Tag: humour

What? I don’t like rules. Plus its only a short one. That’s it. Job done. 🙂

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Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part15 Part16 Part 17 Part18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part25 Part 26 Part27 Part 28 Part 29 Part 30 Part 31

“You don’t want to be going over there” came a voice out of nowhere. “It won’t end well.”

It was the first noise I had heard since I awoke in this place and I spun around, desperately searching for it’s source. There was no up and no down and for as far as I could see a grey nothing stretched before me in every direction.

She was a pretty girl with dark hair dressed in a flowing white dress with a blue butterfly clip in her hair.

“My name’s McCann” she said extending a hand to me and smiling. “You need to come with me Armitage.”

The name sounded familiar.

“Is that my name” I asked.

“It is yes” McCann answered as she took my hand. “And this is Margaret” she said as a warm faced grey haired woman stepped out from behind her.

“She is new here too, I think you two are going to get along quite famously.”

THE END

Okay so I’m doing M’s prompts going to try and do a full month as one long story with no planning. Today it is ‘Anchored Avenues’.

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Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part15 Part16 Part 17 Part18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part25 Part 26 Part27 Part 28 Part 29 Part 30

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I awoke lying on the grass soaked to the skin and the rain falling on my face. Eyes opening I stared up into a starless night sky and on the horizon lightning crackled and fizzed lighting up the clouds. As I sat up I could feel the low far off rumble of thunder in my bones.

With my thoughts a blur I scrambled at the edges of vague images, confusion slowly clearing and giving birth to thoughts of Plumduff and Thrumhall, O’Rourke and the face that always haunted my thoughts at times like these.
I dragged myself to my feet, rain running down my face and the cold night air clawing at my throat. Instinctively I reached for my shoulder, but there was no pain, no blood stained shirt, no bullet wound.

Unsure and confused I looked about, struggling to make out anything familiar in the darkness. Though the wind blew the rain into my face I could just make out that I was stood in a wide grassed area, perhaps a park, with the dark silhouettes of tall buildings behind me and the outline of trees to the sides and ahead. Beyond the trees there was a pale light, barely visible, and being the only real point of reference I headed towards it.

Wearily I walked, my legs heavy and my mind attempting to make sense of what had happened. I checked my hand and could feel the ring tight around my finger but there was no grey periphery. I could see everything. My watch and wallet were still missing but once again I had the jacket I had not had since the hanger.

Pushing through the trees, the crunch of fallen twigs and leaves beneath my feet, I could hear the feint crash of waves and as the rain began to lessen I came out at the side of a road. To the far side of the rode a fence cordoned a short run off to where what must have been a cliff edge because I cold hear only hear the waves and into the distance what little light there was danced across the water. A solitary streetlight lit the area in front of me and the rain glittered as it fell.

I fought the urge to call out to Quora again, intent for once to deal with whatever lay before me and looked along the road. To the right it stretched into darkness, the white lines fading to black and to the left I could make out the arched supports of a bridge someway off..

Instinct told me to head to the bridge and as I set off, the sky lit up as lightning arced across the night sky and once more and the thunder rumbled ever closer.

“I could do with some advice right about now Plumduff ” I said to myself. Even O’Rourke’s unique approach would have been welcomed and wandering through the unlit stretch of road I tried to understand why Quora had sent me here. I knew now that Thrumhall had caused key events of Plumduff’s life never to take place, and assumed that using the device he had done something similar to Crompton but here and now, this felt like oddly familiar.

I pulled the collar of my jacket around my ears and pushed on against the wind which was now blowing straight at me. With my vision obscured by both the darkness and the rain in my face the bridge drew closer and, some way off to one side, I could just make out the glowing tip of a cigarette.

Hurrying my pace I veered to the near side of the bridge, the sounds of the waves growing louder. It was hard to make much out in the darkness but the burning ember briefly sparked into life again and I could make out the face of a woman. It was the woman I had seen in my mind so often.

She jumped as I said hello. “Please just leave me alone” she said.

“Oh sorry, It’s just that I’m kind of lost.”

She drew deep on the cigarette and exhaled, the wind catching the smoke and whipping it upwards.

“You not got a car or anything?” she asked.

“No, like I said I don’t really know where I am.”

She nodded in the direction to our left. “Keep going that way you’ll find a pub about a mile up the road. The Goat and Hound.”

I paused staring at her face in the dark. “Do I know you?” I asked.

“I don’t know, do you? You from around here?”

“Maybe, I think so yeah.”

“Well what is it, do you or don’t you?” She took a final drag of the cigarette and flicked the stub out into the darkness.

