tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11818943410793764482024-03-05T09:56:15.477+01:00Wordly EffortsA Blog where I wrestle with my own attempts at fiction
~ by DawnTreader ~DawnTreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13956409908791716009noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181894341079376448.post-57324641773025501622010-04-16T16:40:00.010+02:002010-04-17T10:51:03.595+02:00Wordzzle # 105<span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><br />
<div style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> <b><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2010/04/saturday-wordzzle-challenge-week-105.html">Raven's Wordzzle Challenge # 105 ?</a> </span></b><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div><br />
<div style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span">oh, my aching bones, Spring has sprung, solitude, spearmint, platitudes, cardboard box, chimney, yogurt, shattered, flagrant</span></div><br />
<div style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span">dragons are forever, jelly beans, practice makes perfect, asparagus, spelling bee</span></div><div style="color: red;"><br />
</div><b>The Slumber Party Mystery</b><br />
<b>Chapter 50 - What the General Remembered (part 2)</b><br />
<div style="color: red;"><br />
</div><div style="color: red;"><br />
</div><div style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">Skittles had been keeping his eyes fixed at Adam, too, while the General spoke. And he heard the sigh that the doctor let out when the General fell silent again. Relief? Or what? He glanced at his colleague, but Matthew was busy unwrapping a piece of <span style="color: blue;">spearmint </span>gum, feeling that he still had a bit of <span style="color: red;">asparagus </span>stuck between his teeth from lunch.</span></span></div><div style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></div><div style="color: red;"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">"So, doctor Challenge," said Skittles, "I guess it's up to you to tell us the rest, isn't it?" </span></span></div><div style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">"What do you mean?" said Adam. "I already told you, didn't I? Yes, I drove up to the house earlier in the afternoon. I wasn't really sure what to make of that invitation card. So when I got here, I had second thoughts. It struck me that if it really was a party, I wasn't suitably dressed. So I went back to change my shirt." Repeating this very weak story, he was still not even sure himself why he stuck to it. But if the General had really been unconscious... That meant there was no witness to details of what had actually happened; and no reason for anyone to dig deeper into Adam's past...</span></span></div><div style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></div><div style="color: red;"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">"<span style="color: blue;">Oh, my aching bones!</span>" said the General, quite sharply. "What do you think this is? A <span style="color: red;">spelling bee</span>? p-l-a-t-i-t-u-d-e-s, spells <span style="color: blue;">platitudes</span>! I have to say, Dr Challenge, you've just made a <span style="color: blue;">flagrant </span>mistake that <span style="color: blue;">shattered </span>all my remaning faith in you! - All gone now, like smoke up the <span style="color: blue;">chimney</span>," he added, dramatically.</span></span></div><div style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">Adam felt himself blushing. "I'm sorry," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. "I don't understand..." But he did understand, and so did the others.</span></span></div><div style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">"You mean," said Skittles to the General, "that you were not completely unconscious after all?"</span></span></div><div style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">"No, I was not!" said the General. "I just wanted to give the doctor a chance to explain. But he didn't take it, so I will instead. But I think Bumblebee should be here for this, too. Diana, darling, will you go and fetch him? And tell him to bring some <span style="color: blue;">yogurt </span>and my pill, too."</span></span></div><div style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">Diana rose without a word and went out the door. The General's eyes followed her.</span></span></div><div style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">"Light of my eyes, she is," he remarked. "Always makes me feel that <span style="color: blue;">spring has sprung</span>!"</span></span></div><div style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">Skittles felt that he knew exactly what the General meant.</span></span></div><div style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">Silence fell. The General was obviously not going to say anything more until Bumblebee and Diana were back with them. Skittles and Matthew were both watching Adam, making sure he wouldn't try to make an attempt to run away. William was staring at the lid of the treasure chest, with its golden salamander. A phrase he couldn't remember the origin of kept ringing in his mind: "<span style="color: red;">Dragons are forever.</span>" What was that supposed to mean? He put his hand in his pocket and found a little <span style="color: blue;">cardboard box</span> of <span style="color: red;">jelly beans <span style="color: black;">which he had forgotten about</span></span>. He thought of asking the others if they wanted some, but somehow it didn't seem quite right, so he just put a handful into his own mouth. </span></span></div><div style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">They did not have to wait long. After just a couple of minutes, Diana was back with the butler. Without a word, Bumblebee put down a small tray with a bowl of yogurt and a pill next to the General, and then sat down on a chair by the door. The General swallowed the pill with a spoonful of yogurt, grimaced and then began speaking again:</span></span></div><div style="color: red;"><br />
</div><div style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;"> "Putting yourself into this kind of trance, you do not really cease to be aware of what's going on around you. <span style="color: red;">Practice makes perfect</span>, you might say. It's much like what people sometimes describe as a near-death-experience - floating away from your body for a while, and watching it from above. How many stories like that haven't you heard about people seeing themselves lying on the operating table? Well, in a smiliar way I was watching myself lying in my deck chair in the <span style="color: blue;">solitude </span>of my own garden. I also saw Dr Challenge coming towards me, across the lawn."</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">"Yes," he continued, looking at Adam. "You came through the garden, doctor, not through the house. I could also tell it gave you quite a shock to see me lying there, and you lifted my arm, and started feeling for my pulse. Then there was a sudden noise - I know now it was from those sausages exploding on the grill - and for some reason that made you panic! I was still sort of out of my body, so I couldn't get my voice going. But I saw you run off, and I heard your car start again and drive down the road. Trying to understand what had happened brought me back, but I admit the transition is a bit blurry, I'm not sure how long that took. Then suddenly there was my faithful servant" - the General nodded towards Bumblebee - "pushing me out into the swimming pool!" He suddenly gave a chuckle. "Took me a while to get that bit together - why he was doing that I mean - because the one part of the whole thing which I wasn't aware of until later was the fire. But that, as I understand it, was put out by young William. So no real harm done." He gave the young man an encouraging smile; and William blushed, glad to finally get official appreciation. </span></span><br />
<br />
</div>DawnTreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13956409908791716009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181894341079376448.post-53688887403280388952010-04-16T16:03:00.004+02:002010-04-17T10:57:06.356+02:00Wordzzle # 104<a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2010/03/agggggghhhhh-update.html">Raven's Wordzzle Challenge # 104 </a><br />
<br />
<i>As I post this, there is no post of Raven's actually entitled Week 104. So the link above goes to Week 103, which is where she gave these words: </i><br />
<br />
<div style="color: blue;">culture, sheep, skin, mentally, box, desert, several people, church, Greece, thirst, </div><div style="color: red;">swimming pool, cargo, czar, focus, fine</div><br />
<b>The Slumber Party Mystery</b><br />
<b>Chapter 49 - What the General Remembered (part 1)</b><br />
<br />
"Ah," said the General, nodding at Matthew. "That's a good question, young man. You should know though - and this is another thing I learned from the <span style="color: blue;">culture </span>of my Indian forefathers - that being <span style="color: blue;">mentally </span>aware is a complex thing." He made a gesture towards the treasure chest. "That old <span style="color: blue;">box</span>... the things in there are just reminders." He feel silent for a moment, shifting his stare from the treasure chest to the polar bear <span style="color: blue;">skin </span>on the floor. "This is very old knowledge. <span style="color: blue;">Several peoples</span> in the old world knew about it. Not only the philosphers of <span style="color: blue;">Greece</span>, and some of the saints of the early <span style="color: blue;">church</span>. But also nomads spending their lives guarding their <span style="color: blue;">sheep</span>. People living in the <span style="color: blue;">desert</span>, familiar with <span style="color: blue;">thirst</span>. It's all about keeping your <span style="color: red;">focus</span>, really. I even came upon it in a biography of some old Russian <span style="color: red;">czar</span>, believe it or not. And there was this other story I read about a man who had himself transported as <span style="color: red;">cargo</span>, no food and no drink, and he reached his destination just <span style="color: red;">fine</span>..."<br />
<br />
"Grandpa..." said Diana. "I'm sure that's all fascinating, but speaking of focus..."<br />
<br />
"Sorry," said the General. "Well, I just wanted you to know it's not easy to describe exactly what happens when you enter into this state of mind. I heard the doctor's car arriving - and there's no mistake about that, because his car really needs a new muffler! - and that was my cue, so to say."<br />
<br />
He looked intentely at Adam while saying this, and Adam had to use all his willpower to keep his face expressionless.<br />
<br />
"But then," continued the General, "I don't really have a clear picture of things until I found myself out in the <span style="color: red;">swimming pool</span> with Bumblebee. Quite a shock, to tell you the truth!"<br />
<br />
A very faint sound was heard from Adam - like a sigh he couldn't quite keep back.DawnTreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13956409908791716009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181894341079376448.post-81224516807934812922010-04-16T12:00:00.000+02:002010-04-17T11:57:47.877+02:00The Slumber Party Mystery – A Summary<i><b>The Slumber Party Mystery</b> is a story based on the weekly Wordzzle Challenge hosted by Raven at the blog <a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/" linkindex="17"><i>Views from Raven's Nest</i></a>. Her rules for the game can be read <a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2008/03/wordzzles-week-two.html" linkindex="18"><i>here</i></a></i>.<br />
<br />
<i>I've been partaking since Wordzzle Challenge #57, April 2009 - originally at my blog <a href="http://islandofvoices.blogspot.com/">The Island of the Voices</a>. </i><i>I had no intention from the beginning to write a long story; it just somehow turned into one. After six or seven months, I began to feel the need of a summary! (Both for myself and for new readers). In connection with that, I also decided to move the story to this blog. The earlier posts remain at their original site as well, but from Challenge #90, the story is only published here. </i><br />
<br />
<i>The number in front of each paragraph in the summary refers to the number of the Wordzzle Challenge. T</i><i>hese numbers are also used in the titles of my blogposts. (One day, I intend to add my own chapter headings...)</i><br />
<br />
<i>I have highlighted a few time references to remind you that while the series has been going on for a almost a year, within the story only about 48 hours have passed since the beginning of the events...</i><br />
<br />
- - - - -<br />
<br />
(57) On a hot summer <b><span style="color: blue;">Friday afternoon</span></b>, Dr Adam Challenge arrives at the house of a Brigadier General, who is a rather eccentric old patient of his, suffering from paralysis caused by apoplexy. In his pocket, the doctor has a mysterious invitation to a slumber party. He finds the Brigadier General in the garden at the back of the house, apparently asleep. When he does not wake up, the doctor tries checking for his pulse, but cannot find it. At the same moment, there is the sound of an explosion from the grill behind him, and a burning sausage falls on the ground and sets fire to the dry grass. Dr Challenge is seized by panic and we learn that for some (unexplained) reason, he is afraid of being suspected of arsonry. He runs away; but the butler, Bumblebee, catches a glimpse of him through the kitchen window. <br />
<br />
(58) The Brigadier General's granddaughter Diana, from her room upstairs, also watches Dr Challenge drive off. Diana is studying to become an interpreter/translator.<br />
<br />
(59) Back at his office, Adam has second thoughts about his own behaviour. He also begins to suspect that maybe it was not the Brigadier General who sent the invitation in the first place, but Diana, whom he has known since she was rather a mischievious young girl, coming to live with her grandparents after the death of her own parents.<br />
<br />
(60) Bumblebee takes the usual afternoon drinks out into the garden, sees the fire, pours a jug of juice over the worst of it, and pushes the General's deck chair out into the shallow end of the swimming pool. Standing in the pool, he makes a call from his cell phone. At the same time, a delivery van from the grocery store arrives at the front of the house.<br />
