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 Hilary Melton-Butcher and can be found here

This week's words/prompts are: 

1. lurk 2. amber 3. birch 4. drainpipe 5. spelling 

and/or: 

1. flour 2. buttercups 3. light 4. train 5. mullion

Also including Charlotte's null colour of the month Signal Green.

Here is my story:

As soon as Andy’s Dad heard that code phrase, he sprang into action. He rang around to a few friends with a code of his own “Family Amber Alert” meaning that one of his own was missing. In very little time a crew of ex-military mates had gathered and plans were being made. A map of the area was drawn and X’s marked at possible hiding places. The smallest of the group, a wiry little man nicknamed Ghost was listening as Andy senior described Uncle Mac’s hut. “There’s a drainpipe right beside a mullioned window, plenty of brush cover but you’ll need to approach  from the west as the window has a clear view to the East.” “You don’t need to be spelling anything out for me Andy, I’ll shinny up that drainpipe without a sound and wait for your green signal.” He patted his shirt where a sizeable bag of flour now rested inside. “The train from the north should be right on time and should drown out any tiny sound I might make.”

Chuck checked the scope on his old sniper rifle and loaded the tranquiliser darts,
I’ll lurk around in that copse of birch, they have enough leaf cover this time of year and I’ll have a direct line of sight to the front door. Old Mac didn’t go mad and install a back door did he?”  “No, there’s still just the one door Chuck,” replied Andy senior. “We’ll move across my back field and use all that overgrown shrubbery as cover, leave your light blue cap behind Dan, it’s too easily seen in that field of buttercups right before Uncle Mac’s shrubbery. Let’s all be glad he didn’t get around to cutting it down yet.”

They moved into position, and saw Ghost already up on the cabin roof. Chuck aimed his rifle and after hearing a peculiar bird call from Dan, gave a quick green flash from his night goggles. Ghost emptied that sack of flour down the chimney where it poofed out into the room after landing in the cold ashes below. Stumbling and cursing was heard and the door to the cabin flew open. The weaselly slim man ran out coughing and choking, Chuck fired his darts and made a direct hit. The weaselly man dropped like a stone and the girl in green right behind tripped over his body and broke an ankle.

The men rushed to the cabin, with Andy senior going inside to untie Andy while Chuck and Dan used handcuffs to secure the kidnappers. Chuck phoned the local police, then they all sat and waited while Dan handed around cans of soda and bags of snacks. Andy and his dad had a chat about things that can happen in the city, while Andy senior looked at Kate in her green outfit. “Son, if I was your age and green as a sapling still, I’d have followed that too.” Kate, meanwhile, was swearing like a wharfie as her ankle turned purple and scowling so hard her face was quite terrifying. 


Comments

  1. What a story!!!
    Reminds me of when I slipped and broke my foot. It was a way more simpler story ;-)
    I would love to see that field of buttercups...

    I only can come up with a "quicky" here....
    Unlike 2019 I this time got myself green light to take home self-raising flour from Madeley/Perth as you cannot buy this in Germany.
    And what does Jamie Oliver do??? All recipes I find is plain flour....
    As Deutsche Bahn/German railway was on strike the flour didn´t even take the train... Buhuu.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Something unusual Iris Flavia!
      Autobiography, you used the words well!
      I like!

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    2. Iris; good story. I am sure you will find recipes that use self raising flour. Or you could give it to someone who makes cakes, that is what it is mostly used for I think.

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    3. Katerina, thank you, I am not creative and can only use my life...

      ____

      River, yes, I just have to do some research, but isn´t this crazy??? He used to refer to self... oh, forget it... my life ;-)

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    4. It's amazing how many recipes specify not to use self-raising flour, especially if that's what I have in the house!

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  2. Nice story,
    when it started I was expecting something completely different,
    it's nice to be surprised!!

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    Replies
    1. Katerinas Blog; thank you. Now I am wondering what you expected.

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  3. Excellent. And I am glad to say that blogger is showing me your posts again.

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    Replies
    1. Elephant's Child; thank you and I am glad too.

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  4. Replies
    1. Dora; not with bullets though, just tranquiliser darts. No killing involved.

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  5. What a blessing he was rescued. It could all have been so much worse.

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    Replies
    1. jabblog; yes it could have been worse, glad it wasn't.

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  6. Oh, I'm happy that he was rescued. But this sure sounds like a somewhat shady family ;)

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    Replies
    1. Charlotte; not at all shady, just regular people. The dad used to be in the Army and his friends too, they keep in touch and help when needed.

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  7. Nice one River - you sure do it well.

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  8. When I was a lad, I would often lurk outside my girlfriend's house wearing my black and amber football shirt . There was a silver birch tree under her window and I would climb up it before reaching out for the drainpipe and then getting my right leg over the window ledge. Any noise would soon be spelling disaster for me as her father, Mr Bardot, was fiercely protective of her honour.

    Her bed linen was the colour of plain flour and there were swathes of buttercups in her wallpaper. At her bedside there was a light that had a shade with the design of a steam train printed upon it. Long after midnight, I would push open the mullion window once again after pulling back the signal green curtains.

    It was in September time that Brigitte fell pregnant and tragically I never saw her again because within a month her family had moved back to France.

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    Replies
    1. Yorkshire Pudding; I found you in spam. Good story, but I am surprised Brigitte's father didn't come after you for what you did.

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    2. Some father's here would insist on a wedding, immediately if not sooner. Good use of the words!

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  9. Oh no! My story appears to have disappeared. Is it in your spam box?

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  10. Got a story up...https://peppylady.blogspot.com/2024/06/today-is-friday-june-14-2024-this-is.html

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  11. Heh, heh, my favorite part is Kate "swearing like a wharfie" over her broken ankle. She might have been wishing SHE had been tranquilized instead.

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    Replies
    1. Val; I'm sure those listening to her wished it too.

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  12. First time here. Not sure I should post in the comments or link.I chose 100 words so I guess I will post here. A big thank you to Dora for turning me on to this site. Thanks .

    Baking a Cake - 100 words
    In the vicinity of the big birch hanging over a drainpipe at the train station, buttercups lurked in the diffused amber light of the foggy wet morning. Harold took a moment and looked out over the mullion of the sliding window next to his seat on the train. He was having trouble with his morning crossword. He turned to the only other passenger in that compartment.
    “Could you help me?”

    “I will if I can. What is it you want?”

    “Do you spell flower, F-L-O-W-E-R or F-L-O-U-R?”

    “Depends. Are you creating a flower arrangement or are you baking a cake?”

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MRMacrum; welcome to drifting. I like your story very much. Most people put their stories on the post that supplied the words, in this case Elephant's Chil, it changes each month. Posting here is also fine as others do the same.

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    2. Thank you River. I have a question and a comment.

      "Most people put their stories on the post that supplied the words, in this case Elephant's Chil" --- Elephant's Chil, what or where is that?

      And I apologize. I didn't comment on your effort. It flowed well. Was it part of a serial effort? If not, you might think about continuing it.

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    3. MRMacrum; when you read through my introduction there should be a link which takes you to Elephant's Child's blog. Blogger insists on "null" lately so click on that to go to her site. Or you can click on the Elephant's Child name on her comment and that will also take you there.
      This week's story is part two from the one I wrote last week, but I don't know if I will continue with it, it depends on where the next words take me.

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    4. Oops, the light blue link reads "here" not "null", sorry about that.

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  13. I do like their daring and successful rescue!

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    Replies
    1. messymimi; it went well I thought and without bullets there shouldn't have been any real injuries, but Kate tripped over her partner....

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