Friday, November 7, 2008

Bits N Pieces - A Disjointed Bahamian Novel - D06

(5:13 pm Nov 06, 2005)

After Fulcrum fell asleep, Sarah went to her office in a spare room of the house and sat at her desk and sighed.

She closed her eyes and looked up at the ceiling for a while with her mind's eye. She sighed again and opened her eyes before reaching into a drawer and taking out a leather bound book with a lock.

She pulled a small key on a chain up from her shirt and bent down to insert it into the lock on the book and open it.

She took a pen from a block of wood on her desk and clicked the top with her index finger.

She flipped through the book to the last page with writing on it and then placed it open on her desk. She began to write...

Dear June,

I missed you today but I felt you were close by me even so. I am not sure what happened but Fuller has seemed strange since the gig last night. Not himself somehow.

(7:25 pm Nov 06, 2005)

(Well gentle reader, you see the results of the No Voltage Blues striking today.)

I am worried about him, He doesn't even seem to understand where he is or recognise the normal everyday things of life.

(7:30 pm Nov 06, 2005)

(7:43 pm Nov 06, 2005)

Ever since I first learned of you on that day I was reading old papers in the attic, I have felt a special connection to you somehow, like I had some special understanding of your inner self.

But today, I felt I gained a better understanding, not only of your life, but also of your untimely, sad end. I see how the will to go on living in the face of the loss of a loved one could slip away and leave without one's knowing it was gone until too late.

And to think you lost two on one devastating night so long ago. No wonder you decided to leave this world instead of continuing to live in the bleakness and desolation of such profound loss. I can almost feel within me today how one could simple let go and slide away into eternity.

(7:52 pm Nov 06, 2005)

(9:25 pm Nov 06, 2005)

She heard Fuller stir in the other room and closed her diary and locked it before putting it back in the drawer and sliding it shut. Then she got up and went in to check on Fuller.

"Hey there, are you feeling better?"

Fulcrum looked at her beautiful face so full of concern for him and smiled. "I think I feel better. I am hungry though, is there any more food to eat?"

"Sure thing, would you like some cold pizza?"

Fulcrum didn't know what pizza was but was hungry enough to eat pretty much anything right now, "That sounds fine thank you, can I help you with something?" What was going on? Why was he offering to help her in the kitchen? It just sort of slipped out.

"No, you just take it easy, it is no trouble, I'll just get it out of the fridge. I could pop it in the toaster oven if you would prefer it heated. Yes?"

He didn't know what to say. "Whatever you think is best. Or wait, what would be quicker?"

"Well, obviously cold is quicker, but if you prefer hot, it will just be a minute or two more, can't you wait that long? You act like you haven't eaten in days."

"It feels longer than that. I know I just had a little something last night, but I don't remember ever feeling this hungry before and I can tell you, I have been very hungry before when we got wrecked and washed up on a cay without food for days."

"Fuller! You never told me you were wrecked before! What else have you been hiding from me?"

(9:48 pm Nov 06, 2005)

(10:18 pm Nov 06, 2005)

Well, I got side tracked to do a quick and dirty clean up a vocal file for someone on kompoz using audacity. I am only just learning to use audacity for this purpose. There is a nice (to me so far at least) tool for noise removal in audacity in gnu/linux. I haven't checked to see if it is built in or a separately install package but it is there and that is what I need to know at the moment.

Fulcrum started to get confused and dizzy again. Sarah ran to him and held him in her surprisingly strong arms to steady him and prevent him from falling. "Careful, you could hit your head if you fall."

(10:42 pm Nov 06, 2005)

This is getting totally out of hand again gentle reader. So far to go in so little time and still I am messing about killing time that I don't even have.

I have to find some way to break through this bog, this tar pit, this quick sand, this scummy pond mud that sucks down with each attempted step forward.

"Let's get you back to bed and I will bring your pizza and a drink on a tray for you."

She walked him, stumbling, back to the bedroom and gently helped him to lay down again. "Take it easy, I'll be right back with the food."

When she returned, she was carrying a tray which she set down on the bed. She passed him a plate with some sort of flat pie on it, steam rising in the cool air of the room, "Careful, it's hot, the cheese might stuck to the roof of your mouth and blister you." Now why had she told him that, she wondered. They had eaten pizza together too many times to count and she had never told him anything like that before.

(11:01 pm Nov 06, 2005)

They ate together and drank some ice cold limeade with perfect cubes of ice floating in the glasses. Where had she found ice here in these islands? Was he still in the islands? The air still felt warm.

Gentle reader, I started around five o' clock this afternoon. It is now after eleven and I have just passed one thousand words. How am I to get to two thousand words by midnight? This is going to call for some creative word mongering if I am to get there. That is, unless true inspiration really strikes.

Distractions have to go...

Fuller looked like he was falling asleep again after he finished his food so Sarah packed up the tray and kissed him on the forehead, "I have to go out to shop for a few things and to stop by the club and talk to Jaro about a possible gig this weekend. Try to stay in bed and rest and we can try and talk when I get back later. please don't go out if you are not feeling one hundred percent. I am worried about you and I feel like something bad might happen if you are not careful."

It jarred Fulcrum each time she called him Fuller but he let it pass, he was too drained inside to fight it for the time being. "I will stay in until you get back unless something drastic happens. But, short of the place burning down, I can't imagine what that might be."

Sarah rapped her knuckles against the door frame, "Knock wood. Don't say things like that Fuller! You know I don't like it when you put mouth on us like that!"

He didn't know what had upset her or what exactly she was saying, but he wanted to fix things up, "Sorry, I will just go to sleep now. Wake me up when you get back if you want to."

She turned and left the room.

(11:22 pm Nov 06, 2005)

Fulcrum lay back on the soft pillows and was soon asleep and dreaming.

***

When Sarah went upstairs to the club, they were just cleaning up and beginning to prep the place for the afternoon opening, "Anyone seen Jaro yet today?" she asked.

"He was here earlier but he left," said Frank, the club owner and manager, "He said he would be back around four thirty five."

Sarah looked at her watch, two p.m., that would give her time to do some shopping and perhaps some banking and a few other errands and get back in time to speak to Jaro. She decided she had enough time to listen to a song or two before leaving.

Hey Mister Space Man
Can I hitch a ride today
Your bound for somewhere special
At least that's what they say
It seems your countdown
Ends right at noon
So will you be calling
On mars or Venus soon
Or could it be old Saturn
With those lovely rings and moons

Hey Mister Space Man
Can I hitch a ride today
My life is crumbling fast
And I have to get away
They say you're blasting off
Exactly right at noon
Good thing I heard the word
You know it was none too soon
Could you take me out to Pluto
Or maybe further still

She sort of liked that one. Then The Radio Song came on.