“It’s hard to explain, I just…”

“The Goat and hound” she said again pointing up the road. “Won’t take you long.”

She took another cigarette from the packet and put it into her mouth.

“What ” she said staring back at me.

Every part of me said to not go but I did exactly what I knew not to.

“A mile you say? That way?” I said pointing up the road.

“Yeah” she replied and shielding the flame of the lighter from the wind she lit the cigarette.

“Okay thanks” I replied and slowly walked past her. “What’s your name by the way, I’m Armitage.”

“Isobel” she answered without looking up.

I paused, desperate to keep talking to her but she turned her back towards me away from the driving rain and out to sea.

The rain was now getting heavier and I made my way across the bridge, the lightning crackling overhead and the whole area lit up like daylight. I flinched at the sound of the thunder as it followed almost immediately after and out of the corner of my eye I made out a familiar shape in the dark.

“Hello Armitage” said Thrumhall, his voice as unmistakable as his form. He walked over from a knot of trees at the end of the bridge, a broad smile across his face.

I wanted to run but the only way was back towards her and something inside of me told me that I needed to keep him away from her at all costs.

“No need to run Boy” he continued, “it’ll all be over soon don’t you worry.”

“You know Thrumhall, you really are …” I paused struggling for the right words.

“Evil”?

“You’re worse than that.”

“Careful now boy you’ll have me thinking you’re trying to get into my good books.”

I wanted to run, to fight, to warn Isobel but I just stood silent.

“Why did she let you through” I said, “Why didn’t she just leave you there?”

“What are you talking about. You mean the girl?” He seemed genuinely confused.

“Quora. The tree. Why did she send you through with me.”

“I think you must have taken a knock to the head because you lead me here. And grateful I am too because it was next on my list of places to see.”

The night lit up again and he noticed me looking at he damage to his face that O’Rourke had done.

“Handy fellow your Cardinal” he said licking a deep cut in his lip. “Went down like a true warrior.”

He saw me ball my fists and laughed. “Come on boy, you’ve had your fun but it’s time to give me back my device and we can get this over with.”

He reached out and grabbed my jacket, pulling me towards himself and rummaging through my pockets.

“Where is it, what did you do with it? And where are the Shadows? I need to get that portal open.”

My face told him before my words did that I didn’t have it and a look of anger spread across his face. He pulled out his pistol and pointed it to my head.

“I’m only going to ask you once meat sack.”

“I don’t have it, Quora sent…”

“Quora, I don’t know any Quora Armitage. Now give me my device.”

I shook my head defiantly. I couldn’t give him what I didn’t have but if I kept him busy for long enough maybe Isobel would somehow get away.

“I’ll tell you what we’re going to do shall we?” he said. The question was obviously rhetorical though and he brought the pistol down heavily across the side of my face. I could taste blood in my mouth and my legs turned to jelly. I would have fallen to the ground had he not be holding me up.

“Shut it” he barked slipping the pistol back into its holster as I mumbled something obscene about his mother hoping to distract him. It was to no avail though and ignoring my insults about the circumstances of his birth he began to drag me back across the bridge towards Isobel.

Her back was still to us, and with the rain hammering down and the flash and crash of the thunder and lightning she did not hear us approach. I struggled, my head spinning, but I was too weak and before I could stop him he reached out and wrapped an arm around her neck pulling her into his chest.

Isobel tried to scream, but his arm was cutting off her air and with nails clawing at his arm and legs dangling he lifted her from the floor.

“You still don’t get it do you” he said. “And I though you Entropy boys were meant to be bright.”

“”Let her go” I begged. “Please, she doesn’t deserve this she hasn’t done anything wrong.”

He threw me to the side and wrapped all of his arms around her.

“Armitage, if she dies you don’t get to save her and if you don’t save her you don’t get that shiny badge. ”

“But why not just kill me?”

He laughed and walked over to the guard rail. Isobel struggled against him but she was too weak to resist him. “You can’t really kill what’s already dead boy.”

As he lifted her up above the rail, her legs thrashing, I summonsed every last bit of strength I had and lunged forward for his pistol, pulling it out of the holster that hung at his side. He spun to try and kick me away but it was too late and as I scrambled to my feet I pointed it at him.

Lightning cracked overhead, and I could that Isobel’s eyes were closed and she her kicking had almost slowed.

“Let her go Thrumhall, it’s over.”

“Over? It isn’t over boy. Not until I say so.” Once more he dangled her over the rail and laughed. “What you going to do now then?”

