Not burnt umber (revisited)

In a previous entry, I had tried out a site called StorySquared by starting a story. The whole point of the site is to have a fun way to write a story with others, in a "telphone game" style. It ended up being too complicated for what it was worth. Although the collaboration features were cool, it seemed like a waste.

One of my friends, A1, was really intent in tacking on her addition, so I'm reposting the story in its entirety (thus far).

Feel free to comment your own contributions (which I will add and update later):

Not Burnt Umber

Time and time again, Lisa has been told not to do crossword puzzles in the bathroom. She was feeling particularly skittish this rainy Monday morning and tiptoed into the bathroom with a Pilot gel pen (red) and the whole morning paper.

Why crosswords? Why the bathroom? She had no answers. No clues were offered to keep her intrigued. The thought escaped her. The grey sky from the overcast day, brought her endless streams of raindrops that seemed to whisper, “Think, Lisa. Think. Think. Think.” They slapped against the glass of the tiny bathroom window that gave her just enough light to write. Raindrops chanted as she focused on the first clue. Could they be cheering? Maybe she was mistaken. Time was not on her side. She had to complete the crossword---fast. First clue down or across? She breathed deeply and thought. And thought. And thought. Then, the light bulbs. Her mind opened. Scribbles from her left hand quickly covered the rough newsprint, and the red, shiny, glistening gel smeared her fingers. She smiled, of course. This one was easy. It was only Monday. The easiest known day for crosswords. Everyone knows that.