Well I woke up this morning
Turned my radio on
And the DJ was laughing
He was playing that song

So I called to de-request it
But no one picked up the phone
Didn't block my caller ID
Man my head is like a bone

I'm going crazy
Why did you leave me
I need a new plan
To start a flame

When I reached to the office
I tried to call your phone
But your mother she done told me
That you were not at home

So I asked her to tell you
To call me back today
But she said that wasn't happening
That you had gone away

I'm going crazy
Why did you leave me
I need a new plan
To start a flame

Well tonight I met a new girl
And she looks just like a song
So I wrote down all the words
And I had to sing along

So I sent it to that DJ
And I know he'll put it on
Then when you hear it on the airwaves
You'll know why I'm never home

I made a new plan
To start a flame
I found a new girl
She chased my pain

Far away.

That one wasn't bad either. Then their own New Pirate Song came on...

It's a pirate that I be
And I sail upon the sea
And the fathers and the mothers
And the brothers of the damsels
They are all afeared of me
Cause when the damsels I do see
And when the damsels they see me
There is no hope left
Their hearts are for my chest
A treasure fair reserved for me

"Hey Sarah!" called Frank from the kitchen, "What was up with Fuller the other night? It was almost like he didn't know the songs except for this one. And even with this one, all he did was sing some and he was even off on that. I mean, he had more raw energy and power in his voice than I have ever heard him put into a song before, but it was like he had never sung it with you all before."

"I know, he just is not himself since last night."

"Well then, tell him I hope he feels better soon. Will he be OK for the gig this weekend?"

"I will tell him you send your best wishes when I get back later. Listen, I really have to run, tell Jaro I will be back later. I'll try and get here before five but ask him to wait for me if I am not back by then."

"Sure thing," said Frank.

(11:28 pm Nov 06, 2005)

(11:54 pm Nov 06, 2005)

Well, gentle reader, midnight is getting close and so am I. I think I will make it and get to go to sleep.

And, done. Goodnight gentle reader.

(11:56 pm Nov 06, 2005)

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Bits N Pieces - A Disjointed Bahamian Novel - D05

(2:28 pm Nov 05, 2008)

Needless to say, Fulcrum was having none of that, he yelled out and went on the attack. No way anyone was harming his love. The man turned to face him and Fulcrum thought he might just be able to work thins so that the dead man came to an end while he was dispatching this dog.

And that is how things almost turned out. Fulcrum deeply wounded the man and then set things up so that he could pretend to swing at him while "missing" and doing the dirt to the dead man. Things were going well on that front too, his cutlass was swinging in a wonderful arc when something hit him on he back of his head and the moon went dark.

(2:37 pm Nov 05, 2008)

When Fulcrum came two his green eyed lady was looking down at him and touching his cheek.

"Are you OK? What happened to you? Did you faint?"

There was a pounding in his head and chest and lights flashed and pulsed about him. There was the sound of many voices and an overall din to match the din when the sloop was in piratical action. Fulcrum looked up to a roof above his head? Had they brought him inside? There was something stringed and heavy strapped to him with metal string stretched taught to its front and a black cable leading from it to a box on the floor nearby.

"Where am I?"

She leaned down and kissed him on the lips, "You're on the stage silly, are you alright?"

Alright? She had just kissed him and asked him if he was alright! "Yes, no, I don't know, did you bring me back from the beach?"

"Well, you were sort of passed out over at cabbage today and I got Jaro to help me get you to the car if that's what you mean?"

What strange language was this?

"Can you stand up? Do you feel good enough to finish the set?"

"Uh... I don't understand. I think I can manage to stand though."

"Good! Let me help you up and then just do your best. We may be able to get through it with Jaro singing lead instead, but your voice is better so take it if you can."

She helped him to his feet and his vision came more into focus and he registered the sea of faces for the first time. When he looked out at them as he stood, they all cheered and lit small torches in their hands and raised them overhead.

(2:51 pm Nov 05, 2008)

Some loud music that seemed almost familiar started and people looked at him expectantly? He looked back bewildered.

"Jaro, you take it and see if he gets his bearings!"

"No problem Sarah, hit it!"

The music started again.

It's a pirate that I be
And I sail upon the sea
And the fathers and the mothers
And the brothers of the damsels

What? What had they done to his song? How did they know his song? He had never let anyone hear it yet! And why was the singing so unnaturally loud? Was everyone shouting at the top of their lungs? And did they have the loud voice of a first mate?


They are all afeared of me
Cause when the damsels I do see

He liked the way they were singing it! He began to sing along...

And when the damsels they see me
There is no hope left
Their hearts are for my chest
A treasure fair reserved for me

People were shouting and singing along and moving about in some wild gyrations of a sort he had never seen and he had seen some things in some places since he had become a pirate.

(3:25 pm Nov 05, 2008)

(5:11 pm Nov 05, 2008)

(5:50 pm Nov 05, 2008)

OK, gentle reader, I tried again. Tried to avoid the time pit today but to no avail. I felt good for a while but then the whole ball of string theory unraveled. Almost like someone had put all the strings into a can of compressed gas and shot them out randomly to stick to whatever time happened to be around and cause temporal knots which would lead to knotted thoughts and writer's blocks and... don't say it... don't even think it.

"Thank you... thank you," said Sarah and then leaned in close to Fulcrum and whispered, "Are you sure you are OK? Do you want me to take you to the hospital?"

Fulcrum looked closely into her green eyes, "I don't know, I feel strange and everything seems strange and out of place, but no, no hospitals. If I don't feel better soon, I need to go outside and breath some fresh air."

"OK, we'll do one more song and take a short break and I can take you out on the veranda.," she said and then turned to face the room, "OK, this one's called Grey Day and after this we are going to take a short break and then come back and do on more set."

A drummer sitting behind some fancy concoction of drums hits his sticks together and counted off and the music started again.

It's a grey day
It's a grey day
And the whitecaps
Are in the harbour
There's a cold wind
Blowing salty
Across the road
It chills my bones

This was one that Fulcrum did not know but it was about the sea and he listened and joined in where he could.

It's a grey day
It's a grey day
And the whitecaps
Are in the harbour
Watch the big waves
Making white foam
Crash the rocky
Honeycomb

It's a grey day
It's a grey day
And the whitecaps
Are in the harbour
See the sea weed
Gather angry
Meet the shoreline
Tumbling sand

It's a grey day
It's a grey day
And the whitecaps
Are in the harbour
There's a cold wind
Blowing salty
Across the road
It chills my bones

It's a grey day
There's a cold wind
Blowing salty
It chills my bones

As the song ended, the people cheered and raised their torches above their heads again and clapped their hands. The musicians began to step down off of the raised platform where they had been standing to perform and Sarah came and took Fulcrum's arm, "OK, big boy, let's go outside and grab some fresh air and see if we can get you feeling better."

(6:17 pm Nov 05, 2008)

What kind of strange talk was this? And how did she become so familiar with him? They walked across the floor and out of the door onto a upstairs porch and Fulcrum felt faint. ...

