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Saturday 27 June 2009

Saturday Wordzzle # 69


The idea is, every week Raven (Views 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.




Here's my efforts, complete with my doodles.



This Week's Ten Word Challenge is: Chorus line, clam chowder, apples, jack-in-the-box, puddles, Iran, quarry, housekeeping, speed, letter




Iran Mendelsholme had just enjoyed a dish of clam chowder at ‘The Jack In The Box’ diner when he noticed a young woman speed jumping over puddles in the road, which he thought resembled a quarry because of all the pot holes. He opened his briefcase and took out the letters he had received responding to his advertisement. He had decided to hold the interviews here in the diner and suspected that the young woman was one of the applicants. She looked like a chorus line girl he thought but one shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover he admonished himself, he wouldn’t prejudge her.

Entering the diner the young woman looked around then walked over to Iran and introduced herself “Mr Mendelsholme? I’m Becky Apples, I’m here about the housekeeping job” she said, thrusting out a hand. He liked Becky straight away, much prettier than his last housekeeper, who was now buried in the cellar of his house.




For the mini challenge: motorcycle, grandiose, summer, flying off the handle, blue jays






Mike was the leader of the ‘Blue Jaysmotorcycle gang. One minute he was making grandiose gestures like buying them all new leathers the next he was flying off the handle about something and nothing but one thing was sure he made their summer fun and exciting with his madcap ways.


Megawordzzle


Carol ‘Blue’ Jays was flying off the handle in her usual grandiose way, so full of her own self importance like she was the star of the show instead of a member of the chorus line. She shared a house with Tania and Anita who had asked her, politely, if she wouldn’t mind tidying up her things. Carol informed them she didn’t ‘do housekeeping’ as she flounced out.

Tania and Anita found Carol infuriating they were forever picking up after her but the three had been friends since University and had a lot of fun together. It was they who had christened Carol ‘Blue’ because of her surname. Carol was a bit of a mystery, they never knew where she’d be or what she did, she was very vague about where she got all her money but they had their suspicions. They’d tried to pump her for information but she wouldn’t tell them anything, she would just touch the side of her nose and say “That’s for me to know”.

Carol was like a jack-in-the-box, up one minute, down the next, the girls never really knew where they were up to with her, which was really annoying but she was a great cook, her clam chowder was to die for. “There’s apples in it” Carol informed them when they asked how she made it, “it’s an old family recipe”.

A letter arrived and Carol packed her suitcase. “I’m off for the summer” she told them “expect me when you see me and take care of Puddles”, meaning her cat.

They didn’t hear from her again. Six weeks later her parents came to collect her belongings and told them she had been found dead in a quarry in Iran with a motorcycle next to her. They didn’t have an explanation except the police thought she had been travelling at speed on the bike and careered off the road.

Some months later the girls were moving out of the house and found a photograph that had slipped down the back of one of drawers that Carol had used in the bedroom. The photograph was of Carol and a good looking, dark skinned man and there was some writing on the back which said

“Here’s to the next mission!”

“Whatever could it mean? Who was the man? What had really happened to Carol?” the girls asked each other.

Now’s your chance to finish the story – what are your answers to these questions?

28 comments:

Batteson.Ind said...

lol.. Love the story of the housekeeper... :-) You can't beat the smugness of a killer!.. cheers for sharing!

clean and crazy said...

i am glad you didn't do what the dragons do, they used those 23 words in their 55, amazing how you guys are clever enough to pull it off.

Dr.John said...

I loved all three stories.
The first one had your usual surprise ending and leaves you scared for the new housekeeper.
The second one is just plain cutre.
The third one is different. So here is my ending.
Charlie Facwet closed the file at the CIA headquarters and turned to his partner.
"We never should have sent her to Iran. She just wasn't ready.

Nessa said...

Oh, a serial killer and a spy. Maybe Carol was going on a mission as a spy in Mendelsholme's house because she knew he was a serial killer but he discovered her plot and killed her.

Maude Lynn said...

I love the first one!

Fandango said...

We dragons see another grave in the near future and a search for a new housekeeper. Good ending to the first story.
Here is our ending to the last story
Gertrude and Helmer were flying back from Iran.The two dragons had deposited the motorcycle and Carol as she instructed. They told her it was not a good idea but she insisted. Now she was dead.
"She wouldn't be Gert , if you hadn't let go of her and the motorcycle too soon." said Helmer

bettygram said...

Carol had found a message from Iran on her E Mail. The message was from the dark skinned man telling her of how he was aiding those wanting freedom. He talked Carol into joining him. Carol used a rented motorcycle to travel in Iran but lacked the skill to travel their roads.

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness...I just loved the first one. Becky better had watch out...clever ending as usual. All three were great :)

Reston Friends! said...

