WfW 03-06-2020

  Messymimi is posting the prompts in June. And thankfully she's considerate to the ones among us living nearer to the rising sun. Thus the prompts are posted Tuesday morning my time. And here they are:
union
holiday
rational
recover
collect
headline

and/or

global
perception
sin
wrong
finance
gaffe

I did not use a single one of the prompts ... this means that I'll have to continue this story in the coming days, as I just hate not to use them. 

  Susan walked a bit faster, just a bit. She was not far from home, only a kilometre or so, and she was fully able to run the whole way if necessary. But first she wanted to be sure she was followed. The other person walked faster as well. Susan crossed the road and turned a corner and looked behind her at the same time. A tall, gaunt person was the only one to be seen behind her. Somewhere she felt she had seen this figure before. Susan quickly turned into the bare narrow alley. It was so narrow that she could not extend even one arm without touching the houses on both sides of the street. Her steps echoed and so did the irregular steps of her follower. As she reached the end of the old, narrow alley she turned left into the main street, and immediately left into another, slightly broader alley. Now she was hidden from the following person's view. She raced to the end of this alley and turned right toward home and safety. As she crossed the next intersection, she heard the steps behind her again, but further away. She crossed yet another street and heard music streaming out from a house further on. She followed the sound. The music came from Stellan's house, Outside she saw Laurids' antique motorbike. She ran to the green door and knocked. Nobody opened; she heard the uncertain steps coming down the street toward her and knocked once again louder this time. As the man was almost upon her, she knocked yet again. Still no reply. She panicked, opened the door, jumped into the hall, banging the door shut behind her and stood with her back to it, panting.
  The living room door opened and Stellan came out of it:  "Good evening Susan," he said. "I'm afraid we did not hear your knocking. We were playing. Do you want to join in?"
  "No, well, yes, maybe. But I do not have an instrument with me, or anything. I came home by train, and a man followed me from the railway station, I ran, and heard your music. I'm sorry for interrupting. He is outside, I'm afraid," Susan said hurriedly in one single fast breath. 
  "Don' be afraid," Stellan said, opening the door to an empty street, "he's gone now. And I'm happy for your interruption, Stellan said smiling. Me and Luke and lady Marion are trying to play this here song. We need a guitar, please join."
  "I'll have to borrow your phone first, then," Susan said half smiling. "Else Mum will worry, and I still haven't got my guitar."
  "Both no problems," Stellan said, "you know where it is. Throw a coin in the box next to it, as per house rules."
  Susan smiled and went into Stellan's study. She placed a coin in the box, and dialled home. Mom answered. "Hi Mom," Susan said. "I'll be home later, if I may. I ran into Stellan, you know, the photographer." "Yes the one from the House, he's having a jam session. Laurids and Marion are here as well, and a couple of others." "Ate something? no I didn't, I just arrived, but with a jam session going, I'm sure someone is manning the pot or the oven. I won't starve." "Promise. And maybe Laurids will take me home in the Contraption. I love riding it." "OK, Mom, Thank you. I'll take care and be quiet as a mouse, when I return." "Love you too."
  Susan returned to the living room, where Ulla and Jasper, Stellan's brother had joined in as well. Ulla sat in the sofa eating a bowl of stew.
  "Want some?" she asked Susan.
  "Yes please, your stew is famous."
  "Care for a beer as well?" Ulla asked.
  "No thanks. I don't like it," Susan answered.
  "Well then, I think we have only those bitter grapefruit soda pops left. We had a crate of mixed soda pops from the brewery yesterday,, but all the good ones are gone, I'm afraid."
  "I'll take a grapefruit one, it's better than beer, anyway," Susan answered. Everybody laughed at her facial expression.
  While she and Ulla ate, Stellan softly played the tune they were practising. It sounded Irish, but Susan never heard it before.
  "It's a new one," Stellan said, "we heard it in the House yesterday, when a band played there. Lady Marion, Jasper an I have tried to get it right all day, we haven't got a score or anything. Care to try anyway?
  "Yes," Susan said. "My aunt taught me to catch the chords from an accordion player. So if I sit to the left of Lady Marion, I think I can manage. She has a piano accordion not a button one like Laurids. I won't promise not to miss a few chords, or not play a wrong one now and then, but I'll do my best."
  "Catch the chords from the accordion!" Jasper said incredulously, "you can't do that."
  "Let her try,"  Laurids said. "Here, have my guitar, and do you best."
  Susan emptied the grapefruit soda pop, which really was rather bitter, and sat down at a low stool at Lady Marion's left.
  The song was complicated at first, it had some crazy shifts in key and tempo, but after a few false starts she had it down. Lady Marion was an accomplished accordionist, and it was easy to follow her lead.
  When finally they stopped Stellan looked at the clock. Gosh! "It's almost three o'clock. It's time to get some sleep."
  "You were as good as your word," Jasper said with an astonished smile. "Your aunt must be a very good teacher." Susan nodded vigorously. "Were going to practise some more, you'll have to join, and then we all play this song next Tuesday in the House."
  "I'd like to," Susan said, yawning mightily.
  "Care for a ride home?" Laurids asked.
  "Oh, I hoped you'd ask," Susan said. "I'm tired and still a bit scared. That drunkard tailed me from the station, that was why I just ran inside."
  Susan was piled into the sidecar of the contraption, on top of Lady Marion with a guitar-case between her legs and two accordions in her arms. Laurids' old motorbike was a noisy and not very fast thing, and it was pure joy to ride it. Susan sat so low, even on top of Lady Marion, that the speed felt much greater, the wind blew her hair back, and made her eyes water. And Laurids always took the corners with a special flourish. The trip home was far too short, and soon Susan stood at the pavement outside her house waving after Laurids and Marion.
... to be continued