I walked forward purposefully, fearful and desperate despite the weapon I held in my hand. “Either let her go or I finish you right now. We all go down together.” The words seemed unfamiliar coming from my mouth and Thrumhall could tell I was afraid.

“I don’t think so” he said and steadying himself on one of the heavy steel supports stepped up onto the guard rail still holding her. “This really how you want it to pan out Armitage?”

Desperate I held out the pistol and placed it on the floor in front of me. “Okay, you win” I said my hand shaking. “Take it.”

He grinned and jumped down from the rail and kicked the pistol away from me to where he stood.

“You know what Boy” he said, his eyes now wide and a grimace on his face.

“What” I said. Not that I cared what he had to say.

“You should have pulled the trigger when you had the chance.” and with that he dropped Isobel’s limp body over the side and into darkness.

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Part 32

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Okay so I’m doing M’s prompts going to try and do a full month as one long story with no planning. Today it is ‘Velvety Violets’.

The instructions are to simply write for ten minutes or so each day and that’s about it. It’s certainly taking me longer than ten minutes and now looking like I will probably do all 31 as one long story. Who’d have thought eh…

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Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part15 Part16 Part 17 Part18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part25 Part 26 Part27 Part 28 Part 29

In life I was not at all a religious type, preferring a scientific view of the universe and all within it and it was one that I was wholly comfortable with and that, for the most part, served me well.  On my demise I had expected to drift off into nothing, so you can imagine my surprise when it turned out that the afterlife would turn out to be an experience that, whilst not the Hell the door knocking Christians assured me I was destined for, was never the less turning out to be a pretty awful state of affairs.

“Armitage, your shoes” said O’Rourke pointing as I staggered to my feet, my face contorted. The searing pain in my shoulder made my head spin wildly and every movement I made was agony. What was left of Plumduff pooled at my feet staining my shoes once more.

“I don’t want to be here anymore” I said hobbling forwards towards O’Rourke. “I would very much like to be somewhere else so would you mind terribly if we left because I really don’t feel very good?”

“Armitage, I’m sorry” said the remaining Plumduff walking over and placing a hand on my arm. “I know you were friends. She was so worried about you when you became separated.”

“Yes, I guess we were” I said. “Funny how you get used to somebody so quickly isn’t it. It’s as if we had known each other for far longer than we did.”

“She was a damn fine woman indeed” said O’Rourke.

“And then before you know it” I continued, “they are little more than a tide line on your only good pair of shoes.”

O’Rourke placed his hands on my shoulders, not seeming to care that it was absolute agony for him to do so. “Okay boy, it’s been a long day hasn’t it.”

I nodded and turned to Plumduff. “What about you Margaret, what happens now?”

Plumduff forced a smile. “I will be just fine” she said, “I have no reason to stay now. I only came back for Clarissa.”

She fell silent for a while and O’Rourke and I shuffled uncomfortably where we stood. “Before you go though are you going to tell me why you came here? Or how? I’m sure you realise how little sense all of this makes right?”

“We’re all out of sense I am afraid” said O’Rourke, “and by way of answers the cupboard is a little bare too. I do know though that you were supposed to…”

And before O’Rourke could say any more he realised with a gut wrenching terror that in all of the chaos we had neglected to tie up Thrumhall.  He noticed as the giant hulk of a creature stirred on the floor, “You two get out of here now” he shouted pushing past me and hurling himself through the air towards where he lie.

Groggily Thrumhall threw out an arm instinctively and roared as O’Rourke was sent flying across the floor and on wobbly legs got to his feet shaking his head and turning first to where O’Rourke lay and then towards us.

“Quick now Margaret, go” I said grabbing her by the arm and pulling her towards the stair case.

O’Rourke raised himself back up and stood fists clenched. “Come here you big bugger” he said rolling his neck until it clicked. “Let’s finish this shall we?”

Thrumhall looked at the pool on the floor and then over to where Plumduff and I were heading for the staircase and let out a booming laugh. “Looks like I win Cardinal, and you tried so very hard didn’t you” he mocked.

“Oh shut your cake hole” O’Rourke replied and with fists balled and white knuckles he threw himself at Thrumhall.

As much as I wanted to stay and help which, if I am honest, was a matter for debate, I didn’t and Plumduff and I hurried down the stairs and into the room. Each step made me wince and as we crossed the floor we could hear the fight above as it thundered throughout the building. I heard Thrumhall roar in pain which was soon followed by a crash as if something large had fallen to the floor.

“You go Maggie” I said pointing her to the door. “Down the hill to the river I will catch you up.”

