Tag: cgsp

Categories
Life

Plan B, cdefg…

“The Plan is going perfectly.”
“What do you mean perfectly? Everything’s going wrong!”
“That’s why we have a Plan B.”

When you make a plan, do you automatically come up with a backup… just in case?

There are advantages for having a backup plan. When that pesky spy you didn’t want crashing your operation tries to stop you, what else is there but to have a PLAN B?
CGT needed a lot of Plan B’s when Hannah Carmichael came along. Their latest one, was to kill those they couldn’t control (Check out the link at the end of this post for what happened with THAT plan b).

But what about normal Plan B’s – the ones that don’t involve spies or life and death?
A plan B for if it rains on your wedding day, or the movie you picked is sold out? What about your favourite restaurant not having a table for you?
Do you come up with backups, just in case?

I don’t know about for normal life decisions (like the movies or having dinner), but when it comes to committing a crime, a heist or some other sort of dangerous activity – plan B (and c, d, e, f etc) would probably be a good idea. NOT that i’m saying it’s okay to commit such acts, or that we should be thinking about these things on a regular basis, but what happens to a police officer who doesn’t have a backup plan (or the training procedures in place for an alternate option). On a bust, the criminals throw something at you that you didn’t expect… did you come up with a backup plan?

I was thinking about the Plan B idea, and it feels a little like you don’t have faith in your Plan A, but on the flip side, that you’re thinking of every possible outcome. So where do you land on Plan B’s? I think for something life altering, maybe we should have one….

I’d love to hear your thoughts, so comment below 😀
If you want to read what CGT’s Plan B was, check out the link below and join the super spy Hannah Carmichael:
https://atomic-temporary-148610121.wpcomstaging.com/2020/02/11/senseofhumour/

Hope your Plan B’s are going okay during times of lockdown and isolation!

See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace

Categories
Fiction

The Cake | Furious Fiction

Enjoy the Furious Fiction from April 2020! I did 😀
The lemon, wedding cake wobbled in my arms. I shifted it, then continued to walk alongside the dirt road. I was still miles from the venue, and the rain from last night was not helping as I sidestepped another puddle. That damn car had always seemed to have it in for me, always breaking down at the most important moments of my life.
I checked all three tiers of the cake and smiled; they were still tied securely with large yellow ribbons. It had been a challenge to get the same yellow pigment in the rosettes, but I was proud of the final match.

A stone on the path pierced through my thin shoe and into my foot. I yelped, and felt my masterpiece once again shifting. Desperately, I tried to balance the heavy cake, managing to gain control once again. As if in slow motion, I watched as the cake topper slid further towards the edge of the top tier. In a panic, I tried to stabilise the cake and save the bride and groom. The movements worsened my dilemma, and I watched helplessly, as the icon of happily ever after slid off the cake, landing in a nearby puddle.
The topper splashed muddy water onto the bottom of my lemon yellow dress, and I groaned. There was less than an hour until the ceremony, and my heart began to sink; I was going to miss the wedding.

A car behind me honked and I turned, still trying to maintain balance. The man behind the wheel smiled, popping the locks to the passenger seat and motioning with his head for me to get in. I smiled wide and slid the cake inside, returning to the puddle for the bride and groom topper. As I jumped into the car and we continued towards the hotel, I revealed my traumatic ordeal. The man, also a guest at the wedding, kindly stepped on the gas, rocketing towards the event.

We arrived just as the harp started to play, and the bride began her decent down the aisle. I thanked the gentleman, then sidestepped the guests, sneaking quietly towards the catering area. The apron I was wearing now had dirt and flour covering the surface, but I ignored it and shuffled backwards, pushing my ass through the swinging door to the kitchen.

Once I’d passed the cake off to the other catering staff, I sucked in a deep breath. As the panic dissipated, I peeked my head out through the door and smiled. Guests began to cheer as the bride and groom shared their wedding day kiss.
I’d done it.

See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace

Categories
Hannah Carmichael Chronicles Life

From the Shadows, To the LIGHT

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A secret company which works in the shadows of the spy community. Claiming to be a force for good, but really a force for profit, war and chaos!
Sound familiar? (Apart from every other spy movie out there) – That’s because Hannah Carmichael (my super spy character) is dealing with such an agency called CGT!

These shadowy agencies are fun for a conspiracy hit in a spy story, but the way they operate is similar to the feelings some people are having right now. Stuck in the shadows, in a dark place with the light not shining through yet.

Some of us are trapped in lockdowns and self isolation which feels dark and we are being bombarded with negative thoughts, emotions and options.
I’ve had some tough days and a tough week over the last few months, but there were some things that I discovered about myself, about negativity and about bringing the light into my situation – which you can as well!

