The Setup--A Scene Sketch

Moving along with the MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) from the University of Iowa, “How Writers Write Fiction”. I’ve used this assignment to expand the characters and setup River Agosto’s first challenge.

The Setup

River’s fear of attack from behind wouldn’t allow for the use of ear buds to muffle the mindless chatter in the office. In an attempt to control the time wasters, Dusty Cooke and Rochelle Stone regularly circled the area. Their self-imposed deadline for the environmental impact report made River uncomfortable. They had never pushed this hard before. River had the phone signal turned down, but each time it rang, she jumped.

“Something’s wrong here,” Dusty’s voice bellowed from the receiver.

“Wrong?” River said knowing that even if it wasn’t her fault that she would be blamed for anything askew.

“You’ve got to go out to the excavation site tomorrow and check the soil samples. The salt levels can’t be this high. You’ve got to verify that the range is normal, or they’ll never let us finish the canals.”

“I double checked the numbers yesterday and they were accurate,”

“I knew I shouldn’t have trusted a greenie with this. I bet you sabotaged the data for the sake of saving some tortoises.”

The term greenie was Dusty’s slang for environmentalists and River was tired of the constant ridicule; but before she could let Dusty have it, she felt a tap from behind. It was Rochelle.

“Is that Dusty on the phone?”

“Hold on Dusty, Rochelle’s here,” River quipped and handed Rochelle the receiver.

“Hi darlin’, is there a problem with the construction site? Too much salt?  Well, we’ll tweak the numbers. What? A demonstration? Shit, this better not make the news. We’ve got to send someone who can talk green. Yeah, I guess River is it. I’ll talk to her about the money—she’ll do it. Huh? No worries, I’ll come by your office later.”

Rochelle hit end call. “Okay everyone, we need to have a quick meeting,” she announced to the rest of the cubicle row. “Conference Room C, now.”

Sadie, Jack and Opal filed out of their assigned pods as ordered, down the hall and into Room C without a word. They knew better than to question Rochelle, especially if they ever wanted to see bigger paychecks and private offices. River followed reluctantly.

“Okay everyone, here’s the scoop. As usual, it’s all about water and we have to prove that our canals won’t hurt, but help, the area. I’m sending River to personally take soil samples. Sadie, book her a flight to Albuquerque as soon as you can get her there. She’ll need a four wheel drive truck. Jack, pack her a sample bag and Opal transfer all the files to a laptop.”

The group scurried to their assignments. River glared at Rochelle. “This is kinda sudden, isn’t it? You want me to drop my life and run off on this whim of yours?”

“Look sweetie,” Rochelle started.

“I told you, my name is River.”

     “Okay, River,” Rochelle said softening her tone. “There’s money in this, lots of it and some of it could be yours.”

“How much money?” River also softened.

“You help us tweak a few reports, alter a few numbers and come out squeaky clean for the EPA and I’ll make sure you can move out of that hovel you call an apartment.  How would you feel about Cahuilla Hills? Maybe meet a Palm Desert hunk with a bank account and horses? It could be nice.”

River arrived on a flight from Palm Springs to Albuquerque at 9:00 P.M. Wednesday, November 11, 2015.

 

The Setup--A Scene Sketch

River Agosto -- A character study

Folks  often tell me that I take a round about approach to life. For years, to no avail,  I did my best to think like others.  When I decided to write an Environmental Action Thriller I gave myself permission to do it in any unorthodox fashion I wanted. I bought how to books, watched videos, asked other writers for help, and signed up for a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) from the University of Iowa. As I work through some of their assignments, I thought I’d post a few tidbits here. This first one is an off-the-cuff scene into which I threw my main character, River Agosto. See what you think.

River Agosto

“River Agosto?” the nurse called out.

“Christ,” Sam snarled as River dug her nails into Sam’s leg for leverage. Her mangled foot had swollen to twice its normal size and the hard plastic waiting room chair had taken the feeling from her leg.

“I’m River, I’ll need some help.”

“Are you with him? Hon?” The nurse asked River as she pointed to Sam.

“Yeah, you wouldn’t know we were friends, by all the help he gives me.” River snapped.

Sam ruffled the pages of Sports Illustrated and sunk lower in his chair. ‘Whadaya want from me? It’s the swim suit issue. You’re a tough girl. You can walk,” he mumbled as he flipped through the pics of half-naked women.

River hobbled along behind the nurse who ushered her into EXAM ROOM B. “Take off your pants, socks, and shoes. The doctor will be in soon.”

River couldn’t put any weight on her left foot. That last slide down the canyon wall had dropped them fifty yards to where the mules waited. She could still hear Jack and Sadie’s curses echoing off the rock walls. Boy, were they pissed. She smiled at the thought, but this ankle hurt like hell. A tap on the door signaled the doctor’s entrance.

“Hi, I’m Dr. Sandahl, what do we have here?” Todd Sandahl asked as he flipped through a clipboard of paperwork.

River raised her leg, looked for a wedding ring and came up empty. She managed a few tears and gave it her best, “I’ve either sprained or broken this,” she sobbed. “I fell during a hike in the canyon and my friend outside in the waiting room brought me here to the ER.”

Dr. Todd glanced at his watch, pulled over a stool and peered at the injury. “I’ll buzz the nurse, she’ll take some x-rays. I don’t think it’s broken. She’ll give you a prescription for the pain; ice it and stay off it for a while and you’ll be fine. If it gets any worse see your family physician.”

“That’s it?” River whimpered.

The doc slid off his stool, “Yep, that’s it. Don’t call us, if we don’t call you,” he joked and slipped out into the hall.

“Shit,” she groaned as she gathered her stuff, managed to get her jeans back on, and hobbled to the waiting room. “Now where the hell did Sam go?”

“Will that be cash or credit card?”

“What?”

“Cash or Credit Card for the exam?”

“Is my friend still here?”

“No, he left. He called someone and they picked him up. He said he’d see you at home. Oh here, and he left you the car keys.”

River signed the discharge papers, handed over her credit card, and tried to look on the bright side—at least she could drive with her right foot and she wasn’t dead. Still she was going to beat the shit out of Sam—he better be home alone, that son of a bitch.

 

River Agosto -- A character study