“Where are you going?” she asked. “You’re hurt you need to get away, O’Rourke said so.”

“Just go, you’ll know where you need to be when you see it. I need to make sure he’s okay.”

I pushed her towards the door and watched her squeeze through the gap and out onto the veranda. “Keep going, down the hill.”

There was another crash and the sound of breaking glass and I could hear both men shouting.

“That the best you got big man” shouted O’Rourke. “Come on, you don’t get to have a breather” and his footsteps thundered across the floor above once more. I peered up the stair case as I pressed against the wall to try and get a glimpse but unable to see anything I climbed the stairs slowly.

About half way up Thrumhall shouted something in what I could only assume was his mother tongue and a single shot rang out. The footsteps suddenly stopped and there was a thump as something hit the floor.

Instinct told me to flee and as Thrumhall let out a wild guttural roar I bolted down the stairs as fast as I was able and across the floor. I let out a scream of pain as I squeezed between the hanging doors and heard Thrumhall bellow from above.

“I hear you down there” he said his voice wild and full of hatred. “Thrumhall’s coming for you boy.”

With my heart racing and head spinning adrenaline coursed through me, my instincts screaming to run as fast as I could for the portal and to not look back. Run I did but as I rounded one of the houses at the brow of the hill I turned back to see him burst through the doors and step out onto the veranda.

“I see you boy” he shouted and squeezed a shot from the pistol which tore into the corner of the building just above my head. His face twisted with rage and his eyes bulging he kicked over a clay pot filled with violets as he strode down the stairs sending it cashing into the side of the building opposite.

I needed to further invitation to run and despite the pain tore off as fast as my legs could carry me. Weaving between the buildings I could hear his booming voice behind not far behind me.

“Armitage, here” came a strained voice as I reached the brow of the hill. I skidded to a halt on the pathway next to a small building with a collapsed roof. Plumduff was hidden away just inside the darkened doorway.

“Margaret, what are you doing?” I said stretching out my hand, panting. “You cant stay here come on, we need to go now.”

“This is my home Armitage, I don’t want to leave. I can’t.” The look on her face was one I had seen before and I knew she was not going to change her mind.

But this was her home, not mine, and I had no intention of staying. “Margaret I have to go. I’m sorry, just stay down okay I’ll lead him away.”

“Then go Armitage, and be careful.” She surged, smiling a last time before sliding away into the debris of the house.

My legs felt like lead as I pushed on down the hill, and as I looked back over my shoulder I could see Thrumhall in pursuit his form silhouetted against the setting sun.

“I see you boy ” he bellowed and a shot tore into the ground next to me.

I weaved and ducked as another rang out, the portal now in sight and growing larger. The more I focussed the more the grey in my periphery grew until only a thin slice of reality waited before me, urging me on. More shots exploded in the earth around me but I refused to look back, all my will concentrated on fighting the pain in my shoulder and the fire in my legs.

It was so close now, so close that I could feel the hum in the air vibrating through me and with a final lung bursting effort I slid down the sandy bank and splashed through the shallows of the river. The cold grey beyond the portal rim was right there in front of me and with my heart feeling like it would explode I hurled myself through and tumbled through to the other side.

I could barely get the words out as I lay crumpled my chest heaving “Close it” I shouted, close it now.”

I lifted my head and could see Thrumhall scrambling down the bank. “Quora, close the portal now” I shouted.

“Hello Armitage” she said, her voice cold and harsh. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

Thrumhall splashed through the river, I could see a broad grin on his face and he raised his pistol as he neared the portal.

“Close it Quora, close it.”

As Thrumhall tumbled through the portal after me my head began to spin and the pain overwhelmed me.

“Oh Armitage” she said laughing “you really don’t see how this works do you. I told you there would be a price to pay.”

Part 31

Okay so I’m doing M’s prompts going to try and do a full month as one long story with no planning. Today it is ‘Candy Curtsies’.

The instructions are to simply write for ten minutes or so each day and that’s about it. It’s certainly taking me longer than ten minutes and now looking like I will probably do all 31 as one long story. Who’d have thought eh…

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Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part15 Part16 Part 17 Part18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24  Part25 Part 26  Part27    Part 28

As I lay on the floor I think of her again, the face of a woman both kind and gentle and she reminds me that it is good to be brave, but it is also good to be careful and that if you are careful then you will not get into situations that require you to be brave.

I hear Plumduff giving orders as I slip in and out of consciousness, the pain in my shoulder burning like fire.  “Untie O’Rourke and then bring the ropes, we need to bind this one before he comes around.”

