Round Characters

I am taking an online writing class and today I had to write a story with a round character.  A character that seems one way, like a stereo type, but then has a aspect of the character that is out of the ordinary.  So here is my character.  Mary.  You will notice that the story just leaves you hanging because it isn't about the story but about Mary.  Let me know what you think of her.

Mary loves people.  I mean, really loves them.  She is one of the nicest people I know.  She gives gifts, she says hi to strangers, she even picks up crying babies out of their mother’s arms and soothes them.  So it is no surprise that she chose to be a nurse.  Mary works in the emergency room and doesn’t seem bothered by the chaos of the night shift.  Weird things happen at night.  Looking at Mary you wouldn’t think she was tough either.  She is only 5’2” and probably weighs not quite 100 pounds.  But she can handle a 6 foot 200 pound drunk like he was her baby boy.  People may try to give her a hard time but somehow she can turn them around just by being her loving self.  She doesn’t get mad, she works her magic through her charm.  And she is sincere.  When these guys come in stoned out of their minds with stupid injuries she doesn’t make fun of them or roll her eyes, she comforts them and speaks soft words or reassurance that they are going to be alright.  Everyone loves Mary, but I somehow am the lucky guy who gets to call her my wife.  

It was a full moon, which means even more weird cases come in to the emergency room.  Mary seems to thrive on full moon nights.  She always comes home in the morning beaming from the excitement through out the night.  This morning was different however.  Mary came in the door and looked exhausted.  I was sitting at the kitchen table reading the paper and drinking my morning tea when she walked in.

“Hi Honey, how was your night?” I greeted her

“You won’t believe what happened,” she said. 

“You look tired.  Are you okay?”

“Well, a lady came in to the ER around midnight and it was the strangest thing.”

Then Mary got tears in her eyes and put her face in her hands.

“Oh my goodness, Honey, come sit down.  Tell me what happened.”

“Oh Scott, it was horrible.  She looked completely fine but then she did something.”  Mary stopped talking and wept.  I put my hands on her shoulders and waited for her to continue.

“The lady looked at me.  Straight into my eyes.  And she said, ‘Mary, you did this to me.’”

I was trying to be patient with her story, but it was driving me crazy.  I wanted to know what was so horrible.  

Mary continued.  “She then pulled out a knife.  And before I could react, she stabbed herself in the stomach.”

“What?  Oh Mary!  What happened?”

Mary looked at me with what looked like regret and maybe disbelief.

“She fell to the ground crying and I just walked away.”

“What?  What?  You walked away?  Why?  I don’t get it.  Who is she?”

“Scott, she is he step-mother of the little boy who has been missing.   And they found his little body last night.”

“But why is she mad at you?  You didn’t do anything.”

“I befriended her, Scott.  She had come in to the ER a few nights ago drunk and I recognized her from TV.  Scott, she told me where she had taken the boy and what she did to him.  I called the cops and told them.  She knows she is going to jail.”

“Is she okay?  Did someone else help her?”

“Oh Scott, it’s horrible.  I couldn’t stand the thought of her living after what she did to the boy.”

“Mary, what did you do?”

“I wanted her to die.  She deserved to die.”

“Mary?”

“I turned around like I was going to help her.  I bent down to her.  The knife was still in her stomach.  I ...”

“Mary what?  What did you do?”

“She grabbed my hand.  She looked into my eyes with the most evil look.  Then I