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Saturday 3 May 2008

Saturday Wordzzle #11




The idea is, every week Raven (View From A Raven's Nest) gives you between 8 and 10 words/phrases and you have to create a small but coherent paragraph using every one of them and the same with the mini challenge. You can do either or both it's up to you, and you can post them on your blog or email them to Raven.


This Week's Ten Word Challenge is: cranberry sauce, amber, laundry list, coffin, morning glory, shalom, mystery, sparrow hawk, pumpernickel, stained glass


Amber lay back on the grass watching the sparrow hawk circling above. She was waiting for Ricky to arrive, they’d arranged to meet for a picnic lunch in the park and she’d prepared all his favourites; pumpernickel, a selection of cheeses, pickles and cranberry sauce. She loved Ricky but she hated his job as an undertaker, she didn’t want to have to think about a coffin let alone listen to him talk about them non stop. He insisted on telling her about his work but even the mention of the stained glass in the little chapel of rest gave her the shudders. She remembered once he told her about a bit of a mystery with one of his clients. Apparently some old dear in the chapel of rest had quite a few visitors and when he’d gone to put her back in the freezer he found an old laundry list shoved in the coffin with “Shalom” written on the back and a bunch of morning glory. He didn’t like to ask the relatives about it, so he just left them in there and let the old dear be buried with them. Anyway enough of that, where was Ricky? She hoped he didn’t turn up in the hearse again, there was no way he was giving her a lift back to work in that, the girls in the office were still taking the mickey out of her after the last time.

And for the Mini Challenge: margarita, gum wrapper, spring fever, Darfur, lace

Darfur dropped the gum-wrapper into the ashtray as he sat watching the girl weave between the tables. His eyes were hidden behind dark glasses, so Margarita was unaware he was watching her. Her lace shawl slipped off her shoulders onto the floor, exposing the coffee coloured skin rich and creamy. Darfur breathed deeply taking in her scent as she bent close to him to retrieve the shawl. He left the restaurant quickly, pushing the lurid thoughts from his mind, “it’s just spring fever” he thought “I’ll go take a cold shower!”

Megawordzzle

Ted contemplated the laundry list as he sat eating his lunch of pumpernickel and cheese. He made a mental note to get the housekeeper to change the flowers on the reception desk, what had possessed her to put morning glory in a vase he couldn’t imagine but they weren’t staying that was for sure, he could only imagine she was suffering from spring fever. Just as he was finishing his lunch the telephone rang, he couldn’t make any sense of what the woman was saying on the other end of the line, apart from “come quickly room 209”. Locking the office door he took the lift to the second floor and knocked on the door of 209. A dark skinned woman opened the door “Shalom” she whispered before ushering him into the room, which was quite dark apart from the amber light shining through the stained glass window. She wore a black lace mantilla, dark glasses and her nose reminded him of a sparrow hawk’s beak. Bending to pick up an empty gum wrapper from the floor Ted almost fainted when he spotted what appeared to be a coffin in the corner. Fighting the urge to run, Ted politely asked the woman how he could help. “I need to get to Darfur, urgently, “can you help me with the arrangements please?” said the woman as she delicately sipped a margarita. Ted noticed the remnants of the turkey and cranberry sauce sandwich she’d had sent up earlier. “Of course madam, just give me all your details and I’ll get onto the airline straight away” he soothed. Taking his leave Ted made his way back down to the office, where he spent the next hour organising a flight and accommodation for the mystery woman in room 209. He managed to get her on a flight that evening and when he rang to tell her she was most grateful, saying she had packed her belongings and would he send up a porter for her luggage. When she came to reception to check out Ted was relieved to see the luggage included a large trunk, ah, it wasn’t a coffin at all thankfully. Taking her leave she thanked Ted for all his help saying she would recommend the hotel and left a large tip. Just another day at the factory, thought Ted, well that was until he got the frantic phone call from the chambermaid who’d found a coffin in room 209!


22 comments:

Lo Kelween said...

dating a boy who keeps mentioning about coffin is really unromantic! LOL :)

maryt/theteach said...

Akelamalu, Love the first story the best! What does "taking the mickey out of her" mean? Your stories are all so easy to read and enjoyable!

Richard said...

i enjoyed your megawordzzle and the double twist at the end.

Rich

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

wow, great going my friend!

smiles, bee
xoxoxoxoxooxoxo

Raven said...

Another good series. I can't decide which one I liked best. I thought they were all so incredibly clever. I did love that twist at the end of the third one, but dating an undertaker was such a clever way to get the coffin in....

Flowerpot said...

well done Ak. I couldnt' begin to get my head round that sort of thing!

Akelamalu said...

It is definitely unromantic Elween!

Taking the mickey means to tease or mock someone Teach. Glad you enjoyed the stories.

Thanks Rich :)

Aw thankyou Bee x

Mmmm coffin isn't an easy word to drop into a conversation Raven ;)

Oh Flowerpot I've read your stuff you could do it no probs!

Raven said...

Ok... you are now officially tagged for a meme called GETTING TO KNOW YOU.

storyteller said...

Another wonderful Wordzzle post!!! I just don’t know how you DO this (especially with all 3 challenges)… but I suppose it’s kind of like me and Haiku somehow. Enjoyed your Friday 55 Flash Fiction too ;--)
Hugs and blessings,

Dianne said...

I love the "the little chapel of rest" - that's perfect.

and you are absolutely the Queen of plot twists and turns.

Diana Joy said...

Good job! I just couldn't get all those words in.....:p
Thanks so much for always coming by :)
It makes my day when I see you've stopped in!!
YES! I am so glad the book is done! Now I just pray it heals many...just as it has helped me heal writing it!
Love,
Diana Joy

Jay said...

I love the phrase "taking the mickey" I'm going to have to use that one myself sometime.

Great stories as usual.

david mcmahon said...

Enjoyed this, Pearl and I loved your choice of images with the Flash Fiction post.

Betty said...

Very entertaining. I love a story with a twist.

Donnetta said...

Nice job! You've done it again. Like the twist!
Donnetta

Travis Cody said...

Nicely done as always!

Pam said...

how do you manage to come up with these great stories so easily? do you know how hard it is for me just to do the 55s? lol love your writing...as usual xo

Akelamalu said...

OK Raven, I'll be over shortly to take a look.

I couldn't do Haiku Storyteller. Hell I don't even understand the basics of it!

Thanks Dianne, so glad you enjoyed them.

I'm so happy for you Diana Joy, finally getting your book out. x

Oh cheers Jay, glad you liked it.

Thanks David - thank goodness for google images!

I love a twist too Betty, as you've probably realised. ;)

You're very kind Donnetta x

Aw thanks Trav x

Dad always said I have a very vivid imagination Ciara, I suppose he's right! ;)

G-Man said...

You guys are wayyy too talented over here...
Ake, your writing is always superb...Thanks.G
xox

Akelamalu said...

Gee thanks g-man. x

Jo Beaufoix said...

That was so cool. You always make such a good job of these.

Akelamalu said...

Aw thanks Jo xx