Wordzzle 66 - Lost
This is my contribution to this week's Wordzzle. Wordzzle is a game in which each week word lists, used to create stories, are given on the blog Views from Raven's Nest. Participating users post their stories on their own blogs.
This is the tenth time I've played the game.
Ten Word Challenge:
swashbuckler,
heads-up,
dry martini,
recovery,
jungle gym,
whiskers,
bathing suit,
spade,
circular reasoning,
abrasive
The sand blown in by the storm had made the dry martini a little too abrasive for his tastes, and then the pouring rain diluted it. He sat it aside for now. He had been in the chair in his bathing suit, napping, when the storm hit, and it was a complete surprise to him. For some reason, the others had simply gone inside without giving him a heads-up about it. He hadn't even been able to get inside, the storm was so dark and violent that it obscured everything, and he couldn't find the building, or even know which direction it was. He stumbled along, walking in the wet sand, unable to see more than a few inches ahead of him. He thought he heard the ocean to one side, and tried to keep it that way so he wouldn't go in circles.
After a few minutes he almost banged his head on some odd structure. Feeling along it, it seemed to have a lot of struts, almost like a jungle gym, but he couldn't figure out what it was. He went around it and walked for a long time.
After what seemed like hours, the storm lessened, and finally stopped, though it remained windy. The light was still dim, but he could see better, and could make out things around him. He seemed to have wondered off quite a bit. All he could see was the the sand and the ocean and palm trees and other odd plants. He picked up a stick and pretended he was a swashbuckler, though the stick looked more like a spade than a sword. He was too tired to do it for long, though, and continued on his way, using the stick as a walking stick. Eventually the sun came up, with nothing much changed. He thought sure he would have run into somebody or something by now, but it was still the palm trees and sand and ocean. He was getting very, very tired. He hoped he would run into something soon, he was too tired to try to walk back all that way.
Then he came upon a small plane in the sand. He walked up to it, wonderingly. He felt the struts on the wing, and realized it was what he had felt the night before. Despite his determination not to go in a circle, it seems he had engaged in a bit of circular reasoning anyway. Odd that he hadn't come across the building and the people first. He hadn't even seen the place where he had left his martini. He looked at the plane. He remembered that he used to fly a plane very much like this one, years ago. He wondered if the pilot had run into trouble in the storm, and, unable to make a recovery, had crashed on the beach. Maybe the pilot was even still inside.
The door to the plane was hanging open, and he stuck his head in and looked around. Nobody was there. It looked like it was really in need of a clean-up, too. There was dust and sand on everything. He wondered if it had just been blown in by the storm, but then he realized that plants were growing in it. The plane had been there for a long time. But how could that be? Surely he would have known about it.
He rubbed his face with his hand, and was startled to feel long whiskers there. He took his hand away in wonder, and stared at it. Then, looking down, he saw that he wasn't wearing a bathing suit after all, just tattered jeans cut off above the knee.
Mini Challenge:
butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth,
stagnation,
chart,
star crossed lovers,
apricot brandy
Though butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth, he felt stagnation set in to their relationship, and they increasingly found reasons not to be together, and circumstances seemed to be providing plenty of reasons to stay apart. Their astrological charts had been compatible, but they now seemed more like star crossed lovers, and another sip of apricot brandy wasn't going to fix it.
Mega challenge:
swashbuckler,
heads-up,
dry martini,
recovery,
jungle gym,
whiskers,
bathing suit,
spade,
circular reasoning,
abrasive
butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth,
stagnation,
chart,
star crossed lovers,
apricot brandy
He assumed a swashbuckler position, and, looking in the mirror, began fencing with himself.
"Put down that umbrella before you knock something over. You've seen way too many pirate movies, and had way too many dry martinis."
"I'm afraid I've started on the apricot brandy, now. It seems to be a local specialty."
"I suppose I should be happy that you're not standing by the sink, filling it over and over again and watching it drain."
"It was like an whirlpool in the ocean, one that could suck a ship down and all aboard her, and they would never be seen again. Think how it would be, to be carried around and around, unable to escape, until the water finally takes you."
"That would be terrible, but I don't see it happening anytime soon, so you can stop with that brand of circular reasoning. We were going to go out to the pool, remember? We're on vacation, so we should at least act like it. Bring the deck of cards, too, so we'll have something to do if we get bored."
"I'd rather not play cards right now, if you don't mind. I keep getting the ace of spades, and it's beginning to creep me out. I suppose I could put on my bathing suit, though, and walk around the pool. Give the ladies a treat."
"Let me give you a bit of a heads-up. You don't look nearly as exciting as you think you do, and being half-drunk doesn't help. Neither does those whiskers."
"We are on vacation."
"Doesn't matter. Go shave anyway. Good thing you've got an electric shaver, at this point I wouldn't trust you with anything sharp."
"Well, I guess I do have to look nice for the ladies..."
"Yeah, it's always the ladies. We are married, you know. What am I, chopped liver?"
"Well, you know the saying, 'That's no lady, that's my wife.'"
"Gee, thanks."
