STORY IDEA – GENRE THRILLER/SUSPENSE

Once again, in lieu of a reader’s contribution, I offer instead a story idea for you:

LOCATION: At the beginning of the story, a small town in mid-western US.

MAIN CHARACTER: A woman no longer young, but neither is she old. She appears to be physically fit and is still sexually attractive. She has been working as the town librarian/historian for a few years. No one knows much about her past. She does not drive preferring to walk to and from her work and to do her shopping along Main Street. She lives in an apartment above the town’s hardware store.

CATALYST: The envelope that appears on her refrigerator held there by a magnet she does not own. The apartment windows and doors were all locked before and after she entered. She thinks she knows what is in the envelope: a business card with name information on one side and a note added to the reverse, listing a location not found elsewhere on the card.

THE DILEMMA: If she opens the envelope, her quiet life in her new home will come to an end. Even if she ignores the message—once read, there will be consequences. If she leaves it untouched on the refrigerator, there might be no consequences though that is not guaranteed. She believes she is now watched and her decision will be observed. Does she ignore it or does she open it?

WHAT SHE KNOWS: She is almost certain the destination on the back of the small card will be some place just outside Tibet. It is the area she predicted before she abandoned her former life. It could be that someone she once knew has been seen alive, or the body located. She has many skills not needed in a small town that would be required if she responds to the implied call to action.

OTHER IMPORTANT CHARACTERS:

Two teenagers from the small town who find the mysterious librarian a challenge they want to resolve.

• The one who delivered the envelope and his superior.
• The person who may or may not be alive somewhere in the Tibetan area.
• The name (business) listed on the front of the card.

If you choose to accept this challenge for your next story, please let me know how you resolve or change it. Thank you and good luck.