Good morning, FFFs,
Summer is here to stay. And we haven't had much rain at all this past week so the grass still doesn't need mowed. Yay! Of course there is a chance for rain the rest of this week and into next so we'll see. Last night I looked out my window at dusk and enjoyed the dancing lights of the fireflies. There is just something about those insects that make me smile.
This has been a different kind of week for me. It feels like I've hardly gotten anything done.
Monday was pretty normal, but I had so many things to work on that it was hard to get much done. ;) Ever been there? My brain was divided into so many projects that it just seemed to take longer to get one thing done.
On Tuesday our internet decided to go out for 7 hours. I got many other things done that had been sitting around and waiting, but I couldn't work on my blog posts or things like that.
Wednesday I had to drive to a town 25 min away to get the paperwork for my job in July done. (I will be working here in town about 5 minutes from home.) While there I got to find out who the other person was who would be working with me. That was exciting because I've worked with her before at elections and we get along great! She had just told me when she saw me last that she really missed working with me. :) So that was fun. But it also took up half my morning.
Yesterday was one of those days. You know, the kind of day when unexpected things pop up and you don't get some things done because you have to do other things? Yeah, one of those days.
And today I clean the house. It needs it. We'll see what other things I can get done.
On the writing front, I have gotten some writing in each day. And Book 3 is now at 24k words. (Goal: 30k or longer.) I have many ideas swirling in my head, but I am not sure which ones are actually going to make it into the book and which ones won't. You can be praying for wisdom as I write. :)
And during all this, the King's Daughters' Writing Camp continues to grow. We keep sending out applications, and information, and signing new campers up. This has grown beyond our original thoughts, and it is amazing watching God bring in writers both young and old. If you haven't joined and would like to, or would like more information, send an email to kingsdaughterswritingcamp [at] gmail [dot] com. Or leave me a comment.
And now I hope you enjoy the rest of this story. The word limit on it made it a bit difficult to do much, but it is what it is.
Mysterious Words
Part 2
Last week:
“Could I be of service in any way?” he questioned politely. “I have the afternoon off, if your brother doesn’t.”
Brooke looked up at him, tipping her head and pursing her lips. Then she shrugged. “If you want. Mom and I just arrived last week, and today she is gone for the whole day. She expected me to have Chad this afternoon, but I guess that won’t work.”
“What were you going to do with him?”
“Oh, wander the beaches and talk, at least until the fireworks tonight. I haven’t seen him in over six months except the brief time when he came to meet us when we arrived.”
“If you’d like,” White offered gallantly, “we could go down the beach and walk to the base. You might get to see your brother there.”
Brooke was full of delight. “Could we?” she gasped. “I’d love to!”
Soon White was strolling down the beach by the side of Chad’s lively, younger sister whom he found very entertaining. They hadn’t gone far when Brooke, who was looking everywhere with delight, exclaimed, “What is that thing in the bushes?”
White looked where she was pointing. A bit of faded yellow appeared tied around the branch of a bush. Going over to it, he carefully untied it and pulling it out, handed it to Brooke.
She squealed, “Look! There is something written on it!”
Sure enough, faded almost beyond notice were some words. After close examination by both White and his young companion they managed to make out the words ‘blood’ ‘save’ and ‘slave’ while several letters here and there were discernable.
“It’s a mystery!” breathed Brooke, very much excited.
“It looks like it,” White replied. “Do you want to take it and show Chad if he’s available?”
Before Brooke could reply, a shout startled them. Looking up they saw Chad pounding down the beach. With a cry, Brooke flew to meet him, flinging her arms about his neck as he lifted her off her feet.
“You came back! I’m so glad! Come and see what we found!” and not giving her brother a chance to explain why he had left, she pulled him back to where White was standing. “See?” she thrust the ribbon into his hands.
Chad studied the lettering on it for several minutes before looking up. “What is this supposed to mean?”
“We have no idea,” White said.
“Maybe there are other ribbons around?” Brooke was already examining a few nearby bushes. The two members of the Coast Guard glanced at each other, shrugged and then began looking too.
For nearly thirty minutes the trio searched but only discovered one more ribbon. It was much like the other one, tied to a branch, yet the words on it were different. After careful study, four words were recognized: ‘home’, ‘free’, ‘banner’ and ‘brave’.
“What does the rest of it say? And why were they tied on these bushes, and who put them there and when?”
“You’ve got me on that one, Sis. I have no clue. Any idea’s White?”
White shook his head. “Not unless it has to do with the legend of this beach.”
“What’s that?” Chad and Brooke asked simultaneously.
