Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)
This is the Wakefield Doctrine’s contribution to the Unicorn Challenge.
Hosted by jenne and ceayr, the charge is simple and the rules are simpler: write a story involving the week’s image and keep it under 250 words.
(Who said, ‘Hey! How about another story from you’re ‘the Stone and the Crone’ series!! That last one was fun.)
The image:
“The Fifth.”
“What?”
His hand making the demitasse look like a tiddlywink on a manhole cover, the man aimed his face at the building across from the café; his companion, a woman of indeterminant age, stared at him from the shade of her hooded sweatshirt, an inadvertent impersonation of a 19th century optical illusion.
Pointing at the wrinkled parchment in the center of the table without taking his eyes off the tall structure, his eyes flickered in the semaphore of self-doubt. An affectionate, aged-worn contralto whispered a thought, ‘You are my enforcer, I am your soul’.
“The arrangement of openings on the building that we’re going to burglarize, it’s the famous dah-dah-dah…duh.!”
The small woman raised her eyebrows, her sigh barely distorting the silk-screened ‘I ♥ Glasgow!’ bas-relief’d across the front of her hunched form.
“Lia Fàil! You really need to see someone about that.”
“About what?”
“Your grip on reality, thats what.”
“You were there at the premiere. Vienna you said, the hunting will be good in Vienna, you said, let’s leave Glasgow to cool off, you said! I remember it like it was…”
“216 years ago?”
A chuckle barely escaped as she continued, “Pay attention to the floor plans. This is our chance to steal something that doesn’t kick and scream. I know a fence who will be happy to pay for the jewelry we’ll find at the top of that…”
“Four story …motif?”
Her laughter echoed dream-sowed affection flourishing in their youth, “Git on wid ye!”
*
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About clarkscottroger
I love what the prompt drew from you this week, Clark – your signature metaphors and similes carry the story along, setting the scene of a crime partnership – and a friendship – through the centuries, as it turns out.
These characters give you a creative playground that you exploit so well.
And the use of The Fifth is just brilliant – you’re on fire here.
‘Her laughter echoed dream-sowed affection flourishing in their youth…’ – love it.
(If you have an hour to spare, you might like to see this wee film based on the true story of the students who stole the Lia Fail back on Christmas morning in 1950) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzcjUTXvmbg&ab_channel=ACelticCelebration
totally thank you to you and ceayr for providing this corner of the blogosphere to come and play (in, in fact, providing the inspiration for the characters, the Crone and the Stone!)
interesting, that. I wrote ‘the characters’ rather than ‘my characters’ which based on past experience indicates they are becoming more real, in the way that, when we, as writers, are truly fortunate, characters appear and develop and become increasingly independent
A most enjoyable literary romp-ette in storytelling. (musical selection aside, lol)
I appreciate the link to the last “Stone and the Crone” as it provided a link to the origin story and its subsequent 2nd.
I was remiss in my leisure reading, Clark, as I quite enjoy these 2 characters as so lyrically described: “An affectionate, aged-worn contralto whispered a thought, ‘You are my enforcer, I am your soul’.”
yeah… they fun (and this was a chance to discover how…timeless they apparently are!)
Delightful! They will probably enjoy the attempt, no matter the outcome.
ikr?
What an inspired response to the prompt. You’ve brought together so many fascinating strands of story, and it works. Amazing. I’m a fan of these two characters, and how they’re developing over each ‘episode’ of their story. No time or geography limits for them. Total freedom.
yeah.
this installment was interesting in a behind the scenes sorta way (at least to my ‘gotta keep up with these guys!’ mental nag).
So the connection to the motif (of Beethoven’s Fifth) was totally, left-field serendipitous (also gave me an excuse to youtube as many versions of it I could find)
So I then had to write a context around the photo. Used a couple of men, second-story guys, if you will, casing the joint. Pretty much as place-holers.
A buncha words later and, it was ok, but nothing exciting.
When I went back at it, (Saturday morning) out of nowhere in particular came the thought, ‘what about ce… err the Stone and the Crone?!?! maybe they’re in this story, instead of these two strangers!
Now the old fun reappeared. Like, when you have characters that you know and, push comes to shove, they start to tell your story or, if nothing along direct plot lines, will tell you something about themselves!
The the moral of the story (for me): it’s easier to re-write than it is to write… even if it’s boring crap, don’t give up until the fun starts (high school Mondays: ‘What a party! Never saw anyone do that… oh, that’s right, you said you had to get home early.’)
The Fifth. I’ll admit the ‘window’ layout intrigued me and I’ll go along with what you propose; however, for a true Fifth, the layout should be reversed going from top to bottom instead of bottom to top …. unless you were standing on your head when you wrote your chef-d’œuvre, which is entirely possible. Dah, dah, dah …. duh!
(Dude! shhh! I’ll give you a hundred and fity million do… damn, I forgot we were virtual… wait, I’ll give you a bag of old (but still useable) metaphors from my collection of ‘No, don’t. A hebephrenic rabbi with a penchant for random dialogues wouldn’t put these in his derasha even if the synagogue was totally empty’. ….err homliys… no metaphors!! If’n you keep this on the QT)
aiiggt?
Your secret is safe with me, Obi Wan.
ty (aiyee! being a limited in seeing only the first movie (in the franchise), the first visual I got was a from a movie I didn’t actually see, ‘Return of the Jedi’)
to borrow from another movie franchise, ‘All Hail Y-Chromia!’
lol
Clark, apologies for late comment. I read your story yesterday (and loved it) but then so enjoyed the video that I forgot to leave my thoughts.
But please ignore your character’s admonition re ‘grip on reality’ and keep it as tenuous as ever for the delight of this reader at least.
I especially liked ‘laughter echoed dream-sowed affection’.
I first encountered PDQ Bach in college (where so much of our practiced flaws and forgotten virtues become established in us).
Funny bunch. (That said, they’re a perfect example of ‘a little goes a long way’)
Excellent story (reality?!)
always a challenge to distinguish, that reality thing
Clark — what a fun story. And the cultural tidbits you included — Lia Fàil and The Fifth! Love it.
I loved the comments, too, almost as much. I loved reading about your process and how real these characters are becoming! The best characters do indeed tell there own story or at least act their own part instead of one we try to assign.
Also, I want that bag of used (but still useable) metaphors.
ty
lol
Totally in the category of ‘Gifts If You Allow Yourself to be Open To’… characters like that, the hardest part (and, imo, very helpful in improving one’s craft) is to let them be them. Stenographer (or, at least, Chronicler) rather than Author.
Brilliant, and as for that version Mr. B’s 5th, I’m lost for words which really doesn’t matter as they’ve provided more than enough themselves!
yeah, funny guy that Peter Schickele.