Saturday, August 16, 2008

Wordzzling In The Dark


I didn’t intend to do all 3 challenges, I had Finola’s story completed and was going to watch TV. Let me tell ya – the excitement never ends round here. We had some violent storms pass through and we lost power. I was searching for a book to read by lantern when I found the Wordzzle words. Sometimes I print them out so I can get a feel for where I’m going.

I hope you like my 10 word and my mini – they were written longhand in the wee hours of the night with the thunder rolling and the lightening crackling. If only that had been as romantic as it sounds.

Please visit RAVEN’S NEST to read all the Wordzzle stories and print out next week’s words – never know when a storm may pass through.

Ten Word Challenge: exponentially, Nightshade, braces, impossibility, the beginning of time, barracuda, playful banter, delve, automatic, bewildered

Mini Challenge: fragment, hemoglobin, insipid, flourish, juxtapose

I added quadruped to Finola’s story since I screwed up last week and didn’t use it.

My 10 Word:

Nigella Nightshade couldn’t believe the impossibility of her luck. She had been engaged in playful banter with one of the club patrons and now she had a semi-automatic pointed at her. To say she was bewildered was an understatement. Her Mother, the infamous stripper Blackout Nightshade, had always said that since the beginning of time the Nightshade women had nothing but bad luck. Nigella regretted not taking the time to delve into her Mother’s superstitions. It might be helpful now as her fear grew exponentially to know more about the Nightshade curse.

Braces Barracuda stared at Nigella. He had heard so much about her from their father, Bruno Barracuda. Bruno and Blackout’s affair had been legend back in the day but now Bruno was dead and Braces was damned if he was going to share the family business with his stripper half-sister.

My Mini:

Jaunty Juxtapose had a problem. He was an award winning horse, greeted everywhere with flowers and a flourish but he was owned by an insipid little man. Harry Hemoglobin was a disgusting blob, his name suited him well. He was also the cheapest bastard on the show circuit and Jaunty was afraid the bone fragment in his leg was going to cost a fortune to fix.

And Finola continues her adventure:

Finola only half listened to the insipid yet playful banter the store clerk was attempting to engage her in. She quickly realized that as long as she giggled every few words he was content to keep on with what Finola assumed was his version of flirting. This gave her time to create her new persona. Where the hell had the name Posh come from? The impossibility of her carrying off a name like that; she was bewildered by the workings of her own mind. She supposed she had heard the name mentioned back at school. She vaguely remembered some British celebrity, an anorexic with the air of a barracuda. Finola thought she might be the lead singer in that girl band ‘Juxtapose’ or was it ‘Nightshade’? Her roommate had always told her she was culturally stunted.

Finola’s automatic giggling must have begun to sound hollow to the store clerk. He suddenly stopped talking and asked if she wanted another soda. Finola said yes, but she’d prefer a glass with some ice. Anything to make him move back a bit, he had chewing gum stuck in his braces and was in general difficult to look at. He grabbed a class and swooped it into the ice bucket. He popped open a bottle of root beer and poured with what Finola assumed was his attempt at a bartender’s flourish. Too bad they were sitting in the middle of a dump in the middle of nowhere.

“I’ve been talking about myself all afternoon” the clerk said as he handed Finola her drink. “You must be bored by my stories, I haven’t really done much with my life, seems like I’ve worked here since the beginning of time”. Finola’s frustration with her current situation was growing exponentially. Once the small talk ended people always wanted to delve into her life. Where was she from, where was she going, why was she alone. All valid questions that required careful thought; she had to stop making things up on the fly. It only made her head hurt trying to remember all the lies. If people would simply leave her alone she could get her hands on a car and get away. This isolated setting was dangerous; she wanted a place where she could disappear in the crowd.

“So” the clerk said loudly, “a penny for your thoughts Posh”. “I really don’t want to bother you with my problems” Finola said timidly, “my life is such a mess, you’re better off not getting involved”. The look of concern on the clerk’s face made Finola feel guilty. She hated using people; she knew all too well how that felt. “I’d really like to help” the clerk told her, “why don’t you tell me what’s going on”.