<br />
(61) Adam, driving back to the General's house, is thinking back on his first marriage, which was very short because his wife was killed in a car accident which included fire.<br />
<br />
Diana is getting ready to join her grandfather in the garden for afternoon drinks, and we also learn that she has some experiments in mind which include good timing to work out. We also learn that William, the delivery boy, has a sort of crush on Diana ever since their childhood and school days.<br />
<br />
(62) William and Diana arrive in the garden at the same time, and William has a stroke of genius and puts out the fire by turning on the sprinkler system watering the lawn. At the same time, Dr Challenge again drives up at the front of the house, determined not to let his past control his present.<br />
<br />
(63) The ambulance and Police Lieutenant Skittles arrive on the scene to find the Brigadier General revived, but somewhat confused. He is taken to hospital, while Skittles tries to get a grip of what has happened; which is not easy, since everybody is trying to give their own version all at the same time. He decides to interview them each in turn, and Bumblebee suggests using the library as interview room.<br />
<br />
(64) The library turns out to be a room full of curious objects. Apparently the General is a collector of all kinds of odd things. Skittles finds this rather distracting. He also finds the butler somewhat evasive when it comes to answering questions.<br />
<br />
(65) After Bumblebee has gone to fetch Skittles an aspirin and a glass of water to swallow it down with, Diana comes bursting into the room and says everything is her fault. She denies having tried to kill her grandfather or having started the fire on purpose; but she confesses to having tried out some experiments, as part of trying to write a detective story herself. The experiments involved trying to get the sausages to explode at exactly the right time; but she had not counted on starting a fire. She also confesses to being in love with Adam Challenge but says he does not know it. <br />
<br />
(66) <i>[I did not take part in this week's Wordzzle.]</i><br />
<br />
(67) <i>[I did not take part in this week's Wordzzle.]</i><br />
<br />
(68) Adam and William are waiting on the terrace, and don't have a whole lot to say to each other. A cat comes strolling by, and William follows it round to the kitchen. Diana is still talking to Skittles in the library, and is now pouring her heart out to him about what it was like growing up in her grandparents' house. She was always a child of great imagination. In her childhood, she played it out in wild games. Now, she tries to make use of it in becoming a writer. <br />
<br />
(69) Bumblebee comes back with the aspirin and water for Skittles, but Diana thinks they are meant for her and takes them, while Skittles has to go without. Bumblebee also brings a letter, which Diana recognizes as one she wrote to herself, for the purposes of her book. She calls it a blackmail letter. We also learn that the name of the cat is Puddles and that she has the habit of strolling off from time to time.<br />
<br />
(70) Diana, without explanation, puts the letter, unopened, in a ginger jar in the library. She then goes on to explain again about her sausage experiment, and also happens to drop the hint that Dr Challenge had come to the house earlier in the afternoon, then driven off again, and then come back. She thinks Skittles should ask him about that.<br />
<br />
(71) Skittles decides to take Diana's advice and interview Dr Challenge next, but feels in need of a short break first, and asks to use the bathroom. Diana then shows him upstairs, and besides a very uninteresting bathroom, he also gets a glimpse of her room.<br />
<br />
(72) Skittles finally gets his aspirin, and also asks the butler if he can carry on the interviews in another room instead of the library. He and Adam are shown into the drawing room, which is less full of strange collector's items, but the pictures on the walls reveal that Diana is quite a good artist, too. The doctor does not seem very keen to interviewed. Skittles finds him evasive and is getting suspicious of his motives.<br />
<br />
(73) Adam shows Skittles the invitation card to the slumber party, and gives his own interpretation of it. He says he thought the General might have been planning to commit suicide. Skittles' thoughts however turn to Diana, and wonders if it's not more likely that she was behind the invitation. <br />
<br />
(74) Skittles continues the interview with the doctor but feels himself getting nowhere. At the last moment, he remembers what Diana told him, and asks the doctor why he first came, then left, and then came back.<br />
<br />
(75) Adam finds himself facing the unpleasant fact that he was actually seen when he left the house the first time, and tries to give a very lame excuse for that. He then fakes getting an emergency phone call, and leaves.<br />
<br />
(76) Skittles finds Bumblebee and William in the kitchen. Skittles sends William off; he is not interested in interviewing him, which William finds rather disappointing. Bumblebee confirms Diana's statement about the doctor's comings and goings.<br />
<br />
(77) Skittles talks to Diana again and asks her about the invitation card. She confirms that it was she who sent it, not really caring much whether Adam would take it as just a joke or as an actual invitation to spend the night with her. Skittles does not tell her about Adam's idea that it might be interpreted as a suicide warning.<br />
<br />
We also follow Adam back home, and learn that not only was his first wife killed in a car accident involving fire, but on top of that his second wife was also killed in a fire.<br />
<br />
(78) We get a glimpse from the General's hospital bed and learn that he is still not being coherent or able to give his own version of what happened the day before.<br />
<br />
(79) Before Skittles leaves the General's house, he goes back into the library. He is very much tempted to read the letter that Diana put into the ginger jar. He takes it out of the jar and looks at it, but resists the temptation to open it.<br />
<br />
(80) Adam Challenge has a bad night with nightmares, and is not pleased when Skittles rings his doorbell early on <span style="color: blue;"><b>Saturday morning</b></span>. Skittles suspects the doctor of perhaps planning to leave town, and warns him not to do so. He still does not really have anything to accuse the doctor of, but is finding his behaviour suspicious anyway.<br />
<br />
(81) We get a glimpse of William's Saturday morning at the grocery store. His boss is angry with him for the delay last evening, won't listen to William's heroic story, and gives him extra chores to do.<br />
<br />
(82) Skittles goes to the hospital and tries to interview the General. The General is now sitting up, eating and talking, but is still saying nothing that makes any sense.<br />
<br />
(83) Outside the General's room, Skittles runs into Diana, who convinces him (or more like orders him) to have coffee with her in the hospital cafeteria. This time, it is Diana who takes the part as interviewer, and starts asking questions about Skittles rather than the other way round.<br />
<br />
(84) Diana skips her plans to go bowling and asks Skittles – whom she now calls John – to go with her to a modern arts exhibition instead. Skittles finds himself continuing to obey her suggestions, without quite being able to explain to himself why.<br />
<br />
(85) <i>[I did not take part in this week's Wordzzle.]</i><br />
<br />
(86) Diana drags Skittles through an art exhibition of which he understands little or nothing. Modern art is not really his thing. In spite of this, he finds himself asking Diana to also have lunch with him.<br />
<br />
(87) We're back with Adam Challenge, whose Saturday started out badly, but his mood improves when he is able to successfully help deliver triplets into the world. <br />
<br />
(88) Skittles and Diana go to a restaurant called The Casbah, but do not have time to order before Diana gets a curious phone call. Skittles only overhears her part of it, and first assumes her grandfather's condition has grown worse. It turns out however that it is her cat Puddles that has had a fatal accident.<br />
<br />
(89) Skittles talks to his friend Turtles on the phone and complains that while he thought he was solving a mystery, he now seems to be stuck in a sugar-coated romance instead, and he is not too sure how he feels about that.<br />
<br />
(90) William spends his Saturday evening alone watching a film about love; and Diana spends hers in her room, thinking about Men.<br />
<br />
(91) On <b><span style="color: blue;">Sunday Morning</span></b>, Dr Adam Challenge decides to go to church to find out what rumours may be spreading in the village about Friday's events. William makes the same decision, because he is longing to build up his own reputation as hero. Diana also arrives at the church, driving a little red sports car and wearing a spectacular diamond necklace. We find out that her last name is Haven.<br />
<br />
(92) Lieutenant John Skittles also decides to go to church, and brings his friend Matthew Turtles (also a police officer) along for support.<br />
<br />
(93) A sermon about avarice is preached; Diana seems very friendly with William; and Skittles finds himself jealous.<br />
<br />
(94) Diana invites William, Skittles and Turtles back to the house with her for lunch. A discussion of the sermon brings up the topic of the General's various collections of obscure objects, and Diana mentions some old "broken bones" which might or might not be ancient relics.<br />
<br />
(95) <i>[I did not take part in this week's Wordzzle]</i><br />
<br />
(96) Adam is surprised that nobody seemed to take much notice of him at church; but receives a new mysterious written invitation, for afternoon tea.<br />
<br />
(97) <b><span style="color: blue;">Sunday afternoon</span></b>, Diana and her guests are having coffee on the terrace, but return indoors when they hear thunder. In the library, much to the surprise of the two police officers, they find the Brigadier General himself waiting for them, apparently not much the worse for his near-death-experience the other day. We learn that there are three more cats in the house, a Siamese (named Goofy) with two kittens. <br />
<br />
(98) William is sent to fetch a treasure chest containing the ancient relics, and the Brigadier General starts to tell a story about an Indian Chief named Baying Wolf.<br />
<br />
(99) The door bell rings, and it turns out to be Dr Challenge, coming to check up on how the General is doing. He, too, is surprised to find the old man alert and in story-telling mood. William comes back in with the chest. The chest is opened, and turns out to contain a ribbon, a feather and some small pieces of bones. The General starts again on his story.<br />
<br />
(100) It turns out that the General is the great-grandson of the Indian Chief Baying Wolf. The items in the chest belonged to his grandmother Sparrow, and were handed down to him by her daughter, the General's mother, Little Lark. From her he also learned other secrets of that Indian tribe.<br />
<br />
(101) Bumblebee brings the tea and knocks over a lampshade, and there is again a bit of a break in the story-telling. However, we are again reminded that Diana is an aspiring writer, and has been carrying on some experiments which were important to the recent events.<br />
<br />
(102) <i>[I did not take part in this week's Wordzzle]</i><br />
<br />
(103) The General reveals that one secret he learned from the old Indians was how to put himself into a coma-like trance. <br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>.~.~.~.</b></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>The summary will be added to as the story proceeds.</b></i><br />
<br />
<b><i>.~.~.~.</i></b><br />
<br />
</div>DawnTreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13956409908791716009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181894341079376448.post-79837882021727096982010-03-14T10:58:00.006+01:002010-04-16T17:58:36.822+02:00Raven's Wordzzle Challenge # 103<span style="color: black;"><b><a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2010/03/agggggghhhhh-update.html">Raven's Wordzzle Challenge # 103</a></b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">slimy, Pluto, champing at the bit, peaceful, chapter, upright, depression, starfish, matches, channel changer, </span><span style="color: red;">liver spots, pesticide, plaid, unpredictable, upsetting the apple cart</span><br />
<br />
<b>The Slumber Party Mystery</b><br />
<b>Chapter 48 - What the General learned from the Indians</b><br />
<br />
Everyone was sitting <span style="color: blue;">upright</span> now, waiting for Diana or the General to go on. The old man seemed to be <span style="color: blue;">champing at the bit</span>, but was still looking at his granddaughter. <br />
<br />
"To tell you the truth," Diana continued, "I've been suffering from a bit of writer's <span style="color: blue;">depression </span>lately. Didn't feel I was getting anywhere. For the next <span style="color: blue;">chapter</span> in my story, I needed a murder. I had thought of using <span style="color: red;">pesticide</span>, but I really wanted something a bit more <span style="color: red;">unpredictable</span>. The problem with unpredictable is, of course, that it is unpredictable. So when I got back here for my holiday, I decided to try some things out. And talking it over with grandpa, he was all up for a bit of a fun and <span style="color: red;">upsetting the apple cart</span>, too."<br />
<br />
"I was," confirmed the old man, adjusting the <span style="color: red;">plaid</span> over his knees. "I really gets a bit too <span style="color: blue;">peaceful</span> around here at times, with Diana away at college. Just me and the TV <span style="color: blue;">channel changer.</span>"<br />
<br />
"The problem was, I think," said Diana, "that as usual I tried a few too many things at once."<br />
<br />
"I tried to tell her that!" said the General, nodding. "She's like a <span style="color: blue;">starfish</span> sometimes. Too many arms." He hesitated a moment. "Not quite as <span style="color: blue;">slimy</span> though," he added, "even if devious."<br />
<br />
