Alex's story prompted by the internet

A couple of weeks ago we solicited everyone we could contact on the internet for writing prompts.  A few responded and here is what I wrote.  My prompt was the first sentence.

For the fourth time that evening before going to bed, Kim checked her alarm clock to insure it would ring the next morning -- whether she was simply paranoid or had an OCD, this had been her nightly ritual for the past 5 years.

Before that, her ritual had been to roll over, put her hand on Damian's chest, and sleep undisturbed.  He'd set alarms, planned days, and found the time.  On her own now, life was a jumble of appointements, places to go, and chores.   She began an uneasy alliance with daytimers, calendars, and post-it notes.  She agreed to make them useful if they held off the rushing chaos of the real world.

She awoke five minutes before the alarm went off.  She knew the time before her bleary eyes focused on the orange digital numbers.  More days than not, she didn't need the alarm, but she had to set it.

Kim found her way to the bathroom, checking the small desk clock she had there after brushing her teeth, and again after her shower.  Cursing the extra two minutes her hair had taken her, she skipped breakfast and had only a coffee instead.  She checked the clock on the stove before rushing out for work.

The office she worked at did background checks for businesses, but she was in human resources, so it didn't particularly matter what the company did.  She was just there to make people's days go smoother.  

The subway had been slowed by a vague accident that was understood to be a suicide.  She sat down at her desk at 8:58 and wished she'd had time to buy a muffin from the bakery she always passed.  She thought about setting her clock three minutes faster at home, then worried about slow people in the bakery line-up and decided on five instead.

Victoria came and sat with Kim at 12:25.  She remembered the time because she had placed her cell phone beside her play on the lunch table and its clock was facing her.

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So, I ended up with more of a character sketch than a story, but that is what often happens with me in these writing sprints.  Keep watching the site for more writing and don't forget that our launch is coming up soon.  November 13th, downtown at Burritoville, 2055B Bishop.


Thanks for reading,

Alex Newcombe

PS.  Cool prompt Élise!