"The ladies are after me, you know. They just can't help themselves. That lady bartender here was so nice to me..."
"Yeah, I know, butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth, just like all the others. Did you ever think this might be all in your head?"
"It's in all their heads, too. They all adore me."
He turned and walked off, and she heard the noise of the shaver for a while. Then it stopped and he came back into the room.
"There, I'm done. How do I look?"
"You've managed to give yourself some red marks, but the whiskers seem to be gone. You've even put your bathing suit on correctly, not backwards like last time."
"Well, let's go then. Can't keep the ladies waiting."
She sighed. "No, I guess we can't."
They walked out to the pool. "There don't seem to be any ladies around," he said, disappointedly. "At least not any young ladies."
"Maybe they all went out to the beach. Or maybe they just couldn't trust themselves with you and stayed away."
"Yeah, that could be it. I guess we're just star crossed lovers."
"Who, them and you or you and me? Come on. At least we've got plenty of places to sit down."
"I don't want to sit down. I didn't come all the way out here to sit down. I think I'll go for a swim." He walked over and looked at the water. "It's green. Stagnation has set in. It's not safe. I'd probably get some horrible disease."
She walked over and looked at the water. "The water's not green, the pool itself is green. That's its color. There's nothing wrong with it."
"Still... how do we know the water's not green, too."
"Because it's not. Look at it. Anyway, this is a good place, not like the place we stayed last time. They wouldn't let something like that happen here."
"The pool looks kind of rough, though. Abrasive, even. I might scrape myself on it, and the blood might attract sharks." He looked around. "I think I'll just climb on that jungle gym instead."
"That's a trellis, you idiot! If you try to get on that you'll bring the whole thing down! Stay away from it."
He turned to face her, swayed, seemed about to fall, but then made a recovery.
"You were going to go swimming and climbing, and you can barely stand! Come on and we'll find a place to sit down."
"I'm just a pirate, sailing on uncharted seas. And you're part of my treasure."
She smiled. "Well, that's better, then. I can accept that. Now come and sit down, pirate, before you fall overboard."
This is the tenth time I've played the game.
Ten Word Challenge:
swashbuckler,
heads-up,
dry martini,
recovery,
jungle gym,
whiskers,
bathing suit,
spade,
circular reasoning,
abrasive
The sand blown in by the storm had made the dry martini a little too abrasive for his tastes, and then the pouring rain diluted it. He sat it aside for now. He had been in the chair in his bathing suit, napping, when the storm hit, and it was a complete surprise to him. For some reason, the others had simply gone inside without giving him a heads-up about it. He hadn't even been able to get inside, the storm was so dark and violent that it obscured everything, and he couldn't find the building, or even know which direction it was. He stumbled along, walking in the wet sand, unable to see more than a few inches ahead of him. He thought he heard the ocean to one side, and tried to keep it that way so he wouldn't go in circles.
After a few minutes he almost banged his head on some odd structure. Feeling along it, it seemed to have a lot of struts, almost like a jungle gym, but he couldn't figure out what it was. He went around it and walked for a long time.
After what seemed like hours, the storm lessened, and finally stopped, though it remained windy. The light was still dim, but he could see better, and could make out things around him. He seemed to have wondered off quite a bit. All he could see was the the sand and the ocean and palm trees and other odd plants. He picked up a stick and pretended he was a swashbuckler, though the stick looked more like a spade than a sword. He was too tired to do it for long, though, and continued on his way, using the stick as a walking stick. Eventually the sun came up, with nothing much changed. He thought sure he would have run into somebody or something by now, but it was still the palm trees and sand and ocean. He was getting very, very tired. He hoped he would run into something soon, he was too tired to try to walk back all that way.
Then he came upon a small plane in the sand. He walked up to it, wonderingly. He felt the struts on the wing, and realized it was what he had felt the night before. Despite his determination not to go in a circle, it seems he had engaged in a bit of circular reasoning anyway. Odd that he hadn't come across the building and the people first. He hadn't even seen the place where he had left his martini. He looked at the plane. He remembered that he used to fly a plane very much like this one, years ago. He wondered if the pilot had run into trouble in the storm, and, unable to make a recovery, had crashed on the beach. Maybe the pilot was even still inside.
The door to the plane was hanging open, and he stuck his head in and looked around. Nobody was there. It looked like it was really in need of a clean-up, too. There was dust and sand on everything. He wondered if it had just been blown in by the storm, but then he realized that plants were growing in it. The plane had been there for a long time. But how could that be? Surely he would have known about it.
He rubbed his face with his hand, and was startled to feel long whiskers there. He took his hand away in wonder, and stared at it. Then, looking down, he saw that he wasn't wearing a bathing suit after all, just tattered jeans cut off above the knee.
Mini Challenge:
butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth,
stagnation,
chart,
star crossed lovers,
apricot brandy
Though butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth, he felt stagnation set in to their relationship, and they increasingly found reasons not to be together, and circumstances seemed to be providing plenty of reasons to stay apart. Their astrological charts had been compatible, but they now seemed more like star crossed lovers, and another sip of apricot brandy wasn't going to fix it.
