The Story Game

[Will]

This is another good game to play on forums. It's dead simple, all you do it add to the story continuing from on from where the last post finished. Add no more then 5 words.

So for instance it could start 'Jim decided to buy a..', then the next post could continue, 'a giant watermellon for...', and so on.

So to start off,

Jane was going home when.....

[M4gg1c]

she couldn't find her............

[Reggie]

portable walrus polishing kit.....

[Shizara]

and wonders about the Carpenter.....

[Sandman]

and if he's got it.....

[torchomatic]

He'll never again watch BB...

[Shizara]

when his wife is talking...

[Shizara]

oOo... Off to the pub later. ...oOo

[M4gg1c]

Might the Carpenter be there?

[Shizara]

aye... and that polishing kit.

[Madhatter]

The walrus was there too

[Shizara]

.....setting up business. - Excellent clientele

[Madhatter]

Thought the carpenter but jane...

[Shizara]

has a mysterious past.

[cathidaw]

she was a clog dancer

[Shizara]

her father a church Minister

[cathidaw]

who loved dressing up

[chillitt]

In a ghengis khan suit, and a wizards hat...

[optrex]

But it clashed with his red shoes

[cathidaw]

so his congregation clubbed together

[Shizara]

and bought him a broomstick

[cathidaw]

and a scraggy black cat

[Shizara]

also, some shoe paint - black

[cathidaw]

Unfortunately he then looked too much like a black witch and...:clapping:

[optrex]

the children mocked him as he walked through ....

[cathidaw]

the village to get to his old..

[Shizara]

court jester costume and quickly....

[cathidaw]

went to see if his daughter Jane approved.

[Shizara]

"Dad No!! People will say...."

[cathidaw]

"the vicar looks stupid--get your frock back on".

[Shizara]

The frock has been borrowed

[cathidaw]

From His Schoolgirl Daughter

[Shizara]

who was caught smoking by

[cathidaw]

driver of the school bus

[Shizara]

and the head teacher who...

[cathidaw]

asked her for a cigarette or he'd tell her mum.

[Shizara]

Meanwhile, back at the church

[cathidaw]

the choirboys were all scrubbed and frocked for.....

[Shizara]

a representative of The High

[cathidaw]

Church, begging them to try to sing in tune.

[ronlyre]

when at that very moment, God decided to end the world with a whimper.

[cathidaw]

but the Devil wasn't having that! so he.....

[Shizara]

rounded up Robin and his Merry Men

[chillitt]

and put an end to them instead..

[cathidaw]

but not before Friar Tuck.............

[Shizara]

and Maid Marion raised the alarm

[cathidaw]

with their extremely noisy.....

[Shizara]

band - The Merry Men - who

[chillitt]

tribute band, which was

[Shizara]

the local moonshine makers

[chillitt]

favourite. He even

[Shizara]

made up a special brew to

[chillitt]

remove the varnish from

[Shizara]

the Sheriff's front door, thus

[chillitt]

and henceforth, the legend

[cathidaw]

of the disappearing scratches began........

[Shizara]

no one witnessed their appearance..

[chillitt]

maybe it was a black cat sitting by the

[cathidaw]

broomstick leaning on one of the gravestones..

[Shizara]

A shadowy figure moved behind

[cathidaw]

and a bony hand reached forward to pick up the broomstick.....

[Shizara]

suddenly, shouting was heard from

[cathidaw]

behind the bushes.............

[Shizara]

the bony hand disappears and

[cathidaw]

an old tramp crawls out with his..........

[Shizara]

terrified face... he saw a

[cathidaw]

large group of ..........

[Shizara]

hungry dogs, snarling and growling at...

[cathidaw]

a couple of teenagers eating hot ..........

[Shizara]

barbecued chops and snarlers (sausages)

[cathidaw]

When they saw the dogs...........

[kevthedrummer]

which they thought were akitas, but were just going through the drill.

[cathidaw]

which they did not understand.:confused: :confused: :confused: so......

[Shizara]

panic became manifest and resulted in...

[cathidaw]

teenagers, chops, sausages- scattering everywhere...

[Shizara]

and the akitas moved in

[chillitt]

next door. Meanwhile, miles away...

