Published Stories
Thank you to Vocal Media for publishing my story on your writer's platform.
MARCH 8TH, 2021
The goal for this Vocal Writing Challenges was to create a fiction story about someone who unexpectedly comes into $20,000.
Lost and Found
Written by Kae Nussbaumer
Submitted to the Vocal Media/Moleskine Little Black Book Challenge on March 2nd, 2021
“I can’t find my book! I can’t find my book! I can’t find my book!” Sally wailed as she ran downstairs to beg her mother to help her look for it.
“Help me! It’s not here! What do I do?” Sally wailed in pain.
Sally had no clue where she left it. It was her everything book. Her planner. Her daily schedule. Her meeting notes from the last sixteen meetings. Her notes for her unnecessary weight loss plan. She didn’t need to lose any weight, but felt it helped her stay on top of being healthy. The phone number of the random guy she met at the coffee shop who just might be the one, even though he has a girlfriend. Sally even tracked her ovulation in this planner. Coming up on thirty-five, there was no time to waste and needed to keep track in case she met the right guy. Sally wanted to be ready! This planner really was so important to her.
“What am I gonna do, mom?” cried Sally.
Tanya tried to be the best mom she could. It hasn’t been easy lately. Ever since Sally’s hours got reduced at work and Sally had to move back home, Tanya’s dreams of retiring early and taking a cross country road trip in a big Airstream have faded.
“What is it you’re looking for, dear?” Tanya said, trying to be as supportive as possible. This was hard for Tanya. Sally was constantly losing things and finding them again. This was just another day.
“My planner! The little black book! You know the one!” Sally said flustered and annoyed that her mom didn't know this by now.
“Okay. Okay. You’ll find it. It’s gonna be all right.” Tanya said with as much concern as she could muster. It helped Tanya to clean the kitchen with extra care right then to try to stay calm during Sally’s panicky flailing around the house.
“What if I don’t find it?” Sally whimpered as she scurried around the house.
“You will. And if you don’t, you can get another one. And, dear. If you’d be more careful with things, and maybe even get your own place, your own house, your own chef, your own housekeeper, then you might be able to organize things better,” said Tanya.
“Not now, mom! This is serious!” Sally begged.
“What’s so important in it? I mean, it’s just a book.” Tanya said as she was losing patient and interest.
“It’s not just a book. It’s just everything!” Sally was so flustered, she stormed out of the house and slammed the door. She was intent on retracing her every step.
For some reason, when people lose things, they seem to look in places that aren’t likely where they lost them. This was the case for Sally.
Sally slowly walked down the sidewalk looking left and right. Nothing. Sally continued to course the path she took when she went to do the laundry. She was convinced it had to be there. She looked in every washer and every dryer. Even the ones with clothes in it. She didn’t care who she annoyed. This book was going to be found.
When the little book didn’t turn up, Sally left the laundromat and then went to the café where she had stopped in for a quick cappuccino.
She scoured the entire café. Even the bathroom, despite the fact she didn’t use it when she was there earlier. She started to look around at everyone in the café. She was certain that someone took it. It was so valuable. They had to have taken it. Sally was sure of it. She went to the barista and asked if anyone had turned it in.
“No ma’am. We haven’t had anything like that turn up. Would you like to leave your name and number and I’ll call you if it does?” said the barista in a kind a sweet voice as he offered her a pen and piece of paper.
“I don’t want that pen and paper. I want my pen and paper. My book!” Sally raged. She was devastated. She was going to try one more place. Barry’s house.
Sally did not want to go visit Barry’s house, especially since they kind of broke up, but this was the only other place she could think of. She hadn’t been there lately, but, for some reason, she felt like it could be there. Sally walked up the few steps to his door and started to knock. There was no answer. This was weird. Barry always answers.
“Barry! Open the door!” Sally yelled. There was no answer. Sally continued to pound on the door and yell loudly, and still there was still no answer. Then she remembered where the spare key was. Under the flower pot. She was going in. Sally looked at the flowers and saw the petals were all sad and wilted.
