Weekly Short Stories Contest and Company! discussion
Brainstormin' Help
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Get to Know Your Character(Popcorn Served)
Me: Pass the popcorn.Chrissy: No way, you'll make 'Sea Food' again.
Me: *steals popcorn anyways* haha.
Chrissy: Jerk...
Me: *eats popcorn*
Ariana: You should slow down...
Me: 'Y? *chokes*
Ariana: That's why.
Me: Gee, thanks.
Chrissy: Shut up! This is interesting! I wanna see if that Sara girl can catch any mice!
Me:*yawns* I need a nap.Razia:Well, it'll have to wait. We need to fill out the audition form.
Me:What audition form? *grabs popcorn*
Razia:For the play, stupid. If we don't fill out the form, I can't audition. And stop eating, you'll get fat.
Me:*whispers* Anorexic wannabe.*In normal voice* Why do I need to help?
Razia:Beause if you don't, I'll tell your friends you can't ice skate.
Me:*scoffs*...I can totally ice skate...
That was pretty random...
Me: *laughs*Chrissy: What?
Me: Random comment
Chrisssy: You're mentally insane sometimes.
Me: *cackles* I know
Chrissy: *silent*
Me: OOH! Popcorn! *eats more popcorn*
Sara: (climbing stairs) ...Kyra?Kyra: Mm? Catch any mice yet?
Sara: Yes, actually. (sets cage down on bedside table)(a mouse is inside, cussing loudly) I had no idea mice had such dirty mouths.
Kyra: ...Let him go, Sara.
Sara: It took me a long time to get him like this.
Kyra: Just do it. What'll you do when you catch 'em all, anyways? It's just petty revenge.
Sara: (unlocking cage)(mouse inside scrambles away) You're right, but I'm still gonna get my "petty" revenge, you know. (pauses) After Al comes back.
Kyra: I'm worried sick, Sara.
Sara: Me, too. She shouldn't be gone this long.
Kyra: Should we look for her?
Sara: I would say yes, but she's more experienced than you are with the whole character-control thing. If something happened to her, then we'd better figure out a brilliant way to get her back before we try anything.
Kyra: I guess that means no work on the treasure then, huh?
Sara: Treasure?
Kyra: (blinking) Of course, I forgot. You have no idea. (explains the Captain Jack Rose Treasure Hunt mystery to Sara, or at least what little they know of it)
Sara: So, Al disappeared searching for this treasure.
Kyra: Yup.
Sara: I think our best plan of action, then, is to keep searching for what the treasure is and the story behind it. That's the best way to pinpoint where both Al and the treasure might be.
Kyra: Sounds good. Where's Nicky?
Sara: In the cellar, working on some new project of hers. Everyone's too afraid to go down there, even for rum.
Kyra: Go get her.
Sara: Okay, but you owe me. She doesn't like being interrupted.
Well, not even the people reading the posts have any idea where she is right now!!! Honestly, the suspense is killing me. XD
Chrissy: What do theyy mean by that?Mme: *sigh* They mean that we don't know what'ks going on hun.
Chrissy: *narrows eyes* How so?
Me: *shrugs* We don't know where Al went.
Chrissy: Isn't that the one that-
Me: SH! Don't spoil it!
Chrissy: Bu-
Me: QUIETE TU BOCA!
Chrissy: Was that Spanish?
Me: Sí....baka...
Chrissy: What did that other word mean?
Me: 'Sí' means yes smart one.
Chrissy: Not that one.
Me: Oh...baka? *cackles*
Chrissy: What does it mean?
Me: *falls back laughing* I...*gasp* watch...to much....*gasp*....Japanese Sonic X!
Chrissy: What?
Me: *continues to laugh and clap hands together retardedly*
Chrissy: *snatches phone and goes to Good Translate* YOU CALLED ME AN IDIOT IN JAPANESE!!!!???
Me: *stops laughing* Yep.
Chrissy: I...am going...to kill you!
Me: *runs*
LOL!!!Nikara: Sara, I'm going to kill you. You nearly startled me into welding a metal bar to my hand.
Sara: Shame that I didn't. (pushing door open) Kyra? I got her.
Nikara: Is this about Al, or the treasure?
Kyra: Both.
Nikara: (connecting the dots) Ah... I see.
Kyra: We don't have any leads but those pages, Nicky.
Nikara: On the contrary. Hand me that book, would you?
Kyra: (hands over Al's pirate book) Nicky, what's up?
Nikara: And a pencil. Gimme a pencil.