I love light. It pierces the dark so amazingly, that it just doesn’t exist anymore. Hannah Carmichael is trying to bring CGT out of the shadows and into the light, where it can be examined and stopped! That’s what we should be doing to our own shadowy agencies. Our thoughts that we are alone, that things will never go back to a place of ‘normal’, that we aren’t enough. These thoughts, these negative feelings and emotions need to be brought out of the shadows and into the light. Why? Because you take away their power.

Once you bring something to the light; you talk about it, admit it (even to yourself), work through whatever triggered it, and move through it – you take away it’s power. An unspoken word can often have more power than a spoken word. It’s hard to admit that you’re struggling, it’s hard to admit that you need help, it’s hard to take a step towards the light. It might seem comfortable where you are in the shadows; nobody will understand, I’ll sound crazy, people will think i’m just complaining all the time – NO!
Bringing a thought to light, takes away it’s power and allows your brain to process it and move on.

So in these times of isolation, reach out to someone, reach out to a helpline, and smash your shadows with the light!
If you want to see how Hannah Carmichael is looking at smashing CGT into the light, check out the link below:
https://atomic-temporary-148610121.wpcomstaging.com/2020/03/10/gunstoacquire-hcc67/

I hope you’re all doing okay, and staying safe.

See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace

Categories
Hannah Carmichael Chronicles

Spies Are Coming

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Spies Are Coming

 

Keep checking back for what this means… Can you guess? Feel free in the comments

See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace

Categories
Life

Wasting Time on Social Media

More and more, our lives are online. Especially right now with being in lockdown and trying to stop the spread of something which is dangerous to everyone.

During this time, i’ve found myself going down rabbit holes, getting hooked into a cycle and a loop of Social Media blackouts. When I come too, it’s been two hours, and i’ve not moved or done anything productive except learnt how someone made a pizza at home during their own lockdown experience.

My favourite Social Media ‘vice’ right now is TikTok, and before you close down this post thinking ‘this isn’t a post for me, i’m not 18 years old’ you can keep reading – because news flash, TikTok has so many ages on it. My favourite is the old grandmas and grandpas dancing with their grandkids, but a lot of the content on there, is by millennials, people in their 50s, you name it – they’ve got it.

I watch for the humorous or inspiring content, not the teeny boppers in midriff tops and yoga pants shaking their rump in one video, then complaining about being objectified in the next. But, i’ve found that recently while I have limited structure at home, i’ve been sucked into this online world more and more. Where once, I had vowed never to post a video myself, I posted one of my dog. Then the next vow to never be in one myself, and I posted a few of me… it’s a slippery slope people!

Regardless of where you’re getting lost right now – be it online, or puzzles, or perhaps painting (which is something fun i’ve been getting back into), we seem to have a lot more free time to spend on things that we otherwise wouldn’t have.
I can’t help but think that this sudden interest in sitting on Instagram or TikTok all day long, is because I have some of those ‘isolation feels’ – because it’s easier to get sucked into an imaginary world, or a fantasy world, than face the real one.

I’m excited to explore more things to do, have more time to spend on stuff I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to, but I want to be careful with WHAT I am putting my focus into. Spending five ours on TikTok is NOT going to write my book, or post these amusing antidotes for you guys!

How are you spending your free time? Are you getting lost down the rabbit hole of Social Media too? I’d LOVE to know, so comment with your pass time right now!
In the meantime…

See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace 

Categories
Fiction

Escape Room | Short Story

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The large door seemed to tower over Ellie as she sucked in a deep breath.
She wasn’t one for adventure, especially where an escape wasn’t possible, but here she was. How did she let her friends talk her into this ridiculous thing.
“Are you ready?” Brian asked, nudging her in the ribs.
She shook her head, “I don’t know about this Brian.”
“Oh come on Ellie, it’ll be fun!” He said, shoving Ian into Samantha as they smiled and laughed. Everyone else was excited about this Escape Room business, but there was something about being trapped in a room with the only escape coming at the end of puzzles that was unsettling for Ellie.

The host of the game opened the door, wishing them good luck and locking it behind them. The first room seemed to fly by, although Ellie wasn’t too much help as her friends thought quickly, moved through the clues to solve the riddles and opened the door into the next room.
As she followed along, Ellie noted every item inside each space, trying to make her brain move as fast as theirs. By the third room, their team had only 15 minutes left to clear it, and the final room. She squeezed past Ian and moved towards a chair in the corner.

The theme of this particular escape room was Pioneer Apocalypse, and Ellie was sick of seeing mannequins with racoon hats and bonnets around the rooms. Their eyes followed her, and she never wanted to see another log cabin as long as she lived. The large arm chair in the corner was her best option as her friends eagerly followed the clues around the room. She rolled her eyes and leaned on her elbow, looking in the closet to her right. The ‘bedroom’ was similar to all the others, and peeking through the closet clothes, was another mannequin.

