|
Page 1 of 8
Bonus Excerpt from the story
"THE LATEST DEADLINES"
Mary suffers from a worsening illness and will lose her job unless she makes enough sales by noontime
RIGHT
NOW
Mary gulps down all the morning
medicines that keep her angry thoughts and emotions from raging, and she thinks
about her boss at the News Dealer’s office, Mr. McCracken, who is going to fire
her unless she makes at least fifteen sales by noon today. But, before she gets
herself out the door Mary starts feeling the awful paralyzing shakes of a panic
attack.
BEFORE
As
Mary left the office very dejected yesterday, Mr. McCracken tried talking to
her. “You know, Mary...” he began.
From
one second to the next Mary’s look of sadness changed to terror, as if
McCracken was going to deal a fatal blow to her skull. Then, she flashed her
bloodshot eyes and went on the offensive first. “Wha-at!” she barked at him.
He
knew all about Mary’s anger problem but his small head snapped back at the fury
in her voice, and his oval specs sat crooked.
“Mary,
you didn’t sell any papers today,” he said in a soft tone. McCracken’s blond
eyebrows converged in a troubled look. “You only sold six papers in the last
week.”
“I
know, I know.” Mary changed her demeanor again, and began to pout. Her double
chin hung lower than usual. “I’m sorry.”
“Mary,
I’m trying to help, but I...I don’t know.”
|