[cathidaw]

back at the ranch................

[Shizara]

Ben Cartright and his sons...

[chillitt]

Dave, Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick

[cathidaw]

were franticly searching for Hoss who.............

[chillitt]

had been lead to water.....

[cathidaw]

by his horse.

[Shizara]

Suddenly.... the chickens are excited

[chillitt]

They like a nice horse...

[Shizara]

and were caught unawares by ..

[chillitt]

the tail feathers

[Shizara]

of a passing peacock who..

[cathidaw]

they thought was their long lost mama.........

[Shizara]

o/' Then along came Jones.... o/'

[cathidaw]

singing "Amarilla" at the top of his voice.

[Shizara]

accompanied, by the Chicken Quartet

[cathidaw]

which echoed out over the countryside

[Shizara]

Meanwhile, all had forgotten the bony hand...

[cathidaw]

attached to an equally bony body, which was busy...............

[Shizara]

stirring trouble; a warty head that cackled

[cathidaw]

loudly, and rattled through the long grass towards........:unsure:

[Shizara]

Tich - the forgotten member .....
(Dave Dee, Dozey, Beaky, Mick and ?)

[cathidaw]

Fred the effeminate grave digger.

[Shizara]

Stepping back suddenly he let out a bloodcurdling scream

[cathidaw]

he'd impaled his foot on a spike in the ground...........

[Shizara]

The scream was heard by ....

[cathidaw]

the vicar, who was..........

[Shizara]

having tea in the garden with

[optrex]

his laptop, reading the "I'm bored" section of WO.

[Shizara]

He jumped up, spilling his

[cathidaw]

cocoa on to the keyboard........

[Shizara]

then suddenly ducked to miss...

[cathidaw]

a deftly flung missile-it was his wifes computer.

[Shizara]

- She couldn't connect to WarwickshireOnline. -

[optrex]

not another one, it seems Will had

[cathidaw]

really messed it up this time, although......

[Shizara]

the bony hand in the bush....

[cathidaw]

was still creepily weaving it's spells..

[Shizara]

"Double, double, toil and trouble...."

Then....

[cathidaw]

hey presto--reconnected to W.o. L. again.........

[Shizara]

The sky lit up as a bolt of lightening flashed down and

[cathidaw]

split the gravestone in half............

[Shizara]

A cloud of dust arose, but look...

[cathidaw]

a whole bunch: of bony hands--nobodies.......:105: :105:

[Shizara]

This is recompense for shoplifting, however

[cathidaw]

it could give the vicar an idea for a sermon......

[Shizara]

But before he could start thinking further..

[cathidaw]

he had to find these hapless, (handless) souls and.....

[Shizara]

prays he doesn't encounter the...

[cathidaw]

choirboys , so he got on his...............

[Shizara]

high horse and galloped off into his sermon, however..

[cathidaw]

his surplice got caught on a branch which did not do his...........

[Shizara]

appearance any good as it..

[cathidaw]

left him only in his flapping Union Jack.........

[Shizara]

this, of course, left him in a predicament because..

[cathidaw]

his Union Jack shorts were rather holey and he had to.............

[optrex]

grab his camera without over exposing

[cathidaw]

himself and catching a chill. Very tricky when....

[Shizara]

he noticed "Bill's mother" was about to call....

[cathidaw]

....and who is 'Bill's mother'? you may ask!

[Shizara]

The vicar's wife mentions it in relation to a big black cloud, but

[Shizara]

more importantly.. listen... the sound of angry voices

[cathidaw]

coming from inside the church where the flower ladies............

[optrex]

aren't able to

[Shizara]

concentrate on their daily gossip about..

[cathidaw]

the congregation, because their teapot was missing

[Shizara]

having been stolen by the owner of the cauldron for...

[cathidaw]

hiding magic potions from the vicar..





I'm back!!!

[Shizara]

who tries to neutralise them because...






welcome back!!

[cathidaw]

they are all excitable, and he wants no trouble.

[Shizara]

However, behind this is a secret, only known by

[cathidaw]

his family. Secretly he often..............









I'm lost , not sure where we go with this ----------I forget the beginning-----------if it matters

[Shizara]

donned his hooded cape, going out after dark to

[cathidaw]

Baptise new babies born into the gypsy camp on the............

