Joey glanced at the carnage he’d left behind; an ominous silence pervaded the blood-spattered hallway.
Raising a hand to acknowledge Gary, Joey took a deep breath to quieten his thumping heart and shot back into the building; he burst into his flat and snatched up his back-pack, stuffing it with a handful of clothes and the small battered box which contained his ‘important stuff’.
Skidding back down the stairs, he paused by Ceridwen’s door; it opened before he could knock, revealing Ceridwen, clutching a bristling Cullen in her arms. Digging into his pocket, Joey pulled out a thick roll of notes and started to peel a few off, but Ceridwen shook her head; Joey was about to speak, but she silenced him with a look and with a nod of her head, gestured for him to leave. Giving Cullen’s head a regretful stroke, Joey fled the scene, only pausing to scoop a small shiny object from the hall floor.
Half an hour later, Ceridwen stepped sedately around the fallen bodies and picked up the pay-phone, wondering how she was going to explain all this to the emergency services; one thing was certain though, she wasn’t going to betray young Joey.
Written in response to two challenges:
Di of Pensitivity 101’s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge: SEDATE, QUIETEN, SILENCE
Denise Farley of Girlie On The Edge’s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt: STROKE
Photo credit: illustration from a book somewhere on my bookshelves which has mysteriously disappeared🐪
Click on the Café sign for more #SixSentenceStories
An absorbing segment of the story.
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Thanks, Sadje! Just avert your gaze from the floor.😊
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Not looking that way.
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😂
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😍
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I’m glad to hear that she is keeping his name out of things! I’m sure that (between you) you’ll be able to come up with a plausible explanation for the authorities!
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Thinking caps firmly jammed on, Chris!
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Can a JCamel mop the floor with them?
Absolutely! Loving the Kill Bill vibes!!
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Oh, but the mess on the floor! Pity Ceridwen has no magic wand… 🤔 NO!
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Keeps getting better Chris……………… haven’t scheduled next week’s yet.
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My Wednesday mornings are always filled with eager anticipation, Di! 🤔😱😊
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Hope I don’t disappoint then.
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You haven’t done so far, Di 🙂
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I’m pleased.
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Joeys very lucky to have supportive friends
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Ceridwen’s the best! Likely she had a few brushes with the law in her wild-child days!
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I hope you’ll share the wild scenario Ceridwen concocts to shield our Joey.
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It has to be done, Liz!
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😀
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Woah! A lot to process. I love stopping for ‘important stuff’.
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I’m guessing he may be planning a big getaway!
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I’m thinking about the shiny object now.
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We’ve seen it a few times already… 😉
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🙂
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nice rest-and-appreciate moment in your story… as we Readers are reminded of the ‘basics’ for the main characters and the narrative…
damn!*
*compliment lol
oh yeah, Fun Six!
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The set up for the next installment… where now?
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Joey is fortunate to have Ceridwen on his side. How on earth will she explain the carnage?
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An excellent question, Keith.
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excellent segment. love the opening line.
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Thanks very much, Paul 🙂
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Suggested opening line when Ceridwen calls the plod: ‘You’re not going to believe this but ..’
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I might take you up on that, Doug!
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All those quiet words lowered the volume, slowed the pace a little, but not the suspense. Another intense episode.
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Thanks very much, D. 🙂
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I wonder what that shiny object was. I am glad Ceridwen wasn’t going to betray Joey.
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We’ve seen that object a few times, Frank. 😉
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Definitely averting my head 🙂 Fine writing as usual!
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Thanks very much, S. 🙂
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You’re welcome 🙂
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He got away! But what did he pick up from the floor?
(Drumming her nails, waiting for the next installment)
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Time will tell… but we’ve seen that object before, Liz 😉
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🤔🙀
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Hopefully now, Joey will start to realise the camel’s power, Chris… and I’m sure Ceridwen will smooth things over!
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Will it be that simple…? Let’s hope so 🙂
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Is anything simple where the camel’s concerned?
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If it were otherwise, we’d not be having nearly so much fun!
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True! 🙂
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Great episode, Chris! Ooft. I wouldn’t want to be Ceridwen explaining any of that!
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She and I are still working on it!
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Sorry, officers, these guys were fighting each other and one ran in here to get away and the others chased him in and then things just got out of hand and i hid in my apartment until it was all over!
Anyway, excellent story.
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Perfect, Mimi! May Ceridwen quote you?
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Wait! Did I miss episode 20?? Or do I need to go back and read it again? 🧐🤔Hmmm…I’ll be right back!
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Ok I remember now. I knew there was a Tommy Beresford-esque scene but I had forgotten about the axe and the crowbar 😝 Well, as long as the authorities don’t think Ceridwen did it…😬
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Surely not…? 🤔🙄
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I think we all have a box or a bag containing our ‘important stuff’.
Great human touch,Chris
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AHHH YOUR WRITING IS AMAZING!! AND I LOVE THIS SO MUCHH!!
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Chris! Another exciting installment! Complete with a brawl from you know where, lol
I’ve no doubt Ceridwen will have a plausible story. “…blood-spattered hallway.” I’m thinking this time, the authorities will be scrutinizing Joey even more.
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Hi Chris, thanks for this exciting episode. I wonder where Joey is heading?
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Just treated myself to a full binge-read of ‘The Jade Camel’. Well worth my wait, Chris – absolutely fantastic. What a diverse array of characters, and so well situated in Liverpool, with its ‘malodorous Mersey breeze’. The fusing of action, intrigue, and a city so real reminded me of what Phillip Pullman did for Oxford. Joey is such a compelling main character as well.
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Nice Post
Thanks
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