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| >> Campfire Creative >> Short Story >> Action/Adventure >> ID #1321116 |   |
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| [Introduction]
This story tells of how some friends travel across continents. In their travels they get to know not only the countries they are exploring, but they also discover alot about each other. Read what the person wrote before you and just add on in a direction you think the story should go...have fun... You have three days to submit your contributions- if there has been no submission by that time, we will pass it on to the next person on the campfire list Every contribution gets a 500 GPs gift- YAHOO! |
 Startiara  The harmattan filtered dust through the screens of the seaside cottage. "You'd think that being next to the beach we would feel cool!" Cassandra mumbled. Stephen groaned. "I was prepared for the humidity, but not for this heat." "I vote that we cut our time in Ghana short and just head on down to South Africa." Stretching his long legs, Stephen walked towards the screen door and looked out at the glistening water. "It really is beautiful here, it is a shame to leave early." Frowning, he looked at Cassandra, "But I guess if we are wanting to go all down to S.A. and then up to East Africa and over to the Middle East, we need to cut our time short. There is so much to see and so little time!" Cassandra wasn't paying attention to his musings, she was ready to pack. "Okay, when do we pack the Morris Minor up and when will we be ready to go?"..... Dave Gordon The Morris Minor was named Hmar, Algierian Arabic for donkey. They came to discover that the name referred to the car’s obstinate stubbornness and resistance to starting.They took the coastal route down the west coast and then make for the city of Bamako in Mali. Bamako was the center of the fantastic musical scene that had been made famous by Ali Farka Touré. They then urged the reluctant Mhor down the Trans-West African Coastal Highwayto the coastal town of Sekondi-Takoradi in Ghana where they now battled a truly vicious mosquito attack. ”Let’s go to Eduitorial Guinea. I like the name. It sounds like the real deal,” said Stephen “That sounds as good as any, as long as there are fewer mosquitoes.” “I’m pretty sure it would be impossible to have more.” They stuffed their ever-growing luggage into Hmar and began the incantations and exhortations required to start it. A Morris Minor is a small car and therefore fortunately easy to push start. Steven looked at Cassandra with a smug look. “I believe it’s your turn.” Casandra added to the collection of African invectives used to describe Hmar when it refused to start. She got out of the car and slammed the door. “Don’t step on the brakes, it’s not funny anymore!” She leaned into the rear of the car uttering Mali obscenities describing the cars lineage and dietary habits. Stan Stanley Once going Hmar was happy, almost like the words of a country song, "I'm on the road again" Which was fine as they needed to make good time to get to the border town of Lome four hundred odd kays away."This car really suits us!" Steven said tapping the steering wheel. "I'm glad you like pushing,you can do all the pushing from now." "Nice try. No I mean as soon as the wheels turn shes happy, look at us we are really in our element travelling seeing something new;experiencing different tastes. This is life." Casandra, looked out the open window, the humidity suppressive,hot air from outside turned the minor into a slow cooker; with the window closed it would have been an oven. She couldnt wait for nightfall. Steven sang as he drove,he liked singing whilst driving, sometimes complete songs other times only odd verese that he could remember. Casandra glanced at him remembering how they met. Rob G. ~Led by the Master~ After driving for what seemed like an eternity in the mid day heat, the sad little donkey caved into the oppression of the sun. As steam spread in every direction from the front end of Hmar, Stephen coasted to the side of the pot hole filled dirt road, and parked it.Once on the side of the road Cassandra went on the war path. She stomped, she screamed, she huffed, she puffed, and she blew. The expletives that came spewing out of that young girl's mouth would have made two or three sailors blush. Stephen stayed out of her way. He knew the only thing you could do when Cassandra was this angry was let her get it out of her system. While she ranted, Stephen went to the one saving grace of Hmar, the trunk. Out of it, he retrieved his Fender twelve string guitar. Sitting on the side of the road, he quickly drew the guitar from its case and began to play. It was the one song that could soothe Cassandra's savage heart no matter what the problem, "Three Times A Lady." Cassandra was soon snuggled up to Stephen's shoulder listening to him play and sing. He could melt the ice pack at the North Pole with his mellow baritone voice, and now, he had once again melted Cassandra's heart. Ryguy The unrelenting sun made their skin stick together, but they smiled at each other nonetheless. In the liquid haze they saw a figure, a phantom, approaching with the deliberate shuffle of a pilgrim or bedouin. The grey mass was patchy and unfocused but it seemed apparent that he was