[Shizara]

edge of the woods. He hopes that by...

[cathidaw]

doing so his parishoners will try........

[Shizara]

to make these people feel a part of..

[jj70]

a tree. Not necessarily the main trunk but any knobbly .....

[cathidaw]

old branch with bark like......

[Shizara]

rough crocodile skin, but this will not

[cathidaw]

of any help unless the vicar............

[Shizara]

is able to get his wife to..

[cathidaw]

Bring the piano along so that they...........

[optrex]

play some songe because they were still bored! He gathered

[cathidaw]

his flock to tree hug in earnest............

[Shizara]

because this is the only known way to reverse..

[Tiff]

frontal lobe warming, caused by Post Fever. Dawn came,

[cathidaw]

And hugged another tree...

[Tiff]

but by now, the villagers were exhausted and...

[Shizara]

sat down for a nice cup of tea provided by

[cathidaw]

The gypsies who featured earlier in this tale.

[Shizara]

Whilst there, the gypsies embarked on...

[Tiff]

the urgent telling of an ancient prophecy which...

[Shizara]

really, the listeners were priviledged to hear. This is because

[Tiff]

the Travellers were the guardians of the prophecy. Urgently,

[Shizara]

but carefully they imparted the words of the prophecy about

[Tiff]

how disaster awaited, if the Seven Signs of Sorrow ever came to pass.

[cathidaw]

To find out what these were, look to...........

[Tiff]

the northern sky and follow the brightest star. When

[cathidaw]

you see the aurora, immediately stretch out your......

[Tiff]

map (!) :), they said. Circle your location and hasten to the nearest...

[cathidaw]

bender, where an ancient crone sits singing alone.

[Shizara]

The words of the song make you uneasy, but

[cathidaw]

as her gnarled hands slowly stirs her pot, one is lulled ............

[Shizara]

into a sense of false security and begins to let down..

[cathidaw]

any inhibiting barriers which held in place......

[Shizara]

however, in doing so, there is a grave risk..

[cathidaw]

that the crone's magic is failing as she is.......

[cathidaw]

getting badly addicted to the 'methylated' type of spirits.

[Shizara]

which the Vicar's wife uses in water for cleaning her...

[cathidaw]

collection of old enamelled kidney bowls which she...........

[Gladys]

keeps in the cellar beneath the Old Vicarage. Unbeknown to all, this is where the heart of the Crone's old haunts lie amidst the bones of those who have gone by. It is a dark and damp place, where....

:eek:

[cathidaw]

where the vapourised non-beings gather on moonless nights for their ........

[Gladys]

winging crooner wines that mimic the spine chilling cries of... :D

[cathidaw]

dead mothers crying for their undead babies who are still in........

[Gladys]

Macdonalds, forgetting there is life after school. The Sun has begun to set and the night sky is darkening, the howls of the ....

[cathidaw]

babies full of hot bergers reverberate through the night........

[Gladys]

as the night sky fills with the sound of emissions that the DVLA are.... :)

[cathidaw]

cunningly planning to catch out the poor motorist once again.

[Gladys]

But, what isn't being noticed are the strange sounds in the night after the pubs and clubs have closed. Only the homeless witness them, those that walk in the night, the moon may be full or it is waning, still there are ...

[Gladys]

Smells of strange origins and the whines from the bowels of that Vicarage that all believe is now derelict, but as the moon rises full every time it does, deep beneath the tarmac that is Macdonalds, the underground passages from the churchyard connect. In the darkness the bats fly through but the old crone lies still until:eek: .... (It is Halloween soon -remember)

[cathidaw]

she rises to scavenge for her nightly fill of Macdonald's scraps, which will give her the strength she needs to..........

[Gladys]

Drag her old bones from thier watery grave and crawl from the darkened depths to the public carpark to rummage at the carboot sale in the morning. It is there that she can....

[cathidaw]

get herself a new wardrobe to disguise the fact that no-one..............

[Gladys]

will realise that as Old Hallows night approaches the old wrinkly sitting sucking her burger (because she can't get a dentist on the NHS) in the corner of Macdonalds is quietly ...:D

[Shizara]

..planning her revenge as she fondly pats the broom at her side.

