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May Writing Competition
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M. Lacrimosa
M. Lacrimosa
Thespian

Apr-25-2012 16:52



Replies

M. Lacrimosa
M. Lacrimosa
Thespian

May-10-2012 13:40

Okay everyone. Everything is sorted out and/or being fixed at the moment. The competition still continues. Ivy's original post will not count since she resubmitted her post.

Secret_Squirrel
Secret_Squirrel
Safety Officer

May-10-2012 17:27

Great to see you back in the err saddle Molly.

Molly Maltese
Molly Maltese
Old Shoe

May-10-2012 18:26

Especially if you're in the bit, Squirrel.

BOOM. ZING! Makes ya miss Barchat.

M. Lacrimosa
M. Lacrimosa
Thespian

May-13-2012 17:02

Ok everyone this is the last week when all submissions are due. The final day to have all posts submitted will be this upcoming Saturday. Judges will begin judging the following day. All judges, PM me your scores.

Looking forward to more posts!

Secret_Squirrel
Secret_Squirrel
Safety Officer

May-15-2012 05:28

I'm flat out at work, so I apologise in advance for my diminished capacity. Maybe someone will believe the lack of detail is planned or the typos are to test the judges lol. :D

Secret_Squirrel
Secret_Squirrel
Safety Officer

May-15-2012 05:30

Strange Bedfellows


"Vait a moment, vill you", a voice whispered from the darkness.

"Wha..." Jack spun, gun raised.

"Now, now" said the voice, "Ve are all on the same side." And from somewhere above him a shadow dropped to the ground. It was all Jack could do to stop himself from squeezing off a few nervous rounds.

"Damn you Pete" he spat. "I nearly pinned you then."

The other laughed softly, "Vot little good it vould do..."

Jack shrugged. He had him there. "Can you not... with the voice. Please it drives me nuts."
Pete brushed imaginary dust from his black velvet sleeves "Vell..."

Jack swore.

"OK, OK, don't get your panties in a bunch, but heck only for you Jack ol' buddy", came a languid Texan drawl.

"Marginally Better."

"Hey I have an image to maintain".

"Yeah, yeah, bad guys beware, 'he who stalks the night' is out to suck your..."

"Blood" Pete finished.

Jack grinned. "Yeah that too."

"So who're you doggin'?" The man in black asked.

"Malatesta..." Jack began, but a well-cultured voice cut across the darkness.

"Oh come now, this is impossible" and a young woman in a sensible dress stepped out from a doorway holding a derringer.

In a heartbeat the gun was on the ground and the girl was not. Pete suspended her by her neck, toes dangling in midair, his teeth glistening in the moonlight.

"Down boy", Jack said cooly. "She's one of us."

Pete dropped the girl as quickly as he had taken her. "Pity. I could eat the leg off a low-flying duck."

"Charming" the girl choked from the ground.

Pete laughed. "I can be charmin' if y'all want Missy", and his eyes glowed red. He waved a hand toward the girl and she shuddered and swooned.

"Leave her be and stop showing off." Jack sat down on a nearby garbage can. "You were saying 'Malatesa'."

Secret_Squirrel
Secret_Squirrel
Safety Officer

May-15-2012 05:30

Pete sauntered away from the girl trying to shake the fog from her head, and eased himself disdainfully down onto some crates across from Jack. "That's right Gumshoe, none other than that old goat Baron Frederick Malatesta."

"Same" Jack sighed.

"Likewise" the girl half coughed, half spat as she regained her feet. "Nice to see you too Jack." She said dryly.

Jack lit up. "Clementine Fortescue, Pe..." he looked at the vampire and got a non-committal do-as-you-please shrug. "Clementine Fortescue, Pete Jackson. Though you might know him better as the Dark Man."

The Gumshoe smiled as he watched Clementine struggle to keep her nerve. "I thought you'd be bigger." She said bravely. Jack laughed.