(8:22 pm Nov 05, 2008)

You see that gentle reader? You walk off for a minute or two in the middle of a sentence and come back to find two hours plus gone. This is not way to get the word count up and overcome the block.

When Fulcrum and Sarah walked outside Fulcrum received what was probably the biggest shock of his relatively young life. He stepped into a world completely strange to him. Inside had been strange enough, but outside was a world that strained belief.

Transportation of some sort moving at great speed along some sort of smooth roadway. Lights everywhere in the night that, just like the ones on the walls and ceiling inside seemed to shed light without flame, Buildings across the harbour of immense height. Too much. Much too much to deal with. His brain shut itself down and the began to crumple to the ground.

Sarah called out for help from people standing nearby and grabbed his arm trying to stop him from hitting the ground hard.

(8:34 pm Nov 05, 2008)

(9:04 pm Nov 05, 2008)

No. No. No!

There is something seriously more than simple writers block going on here. There is some internal something happening that is almost actively working to get me to not write this year. I will keep fighting through and hopefully some how this, this, whatever it is will leave me for a time at least and let me get on with the writing of this story such as it is.

Fulcrum came to in a dark room with a candle burning on a small table beside the bed on which he was laying.

The candle smelled of pine. He was covered by a white sheet and the bed was softer than any he had ever rested on in his life to this point.

He heard breathing behind him and turned his head to see Sarah laying on the bed behind him. Propped up on one elbow, her cheek resting on her palm and looking at him with obvious concern on her face.

The shock almost sent him under again.

(9:16 pm Nov 05, 2008)

(10:10 pm Nov 05, 2008)

Oops, there goes almost another whole hour.

"Fuller, are you alright? What has come over you tonight?"

Who was Fuller? Why did she call him Fuller?

"I don't know? I haven't felt like myself all night? I feel totally out of place."

"It's obvious but do you know why you are behaving like this?"

"Not really. I could not begin to try and figure out what has happened to me today."

Well, that was one way to tell the truth without saying anything much. What was she doing in the bed with him?

She got up and walked into another room and he heard water begin to run. It kept on running. Was there a stream in that room?

"If you are feeling up to it, why don't I call Doctor Ted and see if he will come over and have a look at you?"

Fulcrum thought hard and fast, he did not like the idea of doctors. Limbs getting cut off during battle, screams, pain, blood. No, it was better to avoid doctors while one could.

"No, I think I just need rest and hopefully sleep. Perhaps when I wake up in the morning I will be myself."

The water stopped running and she came back into the room and walked over to the bed. She reached down and stroked his cheek, I am going to the kitchen for a little snack, do you want me to bring you a bite or something to drink? A cup of wine perhaps?"

(10:33 pm Nov 05, 2008)

(10:50 pm Nov 05, 2008)

Fulcrum thought about it for a short while, "I think I will have a cup of wine if you would be so kind."

She laughed, "Right away me dashing buccaneer. And something to eat? I am not going to be going back out there for another trip for you tonight as usual, I am too beat for that tonight. I feel really drained for some reason. I think it is from worrying about you. How about some fruit? And orange or banana?"

"A banana and wine?"

She laughed, "You're right, what about some cheese and crackers? I think I'll get me some."

She went out through a door and it closed automatically behind her.

He heard her singing something familiar through the closed door. Muffled but sweet and familiar.

Soon, she returned with a tray with two glasses of red wine and a plate with some cheese and crackers on it. She set the tray down an a small table beside the bed and handed him one of the glasses of wine. "Here you go, I got you one of the dry ones that you like."

He sat up slowly and took a hesitant sip. Mmmm. That was good. He looked at her confused again. What was going on here? Where was he? He could not begin to explain this to himself. Well, enjoy what you can while you can he thought.

(11:22 pm Nov 05, 2008)

He reached out an picked up the dull knife on the tray and cut off a hunk of cheese and put it on a thin cracker and popped the whole thing into his mouth. His stomach grumbled in some form of complaint. When had he last eaten anything? Well, the wine was good but this was even better.

"Pass me one will you?" she said from the foot of the bed where she was sitting and looking at him.

He cut a slice of the cheese for her and put it on a cracker and handed it to her.

"Thanks," she laughed.

"Why do you laugh at me?" he asked.

"Well, I wondered why you always cut yourself chunks but cut me slices," she said.

(11:29 pm Nov 05, 2008)

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Bits N Pieces - A Disjointed Bahamian Novel - D04

(3:16 pm Nov 04, 2008)

Ah, gentle reader, a late start today. And election day in the US which is a tempting distraction for people in this country which is such a close neighbour.

As he sat and listened to the waves gurgling against the rocks and hissing on the sand, he thought of the scene at the house in the settlement and he let his blood continue to boil. He decided to enjoy his anger and nurture it and to see if he could get it to grow.

He let scenes of a dual between himself and the dashing young man play out in his mind. Some in which he quickly dispatched his foe, running him through with a quick forward thrust of his shining cutlass. Over almost before they started. Others, duals of epic proportions, now one holding the advantage, now the other, some where he is nearly defeated and his death near before he skillfully reverses the situation and wins right at the end, wounded and suffering, but victorious.

In all of the scenes, his green eyed lady ended up in his arms or, in the ones where he is wounded, he in her arms with her showering his face with tender kisses mixed with passion.

(3:54 pm Nov 04, 2008)

You hear that sucking sound again gentle reader. What is it with this writing thing and the extreme tie in with the practice of procrastination fu?

So, what shall I do? Take a detour? One designed to manufacture some words? One perhaps designed to break through this writer's block? I think I might just have to do that today. That, or come up with some other plan or angle to get the juices and the words flowing smoothly again. It has been tough so far this year, but today seems different. While the previous days have seemed like a drought, todays seems like a sand blasted furnace of a desert with no oasis in sight or in thought.

(4:07 pm Nov 04, 2008)

Fulcrum decided to head back to the settlement to see if the party had ended and if he could get to see his green eyed lady.

As Fulcrum came near the house in town, he could make out that some people were leaving and he crossed the street and went and stood next to a shuttered building in the shadows and began to scan the yard and house to see if he could see his lady or the dead man.

He saw neither one of them the first time around and so started scanning again. Perhaps he had not been careful enough or, and here his heart fell, perhaps they had left together or, and hear his heart soared, perhaps she had tired of him already and sent him on his way and gone to her room to wait for him later when she would sing to him again.

And then his heart broke and his blood almost boiled over. He saw them. Together. Arm in arm. Laughing! Coming out of the front door and walking down the path towards the street. Towards him. He put his hand on his cutlass and his knife. He ducked back deeper into the shadows. Hiding himself in the darkness and turning his face away as they passed by on the other side of the street.

When they had passed and walked on, he turned his head carefully to look after them and then scanned the area. There seemed to be no one else about just now and so, sticking to the shadows, he followed on behind them at some distance.

