#CTC29 day 23 Character as Lens X3

Today's prompt/exercise is to write the same scene with the same character three times, but that character's emotional state is very different in each version.

Version 1: The character has just fallen in love at first sight.

Monica danced down the basement stairs. Even the dryer's buzz seemed like music. The sheets and towels listened to her sing every happy love song she could remember. She folded each item neatly, and stacked them in the laundry basket. She noticed how the low light gave the room a romantic glow. She laughed, imagining folding sheets with her beloved's help, and the kisses they would share as they folded each edge to its opposite. She felt grateful for having beautiful clean linens, for dryer warmed towels, and even for having the chore of folding the soft linens. She aimed her smile all around the room, hoping her current joy would soak into the walls, so she would remember it for always.

Version 2: The character has just suffered a severe loss.

Monica dragged herself down the stairs. The dim basement light suited her. She had to fight the urge to lay down on the floor and just not get up. She forced herself to fold the towels and sheets. She'd put off the chore for so long if she didn't get these upstairs tonight the bed would be bare and she'd be drying off with a hand towel. She didn't actually care much, not tonight. She acted from habit, and from a vague sense of duty. That night, if there was a button she could press that to end her existence, she would probably have pressed it.

Version 3: The character has just been threatened and fears for his/her life.

Monica slammed the basement door, locked it, and ran down the steps. She dashed across the room to crouch beyond the washing machine, imagining movement in every shadow. She clutched her shaking hands together, trying to get her ragged breath under control. "No one else is in the house," she told herself. "The alarm is set, the doors are locked, no one can get in without me and the police knowing about it." Eventually her breathing slowed, but her hands still trembled. Still on high alert, she stood and began folding the linens out of the dryer, hoping the mundane chore would help calm her nerves.