"I have already explained to John about the sausages," said Diana, ignoring that last remark. "That was about timing, and the usually very predictable and punctual habits of old Bumblebee. I wanted to give him a bit of a start, that's all - coming out on the terrace to find the sausages on the grill, hopefully all ready to explode by then. I swear I didn't think of the fire hazard - that was just plain stupid of me, playing with <span style="color: blue;">matches</span> on a day like this. One of those things that should have been predictable, and yet I did not foresee it."<br />
<br />
"What I don't understand about that," said Skittles, "is why you didn't stay close by to watch?"<br />
<br />
"That," said Diana, "is what I mean by having too many things going at once, because other parts required that I was <i>not</i> around just then."<br />
<br />
"That invitation card..." said Adam, hesitatingly. "Did you..."<br />
<br />
"Of course I did," said Diana. "That was the other thing. Or part of it. I didn't want you to know I was behind it, or that I was even at home, so I tried to make it look like the note came from Grandpa, but with an odd enough message to make sure you did not just decline the invitation. I knew your sense of duty would make you want to check it out. This was really the big test, you see. Grandpa had been telling me about this trick he learned from the Indians, a secret handed down by generations. I'm sure you've heard of it it in stories, just like I have. I never really believed it, though - about being able to put yourself in a coma-like trance. Grandpa challenged me - didn't you?" She broke off her flow of words to look at the old man. "Said you bet you could even fool the doctor."<br />
<br />
The General was looking down at his wrinkled hands, full of <span style="color: blue;">liver </span><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;">spots</span><span style="color: black;">, but grinning to himself.</span> "Yes I did. And I could, couldn't I? So you owe me, girl!"</span><br />
<br />
Adam looked shocked and disbelieving at the same time. "You don't mean to say..."<br />
<br />
"Yes," said the General, in a triumphant tone of voice.<br />
<br />
"But just a while ago you were talking about your pancreas!" said Adam. <br />
<br />
"Well, you don't think I told the true story to the doctors at the hospital, do you? They wouldn't have believed it anyway. Neither do you, by the looks of it."<br />
<br />
"I'm not sure what to believe," said Adam, trying to take it all in. He had searched for the General's pulse without finding it; but he had not searched very long, because he had fled in uncontrollable panic from the sudden fire. When he returned, the General had still been alive, but weak; and Adam's first thought then had been of sun stroke. Then the hospital had taken over, and of course they might have suspected the old man's diabetes to have something to do with it. And now the General was saying he had put himself into some kind of volontary trance! That kind of thing was really not Adam's speciality at all.<br />
<br />
"Excuse me, Brigadier General," said Matthew, who had until then just been listening quietly, while drawing a cartoon of <span style="color: blue;">Pluto </span>in his notebook. "I'm just curious. While you were in this - ahem - trance, were you aware at all of what was going on around you at the time?"<br />
<br />
Good question, thought Adam to himself. A very good question indeed!DawnTreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13956409908791716009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181894341079376448.post-87559938961804028372010-02-27T21:20:00.004+01:002010-03-16T19:59:18.443+01:00Raven's Saturday Wordzzle Challenge # 101<a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2010/02/saturday-wordzzle-challenge-week-101.html">Raven's Wordzzle Challenge #101</a><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">smoothness, crafty, purchase, brief, chirping, forever, shift, moonrise, lampshade, stereotype</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;">remembrance, Dr. John, Agent 012, dragons, Fortress</span><br />
<br />
<strong>The Slumber Party Mystery</strong><br />
<strong>Chapter 47 -</strong> <strong>Remembrances</strong><br />
<br />
The General <span style="color: blue;">shifted</span> position a little in his chair, still looking at his granddaughter. Through the open door to the terrace they could hear birds <span style="color: blue;">chirping</span> outside as the rain began to fall. <br />
<br />
"Do you know, gentlemen," he said, "my Diana is a very <span style="color: blue;">crafty</span> young lady. And then I'm not talking about embroidery," he added, nodding at the sampler Diana was stitching on. "Nor about painting, although she's very good at that too."<br />
<br />
"She really is!" said William. "I remember at school...You were phenomenal!" He somehow managed to look admiringly at Diana and triumphantly at Skittles (who was sitting next to her) at the same time. ("Ah, so they know each other since childhood," thought Skittles.)<br />
<br />
Diana started to say something, but was interrupted by a sudden noise out in the hall. It sounded like something had fallen to the floor. A moment later, the door opened, and Bumblebee entered carrying a tea tray. William hurried to remove the treasure chest from the table, and Bumblebee put the heavy tray down. <br />
<br />
"I'm sorry, sir, miss," he said, turning first to the General, then to Diana. "I'm afraid I happened to knock over that lamp in the hall. My elbow got caught in the <span style="color: blue;">lampshade</span>."<br />
<br />
The General frowned and looked displeased. "That lamp was quite a good <span style="color: blue;">purchase</span> back when I bought it," he said. "Please keep in <span style="color: red;">remembrance</span> that..."<br />
<br />
"Oh, never mind the lamp!" said Diana. "It was an ugly old thing. Just serve the tea, please, Bumblebee. We have some things to discuss here and if we don't get on with it we'll be here <span style="color: blue;">forever</span> - or, not to use <span style="color: blue;">stereotypes</span>, at least until <span style="color: blue;">moonrise</span>." <br />
<br />
There was a <span style="color: blue;">brief</span> silence while Bumblebee, managing to regain his usual butlerish <span style="color: blue;">smoothness</span>, poured the tea, and plates were passed around.<br />
<br />
"Now," said Diana, when the butler had shut the door behind him again, "will you get on with the tale, Grandpa, or shall I?"<br />
<br />
"Yes, that's the question," said the General. "In a way, some of it is really your story rather than mine, isn't it?" Turning again to the police officers and the doctor, he continued: "Diana, you see, has the aspiration to become a novelist. She has always been good at making up stories. When she was a little girl, for example, she used to pretend this house was a <span style="color: red;">fortress</span>, and that I was the <span style="color: red;">dragon</span> guarding the treasures. And the first time <span style="color: red;">Dr</span> Challenge came to visit..."<br />
<br />
"Yes, yes, enough about old times!" said Diana, suddenly blushing and seeming a bit embarrassed as she glanced at Skittles. "The thing is, now I'm writing what I hope to be a real detective novel, but there were some details I wasn't feeling quite sure about how they would work out in real life. So, as I already told you, <span style="color: red;">John</span>, I tried some experiments. Of which some turned out more successful than others. No, please don't interrupt - you have not yet heard the full story. Grandpa and I talked it over, and we decided the best thing would be to gather everybody together again who was here on Friday. Of course we hadn't counted on the extra addition of <span style="color: red;">Agent 012</span> here" (she nodded at Matthew Turtles) "but that doesn't really matter."DawnTreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13956409908791716009noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181894341079376448.post-16344396674448601682010-02-19T18:52:00.008+01:002010-02-20T08:28:32.729+01:00Raven's Saturday Wordzzle Challenge # 100<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT5MaYD2h090ZQz6HDdhwDB6B5pMAiGvDaM_c_yXSi9ELawwyvucOzt3_IRhh5NCL0StHeFkYJ-8tGdMaoqRkc5SYXxub7mPn7sVOCstkcREL9CJ_687qx8Uc1oDLIhyCqxw6GeK3zM9AW/s288/DSCN4717.JPG" /><br />
<br />
♥ <strong><em>Congratulations</em></strong> to <a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/">Raven</a> <br />
for having kept this game going for 100 weeks!<br />
<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJKsqV9i1n-uJZOPHM5iBFBQEqnua-fSDJ8plV4ZikwdcmfUjaLdftqtoUL2mL1yXRmHDx4bRPfgYyBTCBB2kD6PDtGC4CD8Zjq2sue5yGBbDkCj0kqlQ-AuJ23htlN8e0dabHb61z4Kq/s288/DSCN2973-1.JPG" /><br />
<br />
♥ <strong><em>Condolences</em></strong> to <a href="http://bettygram.blogspot.com/">Betty</a> <br />
on the loss of your husband, and our blogging friend, <a href="http://fortresslinna.blogspot.com/">Dr John</a>. <br />
We will all miss the adventures of Agent 012, <br />
the extraordinary village life in Pigeon Falls, <br />
and the fiery comments from the <a href="http://dragonlairs.blogspot.com/">Dragons</a>. <br />
Please also read the <a href="http://islandofvoices.blogspot.com/2010/02/in-memoriam-dr-john.html">In Memoriam</a> post at my other blog, <br />
<em>The Island of the Voices</em>!<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/hUBMynC8REuJt7z_cMoXKg?authkey=Gv1sRgCL_Snae-4Jbe7gE&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-89Eqwub8B2NUrQD8yOgiAfY0-NFsTpW6LcXcXvslu25TCaqlq4DmVYHG9hCR_52HyOmmpfVIQGM5yzvntvzlE4mwnCVuJJQOjFWwbfu_KjQ3QaeP6Pu7mB-C4WKujSr6wgpO9AJA9gn/s144/wordzzle.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<strong><a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2010/02/saturday-wordzzle-challenge-week-100.html">Raven's Wordzzle Challenge # 100</a></strong><br />
<br />
<strong>The Slumber Party Mystery</strong><br />
<strong>Chapter 46 - Sparrow and Little Lark</strong><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">transfixed, treachery, basics, fragrance, sampler, pregnant, cartoons, lark, spartan</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">rapid, camping, blandishments, transitory, plug-ins</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">They all sat like <span style="color: blue;">transfixed</span> while the Brigadier General told them the story about the Indian Chief Baying Wolf and his daughter Sparrow.</span><br />
<br />
Skittles was sitting next to Diana, and every now and then the discreet <span style="color: blue;">fragrace</span> of her perfume tickled his senses. She had picked up a piece of embroidery from a basket nearby to work on while her grandfather told the story. It seemed to be some kind of <span style="color: blue;">sampler</span>. His colleague and friend Matthew had taken up a notebook and a pencil. Skittles couldn't see whether he was taking notes, or just drawing <span style="color: blue;">cartoons</span> (something of a hobby of Matt's).<br />
<br />
"And so because of a white man's <span style="color: blue;">treachery</span>," the General continuted, "Sparrow found herself <span style="color: blue;">pregnant</span> without a father for her child. And she died giving birth to a little half-blood, who grew up with her grandfather and whom he called Little <span style="color: blue;">Lark</span>. But Little Lark too, as she became a grown woman, fell in love with a white man. And when Baying Wolf saw that he could not stop her, he gave her his blessing. But after she had gone away, he felt that his end was coming, and he went up into the mountains to find his final resting place. And there was a terrible snow storm that night, and his remains were never found. But Little Lark inherited his treasure chest. The contents may seem <span style="color: blue;">spartan</span> to you, but this is the headband and the feather worn by Sparrow on the day that she gave life to Little Lark, and gave up her own."<br />
<br />
"And where do the bones come into it?" asked Matthew curiously. He had in fact been writing down the <span style="color: blue;">basics </span>of the story in his notebook. <br />
<br />
"Ah, the bones!" said the General. "Yes. What do you make of them?"<br />
<br />
All the men leaned over the chest and looked again at the small pieces of broken bones.<br />
<br />
"Well," said Adam, who by now had almost forgotten why he had come, and was just as fascinated as the others by the story. "They certainly don't look human to me. I would say bird bones, actually."<br />
<br />
"Ah," said the General. "And now you wonder, don't you, how some bird bones came to be seen as holy relics?" He did not wait for their answers, but continued: "You see, among these Indians, there was the idea that when someone died, they took the form of the animal whose name they bore. And these are sparrow bones."<br />
<br />
"As I've told you before, I never thought that made any sense," said Diana in the background. "Because it's the soul that's supposed to turn into animal, isn't it. Not the body."<br />
<br />
"Now, well," said her Grandfather. "Remember Baying Wolf. His body was never found either."<br />
<br />
"So," said Matthew, "you're suggesting some kind of <span style="color: red;">transitory</span> change of body before final death? Don't think I ever heard of that one before."<br />
<br />
"I'm not saying I <em>believe</em> it," was the <span style="color: red;">rapid </span>reply from the General. "Just telling you what the legend says."<br />
<br />
"It's a remarkable story," said Skittles. "And I'm impressed with your narrative skills. But you have not yet told us how the chest came to be in your possession. Or how you learned about the legend."<br />
<br />
"I was coming to that," said the General. "No <span style="color: red;">blandishments</span> needed, but you must have a little patience with an old man. I'm not adapted to this modern <span style="color: red;">plug-in</span> world! I belong to a generation in which the telling of a story was allowed to take time. Especially since I have Indian blood running through my veins."<br />
<br />
He looked very pleased with himself when he saw the surprise in the faces of his audience.<br />
<br />
"Yes," he said. "Little Lark was my mother. And when I was a young boy, she used to take me <span style="color: red;">camping</span> in the Indian territory up in the mountains where she grew up. Although she married a white man, she never forgot about her roots. She was a wise woman, and she knew much about the old Indian traditions. She taught me a lot more than just legends, too."<br />
<br />
He fell silent, and glanced at his granddaughter.<br />
