Priscilla Tabitha Akron

I started a story about two years ago that was extraordinary complicated called 'Things'.

The story is a complete bust; I can't develop and keep up with that many characters, and I certainly can't make a believable enchanted world while trying to keep up with the characters.

So I doubt the piece as a whole will ever go anywhere except my 'look back on how pathetic you used to be and feel better' documents box.

But...there was one character in there I vaguely remembered. Her name was Priscilla, but you should call her Prissy.

Here are the three scenes I wrote with her. I'm captivated by this character; she's kind of mean, but very vulnerable. I think she might have her own story brewing underneath the overzealous plot that has lead me to lose hope for 'Things'.  Ejoy!

Monday afternoon, Prissy sat on the railing of the front deck, wishing for cold. It was so hot, and it was only May! The summer would get hotter, to be sure. She looked down at her black top and thick purple scarf and black jeans, wondering if it really was too hot to wear that much black, and thinking she looked kind of punk to be living in a place like Well Water. She wondered if the founders of the town realized how terrible that name sounded, or if they’d meant it to be more like, Pleasant Water. Either way, she was stuck in the tiny, hot, miserable town of Well Water.

“Hey! Hey, Akron!”

Prissy looked down, and saw with disdain that it was Calvin, the annoying son of the family who came to Well Water every 4^th of July holiday to fish in Lake Well Water. He called her Akron, despite the fact she had introduced herself as Priscilla Tabitha Akron, but you should call me Prissy.

“What do you want, Calvin?” She asked, tossing her layered black hair, which was currently streaked purple. “I’m not in the mood for you.”

Calvin snickered in the obnoxious way he always snickered. “Yeah, right. Your sitting there alone and bored, and your hot and sweaty, ‘cause you’re wearing all that black, and you were just hoping I’d show up!”

“Yeah, right. Whatever,” Prissy said, rolling her blue eyes. “I would think you’d have better things to do with your time than bug me. Then again, maybe not.” After all, how enthralling could a summer of catching fish be?
“Whatever. Look, Akron, my Pop sent me over to warn you people about some guy that’s been reported around this area. He goes around and breaks into houses. He’ll probably go for yours, since it’s so ugly.”

“More like because it’s the only house in this whole town that has anything valuable in it,” Prissy said smugly. “I doubt your family has much in that camper of yours, if you vacation in a place like this,”

“We’ve got tons in our camper!” Calvin retorted, sticking his tongue out at her.

“Sure,” Prissy said, smiling. “Like, mountains of stuff from curio shops and fishing tackle, right?”
Calvin wrinkled his nose at her. “You look so ugly when you smile like that, Akron,” And he raced off in the direction of the lake, leaving Prissy to wonder a little about the burglar going around. She slipped off the porch railing and went inside to tell her mother.

The heat wasn’t much better inside, and Mrs. Akron didn’t seem too concerned. “Yeah, I heard about that,” She walked around Prissy with the Dirt Devil. Their many cats didn’t’ like vacuums, and trying to pick up cat hairs with an ancient, powerless Dirt Devil was somewhat of a thankless task. “By the way, your father and I are driving up to Carmen tonight, for a date,”
“Mm hm,” Prissy said. “Sure,” A night of uninterrupted television and whatever food she could find. Awesome.

 Prissy sat sideways in the arm chair, her legs dangling over one side, three cats sitting in her lap. They were watching an old Disney movie from the 60’s. The cats seemed to be enjoying it more than Prissy they were purring so loud. “That guy is cute, don’t you think?” Prissy said, stroking Willow’s ears. “He’s probably like, in his nineties now. But he’s still cute,” Peaches and Patches purred in agreement.

Prissy yawned and stretched. It was nearing ten, and her parents wouldn’t be home till after midnight. They were having dinner with some friends and seeing a Broadway show in Carmen. The movie ended abruptly about twenty minutes later, and it was pitch black outside. Prissy gently lifted the three cats off of her and went to the kitchen to get a snack. She flipped on the light, and froze.

