The exercise:
Write about: twists and turns.
Kat and the boys returned home this afternoon after a successful time away. Sounds like the wedding reception was a lot of fun, though Kat was stuck getting the boys to sleep when the dancing was happening.
Had a pretty good day of work. Feeling very ready for my four days off now.
Mine:
"Hold on, here comes another one!"
"No, please no..."
"Wheeeeeee!"
"Oh God..."
"Woah, that was a good one, huh Dad?"
"Yeah... best one yet, right? The road's gotta straighten out now though... right?"
"Nope! Here comes the next S curve! Hold on, Dad!"
"... I think I'm going to be sick."
I guess having children does mean missing out on things a little sometimes, although not being much of a dancer I'd have seen having to get the boys to sleep as a blessing :) Enjoy the four days off!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds a little like it might come from personal experience today... are you a rollercoaster fan at all? Still, the sense of enjoyment comes over really well, so some part of your brain must look forward to these things!
Twists and turns
"I'm not sure this is a such a good idea, boss!"
"It's not an idea, henchling, it's a plan. Now hold on tight, the wind's getting up."
*
The hedges were easily twelve feet high and untrimmed, which meant that seeing the gaps between them wasn't always easy. Where there weren't intentional gaps they grew thickly together, woody branches intertwining with their neighbours and friends like a neighbourhood orgy. Insects buzzed occasionally but mostly there was an oppressive, bosky silence that made the hedges -- and the hedge maze -- feel predatory.
"Next left," said Bill. He looked down the shadowy, green-tinted path between hedges and sighed. "If I knew where that even was."
"Should have brought hedge-trimmers, I suppose." Ben sipped from his takeaway coffee cup, and squinted. "I think that looks like it might be a left-turn."
"No blades," said Bill. "I think they used to use goats to trim the hedges. Apparantly if you bring blades inside the maze it gets... upset."
"A maze gets upset?" *slurrrp*
"Jesus Ben, drink like a human being! This time last year were we being chased by the Idol of Lodi after McArthur accidentally brought it to life, and you're thinking that a maze can't get upset?"
"I drink normally! You've just got unnaturally acute hearing. Like that time when you were listening to the mice in the walls and accusing me of playing Mozart at the wrong tempo. And what does an upset maze do anyway?"
"Uses people as fertilizer, if the locals are to believed. Huh, this does look like a left-turn. Let's go! Oh, and the mice were playing Mozart, it's not like I was wrong."
*slluuuuurp*
"Pig."
"Speaking of which, what happened to the goats then? 'Cos they're not doing a very good job."
"Eaten."
"By the maze or the locals?"
"I didn't think to ask," said Bill. "Henchling, where next?" He stopped walking while he listened to the in-ear radio. "Well, shoo it away... well, shoo it away some more after you've told me where to go next... that close? Ok, well keep shooing until we get back."
"Problems?" Ben managed to sip his coffee without slurping.
"Hmm? Sort of. Next right, and then second left and we're at the centre."
"...and the henchling?"
"Says they're being attacked by an eagle."
"Oh. Can't they shoo it away?"
"That's what I said. They're complaining that being tied to the kite means they can only just wiggle their hands and feet and the eagle's not being intimidated by that."
"Who tied the ropes?"
"You."
"Huh. Oh! Huh."
"Oh?"
"Well, you know that we're stealing the sacred flame right?"
"Yes."
"So, in the legend Prometheus was sentenced to have his liver torn out by an eagle every day and it to grow back every night."
"..."
"Think the henchling has had much practice at regrowing livers?"
Greg - I am not a rollercoaster fan in the least. I think I was imagining a father teaching his son to drive and... rather not enjoying the experience as much as his son was :)
ReplyDeleteAh, Bill and Ben and their poor, poor, long suffering henchling. An interesting tale managed to be told in there as well, in between the banter and the henchling's... eagle's nest? Eagle eyes?
Whatever. Good stuff. I'm going to bed now. More comment catch up later. Preferably soon, likely not as soon as I'd prefer.