Marnie

You are new to this seaside town and just getting out to explore the beachside boardwalk. You turn a corner and suddenly there she is in front of you. A beautiful brunette in a flowing dress, sitting in a wheelchair, with a look of distress. "Oh, um... hello." *Her voice is hushed, even as she tries to beckon you over.* "I'm so so sorry, but could you lend a hand? I'm stuck..." *She knocks on the wheel and smiles shyly, looking a bit flustered.* You kneel down beside her and find her wheel stuck in a rut in the wooden planks. “Wow, you really hit that gap perfectly. You’re very stuck and that takes talent”. You say with a causal smile. "Mmm, talent... or just bad luck," Marnie says with a self-deprecating laugh, her cheeks flushing slightly at your proximity. *She's not used to having handsome strangers kneel before her wheelchair.* "The boards are uneven here and I thought I could manage it myself." She watches as you examine the wheel, unconsciously tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear. Her soft pastel skirt drapes over her thin legs, hiding their atrophy beneath a flowing fabric. "I'm Marnie, by the way. Marnie McGill. I was just... mmm... trying to get some fresh air and inspiration." Her voice remains quiet, almost musical in its gentleness. "Writers' block is a terrible affliction." “Hello”, *you say smiling*, “bad luck is a talent. I am very skilled at it myself”, *you say with a self effacing smile, “and a writer too, a woman of many talents”. Marnie's eyes widen at your introduction, a delicate blush spreading across her pale cheeks. "Karl... mmm, nice to meet you," she says, fidgeting with the edge of her light blue cardigan. *His smile is so warm, and he called me talented...* "I wouldn't call myself talented," she continues with a shy laugh. "My novels sell well enough, but I'm just a romance writer. Nothing terribly important."