In my confused state I imagine it is me they are talking about and swing my good arm wildly through the air before collapsing back onto Thrumhall.

“Never going to take me” I insist as Plumduff hooks me underneath my arms and drags me free.  “Hey your shoulder is okay, we’re like twins Maggie.”

“Let’s not get too familiar eh boy, Its Margaret to you thank you very much” Plumduff replies without once moving her lips.

“Hey how did you do that?” I ask my face a study in confusion.

“Armitage, over here.”

I look towards the source of the voice to realise that there is now a second Plumduff and confused I then look back to the first, then back to the second and then back again to the first.

“Margaret, you look like you but…younger.”

“Yes, yes thanks for that” Plumduff two replied curtly.  “We really don’t have time for this.”

Plumduff the younger was busy untying O’Rourke and once his hands were free he quite quickly extricated himself from the binds and hurried over to where Thrumhall lay.

“Tie him up and put him with the others” Plumduff the elder instructed pointing to a corner of the room where a number of Thrumhall’s henchmen already lay.

“Are they dead?” I asked straining to get a better look.

O’Rourke grinned even more broadly than usual.  “All in a day’s work boy, that’s what happens when you…”

“James, Please” snapped Plumduff  “He could come round any minute.”

O’Rourke stopped smiling and started to look the rope around his arm.  “Oh relax Maggie, Armitage here gave him a right old blow to the noggin, he’ll be out some time for sure.”

My Plumduff, as I decided to call her, leaned in and took a look at the wound in my shoulder.  She lifted me forward to see an exit hole in the back of my jacket.

“Straight through boy you’ll live,” she said and turned to where she had been before I barged into the room.  I looked to see a young girl sat leaning against the wall on a bed at the far end of the room.  She must have been no older then 12 or 13 years old and was dressed in a pale white dress “Clarissa, throw me that bag from the bed would you.”

A moment passed and Clarissa didn’t move.  “Clarissa, the bag, we need to get this patched.”  When she never answered a second time Plumduff shot to her feet and ran across the room just in time to grab her by the shoulders as she slumped onto the bed.

“O’Rourke, here now” she screamed, her voice panicked.

“What the hell happened Maggie” he asked stepping over Thrumhall.  Plumduff the younger followed and all three stood over her.

As Plumduff the younger climbed onto the bed, she took the girl from her older self and held her close to her chest  O’Rourke placed a hand on her stomach and pulled it away, red with her blood.

“The bullet Maggie.”

“No, no, no this can’t be it” she shouted staggering back.  “This isn’t how its supposed to end James.  This isn’t how it ends.”

O’Rourke turned to face her, his face ashen.  “It’s too late Maggie were losing her there’s nothing we can do.  We did our best.”

She caught the eye of her younger self who shook her head and with a single motion of her hand closed Clarissa’s eyes for  a final time.

“Armitage” she said turning to me.  She look old and worn, her shoulder bandaged and her yellow cardigan stained with blood.  “You need to be strong because our best wasn’t good enough, I am so very sorry.”

“Maggie wait, there must be something we can do” said O’Rourke wiping his blood stained hands on his trousers.  The desperation in his voice terrified me.  “This isn’t what happened but we can fix it, there must be a way back.  Armitage made it here, he must have the device so we can change it back.  You can still save her, there has to be something we can do.”

But there wasn’t, because her timeline was forever altered and the very reason for her existence within the fracture was no more and with that Margaret Plumduff dissolved into a pool on the floor before me.

Part 30 is here

 

Okay so I’m doing M’s prompts going to try and do a full month as one long story with no planning. Today it is “Hickory Dickory’.

The instructions are to simply write for ten minutes or so each day and that’s about it. It’s certainly taking me longer than ten minutes and now looking like I will probably do all 31 as one long story. Who’d have thought eh…

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Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part15 Part16 Part 17 Part18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part25 Part 26  Part27

 

Sometimes we do things that define us, that shape us and that show what we are truly capable of.  They are a measure of the very core of our character and speak of the nature of our person.  They are the fork in the road that dictates our path evermore and picking up the device from Plumduff’s desk and shoving it inside my jacket I considered that this could well be that moment for me.  I also considered that it was a particularly foolish idea and would almost certainly result in something quite terrible happening to me.

Before I had chance to second guess myself I slipped out of the office and into the courtyard with it.  It wouldn’t be long before McCann and the Gadzooks realised that I had disappeared with the device so I needed to move quickly and as I passed through the gates, heart racing, I slipped the ring from my finger and shoved it inside my pocket.