Love the delicious shivers at the end of the first one! Nice little bite-sized piece of the mini and the maxi...hmm...my ending is that the dark haired man was her half-brother who unbeknownst to her had been left behind by her father on a trip to pre-Shah Iran. Nursing hatred of his father who abandoned him and his mother for the pretty girl in the U.S., he located her, courted her, lured her to Iran and then had her killed. Now Carol's younger sister had better watch HER step.

Finding Pam said...

Interactive writing employing the use of the commenters. Just brilliant writing and I enjoyed all the stories.

I can't add anything better than what has been added. Great Wordzzle.

Finding Pam said...
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Finding Pam said...
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Raven said...

Brilliant as always and as always I love your twisted endings. First one was so clever. Last one feels like the start of a longer story. We both had motorcycle gangs called the Blue Jays. Great minds.

tony said...

Did The Bloke In The Photo look anything Like Bin Laden?

Cloudia said...

You clever girl!

Aloha

Comfort Spiral

Dianne said...

I love the first one too!! Poor Becky

I think the man is a freedom fighter and Carol went to Iran to help and well ...

Travis Cody said...

The first one made me gasp out loud!

bindhiya said...

Wow! as always great stories..
I loved the first one...
about finishing the story.. I love mystery :)
Have a great weekend dear..
♥ & ((hugs))
bindi

Linda said...

Nice to know that a murderer wouldn't prejudge an applicant! Poor Betty!

CJ said...

All three were great stories. Interesting, I am working on a novel and my protagonist's last name is Jaye. She mentions that when she was young everyone called her Blue --a nickname that didn't stick beyond high school. That's the only mention of it in a long novel, but interesting that you thought of the same thing.

I think Carol went off with Mike. When she heard his gang was called the Blue Jays, she thought fate had brought them together. Little did she know that Mike was an undercover infiltrator gathering evidence on gang violence. The Iranian-born leader of a rival motorcycle gang killed them both and shipped their bodies & motorcycles to Iran for disposal. Mike's will show up soon.

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lettuce said...

becky apple is a good name
:-)

HeatherK said...

Great use of the words.

A lady found dead in Iran, That is a sad thought. Maybe she just wanted to vote and an uprising broke out:(

Sandi McBride said...

Becky Apple! You just get better and better at this...loved your work...
hugs
Sandi

Akelamalu said...

Killers are smug because they think they won't get caught don't you think Watercats?

I'm not clever enough to do what the dragons do combining the 55 with the wordzzles clean and crazy :0

Ah I think we're on the same wavelength Dr John I liked your ending to my megawordzzle. :)

Now there's a thought Nessa! :)

Cheers Mama Zen :)

So glad you liked my stories Fandango and I liked your ending to my mega story too. :)

Ah Bettygram you had Carol doing good works in Iran - I like it.

Aw thanks Thom I'm glad you enjoyed them.

Crikey Reston Friends that's an intriguing ending!

Why thank you Emily, how kind you are. :)

I noticed we both had motorcycle gangs called Blue Jays too Raven! I'm pleased you liked my stories. x

LOL possibly Tony!

Thankyou Cloudia x

That's another plausible possibily Dianne :)

My Dad did the exact same thing when he read it too Trav! Was it too shocking??

Thanks Bindi, I hope you have a great weekend too. x

He's a considerate murderer Linda ;)

Ooo great minds think alike eh CJ? I like your ending to my story. :)

It's a bit fruity Lettuce ;)

Thanks Heather and what you suggest could be a possibility.

Aw thanks Sandi x

Salute said...

These are great stories and you can really work with words. Good Job.

Richard said...

She worked for the CIA, the dark skinned man was both her lover and her control in Iran, and she had been running from the Iranian secret police when she was viciously gunned down and dumped in the quarry.

Just a guess.

Great story.

Stephen said...

I liked your stories. The ending to the first story was a big surprise. We don't actually know how the other housekeeper died, or if it was a one time thing, but it does look ominous. In the second story, it's good that the motorcycle gang has a leader who is generous and keeps things interesting. The third story, about the somewhat mysterious woman who left for the summer and was then found dead, almost seems like it could be part of a series. I found it very interesting.

This is my version of the ending: She faked her death. The body looked only slightly like her, but after laying in the sun for a few days it didn't really matter. The passport left with the body was all that was used for identification. She was now diguised as an Iranian, working with the dark skinned man and others to try to find out where the votes of the presidential election were kept and then take digital pictures of all of them and transmit copies to other countries so a recount could be done outside Iran. If the recount showed that the other person actually won, this would turn world opinion more strongly against Iran's leaders and give the protesters in Iran a stronger reason to fight.

Stephen from Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
http://stephen-has-spoken.blogspot.com/

Akelamalu said...

Why thak you Salute how kind you are. :)

That ending sounds very plausible Rich! Glad you enjoyed the story.


I'm pleased you enjoyed the stories Stephen and the ending you offer sounds really good!