Some readers last week wondered whether I was going to continue with the same story. I decided to make it an extra challenge for myself to try. The plot is thickening; I can only hope for some really helpful words to come along to help sort things out eventually...!
10 Word Challenge: acrobat; grocery store; ceiling fan; dandelion; bumble bee; alabaster; scissors; chartreuse; strenuously; cube
Mini: iPod; poison ivy; computer; interpreter; optometrist
The Slumber Party Mystery
Chapter 3 - Bumblebee
Bumblebee, the butler, watched the doctor's car disappearing down the driveway. Yes, he thought again, Dr Challenge really did need to get his car fixed. The sudden sound from the car driving off had startled Bumblebee so that he had dropped the scissors he had been using to cut the dandelion leaves for the salad. He bent down to pick the scissors up from the floor. Approaching retirement, he was certainly no longer the acrobat he had once been in his youth. He drew a deep sigh as he got up again. He hoped he would be spared any more such strenuously exhausting exercises today. It was really an extremely hot afternoon. But he shouldn't complain, at least he had recently got the brigadier general's permission to have a ceiling fan installed in the kitchen. He looked at his watch, and again out of the window. Still no sight of the delivery van from the grocery store. Well, the salad could wait; it was probably more important that he brought the brigadier his afternoon drink. He put a a bottle of Green Chartreuse, a jug of orange juice, three glasses and an alabaster bowl filled with ice cubes on a tray, and left the kitchen.
Chapter 4 - Diana
From her room upstairs in the big house, the brigadier general's granddaugther Diana also watched Dr Challenge's car drive off. She made a wry smile to herself, put her iPod earphones back into her ears, and turned around to face the computer screen again. She had to screw up her eyes a bit to see properly, but she had an appointment booked with the optometrist next week. Diana was studying to become an interpreter, and today's assignment was to translate a text from a medical research conference from English into Swedish. Really, the facts one came across in these studies… On the screen she read:
If poison ivy is burned and the smoke then inhaled, this rash will appear on the lining of the lungs, causing extreme pain and possibly fatal respiratory difficulty.*
*quote borrowed from Wikipedia
Poor Bumblebee having to face retirement...but it seems as though being a butler is a good job for him. Chapter 4 was awesome...we learn something new every day. Happy Easter to you and your family :)
ReplyDeleteI am enjoying this series very much.
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm hoping that Bumblebee gets something in the General's will. And is there a link between the General's sudden death and the poison ivy information? Inquiring minds want to know. Well done.
ReplyDeleteAlmost didn't find you since the link at Raven's takes us to last week's entry. I am beginning to get into the story. You are doing a great job.
ReplyDeleteDr John, thank you for making me aware that I had somehow managed to mix up the links. I have corrected it now. :)
ReplyDeleteFor Raven and other inquiring minds: I have not quite decided yet what time limit I'm going to set for myself to tie things up. Remains to be seen whether I'll succeed at all! - I've never really tried anything like this before... ;-)
I am so glad you decided to continue!The on going stories are a challenge, but quite fun.
ReplyDeleteMine is finally up.
I enjoyed reading these two chapters of your story. You worked the words in very well.
ReplyDeleteStephen from Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
http://stephen-has-spoken.blogspot.com/