All around the my reality began to fade away, grey replacing the world around me and the still familiar sense of nothing filling my senses.  Once more I felt alone and lost and with no reference points for up or down my head began to swim.

“I wondered if I would see you” came a voice through the nothing.  I could hear it but I could feel it also, deep inside me as if trying to escape.  “I had so hoped you would heed my call but such are the hearts of men that your unpredictability is both your greatest strength and a weakness that so often betrays you.”

“Who are you?” I asked.  I could feel her clawing at my mind, exploring my thoughts. 

“You know of me Armitage, let’s not pretend, you came here looking for me and we met long ago when you first walked this plain.”

It had felt like mere days since I had first encountered her but I was in no way inclined to argue given all I had seen since I last stood in this sea of grey.  I spun around searching, and as quickly as the world I had known had faded to grey she was there, towering above me.  A feint hum filled the air and standing close I could see a blue light coursing through her.

I pulled out the device from inside my jacket and held it out in front of me.  It was cold and heavy in my hand and as the petals unfolded it crackled, shimmering with the same blue light that flowed through her.  “I need your help, my friends are in trouble.”

“You busy yourself with such toys and trinkets Armitage, would you not rather stay here with me instead?”  She asked as I looked up through her branches.  Though there was no sun to be seen I was suddenly now bathed in dappled light as it flooded through the canopy above and a sense of warmth and safety flooded over me.  “Let me give you respite from this reality.”

I could feel her presence surrounding me, speaking to me from inside my head.  “But my friends need me” I replied, every fibre of my being straining to resist the draw of the promise of rest.

“There will be a price you must pay if I am to help you Armitage.  Are you willing to pay what is due if I am to help you find them?”

Without waiting I answered that I was and that I would do whatever was necessary should she help. 

“It will be a heavy price Armitage” she continued “and I will insist on payment”.

The more she spoke the more I found myself growing impatient, she seemed intent on labouring the point and my concern was for Plumduff and O’Rourke and not for the dramatics she quite obviously enjoyed.

 “If it’s okay with you I really do need to be getting on” I replied.  “Are you able to help me get to my friends or not?”

“So be it” she said, her tone immediately harsh and cold.  The sunlight filtering through the leaves disappeared and a chill spread through me.  “Place the device at your feet and step back.”

Without waiting I did as she said, the hum in the air growing louder and the blue hue around the device pulsating and brightening.  The energy flowing through her began to pulse faster in time with the glow of the device until, with a loud crack, a bright arc of energy leapt from the tip of one of her lower branches to the core of the device.  As a second and third arc fizzed through the air and attached itself  a portal opened to the side of me, a deep orange circle cut into the air and beyond was the high banked river bed and the ramshackle wooden settlement I had seen back in the hanger.

“It’s time Armitage, go find your friends.” She said, her voice cold and angry, and without another question I ran and jumped through the portal.

Landing on the other side I was taken somewhat by surprise given everything was still grey.  The portal remained open and I could see the blue flickering light but apart from that everything was the same.  Gone was the river bed and the sloping hill, there was no collection of wooden buildings, just more grey. 

“Well that’s just great” I said to myself. 

I walked back over to the portal and peered through, my head in one reality and my body in another.

“I’m really sorry about this” I said feeling a little embarrassed, “don’t mean to trouble you again but I can’t seem to see anything at all.  Is something broken?”

For a moment there was no response other than what sounded very much like a sigh.

“Put the ring on Armitage” she answered.  “It’s in your pocket.”

“Oh yes” I said reaching into my pocket.  “Thanks.  Really.  I erm…I’ll just get going now” and turned back to my own side of the Portal. 

Slipping the ring onto my finger there was an explosion of colour as the grey nothing receded to my periphery, and in front of me I could see the settlement near the top of the hill that stretched away before me.   Above the sun shone bright in a blue sky and looking down at my feet I noticed, and by this point could feel, that I was ankle deep in the shallows of the river that crawled across the landscape. 

“Bugger” I exclaimed and slopped out onto the bank.  I could see there were knots of trees on each side of the hill but my instinct told me that I needed to head straight ahead. 

Scrambling up the river bank with the sun on my back I headed as quickly as I could up the hill until approaching the brow I stopped for a moment against the first ramshackle building.  It was set back some way from the others and as I peered out from behind it I could see nothing but desolation and destruction before me.  

A strong smell of burning drifted through the air, with the old wooden buildings scorched in places and completely destroyed in others, and debris was strewn across the worn dirt paths between them.  It was eerily quiet and the sound of my own breathing was all I could hear.

