I’ll go first!
To kick off our space here in Beneath the Edits, I’m sharing something I haven’t looked at in over a decade. The opening of a short horror story from the first year of my creative writing undergrad.
It’s raw. No edits. No polish. Just early Kerry, trying to figure out what a “voice” even was.
I’ve never shared this publicly before, but that’s what this group is for. A place to unearth the old stuff, cringe a little, and maybe even find the bones of something beautiful buried underneath.
Feel free to drop impressions, thoughts, or even just a “me too” if you’ve got your own abandoned first drafts lurking somewhere.
A Weekend Getaway
Kerry Holmes
As the waves gently lap against its hull, the boat rocks from side to side. A million tiny diamonds glitter brightly as the sun’s rays reflect off the ripples in the ocean. Charity listens to the lulling sound of the waves as she sips her beer deep in thought, trying to distract herself, imagining what creatures and mysteries lurk within these majestic blue and emerald-green waters. But her thoughts keep returning to Drew and Mia as she wonders, yet again, what she sees in him.
‘Penny for em.’ Mia plonks herself beside Charity.
‘Was just thinking about this weekend,’ she takes another sip of beer, unable to meet her friend’s gaze.
‘Soooo, you gonna fill us in about this mysterious island we’re going to or what?’ Mia finishes her beer and shouts to Drew to grab another. ‘You want one?’
‘Sure.’ Charity drains the last of her bottle.
‘Make that two,’ Mia yells.
‘What’s the big secret about this place anyway?’ Drew hands her a beer; sitting beside Mia, his hand creeps higher up her thigh. Charity pretends not to notice.
‘No secret, not really, just wanted to add to the weekend’s mystery, is all.’ Charity’s beer fizzes up from the bottle spilling out into a perfect frothy waterfall creating a small foamy puddle around her feet.
‘Ahhh, I see; wait until we can’t back out; wise move.’ Mia laughs and nudges Charity on the shoulder.
‘Come on, Chaz, time to spill.’
Arlie has now taken his shirt off, manning the boat with one hand and a beer in the other. Charity takes a moment to appreciate how his muscles flex and dance.
‘Ok, Ok, guess it’s time.’ Pausing to take a drink and draining half the bottle in one go, feeling more relaxed, she burps and then continues.
‘Remember a few years back when the world was convinced it would end because of the Mayan calendar, and I did a shit load of research on the Mayans?’
‘How could I forget it’s all you talked about for months,’ Mia finishes the last of her beer and stretches. Charity watches as her cut-off denim shorts ride further up her thighs, followed by Drew’s hands. She looks away, out across the Ocean, before continuing.
‘Well, I guess I kinda got the seeds for the idea for this place back then. Many stories about the island are floating around. People claiming to have seen strange lights, weird noises, all the usual creepy stuff, you know? Probably cause of the island's remoteness and being off-limits an all.’
‘Shit, Chaz, my parents can’t find out I took the boat. They would kill me, sometimes, I think they care more about this bloody boat than they do me.’ Arlie’s fingers wrap themselves tightly around the helm.