(4:20 pm Nov 04, 2008)

Fulcrum did everything he could to hold himself back, to not rush forward and run the dead man through right away. Look at them!Walking along arm in arm. Laughing. She leaning her head on his shoulder from time to time and saying something to him which caused him to laugh and his blood to burn within him.

But as difficult as it was for him, he managed it, contenting himself for now with visions of making him suffer at the point and edge of his blades. Visions of her in his arms, tenderly looking into his eyes.

(4:51 pm Nov 04, 2008)

Before too long, they headed off to where a path led out to the north beach. Not the path the led out to near the pirate camp, but another which ended somewhere near where he had been sitting earlier on the rocks.

Fulcrum smiled. He began to formulate actual plans of attack should a chance present itself. But should he. How would she react to seeing her lover killed before her eyes? He knew she had feelings for him. He had sensed it that night on the porch, but would she faint and forever hate him for his act? Or would she sing at being freed to give her love to him fully?

(5:27 pm Nov 04, 2008)

Well, gentle reader, there has been a young rooster hanging around the place for a few days now. This morning, he began his crowing outside of my bedroom window before six o'clock. The lady from the zoo showed up a bit ago with some feed and a cage to begin the process of capture and re-location.

So far, the rooster is un-captured but some more time has been captured and sucked in. Perhaps, likely to never be released again. Can time, once captured, ever be set free again?

(5:42 pm Nov 04, 2008)

Well, Fulcrum had a change of heart. He decided that the dead man might live a bit longer unless a great opportunity presented itself. The dead man would need to die when she was not around. Fulcrum would not risk her possible disgust towards him should he act in her sight.

(5:49 pm Nov 04, 2008)

Well, gentle reader, it is really slow going right now and the plot, such as it is, just took an unexpected twist on me and I don't know how to take this new development just yet. Plus, I need to go and make a conch salad run so I am going to shut down for now and hopefully pick up with a bang once I get back and get some mollusk and veggies in me.

(7:29 pm Nov 04, 2008)

Well, the mollusk and veggies are down the pipe and I have been in the indoor rain as well. The election results are coming in with most too close to call so far from what I hear in the background. Let's hope that the full belly leads to a flow of words for the remainder of the night.

Fulcrum had dropped back a good distance after he had decided not to kill the dead man just yet. No sense in being seen if he was not planning to attack right? The two climbed the dune arm in arm and disappeared over the top. He heard laughter. He ran ahead and eased up the dune, crouching down and poking his head above the dune line carefully. His green eyed lady was running down to the ocean with the dead man walking a good way behind.

Fulcrum lay down on his belly and watched. Something off to the right caught his eye. A group of three men came over the ridge line of the dune at a run, weapons brandished. Two made straight for the dead man and one for his lady.

Fulcrum was stunned and froze with the possibilities. Should he let these send the dead man on his way and then rescue his lady from them? That sounded good but was too dangerous to the health of his love. He did not like his odds against three men. Possibly two if the dead man managed to take someone along for the ride.

He couldn't just watch and see what happened. Who knew what these men intended.

Finally he decided that, as much as he hated to do so, he would need to go to the rescue of the dead man. Somehow, that did not sit right with him but he saw no other choice at this point.

(7:51 pm Nov 04, 2008)

Fulcrum jumped to his feet and ran over the dune and down on to the beach proper, letting out a yell as he hit his stride. His cutlass over his head and his knife in his right hand.

The dead man's and his lady's attackers faltered in their stride as they looked to where he was running full speed towards them. They hesitated only for a second before increasing their efforts to close on the dead man and his love.

The dead man produced a short sword and a dagger from some where and prepared to defend himself.

Fulcrum decided to rescue his lady first and decide what else to do later. He altered his angle to intercept the man heading for her.

(8:07 pm Nov 04, 2008)

(9:11 pm Nov 04, 2008)

Oops, there goes an hour with no words gentle reader. Talk about writer's block, just when I thought I might get something going. I have to push on through.

His mind was blown away when his lady turned and ran at her pursuer, raising her skirts with one hand and letting out a very un-lady like yell!

Her adversary was even more surprised than Fulcrum, he stopped in his tracks and stood frozen for a few seconds before continuing on at a wary pace.

Fulcrum let out another yell and tried to increase his speed even more.

His lady's opponent looked his way and Fulcrum recognised him as one of his attackers from the bushes before the cruise. What? Their eyes met and Fulcrum say surprise on his face.

Then he was running at Fulcrum and closing fast. Fulcrum tripped and went down with the first blow struck. His attacker let out a cry of triumph and raised his cutlass to finish Fulcrum off when he was struck down from behind by the green eyed lady.

(9:37 pm Nov 04, 2008)

(9:54 pm Nov 04, 2008)

No, I just can't get untracked. I have to push through no matter what. I have to keep on putting one word after another while the count rises and rises. This is nanowrimo after all... don't let quality get in the way of quantity this month... but I really must learn to plot better in advance if I am to keep taking part in this November madness.

Struck down when she bowled in to his back at full speed. He still almost managed to stick his knife into Fulcrum's stomach as he went down though. Fulcrum managed to roll out of the way at the last minute and scramble to his feet.

His lady was about to press her attack when the man rolled over and raised his cutlass towards her while still on his back in the fine sand. She stopped. She turned and ran off towards the other fight leaving him lying in the sand. leaving him to Fulcrum.

"Remember me friend? I am so happy to run into you again," said Fulcrum swinging his cutlass. The man parried but Fulcrum pressed his advantage and soon knocked the cutlass out of the man's hand. Then he quickly dispatched him and turned to join the remaining fray.

Then a thought crossed his mind. Should he "accidentally" dispatch the dead man while trying to rescue him? Now that had possibilities. The thing is, he would need to take care of the other two enough so that they would not pose a serious threat before causing trouble for the dead man or things might not work out at all.

Was it worth the risk?

(10:08 pm Nov 04, 2008)

Well, perhaps not. He would keep his eyes open in case an opportunity presented itself though.

The dead man was doing his best to hold his own against the two men but Fulcrum could see that he was faltering. Then his lady jumped into the fray unarmed. But not un-legged it seemed. She landed a devastating sort of stomp kick to the back of one of the men's knees and he went down hard.

Then the dead man missed a parry and dropped his sword as his arm was cut by a glancing swipe.

The green eyed lady cried out and jumped to protect him.

The man laughed and licked his lips. "Ah, you sweet thing, come and give us a kiss."

(10:28 pm Nov 04, 2008)

Nighty night gentle reader...

Monday, November 3, 2008

Bits N Pieces - A Disjointed Bahamian Novel - D03

(7:22 am Nov 03, 2008)

Well, gentle reader, once again I have been deep into my practice of procrastination. And I remember now that I can ill afford it. There is supposed to be band practice tonight which will cut into my writing time and there are a goodly number of gigs this month which will also wreak havoc with my writing and mood. Ah well... Such is life in the tropics as they say. And the funny thing is we say that here even though we are not there, only semi there as it were.