Mega challenge:
swashbuckler,
heads-up,
dry martini,
recovery,
jungle gym,
whiskers,
bathing suit,
spade,
circular reasoning,
abrasive
butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth,
stagnation,
chart,
star crossed lovers,
apricot brandy
He assumed a swashbuckler position, and, looking in the mirror, began fencing with himself.
"Put down that umbrella before you knock something over. You've seen way too many pirate movies, and had way too many dry martinis."
"I'm afraid I've started on the apricot brandy, now. It seems to be a local specialty."
"I suppose I should be happy that you're not standing by the sink, filling it over and over again and watching it drain."
"It was like an whirlpool in the ocean, one that could suck a ship down and all aboard her, and they would never be seen again. Think how it would be, to be carried around and around, unable to escape, until the water finally takes you."
"That would be terrible, but I don't see it happening anytime soon, so you can stop with that brand of circular reasoning. We were going to go out to the pool, remember? We're on vacation, so we should at least act like it. Bring the deck of cards, too, so we'll have something to do if we get bored."
"I'd rather not play cards right now, if you don't mind. I keep getting the ace of spades, and it's beginning to creep me out. I suppose I could put on my bathing suit, though, and walk around the pool. Give the ladies a treat."
"Let me give you a bit of a heads-up. You don't look nearly as exciting as you think you do, and being half-drunk doesn't help. Neither does those whiskers."
"We are on vacation."
"Doesn't matter. Go shave anyway. Good thing you've got an electric shaver, at this point I wouldn't trust you with anything sharp."
"Well, I guess I do have to look nice for the ladies..."
"Yeah, it's always the ladies. We are married, you know. What am I, chopped liver?"
"Well, you know the saying, 'That's no lady, that's my wife.'"
"Gee, thanks."
"The ladies are after me, you know. They just can't help themselves. That lady bartender here was so nice to me..."
"Yeah, I know, butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth, just like all the others. Did you ever think this might be all in your head?"
"It's in all their heads, too. They all adore me."
He turned and walked off, and she heard the noise of the shaver for a while. Then it stopped and he came back into the room.
"There, I'm done. How do I look?"
"You've managed to give yourself some red marks, but the whiskers seem to be gone. You've even put your bathing suit on correctly, not backwards like last time."
"Well, let's go then. Can't keep the ladies waiting."
She sighed. "No, I guess we can't."
They walked out to the pool. "There don't seem to be any ladies around," he said, disappointedly. "At least not any young ladies."
"Maybe they all went out to the beach. Or maybe they just couldn't trust themselves with you and stayed away."
"Yeah, that could be it. I guess we're just star crossed lovers."
"Who, them and you or you and me? Come on. At least we've got plenty of places to sit down."
"I don't want to sit down. I didn't come all the way out here to sit down. I think I'll go for a swim." He walked over and looked at the water. "It's green. Stagnation has set in. It's not safe. I'd probably get some horrible disease."
She walked over and looked at the water. "The water's not green, the pool itself is green. That's its color. There's nothing wrong with it."
"Still... how do we know the water's not green, too."
"Because it's not. Look at it. Anyway, this is a good place, not like the place we stayed last time. They wouldn't let something like that happen here."
"The pool looks kind of rough, though. Abrasive, even. I might scrape myself on it, and the blood might attract sharks." He looked around. "I think I'll just climb on that jungle gym instead."
"That's a trellis, you idiot! If you try to get on that you'll bring the whole thing down! Stay away from it."
He turned to face her, swayed, seemed about to fall, but then made a recovery.
"You were going to go swimming and climbing, and you can barely stand! Come on and we'll find a place to sit down."
"I'm just a pirate, sailing on uncharted seas. And you're part of my treasure."
She smiled. "Well, that's better, then. I can accept that. Now come and sit down, pirate, before you fall overboard."
posted by Stephen at 6/05/2009 11:44:00 PM
10 Comments:
Three very good stories. I liked the last one best.You worked the words in very well.
That poor man is stuck with that plane isn't he. Tell us where he is and we'll fly in and save him. We promise not to eat him.
You are a very interesting writer.
I hope that man gets rescued.
the other man in the last story is having a vacation he wouldn't remember.
Very impressive writing! And great use of the words.
I like both stories - but think I liked the first one the most.
Hope he gets rescued soon!
I love the surreal quality of your stories. Loved the end of the last one especially. Great job.
Well written. Very creative.
I also liked your post about the dragon sculpture you made in art class. I taught art for 32 years, so I could see it in my head and imagine you making it abd dealing with sagging wings.
Very good stories. The first one was a bit bizarre and the last was very humorous.
Great stories and endings on both! The first one had a definite "twilight zone" feel and twist to it. Loved it!
Enjoyed the interaction between the characters on the last one and the sweet ending.
I just participated in Wordzzle for the first time yesterday, and thoroughly enjoyed the creative juicing. I'm glad to see your stories are about the same length as mine!
Great writting, Liked the first one best, reminded me a bit of catch 22 film.
Thanks, everybody.
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