Diana nodded at him, and said: "Yes. Go on. You should tell them."DawnTreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13956409908791716009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181894341079376448.post-53171416990079780792010-02-13T19:58:00.001+01:002010-02-13T20:14:34.118+01:00Raven's Saturday Wordzzle Challenge # 99<a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2010/02/saturday-wordzzle-challenge-week-99.html">Raven's Wordzzle Challenge # 99</a><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">thermometer, Pandora, vivid, langourous, Saturday, pancreas, apple dumplings, watch tower, lichen, sparrow</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;">rigid, spiritual, ribbon, web cam, vitamins</span><br />
<br />
<strong>The Slumber Party Mystery</strong><br />
<strong>Chapter 45 - The Treasure Chest</strong><br />
<br />
"Excuse me, miss," said Bumblebee, as the ring tone sounded again. "There seems to be somebody at the door. If it is those people from the <span style="color: blue;">Watchtower</span> again, shall I just send them away or do you want to talk to them?"<br />
<br />
"Somehow I doubt it will be a while before they come back to this house for a <span style="color: red;">spiritual</span> talk," said Diana. "I think it's probably someone else this time."<br />
<br />
Skittles in his head got a <span style="color: blue;">vivid</span> image of Diana managing to totally confuse the Watchtower people by a discussion about the use of <span style="color: red;">web cams</span> in modern art. (Was it really this <span style="color: blue;">Saturday</span> - that is, yesterday - that she had dragged him through the Modern Art Museum?)<br />
<br />
Bumblebee disappeared out into the hall. The library seemed suddenly filled with a <span style="color: blue;">langourous</span> atmosphere while they all waited for whatever was to happen next. <br />
<br />
What happened next was that Bumblebee reappeared to announce the arrival of Dr Challenge. Right behind him, Adam entered, looking rather <span style="color: red;">rigid </span>and confused at seeing so many people assembled in the library. <br />
<br />
"Oh," he said. "I'm sorry, I didn't know..." He broke off, needing a moment to take in the situation. What was the police lieutenant doing there again, and who was that other man? He decided for the moment to ignore them, and turned to the General. <br />
<br />
"I just thought I'd come by to see how you are feeling, sir," he said to the old man. "I contacted the hospital, but they said you had been sent home already. I have to confess I'm rather surprised at your quick recovery."<br />
<br />
"Ah," said the General. "You would be, I imagine. But it was just a spot of trouble with the <span style="color: blue;">pancreas</span>." <br />
<br />
"What?!" said Adam, obviously bewildered. "But..."<br />
<br />
Bumblebee made a discreet cough and said, turning to Diana: "Excuse me, miss, but may I suggest <span style="color: blue;">apple dumplings</span> for tea?"<br />
<br />
"Absolutely," said Diana. "And don't forget Grandpa's <span style="color: red;">vitamins</span>, please."<br />
<br />
Bumblebee left; and at the same time William entered, carrying a small wooden chest.<br />
<br />
"Here it is," he said. "Baying Wolf's treasure chest. Where shall I put it?"<br />
<br />
"On the table, please," said Diana. "John, you go ahead and open it!"<br />
<br />
Everyone seemed to have forgotten about Adam. They all gathered around the table, except the General who was just leaning back in his chair nodding to himself with a smile.<br />
<br />
The chest looked very old indeed. It seemed to Skittles that it even had <span style="color: blue;">lichen</span> growing on it. But on the lid there was some kind of golden animal picture engraved.<br />
<br />
"Go on, young man, open it!" said the General. "It's not <span style="color: blue;">Pandora</span>'s box, you know," he added in an amused tone of voice. "Nothing in there that will come out and bite you." <br />
<br />
Skittles lifted the lid. At the bottom of the chest lay some very small pieces of broken bones, some kind of <span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;">ribbon</span><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;">,</span> </span>and a</span> small feather.<br />
<br />
"Now we have a doctor in the house," the General said, turning to Adam again, "perhaps you can affirm that there is no <span style="color: blue;">thermometer</span> that can measure wind chill, right?"<br />
<br />
"Eh..." said Adam, not having the faintest idea what this was all about. "I suppose..."<br />
<br />
"Now sit down, all of you," commanded the General, "and I'll tell you the story of how this treasure chest got into my hands. You see, there was this Indian Chief named Baying Wolf, and he had a daughter called <span style="color: blue;">Sparrow</span>..."DawnTreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13956409908791716009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181894341079376448.post-8814190531165135662010-02-07T20:00:00.000+01:002010-02-07T20:00:59.118+01:00Raven's Saturday Wordzzle Challenge # 98<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-89Eqwub8B2NUrQD8yOgiAfY0-NFsTpW6LcXcXvslu25TCaqlq4DmVYHG9hCR_52HyOmmpfVIQGM5yzvntvzlE4mwnCVuJJQOjFWwbfu_KjQ3QaeP6Pu7mB-C4WKujSr6wgpO9AJA9gn/s144/wordzzle.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2010/02/saturday-wordzzle-challenge-week-98.html">Raven's Wordzzle Challenge # 98</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">treasure chest, idiom, pantry, crippled, baying wolf, wind chill, time, angel, salamander, laundry list</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;">risque, radish, ring tone, ravishing, ruler</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><strong>The Slumber Party Mystery</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><strong>Chapter 44 - Baying Wolf</strong></span><br />
<br />
"Well, Grandpa," said Diana, "I was just talking to the guys about those ancient relics of yours, and they're just dying to take a look at them. You don't mind, do you?" <br />
<br />
"Of course not," said the General, handing the two kittens over to his granddaughter. "Here, take these for me, will you."<br />
<br />
Diana had changed into a <span style="color: red;">radish</span> red dress before lunch and was looking absolutely <span style="color: red;">ravishing</span> bordering on <span style="color: red;">risque</span>. She did that in any color though, Skittles thought to himself. <br />
<br />
Kneeling down on the floor to play with the kittens, Diana turned to William and said: "Will, please be an <span style="color: blue;">angel</span> and fetch <span style="color: blue;">Baying Wolf's</span> treasure chest for us. You know the one I mean. With the golden <span style="color: blue;">salamander</span> on the lid."<br />
<br />
"I know," said William, and trotted off out into the hall. Skittles, trying to collect his thoughts again, noted that it sounded like the young man went up the stairs. How come this young man was so familiar with the house that Diana even sent him to fetch valuable items from another room?<br />
<br />
"Baying Wolf's treasure chest?" said Matthew. "That sounds intriguing."<br />
<br />
"It is indeed!" said the General in an excited voice. Skittles couldn't get over his astonishment how remarkably less <span style="color: blue;">crippled</span> the old man seemed today than yesterday at the hospital.<br />
<br />
"You know," continued the General, "I read a most interesting article only last week about the <span style="color: blue;">wind chill</span> factor up in those mountains."<br />
<br />
Matthew raised his eyebrows, and Skittles sighed. Obviously the old man's mind was still confused. Diana did not show any reaction, though, and the General continued:<br />
<br />
"Baying Wolf was an Indian Chief, you know. Rumor had it he froze to death, and with him died the secret where all the bodies were buried."<br />
<br />
"But Grandpa," said Diana. "You know that's just an <span style="color: blue;">idiom</span>. It can mean anything, not necessarily skeletons."<br />
<br />
There was a discreet cough coming from the doorway. Bumblebee, the butler, had suddenly appeared, carrying a tray with a <span style="color: red;">ruler</span> and a piece of paper on it. "Excuse me, miss Diana," he said. "Here is the <span style="color: blue;">laundry list</span> you asked for earlier. And the ruler."<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"></span><br />
"Thank you," said Diana. "I just can't seem to make a straight line without one," she remarked to no one in particular. "And Bumblebee, I think it is <span style="color: blue;">time</span> for afternoon tea soon, don't you? I hope you still have some of that delicious jam of yours left in the <span style="color: blue;">pantry</span>."<br />
<br />
Somewhere in the house, a <span style="color: red;">ring tone</span> sounded. Skittles could not determine whether it was a telephone or a door bell.DawnTreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13956409908791716009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181894341079376448.post-27308662994838112812010-01-31T12:40:00.000+01:002010-01-31T12:40:12.069+01:00Raven's Wordzzle Challenge # 97<span style="color: black;"><a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2010/01/saturday-wordzzle-challenge-week-97.html">Raven's Wordzzle Challenge # 97</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">teflon, idealistic, marshmallow, opportunistic, kittens, beef, sawing logs, slapped, tickled, scissors</span> <br />
<span style="color: red;">ripen, shelve, laminate, goofy, Siamese</span><br />
<br />
<strong>The Slumber Party Mystery</strong><br />
<strong>Chapter 43 - The Return of the Brigadier General</strong><br />
<br />
Clouds were gathering in the sky above them. Looking up, Diana sad: "Might be time we moved indoors anyway, it looks like it's going to rain." Just as she said that, there was a sound like <span style="color: blue;">sawing logs</span> somewhere in the background that seemed to confirm her suspicions.<br />
<br />
"Oh, I hope we'll have a real thunderstorm!" said Diana. "I'm getting this urge to roast <span style="color: blue;">marshmallows</span> over the fire in the library later on. Come on now, I want to show you those bones."<br />
<br />
The men rose slowly, feeling a bit heavy still after the <span style="color: blue;">beef</span> they had been served for lunch, and neither of them really all that keen to look at some dusty old bones that the General might have <span style="color: red;">shelved</span> among all the rest of his weird collections.<br />
<br />
Entering the library, they found a surprise waiting for them. The room was not empty. In one of the armchairs sat the Brigadier General,with two <span style="color: blue;">kittens</span> on his lap. The General <span style="color: blue;">tickled</span> them, and the kittens every now and then <span style="color: blue;">slapped</span> at the old man's hand, but otherwise seemed rather content. <br />
<br />
Skittles felt his mind taking in the details but then they sort of slided right back off again, he couldn't get anything to fit together.<br />
<br />
The only one seemingly not surprised was Diana. She went straight up to her grandfather, kissed him on the cheek and said: "Glad to see you back!"<br />
<br />
"Hello my dear," said the General. "I just sent Bumblebee to fetch the <span style="color: blue;">scissors</span> and that machine from the study, I'd like you to <span style="color: red;">laminate</span> some labels for me to put on those boxes over there." He nodded towards some obscure corner of the room; and then also towards the three men. "I hope our guests have been well fed? Where is Adam?"<br />
<br />
"I expect Adam to come round later. I didn't ask him to come to lunch because I suspected that he might turn down a direct invitation, but I have a strong suspicion that he will show up for afternoon tea anyway."<br />
<br />
This reminded Skittles of having seen a glimpse of the doctor outside the church, but then at the sight of Diana he had completely forgotten about him. He really must be getting <span style="color: blue;">teflon</span> syndrome.<br />
<br />
Matthew, having come along as an outsider and observer, was not feeling quite as stunned as his friend. Looking at the kittens, he said to Diana: "Excuse me, but I was under the impression, from something John mentioned, that your cat had got run over by a train. Are these her kittens?"<br />
<br />
"Oh no," said Diana. "That was Puddles. She was a Persian. A bit to curious for her own good. <span style="color: blue;">Idealistic </span><span style="color: black;">in her nature</span>, you might also say. But she never had kittens. These belong to <span style="color: red;">Goofy</span>, the <span style="color: red;">Siamese</span>. More of an <span style="color: red;">opportunistic</span> character. I don't know where she is at the moment. Seems she left the kids to granddad to babysit." Matthew found himself beginning to emotionally understand how one's fascination with this girl might <span style="color: red;">ripen</span> fast. Conversation with her just never seemed to take the route that you had planned.<br />
<br />
In an attempt to get back on track, he turned to the General and introduced himself. "Pleased to meet you, sir," he said. "I'm Matthew Turtles, colleague of Police Lieutenant Skittles here whom you have already met. I understand you had a bit of an accident on Friday. I hope you are feeling better now?"<br />
<br />
"Ah," said the General. "Another police officer. I did wonder where you came into the picture. Am I suspected of anything?" He looked amused rather than surprised or worried.<br />
<br />
"No, sir," said Matthew. "Your granddaughter was just kind enough to invite us for lunch. Then just now she mentioned something she wanted us to have a look at in here..." He broke off, suddenly actually feeling a bit suspicious. Maybe that whole thing about asking them to look at some old bones had just been Diana's way of getting them to go inside.DawnTreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13956409908791716009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181894341079376448.post-65283278330766455752010-01-24T12:36:00.003+01:002010-01-24T18:09:11.062+01:00Raven's Wordzzle Challenge # 96<span style="background-color: blue;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2010/01/saturday-wordzzle-challenge-week-96.html">Raven's Wordzzle Challenge # 96</a></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: blue;"><span style="background-color: black; color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;">Badger, roll out the barrel, amazing, a lovely cup of tea, pressure, frozen, Gandalf, pixies, top</span><span style="background-color: white;"> gear</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;">smelly, politician, favourite, token gesture, garden</span><br />