Fulcrum set off down the path to the settlement. He was on his way to meet his mates at a spot where he had told them to wait for him when he had sent them on ahead so that the captain would not protest.

He didn't intend to disobey the captain exactly. No, more like creatively obey his orders. He had no intention of dying here in the bush today. He would not let anyone accompany him as he searched the bush, but he would have them nearby and perhaps they would prevent any further attacks.

It took him a hot hour or more, but he finally saw his mark and retrieved the captain's package. He took it down from the branch and secured it in his shirt and headed back to his mates.

They were almost to the dune when the first shots rang out. One of his mates pitched forward, hit on the leg. A ball whizzed by his left ear and he broke off running towards the beach yelling for help. His other mates were right behind. No one stopped to help their fallen comrade.

(7:41 am Nov 03, 2008)

(7:54 am Nov 03, 2008)

Life obstructs art again gentle reader. How much art could we have if life did not get in the way? ~;-)

When the men in the camp on the beach heard the shots, they looked up startled. Someone called out that they should head for the path and a group took up their weapons and started down the beach.

Fulcrum and his remaining mates had almost reached the dune when the men from the night before stepped onto the path, swords in hand. Unfortunately for Fulcrum and friends, they had reinforcements.

Luckily, not too many, and time wasn't on their side hopefully.

(8:01 am Nov 03, 2008)

(8:19 am Nov 03, 2008)

Gone for now gentle reader...

(2:52 pm Nov 03, 2008)

Back, for a while now but again stuck in that temporal black hole. This time wasting deal is getting so old and so frustrating already and this is still very early days yet. What to do? Indeed, what to do?

"We need to break through and get to the beach before the cowards behind us catch up and attack from the rear. No stopping! Kill them all if we can!"

His mates seemed to like the sound of that and raised their cutlasses and their voices and ran towards those blocking the path with a red glint in their eyes.

The two small groups came together with and intensity and fury that spoke of something deep and primal. Metal clashed on metal, Screams filled the air, some intimidating. some a notice of intense pain.

It looked for a short while that Fulcrum and friends would not make it through to the beach before the chasing party arrived on the scene but, just at it seemed they were to falter, Fulcrum slashed the arm clean off of the enemy he was engaged with and turned his attention to the man he pegged as the leader of the opposition who was currently about to get the better of one of his mates.

Fulcrum came at him from the right side as his attention was focused on disemboweling his opponent and ran his cutlass into him through his arm pit. With that, the enemies seemed to lose heart and Fulcrum's group burst through into the clear and run up and over the dune just as the pursuers caught up. They were chased up and over the dune but when the attackers set eyes on the pirate band a scant ten yards away and closing fast, they quickly turned tail and disappeared over the brow of the dune and dashed off down the path at full speed.

(3:19 pm Nov 03, 2008)

(3:33 pm Nov 03, 2008)

When Fulcrum and the rest made it back to the camp, the captain was waiting with a scowl on his face and pistols in his hand. Without warning, he raised a pistol and pulled the trigger. Fulcrum had been watching carefully but without seeming to be aware that anything was amiss. As the captain's arm started up, he started his dive and roll, sweeping his leg out and taking the captain to the sand. Before anyone else knew what was happening he was on the captain with his knife at the captain's throat, and his mouth to the captain's ear.

"Easy my captain, I have your package safe and no one is the wiser. Let's go to your tent, shall we? Then the lights went out.

Fulcrum came up out of the dark with his head throbbing, thinking that he had to stop going to sleep so unexpectedly like that. Surely it was not good for the health.

Looking around, he noticed he was in the captain's tent. He groaned and tried to stand but found his feet and hands bound and fell over onto his face on the captain's new, soft carpet.

The captain appeared over him and pushed him down firmly with a boot to his chest. "Stay still lad, you have a lot of explaining to do it you want to see another day."

(3:44 pm Nov 03, 2008)

"Captain, I..."

"Quiet lad. I will ask the questions, you answer, directly and honestly and quickly. The only reason you are still breathing now is that I have my package and it seems unopened. But lad, I will have no truck with those who disobey my direct orders."

"Captain, I..."

"Stop! I haven't asked a question of you yet lad! Now, Why didn't you go alone as I instructed you to do?"

"Captain, I'm sorry, but I had a strange feeling that I would be attacked should I go back looking for your package and I knew that I would not survive it and that your package would be lost for surely they would wait until I had it before attacking."

(3:51 pm Nov 03, 2008)

(4:36 pm Nov 03, 2008)

Now, where did that time all get to?

"Go on lad, tell me more?" said the captain.

"Well, I asked some of me mates to go with me and hang near by in case I should be attacked. I told them that I had seen a woman with green eyes in town last night and that she interested me something fierce. I told them that I was bringing back a token of the heart and was embarrassed that I had lost it when I had been attacked."

"So, they don't know you had anything for me?"

"Well, no, unless someone were to guess from how you reacted there on the beach."

"Alright then, you may live a bit longer if that is true. But don't go making a habit of disobeying my orders lad, and especially in front of the crew. That way leads to no good for a pirate. It's discipline I need at sea. Lucky for you we are between voyages right now or I would not allow myself to go this lightly on you lad."

"Thank you captain, Thank you!"

The captain turned and went out of the tent. Fulcrum had expected to be cut loose. He heard the captain shout to his first mate, "Mister Jack, come and take this dog out of my tent and give him ten lashes for good measure! I'll brook no disobedience such as his, even on land, unless I give my leave."

(5:10 pm Nov 03, 2008)

"But captain!"

"Quiet lad, and take it like a man. Or it's your life I'll be taking and not a bit of skin off of your scurvy back."

Fulcrum almost said more but then shut himself down in a hot fury. Better not push his luck.

A week later, the pirates put out to sea, heading south to the Crooked Island Passage to hunt.

Fulcrum had not made it back to town on the night he took his lashes nor on the next, but on the third, he had slipped away and made it back to the settlement. And now, though his flesh left on a sea voyage, his soul remained behind.

(5:30 pm Nov 03, 2008)

(6:00 pm Nov 03, 2008)

Ah gentle reader, there it goes again, slipping away to some unknown place, perhaps to take up with single socks in some riotous living...


And band practice is about 6:45 or 7:00 and I may want to eat a little dinner before then. Time, time, time, where is that factory again?

(6:33 pm Nov 03, 2008)

Gone again...

(9:42 pm Nov 03, 2008)

Back from band practice... Doing a few things that needed to be done and once again wasting some time in fine style...

And now I find myself burning some more time with the munchies.

They sailed about the Passage in the sloop Phearz for several days without sighting any other vessels and the captain had almost decided to quit the vicinity and sail over Bimini way. Almost... but then he decided to wait one more day. And the most beautiful Spanish sail was spotted early in the morning and was taken before noon time.