She sighed, staring at another expressionless face. Frowning, she narrowed her eyes and looked closer. This one’s eyes were closed and it was slumped over, instead of sitting up straight and looking rigid. Maybe it was an actor paid to jump out and scare them into the next room?
Ellie carefully stood and took a step closer, reaching out and poking it, then quickly retracting her hand.
“What have you found?” Samantha asked from across the room.
Ellie shrugged, “I don’t know. This doesn’t look like the other mannequins around.”

The group dropped their clue quest and huddled together behind Ellie, staring at the strange figure. Ellie reached forward and pushed her hand into the man’s shoulder. It pushed back and the body fell onto the ground in front of her, exposing a large blood stain on the mans back. Ellie’s gag reflex activated and she pulled backwards, pushing herself up against the furthest wall.
“I don’t think that’s part of the escape,” Brian said quietly, looking between his friends. They picked up the radio, still able to use two of their three clues.
“Would you like a clue?” The voice on the other end asked. Ian pulled the radio away from Brian, “Is there supposed to be a dead guy in the bedroom?”
Silence on the other end of the radio echoed loudly in the room, until a voice finally came through the static, “Please wait a moment. Someone will be coming to assist you.”

See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace

Categories
Life

Vision Charts… Who Needs Them!

Glasses.
Two frames of glass.
Two frames which help magnify and clarify what you see.

I have been blessed all my life, to be the only person in my family who does NOT need to wear glasses. Going to get my eyes checked was easy, that silly poster was a breeze.
My vision is 2020 – so, why do I wear them?

No, it isn’t because I’m trying to look ‘hipster’ or ‘cool’ (man do I feel old just writing those words down – and i’m not even 30 yet!), it’s because I discovered this amazing new concept which Actually DOES help my life.

I wear BlueLight glasses.

YES, they are a thing! I wear glasses which don’t have any magnification at all, but they do have a filter which cuts through the ‘blue light’ on screens. I look at so many screens, for so many hours every day, that I found myself having trouble sleeping, not sleeping soundly and just being tired in general.

I heard about these weird glasses on the radio, and decided to buy a super cheap pair on eBay. When they came, I was skeptical, but willing to give it a go, and get better sleep.

WELL…. I can’t say it’s the same for everyone, but now whenever I Don’t wear the glasses, my sleep goes back to being broken and shallow and I wake up tired and cranky! But when I do wear them, I have deep, restful sleep which hasn’t been affected by the several hours of screen time that I do for work, rest and entertainment!

So, if you wonder why someone who doesn’t need glasses to see would wear them, this is a reason – it is for me anyway!

See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace

 

Categories
Fiction

Shoot Out | Short Story

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He snapped his head around the old car and a bullet whipped by his cheek. Pulling back just in time, Oliver breathed in and out as he silently moved his hands in the symbol for a cross.

Lifting his head back up, he raised his own gun, firing at one of the cops who had been chasing him. A sharp pain zipped through his shoulder, and he was pulled back by an unseen force.

Oliver took in deep breaths, watching as the blood started to trickle out onto his pale blue shirt. He wrapped his other hand over the wound, gun starting to slip out of the other.

“Give up Oliver! You’ve been injured, you need a doctor,” one of the cops yelled out to him. He rolled his eyes, checking the area for an escape. He was boxed in. Checking his magazine, he groaned at the sight of the two bullets left. One in chamber, and two in the clip; he had three chances.

“We’ll go on record that you surrendered, it’ll go a long way to make your sentence lighter.”

Oliver exhaled; he knew that wouldn’t make a difference. This was his third time being arrested for armed robbery. As he shifted in his spot, Oliver checked quickly from behind the car. The two cops were closer than they were before. He was out of options.

Phillip and Michael had the suspect cornered; he had nowhere to go. They were trying to talk him into a surrender. At least that would be a more peaceful ending to this chase.

“I can’t go back to jail!” He yelled from behind his barricade.

Michael motioned for them to move closer and they quickly advanced. This showdown was going to end in a few minutes, and Phillip wanted to be on alert.
The smash of a gunshot filled the junkyard and Phillip shared a look with Michael. No bullet had whipped past them, so where did it go?

The realisation crossed their minds at the same time and Phillip frowned as Michael lowered his gun with a shrug. He had killed himself instead of going back to prison.
Slowly, they moved towards the grizzly scene, guns still raised in case.

At the edge of the junkyard car, Phillip took up a positing right behind Michael as he stepped forward. The flash of the pistol felt blinding in slow motion, and Phillip lunged forward. His partner fell to the ground and the suspect jumped up from behind the car.

Phillip fired off three bullets before he could release the trigger, and he watched as the suspect crashed onto the hood of the car. Stuck in place, Phillip waited until he was sure the criminal wasn’t going to move, then he turned.

Michael held the place in his chest where the bullet landed, breathing heavily, “Lucky I was wearing my vest.”

Thanks for reading this short story! Keep checking back for more stories, adventures and general wonderings.

See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace