| | The Scream of Silence | |
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Admin Admin

Posts : 8738 Join date : 2013-08-24
 | Subject: The Scream of Silence Mon Dec 01, 2014 2:50 pm | |
| There has been a request to kick start this game again with a new title. Here you go with: The Scream of Silence | |
|  | | Stepha3nie

Posts : 5114 Join date : 2014-07-12 Age : 52 Location : Scotland
 | Subject: Re: The Scream of Silence Mon Dec 01, 2014 4:20 pm | |
| Hi folks,
Nancy Whiskey had the idea to revive this challenge. During a chat a while back we came up with ideas and then the plot bunnies might have run away with us. The result is that we have a vague plot outline we would like to keep and follow. We think it will help to ensure that the story has a good chance of getting finished. For me, personally, this outline makes it easier to come up with something (I got scared away from entering things in the old challenge, because of the big empty open space). The outline should still leave enough room for creativity.
Rules? If anyone is interested, we would share the plot outline with you and ask you to play along with it. Changes are of course possible, but please discuss it first.
Each contribution should be one paragraph, but there is some leeway. - Please, no enormous chunks of text with thousands of words - nobody wants to read that and others should have an equal chance to contribute to the story. - If there is direct speech, paragraphs can be difficult to determine. In such cases, contributions should be a sensible length. - Extremely short paragraphs are allowed, but if it's just two or three lines, I doubt there would be complaints if a second paragraph was added.
Nobody is allowed to post several entries in a row. One entry and then somebody else must have a chance.
Most important: this should be fun.
Not that I think this is a likely scenario, but I think I should point out: In case somebody spoils the fun, MAP will intervene (I believe) and has the right to make final decisions.
_________________ "I can resist everything - except temptation" Oscar Wilde For me temptation is Hannibal Heyes, especially in chaps!
Last edited by Stepha3nie on Mon Dec 01, 2014 4:29 pm; edited 1 time in total | |
|  | | Stepha3nie

Posts : 5114 Join date : 2014-07-12 Age : 52 Location : Scotland
 | Subject: Re: The Scream of Silence Mon Dec 01, 2014 4:28 pm | |
| Now, I have the pleasure/honour/task to start this story off. So here goes:
Once again Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry were riding hell bent for leather across the Plains.
“Come on Heyes, we gotta keep goin'!”
“I know Kid, but if we kill our horses it won’t help the situation. We gotta stop soon or we risk the horses breaking their legs or our necks.”
“It’s not our necks I’m worried about at the moment!”
“No need to remind me. But we cannot ride through the night. Gotta start looking for a campsite soon.”
Earlier this day, they had enjoyed lazing in the sunshine on the porch of their hotel after a satisfying breakfast. Heyes had acquired the latest newspaper and regaled Kid with the happenings in this remote area of Colorado, when an article on the second page caught his attention. He sat up, read it again and shoved the offending paper at his partner.
“Kid, they caught Preacher and are going to put him on trial for murder day after tomorrow.”
“He always knew this could happen. Remember what business he took up after leavin' the gang?”
“I know. But he didn’t do this. Read it.”
And with this, the brown-haired former outlaw got up from his chair and started pacing along the porch while his dark-blond friend quickly read the bad news. _________________ "I can resist everything - except temptation" Oscar Wilde For me temptation is Hannibal Heyes, especially in chaps!
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|  | | Nancy Whiskey

Posts : 2704 Join date : 2013-10-14 Location : The Rusty Bucket Saloon
 | Subject: Re: The Scream of Silence Tue Dec 02, 2014 10:15 am | |
| "This ain't possible Heyes." Clear blue eyes had turned midnight in fury.
"I know."
Kid stood, body rigid, voice lowering. "We gotta do something. We know him. He's not capable. Not of that."
"I know."
Curry, newspaper still clenched tightly stalked over to where his cousin now stood staring into middle distance.
Through jutting jaw and clenched teeth Kid insisted, "We are not going to let this happen."
"I know!" Anger flashed then brown eyes focussed. "Come with me." _________________ Tomorrow I will no longer be reckless or feckless. I will do everything with both reck and feck!
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|  | | Stepha3nie

Posts : 5114 Join date : 2014-07-12 Age : 52 Location : Scotland
 | Subject: Re: The Scream of Silence Wed Dec 03, 2014 2:03 pm | |
| Without turning around to make sure his friend followed him, Heyes stalked off the porch and down the street looking for the telegraph office. Thoughts were still churning through his mind, his gut instinct of helping their friend warring with his sense of self preservation and longing to not endanger their amnesty deal. Kid easily caught up with him and matched his stride. He still felt incensed at the injustice of the charge. “Preacher may be capable of killin’, but never a woman!”
“I know.”
“He’s deadly with his rifle, but he just wouldn’t strangle someone!”
“Stop telling me things I know you know I know!” _________________ "I can resist everything - except temptation" Oscar Wilde For me temptation is Hannibal Heyes, especially in chaps!
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|  | | InsideOutlaw

Posts : 538 Join date : 2013-08-25 Age : 65 Location : Colorado
 | Subject: Re: The Scream of Silence Thu Dec 11, 2014 2:41 pm | |
| Kid Curry swung around and stopped his partner in his tracks. "All right then, how 'bout you tell me how we're gonna handle this?"
Frowning, Heyes ducked around him and continued down the sidewalk, his stride lengthening with his agitation. "We've gotta get more information before we go running off half-cocked."
"How you gonna do that? Or haven't you noticed this town doesn't have a telegraph office?"
"What?!" Heyes stopped again.
"That's right. No sheriff, no telegraph office. I checked for one on the way in while you were busy yakkin' 'bout the hot bath and cold beer you were gonna have."
Looking up and down the street as though he was seeing it for the first time, Heyes knew they no longer had a choice. Despite the risks, they couldn't turn their backs on their old friend. He sagged with resignation and morosely said, "You get our gear. I'll get the horses."
The Kid smiled. "Now you're talkin'". _________________ xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
“The purpose of life isn’t to arrive at death in perfect condition but to slide into it sideways with your hair mussed, your clothes disheveled, a martini in one hand and chocolate in the other, shouting ‘Whooeee, what a ride!’”--Hunter S. Thompson
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|  | | Stepha3nie

