Running Toward Something
Seven glimpses into Rileyās pastāand a question only you can answer.
The Story Is Taking Shape
Writing and posting the Daily Dose of Fiction on Substack and Facebook has been fun. But as I continue drafting new material, Iāve started asking a bigger question: Where does this all fit in the larger story Iām telling?
It turns out, writing these short, seemingly standalone tales doesnāt feel as āstandaloneā as I expected. My organized brain doesnāt love the idea of scattering 100ā150 word vignettes into the wind. It wants a thread to follow. Maybe you do too.
And just a sidebar: itās Tuesday and I havenāt sent you a chapter or anything. Iām between projectsāsort of.
Iāve started Book 2, Mirage of Trust. Much of it was originally drafted to be the first book in Women of the Canyon.
But, Whispers of Echo Canyon had to come first. While complete in serial form, it still needs some final edits and additions before itās ready for publication.
Have I let you down?
After eight months of sending chapters or Interludes every week, I feel like Iām letting you down by pausing.
So instead of leaving you with nothing, Iām offering you something different.
Iāve collected the first week of my Daily Dose of Fiction stories. Theyāre short but meaningfulāand now, maybe not so random. Iāll be revisiting them to see if they form a thread. If you see something in them, Iād love to hear what stands out.
Daily Dose of Fiction ā Day 1
Was she running away from homeāor her life?
Just shy of the ridge, she pulled to a stop. The blue sky opened above her, and she knew: this was the same peak she saw from deep in the valley.
Her mother never knew she ran this far. She never would.
Riley sat down, breathed in the sky.
She felt peace.
And wondered,
āCan I escape again tomorrow?ā
Daily Dose of Fiction ā Day 2
Looking back, much of life was about escaping.
Which made no sense. Her family was solid. Her parents stayed together. No betrayals, no locked doors.
But Riley was always searching.
Not for safetyāshe had that.
For something else.
She used to sneak out after dinner, shoes in hand, just to feel the night air.
At thirteen, sheād walk alone to the library, pretending it was a quest.
She loved the woodshop with her dadāthe hum of tools, the scent of cedar, the way he trusted her hands.
But even there, she found herself gazing out the window.
Still wanting more.
Daily Dose of Fiction ā Day 3
Architecture school wasnāt built for girls like her.
Not then. Not really.
They liked girls who followed rules. Drew within the lines.
Riley? She sketched in margins. Asked questions no one wanted to answer.
Why did homes look like boxes? Why couldnāt they breathe?
She didnāt want to mimic history. She wanted to shape futures.
One professor said, āYouāve got visionābut youāre a little much.ā
Riley smiled.
He had no idea.
Daily Dose of Fiction ā Day 4
Her dad never told her to be careful.
Not in the shop. Not with her ideas.
He handed her tools like he trusted her.
āYou donāt build a chair,ā he once said. āYou build how it feels to sit down.ā
Riley was fourteen when she sketched her first house.
He looked at it, nodded, and said,
āMake sure itās strong enough to hold someoneās whole life.ā
She never forgot that.
Daily Dose of Fiction ā Day 5
She pulled on the hoodie. Faded, not stylish.
But it was hers. And that was enough today.
She gathered her drafting tools, finally ready to start the project sheād been avoiding.
A small studio cabin for her friendājust diagnosed with Alzheimerās.
How to make it safe and inspiring?
Maybe comfort is the kind of superpower she needed now.
Daily Dose of Fiction ā Day 6
Muddy shoes by the back door.
Most students designed for awards. Riley designed for real life.
While others chased sleek portfolios, she thought aboutā¦
Warm kitchens. Quiet corners.
āYouāre too practical,ā one instructor said.
Riley smiled. āThatās the point.ā
Marisol, her childhood friend turned college ally, always had her back.
āThey donāt get it,ā sheād say. āBut one day, they will.ā
That spring, Riley submitted a design no one expected.
Not the tallest. Not the flashiest.
But the one everyone wanted to live in.
Daily Dose of Fiction ā Day 7
Rileyās college degree became a finish line no one noticed.
No offers. No callbacks.
One firm said they āalready had a woman.ā
Another asked if sheād handle receptionājust for now.
Riley didnāt argue. She just said no.
Then she and Marisol rented a storage unit.
Rolled out their sketches. Asked each other,
What if we donāt wait to be hired?
What if we build it ourselves?
No funding. No firm. Just an idea.
People called it bold. Naive.
But the truth?
They were already building.
Sketching by flashlight. Arguing. Creating.
Riley wasnāt waiting to be picked anymore.
She was picking herself.
And so it began.