towing a sauntering, anemic camel. As the man came closer, his garments were actually an amalgam of rusted colors, with dark browns bleedings into reds and reds into blues. The man was clearly speaking to himself, and then collapsed. Semper Fi "Stay back," said Stephen. He brushed Cassandra aside. "I've seen this man before; he's part of a voodoo cult from Jamacia, known as The Chicken Necks" I have no idea why he's shown up here, but let's leave now, while we still can.""I'll go anywhere you say, Stephen-- just bring that guitar and your sweet voice and I am yours forever. Oh, I'm sorry, perhaps that sounded too forward on my part." She giggled. Stephen took her hand and pulled her away from the man on the ground, who still showed no signs of life" "Time to go, Cassie. There are so many places to see and we can do it together even if we are with the crowd." "Yes, Stephen. Oh, yes." Rooster Roo The heat beat down pitiless on the couple. Stephen lifted his eyes and scanned the red, green countryside. He felt a bit faint. He thought it best to distract Cassandra from their current predicament. On foot, in the middle of nowhere, and a strange man passed out by Hmar. “This countryside is amazing,” he said. Cassandra walked a few steps before him with her head low. Sweat formed a long V down Cassandra‘s white cotton blouse, and her brunet hair braded in a tail swung like a pendulum. “What is amazing,” she replied tuning to look Stephen in the eye, “was leaving that poor man lying on the road side like that. What happens if he dies in this heat?” Her cheeks flushed red. A mixture of anger and shame reflected in your blue eyes. “What happens if he robbed us?” he asked braking eye contact and looked back down the road. “Really!” she said. “Now if he wakes up he can,” she turns and looked at a truck coming over the hill going in the same direction as they are going. Stephen waved his arms and flagged down the truck. It pulled off the road sending a cloud of dust into the hot air, which only stuck to Stephen and Cassandra’s skin. He felt even hotter and the heat from the engine could have bowled him down. “Hey we need some help,” Stephen called to a black man driving the truck. Startiara The truck slowed down, stopping in the midst of a dust blanket, Stephen ran up alongside the passenger's side window. "As I was saying, we are needing some help- our car konked out on us and we just need a tow or something." The man stared blankly at Stephen. "Hey, can you help us man...as I said, the car konked..." "Okay...you show the way." Stephen and Cassandra clambered into the cab of the truck and directed the man to make a u-turn. The truck warbled along down the road until they reached Hmar. Cassandra was the first to jump out, as she approached the car she gasped and ran around the car in circles. "Cassandra- Stop! What are you doing??" Stephen grabbed her before she could make another round. She turned and looked at Stephen with eyes as large as saucers. "The man...where is the man?" The mysterious man had vanished. He was no where to be seen. "I told you he had juju powers!" Without wasting anymore time, Stephen strapped the car to the back of the truck. The truck driver had climbed back into the cab and was looking at the two foreigners in his rear view mirror. A nice lady, I think just what my master was wanting, oh yes, he will be pleased with me today.... Dave Gordon The cab of the truck was littered with cans and bottles. Cassandra recognized the Black Label beer cans that still carry the anti-apartied slogans. The cab was filthy from hard use and no cleaning.The driver kept throwing her sideways glances and smiling broadly through his stained and broken teeth. Stephen was oblivious to the man's leering. He was just happy to be moving again. Something was bothering Cassandra. She couldn't put her finger on it. A slight whisper of hot wind rose the hair on the back of her neck. The nervous anticipation of the driver was palatable. She passed it off as foreigner anxiety. The feeling that you never know what's going on. She scolded herself for being foolish and tried to calm down. The man's yellowed, bloodshot eyes scanned her again. Stan Stanley As they travelled in a south easterly direction, Stephen found it hard to believe they were only about four miles from the coast. He wondered how long it would take to hike through the forest. A day maybe day and a half.Like all rain forests the tropical torrential dowsings ensured rapid voracious growth of all plant life; A botanical titanic struggle not only for dominance and prominance but a quest for their fair share of the sun; From the towering trees to the under undergrowth floor covering, fern trees giant cycads some hundreds of years old, parasite malvolent vines entwining slowly strangling their hosts, their tributary vines reaching across to neighbouring trees,entangling with other vines growing up across and down every which way they could. All this made distance to the coast deceptive. Stephen pondered on this as they passed a car standing on the side of the road,"welcome to the club." Stephen thought. The trunk was open, as was the hood the man standing in front of the car. Stephen could have sworn his mouth was also open. The truck driver passed by without stopping, or slacking in speed. Darkness