[Gladys]

It nudges her back but to the unknowing untrained eye seemed to fall against her and then fall back. She seemed oddly out of place, who ever sees a cleaning technician with a broom these days let alone one sucking at a burger? Her mind was filled with the thrilling thought of flying high through the night and the meeting that very special night would conclude with. They will all come together and chant to cast....:clapping:

[cathidaw]

her newest spell--but disaster-her cat is missing and she needs........

[Gladys]

not only to find him; she'll contact the RSPCA but she realises she's got to get him microchipped. It all dawns on her. What if when as she flys as he does with her, they land in say Romania at Castle Dracula and the Police ask for documents and he has none. It troubles her greatly as she sucks harder on the last remaining remnant that was the burger. The only answer is to go and read the runes, they will.... :)

[cathidaw]

point her to the nearest burger bar to stop her tummy rumbling- they -the runes lose their power with that noise going on.

[Gladys]

Tummy full and runes read, she strides from the vicarage cellar now that darkness is set. The cat had returned on his own and was sat by the broom that was all reved up and ready to go. She chuckled as she adjusted her ... :clapping:

[cathidaw]

knee-length shiny boots she had found in a skip earlier -wondering how she will manage on her broom with the 3 inch heels.

[Gladys]

Disaster struck again, she woke this morning having spent the night with her right boot heel stuck in the grate of the storm drain. She simply couldn't let go of her find. Old Hallows night went by, her magic weakened by the burgers she'd gorged on; she was her own worst enemy. Still Weight Watchers had sent the vicar's wife a leaflet and she'd put it in the recycling bin, luckily no one collected those and the crone cashed in on readng material frequently. She decided, never again would this Hallowed night be lost to human cause. She unzipped the boot and then ...:clapping:

[cathidaw]

hopped off to the council tip through the frosty grass to see if she could find someone to help her get her boot out of the grating. She had an appointment with an old mate and going barefoot was not an option --neither was hopping on one boot with a 3 inch heel. After all- the mate was 'class' even though he..........

[Gladys]

had fallen foul of the cobblers' guild because of the small matter of hide being passed over the tannery fence at night. That no longer seemed to be mentioned. He was back in favour with the mayor and the council. She knew he'd have the tools to lever the heel from the grate and if needs be to fix it back onto her prized boot again. The only problem was he was prone to ... :D

[cathidaw]

a great fondness for the meths which could put him out of this world for a few days.However she managed to............

[Gladys]

grab a bottle from the Vicarage to take by way of a sweetener for him. She clonked into the shop and stood in the queue. So what if she had one boot on and the other, well not present. So what if she was dressed like the banshee she was. What business was it of thiers anyway? Defiantly she held her ground, warty nose aloof, whiskers sprouting from her chin, crumbled teeth clenched. The little wizened old man saw her and motioned her to the back of the shop. She wobbled past them and as he closed the curtain screen, she ... :D

[cathidaw]

suddenly remembered seeing him before, a long time ago, and also remembered that he had taken quite a fancy to her then. She ensconced herself into a threadbare armchair , took off her boot, and waited..

[Gladys]

as he served the last in the queue and then put up the 'closed' sign on the door and locked it. The old clock ticked as the pendulum swung back and forth, the musty old dust smell mingled with that of the embers in the hearth. Never mind the boot; her reason for coming. She soaked up the atmosphere that was perfused with ...:D

[cathidaw]

his stale clothes and body aromas which she did not find upsetting.She had lived in worse places in her seventy-odd years with much............







(Hey Gladys-we should get this published!!!!)

[Gladys]

less to worry about. Those seventy years and more; the 'more' she cared less and less to think about. She was a young thing when Henry Tudor was hunting locally in the forest, she thought about that. Her head then wore a beautiful face for all to see, now she had a different time, with different missions to deal with. The man turned towards her, his face expressed a real problem. He seemed to have ....

[Gladys]

wind. She knew in these times there were amny options to help. She leant forward to the hearth and picked up his pipe. It had been gently drawing. She took a long suck on the stem and sat back. As she did there was the most explosive ... :D

[cathidaw]

NOISE AS THE DOOR OF THE ROOM FELL IN, crashing to the floor, knocking them both...

