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Saturday 17 January 2009

Saturday Wordzzle # 46





The idea is, every week Raven (View From 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, both or a megawordzzle using all the words, or even all three, it's up to you, you can post them on your blog or email them to Raven. If you join in go to Raven's and put your name on the Mr. Linky so other participants can come visit you.


No doodles this week, short on time.


This Week's Ten Word Challenge is: tuna on rye, ghost hunters, I'm as corny as Kansas in August, sympathetic ear, science fiction, muffler, cavernous, giraffes, prospecting, paraphernalia


The shop had a small window, which was deceptive because inside it was cavernous. It was the type of shop that sold all sorts of paraphernalia - books on science fiction, ghost hunters and prospecting; they sold mufflers, crystals and jokes; there were even a couple of wooden life-size giraffes! Dotty loved working there, she got to meet so many different people and they liked her because she had a sympathetic ear. Tapping her foot to the music that was resounding through the shop, she sang along in-between bites of her favourite lunch - tuna on rye.     “I’m as corny as Kansas in August” she trilled happily



Mini Challenge: Key Lime Pie, porcupine, Library of Congress, fingernails, spell-bound


Porcupine, the lead singer in the group ‘Library of Congress’, pointed one black painted fingernail at his spell-bound audience.
“We’re now gonna do our latest single “Key Lime Pie” so start clappin’!”


Megawordzzle


Tina was taking a holiday from her job at the Library of Congress. She didn’t mind holidaying alone, she always managed to get talking to someone so was never short of company. Eating her lunchtime sandwich of tuna on rye followed by key lime pie one day on the beach, she was spell-bound watching a young man with a metal detector. Finishing her sandwich her curiosity got the better of her and she strolled over to him.

“Hi, any luck?” she asked.
“Not yet but I live in hope. I’m Jake by the way.”
“Tina, pleased to meet you” she replied offering him her hand.

They struck up an easy conversation, Jake told her besides prospecting he loved science fiction and ghost hunting. “I’m as corny as Kansas in August” he said with no trace of embarrassment.


Tina laughed, “Me too, I collect paraphernalia, mostly anything to do with giraffes is my passion” she explained.

Jake explained how the metal detector worked and let her have a go. Tina was thrilled when, within a few minutes, the detector buzzed and after digging only a few inches down she unearthed some coins and a ring. She was so enthusiastic that Jake promised to take her to buy her own detector.

“I’ll have to get some gloves for digging as well, don’t want to ruin my fingernails!” said Tina.


Jake and Tina spent the next three days together on the beach though they didn’t find anything of value. Tina could sometimes be as prickly as a porcupine but she also had a sympathetic ear and listened intently as Jake told her about how he was alone now. He’d been engaged but they had split up when they had gone on safari in Africa, apparently she had taken a fancy to the big game hunter they’d met and decided not to return home with Jake. Jake was obviously upset, Tina had a cavernous capacity for caring so she was totally sympathetic. Jake told Tina he was going on a trip for a couple of days further up the coast, he’d found some ruins in a forest and had discovered some old coins last time he’s been there. “You can come along if you like” he told her.


As she still had over a week left of her two week holiday Tina was happy to take up Jake’s invitation. He arranged to pick her up at her hotel the following morning,
“It’s only a two hour drive” he said.
The scenery changed as they travelled inland and before she had time to realise they were in a thick wooded area. Luckily Jake had warned her to bring walking boots and clothes suitable for trekking as he explained they would have about an hour’s walk once they left the car.


Reaching into the boot of the car Tina was bemused to see him pull out a rifle along with a backpack.


“There’s been reports of wolves here, don’t want to take any chances do we?” he said as he passed Tina the detector and a water bottle to carry.


The going was quite rough but Tina didn’t mind the exercise and Jake seemed to know his way without the aid of a map. As Jake had promised they reached a clearing after just under an hour’s trek and Tina sat on one of the boulders to get her breath back.


Hearing a click, Tina looked up to see Jake fitting a muffler to the gun.


“Got your breath back?” he asked then levelled the gun at her.


“Jake that’s dangerous, you shouldn’t point guns at people” Tina admonished.