<br />
<strong>The Slumber Party Mystery</strong><br />
<strong>Chapter 42 - An Invitation for Afternoon Tea</strong><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">Adam had been sitting at the very back of the church during the service. He was surprised that neither Diana nor William nor Skittles seemed to take any notice of him at all, neither when they came in nor when they went out. Yesterday morning Skittles had been giving the impression of looking at Adam as if he were a <span style="color: red;">smelly politician</span>, and Adam had been feeling under some <span style="color: blue;">pressure</span> fearing he'd have the police lieutenant at his heels like a <span style="color: blue;">badger</span> over the next few days.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">Outside the church Adam found himself trapped for a while in conversation with Mrs Anderson, who gladly seized the opportunity for chat with her <span style="color: red;">favourite</span> doctor. Meanwhile, some children kept running round and round them like little <span style="color: blue;">pixies</span>.</span><span style="color: black;">Just as Adam was beginning to feel irritated, one little girl came up close to him, gave him a wink and put a piece of paper in his hand. Adam made polite excuses to Mrs Anderson and withdrew to read the note.</span><br />
<br />
For a moment Adam stood like <span style="color: blue;">frozen</span> to the ground."<span style="color: blue;">Amazing</span>," he said to himself. "Is this supposed to be some kind of weird <span style="color: red;">token gesture</span>?" Because what he was holding in his hand was another one of the Brigadier General's cards, with a message not unlike the one that had got him to go up to the General's house on Friday afternoon. It read: <br />
<br />
<em>If you have the possibility, please join us in the <span style="color: red;">garden</span> this afternoon for <span style="color: blue;">a lovely cup of tea</span>.</em><br />
<br />
The card was not signed. Adam supposed Diana must be the sender, but then who did she mean by "us"? Wasn't her grandfather still in the hospital? <br />
<br />
"Hm," thought Adam. "Before I put in the <span style="color: blue;">top gear</span> and <span style="color: blue;">roll out the barrel</span> this time (he hardly knew himself what he meant by that), I think I'd better check up on how old <span style="color: blue;">Gandalf</span> is doing..."DawnTreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13956409908791716009noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181894341079376448.post-38624584025626881602010-01-09T21:40:00.002+01:002010-01-10T12:47:08.216+01:00Raven's Wordzzle Challenge #94<em>Hi everyone</em><br />
<em>I was <strong>very</strong> late catching up with Challenge#93, which I did not get round to posting until just before this one today. So if you have come here directly from Raven's Mr Linky for Week#94, here's a link to </em><a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2009/12/saturday-wordzzle-challenge-week-93.html"><em>the previous episode</em></a><em> in case you would like to read that one too.</em><br />
<br />
<a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2010/01/saturday-wordzzle-challenge-week-94.html">Raven's Wordzzle Challenge #94</a><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">space cadet, silver lining, wood, turtle soup, minaret, ice, grease, sales, mandala, mug</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">broken bones, slide rule, garbage, Chinese, sanguine</span><br />
<br />
<strong>The Slumber Party Mystery</strong><br />
<strong>Chaper 41</strong> - <strong>An Invitation to Lunch</strong><br />
<br />
To Skittles, the pastor could just as well have been speaking from a <span style="color: blue;">minaret</span><span style="color: black;">,</span> or trying to explain in <span style="color: red;">Chinese </span><span style="color: black;">how to use a </span><span style="color: red;">slide rule</span>. All he heard was a distant mumble, while staring at the back of William's neck, trying to decide whether the young man hand actually put <span style="color: blue;">grease</span> in his hair to achieve that spiky hairstyle, and wondering whether Diana approved of that. <br />
<br />
Every cloud has a <span style="color: blue;">silver lining</span>, though. After the service, both Diana and William turned around to greet him and Matthew, and Diana gave them a dazzling smile.<br />
<br />
"John, I was hoping you'd come!" she said. "Who is your friend?"<br />
<br />
"This is Matthew," said Skittles. "Another <span style="color: blue;">space cadet</span> - sorry, internal joke. Police officer. And Matthew, this is Diana Haven."<br />
<br />
"Matthew Turtles," said Matthew, shaking hands with Diana, and then looking inquiringly at William. <br />
<br />
"William <span style="color: blue;">Wood</span>," said William. "I'm in <span style="color: blue;">sales</span>."<br />
<br />
Since Skittles had already informed Matthew in a whisper during the sermon who the young man next to Diana was, pointing him out as "the delivery boy", this remark almost caused Matthew to choke, but he managed to collect himself.<br />
<br />
<br />
"I warned Bumblebee I might be bringing along one or two guests for lunch," said Diana. "Perhaps all three of you would like to join me? Only..." She looked hesitantly at Matthew, who raised his eyebrows, not knowing what to expect next. "I'm sorry," said Diana, and now he saw that it was she that was nearly choking with laughter. "I really can't help it. It's just that old B suggested he could make <span style="color: blue;">turtle soup</span>... I do apologize, if I had known who John would be bringing along, I would have asked for another menu, but..."<br />
<br />
Luckily, Matthew was of <span style="color: blue;">sanguine</span> disposition, and laughed as heartily as Diana at this joke, which lifted some of the general tension for all of them.<br />
<br />
After the main course following the turtle soup, they had <span style="color: blue;">ice</span> cream and coffee (served in <span style="color: blue;">mugs</span>) out on the terrace, and Diana then brought up a discussion of the sermon they had been listening to - or were supposed to have listened to. Skittles suddenly wished he had been paying more attention. All he remembered was that it had been something to do with avarice.<br />
<br />
"I mean," said Diana, "that reference to the <span style="color: blue;">mandala</span> was really brilliant, wasn't it. Here today, gone tomorrow, and then you have to start over. I do wish Grandpa had more of that attitude." She turned to Matthew. "My grandfather collects things," she explained. "All kinds of things. Even old <span style="color: red;">broken bones</span>!"<br />
<br />
"But Diana," said William. "Those bones are ancient relics, aren't they..."<br />
<br />
"Well, so he claims," said Diana. "They look to me as if they could have been dug up from any old <span style="color: red;">garbage</span> bin!" She turned again to Matthew and John. "Would you like to see them? You're police officers, maybe you can tell the difference!"DawnTreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13956409908791716009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181894341079376448.post-44736044095694897132010-01-09T20:26:00.002+01:002010-01-10T12:47:08.216+01:00Raven's Wordzzle Challenge #93<span style="color: black;"><a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2009/12/saturday-wordzzle-challenge-week-93.html">Raven's Wordzzle Challenge #93</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">spaghetti, woe is me, mythology, avarice, windy, pathetic, paper towels, water, all my children, books</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;">best deals of the week, Nobel Peace Prize, sleep deprived, cauliflower, practice</span><br />
<br />
<strong>The Slumber Party Mystery</strong><br />
<strong>Chapter 40 - Avarice and Jealousy</strong><br />
<br />
The church bells started ringing, and Diana was already half way up the stairs, shaking hands on her way with the group of ladies that had been waiting outside. It was a <span style="color: blue;">windy</span> day, which made Diana's skirt move in the draught.<br />
<br />
"I'll introduce you afterwards," said Skittles to his friend. "Or maybe we can get a seat next to her. Come on!" <br />
<br />
"You're a <span style="color: blue;">pathetic</span> coward, that's what you are," said Matthew, in a teasing tone of voice. He followed his friend into the little church, and looked around curiously. As he did not live in this village, he had not been inside before. Skittles, too, felt a little lost and out of <span style="color: red;">practice</span> - it was some time since he had last been to church.<br />
<br />
Just inside the door stood a <span style="color: red;">sleep deprived</span>-looking woman in a hat shaped like a <span style="color: red;">cauliflower</span>, handing out hymn <span style="color: blue;">books</span>. They each took one, but just as they were proceeding down the aisle, something wet hit Matthew in the neck. He turned around to see what it was, and saw that a couple of kids were throwing balls made of <span style="color: blue;">paper towels</span> dipped in <span style="color: blue;">water</span> about.<br />
<br />
"Hey, you stop that immediately!" he said in his most official voice, showing his police badge. The kids gasped and disappeared through a door to the left. A young woman smiled appreciatively at him.<br />
<br />
"You almost deserve the <span style="color: red;">Nobel Peace Prize</span> for that," she said. "I apologize, you must be getting a very bad impression of our church, but I assure you not <span style="color: blue;">all my children</span> are as naughty as those two. At least it wasn't <span style="color: blue;">spagetthi</span> this time." She disappeared through the same door as the kids.<br />
<br />
Skittle's attention was directed elsewhere. He had just caught sight of William sitting next to Diana, and he managed to squeeze himself and Matthew in on the bench right behind them.<br />
<br />
"Today's subject is <span style="color: blue;">avarice</span>," said the pastor, turning a leaf in the Bible.<br />
<br />
Skittles heard William muttering something about "<span style="color: red;">best deals of the week</span>", which made Diana laugh and whisper something back in his ear - the word "<span style="color: blue;">mythology</span>" was all he could catch. She and William seemed very friendly with each other; something which Skittles found himself not liking the idea of.<br />
<br />
<br />
"... <span style="color: blue;">woe is me</span>..." the pastor continued reading, and Skittles tried to turn his attention back to the sermon. If avarice was a sin, then in all probability, the same applied to jealousy.DawnTreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13956409908791716009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181894341079376448.post-90819066765409946532009-12-23T21:58:00.001+01:002009-12-23T21:59:02.019+01:00<div align="center"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/EgwY2bnTDDO7ev6CJRScuw?authkey=Gv1sRgCNLyjtnvv93nrwE&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8Myl8xWdy5so1-xzvlitG3zQ0AYau1KJIpAUbgWM0QoQEGRHHTd2ZDOBMniXdJalAfhWwt60QhEyV0SqH7uIm1R4_c4rhTP-rYltnMn20FN7IHJmhs-OItse3j7Fs3hGQFi8yf6PQDn0/s400/DSCN3935.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><strong>.~. MERRY CHRISTMAS .~.</strong></span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><strong>.~. HAPPY NEW YEAR .~.</strong></span><br />
</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"> Sorry for my delay in posting the next episode of The Slumber Party Mystery. Since there is going to be a break in the Wordzzles until after New Year however, I hope to be able to catch up.</span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">.~. GOD JUL .~.</span></strong><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">.~. GOTT NYTT ÅR .~.</span></strong><br />
</div>DawnTreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13956409908791716009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181894341079376448.post-15236351491858552422009-12-12T12:29:00.002+01:002010-01-09T19:20:02.710+01:00Raven's Wordzzle Challenge #92<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-89Eqwub8B2NUrQD8yOgiAfY0-NFsTpW6LcXcXvslu25TCaqlq4DmVYHG9hCR_52HyOmmpfVIQGM5yzvntvzlE4mwnCVuJJQOjFWwbfu_KjQ3QaeP6Pu7mB-C4WKujSr6wgpO9AJA9gn/s144/wordzzle.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2009/12/saturday-wordzzle-challenge-week-92.html">Raven's Wordzzle Challenge #92</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">sugar, mortgage, logical, roller skates, outlandish, "Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus", cumberbund, unexpected, photo album, scarecrow</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;">tomatoes, turtles, basement apartment, circumference, make my day</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><strong>The Slumber Party Mystery</strong></span><br />
<strong>Chapter 39 - Gossip</strong><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">Skittles had talked his friend Matthew <span style="color: red;">Turtles</span> into having Sunday breakfast with him in his <span style="color: red;">basement apartment</span>, and then going with him to the village church. </span><br />
<br />
"Please," Skittles had said on the phone. "You know I don't usually go to church, and if I go alone I'll feel as though they'll all be staring at me, and I'll be red as <span style="color: red;">tomatoes</span> in the face. But Diana said she might be going, and it would really <span style="color: red;">make my day</span> if you'd accompany me and see her. It's enough if you just say hello and then you could give me your opinion of her afterwards."<br />
<br />
"I really can't see why it would cause any less staring if I go with you," had been Matt's answer, but since he was feeling curious, he had agreed anyway. <br />
<br />
Up at the Brigadier General's house, Bumblebee was tying a <span style="color: blue;">cumberbund</span> around the impressive <span style="color: red;">circumference</span> of his belly. Miss Diana had warned him that she would probably be bringing some guests back with her after church. <br />
