Wednesday's Words on a Friday

On Wednesdays, assorted people have been taking monthly turns at putting up a selection of words which is called “Words for Wednesday”.

We have taken over this meme from Delores, who had been having computer problems.

This month the meme continues right here, with words supplied by me!

Essentially the aim is to encourage us to write.   

Each week we are given a choice of prompts: which can be words, phrases, music or images.   What we do with those prompts is up to us:  a short story, prose, a song, a poem, or treating them with ignore...

Some of us put our creation in comments on the post, and others post on their own blog.  We would really like it if as many people as possible joined in with this fun meme.

If you are posting on your own blog - let us know so that we can come along and read your masterpiece.

I’m hopeless at poetry so I always do a story.

It’s a fun challenge…why not join in?

This week's words are:

1. brew

2. bellicose

3. boxer

4. bitumen

5. reckless

6. smoked ham

and/or:

1. jewel

2. plum

3. poach

4. reef

5. canvas

6. puddle

and/or: "well, that's annoying!" 

Here is my story: a continuing chapter from the previous weeks.

Old Billy arrived at Tom Feathers' caravan just after dusk on the night after the full moon. There were plenty of trees around casting shadows, making it easy for Billy to slink in unnoticed. The moon had not yet risen, an added bonus. A single note on a gum leaf whistle, followed by the hooting of an owl, was the signal Billy and Tom had always used when meeting and this night was no exception. 

Signal given and received, Tom opened the door to the caravan and Billy stepped inside. The background story was given and Tom agreed to help. He suggested a small campfire outside where he could BREW tea with the new supply of tea leaves Billy had brought. Tom had made a PLUM duff earlier with plums POACHED from a nearby orchard and dried fruit cadged from the farmer; he now sliced thick pieces for himself and Billy to have with the tea. 

Billy first asked about Tom's son Davey. The boy had spent time in jail before being transferred to a road gang that was spreading hot BITUMEN on new roads. Davey's RECKLESS and BELLICOSE nature had caught the eye of the supervisor and Davey was soon being trained as a BOXER, then consistently winning matches held in the prisons on Saturdays. 

Talk soon turned to Mary and Rick Stanton, with Tom turning his mouth down at the mention of Rick. Tom had known Mary's and Rick's families and hadn't been happy when the marriage took place, but was later delighted with the arrival of Tess and little Jackie. He knew that Rick was afraid of ghosts and unnatural happenings and told Billy this was how he planned to unhinge the abusive bastard. 

He would begin with the shoes, moving them each night as Rick slept to a different location so that he had to search for them in the mornings. When Rick left the house, his socks would be removed from the drawer and left in the empty bathtub. Everyone knew Rick liked everything to always be exactly where he had left it. Even little Jackie had collected a box on the ears often enough to know he should never touch Daddy's things. 

After a couple of weeks there would be a half eaten SMOKED HAM sandwich left on one of Mary's favourite plates. Rick would throw it away of course, but there would be another, then another. Interspersed with these things would be unexplained PUDDLES in the hallway of Rick's home, a CANVAS tent mysteriously appearing one morning, then being gone the next. Knockings, scrapings, and other noises to interrupt Rick's sleep would all help to send the man off his rocker. Perhaps the distant sound of Mary's favourite music.

By now both men were grinning widely, strong white teeth shining in the light of the moon.
"Ah, Billy," said Tom, she's a JEWEL of a girl, is Mary. I'm glad she's gettin' away."                Billy said, "I thought maybe we could leave pictures of Mary in the house too, Rick threw them all away when she disappeared and Pearl picked them all up."

Tom asked if they were planning on spooking Rick's mother too, "she sure as hell deserves it." he said. He would use the REEF of granite a mile beyond the riverbank to hide out during the days; from there he could easily make it to Rick's home after sundown.