[Gladys]

Flying. They both ended up lying in a crumpled heap on the floor. The rubble dust swirled to rest coating them both like the blanket of fog common in the mornings. There was an awkward silence, he cleared his throat and began by saying... :clapping:

[cathidaw]

"Well now, you wretched hag --look what you've gone and done--you've spilt me cocoa" he tried to wipe it up with his dirty sleeve, "What you gointa do about it? --you've chased me all me life ---I've had enough- I'm too old and tired and poor for all this malarky, I need looking after in me old age. Now -what have you got in mind?"

[cathidaw]

She took a good look around the room, filled with years of clutter, table-and floor covered with used plates and stained cups; threadbare chairs and a single lightbulb hanging amidst the cobwebs. "Well matey" she said "you need me and I need somewhere.........

[Gladys]

to boil my potions. The Vicar is complaining and blaming his wife for the strange smells eminating from the cellar. Its hard enough to keep the bat wings hidden aside from the wingless bats that have escaped via the RSPCA people who had been called to help. It was just not working out and she was behind on spells that were meant to be ready past last month. The crux of it, my man is that.... :D

[cathidaw]

to boil my potions. The Vicar is complaining and blaming his wife for the strange smells eminating from the cellar. Its hard enough to keep the bat wings hidden aside from the wingless bats that have escaped via the RSPCA people who had been called to help. It was just not working out and she was behind on spells that were meant to be ready past last month. "The crux of it, my man is that.... :D

without yours truly yor not long for this world . Just look at yer-!!--No I wouldn't bother if Iwere you -you'll die o' shock instead. Let me stay here-there's plenty o'space for me bits an' pieces and judjin by the smell in this room you wont notice a few more an' me bats are well dead so won't be botherin you."
He scrabbled about to find his glasses down the back of the chair and peered........

[Gladys]

at the mess that lay around them and then at her. Bats? What was all that about? He paused and then asked if methylated spirits were required as he'd seen the brown paper bag tucked in her pocket. She pulled out the bottle, undid the cap and poured a little of the clear liquid into the lid. He took it and savoured the fumes that were coming off it before downing it in one. Suddenly, fire bellowed in his gullet and a warmth grew up from his toes, face warmed by the impact, he scratched at his ...:D

[cathidaw]

scrawny old chest vigourously-even the fleas were having a good day--
He knew which way his bread was buttered but was not going to let on--play it cool that's what he''ll do.
"We.e.eeeell, it only needs 10 days t' Chrismas so you can stay --an' don't be thinkin' I got money 'cos I aint-an' then I'll 'ave ter think agen-see how it goes like" Secretly he was rubbing his hands at the thought of...........

[Gladys]

methylated spirits to warm his cockles. She could stay in the cellar, he'd smoke out the rats but there again, why bother? She read his mind- 'No need, I like them, they add strength to things' She smiled and winked at him as he looked at her in disbelief. 'How did you know...?' 'Know what you were thinking?' she replied. ' Well its me gift and you'd best be careful' She cackled back. His mind now rushed with things he felt he must no longer think about. The old clocked broke the moment as it chimed the hour. He reached forward to ... :D

[cathidaw]

pick up the bits which were mixed up with the crumbs and unidentifiables on the dirty carpet. ( remembering the last time it broke .He had mended it and it still went even tho' he'd had enough bits left to make another half-a clock)
He placed them on the table . " 'ere" he said with a leery cackle, "Call yersel clever do-yer,so there's yer first job , use a bit o'yer magic and get this goin,agen . We'll need it to .............

[Gladys]

mind the day or else it'll pass by without time'. She thought abit and decided to look as though she was still thinking. It didn't suit her to be told what to do. Perhaps it was a better plan to stay where she was at the Vicarage. Yep, that'll be the one, she thought to herself. She had important business to get on with and being organised by some silly old man was not part of it.(One heel on and one heel off) With that, she stood up. Stuffed the bottle back in her pocket and ...:)

[cathidaw]

as she quickly turned to move out of the room, spied a pair of old boots by the door.and stooping with a pretend a fit of coughing sneakily tucked them under her ragged coat. "I'll let yer know termorrer" she shouted.
Once outside, sitting on a step she took off her one boot and put on the old man's boots. O.K.they were hob nailed, smelly and far too big but at least there were two of them . As she clattered down the ........