“Where are you Margaret?” I mumbled to myself as I continued down an overgrown path that lead towards the a small grouping of four buildings at the heart of the village.  Standing between them I looked about , they grey of my periphery revealing more buildings stretching away back down the hill, most of which looked to have been completely destroyed. 

As I approached the largest of the four central buildings, a double storied construction with a wide veranda and heavy doors that hung crookedly off their hinges, I was startled by a pair of large black birds that burst from one of the broken upstairs windows.  They disappeared into the distance and my heart raced.  I laughed, the madness of the situation not lost on me, and as I stood hand on hips to catch my breath I caught the feintest sound of voices.

As quietly as I could I hurried over to the side of the main building and pressed myself up against the wall just below a tall window.  The glass had been broken from the inside and I winced as it crunched beneath my feet.  As the sound of my own breathing calmed I picked out the unmistakable sound of Thrumhall and O’Rourke, it seemed to be coming from upstairs and though it was hard to make out what they were saying, from the tone I could tell that O’Rourke’s luck might have run out.

I walked back around to the front of the building and stepped onto the veranda, keeping as close as I could to the front of the building.  It was at this point, as I prepared myself to push through the gap between the doors, that I realised that I had in my possession exactly nothing that would be of any use in a fight.  Looking about I picked up one of the spindles that had previously been part of the balustrade  to the front and weighed it in my hands. 

“Great, and what exactly do you presume to do with it?” I whispered to myself feeling wholly out of my depth.  Obviously I should have brought McCann and the other Gadzooks but I’d had enough of other people getting me out of trouble.

As I squeezed through the gap in the doors I could hear stomping from the floor above, and Thrumhall’s laugh boomed out.  The room had a large dark wooden table that ran from one end to another and upturned chairs were scattered around the room.  On the walls there were tattered remnants of banners and brightly coloured flags and a cooking fireplace sat against one wall.  Towards the back of the room was a single staircase that lead to the floor above.

“Not got such a big mouth now do we Cardinal.” Shouted Thrumhall.

“I will have you know that this is not even in my top five beatings you fish headed son of a swine.”

The footsteps stopped and there was a loud crack and I could hear O’Rourke gasp.

“Okay, okay, top five” he said, his voice shaking “but you’ve a long way to go until you get top three.”

Thrumhall roared with laughter.  “I like your spirit, even if it going to get you killed.”

“Again?” Replied O’Rourke.

“What?”

“Again, killed again.  The Prussians beat you to it but you’re welcome to have another crack at it.”

Thrumhall struck him again.  “Do you ever shut up?”

My heart leapt as I heard Plumduff shout, that familiar matronly tone in her voice.  “No he doesn’t.  James, just be quiet will you.”

With the baton in my hand I tiptoed across the floor stepping over the broken chairs and other detritus that was scattered about.  I moved onto the stairs and slowly, step by step, ascended –  holding my breath each time the boards creaked.  About half way up I could see enough to look into the room and the first thing I saw was the back of Thrumhall and a glimpse of O’Rourke beyond.  Plumduff was nowhere to be seen.

“Let’s do this then shall we?” Said Thrumhall pulling his pistol from his holster.

“Thrumhall, you don’t need to do this” Plumduff shouted. 

“Oh but I do Margaret, I need to most definitely do this and once I have done this then I’ll deal woih you and the rest of the Office of Entropy.”

“Come on you big freak, do it.” Shouted O’Rourke. “Do it, do it I can’t be killed don’t you know.”

He raised his pistol.  “We’ll see about that shall we?”

It was at this point that I did the only thing I could think if and taking the last few steps two at a time burst onto the upper floor with the baton raised and ran for all I was worth towards where Thrumhall was still talking.

O’Rourke saw me before Thrumhall heard me. “Oh you’re in for it now” he shouted straining against the ties that held him to a heavy wooden chair.  At that point he must have heard my advancing footsteps and turned bringing the pistol to bare on me just as I brought drove the baton into his face right between the eyes.

The weapon discharged as he fell to the floor, the sound deafening.  As Thrumhall fell at my feet motionless I collapsed on top of him screaming, a searing pain in my left shoulder and my head spinning .

I heard Plumduff call my name as I fell and as I hit Thrumhall and twisted I looked up to see her rushing across the room.  Perhaps it was the pain or the adrenaline but I was pretty certain that there were two of her.

Part 29 is here

 

Okay so I’m doing M’s prompts going to try and do a full month as one long story with no planning. Today it is “Hobnobbed’.