Sara: (grabs pencil and tosses it to Nikara)
Nikara: (catches pencil neatly and begins to lightly rub over the final page after the sixth torn-out page) The last page may have left indentations on this one when it was written on.
Sara: Genius, Nicky. Except so far, I don't see any... (trails off) What's that?
Kyra: (leaning over page) Is that... Frank's signature???
Nikara: Wait. (keeps rubbing page) Oh... it's the end of a note to Al. He got her this book.
Sara: (face falling) Oh. (hopeful spark in eyes) Could it be a code of some sort?
Kyra: Maybe. After all, Al did rip out these pages. No sense in doing that unless those pages had something valuable written on them.
Nikara: Or, maybe she wanted Frank's love letter hidden from the prying eyes of three teenage girls who decided to steal her book for the heck of it.
Kyra: It's a possibility.
Nikara: A probability, more like.
Sara: Forget it. Let's try and crack this code!
Nikara: Sara, there may not be a code to crack.
Sara: Whatever. We've gotta try. Even without the other five pages, there could be something valuable on this page.
Kyra: Sara's right. Let's lust try it.
Nikara: ...Fine. Where do we start?
Chrissy: YOU CALLED ME A FRIKIN' IDIOT IN ANOTHER LANNGUAGE!!!Julian: Woah, calm down...even I don't get this mad.
Chrissy: *chucks fireball* BURN!
Me: EEP! *comes back with hair on fire* MY HAIR'S ON FIRE....AGAIN!!!!!!
Chrissy: Revenge!
Me: When did I make you revengeful!?
Chrissy: *shrugs* Guess I'm making my own choices now.
Me: I...am....screwed.
Chrissy: *chuckles wickedly* Wanna help me Julian? She is the one that got your family killed.
Me: G-guys, if y-you kill me...you'll cease to exist!
Chrissy: Oh....right....dangit.
Me: *sweatdrop* few....
Chrissy: You're lucky.
Me: No I'm Kayla
Chrissy: You're what?
Me: No, I'm Kayla.
Chrissy: You've got to be joking.
Me: No, for the umpteenth time, I'm Kayla.
Chrissy: *facepalm*
OMG! You guys have been very busy with the popcorn. Super crazy weekend, and so my writing has amounted to just about diddly — and I don't mean Bo. I started something, but it won't get done now for a few days at the earliest. And I managed to write a three line poem. LoL.
Me: I liked the popcorn *smiles*Chrissy: I liked it...until I saw 'Sea Food'
Me: *bursts out laughing* I....AM....AWESOME!
Chrissy: Jerk
Nikara: Guys. We've been at it for hours. It's just a regular old letter.Sara: You know who we need?
Kyra: Frank?
Sara: Precisely.
Nikara: Only one problem. He disappeared before Al.
Kyra: Well, what else are we supposed to do other than try and figure out the code, then?
Nikara: Kyra! THERE IS NO CODE.
Sara: I thought you were an optimist.
Nikara: I usually am. But right now I'm sleep deprived. It's nearly midnight, you guys.
Kyra: Fine. We'll continue work on this tomorrow. Good night everyone.
Sara: G'night... (takes book) Huh. Smells odd.
Nikara: Odd? How?
Sara: Like Al's perfume. But with lemons.
Kyra: Lemons?
Nikara: Gimme that. (grabs book back) I need a candle.
Sara: (opening drawer) Here you are.
Kyra: Careful, guys. The rest of the crew's asleep just down the hall.
Nikara: Thanks. (lights candle) There... see those odd rusty-looking splotches?
Sara: Lemon juice writing? That's clever.
Nikara: Not on the page we're inspecting, though. On the actual page, wherever it's gone. Frank must've written the letter as a cover-up, then written in lemon juice on the back.
Kyra: (catching on) But the lemon juice rubbed onto this page.
Nikara: Exactly.
Sara: Well, come on, then. What's it say?
Nikara: I can't see it so well. The graphite from the pencil's covering up a lot of it.
(footsteps echo down the hall)(faint voices are also in the hallway)
Sara: (listening)(whispering) ...M, I think. And maybe Cheyenne. Cheyenne's thirsty and M wants to read, so they're heading upstairs.
Nikara: (also whispering) Better get back to bed, then.
Kyra: Agreed. We'll figure this page out tomorrow. Meeting dismissed.
Nikara: No need to get official about it.
