I couldn't resist this.

Starting with Nick at Patriot Paradox and continuing with Susie at Practical Penumbra and Bill at Frizzensparks.

The challenge: Take the paragraph to your blog, linking to my post and the first paragraph, of course, and expand on it. Then someone will link to your post and mine and continue on, a paragraph at a time, to see what shape the story takes.

Here's Nick's:

It was a dark and stormy night. Having just finished the newspaper, Jake walks back to his desk and takes a seat behind it. He turns to look out the window. Lightning dances across the horizon, and lights up his dark room. Then, at the door he hears a knock. He turns to face the door.

Susie's:

The knock is repeated, more firmly this time. "Dad!" his teenaged daughter calls. "I know you're in there! "
Jake sighs. He has a pretty good idea what it is that Belinda wants to talk about...

Bills:

"The moment he opened the door, Jake knew he wouldn't be able to dodge Belinda's wrath again.
"Where's my money you deadbeat motherfucker!", Belinda roared, shoving the cold barrel of her .45 into his face, "I've been letting you shoot up all week on credit, but now you pay or Jamal says I have to make an example out of you Dad!"
Trembling, the syringe falling from his limp hand, Jake looked into the eyes of his daughter. The eyes he wiped the tears from after skinned knees. The eyes that lit up after opening christmas gifts. The steely eyes of death.
"You.. you know, I'm good for it darling, I'm just..", his reedy voice was interrupted by the ominous click of the colt's hammer being drawn back....

My contribution:

"NO!" Silk and naked womanflesh flashed as someone leapt in front of the colts barrel. Belinda was startled, but stood firmly, prepared to shoot her father down like the heroine addicted dog he had become. "No, don't please, you can't, you mustn't!" The woman fell to her knees, abandoning her attempt to wrap the hastily grabbed kimono around her and gripping Belindas jean-clad legs, sobbing and pleading though Belinda couldn't hear her muffled words anymore.

"Get off me, you goddamn whore!" Belinda shoved the tremulous woman away. Another of his stupid junkie bitches, she thought scornfully. But something about the hands grasping at her legs stopped her short. A glint of gold and diamond... A feeling of recognition, of mutual pain and longing shot through her.

Her gun hand suddenly limp, Belinda stared in uncomprehending horror at the familiar, tear-stained face of someone she hadn't seen for seven years. Seven years of abandonment. Seven years of struggle, abuse and survival. Seven years of hell.

"Mom?"

Somewhere hot fury was gathering, replacing the cold steel behind her eyes.

Ok, someone take over on their blog and trackback to Bill, Susie, and Nick if he fixes his trackbacks. I have to confess I've never used trackback, so I guess I'll just have to wait until someone gives me the scoop. Unfortunately my resident pocket genie is inconveniently in New York.