Finola took a deep breath. “It’s a complicated story” she started, “I left school to spend some time with my parents. They had rented a RV and we were going to travel the coast, maybe go to the stock car races at Stonepoint”. The clerk was fascinated. “Sounds like a great plan” he smiled, “what happened?” Finola put on her best tragic face. “It’s really a wild story” she started, “My Father raises exotic quadrupeds, some of them are very dangerous. It’s illegal you know but we’ve never had any trouble until …” Finola drifted off and forced a tear into her eye. “Until what?” the clerk asked. “Until one of them bit me! It was awful, just a tiny bite but a fragment of saliva made its way into the wound and now I’m afraid I may be very, very sick”. The look on the clerk’s face was one of utter devastation. “I’m so exhausted and confused and afraid” Finola continued. “I can’t even remember the name of the medical center I have to get to. I just know it’s in the next city. It’s the only place where they do the kind of hemoglobin test I need”.

The store clerk assured Finola that he knew exactly which medical center she was referring to. As soon as one of the guys in the back could relieve him he’d get his car and take her there. Finola took a deep breath and smiled at the clerk. She was going to rest now and let Posh do all the work.


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

30 comments:

Raven said...

Finola is such a clever girl. I'm enjoying her journey and all the wonderful characters she's meeting along the way. And Nigella Nightshade and Braces Barracuda... well... that's just delightful. Glad you used those storms so productively.

Melli said...

Oh my gosh! You are waaaaaay too good at this! I don't think I'm going to be able to keep my head above water with this crew! But I DO intend to give it a try! ;)

Richard said...

The nebulous yet nefarious and sometimes downright nasty names used numerously throughout the number 1 and 2 stories were naughtily narly and yet somehow filled with nascent needfulness.

As always Finola fascinates.

Rich

Bear Naked said...

Amazing----
that's all I can say.

Bear((( )))

Dianne said...

raven - isn't Finola wonderful!? I've come to think of her as a 'real' person. At one point I found myself taking her towards multiple personalities but I'm not so sure of that ...
thanks raven!

melli - I'm thrilled that you're gonna jump in. and thank you so much for such high praise. I was reading through some of my first wordzzles - 6 months ago! trust me - I sucked ;)
that's part of the fun - you see and feel your writing get better.
plus - anyone who can organize a dragon hunt can do anything!

richard - you make me swoon.

jaycoles@gmail.com said...

the infamous stripper Blackout Nightshade

I am in love.

With you - You paint such wonderful images in my mind. I am so glad the Blog goddess brought us together.

Finola hooked me a long time ago and I await the continuation of the saga.

Dianne said...

bear - awwww shucks! thanks!!
ya know you write some pretty cool posts - I bet you could get a great bear story going with the wordzzle words :)
just sayin'

mr. simser! - well now I blush and swoon ;)
and love you too as you better know by now
I believe it was the Irish Goddess - the nimble dancer - the one who always has a pot of blessings boiling that brought us together.
Yes Cathy - YOU! I know you're lurking ;)
anyway - lord I ramble
I can't look at Blackout Nightshade without giggling like a loon.

Bobkat said...

A character within a character, how cool! I love the way Finola thinks and wonder where this will take her next. There are sure to be more twists and turns :)

I think the storm must have ignited your creativity as the names Nigella Nightshade and Barry Barracuda are great :D

Anonymous said...

Very nicely done... what will you do now, without Finola?!
I love the great names you gave everyone. Harry Hemoglobin and Jaunty Juxtapose; very nice.

I hope you'll come check out my new meme, Pet Peeve Tuesday!

Akelamalu said...

Dianne I love the way you used the words as names - they sound so plausible!

That Finola (or should I say Posh) is a wiley one! Can't wait for the next episode!

Shelly said...

"anorexic with the air of a barracuda"...that was goooooood.
Can't wait til next Saturday ;)

Jeff B said...

Oh that Finola, she really knows how to stir up the pot.

Now I'm wondering if the clerk is going to get sucked in to the fray.

Smalltown RN said...

Hello my friend.....your writing as always is graphic and full of meaning...thank you....

As for your previous post...I too saw that video of Bomb Bomb Bomb...and was appalld....no one wins in war...no one....lives lost and families torn apart...how can that be good for anyone.....to say it's shameful is not enough.....writing letters, and doing whatever one can to say enough is enough is the least we can all do....good for you for tackling such a sensitive subject...

Jay said...

You're seriously putting me to shame now. This story is sooo freaking good.