Chrissy: *yawns* shouldn't we go to bed?Me: C'mon it's only 11:30
Chrissy: *flls asleep*
Me: Now I am alone *sigh*
Night! I'm getting ready for bed too. That blessed/cursed work thing showing up again. All the best to you getting rid of that cold. See you tomorrow.
Sara: Okay. We've waited long enough. What's the lemon juice writing say?Nikara: Hang on. (rubs eraser lightly over graphite) Now gimme that old candle. (takes candle) Here it is...
"My dear Annabelle, I hope these pages have helped you somewhat on your journey. I'm regretful that I will not see again you if you are reading these words, but at least you may finally obtain what it is you seek that brought us together all those years ago. Midway through your journey, you will find the Giden's Inn. They will offer you any hospitality you may need, as well as the other items I have left for you. However, they will ask for payment.
The treasure. In full. You must not give it to them, my dear, if ever you wish to fulfill your dreams.
I'm sorry I could not return to make the journey with you. I love you, as I always have.
Yours truly, Jack."
(silence)
Sara: Jack. Jack who?
Kyra: (whispering) Captain Jack Rose.
Nikara: ...Wow.Kyra: Mm-hm.
Nikara: Wow.
Sara: Oh my God. Frank didn't write that, did he???
Nikara: No. And come to think of it... this isn't really Frank's handwriting. It's close, though.
Sara: You're right. It's Al's.
Kyra: So. Al wrote over the lemon juice papers to hide the message from... from... (pause) Wow.
Kyra: Has anyone ever heard of Gidden's Inn?
Nikara: No. But it shouldn't be hard to track down.
Sara: Rightio, Nicky. Off we go, mateys!!! TO THE TREASURE!!!
Kyra: She doesn't seem so concerned for Al all of a sudden.
Nikara: Not at all, actually.
LOL!!!!!!!(cracking up)
So, how was your date???
Okay. Spill the beans. What exactly constitutes good?
Alex (Al) wrote: "It was good! I wasn't very talkative though...but I'm so shy in person. He's great though. Really sweet."Al, how wonderful!!!! Sounds like a great date. XD So, you going to see him again or what?
M wrote: "I’m headed over there."I ditto that.
Sounds like an interesting guy. Unlike the guys at school... well, I guess some of 'em are interesting, but I'd never date anyone 'till at LEAST college.Ugh. This is the only time I've EVER gossiped about a guy before. Al, it amazes me you got me to say all that.
Alex (Al) wrote: "Erica: (She paces back and forth in front of Charlie who is sitting on a chair in the captain’s quarters in the Red Voyage. She is silently thinking, wrapping her dark hair around her index finger...."(clapping) Another brilliant installment!!! Ericia'd better spill about the treasure, though, cuz I'm fresh out of original ideas... XD JK, JK...
YYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Woot-woot!!!!!!!!!Sorry. I know this seems like overkill, but I do like the character conversations on this group. XD
Me: Okay, we finished your stupid form. Can I go now?Razia: No, we have to run it by my mom.
Me: Are you KIDDING me? Your mom is a monster!
Razia: Thank's so much.
Me: Hey, you hate me, I hate your mom. *scoops popcorn into mouth* Tis isth weally good.
Razia: Gross...
Me: Nooo, isth GOOD. You thould twry.
Razia: Uhh, no.
Me: *swallows* Anyway, I will not help you with your homework.
Razia: What?
Me: Wait, what were we talking about?
Sure... or the next day... XD Sorry, Cap'n, but I have to give you grief. It's my duty, as a part of the crew on this ship, to try to annoy you. LOL.
Poor Al. Poor, poor Al. Am not feeling much sympathy for Frank or Charlie rich now, which should be worrisome, but the Cap'n is my weekly honeycomb source, so... XD JK, JK. You know I'm kidding.
Nikara: I've located Gidden's Inn.Sara: Ssh. (glancing around)(whispering) Go get Kyra and meet me in the cellar. No one else'll dare search for us down below, not while you've set up shop in there.
Nikara: Hmph. I thought you might say that, and so I did get her. She's already down thee waiting for us.
(leads Sara down to cellar. There's an odd contraption resembling a metal hot-air-balloon basket that was torn in half and layered with glass)
Kyra: What is this, Nicky?
Nikara: Just a side project. A deep-sea vehicle. o far I've only been able to start on the cockpit, though.
Sara: Sure doesn't look like one.
Nikara: Because no one's invented one like this before. Media all uses the same technological stereotypes to animate their futuristic devices, and therefore, everyone has a set picture in their mind of an object that has not yet been invented, whether or not that picture matches the physical components of the craft.