“Why don’t we take these back to the base and see if any of the other guys can figure any more words out, and on the way, I’ll tell you.”
The others readily agreed.
“They say,” began White in a slow, mysterious tone that made Brooke shiver with excitement, “that it was on a day in July, much like this one that a young girl was seen walking down to this very beach early one afternoon. She was dressed in yellow and wore a red hat. No one was sure who she was. Supposedly someone from a sailboat out in the bay saw her back there near the rocks, heading this way. They claim to have heard a cry of some sort, and on looking at the beach saw the girl lying unmoving on the sand. Well, there was no way for them to come ashore here, so they radioed a call for help and waited. As they watched, the girl appeared to be disappearing into the bushes. They are sure she didn’t move herself, but was somehow dragged there or something. Anyway, when help arrived, there was no sign of her. The Coast Guard that was here at the time, I’m told, searched the shoreline for days, but nothing more was discovered. No one ever saw the girl again and no one knows what really happened.”
Silence fell as White finished the tale. No one spoke until they were almost to the base.
Brooke looked up at him, tipping her head and pursing her lips. Then she shrugged. “If you want. Mom and I just arrived last week, and today she is gone for the whole day. She expected me to have Chad this afternoon, but I guess that won’t work.”
“What were you going to do with him?”
“Oh, wander the beaches and talk, at least until the fireworks tonight. I haven’t seen him in over six months except the brief time when he came to meet us when we arrived.”
“If you’d like,” White offered gallantly, “we could go down the beach and walk to the base. You might get to see your brother there.”
Brooke was full of delight. “Could we?” she gasped. “I’d love to!”
Soon White was strolling down the beach by the side of Chad’s lively, younger sister whom he found very entertaining. They hadn’t gone far when Brooke, who was looking everywhere with delight, exclaimed, “What is that thing in the bushes?”
White looked where she was pointing. A bit of faded yellow appeared tied around the branch of a bush. Going over to it, he carefully untied it and pulling it out, handed it to Brooke.
She squealed, “Look! There is something written on it!”
Sure enough, faded almost beyond notice were some words. After close examination by both White and his young companion they managed to make out the words ‘blood’ ‘save’ and ‘slave’ while several letters here and there were discernable.
“It’s a mystery!” breathed Brooke, very much excited.
“It looks like it,” White replied. “Do you want to take it and show Chad if he’s available?”
Before Brooke could reply, a shout startled them. Looking up they saw Chad pounding down the beach. With a cry, Brooke flew to meet him, flinging her arms about his neck as he lifted her off her feet.
“You came back! I’m so glad! Come and see what we found!” and not giving her brother a chance to explain why he had left, she pulled him back to where White was standing. “See?” she thrust the ribbon into his hands.
Chad studied the lettering on it for several minutes before looking up. “What is this supposed to mean?”
“We have no idea,” White said.
“Maybe there are other ribbons around?” Brooke was already examining a few nearby bushes. The two members of the Coast Guard glanced at each other, shrugged and then began looking too.
For nearly thirty minutes the trio searched but only discovered one more ribbon. It was much like the other one, tied to a branch, yet the words on it were different. After careful study, four words were recognized: ‘home’, ‘free’, ‘banner’ and ‘brave’.
“What does the rest of it say? And why were they tied on these bushes, and who put them there and when?”
“You’ve got me on that one, Sis. I have no clue. Any idea’s White?”
White shook his head. “Not unless it has to do with the legend of this beach.”
“What’s that?” Chad and Brooke asked simultaneously.
“Why don’t we take these back to the base and see if any of the other guys can figure any more words out, and on the way, I’ll tell you.”
The others readily agreed.
“They say,” began White in a slow, mysterious tone that made Brooke shiver with excitement, “that it was on a day in July, much like this one that a young girl was seen walking down to this very beach early one afternoon. She was dressed in yellow and wore a red hat. No one was sure who she was. Supposedly someone from a sailboat out in the bay saw her back there near the rocks, heading this way. They claim to have heard a cry of some sort, and on looking at the beach saw the girl lying unmoving on the sand. Well, there was no way for them to come ashore here, so they radioed a call for help and waited. As they watched, the girl appeared to be disappearing into the bushes. They are sure she didn’t move herself, but was somehow dragged there or something. Anyway, when help arrived, there was no sign of her. The Coast Guard that was here at the time, I’m told, searched the shoreline for days, but nothing more was discovered. No one ever saw the girl again and no one knows what really happened.”
Silence fell as White finished the tale. No one spoke until they were almost to the base.