“That Barry. I can’t believe he hasn’t watered you. You poor things. I will water you,” Sally said in plant voice to the flowers. If Barry wasn't home, Sally was certain that he'd appreciate the care for his flowers when he returned.
Sally picked up the key and then the flower pot, tucking the pot under her arm. She put the key in the door and it unlocked. She turned the doorknob and opened the door.
“Sally! Watch out!” hollered Barry.
Out of the corner of her eye, Sally saw a masked man wearing dark clothes coming right at her. He was holding a knife. Did he plan to kill her? She wasn’t going to wait to find out.
A master at martial arts, ever since kids made fun of her in grade school and she vowed no kid would ever do that again, Sally threw the flower pot at the man. The man instinctively caught the pot, distracting him, for just a second, from the harm that he intended.
Sally then had an opportunity that it seemed she may have been waiting for her entire life. She swirled and twisted and danced all over the man, knocking the knife out of his hand, attacking him as if every ounce of anger she ever felt in her life was because of him, and she let him know it. Sally’s kicks were like daggers. Sally’s punches were like ice picks. The man begged and pleaded for her to stop. She didn’t. Finally, the man stopped moving. He stayed on the ground moaning in agony curled up in the fetal position. Sally wanted to kick him again, but realized he was no harm to her any more.
Sally ran over to Barry. Barry’s hands and feet were tied behind his back.
“Oh my God, Sally! Thank God you’re here!” Barry squealed with relief.
“It’s okay. What the hell is going on, Barry?” Sally said with fervor as she untied him.
“He knew who I was. He figured out I have a lot of money. He threatened me. Took all my codes and pins and said I had to get him money. When he heard you at the door, he got panicked. Grabbed the knife from the kitchen,” said Barry running out of breath.
“It’s okay now. It’s all gonna be okay,” Sally said calmly as she called 911.
When the police arrived, they unmasked the man. It was John Paul Steven. He was wanted on the FBI’s most wanted list. He was known for forcing people to give him their personal information, getting the money and then killing his victims. Thanks to Sally, John Paul wouldn’t hurt anyone else ever again.
The FBI awarded Sally twenty thousand dollars for her service. This was an unexpected surprise that Sally was very happy to receive. Even more unexpected was the reunion between Sally and Barry. Barry realized, despite all their issues in the past, he needed her, and Sally realized she'd fight to the death for Barry. She always loved him and he always loved her. Don’t you just love love?
A month or so later, Sally, who had given up on finding her little black book and already bought another one, was unplugging the lamp in the bedroom she stayed in at her mom’s. She was excited to move into her own place, thanks to the reward money, and the lamp was going with her.
“What is that?” Sally leaned over the nightstand and there it was. Not really hiding. Just gently tucked behind the nightstand on the floor. Waiting for the right moment to be found. The one thing she needed that she thought mattered so much. Her little black book.
“There you are.” Sally sweetly said to the planner she lost.
Sally’s little black book was special. It was, ultimately, the reason why Barry survived and why a criminal is off the streets and why Sally and Barry got back together and why Sally is moving out of her mom’s house and why Sally’s mom finally can take that road trip across the country. (Whew!)
Sally held it close to her heart for long time. Then she gently placed it in the moving box with the lamp.
Sometimes when you lose something, even something very special and important to you, there might be a good reason for it, even if you can’t see the reason clearly.
Thank you for reading my story. Feel free to send comments here.
MARCH 15TH, 2021
The goal for this Vocal Writing Challenges was to share your best organizational tips and tricks.
ORGANIZING HACKS 101: GET YOURSELF A CHANDELIER
OR JOIN A NUDIST BEACH COLONY THAT SURVIVES ON TAKE OUT?
Written by Kae Nussbaumer
Submitted to the Vocal Media Organizational Tips and Tricks Challenge on March 15nd, 2021
Here's my problem. Each morning, I find myself faced with pandemic clutter, followed by rushing anxiety and raging menopausal hormones. I like to think of myself as a clean, organized, intelligent and hardworking person, but lately, my OCD tendencies are dwindling. The dishes in the sink sit cozily in their own filth overnight, the bed remains unmade and the laundry is done more sparingly than ever before.