Sara: Uh-huh. I understood maybe fifty percent of that.
Kyra: Nicky, where's the inn?
Nikara: In what used to be a small town near Springfield, Massachusetts. Back in Ye Olde Pioneer days.
Sara: They had pirates way back then???
Nikara: Not relevant, Sara. My point is, the town's gone. Everyone left to live in Springfield. But the inn's still there. Not much business, though... just the occasional nomad. They're tearing it down in six months, so we don't have much time.
Kyra: We're all the way in Europe. Can't we just, you know, catch a plane or something???
Sara: Sure, if you can afford it.
Kyra: Fair enough. Al isn't due to pay us for another three months. I guess we could wait 'till then, but our paycheck may not be big enough.
Nikara: We might make it, if we leave now. Al's ship is faster than most of 'em, and there's chance we can afford train tickets to Springfield.
Sara: But this is Al's ship. The rest of the crew's just going to sit here and wait for her unless we do something.
Kyra: ...We could... you know...
Nikara: (seeing where this is going) Perhaps.
Sara: What? What are you guys muttering about?
Kyra: We could... um... smuggle ourselves aboard another ship...
Sara: (staring) Are you mental?!! We'd get in soooo much trouble!!!
Nikara: Sara, I realize this may not be our most brilliant idea, but-
Sara: I LOVE it! Let's do it!!!
Kyra: (hiding a smile) We'll need provisions and supplies.
Nikara: Or we could just wait for me to finish the deep-sea vehicle.
Kyra: And how long will that take?
Nikara: Maybe around... oh, I don't know... four months?
Sara: (snorting) I'll see to the supplies.
Mouse #14: (Sniffing around the sink drain.) Rita, why does M have the Harry Potter books in French?Mouse #12: (Nibbling a peanut.) Loretta overheard him telling someone that they’re better in French than in English.
Mouse #14: But the only word of French he knows is bonjour. (Gives Rita a funny look.)
(The mice roll with laughter.)
LOL!!! You own all the French Harry Potter books???
The last book is the best. By far. I don't think any of the others even scratched the surface for me. Then again, it's been nearly five years since I read 'em, so my memory may not be all that reliable.
(rolls eyes) M, if you can't see that you are funny, then you are at the very least delusional.
I’m probably delusional. It’s the only thing that explains why I thought I could pick up French by reading Harry Potter.
Sara: I have a month's worth of food, a barrel of fresh water, a select few books for entertainment, stationary, nearly twenty thousand dollars, rope-Nikara: We can't last a month on only one barrel of water!
Kyra: Sure we can.
Nikara: I don't want to risk it. If something happens to out barrel, we'll be a lot worse off than if we brought more.
Sara: We're risking a lot getting it on the ship in the first place. We're going to have to be discreet in smuggling all these supplies on board.
Kyra: What food are we bringing?
Sara: Thirty-two loaves of bread, fourteen wheels of cheese, at least fifty pounds of meat-
Nikara: That's an awful lot to smuggle aboard, too. Can't we cut it down and then steal from the pantry on whatever ship we're taking?
Sara: Could you PLEASE stop interrupting me?
Kyra: Give her a break, Sara. Nicky, we can't risk anything. If we get caught, who knows what they'll do to us?
Sara: This whole plan is ill-advised in the first place.
Nikara: I don't recall you objecting.
Sara: Forget it. Nikara, I saved a sack for any little gizmos that might come in handy. I'm letting you take care of that, as the technical expert.
Nikara: (snatching bag) I might have a couple things in mind. Kyra, which ship are we taking?
Kyra: I found one called The Jillian
Sara: Sounds a little wishy-washy.
Kyra: Well, how many people are likely to kill us on a ship called The Jillian?
Nikara: Never judge a book by its cover. If I were an assassin or a murderer, or some other kind of villain, I'd name my ship something vague and weak. It's the ships with the scary-sounding names you don't need to worry about.
Kyra: Oh, so you'd rather ride on The Dark Blood?
Sara: Jillian it is. Although I think the crew on the Blood were a little desperate for a name. It's too dramatic.
Sara: (whispering) My bum's going numb.Nikara: (also whispering) Give it a second.
Sara: That's what you said an hour ago. Well, we've been behind this crate for three hours, Nicky, and no one's moved yet.
Kyra: There!!! (points out crew member) They moved.
Nikara: Last chance to back out, folks.
Sara: In your dreams.
Nikara: Then run, now.
