
The red-headed writer, aka the Raconteuse, realised that something had gone seriously wrong with her plan to write herself back in time to find the key to the mystery of the Gatekeeper’s sudden disappearance and subsequent demise; mostly because she simply hadn’t wanted to believe that he’d gone.
While roaming around the inner reaches of her writer’s mind, jotting down what she’d thought should be her next step, events had overtaken her; apparently the Gatekeeper’s casting off of his mortal coil had merely been an elaborate ruse on the part of the Gatekeeper and his equally-imaginative collaborator, Ford the Supplier.
A clever misdirection – she should have known.
Meanwhile, mention being made of a mysterious coffin had sent her down another stupid rabbit hole, the curse of the ‘brancanneering’ story-teller, and now she was stuck on some god-forsaken beach, up to her ankles in chilly seawater, while a strange Gothic ship loomed on the horizon; a storm was brewing too.
A sudden gust of wind ushered in her own personal downpour, drenching her notebook; she applied her pen to the page, but it refused to mark the soggy paper.
How was she going to write herself out of here now?
~~~~~
This has been my second offering this week for Denise’s Six Sentence Story Challenge where this week’s prompt word was key.
*crafted on Canva by the author from an image on Pinterest
~~~~~
Join us at the famous SSC&B for more Six Sentence Stories
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Reblogged this on NEW BLOG HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
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Thanks so much for sharing, Michael. Have a wonderful weekend further! 🤗
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Love it, it worked so well
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Thanks so much, Deb!
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I can taste the salt water!
👏
The Gatekeeper resurrected , the Raconteuse in a “bottle with the Black Pearl”…maybe Johny, now that his legal obligations are fulfilled, will be appear near you saying:
…“My tremendous intuitive sense of the female creature informs me that you are troubled.”
The Demeter is beautiful.
Equally is your weaving of the tale.
Btw, you did bring with you the TTT, right?
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I can feel the sea water and it’s damn cold! Playing the ‘Johnny card’ might prove interesting (stop my beating heart), but maybe the pull of a bewitching voice from beyond the grave will be greater.
I can’t read the stuck-together pages of my sodden notebook, but surely the TTT is in there…?
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😳😱
You’ve gone and done it this time, Chris! Lost somewhere and somewhen, no means (as yet) to write yourself out, a storm approaching and a strange ship on the horizon! Ah… you may find some dry paper on the ship; but if you go, what/who else will you find?
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I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later, wasn’t it, Tom? The ship might yet be my best bet! Meanwhile I’m trying to think of the nice things I might find there, like some dry clothes and a warm towel. Whitby can be rather bracing, even in June.
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Whitby! 😀
I’m still planning to go myself some day, at least now I’ll be prepared for the weather (as best I can be!)
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Back in the day, best for fish and chips, and cheeky postcards – unless the latter was Scarborough 😎
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Haven’t been there either! Sounds like Blackpool, though!
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Ah well, that would’ve required crossing the border into ‘that Yorkshire’. Parts of Blackpool and parts of Scarborough are pretty similar!
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I’ve been overth’ border! 😀 Not for a while though… and not that far over it either 😊! I think I’ll have to check out Scarborough now, too!
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I recommend Peasholm Park! Nice lake.🦆
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I shall make a note for when I go!
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“How?”, she asks?! Well, she is the Raconteuse, after all. She’ll find a way, yet in the meantime….
Excellent Tale, Chris!
P.S. Spira is hoping beyond hope you brought it (the TTT) but if you didn’t…we know there’s another exciting Tale from the SSC&B on the horizon telling of the Raconteuse’s “escape”. 😎
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Haha, Denise, you ‘read me’ so well!
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I really enjoyed how this weaves between fantasy and reality (albeit a bizarre one!). Dry out those pages and who knows…?
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Thanks, Chris!
