Monday Motivation

2018 could have been a better year.

Beginning in July, a series of health problems occurred that left me wondering when the sun would rise. Illness and injuries piled up at once, leaving me exhausted, gaining weight, and miserable overall. It's not been a great time lately.

My family is the sort that you never hear from them unless the worst is happening. I'm the opposite...except for the handful of people closest to me, I don't talk about the bad until it is in the process of passing me by. I'm still tired, still hurting, still putting on the pounds (thanks to the meds I have to take now), but the overall prognosis isn't bad. I'm slowly finding my footing once more, so the worst is over. I'm getting better. The sun is rising, and the dark night is beginning to pass.

It always does. I keep this knowledge firmly in mind when things take a dive. Life is a cycle; we have good times and bad in turns. Understanding that the bad won't last forever keeps me moving ahead. I wait out the night and look for the first signs of the morning light. As always, the sky is brightening once more.

I hope when things are blackest for you, you can also remember that the morning is coming. You may not see any hint of it, but it is on its way. Hang in there.

Friday Fiver Challenge

Five sentences from the fifth chapter of a Kalquorian universe book. Can you name it?

“It is too early to go into that part of my life.”

He got a shrug for his stubbornness.  “Then I’m not making a request.  We’re having dinner with my parents tomorrow night.  Shut up and deal with it.”

TBT: Alien Hostage

There's an alien in my shower...

Wekniz rushed the woman and child into the house. He knew he had no more than seconds to get them hidden somewhere. There was one secret safe room in the home, but it was crammed full of valuable belongings. There wasn’t enough time to put the princess and her cousin in there and not leave a mess for Ket and his band of soldiers to find. They’d figure out pretty quick where the pair were hiding.

As he ran down the home’s main hall, Wekniz heard the sound of a shower running. An insane idea hit, but it was all he had. “In here,” he shouted to the winded woman staggering behind him as he veered into the clan’s sleeping room.

He hurried to the adjoining lavatory, where the running shower had filled the room with steam. The low lighting gave it a dreamlike quality, but Wekniz was in the middle of a nightmare right now. Without warning, he flung the stall door open. Nur looked over his shoulder at him, not immediately realizing they had company.

“Hey. What – wait – shit!”

The Imdiko spluttered and grabbed a washcloth to cover his nakedness as Wekniz shoved the wide-eyed Noelle inside. Then the Nobek grabbed the woman and pushed her into the stall too. She and Nur both yelled their surprise. The woman grabbed the princess and covered her eyes even though Nur did a good job of hiding his attributes.

Wekniz shouted to be heard over them. “Ket and his men are coming! They’re looking for the princess, so keep quiet!”

He slammed the door on the astonished trio. Damn it, it wasn’t going to be enough, not with the females’ scents hanging in the air. 

Wekniz looked around and spied a spritzer of Nur’s cologne. He grabbed it and started spraying wildly.

The shower door opened and Nur’s head popped out. He stared at Wekniz as the Nobek bombarded the room with fragrance.

“Hey! That’s my most expensive—” 

“Stay in there!” Wekniz yelled. He palmed Nur’s face and shoved him back into the stall, slamming the door shut behind him.

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