Thoughts that crossed my mind recently: If clothing was optional, I wouldn’t have to do laundry. If I could afford to order take out every day, I wouldn’t have to do dishes, and if I could live on a beach, then I wouldn’t have to make a bed. Perfect, right? So, here’s the plan: Join a nudist colony that lives on the beach that survives on take out. Oh yes. Life is good. A girl can dream, can't she?
For those of us who are, unfortunately, stuck within the forcibly clothed, bricks and mortar, shame-on-you-for-ordering-take-out society in which we reside, let’s all take a deep breath. Let’s gather our thoughts, come to our senses, and spring forward from our hibernation with a near-post-pandemic organization goal: Clean the closet. Why the closet? Because if you can clean a closet, you can do anything. But how? Turn up the volume!
No matter about my clutter causing anxiety or my hair-raising hormones; the answer is clear for both problems. Listen to Sia’s song, Unstoppable, and watch your productivity soar. Most people know how to organize and clean; what stops them is the lack of motivation or energy to do it. If you don’t have the energy and want to change that instantly, listen to Sia.
Sia might not be your favorite person right now since the release of her new movie, but you can’t deny that her songs not only move you, but make you move. Here’s an example:
WITHOUT waking up to Unstoppable by Sia: I wake up. Slowly roll out of bed. I find myself drudging through the day, doing only the absolutely necessary. Making my son breakfast, thinking to myself, he’s almost a teenager, he can pour milk in his own cereal bowl (although I secretly don’t mind feeding him. Woe be the day when he fixes his own breakfast. Wow, that’s a miserable thought. Great start to the day). What next? There’s no way I’m organizing the closet.
WITH waking up to Unstoppable by Sia: Time to wake up! Make the bed! Make a coffee, even though I don’t need it, because I have so much energy and today’s gonna be a great day! I’m unstoppable! Instead of cereal, “Honey! Pancakes, waffles, omelets and your parfait are served! Enjoy!” Today is the day that closet is getting organized!
I realize that not all people will resonate with this song and feel that same motivating power that I do when I listen to Unstoppable. For those folks who just want a surge of energy to get you into that task-completing, organizing mode, I have another solution: Chandelier by Sia.
If you are part of the over two billion views of Sia's Chandelier music video, then you know that it’s guaranteed to lift you up and carry you across the room. When all else fails, turn to Sia for motivation to get up and do what you know you are destined to do. Color code the clothes in your closet. Organize your shoes by height and donate those Toms you haven’t worn in two years. But what if you don’t know how to organize the closet? I’m here to help.
Step one: Turn on Chandelier by Sia.
Step two: Stand in front of your closet and repeat after me. “One, two, three, one, two, three clean. One, two, three, one, two, three clean. One, two, three, one, two, three clean. Hey closet, I’m gonna clean ya. I’m gonna clean all my closet today! My closet, I’ll clean!”
Step three: Play Chandelier on repeat while you are cleaning your closet.
Step four: Stop the song, stand back and look at that fabulous closet you just cleaned in record time.
Step five: Pour a drink, order sushi and cry a little. You deserve to celebrate.
After all, isn’t that what it’s all about? Feeling good? The best way to expand your goals and your dreams is to do so from a place that makes you feel stable and settled. Springing forward is not just about getting organized, but living in an organized space that makes you feel comfortable. Organizing doesn't have to be a chore. It can be fun, especially with Sia's songs.
It works. The next time you are struggling with finding the motivation to organize, reach for Sia. She’s always there and it’s impossible for her to let you down. Her songs make you feel like you’re literally swinging from a chandelier. There’s nothing more motivating than feeling on top of the world – feeling unstoppable. Good luck in your spring forward adventures. Until next time, when I’ll be discussing the benefits of listening to our queen and savior, Celine Dion.