Dacey Garner

Dacey stepped out of her green back screen porch door out onto the skinny strip of sandy beach. When she wasn’t in her boat, she had it parked right up in front of her back yard turned over with it’s backside in the air. It was a small boat, wooden, maybe 8 feet, and it needed a paint job over its fading white décor. It also had a set of wooden oars that probably were more effective when it didn’t have chips of wood missing. I often passed by this boat when my brother and I would spend all day at the sandbar—I’d catch myself dreaming about borrowing the yacht and leaving my brother alone on the beach while I floated in freedom.



She was a lonely, old, wrinkly lady across the street from my house—she was a little nutty because she frequently walked around in waders and a full yellow rain suit. I never knew what she did in that odd outerwear; it was never raining when I saw her in her gear. If only I could catch her in flippers and follow her to see dolphins—darn fantasies never come true. I never understood a word she said to me either—just nod and agree was my trick to successful conversation. Most of the neighborhood didn't bother her; she was simply watched from a distance--she gave people bewildered curiosity.



(I'm in the process of developing characters. Dacey is a minor character I'm playing around with. I could use some input. I realize I don't often get input, but I'll give it a go. I know where I'm going (I think) with Dacey, but I want to hear if you are correct in just the little I've written and what you assimilate. What genre do you see her in? Villain or hero? What do you think her background is? What questions are unanswered about her that you want told?)