What some hearts desire, they must possess. What they cannot possess, they must destroy.
What some hearts love, they must lose. What they lose, they must avenge.
Desire and love, both so similar yet both so different. Both a powerful yearning. Both a great obsession. Both a cause of madness and pain. However only one is can grant healing from the pain it inflicts. Only one can give while the other can only take. Only one can be truthful while the other deceives. And only one is everlasting.
"What is this shit?" Asked the impatient and uninterested publisher after only reading a few lines of the manuscript. "Desire and love, both so similar yet both so different? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"It's foreshadowing to what my story is going to be about." The aspiring author explained.
"And what is the plot again Miss Morningstar?"
"It's about a woman who was raised in a brothel and when she turned fourteen she started getting used as a prostitute. The only thing she feels from a man is lust and desire which causes her to believe that's what love is. She's also infatuated with the brother of the madame she works for, she's certain that he loves her and that if they make enough money they'll have a life together. However when she becomes a full grown woman the brothel's madame decides to sell her to an older, wealthier, master who was rumored to buy and abuse women then kill them once their looks had faded. But a young reverend saves her from that fate by buying her with his life savings. He sets her free but she doesn't know how to survive any other way besides pleasuring man so he offers to shelter her in his home and teach her work ethic."
"And?"
"And she's surprised that during her stay he never tries to sleep with her and at first her goal is to make money and go back to the madame's brother. But she finds herself falling in love with the reverend and learning what love really is. Knowing the difference between desire and love. She also gains the courage and will to begin rescuing reluctant girls from the brothel and masters."
"That's crap."
"It is?"
"Yes. A reverend being the main hero-"
"He's not the hero. She is."
"But he's the big good right?"
"Well he helps her understand what love is really all about but-"
"I hate to tell you this Miss Morningstar but readers don't like religious people being portrayed as flawlessly good."
"But he has flaws."
"Really? Is he corrupt?"
"Corrupt how?"
"You know, judgmental? Prejudice? A fanatic? Does he steal money offerings? Molest kids?"
"No! But just like her he's an abuse victim. His adulterous mother left his father and he decided to make sure his son would never be able to succumb to the sin of lust so he would beat him and burn him each time he thought the boy was feeling lustful. He keeps it inside which causes him to have flashbacks and burst into fits of rage on occasion but she helps him learn to open up, to express his hurt, and to let himself feel kind touch."
"That won't go over well with readers. At least not the young adult ones. Are you pinning this to young adults or older ones?"
"Both."
"Both aren't going to like it. And this buying the women thing? You really think female readers are going to like that?"
"That's how it was in the 1800's. Prostitutes were sold like cattle."
"And young women don't like to be reminded of that."
He handed her the manuscript.
"Come back when you've written something your peers would actually like."
"Thank you for your time." She sighed before quietly leaving the office.
That was the tenth rejection Charlotte "Charlie" Morningstar had received this month. People told her that becoming a novelist wouldn't be easy and she understood that but she had hoped that three months of trying would have at least lead to some progress. Oh, she just had to get her book published. If she didn't then she would have to go crawling back to her father who would insist that she go to finance school in order to learn business and takeover for him as CEO of Morningstar's Mass Manufactory. The best producer of farming tools and machinery in all of Chicago, Illinois.
Problem was though his business was just too cold and too confining for her. Too focused on money and production. No time to make a connection with people or do anything for fun. She was an imaginative, curious, spirited, tender-hearted, albeit stubborn young woman who wanted a career that she could enjoy. A type of work that would support and make her happy. Was that too much to ask for in life?
Ring-Ring!
"Hello." She said answering her cell phone. "Oh Hi Mom...Everything's fine...I was turned down again but please don't tell Dad...No Mom, if he finds out he'll only callback and lecture me about how I should just drop the novel dream and get interested in the family business...Yes I know it's the fifth time I've asked you to keep my rejection a secret and it will be the last time. I promise...I love you too...Bye."
She hung up and hailed a cab to take her down to the local gym, that's where she was supposed to meet her roommate so they could go grab lunch together. Her roommate was Vagatha "Vaggie" González, originally from Los Angles where she started her career as a female boxer and said career took her to Chicago because it was rumored that woman boxers were more popular. Vaggie wasn't sure if there was any truth to that but she wanted a new change of scenery so she moved. She met Charlie at the library, Charlie worked as bookkeeper there and recently her pay wasn't enough for the rent of her apartment. She couldn't afford to live somewhere else, she needed a roommate.