Posts : 5114 Join date : 2014-07-12 Age : 52 Location : Scotland
 | Subject: Re: The Scream of Silence Tue Dec 16, 2014 4:00 pm | |
| Fifteen minutes later, the partners were on their way towards the town where Preacher was awaiting trial for an undeserved murder charge. They covered a lot of distance this day, not saying much, but worrying how to save their friend. Finally they had to stop. The horses needed a rest and it was getting too dark to continue riding. Camp was set up quickly, the horses being taken care of, and once they had a small fire going to cook their beans, Heyes started talking.
“Kid, you know we cannot testify at Preacher’s trial, so we need to prove his innocence before.”
“I’m all for it, Heyes. Can’t rely on Wheat to catch the real killer again.”
“Don’t remind me. But I think I figured a way to do it without a risk.”
“Uh huh?” was Kid’s only comment while testing the beans.
“We should get there before the trial starts. Then we go and talk to the doc. If that girl was strangled, the killer must have used both hands. We tell the doc about Preacher’s accident and ask him to check if he could have done it with his stiff thumb.”
“You wanna tell them about the accident?” came the reply under arched eyebrows.
“Not that it happened when a posse shot his horse under him after a train robbery, but we could say we lived in his parish and he had a bad fall off his horse which left him with a damaged thumb that cannot grip anything. We wouldn’t even be lying. The doc can check Preacher’s hand and we’ll all be out of there.” _________________ "I can resist everything - except temptation" Oscar Wilde For me temptation is Hannibal Heyes, especially in chaps!
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|  | | Nancy Whiskey

Posts : 2704 Join date : 2013-10-14 Location : The Rusty Bucket Saloon
 | Subject: Re: The Scream of Silence Mon Jan 19, 2015 2:20 pm | |
| oooOOOooo
One Week Earlier
Tears were streaming freely from long lashed eyes. One eye blackening rapidly. She burrowed into the straw curling up into a ball, wishing the pain away. At the creak of the barn door opening she froze, willing herself invisible. Biting her bloodied lip to stifle her sobs she tried desperately to sink further back in the straw.
She could smell him before she could see him. The stink of rot-gut whiskey clawed at the back of her throat as the silhouette of a tall man appeared. As the figure wobbled into the barn throwing himself down, humming gently Lilly began to breathe again.
Preacher raised his precious bottle to his lips, but stopped short, sensing company. "Who's there? Show yourself!" _________________ Tomorrow I will no longer be reckless or feckless. I will do everything with both reck and feck!
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|  | | Stepha3nie

Posts : 5114 Join date : 2014-07-12 Age : 52 Location : Scotland
 | Subject: Re: The Scream of Silence Sun Feb 01, 2015 6:55 pm | |
| She froze once more, desperately willing the drunk to settle down and fall asleep. But it was not to be.
Preacher’s outlaw instincts overruled his drunken drowsiness and he staggered back to his feet.
“C’m out. Ah know you’re there. No need ta hide,” he called once more, while making his way as quietly as possible in his state to the middle aisle. Listening for an answer, he tried to discern where the other person might be hiding. Inwardly he cursed his luck, instantly apologizing for his thoughts' language. All he wanted was to sleep in peace, he didn’t need any complications. _________________ "I can resist everything - except temptation" Oscar Wilde For me temptation is Hannibal Heyes, especially in chaps!
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|  | | Tabumin

Posts : 80 Join date : 2015-01-20 Location : Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, NY, USA
 | Subject: Re: The Scream of Silence Tue Feb 17, 2015 6:15 pm | |
| She let out a sob; she couldn't help it. The Preacher stood still, head cocked, listening. Then he spoke. "You know the Lord says that we look not only to our own burdens, but to those of others. Sounds like you got one."
She held her breath and wondered - was it safe to let him know she was there? How man drunks quoted the bible? She took a deep breath, offered a silent prayer, and crawled from her hiding place in the straw.
The Preacher saw a dark silhouette emerge from one of the stalls and materialize into a young woman. Her dark hair was matted, her simple dress torn, and there was blood about her lip.
"Ma'am, you look like you're in a hard way. I ain't gonna hurt you. I don't believe in hurting women. And believe it or not, I used to be a preacher.
Her eyes widened in surprise at his unlikely confession. | |
|  | | Caroline McK

Posts : 392 Join date : 2015-02-20 Location : western PA USA
 | Subject: Re: The Scream of Silence Tue Nov 03, 2015 12:43 pm | |
| This man, with his less than tidy appearance and his less than perfect speech, was once a man of the cloth?
She shook her head. She knew better than to make rash judgments about people because more often than not, most people were not what they seemed on the outside. The West changed people and gave new chances to those who wanted a new beginning if they were willing to work for it. She knew that.
Taking a deep breath, she willed herself to calm down and trust this man. If he truly had wanted to hurt her he would have already done so.
Besides, she reasoned with herself, if not a man of God then who can I trust? It came to her then, the lesson that she learned many years earlier iin church, God sends angels among us in many disguises. Who was to say that drunks and derelicts were not among them? | |
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