torsdag den 10. februar 2022

Words for Wednesday - Á Íslandi 10

Today, as all Wednesdays in February the prompts are at C. Lee McKenzie's blog.

Further information about this challenge can be read over at Elephant's Child's blog.

The general idea is to make us write and read what others wrote, and cheer along the other participants.

  This is also a challenge, where the old saying "The more the merrier" holds true, therefore: Please, remember to follow their links, go back and read other peoples' stories. And please leave a comment after reading. Challenges like this one thrives on interaction, feedback and encouragement. And we ALL need encouragement.  

The prompts for Wednesday, February 9 are:


Gift 
Surprise
Stubborn
Laughter
Generous
Flowers

    And / or
Yesterday
Lovely
Sprinkled
February
Husband
Marriage


I have as usual taken up the additional challenge of using the words in the order they were given. And I'm continuing my long, long story of Susan and her co-magicians. Using only the first 6 prompts.

The heart-shaped box bore a gift tag. "For my charming witch".
"That's a surprise," Rósa said,
"Too much so," Finnbogi added, "I know that handwriting. It belongs to Jónas, our boss!"
"What a strange thing to do!" Rósa said. "Where is Liisa now?" she asked Hilde.
"Liisa is at work. She only returned home Friday. She had been to Iceland showing off kitchen machines ..." Her voice trailed off as she realized the implications of what she had just said.
"It was her." Knud said simply.
"I never realized Jonas could be charmed like that. He has a girlfriend, and is normally very stubborn when we have a beer Friday evening. He never even looks at other girls."
"With magic, real magic, almost nothing is impossible." Susan said determined. "We've got to think fast now."
"Jonas is at the museum, Finnbogi said, and he stays put, same as Frey." Finnbogi mused.
"Liisa has had her new wand," Rósa added. "You showed me, Susan."
"And when is she going to use it, and for what?" Knud asked. "Can she teleport, I doubt it, but does she know of the portals?"
"No on both accounts," Susan said. "She did not like flying, and she had this unlucky spell, so we can be fairly certain she would have 'ported or used a portal, if she knew how to."
"What would you do if you were her?" Hilde said.
"Seek revenge!" Susan shot out.
"On whom?"
"Sandra!" Susan said. "Sandra is wasting away from some strange disease. The doctors just hem and haw and shake their heads. And Teresa would have told Liisa about the teachers, about Martine, Gilvi, Thora, Täthi and Taavi,  and also about Kai and Sandra. She can't get back at any of those, but Sandra. Because they are either dead, or living near us. We would feel it, if she magicked Martine."
"Let's get to Denmark, Let's gather Fiona, Martine, Marit, Sandra, Lis, Tage and Heidi."
I think it's time to move, and move quick!"
"Let's split up," Finnbogi said. "It'll be faster that way. I could teleport you to Marit's place ..."
"Oslo" Susan prompted, "there's a portal there"
"Oh yes, that makes it easier. And Rósa and Knud could get the ones living in Denmark still. Then we just need to lure Liisa to the portals room and on to Birch Manor ...
A police car pulled up outside the house, blue flashing lights filling the room.
The doorbell rang, and Hilde got up and answered it.
"Do you know Liisa Haugen?" the officer asked.
"Yes I do, That's my Daughter-in-law."
"We have to ask your help getting to her. She drove past a police cordon near the airport. Instead of stopping, she waved a stick at me, spurted some gibberish, and drove off with a maniacal laughter. Of course I jumped back, so as not to get hit by her car, and when I and my college got to out car and reached the airport proper, she had boarded a plane for Denmark. We could not stop her, as laughing at an officer is not enough to hold back a plane. Do you have any idea of where she's going?"
"Come inside officer," Hilde said. "This needs some explaining, but yes. I know where she's going. Me and my friends were just discussing her strange behaviour."
The officer sat down. Knud poured him a mug of tea, and Susan cut a generous slice of cake.

