Saturday, August 9, 2008

... And on the Sixth Day They Wordzzle


Time for another Wordzzle. Please go by RAVEN’S NEST and check out her masterpieces and all the others as well!

Finola’s story continues …

Her words are:

middle finger, text message. the letter “Q,” Shangri-La, melodramatic, compensate, elixir, band of brothers, quadrupled**, explicit

deposition, monosyllabic, better off dead, dubious, posh


** - the word was quadruped NOT quadrupled! Really, truly - I must cleanse my mind. So I'll use quadruped next week - I'll add it as a 16th word. Oy!

Finola had decided to forgo the Stock Car Races and just settle for getting to the closest town. She wasn’t prone to being melodramatic but a part of her did feel she’d be better off dead. It had been hard to leave Ireland and Lovee in the middle of the night. While she felt she could trust them Lovee had been explicit about his desire to find her car. As good an actress as Finola was it was dubious that she could compensate for Lovee’s determination by spinning one more tale. Their evening together had ended with Finola pretending to send a text message to her Mother telling her where she was and that her car had broken down. It had taken all her might to use the dead cell phone she’d been carrying around in front of Lovee. Each time he moved closer her anxiety doubled, her fear tripled and her sense of hopelessness quadrupled. Finola had to laugh at herself, quadrupled was one of her favorite words. She loved the idea of double being doubled plus she had a thing for words that started with the letter ‘Q’. Quicksand she thought – that’s what I’m treading on – quicksand.

It was easier to move quickly without the cardboard box. Finola had taken out the bare necessities along with anything that gave away her identity and shoved it all into a large shopping bag. Ireland had a ton of them in the kitchen cabinet. She had set out the moment she heard Lovee begin to snore. Since her cot was outside it had been easy to get away without making a sound.

It was just beginning to get light when Finola found herself on a main road. Since she wasn’t sure where she was and she had no idea where the next town, any town, might be she decided to stay on the road. She knew it was dangerous, a police car could appear at any moment but she also knew she couldn’t wander the woods forever. What if Lovee called the police? What if they decided to come looking for her? She needed to get a car and get as far away as possible.

The sun was getting hot and Finola was exhausted when she got to the small gas station and general store. It was right there at the side of the road, in the middle of nowhere, nothing behind it but road and nothing ahead but more road. “Welcome to Shangri-La” the clerk said. “Need your car filled up?” “Uh, no” Finola muttered. She felt barely capable of a monosyllabic exchange; all the lies and stories were catching up with her. “You came on foot!?” the clerk seemed shocked. “It must be 100 degrees out there, how about a cooling elixir?” Finola thought he meant a cocktail but a Dr. Pepper appeared on the counter. She was just about to say she didn’t have much money when there was a huge crash in the back room. The clerk raised his middle finger to the heavens and let out a string of cuss words, Finola was impressed.

Finola and the clerk stared at each other for several moments. The loud noises from the back had stopped as suddenly as they had started and there was nothing left but a heavy silence. “You have a calm deposition” the clerk told Finola, finally breaking the stillness. “I think you mean disposition” she replied. “And smart too!” he chuckled. “Sorry the Bozo Boys frightened you; they’re working on their sound board. They think they have a band, Band of Brothers they call themselves”. Finola sat down at the counter facing the clerk, her mind racing with possible scenarios she could invent to explain her car-less appearance here in the middle of nowhere. The clerk handed the soda pop over and smiled. “So my new friend, let’s start off simple. What’s your name?”

“My name is Posh” Finola replied as she took a long cool sip from the bottle. “I was on my way to Vegas when I was car-jacked”.


POOR FINOLA’S BEGINNING
PART TWO
PART THREE
PART FOUR
PART FIVE
PART SIX
PART SEVEN

30 comments:

jaycoles@gmail.com said...

I am really getting caught up in this story. Each week she must use her wits and get out of a situation. When I grew up we had serial radio shows (yes I remember them I am old you know) and I am getting the same feelings I got with them. I can't wait for the next installment. Thanks. j

Richard said...

Ah Finola, now she thinks she's a spice girl. Loving it Dianne.

Rich

Raven said...

Wonderful! Like Jay, I'm caught up in Finolas story and look forward to her continuing adventures. I love what you did with quadrupled even if it wasn't the actual word. No penance is necessary next week, but I'm sure you will pay it just for the challenge of doing so. Great wordzzling.

Akelamalu said...

LOL I love the way you used deposition and quadruped/quadrupled - hey what's one letter between friends! :)

Finola's story has really taken off!

Jeff B said...

As the others have already said, Finola's story is an anticipated read each week. So many good elements to this one. The numerical progressions was brilliant and the I also enjoyed her taking on a new alias.

