morshy

Thank you to Randylynne for passing the torch to me. I had a lot of fun with the last word list, so hope that I can do this one justice.

I've opened the dictionary at random ten times. I have chosen, each time, the tenth word listed on the left hand page. Makes for an...interesting...spread of words.

The word count should be no more than 410 (but I won the challenge by bending this rule last time...so look on it more as a guide than a law). And we'll set the deadline as 15th October. That should give you a fortnight to get something in. AND it should give us all some time to come up with something suitably scary in time for the next challenge for Halloween.

Good luck!

1. Cayuse
2. Nonchalant
3. Prehensile
4. Tectonic
5. Regenerate
6. Backstabbing
7. Mimic
8. Seedy
9. Fundamental
10. Unwise

That's actually going to be quite a challenge...but I guess that's half the fun...right?

Good luck. Again.

ladyhwin

Ooooohhh!!! That is one list, all right! I'm going to have to check my dictionary on some of the words... Will try to be back with some kind of contribution....

Rebel_Sun

First time, so bear with me...


"The secret to riding into hostile territory," someone said, "is to make 'em believe that it'd be beneath you to worry."

He'd found that advice true about as often as it was unwise...riding all nonchalant into a pack of backstabbing thieves is a likely way to get yourself killed if'n you ain't got the skills to match your swagger. Luckily, he'd always managed, but even here where trouble wasn't likely, some upstart might look to make a name for himself. With these thoughts swimmin' 'round his skull, he gave his little cayuse an unconscious nudge and headed townward.

'Tweren't much of a place but like any watering hole, all it needed was the fundamentals: a place to drink, a few seedy rooms, and a willing whore.

Hell, without Maisy, this end of nowhere might as well have not existed. He'd been with many "sportin' women", but Maisy was somethin' else...one of the few who enjoyed it, and it showed. Truly, the thought of her perfect curves, firm hindquarters and that darn-near prehensile tongue had kept him occupied for more nights than he could remember. An hour with her and a shot of rotgut could regenerate and revitalize the most weary of cowhands. Pity he couldn't enjoy either on this visit.

No...Jones had summoned, and what Jones wanted, Jones generally got.

He knew this day would come, but he'd put it off as long as possible. In his heady days of youth, promises had been made, and after 10 years of excuses and avoidance, it was time to pony up.

The horse ambled to a stop in front of the General Store, where, in a back room, Jones held court. With the eagerness of the condemned and a pace that verged on tectonic, he trudged inside, the dull "thunk" of his heels mimicking the winding down of an old clock.

Finally, with a saunter he wasn't feeling and a fraudulent smile, he shouldered open the door. The horse-faced visage that met his eyes was as unwelcome as it was welcoming. Stirring her 21-stone heft and 6-foot-4-inch frame, Jones engulfed him in her arms and threatened to suffocate him on her ample bosom. As he extricated himself, she smiled her awful best and, enfolding his hands in her paws, said, "Just think...after 10 years, tomorrow at this time we will be husband and wife."

marg

Well.. dang, Rebel.. I was a'thinking of using 'cayuse' in a similar sorta way, when you went ahead and preeeesumpted me !

Kinda impolite, doncha think ??

And as for your 'story' .........

- well, I'll be blowed if I've ever read sucha little masterpiece before.

Kindly give my utmost respects to your lil lady, too - I'sl be expectin a piktur of ye both to be drawn shortly, to just validate the story, as it were..

marg

Hmmm..

I'm thinking that Rebel may just have stolen the show and everyone else is stunned by the brilliant story ?

Rebel.. do a pic, pretty please, so that we can see who we're dealing with ?

randylynne

I know Cathyallheart's got something almost done. I got a sneak preview today. It's pretty darn good work, if I do say so myself. I'm off to consult my dictionary and see what I can come up with. That is definitely some list.

cathyallheart

here is my entry:

Oh, how I wish I could,
Dancing in the wind,
Instead I sit at this seedy desk,
Dreaming of a bower,
To learn to read of what is to regenerate.

I mimic the sway of the flower, for even a flower has the most fundamental needs. The queen’s voice stops me.
“You backstabber! He will never love a witch, much a puny little pathetic one like you! After all he is just a puny mortal!”
I peer and see a woman dressed in black and a crown holding a knife at anther woman’s throat. As I watch I want to leave, blood dripping down her body and then the screaming stops. That was when I first watched a murder. By my own mother.

It is unwise stay I,
Leave on a silver cayuse.
I try to act nonchalant,
While my tectonic life,
Falls.

Prehensile understanding, I choose not to grab. I am faster than the wind, clutching my broom I leave the evil ruling my life.

morshy

Seems this challenge may well have had a lot of you stumped, and for that I apologise.

Only two entries, which actually makes the decision a lot harder, because it's difficult not to hurt a person's feelings when it's a stright out choice between the two.

However, there must be a winner. I've considered the relative merits of both entries, and confirm that the winner is: Rebel Sun. First time poster, first time winner. Congratulations Rebel Sun.

Cathyallheart, if you'd like some feedback on your entry, please feel free to drop me a line.

Thanks to everyone for checking the word list out. If I happen to win one of these challenges again, I'll definitely review my picking process!

Good luck Rebel Sun, and congratulations again.

Rebel_Sun

Thanks, morshy, for the nod and for the diversion of trying to use "cayuse", "prehensile", and "tectonic" all in the same story...and a super-short one at that. My first draft had almost 600 words in it...it was darn tough taking out most of the back story and a lot of the middle and end as well. I hope I did justice to the list. Also, thank you to cathyallheart...I enjoyed your story of magical murder and maternal misdeed. A new list will be posted forthwith.

randylynne

Oh shoot. Procrastination strikes again. I had hoped I had till the end of today. Never really got any great ideas for this one, though. Sorry I missed it. Will try on the next one.