<br />
At the village church, Diana could not really have made a more spectacular entrance if she had arrived on <span style="color: blue;">roller skates</span> instead of in her <span style="color: blue;">outlandish</span> little red sports car, wearing her grandmother's diamond necklace.<br />
<br />
The quartet of old ladies standing outside the church were so preoccupied looking at her that they paid no attention at all to the two police officers, nor to Dr Challenge; and certainly not to young William.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">"Yes Virigina, there is a Santa Claus!"</span> said Mrs Smith to Mrs Jones. "Just look at her! I have a picture in my <span style="color: blue;">photo album</span>..."<br />
<br />
"Now isn't that <span style="color: blue;">unexpected</span>?" said Mrs Jones to Mrs Anderson. "That poor little <span style="color: blue;">scarecrow</span>, growing up into such a fashionable young lady!"<br />
<br />
"Well, Virginia," said Mrs Anderson, "I'd say it's only <span style="color: blue;">logical</span> that she should, really, all things considered. I shouldn't wonder if that diamond necklace is a fake, though! I heard the General had to take a <span style="color: blue;">mortgage</span> on the house you know," she added in a whisper. <br />
<br />
Skittles, looking at Diana, found himself thinking that he should have taken at least three lumps of <span style="color: blue;">sugar</span> with his morning coffee instead of just one. He was suddenly feeling a bit weak at the knees. <br />
<br />
His friend Matt noticed, and gave him an amused smile.<br />
<br />
"Hey John, you're not the groom waiting for the bride, you know, even though I must agree she'd make a stunning one! If you still want me to meet her, you'll have to introduce me!"DawnTreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13956409908791716009noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181894341079376448.post-80984567307025898712009-12-05T11:50:00.003+01:002009-12-05T12:27:17.270+01:00Raven's Wordzzle Challenge #91<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-89Eqwub8B2NUrQD8yOgiAfY0-NFsTpW6LcXcXvslu25TCaqlq4DmVYHG9hCR_52HyOmmpfVIQGM5yzvntvzlE4mwnCVuJJQOjFWwbfu_KjQ3QaeP6Pu7mB-C4WKujSr6wgpO9AJA9gn/s144/wordzzle.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2009/12/saturday-wordzzle-challenge-week-91.html">Raven's Wordzzle Challenge #91</a><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">edge, haven, sunglasses, sprightly, telling, frazzled, juicy, quartet, tied, necklace</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">bees, crackling, wooden, staple, earful</span><br />
<br />
<em>(Words this week provided by Argent)</em><br />
<br />
<strong>The Slumber Party Mystery</strong><br />
<strong>Chapter 38 - Going to Church</strong><br />
<br />
Adam Challenge awoke on Sunday Morning still feeling kind of <span style="color: blue;">frazzled</span> and on <span style="color: blue;">edge</span>. In spite of this he decided to go to church. There was no <span style="color: blue;">telling</span> yet how much the rumours of Friday's events - or Saturday's for that matter - had spread around the village, but church would be the right place to find out about all the <span style="color: blue;">juicy</span> gossip. He might just as well take the bull by the horns! As he went outside, he tried his best to put on a <span style="color: blue;">sprightly</span> manner. The <span style="color: red;">bees</span> were already busy buzzing around in the gardens and it looked as if it was going to be another warm and sunny day.<br />
<br />
Since William had been working at the back of the store all Saturday, handling <span style="color: red;">staple</span> goods, with no one to talk to but his boss who wouldn't listen, he too decided on Sunday morning to go to church. If the news was not already spreading on its own, he intended to help! After all, he had not only been a principal witness, but even taken active part in the events, saving the Brigadier General's house from burning down! <br />
<br />
<br />
As Adam approached the little <span style="color: red;">wooden</span> church with its <span style="color: red;">crackling</span> white paint, he saw a <span style="color: blue;">quartet</span> of women outside who were all patients of his. He would get his <span style="color: red;">earful</span> of <span style="color: black;">gossip</span> alright. He noticed however that their attention was not at the moment directed towards himself. A little red sports car had just driven up in front of the church, and out stepped a young woman in <span style="color: blue;">sunglasses</span>, wearing a white skirt and black top. Her hair was neatly <span style="color: blue;">tied</span> back; but around her neck she wore a sparkling diamond <span style="color: blue;">necklace</span>. This was something he had not counted on. Miss Diana <span style="color: blue;">Haven</span> had obviously come to the same decision as himself, about facing the crowd rather than just stay at home wondering.DawnTreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13956409908791716009noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181894341079376448.post-53112897083883138342009-11-21T08:40:00.004+01:002009-11-21T08:49:46.494+01:00Raven's Wordzzle Challenge #90<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-89Eqwub8B2NUrQD8yOgiAfY0-NFsTpW6LcXcXvslu25TCaqlq4DmVYHG9hCR_52HyOmmpfVIQGM5yzvntvzlE4mwnCVuJJQOjFWwbfu_KjQ3QaeP6Pu7mB-C4WKujSr6wgpO9AJA9gn/s144/wordzzle.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2009/11/saturday-wordzzle-challenge-week-90.html">Raven's Wordzzle Challenge #90</a><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">love is a many splendored thing, trucks, inspector, symbols, rising, organic, liberation, costly, smug, naughty,</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;">the nature of the beast, identical, charcoal, braggart, vacation</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><em>If you're new to my story, there is a Summary <a href="http://wordlyefforts.blogspot.com/2009/11/slumber-party-mystery-summary.html">here</a></em><em>.</em></span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">The Slumber Party Mystery</span></span></b><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b><span style="color: black;">Chapter 37 - Love is a many splendored thing</span></b><br />
</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">William, late on Saturday afternoon, was still stuck at the grocery store, unloading <span style="color: blue;">trucks</span> and handling <span style="color: blue;">costly</span> goods marked "<span style="color: blue;">organic</span>" and with some strange <span style="color: blue;">symbols</span> he took to be Chinese signs. His boss was just watching from behind his glass windows and acting <span style="color: blue;">inspector</span>, looking very <span style="color: blue;">smug</span> and not even <span style="color: blue;">rising</span> from his chair. William in the meantime was getting <span style="color: blue;">naughty</span> thoughts of practical jokes but realized that any such attempts would only get him into more trouble. Finally his hour of <span style="color: blue;">liberation</span> came, and he was allowed to go home and watch the DVD he had rented: <i><span style="color: blue;">Love is a many splendored thing.</span></i></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">Diana was sitting in her room making a <span style="color: red;">charcoal</span> picture, but she had problems quite catching <span style="color: red;">the nature of the beast</span> she was drawing. In her head she could hear the voice of her friend Sandy saying: "All men are such <span style="color: red;">braggarts</span>!" Diana threw the picture aside and started on another <span style="color: red;">identical</span> one. It struck her that her <span style="color: red;">vacation</span> would soon be coming to an end and there were decisions to be made. </span><br />
</span>DawnTreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13956409908791716009noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181894341079376448.post-64878838509005877812009-11-13T19:04:00.004+01:002009-11-21T08:41:57.032+01:00Raven's Wordzzle Challenge # 89<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/hUBMynC8REuJt7z_cMoXKg?authkey=Gv1sRgCL_Snae-4Jbe7gE&feat=embedwebsite" linkindex="23"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-89Eqwub8B2NUrQD8yOgiAfY0-NFsTpW6LcXcXvslu25TCaqlq4DmVYHG9hCR_52HyOmmpfVIQGM5yzvntvzlE4mwnCVuJJQOjFWwbfu_KjQ3QaeP6Pu7mB-C4WKujSr6wgpO9AJA9gn/s144/wordzzle.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2009/11/saturday-wordzzle-challenge-week-89.html" linkindex="24"><b></b></a><b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/">Raven's Wordzzle Challenge # 89</a> </b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">officer, candid, drowning, turtles, sugar-coated, prospecting, shame on you, </span><span style="color: blue;">reclinder, luggage, brains, </span><span style="color: red;">paragon of virtue, cats-in-the-cradle, swamp, sprinkles, garbage</span><br />
<br />
<b>The Slumber Party Mystery</b><br />
<b>Chapter 36 – Cat's Cradle</b><br />
<br />
Getting home on Saturday evening, John Skittles called up his friend <span style="color: blue;">Turtles</span>, who was also a police <span style="color: blue;">officer</span>.<br />
<br />
"To be quite <span style="color: blue;">candid</span> with you, I don't understand what's happening," he complained. "I thought I was solving a mystery, and then suddenly I seem to be <span style="color: blue;">drowning</span> in a <span style="color: blue;">sugar-coated</span> romance instead."<br />
<br />
"Sounds like interesting <span style="background-color: white; color: blue;">prospecting</span> to me," said his friend. "<span style="color: blue;">Shame on you</span> for moaning about it! You know you always fall in love with a good mystery. Perhaps this time the mystery has also fallen in love with you! I suggest you lean back in your <span style="color: blue;">recliner</span> and put those Sherlock <span style="color: blue;">brains</span> of yours to some good use for once. Try and figure out what it is about this girl that attracts you."<br />
<br />
"I have no idea," said Skittles, still in a grumpy tone of voice. "She comes with such a lot of strange <span style="background-color: white; color: blue;">luggage</span>. Her grandfather's house is only part of it. The place is a veritable <span style="color: red;">swamp</span> full of <span style="background-color: white; color: red;">garbage</span>, in some ways. She's hardly a <span style="color: red;">paragon of virtue</span> herself either. And she's not in love with me, she's in love with that doctor. She said so yesterday." <br />
<br />
"Ah," said Turtles. "The <span style="color: red;">cat's in the cradle</span>, and <span style="color: red;">sprinkles</span> of jealousy on top."<br />
<br />
"What?" said Skittles, irritably. "You know I'm no good at metaphors, you always end up having to explain them to me."<br />
<br />
"This one is kind of hard to explain over the phone, John," said his friend. "Cat's cradle is an intricate game, and it takes the combined efforts of two people to sort it out." <br />
<br />
Later in the evening, Turtles emailed <span id="goog_1258135496673"></span>this<span id="goog_1258135496674"></span> web page to his friend John Skittles:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.ifyoulovetoread.com/book/chten_cats1105.htm" linkindex="25">http://www.ifyoulovetoread.com/book/chten_cats1105.htm</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<script src="http://cdn.printfriendly.com/printfriendly.js" type="text/javascript">
</script><a href="http://www.printfriendly.com/" id="printfriendly" linkindex="26" onclick="window.print(); return false;" title="Print an optimized version of this web page"><img alt="Print" src="http://cdn.printfriendly.com/pf-button.gif" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;" /></a>DawnTreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13956409908791716009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181894341079376448.post-54435291698569241722009-11-07T09:35:00.001+01:002009-11-14T12:11:39.774+01:00Raven's Wordzzle Challenge # 88<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-89Eqwub8B2NUrQD8yOgiAfY0-NFsTpW6LcXcXvslu25TCaqlq4DmVYHG9hCR_52HyOmmpfVIQGM5yzvntvzlE4mwnCVuJJQOjFWwbfu_KjQ3QaeP6Pu7mB-C4WKujSr6wgpO9AJA9gn/s144/wordzzle.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2009/11/saturday-wordzzle-challenge-week-88.html">Raven's Wordzzle Challenge # 88</a><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">Cute, come with me to the Casbah, bloodhound, respiration, Facebook, Canada Geese, modern, gravity, spider webs, sea shells, </span><span style="color: red;">curiosity killed the cat, charming Victorian, railroad tracks, tower, salt and pepper</span><br />
<br />
<strong>The Slumber Party Mystery</strong><br />
<strong>Chapter 35 – A Curious Phone Call</strong><br />
<br />
What Skittles actually said to Diana when he asked her to have lunch with him was "<span style="color: blue;">Come with me to The Casbah</span>", referring to the Algerian restaurant by that name a few blocks away from the <span style="color: blue;">Modern</span> Arts Museum.<br />
<br />
Diana, for some reason, said she thought it was very "<span style="color: blue;">cute</span>" of him to say so. When he asked her why she said that, she just smiled and said "<span style="color: red;">Curiosity killed the cat</span>". He did not dare ask again. Then Diana asked if he was on <span style="color: blue;">Facebook</span>. John said no, and she said no matter, she could show him how to set up an account – he would soon learn.<br />
<br />
On their way out, they passed another work of art in the entrance hall.. Skittles found himself rather liking this one, which was called "<span style="color: blue;">Sea Shells</span> and <span style="color: blue;">Spider Webs</span>". At least he could see what was what in it. <br />
<br />
The Casbah restaurant, as Skittles knew from before, was in a <span style="color: blue;">charming Victorian</span> style building. On each of the tables, they had little <span style="color: red;">tower</span>-shaped containers for <span style="color: red;">salt and pepper</span>. Skittles had always liked those. <br />
<br />
Just as they sat down, Diana's cell phone rang. Skittles listened anxiously to the part of the conversation that he could hear.<br />
