I am curious about what you're expecting from the prompt, you know :)
Leaving Colorado It was peaceful up where the birds fly. The wind was gentle but steady, pushing us south and maybe a little west too, and there was even an occasional bird that flew past, ignoring us as if we couldn't possibly be there since we were too big and heavy to fly. The clouds were still above us, which was a reassurance for me if not for Ben, who had been trying all morning to work out how far away they were now and if he could get us up there with them. I've no idea why; they look white and fluffy from far off but then so do sheep -- and when you up close and personal with a sheep you start to realise your mistake. Below us the ground stretched out in many colours, patchworked together like a half-blind quilter determined to get one last quilt finished before Christmas, but getting steadily browner and less green. I pointed that out to Ben, who was now sitting in the bottom of the basket with his legs stretched out in front of him, his cracked leather boots next to him, and a cigar in his mouth. "We're leaving Colorado then," he said. He rubbed his moustache, a thick black thing that he claimed was a lady-pleaser or a soup-strainer depending on his mood. And the number of ladies present. "Might be drifting into Nevada, there's desert there." "We're supposed to be going to New Mexico," I said, staring out across the landscape, wondering if there were any landmarks I was supposed to recognise. "I didn't pay much attention to geography in school, but I'm pretty sure Nevada's the wrong direction if we want to go to New Mexico." "Depends, Red," he said, letting his drawl turn into laughter. "I didn't pay attention to nothing but the girls in school, and even I can tell you that if you're coming from coast you're going to hit Nevada before you get to New Mexico." "We're not though, Ben," I said, and left it at that. That's me, by the way, Red. My name's Hank, but my friends -- both of them -- call me Red. My enemies call me Red too, but that's because they don't know my name's Hank. I've been hanging around with Ben for nearly ten years now, in and out of trouble; though more in than out on account of Ben having the attention span of a dazed chipmunk and a tendency to forget to pay for things he's picked up. I sighed, as that thought crossed my mind. "Ben, this balloon." He looked up, then further up into the cavernous orange interior of the hot-air balloon that was transporting us serenely through the sky. "She's beautiful, isn't she?" he said. "I think this is most relaxed I've been in years, Red." "It's the most calm I've ever seen you," I said, thinking about that. It was true. Normally Ben would be either drinking steadily to stay still this long, or hiding from some barmaid's husband. "But still, how did you come to hire a balloon for us to leave Fort Collins? I was expecting... I was expecting train tickets, truth be told Ben. That's how we usually leave places." "When we're not on horseback," said Ben, and he laughed again. Smoke puffed from his cigar, and he looked momentarily content. "Remember when we had to ride out of Greenwood at full tilt because their hospital caught fire?"
"That I do," I said, and snorted with laughter myself. "You'd picked all their civic flowers to woo that alderwoman, and she got annoyed with you and tried to slap you, knocked your cigar out of your mouth, and by the time she'd finished telling you what she thought of you the hospital was a column of fire and smoke." We enjoyed the memory for a moment, but like a toothache the nagging thoughts came back. "So, the balloon, Ben?" "That little guy, the one with the bad teeth and the glass eye," he said. "Herr Markus? The German?" "Yeah, well, he was demonstrating the balloon. Said it was an application of physical principles, and something about mathematics brought to life. Sounded like philosophical bullcrap to me, but I asked him to show me a bit more about it. So we got in, and he asked me where I wanted to go, and I remembered that I was meeting you in Landing's Park, so I suggested there." "Herr Markus wasn't in the balloon when you landed it, though. I'd have remembered, given as you nearly landed it on top of me and all." "I hollered for you to move!" "You hollered when I had seconds to hear you and realise what you were up to!" "I hollered when you could hear me." Ben glared at me, daring me to respond, and I sat down and pulled my boots off instead. "So where was Herr Markus then?" "He fell out over Warren Lake." "Fell, Ben?" I rubbed my feet. Standing up all morning made them ache. "Yeah, he actually fell. He was leaning over the side adjusting some of those ropes, saying something about getting the weight balanced when the whole basket just tilted. We went sideways fast, and then I lost my balance and then he fell over the edge. Last I heard of him was a splash." I smiled, and stretched my feet, pointing my toes as far away from me as I could manage and enjoying the feel of it. Well, I guess I don't have to worry about figuring out how to return the balloon then," I said. "Unless Herr Markus can swim, of course." "Maybe," said Ben. "Warren Lake's pretty big. If he fell where the water's deep enough to not break his neck he might have trouble swimming out." "Have we got food in this thing?" "There's some beef and cheese in the bag in the corner." Ben pointed. "We're good till tomorrow I think." "Right, right. And do we know how to steer this thing?" "Steer?" Ben's face was the angelic picture of innocence, and I buried mine in my hands.
Greg - I think I expected Colorado to be on fire in the background as our heroes rode away, arguing about who's fault it was :P
Well, at least there was talk of leaving somewhere due to a fire, so I wasn't too far off :)
This is a delightful start to an adventure. I quite like picturing these two in a hot air balloon floating serenely above it all, as it is a very different locale compared to where we usually find them.
And now I'm wondering whether Jimmy and Suzie are waiting for them in New Mexico, or if they'll just happen across one or both of them, or... well, onward I go with the tale, I suppose.