[Gladys]

path, a strange wine could be heard from the shop. She smirked to herself and her thoughts quickly turned to the comforting aromas she knew as home in the vicarage cellar. There was work to catch up on and the distractions of late were not helpful. Destination reached,she slid down the downpipe into the damp darkness and ... :)

[cathidaw]

landed ,with the metallic sound of her hobnails on the brick floor of the cellar.
She once again breathed in heady familiar smells- of mouldering plaster; of rotting apples; and the bag of rags she called her bed, over in the far corner .
"Arrh- this is where I belong and on me own too" she mutterd to herself, "Now I can gerron wi' me...................

[Gladys]

brew. She reached for the old kidney bowl and scrapped away the mildew that lined the old enamel. That would serve well for the base of her boil up; abit like the makings of a roux except blackish green in colour and not too nice to sniff. Carefully she poured a little of the meths into it and waited until after a second or two it began to bubble and give off the stench she loved to live with. This was the beginnings of another good... :D

[Shizara]

potion.... Into the liquid the old hag adds her secret ingredients, carefully collected early the morning when it was still dark and the land was enveloped in a thick, damp blanket of fog. She cackles at the the idea of the silly old man trying to organise her. No one else does so he needn't think he can try that one on. " 'e ain't as clever as 'e thinks 'e is.... use a bit o'yer magic says 'e.... use a bit o'yer magic.. " With that she held her gnarled and bony hands high above the brew and chanted an incantation. As the brew bubbled the steam began to glow, an eerie shade of green... "Aaaah..." thought the old hag and waited.. Bolts of lightening struck out from the brew, one sending her flying towards her bed of rags. Getting up from the bed of rags the sound of her cackling had woken her cat from his sleep in front of the fire and it stretched, looking at her with unblinking eyes, luminant in the semidarkness. Leaping up on the table beside her he watched her work.

From a dusty, old jar at the back of the table she took a handful of the contents and sprinkled them into the brew. Once again, those gnarled and bony hands were raised up high over it and the second incantation was chanted. This sealed the potency of the brew and she watched with satisfaction as it bubbled and the room filled with a heady aroma that permeated into every crack and crevice in the room.

Leaving her brew to simmer she went....

[Gladys]

over to the box that stood under the stairwell. Carefully she leafed through and drew out the silk that she had kept for so long. Tonight was the beginning of what was the future. Old Hallows had passed but Christmas is coming. She would transform and life would be changing. The potion bubbled in the other corner, she waited until the stench reached the point at which from upstairs she heard the Vicar shout;'Gegads Woman, what....?' :D

[Shizara]

"... 'eck are ye boilin' up now? Eeee... oi 'ope ye na thinkin' oi be takin' tha wi me supper!"

The old hag carefully lay the silk over the armrest of her chair and continued to stir her brew. She inhaled deeply thinking ..ooO.. If only 'e knew ..ooO.. Her cat leapt up
upon the table and she looked into his eyes ... "Aye.. ye knows, don't ye laddie.." The cat responded by arching his back and pawing her gnarled and bony hand.

Meanwhile, the old vicar was becoming overwhelmed by the rising stench.....

[Gladys]

'Call the Drain Doctor people or who ever they are, the council or all of them. The drains are backing up again.' The Vicar's wife huffed to herself; again she'd be phoning around to find no drain problems no doubt. The lightening bolts boomed overhead as a gathering storm rumbled toward the village and actually to the Vicarage. Why was it with God's wrath, that the Vicarage always seemed to get stormed? This was a thought the vicars wife asked herself on each of the last 5 times this had happened in the last 20 years.The smell was really off putting to all and especially to visitors to the Vicarage; there was a young couple due tonight to discuss thier wedding plans. What would they think of the smells that wrangled around the place? She cringed at the thought of the evening ahead.
In the bowels of the cellar boiling and convivering was well under way. 'She' was growing stronger with the vapours as they became more odoursome. Before long, not too long at all, she would .... :D

[cathidaw]

have to think hard about what she was going to do next.
She had no sense of smell but was astute enought to realise that her 'whiffs' could give the game away and she'd be out on the street again; no way was she going back to the old geezer, and it was cold in the doorways even if she could find one with all those downanouts crowding them out with their posh cardboard tv boxes.
Perhaps one of her old grannie's spells would do the trick. Grannie had been the best. "Pity she couldn't write though," she thought," its all in me head and if I get it wrong, well let me not think about it" She shuddered and clonked across the brick floor in her far too big hobnailed boots, trying not to slither, and scrabbled about in the murky corner of the cellar. "Must get some sorta light down here" she muttered to herself then delicately picked out her ancient rattybag from the pile. "Thought I'd lost it" she said "now I can........................

