Wednesday's Words on a Friday

 

The original Words for Wednesday was begun by Delores and eventually taken over by a moveable feast of participants when Delores had computer troubles. Sadly, Delores has now closed her blog forever due to other problems.

The aim of the words is to encourage us to write. A story, a poem, whatever comes to mind.

If you are posting an entry on your own blog, please let us know so we can come along to read it and add a few encouraging words.

This month the words/prompts are supplied by ME and can be found right here

This week's words/prompts are:

1. The two Colins

2. rambunctious

3. purple tie

4. apple pie

Here is my story:

Since the day was rainy and grey, Grandma Joan had given Heather and her brother Colin permission to play in the attic, where they found an old trunk filled to the brim with clothes and accessories. They had a fabulous time dressing up and pretending to be someone they weren’t. Heather had spent quite a lot of time wearing an emerald green ballgown, (and tripping over the hem as it was far too long), a necklace of fake diamonds and a tiara to match it. 

Colin had tried on various outfits, but was disappointed with most of the clothes being for women. He had found, right at the bottom of another old trunk, what appeared to be a magician’s outfit, although there was no wand or any of the miles long silk scarves that usually go pulled out of pockets or sleeves, so perhaps it was just a forgotten old suit after all. Mostly black, but with a vest in shiny black, gold and purple swirls. Hidden away under it, wrapped in black tissue, was a purple tie. A bow tie, attached to an elastic band so it was easily put on with no need for fiddly tying while trying to get it even. 

The suit was badly motheaten, so Colin put it back in the trunk, but kept out the vest and tie. Whoever had worn them must have been a small man, as the vest fitted Colin perfectly. He showed off to Heather, announcing that he was going to ask Grandma Joan if he could keep them. Heather said, “I think I’ll ask if I can keep this tiara and the diamond necklace, I can wear them to the graduation dance.” 

Granted permission, both children packed away the items into their own suitcases and discussed with Grandma their plans for the rest of the week. It was summer holidays after all, surely it wouldn’t rain the whole time? Grandma assured them it wouldn’t and they made plans to visit the next town over where there were more than a few antique shops for browsing and hopefully finding the odd treasure or two. 

The next morning, after breakfast Colin felt the purple tie calling to him, whispering into his mind. “Wear me, wear me, I want to go out.” He put the tie on, in spite of Heather saying he looked ridiculous with a bow tie in the middle of the summer holidays. T

hey set out to find the antique shops and had a wonderful time to begin with, but as the day wore on, Colin became increasingly unlike his usual self. Whining, demanding, and throwing a small tantrum every time Grandma or Heather asked him to behave. 

“This isn’t like Colin at all,” said Heather. Grandma replied, “I’ve seen this before though and I have a suspicion the bow tie has something to do with it.” “How is that possible?” asked Heather. 

“Well, I had hoped enough time had passed that the bad had worn off, but it seems the purple tie is still possessed. It used to be a regular tie, not a bow tie and the owner, whose name was also Colin, was strangled with it one night when a magic trick went wrong somehow. Rumor has it the spirit of the young man, the other Colin, now lives in the purple fabric. Sometime ago, another young man tried to ‘exorcise’ it by cutting the tie and making it a bow tie, he said the spirit would no longer recognize it that way.” 

“But it seems to have not worked,” said Heather, “if our Colin is now behaving as the magician Colin.” “Oh, he wasn’t the magician,” said Grandma, “just the assistant, but he wanted to be the magician and was always rude and demanding more stage time to try his own tricks.” 

“So now he is still trying to take over by inhabiting our Colin?” said Heather. “It seems that way,” said Grandma. “Scary,” said Heather. “How do we get him to take it off?” 

“Let’s leave the shops and walk along the beach road, we won’t go all the way to the beach, it’s miles and miles away, but perhaps we can talk to the old Colin about how hot it is and how he might feel cooler if he took off his tie. If he agrees, we can promise him a slice of apple pie with a scoop of cooling ice cream.” 

"Good idea,” said Heather, “then when he’s not looking, I’ll hide the tie and burn it in the fire this evening while our Colin has his bath.” “That should finally get rid of the spirit,” said Grandma.