<br />
"What do you mean, <span style="color: blue;">respiration</span> problems?!" she gasped to the person at the other end. Skittles immediately thought of her grandfather, and found his <span style="color: blue;">bloodhound</span> police instincts aroused. This sounded like a situation of <span style="color: blue;">gravity</span> that might be requiring their immediate presence back at the hospital.<br />
<br />
However, what followed did not quite seem to fit.<br />
<br />
"But what on earth was she doing on the <span style="color: red;">railroad tracks</span>?" said Diana. <br />
<br />
After listening a while longer, she said "Okay, we'll talk more later," put the cell phone back into her handbag, and turned to Skittles with a deep sigh and tears in her eyes. <br />
<br />
"That was about Puddles," she said. "It seems curiosity killed the cat for real this time. Apparently she was hit by a train while chasing <span style="color: blue;">Canada Geese</span> along the tracks." <br />
<br />
Skittles did not know what to say, but reached out over the table and patted her hand, rather clumsily. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<script src="http://cdn.printfriendly.com/printfriendly.js" type="text/javascript">
</script><a href="http://www.printfriendly.com/" id="printfriendly" onclick="window.print(); return false;" title="Print an optimized version of this web page"><img alt="Print" src="http://cdn.printfriendly.com/pf-button.gif" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;" /></a>DawnTreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13956409908791716009noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181894341079376448.post-55624523224552385892009-10-30T20:38:00.001+01:002009-11-14T12:15:23.213+01:00Raven's Wordzzle Challenge # 87<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-89Eqwub8B2NUrQD8yOgiAfY0-NFsTpW6LcXcXvslu25TCaqlq4DmVYHG9hCR_52HyOmmpfVIQGM5yzvntvzlE4mwnCVuJJQOjFWwbfu_KjQ3QaeP6Pu7mB-C4WKujSr6wgpO9AJA9gn/s144/wordzzle.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2009/10/saturday-wordzzle-challenge-week-87.html">Raven's Wordzzle Challenge # 87</a><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">plumber, autograph, Florence Nightengale, a chill wind’s a blowing, watering hole, sleek, triplets, backwards, surface*, tension*, parrot, </span><span style="color: red;">free estimates, French fries, carpet, Braille, silver-tongued bandit</span><br />
<br />
<strong>The Slumber Party Mystery</strong><br />
<strong>Chapter 34 – Adam's Saturday Adventures</strong><br />
<br />
Dr Adam Challenge's Saturday had not started well, and did not seem to be getting better. During Lieutenant Skittles' unexpected visit in the morning he had tried to remain calm on the <span style="color: blue;">surface</span>, but their talk had left him with a lot of <span style="color: blue;">tension</span>. After Skittles left - advising Adam not to leave town - on top of everything, Adam discovered that his toilet was out of order. He called several <span style="color: blue;">plumbers</span>, repeating the same questions feeling like a <span style="color: blue;">parrot</span>, but none of them would give <span style="color: red;">free estimates</span> on a Saturday. Finally he got in touch with one <span style="color: blue;">sleek</span> <span style="color: red;">silver-tongued bandit</span> of a plumber who promised to come and have a look at it the same evening, but at four times the normal cost. In spite of the sunny day, Adam felt <span style="color: blue;">a chill wind blowing</span>.<br />
<br />
Right after that, just as Adam was contemplating going to his favourite <span style="background-color: white; color: blue;">watering hole</span> and get himself a drink and some <span style="color: red;">French fries</span> for lunch, he got an emergency phone call from a patient having <span style="color: blue;">triplets</span>. Adam found her lying on the living room <span style="color: red;">carpet</span> and there was no time to get her to the hospital. He had to deliver the babies himself. Luckily everything went well, in spite of one of them coming out <span style="color: blue;">backwards</span>. The husband, before following the ambulance in his own car, compared Adam to <span style="color: blue;">Florence Nightingale</span> and asked for his <span style="color: blue;">autograph</span> in triplicate, to give to each of the children later on. He also wanted it in <span style="color: red;">Braille</span> for the children's grandmother but Adam said he would have to get back to him about that. <br />
<br />
Watching the happy father drive away, Adam suddenly felt a lot better about himself. After all, the Brigadier General had not died; and today he had helped bring three new lives into the world.<br />
<br />
<em>*Note on the words: Picking up the link to #87 today, I find that I made a mistake when picking up the words from last week. I took surface and tension to be meant as separate words. I don't have time to rethink and rewrite today so I'll just make apologies and leave them as they are in my story.</em>DawnTreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13956409908791716009noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181894341079376448.post-20161872715439026012009-10-25T12:52:00.001+01:002009-11-14T12:16:48.576+01:00Raven's Wordzzle Challenge #86<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-89Eqwub8B2NUrQD8yOgiAfY0-NFsTpW6LcXcXvslu25TCaqlq4DmVYHG9hCR_52HyOmmpfVIQGM5yzvntvzlE4mwnCVuJJQOjFWwbfu_KjQ3QaeP6Pu7mB-C4WKujSr6wgpO9AJA9gn/s144/wordzzle.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<i>Readers: Apologies in advance for the contents below! </i><i>It was either this or skipping another week...</i><br />
<i>No time; and some of the most impossible words I've ever come across so far, I think... LOL</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2009/10/saturday-wordzzle-challenge-week-86.html" linkindex="14">Raven's Wordzzle Challenge #86</a><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">Incensed, sidewinder, bogus, conniption, Haz-mat, conniving, customize, perforated, zeal, rolling off a log,</span> <span style="color: red;">abstemious, chlorophyll, origami, cheerleader, dung beetle</span><br />
<br />
<b>The Slumber Party Mystery</b><br />
<b>Chapter 33 - More Distractions</b><br />
<br />
After having spent about fifteen minutes in front of the Pinnochio painting, Diana also dragged Skittles through the rest of the Modern Art Museum. He did not understand much of what he saw, but it was undoubtedly an experience unlike anything he had been through before in his life.<br />
<br />
The next room was <span style="color: blue;">incensed</span> with heavy aromas. In the middle of the room stood a <span style="background-color: white; color: blue;">sidewinder</span> on a platform. As they got close to it, an alarm went off. Men in <span style="color: blue;">customized</span> <span style="color: blue;">Haz-mat</span> suits came running into the room. They seemed to be going into <span style="color: blue;">conniption</span> and at the same time showing great <span style="background-color: white; color: blue;">zeal</span> in examining the sidewinder. Skittles didn't understand a thing what they were on about. He feared a <span style="color: blue;">conniving</span> setup and looked anxiously around for the emergency exit. Diana, however, said that it was all <span style="color: blue;">bogus</span> and part of an art performance. She clapped her hands, and the men in the Hazmat then did a sort of <span style="color: blue;">cheerleader</span> dance before they left the <span style="background-color: white; color: blue;">room</span>. As they left, Skittles noticed that the back of their suits were all <span style="color: blue;">perforated</span>.<br />
<br />
In another room, there was a painting of an <span style="color: red;">abstemious</span> hermit sitting on a pillar looking out over the desert. At the bottom of the pillar there was an oversized <span style="color: red;">dung beetle</span> of <span style="color: red;">chlorophyll</span>-green colour. Diana stood for quite a while in silent admiration of this painting, which was entitled <span style="color: red;">Rolling off a log</span>.<br />
<br />
The last room turned out to be an enormous plain white hall, containing nothing but a very small piece of colourful <span style="color: red;">origami</span> artwork. The sign said it was of Swedish design. After having expressed some appreciation of this, Skittles suggested that perhaps they should go and have some lunch. Diana, apparently, had nothing against that.<br />
<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe2wgb_zBtgM15WK8dfrNCwEQE7zDmVOxKE1zWBERQ6cqCYmKalMarZ-KCkU9BxACTnSLu1Or2u9Bl_tKvKb0PNuxgiQBVGeJv7V5B_u5mvNcfVVio80QrXm9PggZN9j6O_17p5rnt9tOr/s400/DSCN3042a.JPG" />DawnTreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13956409908791716009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181894341079376448.post-34311970776236284672009-10-17T17:31:00.001+02:002009-11-14T12:17:27.206+01:00Raven's Wordzzle Challenge #85<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-89Eqwub8B2NUrQD8yOgiAfY0-NFsTpW6LcXcXvslu25TCaqlq4DmVYHG9hCR_52HyOmmpfVIQGM5yzvntvzlE4mwnCVuJJQOjFWwbfu_KjQ3QaeP6Pu7mB-C4WKujSr6wgpO9AJA9gn/s144/wordzzle.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<em>I apologize for last week's absence from the Wordzzle. I was too distracted by other things to be able to focus. Now I'm back to tackle my own words... They seemed pretty good to me when I sent them to Raven a couple of weeks ago. Now suddenly they seemed not so easy at all...!</em><br />
<br />
<a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2009/10/saturday-wordzzle-challenge-week-84_15.html">Raven's Wordzzle # 85</a><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span><span style="color: blue;">early morning light, Pinocchio, mist, leaves, sandy, coffee, walking, traffic, pray, stomach, </span><br />
<span style="color: red;">train, art, admirable, cotton, fluffy</span><br />
<br />
<strong>The Slumber Party Mystery</strong><br />
<strong>Chapter 32 - Distractions</strong><br />
<br />
Much to his own surprise, while having <span style="color: blue;">coffee</span> with Diana in the hospital cafeteria, Skittles found himself telling her all sorts of things about his own past rather than taking the opportunity to ask her some questions that had been on his mind since the previous day, about "the case". In fact, he was starting to wonder if there was "a case". <br />
<br />
"John," said Diana – because he had just told her his first name – "I think I'll skip my bowling appointment, I'm late for it already. Won't you come with me to the <span style="color: red;">art</span> museum instead? They have a painting on show that I'm just dying to see. A friend told me it's so spectacular it makes you want to <span style="color: blue;">pray</span>.You don't mind <span style="color: blue;">walking</span> a bit, do you? There is so much <span style="color: blue;">traffic</span>." She didn't really wait for Skittles' reply, but went on: "I'll just go and put my bowling bag in a locker here, and make a quick phone call to <span style="color: blue;">Sandy</span>, that's my bowling friend. See you in a minute!"<br />
<br />
Skittles watched her walk off. She was wearing a blue <span style="color: red;">cotton</span> dress today. He had a curious <span style="color: red;">fluffy</span> sensation in his <span style="color: blue;">stomach</span> and was not quite sure if that was the heavy piece of cheese cake he had just been eating, or possibly something quite different.<br />
<br />
An hour later, they were standing in front of a huge painting entitled "<span style="color: blue;">Pinocchio</span> waiting for the <span style="color: red;">train</span> in <span style="color: blue;">early morning light</span> and <span style="color: blue;">mist</span> among the falling <span style="color: blue;">leaves</span>". <br />
<br />
"Well, what do you think?" said Diana. "Is that an <span style="color: red;">admirable</span> piece of art or what?!"<br />
<br />
Skittles really thought that "or what" would be the more accurate answer – but nodded, and tried to look as if he understood these things. He had never set foot in a modern art museum before in his life.DawnTreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13956409908791716009noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181894341079376448.post-64319082268737800402009-10-03T10:16:00.001+02:002009-11-14T12:18:32.365+01:00Raven's Wordzzle Challenge #83<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-89Eqwub8B2NUrQD8yOgiAfY0-NFsTpW6LcXcXvslu25TCaqlq4DmVYHG9hCR_52HyOmmpfVIQGM5yzvntvzlE4mwnCVuJJQOjFWwbfu_KjQ3QaeP6Pu7mB-C4WKujSr6wgpO9AJA9gn/s144/wordzzle.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2009/10/saturday-wordzzle-challenge-week-83.html">Raven's Wordzzle #83</a><br />
<br />
<em> <span style="color: blue;">family, cheese cake, 20 years ago, refrigerator, laugh and the world laughs with you, bath brush, zombies, African violets, butterflies, holding hands,</span> <span style="color: red;">monsters in the closet, roughly, bowling, menu, Pennsylvania</span></em><br />
<br />
<strong>The Slumber Party Mystery</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong>Chapter 31 - Coffee with Diana</strong><br />
<br />
Coming out from the General's room in the hospital, Lieutenant Skittles ran into Diana, carrying some <span style="color: blue;">African violets</span> and a big bag that seemed rather heavy. He found himself quickly running his hand through his hair – his mirror image in the morning had showed him a hairstyle resembling a <span style="color: blue;">bath brush</span>. Other images also fluttered through his mind: The poster in Diana's room with the text "<span style="color: blue;">laugh and the world laughs with you</span>" and her water colours of magenta <span style="color: blue;">butterflies</span> in the drawing room at her grandfather's house… <br />
<br />
"Oh, it's you!" said Diana. "What are you doing here? Any news? Have you been talking to Granddad? What did he say? Is he okay?"<br />
<br />
"Eh… <span style="color: red;">roughly</span>…" said Skittles, not quite sure how to answer all this, since he had not been able to make any sense out of what the General had said.<br />
<br />
"Not talking about <span style="color: blue;">zombies</span>, was he? Or <span style="color: red;">monsters in the closet</span>?" said Diana. He sometimes gets these nightmares… Morning really isn't his best time of the day. By the way, are you officially working or just here anyway?"<br />