The Dark Man pulled a flask from his coat and took a swig. “Heck'n I thought you'd be prettier, if you're that little English girl I keep readin' 'bout in the newspapers. Explains why you don't like having your picture taken I 'spose.”

Clementine had regained her composure a little. “I still take a better picture than you I believe Mr Jackson.”

Jack laughed again. “Come on make nice. I haven't got all night to listen to you two practise your foreplay.”

“Jack!” Clementine exclaimed.

“Jack!” Pete mimicked.

“Malatesta...” Jack continued. “Can we just cut a long story short folks? We're all standing in the same alleyway, chasing the same man, for the same damned employer I'm guessing.”

“The Prince”. Pete and Clementine spoke together. Neither of them found it amusing.

“Why send three where one would do?” Clementine said quietly, more to herself than her companions.

“Well I don't know about you Clem, but I drew a fat old blank out here tonight.” Jack admitted. He took the following silence as a disgruntled 'likewise'. “So maybe the Prince knew more than he was letting on.”

“Shucks. Y'all should know I saw Finlay Stapleton in town last night.” Pete drawled.

The young Englishwoman swore.

“Clementine” Jack and Pete said together. They all managed to laugh.

Secret_Squirrel
Secret_Squirrel
Safety Officer

May-15-2012 05:31

“Well really” she said. “I mean to say. If that thug in pinstripes is going to go around badgering my witnesses and trampling through my evidence! It just won't do. I'll take that annoying little notebook of his and shove it up his...”

“Clementine” Jack and Pete chimed.

“I need a drink”. The young woman looked at Pete's flask.

The vampire shook his head. “You wouldn't like what I was serving Missy.”

“Oh” she mouthed.

Jack offered her a smoke instead. She took it, and to her credit her fingers only shook a little as she lit it.

“So, Malatesta.” Jack began again.

“I thought I had him cornered in Plymouth”, Clementine admitted. “But I lost him on the rail. I'm not even sure now he was ever on the dashed train.”

“When was that” Jack asked.

“Why, just last week.” Clementine replied.

Pete hissed. Even Jack found it a little disconcerting. “Shoot. I was chasing him through those damned catacombs in Cairo last week. No way he coulda been in Plymouth.”

“I assure you Mr Jackson...” Clementine protested.

Jack cut across her. “And last week I had him dead to rights in the Post Office in Delhi before the whole place went up like the fourth of July.”

Clementine choked a little on her cigarette. “That was you?”

The Gumshoe grimaced. “I've had better days.”

Pete took another swig of his flask. “Well heck. Aint no way it could be the same fella we was all chasin'.” He looked up at the sky and twitched a little. “Y'all mind if we find a quiet spot indoors somewhere to finish this conversation.”

The three looked at each other.

Jack wasn't sure exactly what he was getting himself into, but he knew that in that moment there was a silent agreement that whatever happened next, they might possibly be doing it together.

As they walked around the corner and towards the door of a nearby bar Jack put his arm in Clementine's, neatly inserting himself between her and Pete. “This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” He said, falsely op

Secret_Squirrel
Secret_Squirrel
Safety Officer

May-15-2012 05:32

As they walked around the corner and towards the door of a nearby bar Jack put his arm in Clementine's, neatly inserting himself between her and Pete. “This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” He said, falsely optimistic.

Pete Jackson hooted, “Or a really bad joke.” He stepped ahead to open the saloon door for them. The fact that the bar looked shut and the door looked locked didn't seem to make any difference to Pete. “Say pardner how does this sound 'A vampire and a virgin walk into a bar...' ”

Clementine fixed him with an icy stare as they passed into the unlit bar room. “Dark Man or not, if you continue in that vein, mark my words, you shall be sorry.”

Pete just hooted again and pulled the door behind them as the sun began to rise.

................. END .................

M. Lacrimosa
M. Lacrimosa
Thespian

May-19-2012 09:03

Ok writers, today is the last day to make any submissions! Judging begins tomorrow, 05/20/2012.

All judges must PM their answers to me. Good luck everyone!!!

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