Craft writing assignment: Write a scene showing someone leading a double life. Show the strain the character feels in juggling the two lives.
The chirp of her cell phone roused Claire from an intermittent sleep. As she fumbled for the phone, she tried to remember where she was. The sweltering unconditioned air of the hotel room reminded her: Tangiers. And not the tourist area.
Flipping the phone open, she put it to her ear and said, “Artemis here.”
There was a pause, then her mom’s tentative voice. “Claire?”
Silently cursing herself for not having checked the caller ID, Claire coughed to cover her surprise. “Yeah, it’s me, Mom. What’s wrong?”
“Why did you say you were Artemis?”
Think fast. “Huh?” Ooh, very inventive. The intructors at the Academy would be very impressed.
“When you answered the phone, it sounded like you said “Artemis here.'”
The best defense is a good offense. “Mom, why are you calling in the middle of the night?” No, wait… Too late. Forgot the time difference.
“It’s only seven o’clock. What’s the matter with you?”
Wake up! Think for a change. “Sorry, guess I forgot to tell you. I’m in Europe. Business trip.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to wake you.”
“No problem. It’s my fault because I didn’t let you know.”
“But why did you answer the phone like that?”
Claire wondered how her mom would react if she answered that it was her code name as an international thief and assassin. “I don’t know. Must have been something I was dreaming about.”