“I forgot to tell you about my other little hobby Tina.   I like hunting – humans – start running!”

23 comments:

Dr.John said...

Wow! Three great stories but the last one out of this world. Never saw the ending coming. Great writing.
For some reason Linksky isn't working today .

Gledwood said...

what does "on rye" mean..?

hey I'm 2nd butterfly~haha!

ps thanks for all those that time... wow!!

bettygram said...

I thought that I was reading about a love story and it was a murder.
I liked Dotty's shop.

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

well i certainly hope tina does not ruin her fingernails. i know what THAT is like myself! ha ha

smiles, bee
xxoxoxxoxoxoxoxo

Melli said...

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh you are BAD!!! Bad bad BAD!!! How could you DO that to her? LOL! I'm just jealous! You take the most confounding words and EVERY WEEK write stories that just sound sooooo every day normal... HOW do you DO it!? GREAT JOB!

Linda said...

You really are an excellent writer, m'dear! I can't believe you aren't published someplace other than on this blog!

Of course, now you have me singing "I'm as corny as Kansas" but that's okay, I liked South Pacific!

Julia Phillips Smith said...

Akelamalu - you'd better seriously think about working some of these at least into short story form and start the whole painful submission process. This last one rocked. Like a boulder, baby.

Akelamalu said...

Well thankyou Dr. John, I'm so pleased you liked them. I couldn't even see Mr. Link when I went over to Raven's :(

Rye bread Gleds and you are so welcome to the butterflies m'deario. xx

Dotty's shop is the sort of shop I love Bettygram. The last one did start out as a love story but my evil mind took over! ;0

Don't you just hate it when that happens Bee!


I think I channel some writer with a twisted mind Melli! LOL

I've been singing it since I got the words Linda. Thanks for the compliment m'dear. xx

Ah Julia I am definitely not disciplined enough to write anything longer than a 55 or a wordzzle. Maybe when I retire I might think about it, but thankyoufor the compliment honey. xx

lettuce said...

ha! she should certainly have been more cautious


paraphernalia is a good word

Finding Pam said...

Wow! You really scared me with that last story. I started running with her. Really good writing. You have such a dark side? Mmmmmmm...

Thanks for stopping by and commenting in my corner of the world. Have a great weekend.

Mike Golch said...

I hope that you are having a great weekend!

tony said...

Library of Congress Are A Bloody Great Band! :)

Cloudia said...

you really have talent. so witty and creatuve, truly! Aloha, Ake

Akelamalu said...

Paraphernalia is a great word Lettie - it just rolls of the tongue. :)

Yes my dark side sometimes takes over when I'm writing Pam. Sorry I scared you honey. :)

I am Mike thanks, I hope you are too. :)

Is there a real band with that name Tony? :0

Aw thankyou Cloudia xx

Deb said...

Hi Ake ~ The whole time I was reading my gut kept thinking 'Don't go with him, Tina!' Creepy Jake! Amazing how you create strong characters using few words. Enjoyed my visit as usual.

Chris said...

Yikes! Brilliant!

Donnetta said...

Oh,you weave such stories with these words! Good imagination and ability to build a tale. True story teller. Nice work, "A". D

Akelamalu said...

You're very perceptive Deb, she should have listened to you! ;)

Well thankyou Chris and thanks for visiting, nice to meet you. :)

Thanks Donnetta,glad you enjoyed it. :)

Dianne said...

I'd love a job at the cavernous shop! Sounds like fun :)

david mcmahon said...

You always do a great job knitting these themes together!

Akelamalu said...

I would too Dianne I love those types of shop. :)

Why thank you David, coming from you that is praise indeed. x

Raven said...

Eewwww... that last one was scary. I was all set for romance! Brilliant, though. I thought the mini was incredibly clever. I'm kind of grateful I didn't have to try and do these words. They were tough. I'll try to pop back and read your Portrait of Words. Right now, just trying to catch up on Wordzzles. So glad everyone played in spite of my computer woes.

storyteller said...

I enjoyed all three even w/o the doodles, but I can't help but wonder about those life-sized giraffes. Methinks Tina and I have a lot in common when it comes to those graceful long-necked beauties.
Hugs and blessings,