Vaggie was new to the state and she needed a place to stay. Her personality was headstrong, short-tempered, feisty, but practical and mature. Charlie realized quickly that Vaggie's first language was Spanish and though she could speak English, she struggled with writing in the English language whereas Charlie herself majored in that subject. After she had gotten to know Vaggie better she not only suggested that they share her apartment but that she could tutor Vaggie in English Grammar. She accepted both offers.
In a short amount of time they became as thick ad thieves, having a friendship that stemmed from constant support and reasoning without criticism. Both were also quite socially awkward and not spent very much time indulging in the concept of dating though their reasons were different. Vaggie was too career oriented for a serious relationship, not to a mention a very low opinion of men and sex. Charlie on the other hand was a romantic and wanted an old-fashioned kind of love which seemed to be rare in her lifetime. Nevertheless the two women were content just to have one another as their main companion.
"He said what?" Vaggie asked, wiping the sweat from her face with a towel.
"That readers, young ones that is wouldn't like it because it features women getting sold and a religious figure shown in a positive light." Charlie answered. "You think that's why the others turned me down too?"
"No. I think they did it mostly because you're a new writer and publishers don't like to take risks. I'm guessing."
"Vaggie I'm running out of publishers to go to. I'm worried that I might have to call it quits."
"Nah. You're too stubborn to quit anything." Vaggie teased.
"True but I'm not sure who else to go to with my manuscript. Maybe I should just start writing a new story."
"Good luck. You told me, it took you five years to write the first?"
"Yep." She huffed. "Oh who am I kidding Vaggie? I'll never be a great writer like Rosie Parish."
Rosie Parish was Charlie's favorite author, she lived in Davenport, Louisiana and became well-known for gothic tales of ghosts, demons, voodoo, faith, and romance. It was her work and her backstory which inspired Charlie's dream in the first place. In the small tidbit of the book which spoke about Rosie's life, it explained that she had always possessed a creative imagination that just couldn't stay in her mind. She had to share it with the world. Make it become a reality in someway. Charlie had always felt just the same.
"Don't say that." Vaggie protested. "You'll see. Someday you'll meet a publisher smart enough to recognize the genius when he or she reads it, then you'll become a famous author."
"You really think so."
"I know so. I've read your manuscript, the story is amazing. I honestly don't know how you came up with that on your own."
"Me either. I feel like someone told it to me once. In fact I often feel like a lot of my ideas are stories that have been told me. Weird, I know."
"Not so. Weird that's pretty much how fictional books started out. People writing down stories that were told orally."
"Yeah but I wish I knew someone who could tell me a story that my peers would like." Briefly looked over her manuscript. "Hey wait a minute I have an idea. Maybe Angel can give me some advice."
"Oh no not him!"
"I know you don't like him very much but he knows a lot about what people our age like fiction wise."
"You mean the people our age that you have to sleep with one eye open if you ever under the same roof as them. He's a horror fanatic."
"But it's with popular horror."
"Forget it. I am not going anywhere near that deviant."
"Oh come on. What do you have against him? What's wrong with him?"
"What's right with him?"
"I'm serious. You hated him the very minute you first saw him. You didn't even know him yet."
"I had a gut feeling that he was a creep and I was right."
"Vaggie you had a gut feeling that a guy staring at you from across the street was going to assault you and it turns out he was just blind. I mean the dog should have been a give away."
"Everyone makes a mistake once in awhile."
"Right. So maybe your gut feeling is wrong about Angel?"
"Believe me it's not."
"Well I'm still going to ask for his advice after lunch. I'll meet you back home after that."
"Nevermind. I'll go with you. I don't like the idea of you alone with him."
"I won't be alone. I'll be in the store."
"I take no chances when it comes to people like him."
"Alright then but try to be nice."
"I'll make an effort but no promises."
"Good enough for me."
After that Vaggie dressed into some clean clothes she had packed and the two ladies made ready for a quick bite at one of the local restaurants. Then it would be off to see if there was anything they could do to bring Charlie closer to achieving her dream. But what exactly would they getting themselves into while full filing this goal?