Good stuff Dianne.

Dianne said...

mr. simser - you are not old, you are seasoned - with character and experience :)
I remember soap operas being on the radio first - My Mom used to love to listen to them. It's wonderful to be compared to such entertainment - thanks!

rich - I do love how quick Finola is and what a twisted sense of reality and survival she has. thanks rich :)

raven - I already made a note to myself to have 16 words next week - you know me well - it will bug me that I screwed up. I'm so enjoying the fact that everyone else is enjoying Finola.

akelamalu - thanks lady! isn't it amazing how one letter can change it all LOL
and deposition definitely had me scrathing my head for a bit.

jeff - thanks!! at first I thought the progressions sounded dumb but when I re-read them I was pleased - especially with the whole letter Q tie-in. Good words this week buddy.

Ramblings of a Villas Girl said...

Hi Dianne! Like everyone else, I can't wait for the next installment.

I really think you should write a book. I think it would be on the best sellers list. Lisa

Dianne said...

Thanks Lisa!! I always appreciate your encouragement.

DivaJood said...

I am impressed that you manage to get them all into the grand challenge (loved the "you have a calm deposition" remark. What a tool.)

So quadraped, quadrupled, what the hell.

Mom Knows Everything said...

You should put these all together in a book! Wonderful!

Daryl said...

I agree with Tammy ... get thee to a publisher!!


:-Daryl

Jay said...

Finola is just barely hanging in there. Telling one lie after another. She keeps fooling everyone so far. But, at some point she's gonna find someone who she can't fool! ;-)

bobbie said...

Yes, yes, and then what happened?
I think Jay may be right. :-0

Unknown said...

You're too good! I love it!

Shelly said...

I giggled when I read the last line - too funny...how she threw that Posh-carjacking fib right out there without flinching.
Gooooo Finola!

Dianne said...

jood - what a tool! lol
and what the hell - I love your attitude ;)

tammy and daryl - I'm going to pull all 7 parts together just so I can stop putting up all those links. It will be interesting to see how it reads.

jay - Finola is confusing the crap out of me! ;)

bobbie - onced you call yourself Posh there is no turning back ;)

thanks kim!!

Dianne said...

shelly - thanks!! love when I get a laugh. that's my favorite thing about Finola. She has all these internal battles and then boom - lies like a pro lol

Kimmie said...

Gotta hand it to the girl, she can wiggle out of some slippery situations. ;-) Great story Dianne, I can't wait till next week, also, I am curious what is REALLY going on in the back room of that place! I got a feeling of doubt in the man's explanation. Hmmm...loved how you got "posh" in there. I just love that word!

Hugs,
Kimmie

I put mine up kinda late.

Dianne said...

kimmie - I love 'posh' too ;)
not sure where I'll take the back room, could get complicated. poor finola lol

Kimmie said...

Did you get my email with the photo? Just wondering. ;-)

Kimmie said...

Me Again, I have an Award for you at my blog.

tt said...

Oh Finola...what a tangled web you're weaving!!! She's really quick isn't she ( like you)....but I'm afraid she's going to keep building one disaster after another with all her 'stories'( not like you)...sheesh...now I'm going to have to start worrying about her. Oy!!!( to use your phrase ;))lol
hugs!!!

Dianne said...

tt - I love Oy!, I live by Oy!
Finola is starting to remind me a bit of a younger Dianne - Oy ;)

RW said...

I want more! good job Di!!

Vinny "Bond" Marini said...

Not into this meme...but enjoy your words...

Daryl said...

those no parking signs are on the doors to Zabar's storage 'shed' ... I must walk past that at least once a day every day and never noticed them before this past week

:-Daryl

Bobkat said...

Wonderful! [claps hands] I have just caught up on Finola and I love that you are tying these together into a story. You write so well, I want to know what happens next! I love the names you use too :)

Dianne said...

roger - thanks!! Finola will be around for a spell :)

bond - I'm glad you enjoy reading it :)

daryl - it's a great shot! and so typically NY which is probably why you didn't notice it sooner

bob-kat - wow! thanks for reading all of it! I put the links there never expecting anyone will actually use them! lol
I'm enjoying Finola and I always have fun with quirky names. thanks again!

SMM said...

Dianne....I just realized I made the same mistake. I also saw the word as "quadrupled" and not as"quadraped". Anyway my punishment is same as yours - to use it up next week. Wouldn't want that one word t feel left out :P

Btw I like Finola's new name - Posh. Will she also find a Beckham for herself?

Dianne said...

smm - isn't it funny how a word just jumps off the page at you - wrong! LOL
A 'Beckham' for Finola! very interesting ;)