kmkagle

The ten words are listed. I'm sure with your artistic nature's you'll compose some wonderful stories.

curmudgeon
whipper-snapper
glen
jackanapes
donned
implored
thump
cantankerou s
squander
trespass

THINGS AREN’T ALWAYS AS THEY SEEM

The wealthy, cantankerous, old curmudgeon sat in his chair in the library reading over his accounting books and mentally sizing his domain. Yes, I will have a handsome estate to leave my beautiful granddaughter, Ophelia.

His thoughts wondered as they often did these days. What if she goes off with that young whipper-snapper and gets herself tied up with him. He’ll squander her fortune, my money, I can’t have her throw herself at that jackanapes. A bum he is! No job, nothing!

Ophelia, sensing her grandfather’s dismay at her suitor, cried in the darkness of her room. Oh Steven, I love and need you, why can’t grandfather understand my pain? At that moment she heard a thump, she lit a candle to better see what caused the noise. There, on the floor, beneath the open window was a rock with a note tied to it. She began to read it.

“My darling, Ophelia, please, come away with me! I promise you happiness and a joy like you’ve never known. We need to talk. Meet me in the glen at midnight. Hurry, my love!”

Throwing caution to the wind, she made up her mind to meet him. Knowing her grandfather retired earlier, she donned her cape then opened her door quietly while glancing up and down the hall.

She ran as quickly as her legs would carry her, she dare not take the stallion. There, in the glen, he was waiting for her. Oh, how can I not go with him. My love is so strong. Holding her while she caught her breath he pleaded that they marry immediately. She cried, telling him she did not want to cause her grandfather pain. He raised her and his devotion to her was more than she could ever want from him. Steven, on bended knee, again proposed. “I will love you always and provide well for you. Never will you be in want of anything, this is my vow to you. You will never need your grandfather’s riches! But you have nothing she cried. I cannot break grandfather’s heart, Steven. It can never be. He implored, come with me, I will bring you back shortly! Off they rode. In a short time they came upon a huge Manor. She implored him to take her back. We cannot trespass here Steven. Not to worry my love, come with me. Taking her hand he led her to the entrance. Without knocking, he opened the door and was approached by a kindly butler named Martin. My Lord, I did not expect you this soon. Ophelia stood there, her eyes large with wonder! Steven instructed Martin to start a fire and bring brandy to warm his beloved.

Now, will you be my bride! Oh, yes, yes! But why didn’t you tell me Steven? Gazing into her eyes he replied, I needed to know if your love was true.

kmkagle

I need to add, you can exceed the 285 word limit. I did! Good luck.

midnightpoet

wow, what a list, km. It's definitely going to be a challenge, and I like that!

Your story was wonderful, though lacking in proper punctuation on the dialog, which made it slightly difficult to follow. I love the way it ends ... "I needed to know if your love was true"...isn't that all anyone ever asks from their significant other? It was a very truthful story, I think, and I loved reading it.

I can't wait to get started trying to come up with something, however, I am supposed to be running an instance with my mom on WoW, so I'll have to give it a go later.

kmkagle

midnightpoet - I wasn't sure of the punc. try to get the way it should be. I read and read. I'm glad you told me tho so I'll be more mindful. Thanks.

kmkagle

I wanted to bring the grandfather in on the ending but words were adding up! To let him see how wrong he was about Steven. Maybe another time?

midnightpoet

others on here have done series with their stories. I would love to see yours continued

kmkagle

Midnightpoet - which story do you mean? If I continue this one. She's already accepted the proposal but I guess something could work. I'll work on it. Appreciate your input.

midnightpoet

It would be interesting to see the grandfathers reaction, since you couldn't fit it in at the end like you wanted to

Doug

Good morning to the ThinkWrite community. I hope I am allowed to join this prestigious club. Here’s my story.

A Shooting Star

Jack was never one to squander an opportunity. He had been practicing ventriloquism since Howdy-Doody donned his first cowboy hat. The crowd was enormous for the Curmudgeon Club, a once upon a time bootlegger hangout now transformed into an improv club. Glen the bartender motioned to Jack that his turn on the dusty stage was imminent. Jack picked up his leather case he kept his dummies in and moved toward the stage as the crowd of maybe 20 drunken whipper-snappers implored the fat lady vehemently to STOP singing. Not wanting to trespass into her non-talent world, Jack waited patiently tapping his foot on the first step and hoping the jackanapes would understand his act.
Finally, the fat lady’s screeching echo chamber she called a “smooth and creamy” voice stopped and Jack lumbered onto the stage and set his case down with a thump. The crowd seemed ready for some real talent he thought to himself.
“Ladies and Gentlemen”, Jack exclaimed.
“With your kind permission I give you the man with many faces and voices. “
Jack unsnapped his case and a worn wooden stick with a mexican sombrero rose out of the box.
“Good evening Felipe”, Jack said.
Felipe the stick made no sound.
“I’m sorry ladies and gentlemen, it seems Felipe is being cantankerous and a bit bashful”, Jack said.
A very large muscular mutant of a man rose out of his seat at the front table. His temples were pulsating and you could see the “kick ass” look in his eyes as he told Jack where to stick his stick.
Jack collapsed on the stage out cold and so ended the flamed out ventriloquism career of one man named Jack Nicholson.
-30-

kmkagle

Very good Doug. Not bad for a first try. Your journalism studies have worked well!