The captain decided to put Spanish crew ashore on Long island and send a small crew on the Spanish ship to Nassau to try and sell it and make their way back to Harbour Island to await their return. Fulcrum was amoung those to volunteer to sail the prize back to Nassau. His heart sang within his breast when he was chosen.

(10:14 pm Nov 03, 2008)

After they sold the Spanish ship in Nassau, the small crew sailed a small sloop back to the pirate outpost at Harbour Island. The whole way back, as they sailed along the cays that ran from Nassau up to Eleuthera, Fulcrum though of only one thing.

They landed at about three in the afternoon and Fulcrum dearly wanted to head in to the settlement right away, but there were things to do in camp and he could not leave at once as his heart desired.

But as soon as darkness came, he slipped off and made his way into town and to the house of the green eyed lady.

When he got there, he wanted to go and knock on her window right away, but there were people about. The house was well lit and all the windows were open. There were people sitting about outside on wooden chairs in the small, neat yard. Inside, there were people seated around a large dinner table eating dinner.

That must be her. The most beautiful face he had ever seen. And those green eyes. And she smiled and leaned in and said something to a dashing young man seated next to her at the table and she laughed. And Fulcrum Hornigold grew hot inside.

(10:27 pm Nov 03, 2008)

Fulcrum watched a little longer as the dead man put his hand on his lady's forearm and whispered something into her ear and as she laughed, her beautiful white teeth shining in the light. He knew he needed to get out of the area and take a long hard walk to calm down or he would do something rash and ruin himself and end up in gaol. He decided that he would come back later and deal with things.

He though of taking a walk by the captain's lady's house to see what he might see but decided that that would not be a wise move and so he made his way back to the beach on the north shore and walked down to the rocks at the far end and sat himself down on a broken piece of a mast and looked at the stars.

(10:34 pm Nov 03, 2008)

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Bits N Pieces - A Disjointed Bahamian Novel - D02

(11:27 am Nov 02, 2008)

Fulcrum knew that he shouldn't. Knew it was dangerous. In more ways than one. But Fulcrum couldn't help himself. He went up to the window and knocked lightly on the shutter.

The singing faltered.

He knocked again, a tiny bit louder this time.

The singing stopped.

He waited.

But heard nothing from within. No further singing, no movement. And despite listening as hard as he could, not even any breathing.

He knocked again, "Hello, I just want to speak with you," he said quietly, his face pressed against the rough wood and peeling paint of the shutter. He heard the person inside catch their breath and imagined a hand going to a bosom.

He heard the faintest movement from within and then a faint sweet voice, "Who is there?"

'It's Fulcrum Hornigold, dashing pirate extraordinaire, soon to be the most famous man alive!' thought Fulcrum just before he froze. He stood on the porch for what seemed an eternity before a hidden view port opened in the shutter and pale green eyes stared out into the night and pierced his heart.

"Who are you sir? And what are you doing on my porch in the middle of the night. Speak quickly or I shall raise the alarm."

(11:47 am Nov 02, 2008)

"I am from the camp on the other side of the island. I came to town on an errand and I heard you singing."

"Are you a pirate then sir?"

"I mean you no harm."

"Yes, but are you or are you not a pirate sir."

"That I am. May I speak with you further?"

"I should say no," she said, "all the women have been warned to have not dealings with the men of your camp."

Fulcrum smiled and inside his heart rejoiced. Something about the way she said that filled him with hope.

"I have to go now to finish my errand, but if I can, I will come back on the morrow and knock at your shutter again if I may."

"I should say no," she said and closed the view port.

Fulcrum walked to the road his heart full within his breast.

(11:56 am Nov 02, 2008)

(12:23 pm Nov 02, 2008)

I hear that sucking sound gentle reader. Time being pulled somewhere out of this dimension.

Fulcrum made his way back to the other house and around to the door by the oven and knocked. The door opened almost before his hand hit for his second knock. She was waiting for his return then.

"Here, take this back quickly, don't open it and whatever you do, don't let anyone take it from you!"

"I know, I know, it is my very life."

She looked at him with an odd expression and he turned without further comment and headed back to the path to the north shore encampment.

(12:28 pm Nov 02, 2008)

Walking the dark sand path, Fulcrum sang his song again.

It's a pirate that I be
And I sail upon the sea
And the fathers and the mothers
And the brothers of the damsels
They are all afeared of me
Cause when the damsels I do see
And when the damsels they see me
There is no hope left
Their hearts are for my chest
A treasure fair reserved for me

Green eyes lingered in his memory.

He heard something on the trail behind him that made the hairs on his neck tickle but when he turned he saw nothing. He spoke the words soldier crabs and lizards to himself again but he knew he was fooling himself this time. Whatever it was that he had heard had been bigger than that.

(1:13 pm Nov 02, 2008)

He picked up his pace but now he heard noises on both sides of the path behind him and closing. Then he sensed that there must be something or someone ahead as well and so he made a split second decision and plunged off the path into the undergrowth to the left and did his best to increase his pace even more.

He heard some low laughter behind him and tried to break into a semblance of a run in the darkness and the bushes.

Think, think, how could he evade this group? Should he call out? Was he close enough to camp to be heard? Even if they heard, could they get to him in time to help? Were his pursuers from the camp or were they from some other group. Surely they would not be from the settlement?

He didn't like any of his options but he decided to go on the hunt himself instead of remaining the hunted. He drew his cutlass and a dagger and then did something that he knew might mean his life but also might save it.

He put the package he carried in the crook of a high branch and then stooped down to mark the base of the trunk with his dagger and then moved off at right angles to his former direction.

He struck the fronds of a palm tree with his cutlass to make some noise and then moved off quickly about ten yards and crouched down in the shadows near a bush.

Soon, three men he had never seen before showed up at the palm tree that he had struck.

"Anyone hear anything?" one whispered.

The other two shook their heads. "Spread out and lets finish this quickly. We can't let him get back to the camp with that package."

Fulcrum's heart sank. How did they know he had a package. It seemed they must know more than he did about the contents of the package as well.

(1:35 pm Nov 02, 2008)

(2:17 pm Nov 02, 2008)

Ah gentle reader, the joys and the agony of the practicing procrastinator. Shall I blame it on the temporal black hole once again?

Two of the three headed off away from Fulcrum in a vee while the other came almost towards him.

He waited patiently as the man passed within two yards of him and continued on. Fulcrum waited until he was just past him and then rose from his position and clamped his hand over the man's mouth to keep him from crying out as he pulled the blade of his knife across the man's throat. That was the plan at least but just as his knife began its arc, he was struck on the head from behind and lost consciousness.

"Pssssss," a shadowy figure made a noise and then faded into the shadows. It was enough to get the attention of the two who had headed off looking for Fulcrum. They soon appeared on the scene to see Fulcrum on the ground bleeding from his head and their companion on the ground next to him bleeding from a gash in the neck.

