The exercise:
Write something which takes place on: the submarine.
Took it pretty easy today. Did get out for a family walk by the lake late morning, but otherwise not a whole lot was accomplished.
I'm good with that.
Mine:
"Ohhhhh, we all live in a ye-"
"Shhhh! What are you doing?! You know Captain Reynolds hates that song! He caught Jeremy singing it the other day and nearly used him as a torpedo!"
"Yeah, but it's true now."
"What's true?"
"We live in a yellow submarine."
"You've lost your mind. Too long at sea, right? Does it every time."
"No, I'm serious! The sub is really yellow now."
"What? How?"
"You know the last time we got work done in the dry dock? A bunch of us pooled our money together to get the maintenance guys to put a yellow coat on under the black top coat."
"Oh, so it's hidden... that's wise. I guess. I mean, it's a total waste of money for the sake of a stupid joke bu-"
"It's not a stupid joke. And it wasn't a waste. Because we also got them to use a special paint for the top coat that gradually dissolves in salt water."
"Wait... so you can see the yellow now? Captain Reynolds is going to kill you guys!"
"No big deal. He won't know until we reach port."
"And what then?"
"I dunno... I plan on being far, far away before he goes topside."
That sounds like a nice day! The weather here in Malta is feeling a little more spring-like, there are fewer clouds in the sky (not that there were a lot to begin with!) and the heat is noticeable around noon again. I'm expecting to be too hot in a few weeks time :-D
ReplyDeleteHah, I think using someone as a torpedo is where the word 'jettison' came from actually, so Captain Reynolds is clearly a traditionalist. I also think your crew would probably do very well to abandon sub at the next port as well!
I really enjoyed the interaction between the conversationalists here, and the steady reveal of the practical joke that's been planned... plus the outsize consequences of it all!
Submarine
The ships came slowly up the river from the sea. Their sails were mostly lowered as the river, though wide and deep, had hidden secrets that could rip the belly of a boat out and leave it stranded for the wrecksmen to pick over. Fog left over from a grey, dreary night lifted slowly and the ships emerging from it as they approached the docks had a ghostly quality about them.
The pier at the sign of the rabbit was shorter than the rest and seemingly empty. Grey water broke oddly at the side, but no worse than other parts of the river. Pollution in the Unreal City was not always physical, and even when it was it wasn't necessarily natural. The river's surface glittered as random squalls of magical energy were scattered this way and that, and the clouds above looked at though they'd been whipped enthusiastically into stiff peaks. Keeper strode out onto the slick planks of the pier, her feet gripping impossibly well, and stopped mere centimetres from the end.
The water surged momentarily and then spilled aside, cascading down from something emerging from the water.
"Undersea boats?"
Keeper turned, anger contorting her face into something ugly. The cloaked figure who'd spoken took a step back, but otherwise held their ground.
"Submarinos," she said. "There's a new language to go with new ideas."
"And do they bring the lilies with them?"
"Hah!" Keeper turned away. The metal-and-leather beast was rising still from the water, now twice as tall as her and still growing. "Hah!"
Greg - hah, I was not aware of the origins of jettison, so thank you for sharing that :)
ReplyDeleteI was not expecting, when reading your opening, that this was taking place in the Unreal City. Cleverly done, and I enjoyed all the details you sprinkled throughout your piece.
Also: 'There's a new language to go with new ideas.' is a brilliant line.