3 comments:
I am curious about what you're expecting from the prompt, you know :)
Leaving Colorado
It was peaceful up where the birds fly. The wind was gentle but steady, pushing us south and maybe a little west too, and there was even an occasional bird that flew past, ignoring us as if we couldn't possibly be there since we were too big and heavy to fly. The clouds were still above us, which was a reassurance for me if not for Ben, who had been trying all morning to work out how far away they were now and if he could get us up there with them. I've no idea why; they look white and fluffy from far off but then so do sheep -- and when you up close and personal with a sheep you start to realise your mistake. Below us the ground stretched out in many colours, patchworked together like a half-blind quilter determined to get one last quilt finished before Christmas, but getting steadily browner and less green. I pointed that out to Ben, who was now sitting in the bottom of the basket with his legs stretched out in front of him, his cracked leather boots next to him, and a cigar in his mouth.
"We're leaving Colorado then," he said. He rubbed his moustache, a thick black thing that he claimed was a lady-pleaser or a soup-strainer depending on his mood. And the number of ladies present. "Might be drifting into Nevada, there's desert there."
"We're supposed to be going to New Mexico," I said, staring out across the landscape, wondering if there were any landmarks I was supposed to recognise. "I didn't pay much attention to geography in school, but I'm pretty sure Nevada's the wrong direction if we want to go to New Mexico."
"Depends, Red," he said, letting his drawl turn into laughter. "I didn't pay attention to nothing but the girls in school, and even I can tell you that if you're coming from coast you're going to hit Nevada before you get to New Mexico."
"We're not though, Ben," I said, and left it at that.
That's me, by the way, Red. My name's Hank, but my friends -- both of them -- call me Red. My enemies call me Red too, but that's because they don't know my name's Hank. I've been hanging around with Ben for nearly ten years now, in and out of trouble; though more in than out on account of Ben having the attention span of a dazed chipmunk and a tendency to forget to pay for things he's picked up. I sighed, as that thought crossed my mind.
"Ben, this balloon."
He looked up, then further up into the cavernous orange interior of the hot-air balloon that was transporting us serenely through the sky.
"She's beautiful, isn't she?" he said. "I think this is most relaxed I've been in years, Red."
"It's the most calm I've ever seen you," I said, thinking about that. It was true. Normally Ben would be either drinking steadily to stay still this long, or hiding from some barmaid's husband. "But still, how did you come to hire a balloon for us to leave Fort Collins? I was expecting... I was expecting train tickets, truth be told Ben. That's how we usually leave places."
"When we're not on horseback," said Ben, and he laughed again. Smoke puffed from his cigar, and he looked momentarily content. "Remember when we had to ride out of Greenwood at full tilt because their hospital caught fire?"
"That I do," I said, and snorted with laughter myself. "You'd picked all their civic flowers to woo that alderwoman, and she got annoyed with you and tried to slap you, knocked your cigar out of your mouth, and by the time she'd finished telling you what she thought of you the hospital was a column of fire and smoke."
We enjoyed the memory for a moment, but like a toothache the nagging thoughts came back.
"So, the balloon, Ben?"
"That little guy, the one with the bad teeth and the glass eye," he said.
"Herr Markus? The German?"
"Yeah, well, he was demonstrating the balloon. Said it was an application of physical principles, and something about mathematics brought to life. Sounded like philosophical bullcrap to me, but I asked him to show me a bit more about it. So we got in, and he asked me where I wanted to go, and I remembered that I was meeting you in Landing's Park, so I suggested there."
"Herr Markus wasn't in the balloon when you landed it, though. I'd have remembered, given as you nearly landed it on top of me and all."
"I hollered for you to move!"
"You hollered when I had seconds to hear you and realise what you were up to!"
"I hollered when you could hear me."
Ben glared at me, daring me to respond, and I sat down and pulled my boots off instead. "So where was Herr Markus then?"
"He fell out over Warren Lake."
"Fell, Ben?" I rubbed my feet. Standing up all morning made them ache.
"Yeah, he actually fell. He was leaning over the side adjusting some of those ropes, saying something about getting the weight balanced when the whole basket just tilted. We went sideways fast, and then I lost my balance and then he fell over the edge. Last I heard of him was a splash."
I smiled, and stretched my feet, pointing my toes as far away from me as I could manage and enjoying the feel of it. Well, I guess I don't have to worry about figuring out how to return the balloon then," I said. "Unless Herr Markus can swim, of course."
"Maybe," said Ben. "Warren Lake's pretty big. If he fell where the water's deep enough to not break his neck he might have trouble swimming out."
"Have we got food in this thing?"
"There's some beef and cheese in the bag in the corner." Ben pointed. "We're good till tomorrow I think."
"Right, right. And do we know how to steer this thing?"
"Steer?" Ben's face was the angelic picture of innocence, and I buried mine in my hands.
Greg - I think I expected Colorado to be on fire in the background as our heroes rode away, arguing about who's fault it was :P
Well, at least there was talk of leaving somewhere due to a fire, so I wasn't too far off :)
This is a delightful start to an adventure. I quite like picturing these two in a hot air balloon floating serenely above it all, as it is a very different locale compared to where we usually find them.
And now I'm wondering whether Jimmy and Suzie are waiting for them in New Mexico, or if they'll just happen across one or both of them, or... well, onward I go with the tale, I suppose.
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