I lost a chapter today.

That's right. You read that correctly. I did in fact write a kick*** chapter. One of my finest ever. In fact, I was so wrapped up in the emotion of the thing. I didn't notice that my laptop was working on reserved power. My blessed little Mac flashed a warning window to let me know I only had four percent power. I closed it immediately because I was on a serious roll. Yes, I see the error of my ways now. Just when I was about to type the word... Argh. I can't even remember. 

The screen went blank. 

I made a little sound. 

Sort of a cross between an gasp and an eep. And dashed to my office to plug the blasted laptop into the power cord. 

How bad could it be? That was some of my best work ever sure the computer gods would not let such brilliance disappear. It was amazing writing. Honestly. My character was just about to realize her true potential. I was nearly crying as I wrote it. 

It can't be that bad. I soothed as I rebooted my computer. I probably lost a sentence, maybe two. I always save. Don't I? But I was so wrapped up in my character voice. I couldn't be sure. I couldn't breath, or swallow as I waited... and waited for the screen to light up. How bad could it be really? Really? REALLY?

Then there it was, my document. I dropped to my knees. It was ALL GONE. Just a few measly words I'd scrawled first thing this morning remained. And they weren't even in a coherent sentence. 

I'm feeling pretty devastated right now. It was very good writing. Some of my best. And now it's lost forever with all of the other forgotten files in the unsaved vortex. I've spent the last two hours trying to recreate it but it's not the same. Just a hollow shell without any of that spunky freshness. *sniff...sniff*

I read once that Ernest Hemingway's first wife Hadley, lost his first completed manuscript on a train. He was never able to recreate it. I'm not at all surprised their marriage ended. It is that devastating to lose the work. 

There is only one phrase to describe what I am feeling right now;

 OPEN APPLE S.