[Gladys]

really get this situation sorted. Shaking the musty old ragbag and delving into its depths, she touched on items that drew 'Hmmphs' of recognition but annoyance that they weren't exactly what she needed. That was, until the last when she found the scrubby old leaves of paper stitched together at the bottom of the blackness that cushioned them. 'Aaah' she sighed with relief and sat back to root through at the faded drawings that were the key to the spell she sought. The very power of this concoction was in the ingredients that began with a vicar's old sock, a .... :)

[Gladys]

cock's old feather, an eye of newt , she mused on the 'Vicar's old sock' thingy, she'd have to make a 'sojourne comme 'les outres' voulez penser stupide! ', ; bible readings etc. Oh, Well, she thought to herself. She could be herself. She would be looking very down and out and go for a 'chat'. She knew from old that the Vicar's wife left piles of washing. It might be easy as the Vicar's wife's back was turned, she could rummage through the washing pile and grab a somesuch smelly old sock-job done!!! Cock's feather was an easy one, she didn't even have to think about that one. 'Newt':), well that was one she had concerns over. The Village pond had been filled in, It would be a substituted thing she now will need- a .... :)

[cathidaw]

frog maybe--nah too jumpy- anyway the idea of taking the eyes only -fairly turned her stomach and the thought of an eyeless frog hopping around didn't seem right somehow-- and no-one knew that she'd never used a newt- or that she was squeamish- which did not much become a witch of what she deemed herself high calibre. Perhaps if she found a really stinky ditch something disgusting enough may be lurking at the bottom-something which had died naturally.
Happier, but hungry by now with all this brainwork she foraged around for some clothes ,more ragged than usual, to lure the vicars wife into pity as she begged for some scraps. "I just hope I dont get the minjy leftovers like last time" she mumbled to herself, "a girl needs sustainence at my age".
Climbing back up and out of the window , the moonlight lighting up the gravestones,she slithered along the muddy track to the front door and pulled the bell...........

[Gladys]

Cling Clang, it went. The sound she knew so well. A few moments later, the door was opened by the straight backed, grey haired lady of the house. She began,'Begging your pardon, Ma'am, I was wondering if you could spare a few extras for charity ; food bits, jars, clothes?' The woman looked at her having taken in the detail that stood before her.' Hmmn, come this way' as she beckoned the old crone to the kitchen that was at the back of the hallway. She went towards a large larder and rummaged a while. The crone seized this moment and grabbed a sock from the wash pile that was strewn ripe for the task by the scullery door. Stuffing the item into her pocket and hoping the guilty look on her face wasn't obvious, she waited to be handed a basket filled with extras. ' Thanking you most kindly' she said in return and then hurridley lead the way to the front door again. Nodding again in acknowledgement at the kind gesture of the donations, she clonked down the steps and said her grateful farewells. The basket was reasonabley heavy with goodies but the real prize was in her pocket. She squeezed it as reassurance. Ingredient number one done and dusted, now, what was number two? ... :)

[cathidaw]

she thought hard but couldn't remember, and the drawings of her grannie's were a bit creased and badly stained. The next ingredient was -what? She strained her eyes to see what was under the stain. "Hmmmm-looks like 'finger nails' -got plenty o' them -or then agen it could be 'little snails". Peering closer she also saw what could be a spider web.
"They'll do, I'll chuck em all in, that should do the trick"
She hee-hee'd to herself as she eased off the heavy hobnailed boots and settled herself down to see what the vicar's wife had given her to eat.

