Here's a summary of the first 3 chapters of what was supposed to be a short story. Started this last may. Tinkered it into the ground, I think. I don't know what it is now. This is where all of my writing efforts come to a halt. The first chapter is a treatise on what REALLY goes on in the central Arizona desert, but I'm summarizing here in my own style ...
Flyover the central Arizona desert. Coyotes rip apart a desert rabbit. Birds flocking south gather around a small puddle of water. Eight immigrants hug to the shadows of ravines, hiding from sight, feasting on jerky, Pulparindos and what's left of their water. One of them lies dead from heat exhaustion. We move north up I-8 to ...
...
A quiet suburb in the freshly-constructed development in Edge of Desert, Ariz., Vista de Nada residents are skilled laborers and mid-level managers doing their best to look like upper-middle class on lower-middle class incomes. Red-tile roofs as far as the eye can see. They moved out here because it was the only way they could afford the American dream, 70 miles from the closest work center. It's a chore, but they enjoy the delusion their lives are better because it looks like what success is supposed to look like.
We see two neighbors, a man and a woman, pull up into their respective driveways in their matching beige SUVs. The man gets out holding a bill and approaches the woman, who appears to be quickly gathering her stuff to avoid engagement.
The man shouts, "Can you believe these power bills? This month's could've paid for my entire winter in Cleveland!"
"It's unreasonable for sure, Simon" the woman cautiously replies.
Simon rallies around the car, anxious to politic for his cause.
"Ally ... we need you at the meeting with the builder tonight. There's talk of a class-action suit to get them to fix the problem. We need your expertise or they'll rape us again."
"I'm sure you'll do fine, Simon," Ally said retreating to her door, attempting to muster sincerity for her neighbor. "Let your passion be your guide."
Quickly closing the door behind her, Ally went through her routine.
Clear outside? Check. Simon had retreated without a fight.
Blinds shut? Check.
No neighbors looking over fence in back? Check.
Ally moved towards the hallway closet and stopped at the door. She took time to sigh deeply.
Opening the door, she pushed aside coats to the back of the closet and entered her lock key.
As she turned it the left closet wall gave way to a steel staircase. She maneuvered her way into the staircase and made her way down. Dim walkway lights lit up as she entered.
Poor Simon, she thought. Paying for a revolution one electric bill at a time. Someone had to pay for it. In the end, if he survived, he'd thank her. And he was right ... the homeowners were going to get pummeled at the meeting with the builder tonight.
...
Chapter 3 is all about introducing the "hero" of the story, a 28-year-old journalist named Jared.
Jared is an excitable junior reporter with no actual journalism skills. He's the poster child for the Adderall Generation: The world owes him everything because he did everything his parents told him, but he doesn't want to do anything "extra." He thinks every story lead is the next Watergate, and his older co-workers (most who are facing forced early retirement or being laid off) use him as an example of how they believe their trade is finally dead.
Jared is scoffing at the idea of driving out of the middle of nowhere in Edge of Desert tonight for a builders/homeowners meeting about faulty construction. Several homeowners have bills exceeding $1,000 this month, and they believe it's the builder's poor construction to be the problem.
He only took the story because his editor promised to put him on overnight cops with the intern if he didn't.
This is so beneath him, though. He needs to be at the state capitol building, cracking heads, revealing scandal, and becoming famous.
...
And that's about it so far. My idea, I guess, is Ally's secret staircase leads to a massive bunker that houses dozens of highly-trained and experienced paramilitary types who have joined an alliance that intends to upend the U.S. government by force. They're busy recruiting and building these compounds around the country. This one is Base 1.
Base 1 construction was partially financed by building the subdivision, Vista de Nada, above. It powered partially by the homeowners connections.
But Ally won't be a believer. Her only motivation for this is to annihilate the credit industry so she can start over. She felt this was a better option than, you know, tightening her financial belt and paying off her credit cards.
Sound absurd? it is. That's how I write. I just don't know how to make this underground compound idea credible enough to suspend people's belief.
