Ten Word Challenge: preparation, tic-tac-toe, splurge, auction block, the bitter end, milk, papyrus, when the parade passes by, bill of lading, stone wall
Mini Challenge: polar bear, 20 seconds, get it together, spasmodic, antiquity
My comment about this week's challenge:
I feel I'm kind of half-cheating this week in my mix of the words, but I didn't have much time. Half way through the first paragraph (last Sunday), I got a sort of emergency call myself, and then had to spend the rest of the week sorting out "real life" stuff instead, including both real emergencies or half-emergencies and false ones caused by technical problems as phones and alarm systems out of order... Today, looking back at the chapter I managed to put together this week, I think it almost sort of reflects my own week... (Well, except for the butler and the fire and the pool and whatever... But still...)
The Slumber Party Mystery
Chapter 6 - Fire alarm
With a spasmodic little jump, Bumblebee, the butler, carrying the tray with the ingredients for the Sunburst cocktails through the library, only just avoided tripping over the polar bear skin, which the General had bought from the auction block. The General sometimes liked to indulge in a splurge when it came to aquiring unusal objects from all over the world. Bumblebee sighed and picked up the Antiquity Journal from the desk and put it under his arm. He noted in passing that he must remember to water the papyrus plant in the evening. Then he went out through the open glass doors. On the terrace, he froze. It took him nearly 20 seconds to take in the scene and get it together: the sausages sizzling on the grill, the fire spreading through the dry grass, and the General lying motionless in his chair by the pool. Then he quite calmly put the tray down on the stone wall surrounding the terrace, took the jug of orange juice and splashed its contents over the worst of the fire, went over to the Generals deck chair, which was on wheels, and pushed it gently down the sloping ramp into the shallow end of the pool. Himself standing knee-high in the water, he took his cellphone out of his pocket.
At the fire station it had so far been a quiet afternoon. After having made preparations for next week's fire drill, Joe had read two chapters of a detective novel entitled "The Bitter End", played a few games of tic-tac-toe on the computer, and was just pouring milk into another cup of tea, humming "when the parade passes by" to himself (and thinking that no, he couldn't remember the lyrics properly…) when the alarm call came.
About the same time, the delivery van from the grocery store drove up in front of the General's house. The driver had been delayed because of some problems with a bill of lading back at the store.
With a spasmodic little jump, Bumblebee, the butler, carrying the tray with the ingredients for the Sunburst cocktails through the library, only just avoided tripping over the polar bear skin, which the General had bought from the auction block. The General sometimes liked to indulge in a splurge when it came to aquiring unusal objects from all over the world. Bumblebee sighed and picked up the Antiquity Journal from the desk and put it under his arm. He noted in passing that he must remember to water the papyrus plant in the evening. Then he went out through the open glass doors. On the terrace, he froze. It took him nearly 20 seconds to take in the scene and get it together: the sausages sizzling on the grill, the fire spreading through the dry grass, and the General lying motionless in his chair by the pool. Then he quite calmly put the tray down on the stone wall surrounding the terrace, took the jug of orange juice and splashed its contents over the worst of the fire, went over to the Generals deck chair, which was on wheels, and pushed it gently down the sloping ramp into the shallow end of the pool. Himself standing knee-high in the water, he took his cellphone out of his pocket.
At the fire station it had so far been a quiet afternoon. After having made preparations for next week's fire drill, Joe had read two chapters of a detective novel entitled "The Bitter End", played a few games of tic-tac-toe on the computer, and was just pouring milk into another cup of tea, humming "when the parade passes by" to himself (and thinking that no, he couldn't remember the lyrics properly…) when the alarm call came.
About the same time, the delivery van from the grocery store drove up in front of the General's house. The driver had been delayed because of some problems with a bill of lading back at the store.
5 comments:
I've not seen your other chapters, but did enjoy reading this one.
Great job! Bumblebee sounds like a force to be reckoned with - a cool head in a crisis. Sorry you have been under such stress. Great job regardless.
I had so forgotten about this story and the minute I read this chapter I recalled it all and was utterly delighted. Bumblebee sounds like he knows exactly what he's doing Great story :)
I love Bumblebee's heroics. Sounds like you could have used some of his magic. Hope all is well.
I liked your story featuring Bumblebee the butler. He sounds like a good man to have around.
Stephen from Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
http://stephen-has-spoken.blogspot.com/
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