(trio sprints across to ship. Nikara grabs pack of food, Sara rolls barrel of water, and Kyra hoists sack of extras across shoulder)
Nikara: (hissing) Careful with the barrel, Sara.
Sara: I'm trying to be!
Kyra: Sara, faster!
Sara: Make up your minds, people! Careful, or fast?!
Nikara: (daring onto ship) Let's go to the cellar.
Kyra: Sounds good, long as it's big enough for us to hide when someone goes down for rum.
Sara: Let's set up in the cargo hold. Plenty of crates to steal from, cover, and it's probably big enough for all of us.
Kyra: Done deal. Nikara, we're setting up in the cargo hold.
Nikara: Good. Let's go. (darts downstairs)
(Sara and Nikara follow)
I agree! Buxton needs to be included more!
Lol! By the way, that first bit with Frank made me die. ;D
LoL! A great smile on my face before dozing off. TY.
Al, how delightful!!!! I'd forgotten about this thread up until now. Took me a little while to catch up, but I'm back now. Now, where's this next installment?
Nikara: (sniffing at crate) Gunpowder, I'm guessing.Sara: Idiots. They're keeping gunpowder all the way down here? They can't get gunpowder from here to the cannons before any enemy ships blow a hole in their deck.
Kyra: Maybe it's extra? They could already have some above deck.
Nikara: Still. I think it's a bad idea to keep gunpowder with all the provisions and supplies.
Sara: These guys are extremely stupid, then. This should be a breeze.
Kyra: Keep your voice down, Sara.
Nikara: She's right, If those dunderheads catch us, that'll just be a new all-time low.
Kyra: Don't base your whole outline on first impressions, Nicky. Have we left port yet?
Sara: (focusing) I think so. But your prohibitions on magic are making it kind of hard to tell. Can't you lift them just a smidge?
Kyra: Negative. If any of your brethren sense us on board, we're dead. They'll assume you're prisoner.
Nikara: Well, what about me? I could come in handy, and hugons aren't likely to bust open a pirate ship.
Kyra: That's just caution. You only just developed your powers. I don't want any mishaps.
Sara: (sighing) Fine. I miss water, though. Even being on a pirate ship is hard for me.
Kyra: I'm sorry. I just don't want to risk a naiad attack. We aren't all part mermaid, you know. Nicky and I wouldn't be able to breathe underwater if the ship goes down.
Sara: (groaning) Please don't mention the mermaid bit. It ruins my tomboy image.
Nikara: And you're also part faerie.
Sara: You two are simply here to make my life miserable, aren't you?
Kyra: Ssh! Voices above.
(silence as footsteps pass overhead)
Sara: (whispering) That was close.
Voice behind her: What was close?
I’m not sure why, but I have a funny, bad feeling somebody is going to blow something up.
LOL!!! Yes, you're getting to know me rather well, then. XD Where's Al? She hasn't been on much.
I think she went on vacation for a few days, but she’s back.
Nikara: Hey, Kyra. You get my parts?
Kyra: (pointing to bag on floor)
Nikara: Sweet!!! (scooping up bag) Mr. Green gave you everything?
Kyra: Yeah. For free, too. He said thanks for the blueprint.
Nikara: It was nothing. Just a little whimsy I dreamt up about three months ago. I could never afford enough scrap to build it, though.
Kyra: Sounds expensive.
Nikara: It would be. What did the book say?
Kyra: (frowning) There was only one copy, and someone had gotten it almost two hours ago.
Nikara: Dude. That sucks.
Kyra: Yeah.... and the weird thing is, those six pages that were ripped out? They're blank. Nothing was printed on them.
Nikara: No. But something could've been written on them.
Kyra: (staring at Nikara in shock) Huh?
Nikara: They probably had some kind of writing on them. Notes, maybe. Or a message. Maybe even a map.
Kyra: So someone took them out. Al?
Nikara: If it was Al, those pages are long gone. She probably destroyed them. That's what I do with my notes. I jot down everything as it comes to me, memorize it all at once, and burn the paper. I only keep things I'm not sure I can remember every detail of, like blueprints.
Kyra: But there's still a chance, Nikara!!! Get Sara, we need to find those pages.
Nikara: Kyra, it's a long shot at best. Let's try and find another lead, and then, if that fails, then we'll try to find the papers. Okay?
Kyra: (sighing) Fine. I'll try.
Nikara: Atta girl. Sara almost caught one.
Kyra: Really? What happened?
Nikara: She got one into a cage for a while before she turned around for one second and its friends opened the cage.
Kyra: Those are some smart mice.
Nikara: Extremely.