And boys are such saps. Look at that guy falling for Finola's story like that. LOL

Kimmie said...

Oh how I giggled at the names you gave your characters! Girl you Rock! I love Finola/Posh's story, you are really on a mission...I cannot wait until next week!

Hugs,
Kimmie

Daryl said...

Go Finola! More please!

:-Daryl

Dianne said...

bobkat - I think Finola has several characters in her, she's just beginning to figure out how well she can manipulate! so happy you like the stories and the names, thanks!!

mommywizdom - Finola is just letting Posh take the reins for a bit, she's still in charge. I'll make a note to check out Thursday - I love pet peeves :)

akelamalu - thanks!! I enjoy making up names. when I was a kid my bro and I had names for every teacher and every neighbor ;)

Dianne said...

shelly - thanks!! it suits Posh so well

jeff - I think the store clerk is thinking with his cocker ;)

smalltown - thank you for your kind words about my writing. as for "bomb bomb ..." - it was shameful and I can't believe more people didn't react.

jay - awwww - I could never put your Vadar story to shame! but thanks, I love the praise.
as I told Jeff - the store clerk wants to get laid ;)

thanks kimmie!
and doesn't your fork goddess look pretty up there! thank you!

daryl - that Finola is a card isn't she! so glad you enjoy her :)

Carletta said...

Blackout Nightshade - in my next life as a stripper - Ha- I want to use that name!
Finola's story reads like a Janet Evanovich novel! I couldn't help laughing at the Posh nod. "Some British celebrity, an anorexic with the air of a barracuda" - you sure have her pegged.

I loved your post!

bobbie said...

Oh, Finola!You're getting in pretty deep. You might trip yourself up if you aren't careful. Personally, if I had to remember all those crazy names I'd be so confused I don't think I could go on.

DivaJood said...

Finola, Finola, you really do need to be careful.

Dianne, I have given you an award.

Mom Knows Everything said...

I'm glad your power went out so you could write this for us to read.

Reb said...

Well done, I can't wait to see what she gets up to as "Posh".

OldLady Of The Hills said...

This is ALL pretty amazing! A very interesting challange, isn't it?

Unknown said...

Dianne's blogsite is cool! What makes it unique? First, it is impossible to guess how exponentially she will use it on any given day. Nightshade topics for smiles and laughter include The Raven, rockers who wear braces, the idiots in our lives who attempt to quash our dreams with talk of the impossibility of them, a whimsical look back the beginning of time, women who might be called a "barracuda" and more. There is of course playful banter. But I've noticed that Dianne will delve into current events she feels passionate about because they are well, eventful! But never confuse Dianne's creativity as automatic, oh no! Never. Some may feel bewildered, but eventually they "get it" and realize how fun it is to stop by for a Wordzzle! :D)!!!!

Dianne said...

carletta - I love Blackout Nightshade - I was laughing as I typed it! Maybe the 2 of us could do an act in our next life LOL

bobbie - Finola is confusing me LOL

Jood - I don't think Finola is good at careful. Wonder who she gets that from? ;)

tammy - thanks! it was the first time in a long time that I wrote without a keyboard - ahhh the good old days :)

reb - thanks - I think her Posh persona might be fun!

oldold lady of the hills - it is very interesting, it has absolutely made me more motivated to write more.

Michael - you just keep being wonderful!

Ramblings of a Villas Girl said...

Hi Dianne! Finola is just keeping me on the edge of my sit. What a quick thinking girl she is. But could there been a romance between her and the store clerk?

They were calling for storms here, but we got nothing. I had the weather channel on and they were saying that North Jersey and New York were getting hit pretty hard. Glad all is well. Lisa

Dianne said...

Hey Lisa! I think there might be some romance in Finola's future, or at least in Posh's LOL
I thought we were out of the woods Friday night - they said the storm was over Staten Island, and farther North it was really bad but nothing for us - and then a while later Mother Nature went nuts for about an hour! I think Staten Island hates us LOL

tt said...

As usual, the names for your characters crack me up.
Finola, er, rather Posh, is using her feminine wiles now... I love that. ha..she's finding some power there I think. Whatever it takes!

And on a side note...Michael is spot on isn't he?!! What a great thing to say.
{{{hugs}}}

Dianne said...

tt - I'm always happy that you're enjoying the story :)
and yep! Michael is something else.