There was a guy standing in the kitchen. He was tall, wearing all black…and a ski mask. Prissy’s heart stopped and started again a few times, as she remembered what Calvin had said about a burglar going around the area. All the blood drained from her face as the guy turned around and saw her. He took a step towards her, and Prissy screamed.

“Shh! Quiet!” He clamped a hand over her mouth. “Calm down, ok? This is probably not what you think,”
Prissy stared at him over his hand on her mouth, her eyes wide.

“Be quiet,” He repeated, and removed his hand from her mouth.

 She sagged against the wall, shaking. “What are you doing here!?” She breathed.

“What do you think?”
“Robbing my house?” Prissy replied, shrugging. “Are you gonna kill me? My mom will just freak if you do…and I don’t think I’m insured…” She realized that she was rambling senselessly, but she couldn’t stop.

“I’m not robbing your house, ok?” He said. “I needed to find you,”
Prissy blinked. “Well…ok…why?”

“I can’t tell you. Can you be in Cade Center tomorrow?” He asked.

She blinked again. “Um…maybe…why?”

“It’s important,” He paused. “You are Priscilla Akron, right?”
Seemed a little late to ask that. “Yeah,”

“Your father is Professor Akron?”

“Yeah…why?”
“Be at the library in Cade Center at one tomorrow. It’s important.” He headed towards the door, and paused. “Don’t tell your parents about this.”

And he just…left. He opened the kitchen door and slipped out. Prissy let herself sag down the wall till she was seated on the kitchen linoleum, and didn’t even notice that seven cats were swarming around her, purring and meowing and begging for attention.

“Oh…boy…” She breathed.

Prissy stood in the doorway of her parents’ room, twisting the hem of her pajama shirt. She wished she knew what to do. She was scared, but curious. She hovered a few more seconds, watching her amazing mom’s shoulders rise and fall, her beautiful golden hair falling down over her face. She looked at her dad, snoring softly, his face a little scruffy, murmuring softly once in a while. Prissy took a deep breath, and stepped quietly over to the side of the bed her father was on.

“Dad?” She said softly.

Immediately, his eyes opened. They fixed on Prissy, and he smiled. “Morning, Honey. Something wrong? It’s a little early,”

Prissy bit her lip, and her father sat up. “Come here,” She sat down next to him and let him hug her. “Now, what’s the matter? You look upset,”

Prissy sighed. “Um…well…somebody was here last night while you were gone,” She said quickly.

“What do you mean?” Her father asked.

“Um…” She quickly described the scene in the kitchen the night before, and she started to tremble at the thought of it. “And then he asked if you were my dad. And…he told me to come to the library in Cade Center today…at one,”

“Hm.” Was all her father said.

“I…I’m scared. I don’t know what to do. So I came to you,”
Her father put his arms around her. “Oh, Prissy. I’m so glad you did. It’s nice to know you’re still my little girl,”

“I’ll always be your little girl,” Prissy said, wrapping her arms around him. Her dad always made her feel so safe, she wanted to be his little girl forever. She knew he wanted that, too. “So…what should I do?”

“You should go to the library in Cade Center today at one,” Her father replied. “I think I know who that was who came here. Listen to me, Prissy,” His hazel eyes met hers, serious and concerned. “If this is about what I think it’s about, you need to trust me. Say yes. I love you, but this is so important, it’s a risk I’m willing to take, if you’re willing,”

“What do you mean?” Prissy asked.

“I can’t tell you. Do you trust me?”

Prissy looked up into her dad’s eyes, and wondered how she could not trust him. “Absolutely. I’ll say yes, to whatever the question. But…what about Mom?”

“I’ll talk to her, Honey,” He said, kissing her forehead. “Go get dressed. I’ll take you to Cade Center on my way to Carmen,” He was a professor at the university there.

Prissy nodded, and left for her room. She tingled with excitement, wondering what was in store for her. It was going to be amazing, she knew that much. Her dad was sure of it.