descended with its usual African tropical abruptness. The only light from the trucks headlights of which only one was focussed on the road, the other shone into the sky. Suddenly the driver veered into a secondary road hitting a pot hole at full speed. Tamara H The ground vibrated mildly like small feet jumping up and down. It matched the throbbing in Stephen's head. He tried to open his eyes. The pain made him wince.Then he became aware of a flickering light. Eyes jerking open, Stephen stared in dismay at the naked natives who danced silently around a fire. He jumped to his feet. In an instant the dancing stopped. Their black faces turned to look at him, and he realized they were just now aware of his presence. Smiles lit their faces, the white teeth and eyes glistening iridescently. This didn't look good. Stephen whirled around. He saw the jeep feet from him, nose tipped forward in a pothole. Cassandra dangled over the side of the door. He must've been ejected on impact. "Cas!" Stephen yelled, racing for her. "Wake up! We gotta go! Now!" Too late. The vegetation around him sprang to life as the blithe natives leapt after him. Stephen yelped as he reached for the jeep door. Someone grabbed his ankles and he slid to the ground, fingernails digging into the dirt. Cassandra still didn't stir. Carolina Blue Stephen was desperate. He couldn't tell what Cassandra's condition was, but she didn't look good. If he didn't do something quickly, both their fates would be sealed.He shuddered when he thought of what these tribesmen would put Cassandra through. It was now or never. All at once he started shrieking at the top of his lungs like a man possessed. Simultaneously, with all the energy he could summon, he jerked his legs free of the clutching hands securing them. The combination of the surprise and the sudden effort worked, and he managed to stumble to his feet quickly enough to reach the Jeep. Ripping the door open, he reached into his backpack and extracted the Smith and Wesson .38 caliber pistol inside. He whirled, facing the tribesmen, pointed the pistol in the air, and fired a warning shot. The bushmen slunk back when Stephen pointed the weapon at the closest of the threatening men. Quickly, he worked his way to Cassandra on the other side of the Jeep. He placed two fingers alongside her jugular, checking for a pulse and saying a quick prayer... Max Griffin An impeccable British accent penetrated the night. "I say, old chap, is that gun really necessary?" A native spread his hands."Keep away!" "You are American! We mean you no harm. A band of your countrymen is near." Cassie's pulse fluttered in her neck. His head ached and he couldn't focus. The native with the Eton accent swelled and faded. The gun clanked against the jeep as consciousness faded. He awoke on crisp white sheets breathing blessed cool air. His head was still fuzzy, but it no longer hurt. "Hey! Is anyone here?" “Stephen, we're so glad to see you awake." A cheery man in jungle fatigues hustled into the room. "How are we feeling?" "OK, I guess. Where am I? Where's Cassie?" "Your friend in asleep and in stable condition. You're in the clinic in M’dolo. I’m Captain Ben Rainbolt, USAF, at your service." He checked Stephen's eyes and his reflexes. "We’re with the 435th Aeromedical Squadron out of Ramstein, Germany. We're going to medevac the two of you back to the hospital there." Stephen heard a thump, thump, thump of choppers. He weighed the dangers of going back to Germany. “I want to stay with Cassie.” Less than a day later Stephen and Cassie crunched through snowdrifts at Ramstein Air Force Base. Ryguy Stephen and Cassie sat on one side of a table while across from them Captain Ben sipped some tea."I say, I'm sorry if my indigenous contacts gave you a scare back there. They don't really know English and you, naturally, don't know their dialect; they were simply trying to strap you down to reduce the potential risk of spinal damage until I showed up. I hope you didn't have some silly "African native goes ooga-booga and tries to steal my woman" misconception...an altogether ridiculous stereotype, especially when I think of the time their chief, Rim, saved my life by making a turnicate." Stephen laughed sheepishly with embarassment. "Well, it crossed my mind, but it had been a weird day...I know now I wasn't thinking clearly." "Captain," Cassie interjected, "We've been medically cleared as fine for a few days but we haven't been able to leave the base. What is going on, why are we being held against our will?" "Cass!" "It's quite alright, Stephen. She is right, we have been holding you but for your own protection. You see, we've had a bit of a problem with a Dracula running around the local villages." They snorted in disbelief but immediately ceased when a dour look remained on Captain Ben's face. "Let me explain..." Carolina Blue Rainbolt unfolded a map. “Four days ago, the police in Mackenbach north of the base found the body of a young woman.” He placed a flag in the map. “The cause of death was a deep, two-pronged puncture severing the jugular. She bled out, but there was no blood in the room or on her clothes.”Stephen glanced at Cassie. Had she grown paler, or was it only the light? “One day later the scene was repeated in Hütschenhaussen.” He placed a flag in the village