(2:28 pm Nov 02, 2008)

"Quick see if either of them are dead and then let's search him for the package."

The other bent down to examine the two men on the ground. "They both seem to be alive but I think Jake may not be long for this world, help me try and stop this bleeding."

"Leave off, we don't have time for that, someone may show up." They searched Fulcrum but found no package.

"Its not here! Wake him up and let's find out where it is!"

They tried but could not revive Fulcrum. They talked things over trying to decide what to do and decided to move their companion away and come back and watch Fulcrum when he awoke to see if they could jump him when he went back to wherever he had left the package.

When the sun began to rise in the morning and Fulcrum still had not come to, they began to regret their decision but decision but they decided to wait things out just a bit longer.

Just a while later, Fulcrum began to come around. He swam up from the darkness and the depths slowly and opened his eyes to a pounding in his head and a wad of cotton and sand in his mouth.

He groaned and rolled on to his stomach and puked on the ground and then was overcome by a wave of dizziness and had to lay his head down on the ground. Lay his face into the pool of hot, acidic puke that had not yet soaked into the sandy ground.

(2:45 pm Nov 02, 2008)

Soon, his head cleared a little and he got unsteadily to his feet. He was disoriented and he looked around trying to figure out where he was. He couldn't get his bearings for a while until he thought to look for the sun and realised that he heard waves on the beach off to his left. He turned and stumbled off in the direction of the beach.

He never thought to check if he was being followed. Luckily, he never thought to search for the package either.

Soon he began climbing the back side of the dune and then he was at the top of the dune looking down on what seemed to be a deserted beach. He was momentarily disoriented again but looking further down the beach, he saw the pirate encampment. He must have gone further off course than he remembered last night while being pursued.

He started down the face of the dune but stumbled and rolled the rest of the way down. At the bottom, he got slowly to his feet and set off in the direction of the camp.

(8:35 pm Nov 02, 2008)

Good evening gentle reader, well, we went out to dinner tonight and since I have been back, I have been deep into the procrastination zone. Time greased up and slipping away into the night.

When Fulcrum reached the camp, the captain was fuming. He glared at Fulcrum and his scowl was fearsome. Fulcrum felt his knees go weak. He was more scared now than he had been the night before in the bushes.

"Fulcrum! Come with me you dog!" The captain turned on his heels and headed down the beach to his tent. Fulcrum followed behind. Was this to be his last day on earth then? He vowed silently to himself that this would not be. He saw again those green, captivating eyes and set his mind to finding salvation for his hide.

The captain lifted the tent flap and stormed inside without looking back. Fulcrum entered behind with some trepidation, "Captain, I.."

"Not a word you dog! Give me my package now or prepare to meet your maker." The captain walked over to his desk and picked up a pistol.

Fulcrum held up his hands, "Captain, I was set upon on the trail back from town with you package. I think I killed one of them before they hit me over the head but I think your package is still safe."

"Well, then, good. Enough delay, give it to me and you may just live to see your next cruise."

"The thing is captain, I don't have it."

"Now lad, don't be playing any games with your captain, give me my package now," growled the captain pointing the pistol towards Fulcrum.

(9:05 pm Nov 02, 2008)

Fulcrum looked around, fear rising quickly in his breast. His eyes searched for some way of escape, "Captain I.."

The captain cocked the trigger on the pistol.

"No, no! Captain! We can get you package! I hid it before I was jumped! We can get it I tell you!"

The captain lowered the pistol and growled. "You hid it you say? Didn't I tell you to protect it with your life? Why would you leave it unprotected?"

"I was being followed by a group of men in the woods. I hid it to protect it from falling into their hands should they prevail against me and then I began hunting them. I saw three of them, I think it was all of them. I didn't recognise any of them from the town."

"OK, then lad, go and get it and bring it to me. Take some extra pistols to be safe."

"Captain, I am not sure I know exactly where I hid it. It was dark and I was confused, shouldn't we send a search party to find it? We could lead an armed party and find it easily."

"No lad, that would not do, to many people for a simple secret to survive. No, you must go and get it yourself."

"Captain, at least you should come with me, surely we would have a better chance of success with more searchers."

"No lad, I am needed here right now, you must go alone and take care. But you must return with my package as it is still your life you protect."

"Yes captain, right away!" said Fulcrum, relief flooding within.

"See the first mare for some extra pistols and shot sir. And Godspeed."

"Yes captain."

Fulcrum turned and went through the flap to the fresh air outside. He hadn't realised how stuff and hot the air in the tent had grown.

(9:25 pm Nov 02, 2008)

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Bits N Pieces - A Disjointed Bahamian Novel - D01

(9:26 am Nov 01, 2008)

This book used to sort of start with:

"First words but unfortunately not first light. It started somewhere around 8:50 am this morning but in trying to get leo set up for this years writing, I somehow managed to lose all of my writing so far...

Ouch.

In any case, welcome back, gentle reader, to this year's Nano Novel, "Bits N Pieces."

Welcome back to another voyage of adventure and discovery again this year. Join in as we see what develops and unfolds.

Oh, and the temporal black holes have already poked their ugly heads above the event horizon some how and started sucking time. Sticky strings from some untoward theory latching on to particles of time as they attempt to unfold and draggind them into some dark pit. Some dark pit of no return.

(10:05 am Nov 01, 2008)

Fulcrum Hornigold sat off to himself on the pink beach under the full moon, drinking rum and feeling lonely and reckless.

Down the beach away were large bonfires and other cooking fires around which sat and danced hard men, drunk on hard liquor. Hard men and loose women. Fulcrum was normally to be found in their midst when not out on the sea on a voyage of plunder, but not tonight.

For some reason, tonight was different. He could not put his finger on the reason, but it was there and it prevented him from joining in the reveleries as was his custom.

He sat brooding, staring out to sea as the waves rolled in gently from the Atlantic to break on the pink shore. Something caled to him from the other side of the island. Something, he knew not what. Something... Or was it someone?

(3:16 pm Nov 01, 2008)

Just as he was about to get up and begin a short trek over to the settlement, he heard someone down the beach call out his name.

"Fulcrum. Fulcrum! FULCRUM! WHERE ARE YOU?"

Sighning, he rose unsteadily to his feet and set of towards the voice in the night. A voice that he did not want to hear just now, a voice that it was not wise to ignore though. There went his expedition to the settlement. Fulcrum's heart sank.

Making his way along the water's edge, he stubmled and fell head first into the salty water. Spluttering and coughing, he got to his feet again and made his way onward. The night wind chilling his body as the water evaporated from his wet clothes.

"FULCRUM! GET YOUR SCURVY SELF HERE RIGHT NOW OR I'LL KEEL HAUL YA WHEN I FIND YA!"

"All right captain, I'm on my way," he called out as he neared the fires.

"Where have ya been knave? I've been looking for ya to carry out a little mission for me."

"And what would that be my captain?"

