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)