Then Chad said, “That
was quite a tale. But, if they searched the whole shoreline, why didn’t
they find these ribbons if they came from this girl?”
White shrugged.
“You know, Chad,” Brooke began slowly, thoughtfully, “if that happened years ago, those bushes would have been smaller and maybe if these were tied right near the ground, no one noticed them.”
“But they’re white,” her brother protested, looking again at the ribbons,
“Yeah, now. But maybe they were yellow to match her dress and they just faded.”
“Then why the words?” White questioned.
“What words?”
White and Dancroft looked up. “These Pettrot,” Chad held them out to his room mate. “Can you make anything out of them?”
Pettrot stared at the faint marks, and then calling a few more of the Coast Guard over, they all fell to work trying to uncover the mysterious message.
Brooke watched them in shy silence a minute and then, seeing how interested everyone really was, began to offer her own suggestions. The ribbons were scrutinized, held up to the sun, studied in the shade, copies of the letters were carefully traced and criticized and yet no one could come up with a meaning for the seven words. More men came and joined the group and others left. Even the Captain, puzzled by the gathering came and tried, but with no success.
It wasn’t until almost supper time that Chad Dancroft suddenly started up exclaiming, “Wait a minute! Let me see those again!” Snatching them up he began to read, “’Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps pollution. No refuge can save the hireling and slave.’ and the other one says, ‘And the Star-spangled banner shall wave, o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.’” He looked up, his eyes sparkling.
“That’s it!” Brooke exclaimed.
“We still haven’t a clue how they came to be tied to bushes on the beach or why they were there, but at least we found out the message.” Chad grinned at his sister and shook hands with White. “I’d say it was rather fun.”
“I think so too.” White agreed.
Brooke sighed. “Now, tomorrow I can start trying to find out the who, when, how and why.”
The others grinned and then together they headed into mess for supper.
White shrugged.
“You know, Chad,” Brooke began slowly, thoughtfully, “if that happened years ago, those bushes would have been smaller and maybe if these were tied right near the ground, no one noticed them.”
“But they’re white,” her brother protested, looking again at the ribbons,
“Yeah, now. But maybe they were yellow to match her dress and they just faded.”
“Then why the words?” White questioned.
“What words?”
White and Dancroft looked up. “These Pettrot,” Chad held them out to his room mate. “Can you make anything out of them?”
Pettrot stared at the faint marks, and then calling a few more of the Coast Guard over, they all fell to work trying to uncover the mysterious message.
Brooke watched them in shy silence a minute and then, seeing how interested everyone really was, began to offer her own suggestions. The ribbons were scrutinized, held up to the sun, studied in the shade, copies of the letters were carefully traced and criticized and yet no one could come up with a meaning for the seven words. More men came and joined the group and others left. Even the Captain, puzzled by the gathering came and tried, but with no success.
It wasn’t until almost supper time that Chad Dancroft suddenly started up exclaiming, “Wait a minute! Let me see those again!” Snatching them up he began to read, “’Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps pollution. No refuge can save the hireling and slave.’ and the other one says, ‘And the Star-spangled banner shall wave, o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.’” He looked up, his eyes sparkling.
“That’s it!” Brooke exclaimed.
“We still haven’t a clue how they came to be tied to bushes on the beach or why they were there, but at least we found out the message.” Chad grinned at his sister and shook hands with White. “I’d say it was rather fun.”
“I think so too.” White agreed.
Brooke sighed. “Now, tomorrow I can start trying to find out the who, when, how and why.”
The others grinned and then together they headed into mess for supper.
How was your week?
Do you enjoy fireflies?
What did you think of the story?
4 comments:
I love this story!! PLease, Friday, come quickly! My week was great! Everything seemed to happen all at once...and Wednesday was one of "those" days for me:)I love fireflies, but we sadly don't have many around here... Thanks for the story!!
- Edith
Glad you enjoyed it, Edith. Aw, that sad that you don't have many fireflies where you live. So you had one of "those" days too, huh? Sorry. Hopefully you got something done anyway. :)
Thanks for commenting.
My week was pretty good! It had it's ups and downs, but overall it was exciting. :D
Yes, I like fireflies, but I don't remember seeing them in years. Maybe I need to be outdoors... in the country... at night more often. :P I'm not sure if there are any in our neighborhood.
I like the story, but I wish it was longer! I want to know what happens next! :)
Oh, exciting weeks can be fun! :D
I don't live in the country and the fireflies dance in our yard at dusk. (Is it just me or does that sound like a book? "Dancing Lights at Dusk.") *glares at title* I DON'T need another story to write right now!
Yeah, I kind of wish this story was longer too.
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