited the pet clause portion of the contract. It seemed loose pets such as dogs, cats, birds and 'ask for more clarification' were not allowed but tanked animals were. My mind sunk back to the few goldfish I had before jumping forward to a pet shop I had visited on my Spring Break with my younger sister.

    Reptiles were tank animals that I might be able to keep alive longer. I wrote 'reptile' in the appropriate space, searched the empty office before placing the clipboard behind the desk and going back to my car.

    I found myself at a small burger joint a few miles from the apartment, a fresh ketchup stain in my lap. Eating in your car has its disadvantages. I finished my burger as I flicked through the radio stations.

    Now that my burger was devoured, my face acquainted with a napkin and a few more dabs at the stain near my crotch, I surveyed my surrounding to the tune of 'Pet Cemetery' by The Ramones. I had parked in the back lot overlooking a small cluster of shops. I tried to read their signs unlit. They all seemed like family-run places, based on the names and that they were closed by 8pm.

    I started my car just as a shops lights turned on, the one marked "Special Pet." My car purred softly as I watched a young woman with lengthy hair walk through the isles. Her lips moved but I saw no one else in the store so I assumed she may be talking to the animals. Maybe I too would soon be talking to my own animal.

    I drove my car into the adjoining lot and parked in front of the neighboring shop. As I walked up toward the door, I viewed rats, snakes and empty tanks near the front. A chime in the rear of the store sounded off as I entered. The young lady's head popped out from behind an isle.

   "Need something?"

    I looked at her face which seemed to say 'I wasn't expecting a customer, make it quick.'

    "Oh, I uh, was wondering if you had any reptiles good for a beginner?" I said with a nervous smile as I walked towards her.

    She disappeared behind the isle again, her voice revealing her movement.

    "A beginner? Well, maybe you should tell me the environment the reptile will be in."

    "Environment? Well, it's an apartment and I guess I'd need a tank or whatever..."

    "No," she popped up behind me and locked her eyes on mine, "emotional environment."

    She must have noticed my confusion. Before I could begin to form an answer she whisked around, the tips of her hair lightly lashing at my face, and walked away while she explained.

    "Will it need to be very social? How much time is going to be spent on care? What is your budget for food?"

    I followed her around the furthest isle, passing small frogs and thin snakes as I explained that I attend college and plan to spend most of my time in my apartment on a tight budget since off-campus living was more more expensive.

    The overhead lighting in this isle was dim, possibly a lack of funds to fix that now, or the broken floor tiles.

    "No crazy parties going on in your place?" She vanished behind a curtain leading to, I assumed, a back room.

    "Oh no! No, no, I don't throw parties. I keep to myself really."

    The curtain muffled something the woman said before joining me in the dim isle again, with a glass tank in her hand. I caught a glimpse of a dull colored scaly tail. She moved to the counter, I followed.

    "This is a bearded dragon. Her name is Luna and I think she'd be a good fit for you."

    I looked in the tank but the tail was gone, hidden in a hollow plastic rock with the rest of the body. The woman began collecting supplies and info sheets on "how to care for your beardy."

    I slid the top of the tank back and reached in to move the 'rock,' to familiarize myself with my new pet, but instead got a slap on my hand from the woman.

    "No! She's sleeping. You leave her be."

    I took back my hand, shocked at the overreaction as she replaced the top screen.

    "Now, be sure to put her in a corner away from windows and doorways. You will have this bulb to run at night," she placed one boxed bulb in a paper bag, "and this one during the day," she placed another bulb in the bag. "Do not leave the day bulb on for more than nine hours," she warned.

    She placed another small box in the bag. "This is a timer with instructions - use it."

    The bag was stuffed with other items as she gestured that I pick up the tank. Just before I did, I saw the pale yellow tail again and it disappeared as the bag was placed on top of the screen.

    "She should be just fine if you follow the instructions and don't leave the day bulb on too long." She locked eyes with me again, "I cannot stress that enough." Something in her eyes now read desperation, but shifted to accompany a smile as she said, "thank you, we're closing now."

    "But I... (to be continued)

I attempted to make the sex of the main character as hidden as possible. I also sent a note with the journal to my partner stating that my intention was to reveal that the pet was a vampire but did not have enough space since we were limited to around 5 pages, and it was up to her to carry on with that course or not.

The next part of the story will be posted soon.