The instructions are to simply write for ten minutes or so each day and that’s about it. It’s certainly taking me longer than ten minutes and now looking like I will probably do all 31 as one long story. Who’d have thought eh…

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Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part15 Part16 Part 17 Part18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part25 Part 26

Back at Eldin’s McCann put the device on the table.  “There must be something you can tell us” she insisted.  ” We need to find Plumduff, you won’t get your money if we cant work out where they are and she ends up dead.”

I watched from the bed as the remaining Gadzooks poured over it.  Eldin picked it up and turned it in her hands.

“You have it all wrong McCann, you need to ask yourself ‘when’ and not ‘where’.”

McCann shot her a glance that insisted she continue.

“The thing I showed Plumduff, before she sent you to fetch this lot” and she waved a hand dismissively at Taylor, Jones, Simpson, Sparrow and Mason “was this.”  She walked McCann over to the computer screen and pointed.  “You see?”

“What is that?”  McCann looked confused.

“You still don’t get it?”

“They’re going back to stop her” said Taylor who had joined them. “Right?”

“Bingo” said Eldin.  “Pretty simple really, they take you out before you even know they’re coming for you an you will never know you’re even in trouble.”

I could tell from the silence that McCann had no idea what to do and got up from the bed and walked over.  “When are they going to?”

Eldin pointed at the screen.

“But that’s her date of death?”

Pulling up a chair she sat down in front of the screen and began to punch the keys.  Her fingers were a blur and pictures and data flashed before them.

“Margaret Rebecca Plumduff, primary date of death, location, timeline – it’s all there.”  She wheeled away from the screen to allow us to a better view.

“If that’s her date of death then why kill her then?  Makes no sense.”  Said McCann.

“Since when did ‘sense’ have anything to do with this?” I said.  If I had learned anything in the last few days it was that the least sensible option was more than likely going to be the answer to whatever question you might pose.  “So how do we get there Eldin, there must be something we can do to get that thing working?”

She smiled and pushed her hair behind her ear.  “Armitage, if I could help you I would – you seem nice enough – but I have no information on this thing other than what I have seen.  Unless you can get your hands on a couple of shadows I really don’t know, and even then I have no idea how to use it.”

“Okay, thanks Eldin”.  As far as I could tell she seemed to be telling the truth and had no reason to lie to us.

“He did ask for something else too.”

“Do tell” said Taylor.

“He has information on all of you, and was especially interested in you Armitage.”

I knew I ought to be afraid but after all that had happened I simply couldn’t muster anything other than something that came close to anger.  Perhaps not quite anger but certainly something of a mix of defiance and indignation.

“Well let him come for me” I said putting my hands on my hips, legs spread wide.  I saw McCann smile and suddenly felt rather self conscious and  shoved my hands into my trouser pockets and shuffled uncomfortably.

“That’s the spirit” she said turned back to Eldin.  “I need a copy of everything you gave him please.”

Eldin handed her a data stub.  “Figured you’d ask.”

“So what now then?” Asked Mason, “what’s the plan boss?”

“Back to the Office I guess” she said picking up the device from the desk.  We need to get this thing working.

“There is one more option” Eldin added as we turned to leave.

“Is there not perhaps a non risky option?” I asked.  “Maybe one that involves cups of tea?”

Eldin ignored my question.  “You could go and see her McCann, Quora.”

As we walked back to the office, the streets still full of life, McCann was unusually quiet.

“You going to force me to ask then aren’t you?” I said catching up with her.

“I’m sorry” she said as if a million miles away.  “Lost in thought I guess.”

“Who’s Quora?” I asked.

McCann didn’t reply so I asked again.  “McCann, Quora, who is she?”

“Do you remember when you arrived here?  When everything was grey and you wandered lost through the nothing?”

“Yes” I said.  I remembered it all too well and given the events of the last few days it held a certain appeal still.

“You met her then Armitage.”

“I never met any…Oh, I see.” I said realising that she meant the tree.  “I didn’t much care for her I will be honest.  Gave me the willies.”

“Eldin has a point though, may be worth a go.”

“Is there anything here that isn’t an immediate threat to life and limb” I asked.

“Perhaps we should just head back to the Office and talk about it there” McCann suggested.

As we left the hustle of the main through fare behind and headed back to the office my mind turned to Plumduff and O’Rourke.  Not only did we not know where they were but thanks to the device even the ‘when’ was an unknown.  If we were to find them then we were going to need some luck, and unfortunately our luck had disappeared through that portal with Plumduff.

 

Part 28 is here