I spend such a lot of time in a place where fantasy and reality often seem to merge… this, my writer’s life. 🙂
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Very immersive story with some great insights on writer’s block. Beautifully imagined, Chris! 🙂
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You got it, Tom 🙂
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I’ve always been intrigued by paintings of ancient ships on stormy seas! What a great story to go with the image! Hopefully the pages do dry out, or maybe she can find another notebook that didn’t get wet?🤔
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It’s a great image isn’t it! There has to be another story here, even if she has to write it on the backs of the receipts which line the bottom of her bag (yes, I have done that!)
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Yes, there’s always a piece of paper somewhere!
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Brilliant take Chris.
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Thanks so much, Sadje☺
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You’re most welcome
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🤗
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Good one Chris. It was a well-played ruse to protect the Proprietors among us, and even though I was a part of it, I struggled to keep up with the fast-changing ‘life and death’ events 🤪😵😎
I love the pic of the Demeter located at the SSC&B… can imagine a certain lanky, skinny gentleman Proprietor among us enjoying that, given his sea-faring days, not saying he’s got any vampire connections, like 😁
Incoming erratum: Ford is no Fixer (he can barely fix himself to getting up in the morn, though he can fix a mean drink in the eve), Ford the Supplier it is 😊
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Someone said vampire? Ann Rice here we come!
First you become Fixer, then you struggle…you sure you got your vitamin D Ford or you are hard at work in the dungeons?!🤣😎
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Damn those dungeons 😣 😎
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Let’s bring them down! By order…(just started the final season!!)
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Cool! Hope to see it see it soon as well! Ay!
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Calling Lestat! (Second time he’s come up this week. Omen-ous)
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Johnny Depp and Tom Cruz at the same fantasy!! We better have a defibrillator standing by…🤣🦇🏴☠️
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Is it hot in here, or is it just me? 😂
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Thanks, Ford, I figured we needed some wall art about the place. More to delve (dive?) into!
Erratum noted. I will ‘fix’ it – shame, since it’s nicely alliterative… and maybe there is a little multi-tasking to be done?
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I feel the the Raconteuse’s pain! I’m dealing with an unplanned plot myself right now.
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Shame, Liz, but I know you’ll sort it out!
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Thank you for the vote of confidence, Chris!
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But of course, Liz!
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😀
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Multimedia ain’t got nothin on the reality weavers of the Six Sentence Café & Bistro!*
heck with flash fiction we gots Entangled Fiction!
don’t get no more fun than that
*ty Denzel
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Well, you know our motto… Hope you like the new picture in your office!
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I hope it’s just a nightmare which the writer can wake up from.
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“…and she woke up and it was all a dream.” Haha, too easy!😉
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Thanks writer, I have been comforted. 😄
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😁
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Another good reason not to write oneself back in time.
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She should have listened to you, Frank.
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Ooft! Not a situation I ever want to find myself in 😬
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Nor should you, Susan! 🙂
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Wow, Chris. You are really good at these. A whole story in six sentences. I love that last line. She has a big problem. Ha ha
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Thanks very much, Diana! It’s a problem that no writer wants to share!
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Ha ha ha. There’s always a way out, isn’t there?
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Eventually! 😂
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Good one, Chris. Writing oneself back in time has its drawbacks.
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So the writer has discovered!
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Better find a lucky star…and wish on it!
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Mmm, that might just work if it’s not too cloudy, Liz!
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Well done, Chris. As I said to young Michael yesterday when his notebook was drenched in an open water bottle in school bag disaster, you’ll have to let it dry out before you can progress with your writing
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Oh, shame for Michael! If it’s any consolation, I’ve just spattered my notebook with tea, narrowly avoiding my laptop.
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I spilled water on my computer once, that story did not have a happy ending so thank goodness your laptop escaped.
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I did the same back in the very early days of laptops. It was a work one and they were not amused.
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[…] looked at Tom uncomprehendingly; Tom grinned, ‘it’s like a get-out-of-jail-free card for a blocked writer,’ he winked at the Raconteuse, ‘a stroke of luck that you introduced the Portal in here as a […]
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