Patrick

Thanks KM. I really like to write the "horror" stuff, imagine that. I always thought i would be a Stephen King or Issac Assimov one day. I really should practice more. I have enough stories from work that i could write a few books. I'll try another story with your "list". I'll leave the scary out. Probably wouldn't go over too well with this group.

Doug

oops. checking out Patricks piks. He did so well with that on/off switch light in the last showcase. I was really proud of it. For a 9 year old he showed some talent. Now if he could get himself grounded and listen to his parents. lol.

kmkagle

As suggested by midnightpoet here is a continuation of "Things Aren't Always as They Seem".

(contd.)

We must tell grandfather! Come tomorrow and we will ask his blessing. I must go, it’s very late. Steven replied that he would go partway with her.

Morning came and there at the breakfast table was her grandfather Julian. Good morning my child. Did you sleep well? Yes, I did. She looked down at her plate, pretending to fill her fork. Julian remarked, you look very tired my dear. Did something keep you awake? Her fork dropped to the floor! Julian surprised her by saying, “what time did you come in? I heard you leave and watched as you ran across the lawn towards the glen. Can he not come to the house at a respectable time?” Ophelia, tears in her eyes spoke, “I was afraid for him”. Julian replied, is he not a man that has respect for you and your grandfather? Julian was about to add more, when, at that moment, the butler announced the arrival of a caller and his name. Julian instructed him to show the caller in. There, in the doorway, looking breathtakingly handsome, stood Steven. Ophelia did not recognize him for a moment. He looked taller, more assured, stronger and mature!

Ophelia introduced Steven and Julian. Julian eyed him suspiciously while inviting him to
have breakfast which he declined. Steven stated his purpose for calling while Julian sat and bore holes through him. Finally Julian had his turn. You beg for Ophelia’s hand and my blessing. Thank you for asking me. However, you have no income, you’re a vagabond. You have no roots, nothing to offer my dear granddaughter. There are other gentlemen wanting to court her who are more worthy of her hand. “Grandpa”, Ophelia cried! “Give Steven a chance”! Not letting this bit of turmoil discourage him, Steven plodded on, pleading his case with a vengeance. Trying another tack, Julian, if I may address you as such, he began a long dissertation on business, trading, farming, the business of running a Manor, etc. Julian sat there with his eyes wide and mouth agape! Steven, in his best tone of business, pointed out to Julian his, shall we say, laxity in a noticeably negligent aspect of his Manor. Describing to Julian how inefficient this part of his Manor was. He could save a goodly amount by doing things another way! Julian, quite impressed by his knowledge and skills invited him into the library.

Ophelia sat at the table drinking her coffee wondering what was occurring behind the heavy oak doors. She did not know what to expect!

After, what seemed like an eternity, the gentlemen emerged. My dear Ophelia, Steven has pointed out to me the error of my ways in management! I offered him a position of managing my estate, but, alas, he declined. He quite surprised me with his offerings.
Quite a wealthy man Steven is, if I may say so. I knew your family only by their last name. Never knowing of a son. Wouldn’t it have been much easier to have told me who you were and avoided all of this? Of course Steven spoke of his reasons for not revealing this information. A smart man too.

My blessing is granted, we shall have a large wedding. Anything my granddaughter desires. Her happiness is all I want. Now, I have a son.

Grandfather, “thank you! I love you so!”

No!, Things aren’t always as they seem!

midnightpoet

Doug, great to see you post! It's nice to have a new face around here again, and your story was great, fun to read, and had a lot of personality in it. I hope you continue to write in ThinkWrite, you clearly have a talent!

km, great continuation. I still have a problem with the punctuation (or lack thereof) for the dialog, but I'm a bit of a snob about that sort of thing. Speaking of being a bit of a snob, I'm not sure I like the grandfather character too much, he seems a bit shallow in his wishes for his granddaughter, though I'm sure he has her best interest at heart.

kmkagle

I don't know what you mean in the punctuation. I thought it was ok. Yes, the grandfather was very shallow, I thought. He was more interested in her material (if you will) well-being then her happiness. Pretty sad, I thought. Let's hope Steven teaches him a thing or two. I found I do enjoy the writing. With me, it has to be spontaneous!

kmkagle

I wish more people would join in. It's actually fun. Sometimes you don't know what all you have until you begin to use a little bit!

midnightpoet

I want to join in on this one, but I've been busy and I'm still drawing a blank...

kmkagle

I have to be in the mood to write. These last few entries and one I did months ago are the first I've done in years. Actually, enjoyed it. It will come to you. Just get the old dictionary out and start. I thought of a person and ran with it! You can do it.

anotherronism

285??? Gawd! I keep hoping to get the torch back not for any recognition but to slice this thing back down to size. 285! Dang. I'm gonna come in way "Under" on this next post if it works out the way I want it to. (Haven't actually written it yet.)

285???

anotherronism

And what the heck is "jackanapes"? I have some thoughts on this but they are not fit for open discussion