"I ave a little package ere that I want for ya to deliver to Mrs. Thompson over in the settlement for me. And then I want you to wait for a while and see if she has anything to return to me before coming back with a report. Can you do that for me lad?"

Fulcrum's heart soared, hey tried to conceal his joy, "Yes, captain, I think I could manage that," he said unsteadily, "I shall do my best in my presetn condition."

The captain's eyes narrowed and he stared at Fulcrum closely from the dark slits, "In your present condition, is it," he said. "And what might that condition be and is it likely to get in the way of your duties tonight lad?"

"N-n-no. captain. I am just a little tipsy is all, but the cold water has cleared my head some already and I should be just fine. Where is the package captain? And how shall I find Mrs. Thompson?"

"Come with me lad," said the captain and turned and headed off down the beach in the opposite direction from where Fulcrum had been sitting alone. Towards his tent which was pitched against an upturned boat. Fulcrum followed.

They walked in silence until they reached the captain's tent, "wait here lad and I will be right out."

Fulcrum sat on an upturned bucket and waited. He heard the captain rummaging about within the tent and humming a shanty to himself. Fulcrum picked up the tune and hummed along.

Shortly, the flap opened and the captain came back out of the tent and handed Fulcrum a small package wrapped in brown paper and tied with string, "Here you go lad, now, when you get into town, go to the big tree by the dock and then go one block along the shore to the right and you will find a shouse with white shutters. Go around the back and knock three times on the door nearest the oven."

"I think I know the house, then what?"

"When someone answers the door, tell them that you have a package for the mistress of the house and that you need to give it to her personally. Do not give the package into anyone else's hands. Do you understand me lad?"

"Yes captain. And then?"

"Tell her that you are instructed to await her response. She will give you further instructions. Make haste lad and go now."

"Yes captain."

(4:35 pm Nov 01, 2008)


(10:16 pm Nov 01, 2008)

"Oh, and lad..."

"Yes captain?"

"Guard that package and anything given ye to return to me with your life for it is ye very life indeed that ye be guarding?"

Fulcrum's throat went dry, "Y-y-yes captain." He turned and hurried off down the beach until he reached the dune where the trail to the settlement ended.

Back at the fires, a shadowy figure moved swiftly to the rushes at the foot of a dune.

It's a pirate that I be
And I sail upon the sea
And the fathers and the mothers
And the brothers of the damsels
They are all afeared of me
Cause when the damsels I do see
And when the damsels they see me
There is no hope left
Their hearts are for my chest
A treasure fair reserved for me

Fulcrum walked along the sandy path, his head clearing by the minute as he sang his new song under his breath. He kept his right hand on the hilt of his cutlass, wary of the import of the captains words. Did he know or suspect something?

Once in a while he though he heard something rustle behind him and turned quickly to see nothing. He told himself it was just soldier crabs or lizards in the bushes but he could not fully convince himself no matter how sure he tried to sound.

(10:34 pm Nov 01, 2008)

When he reached the settlement, Fulcrum made his way to the tree and then North on the shore road to the Thompson house. The townspeople seemed to have all turned in. Fulcrum laughed to himself thinking them all early to be and early to risers.

He stopped in the shadows across from the house for a while to make sure no one was about or watching him and then crossed the road and slipped through the gate and into the small, neat yard. He mad his way to the back of the house as his captain had instructed and knocked quietly at the door nearest the stone oven in the yard.

He waited for a minute but there was no response so he knocked harder and then put his ear to the door. Soon he heard slippers scrape over the floor within and approach the door. He heard someone moving a latch and stepped back into the shadows.

The door creaked open a crach and a voice called out quietly, "Who's there?"

Fulcrum stepped a bit closer to the door and spoke quietly, "I have something for Mrs. Thompson, can you get her for me?"

"I am Mrs. Thompson," said the voice in the shadows.

Fulcrum stepped close to the crack in the door, "I have something for you from the other shore," he said quietly. He saw her face light up in the lamp light.

"Come in qucikly," she said.

He stepped into the house and she quickly closed the door behind him, "What is it?" she asked excitedly.

He produced the wrapped package.

"Ah," she said, "let me have it."

He handed it over and she moved to the door and opened it a crack again, motioning him to leave."

"Go now and come back in an hour after I have had some time to examine it and decide what to do."

(10:53 pm Nov 01, 2008)

Although the situation confused him some, Fulcrum quickly stepped out of the door and made his way silently out of the yard and back to the tree. He waited for a while but grew restless. he decided to wander around the silent town to pas the time. He should be safe enough now. The townspeople were all most likely asleep and they generally did their best to avoid the pirates anyway. Plus, he no longer had his life with him and so was less likely to lose it by his reconing.

He headed up the hill along the shore road away from the house and then thought better of it and turned back until he reached the tree again and then headed inland this time. No need to push his luck.

Just as he had turned back, a figure had quickly ducked into the bushes at the side of the road and crouched down. He never noticed a thing as he passed withing a foot or two of the figure by the side of the road.

(11:02 pm Nov 01, 2008)

Well, gentle reader, are you still with me? Always nice to have you here. This has been a bit of a difficult starting day. I would have rather made at least four thousand words today and instead it is already after eleven in the evening and I am under half that amount. Not what I would want for a weekend day, but at least finally above the daily quota to reach the fifty thousand by the end of the thirty days. Not great, but not the total disaster yet. Hopefully, things will improve some soon.

I am quite happy with Mr. Fulcrum Hornigold so far though.

There is some party going on tonight in the neighbourhood. The music is loud. It is not music that I dislike mind you, but it is a bit loud for sleeping and that is what I find myself wanting to do right now. Head off to my bed and catch some shut eye and begin again anew in the morning. And you gentle reader? Are you entertaing thoughts of soft pillows now as well?

(11:08 pm Nov 01, 2008)

As Fulcrum walked along a random street, he heard soft singing coming from a house ahead. A beatiful high soprano singing a longing and morneful tune about a love lost at sea. He stopped and listened, enchanted. He sat in the middle of the road and sighed contentedly. His restlessness seeped away.

After the sone ended, she started in on another one, this one even more lovely and plaintive. He felt drawn and almost as if he were being physically pulled to the house. He got to his feet and inched closer to the sound. There was a sliver of light just barely discernable through a minute crack in the wooden shutters on the front porch.

(11:15 pm Nov 01, 2008)

Bits N Pieces - A Disjointed Bahamian Novel

(9:25 am Nov 01, 2008)

Bits N Pieces - A Disjointed Bahamian Novel

Ouch. Already lost a bunch (ok, ok, it was a small bunch) of work and I have to start all over again.

(9:49 am Nov 01, 2008)

Just a bit of house keeping info for you again gentle reader. When you see times in brackets like the one above, they refer to the times the book is being written, not to times in the book itself. Some times, the two times may be the same times, but some times, the two times, will be different times. Time, times, and half?

Nah, nothing so biblical here. At least not yet anyway.