<br />
"Eh…" said Skittles again, since he had not checked with his boss yet if he could count his visits this morning as work or not.<br />
<br />
"Morning not your best time of day either, is it?" said Diana. "Tell you what, I'll just drop these off with Grandpa, and then you and I go down to the cafeteria and have a cup of coffee. You wait here for me!" She disappeared into the ward, and Skittles found himself waiting for her in the corridor. Why it should seem natural just to obey orders from this girl, he had no idea. He tried to get irritated, but instead, an image of her and himself <span style="color: blue;">holding hands</span> fluttered through his mind… So he waited. Ten minutes later she came back out; still carrying the bag, which seemed as heavy as before.<br />
<br />
She saw his glance and laughed. "I'm going <span style="color: red;">bowling</span> after this," she said. But come on, we still have plenty of time for that cup of coffee."<br />
<br />
She led the way without problem through the maze of corridors and elevators down to the hospital cafeteria, while chatting on about everything and nothing as if they had known each other for years. At the cafeteria counter, after a quick glance at the <span style="color: red;">menu</span>, without asking Skittles what he wanted, she ordered two cups of coffee, and two pieces of <span style="color: blue;">cheese cake</span>, cold, from the <span style="color: blue;">refrigerator</span>.<br />
<br />
Sitting down at the table, she said: "Now, you already know a whole lot about my <span style="color: blue;">family</span>. It's only fair I get to know something about you, too. You needn't go back to your birth, but tell me something random from – let's say, <span style="color: blue;">20 years ago</span>. Where were you living then?"<br />
<br />
"<span style="color: red;">Pennsylvania</span>," said Skittles.DawnTreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13956409908791716009noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181894341079376448.post-28675443708105336672009-09-26T13:25:00.001+02:002009-11-14T12:19:55.866+01:00Raven's Wordzzle Challenge #82<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/hUBMynC8REuJt7z_cMoXKg?authkey=Gv1sRgCL_Snae-4Jbe7gE&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-89Eqwub8B2NUrQD8yOgiAfY0-NFsTpW6LcXcXvslu25TCaqlq4DmVYHG9hCR_52HyOmmpfVIQGM5yzvntvzlE4mwnCVuJJQOjFWwbfu_KjQ3QaeP6Pu7mB-C4WKujSr6wgpO9AJA9gn/s144/wordzzle.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2009/09/saturday-wordzzle-challenge-week-82.html">Raven's Wordzzle #82</a><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">Tibetan sky, symbols, won’t you come home Bill Baily, shadow figures, brain cortex, practice makes perfect, life, start of school, lavender, chow down, </span><span style="color: red;">mental hospital, falling leaves, apple cider, packing crates, clues</span><br />
<br />
<strong>The Slumber Party Mystery</strong><br />
<strong>Chapter 30 – Interview with the General</strong><br />
<br />
After leaving Dr Challenge's house, Skittles decided to go to the hospital to check how the Brigadier General was doing. He found the General sitting in his bed trying to <span style="background-color: white; color: blue;">chow down</span> his breakfast. He did not seem to recognize Skittles. A young nurse was making up an empty bed next to him, while singing "<span style="background-color: white; color: blue;">Won't you come home Bill Baily</span>". The sheets were the colour of <span style="color: blue;">lavender</span>. She stopped singing when Skittles entered, and smiled at him while tucking in the last corner. "There, <span style="color: blue;">practice makes perfect</span>!" she said. "Are you looking for someone?"<br />
<br />
Skittles introduced himself and asked in a low voice if it would be all right if he talked a little to the General. The girl nodded towards a frosted window, behind which some <span style="color: blue;">shadow figures</span> could be seen moving.<br />
<br />
"You had better ask the head nurse first," she said. So Skittles went out into the corridor, and then into the nurse's office.<br />
<br />
"Hm," said the head nurse. "Police, eh? I'm not sure the patient is up to being questioned. He has not been quite coherent. The doctor says the problem is probably in his <span style="color: blue;">brain cortex</span>. But all right. You may try. No more than ten minutes, though!"<br />
<br />
Skittles went back into the General's room and sat down on a chair beside the bed. <br />
<br />
"Good morning, General," he said. "Do you remember me, Lieutenant Skittles? We met yesterday, in your garden, after your" – Skittles made a short pause – "accident."<br />
<br />
The General looked sharply at him.<br />
<br />
"I'm in a <span style="color: red;">mental hospital</span>, aren't I?" he asked. "Are you here to get me out, or to get me locked up for good?"<br />
<br />
"No," said Skittles. "I mean… This is not a mental hospital, it is a regular hospital. You were in a kind of accident and probably had a bit of a shock yesterday. I just wanted to ask you if you remember what happened?"<br />
<br />
The General seemed to be thinking hard.<br />
<br />
"We were picking apples to make <span style="color: red;">apple cider</span>," he said. "After <span style="color: blue;">start of school</span>, but before the <span style="color: red;">falling leaves</span>, you know. But then one of the <span style="color: red;">packing crates</span> fell on me."<br />
<br />
Skittles did not know how to respond to this. This must refer to some much earlier event in the General's <span style="color: blue;">life</span>.<br />
<br />
"Eh… I'm afraid that cannot have been yesterday," he said.<br />
<br />
"No?" said the General, looking surprised. "Let me think…" He leaned back on the pillows, and closed his eyes. Skittles was almost sure he had fallen asleep, when he suddenly looked up again.<br />
<br />
"<span style="color: blue;">Tibetan sky</span> burials!" said the General triumphantly. "I was reading about them, in that magazine with the strange <span style="color: blue;">symbols</span> on the front cover."<br />
<br />
Skittles sighed, and gave up hope of getting any real <span style="color: red;">clues</span> out of the Brigadier General as to what had really happened the day before.DawnTreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13956409908791716009noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181894341079376448.post-69444934277508750282009-09-19T19:58:00.001+02:002009-11-14T12:21:43.034+01:00Raven's Wordzzle Challenge #81<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-89Eqwub8B2NUrQD8yOgiAfY0-NFsTpW6LcXcXvslu25TCaqlq4DmVYHG9hCR_52HyOmmpfVIQGM5yzvntvzlE4mwnCVuJJQOjFWwbfu_KjQ3QaeP6Pu7mB-C4WKujSr6wgpO9AJA9gn/s144/wordzzle.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<em><a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2009/09/saturday-wordzzle-challenge-week-81.html">Raven's Wordzzle Challenge #81:</a></em><br />
<span style="color: blue;">dangerous, engine, sullenly, bespoke, evergreen, bauble, medicine, freight, destined, tinsel,</span> <span style="color: red;">carbon, feelers, outright, ballet, fizzing</span><br />
<br />
<em>The words this week were provided by <a href="http://argent-delusionsofadequacy.blogspot.com/">Argent</a>, and made me want to shout AAAAAAAAHRG...ENT… How am I supposed to fit baubles and tinsel into a story that is taking place in the heat of summer?! (LOL) </em><em>This is what came into my head, and it's not moving my story forward AT ALL, but I do not have time to rethink, so here it is anyway:</em><br />
<br />
<strong>The Slumber Party Mystery</strong><br />
<strong>Chapter 29 – At the Grocery Store</strong><br />
<br />
At the store, Saturday morning, William was unloading a lot of goods that had arrived the previous afternoon and had been left outside over night. As expected, his boss, Mr <span style="color: blue;">Engine</span>, generally known as just Mr E, was very angry about his late arrival back at the store last night, and did not even want to listen to William's explanation.<br />
<br />
"You had better start unloading those <span style="color: red;">fizzing</span> sodas immediately," he said. "They're full of <span style="color: red;">carbon</span> something you know and might explode any moment if they're left out in the sun! It's <span style="color: red;">outright</span> <span style="color: blue;">dangerous</span>, so just get on with it! And when you're done with that, you will have to clear a space at the back of the storage room for those boxes over there." <br />
<br />
William had his inner <span style="color: red;">feelers</span> out; he knew that in this mood Mr E was not to be reasoned with, so he shut up, obeyed orders and "got on with it". Mr E, meanwhile, went into his office to make a phone call. William could hear him throught he glass door, yelling something about <span style="color: blue;">freight</span> and a ship <span style="color: blue;">destined</span> for Hell. Or at least that was what it sounded like. <br />
<br />
The soda bottles safely inside, William went over to look at the rest of the goods. He was somewhat surprised to find three boxes marked "<span style="color: blue;">baubles</span>", "<span style="color: blue;">tinsel</span>" and "<span style="color: blue;">evergreen</span> festoons". He looked through the window into the office again. Mr E had put the phone down, and was now taking a drink from a bottle of brown stuff. William recognized the bottle, Mr E kept it in a special cabinet and it was labelled "Universal <span style="color: blue;">Medicine</span>". Mr E used it frequently. Sometimes it seemed to calm him down. Sometimes not.<br />
<br />
William knocked very lightly on the door, got a grunting reply and stepped inside.<br />
<br />
"Excuse me, sir," he said. "Those boxes with Christmas ornaments…?"<br />
<br />
"Yes, yes, I know it's still summer!" said Mr E <span style="color: blue;">sullenly</span>. "They are <span style="color: blue;">bespoke</span>. By Mrs E, for the Christmas <span style="color: red;">ballet</span>. Last year we didn't get the stupid things until New Year, so this year she wanted to make sure! As I said – just clear some space and put them at the back!"DawnTreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13956409908791716009noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181894341079376448.post-85841483797535857332009-09-12T11:03:00.002+02:002009-11-14T12:23:52.612+01:00Raven's Wordzzle Challenge #80<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-89Eqwub8B2NUrQD8yOgiAfY0-NFsTpW6LcXcXvslu25TCaqlq4DmVYHG9hCR_52HyOmmpfVIQGM5yzvntvzlE4mwnCVuJJQOjFWwbfu_KjQ3QaeP6Pu7mB-C4WKujSr6wgpO9AJA9gn/s144/wordzzle.jpg" /><span id="goog_1252744729076"></span><span id="goog_1252744729077"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><em><a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2009/09/saturday-wordzzle-challenge-week-80.html">Raven's Wordzzle Challenge #80</a> :</em> </span></span><span style="color: blue;">Charitable, alligator, tribute, drunk, slave, preparation, carrots, mountainside, propeller, lark,</span> <span style="color: red;">chisel, worship, suicide, organic, plus</span><br />
<br />
<strong>The Slumber Party Mystery</strong><br />
<strong>Chapter 28 – A Nightmare</strong><br />
<br />
Lieutentant Skittles lay awake that night, turning things over and over in his head. He did not usually work on weekends – emergency calls were then referred to the police station in a bigger city - but this Saturday he decided to pay <span style="color: blue;">tribute</span> to his own sense of duty and put in some extra hours anyway. He hoped his superiors would see this as a <span style="color: red;">plus</span> in the upcoming promotion talks. The thing was, Dr Adam Challenge had talked of coming down to the police station "tomorrow", but Skittles doubted that he really meant to - and if he did, he would find the station closed, because it was Saturday. But Skittles could go and see Adam… <br />
<br />
Adam had not slept well either. He was usually no <span style="color: blue;">slave</span> to alcohol, but last night he had got <span style="color: blue;">drunk</span>, and in the night he had dreamt very strange dreams, in which he had been running an <span style="color: red;">organic</span> farm growing <span style="color: blue;">carrots</span>, which he had then attempted to feed to an <span style="color: blue;">alligator</span>. But the alligator had attacked the boat he was sitting in, and had preferred to chew on the <span style="color: blue;">propeller</span>; which Adam had then attempted to fix with a <span style="color: red;">chisel</span>, even though it did not really seem like the right kind of tool for the job. Just as the boat was sinking under him, however, he woke up. He fumbled for the alarm clock, but pressing the button didn't help. After a while, he realised that it was not the alarm clock that was ringing – it was the door bell.<br />
<br />
Adam, in spite of being saved from drowning, did not feel in <span style="color: blue;">charitable</span> mood when he opened the door, and even less when he found Skittles outside. <br />
<br />
"Oh, it's you," he growled moodily. "I was asleep, you know. I'm not usually up with the <span style="color: blue;">lark</span> on my days off! Is there an emergency?"<br />
<br />
Skittles did not answer. "May I come in?" he asked. Adam realized it was no use saying no, and stepped aside to let the lieutenant pass into the hallway. <br />
<br />
Skittles looked around curiously and noticed a suitcase in a corner. Had the doctor been making <span style="color: blue;">preparations</span> to go away?<br />
<br />
"Going somewhere?" he asked, nodding towards the suitcase.<br />
<br />
Adam sighed. "I had intended to go up the <span style="color: blue;">mountainside</span> to a cabin and do a bit of climbing this weekend," he said. "But that was before I got that possible <span style="color: red;">suicide</span> note from the General. I decided I had to check that out first, and then you know what happened. I'm not planning to run off anywhere now, if that's what you're thinking!"<br />
<br />
"Good," said Skittles. "I'm not accusing you of anything, it just struck me that I forgot to tell you yesterday, that I strongly advise you not to leave town."<br />
<br />
The two men looked at each other. It was evident that neither of them was exactly in <span style="color: red;">worship</span> of the other.DawnTreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13956409908791716009noreply@blogger.com6