Take Out Your Mont Blancs - "Table for Eight"

I'm very excited! -- I made the Readers' Choice category.

Readers' Choice, 1st Runner-Up -- ESTHER AVILA, Table for Eight (story below)

TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2007

Entry #31

Table for Eight

by Esther Avila

“Perfect,” Emma said to herself as she placed a small vase with a handful of daisies in the center of a small round table. Eight veneer dessert plates were already carefully placed – each on a pretty paper doily.

Emma glanced at the clock before smoothing her blue dress down with both of her hands.

She loved the color of the dress – and the matching blue ribbon keeping her long ponytail in place. It reminded her of the robin eggs she had seen while on a picnic with her mother.

“Look here, Emma,” her mother had said as the 9-year-old child peeked into the nest. “New life will begin soon.”

Emma tried to remember what they talked about. But she couldn’t. She missed her mother and she tried not to think of the day her mother left.

Emma peered out the large window. Her mother had called and promised to join her for tea. But there was no sign of anyone coming.

“Emma Johnson – a most interesting case,” said Dr. Jason Sanders to three young psychiatrist interns as they watched the little girl in the blue hospital gown through a two-way mirror. “Child Protective Services picked her up from a filthy home. Her mother had been dead for two days – alcohol and overdose. Poor kid. As they took her from her home, she ran to the sink and salvaged those little dishes. She sets that table every day and waits.”

April 29: Winners announced

1st Place--TREVOR RECORD, Sleep
2nd Place--SEAN FERRELL, Talking Down the Flames
3rd Place--REBECCA HENDRICKS, Superstar
4th Place--JAYE WELLS, Werewife
5th Place--KATHERINE NAPIER, Reality Bytes
Honorable Mention--JUDE ENSAFF, Case #453
Honorable Mention--BRILLIANT DONKEY, Its All Relative
Honorable Mention--BETH, Things We Cannot Say
Honorable Mention--G. LI, Afterglow'
Honorable Mention--JOHN MCAULEY, Steak & Pork Brains
Readers' Choice--JAYE WELLS, Werewife
Readers' Choice, 1st Runner-Up -- ESTHER AVILA, Table for Eight (story above)

ALSO - I want to let you know about another writing opportunity. My blog friend, Bhaswati, has posted about a project about an author calling upon other writers to help compile and publish a book to raise funds for a young child who suffers from apraxia. Check it out.