2015 Hampton Roads Writers Conference

September 17-19

Holiday Inn 

Virginia Beach-Norfolk Conference Center

http://hamptonroadswriters.org/2015conference.php

July Starter Sentence Courtesy of Will Hopkins
This month's sentence was actually a photo of the maiden statue that calls East Beach home.

"Wonder who she is?"

"Huh?"

"You and that damn Jumble puzzle, Vernon."

Vernon Yates looked up from the comics page.  He needed a T it looked like.  "Who?"

Ronnie skittered his lighter down the dash and jabbed with his cigarette.  "That gal over there.  Said I wonder who she is."

Vernon glanced through the open passenger window of the paint company van.  They were on lunch break.  "That cement girl?  She ain't nobody, man.  She's dead."

"Nah, dumbass.  I don't mean the statue there.  I mean who was she in real life?"

"Who cares.?  Hey, what word can you make out of D-T-O-G-H-O so that the T comes third?  I need me a T."

"I bet she was a mermaid."

"You need to run that fan higher, Ronnie Lee.  Them thinner fumes is messing with you."

"Yep.  The mermaid of Ocean View," Ronnie said, looking at the sad eyes.  "Use to meet her fisherman love down by the jetty each summer evening."

"Huh?"

"He'd bring her honeysuckle garlands and she'd sing him sweet songs about the sea all night long.  Then he flat quit coming, on account of all these houses gettin' built in here.  Broke her heart and turned her to stone."

Vernon tossed the paper into the back of the van.  "You're one goofy SOB, Ronnie Lee.  C'mon, let's get on back and finish priming.  Cutty Sark's got two-for-ones starting at four."

"The green Bay's my home, and there I roam, my love's gone, gone away."  Ronnie levered into drive, grinning at Vernon who just shook his head and muttered away.

As got rolling down the street, Ronnie couldn't help but look back in the mirror.