"Let me explain." Hilde said. "We're all old friends from a 4H school way back. Liisa's mother was a student there too, which we only just realized this past week. We meet now and then to talk and have fun. Our recent craze is Harry Potter and his magic. I'm afraid Liisa has been carried away with it. We have made some wands, and pretend to cast spells, that's probably what she did to you at the cordon."
The police officer looked stern, then smiled. "Yes, waving a wand and spouting a spell at me. That sounds a bit over the edge to me. But why is she going to Denmark?"
"It's a long story, and we're only just begging to understand it. But Ill try to make it as short and coherent as I can," Hilde began. "It all pertains to the 4H school. Liisa's mother died many years ago, and somehow she has got into her head that the teachers at the 4H school, and some of the parents were to blame for this, and for a lot of other misfortune that has hit her during her life. She is out to have her revenge. As most of the teachers have died, and the only one still alive is a cripple from a traffic accident, she has been concentrating her grudge on Kajsa, the mother of three of our fellow students. We do not really know what happened, we were young then and the teachers' troubles did not exits to us, we had our own.  But Liisa is convinced that Kajsa is the cause of almost all her troubles."
"And now she's on her way to Denmark to wave a wand on her as a revenge?" The officer could not hide his incredulity.
"If only." Susan exclaimed. "But no, we think that she's planning on more drastic measures. Kajsa is old, in her late 80es, and her health is not good. I'm afraid what she will do."
"You're Danish!" the officer said, stating the obvious.
"Yes, Susan said "We attended an inter-Nordic 4H school in Denmark. Those two are Icelandic," Susan said with a bow towards Rósa and Finnbogi.

Well, we're going to ask our Danish colleagues intercept her in Copenhagen airports, and please feel free to warn Kajsa about the wand waving maniac. She sounds more crazy than dangerous to me. But still not stopping and then threatening an officer is a crime. I'm off. Thanks for cake and tea and your willing collaboration." He rose, and Hilde let him out.

"That was some fast thinking, Hilde!" Susan said.
"You told the truth in a way he could relate to," Finnbogi chimed in.
"That Harry Potter ruse was excellent. We might use this onwards," Knud said.
Hilde smiled at their appreciation, but continued: "This just underlines the need for haste. I'll call tonight's family gathering off, and then we go to Denmark."
"No, not straight-away," Susan protested. "I want to go to Oslo to get Marit."
"Can you do that alone?" Knud asked. The others looked at her.
"I feel fairly certain, yes. The portal from here goes to Birch Manor, from there Portal to Oslo,  Find Marit and convince her to join us. Have something substantial to eat. 'Port back to Birch Manor with Marit. Can do."
"The rest of the people we need are near Birch Manor." Knud said. "Only not Fiona. She's probably at home or on the harbour in Hundested."
"We could send her a magic letter," Rósa suggested. "Then she could drive to Birch Manor. It would probably still be faster than Liisa. She has to get to Copenhagen, through the customs, rent a car, and find her way to Sandra's house. That is if the Danish officers do not get her."
"Do you think they will?"
"I don't know. But even if they do, Sandra is still looking like a wilted flower, and now that we know what's most probably the cause, there's no reason to wait," Susan added vehemently.
Rósa penned a magic letter and sent it off, using the formula from page 114 in Spells and Cantrippes for Daily Use.

11 kommentarer:

  1. Tension mounts. Again.
    I am so glad that the prompts fitted (where made to fit) your continuing story so well and am looking forward to the next installment. The next exciting installment.

    SvarSlet
    Svar
    1. Thank you for your support and pushing. I need this.

      Slet
  2. What brilliant thinking! Now if only they can be in time, and can get her to realize revenge is beneath her.

    SvarSlet
    Svar
    1. Hilde is a brainy one, always was, and life and time has made her vise. Let's see what happens. My villains have a tendency to self-destruct.

      Slet
  3. Excellent quick thinking by Hilde. I do hope they manage to thwart Liisa and that Kajsa stays safe.

    SvarSlet
    Svar
    1. Yes Hilde really is quick minded and very intelligent. I hope she can get at Liisa, but I doubt it.

      Slet
  4. Wow. That is amazing. Writing the story with the words as given is quite a feat!

    SvarSlet
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    1. Thank you! And thanks for the good prompts. I look forward to the next installment.

      Slet
  5. "Can she teleport, I doubt it, but does she now of the portals." - is that 'know of the portals' with a question mark?

    I guess it's not obvious to me what being Danish had to do with anything. Are Danish people not prone to do drastic things? I don't know.

    Have a lovely day.

    SvarSlet
    Svar
    1. Thanks for catchong my errors!That's excactly what it should be.

      And yes we Danes is a peaceful/lazy people. A saying goes: We had sceduled the revoultion for Thursday, but then it rained.
      Thank you.

      Slet
    2. ... but this conmment mirors the officer's surprise in meeting a Dane in the early spring in northern Norway, when the tourists keep away and the locals endure.

      Slet

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I am grateful for all comments, and try to reply meaningfully to all of them.