[Gladys]

pickled onions, pickled gerkins,mince meat, Christmas puddings, there was more. It was a feast in all of it.She picked at her toenails and added them to the pot whilst munching on an onion. The picture on the page seemed to look like a lady with a hairdo, the hair must be the thing. She grabbed her comb and pulled at the strands. They were stringy and dry but they'd do.The next thing was not very clear. It showed a ...:)

[cathidaw]

reddish brown shape which could have been an old ketchup stain, or a bit of vital evidence,She studied the shape."looks to me like a drorin' of the vicarage gardens" she muttered to herself. She turned the paper upside down and squinted at it." Now what the 'ecks that thing there, it looks like tharold mulberry tree up in top corner" She dipped a juicy gherkin into her tea and popped it into her mouth.She left her boots on and got into her bed of rags."Won't bother now it'll still be there termorrer"

[Gladys]

The early morning sun spread her threadfingers of light thru the cracks in the wattle that wasn't anymore. The chinks of silver beams warmed the corner of the ceiling by the cellar door. She stretched and yawned then sprung up to sit again by the tabel to finish what she needed. The light cast over the drawing threw a refreshed view of the reddish brown thing she'd been struggling over. That was it, it was a muddy old brown trout. The stream that ran at the bottom of the Vicarage was where she'd catch that prize. 'Later' she thought. That was wet tickling work, she must press on to gather the rest of the ingredients. There was some brewing to be done by nightfall. The next itme was a spider. 'Hmmm, got plenty of them' she thought as she reached up to the cobwebs in the corner and plucked an unsuspecting crawler from the sticky mess. Plopping it into the couldron, she watched it scurry around and hide in the tangle of hair and old cobwebs with the smelly old sock and nail clippings. Nearly done, just the trout and the frog. She pulled on her wellingtons and armed with her sackcloth bag she went out into the morning sun towards the stream. Whisling as she went strangely happy she thought. It was more that the conclusion of this chapter was insight. She mused at the thought of the silks that she lain out in readiness. What a beauty she'd be. She slid down the steep bank of the stream and then stood paddling in the water straining her eyes to see.... :)

[cathidaw]

her reflection in the water.
She wanted to see what she looked like now, so that she would remember it in the future when the spell had worked and she looked so gorgeous. She must also remember what was in the spell exactly so that when anyone asked about the transformation she could sell it to them and make a fortune.
The water was a bit murky and she couldn't see herself too well. If she had- even she would have been shocked by her appearance so perhaps it was just as well. she scrabbled back up the bank, and her wellies filled with mud.............

[Gladys]

She sat down to pull them off and threw them aside. Clambering back into the water she leant over and plunged her hands into the cold murky water. The mud was all stirred up but slowly it settled and she soon saw her first prize. The fish seemed to pause as it came nearer, then grazed against her. She stood stock still, her hands poised in position to guide it gently to the point she'd beable to ...:)

[cathidaw]

get them underneath,in the right position,but suddenly for no explicable reason,the fish quickly turned with a large swish and was gone--catching her unawares so that she ended with a large muddy splash sitting on the bottom of the stream.
She cursed , and cursed again loudly as she tried to stand up, her clothes clinging to her scraggy body like a bundle of wet laundrywrapped around a stick.
Scrabbling up the bank was hard work ,the weight of the water holding her back.
Stuffing her feet into her wet wellies she hobbled of to a bench in the nearby park to sort herself out as she planned her next tactic.By now the old crone was so miserable she even contemplated going back to the old man's house for a warm, but thinking it over thought" Oh no--hadn't better do that 'cos he'll...........

[Gladys]

get the wrong idea. No, she'd get back to the task in hand. Except there had to be a better way of getting a trout. 'Fish shop', the thought seemed so logical. She knew that the fishmonger threw away the fish that hadn't sold. If she went through the bins later, she'd get one. Well, the frog then, that was all she needed. She went back to the stream and sat waiting . Before long she saw a little hopper and grabbed it stuffing it into her sodden pocket. Squelching back to the cellar she popped the creature into the pot with the other ingredients and peeled off the wet clothes. The woodburner stoked up nicely as she sat beside it to warm and sort her plan out for the fish shop prize. The day was drawing on. She had to be ready to brew by nightfall. The full moon would be bright tonight and this would be the ... :)