due west of Ramstein. “Then, on the Reichswaldstrasse in Kaiserslautern. “ Another pin went in an equal distance from the runway to the east. “Yesterday, a fourth victim was found.” Oberarnbach, a hamlet due south of the base. Cassie glanced at the map and gasped. The flags described a cross around the air base. “The police feel certain the killer wants to put another pin in the map today… here in Ramstein, the center of the cross.” “I still don’t see how this is relevant to Cassie and me,” Stephen said. Rainbolt looked at him and walked to a corkboard on the wall behind him. “Maybe this will clear it up for you,” he said, removing the sheet covering what was posted on the board: photos of the victims. Cassie let out a low moan and trembled as she studied the images on the stark brown cork. She was staring at what could be four pictures of her… Rose : looking for open window Stephen now had not a single doubt in his mind. Cassie was pale getting paler by the second. She stood staring at the photos of the victims and the color seemed to totally drain from her body.Stephen was afraid that she would faint any second. He took her by the hand and led her to a nearby chair. "What in the world am I to do?" Cassie blurted out in a breathless squeak of a voice. "Who and or what can protect me from this psychopath?" Rainbolt was questioning whether he was wise to reveal the photos now. Cassie was very near hysterical. He needed to regain control of the situation, FAST. Stephen looked at the photos and was amazed at how much all of the woman resembled Cassie. Was this an accident, or was this the work of ...no, he stopped himself, that's just ridiculous. "We are quite capable of protecting you my dear. I have a full detail of men just awaiting my order. You will have around the clock protection and hopefully we will have our killer within 36 hours." Rainbolt said in a stron authoritarin tone that made Cassie stop shaking...but only for a moment. She too was thinking about him. Ryguy The pale one bounded betweeen the brushes, leaping more than forty yards at a time. There was no cape that trailed in his wake as a drip drop of blood whirled from his fangs onto his lower lip. His tongue, of all things, was a dark purple, almost black, and his fingers quivered in excitement. His own blood told him he was getting closer to her, to the one. He smelled it on the air. The blazing searchlights off in the distance pierced the quiet night, and he knew they were looking for him by now. It didn't matter, though. He would feast soon. Something ancient and horrible bubbled up in him and he let forth a primeval scream, as if sleek knives were stabbing some beast in the night Semper Fi And it woke the entire neighborhood where all the elite were partying down. Brandi was holding forth with the best of the lot. A relaxed, but cautious woman, she had a chest in which she took obvious pride.. She was expertly made up. Her mouth was wide. She had big, dark eyes.. And she appeared to take excellent care of herself. She had no reservation about the couples sitting inside the house in the sunke living room. Klell Hymer was among them, although he didn't belong. He blended into the scene like two coyotes at a poultry festival He smoked his cigarette without removing it from his mouth, so he had to squint a little to look through the smoke. "I say old chaps, there are rumours that a vampire is hanging around in the area,pardon the pun, if you will. "Nonsense," said the butler. A woman who was seated on the love seat by herself, stood and made her way over to Klell. She was hot. She had long, honey-colored hair and a wide mouth with a petulant lower lip, and big blue eyes. She was not in any way fat, but she was big and ell-proportioned, and sumptuous and resilient. She almost trembled with energetic awareness of her body. Things were definitely looking up for the elder Mr. Hymer. He would hang around awhile an dsee. Stan Stanley Stephen drew Cassie closer to him; he wanted to hold her so close that he could transport her away from there; hold her so close that nothing could get to her or take her from him; Cassie looked over his shoulder, evaluating the motley crowd by their faces and postures, "When in doubt," her mother had told her, "always look to the eyes, and the body let not your ears be tickiled and your mind mesmerised by the words. The body and the eyes can only tell you the truth." Who to trust and who not to trust, she knew Steven didnt trust anyone, she knew he would do all in his power to protect her. Cassie felt with a sense of disquiet it wouldnt come down to physical strength, to win the day, it would need to be a mental battle. "Take me away from here lets go Stephen." "Cassie! You not feeling well enough to think about this now. Lets wait...." "Now Stephen now" She interupted, "Dont you see the best form of defense is attack. If he comes we can get him in the open, if he doesent we will be gone from here. "Cassie!!" Carolina Blue Cassie whirled and practically flew out the door, stumbling once and almost losing her footing. Even with his long, loping strides, Stephen only caught up to her as she was walking down the dirt path through the trees that was a short-cut to their quarters on the base. “Cassie,” Stephen gasped, catching his breath. He grabbed her arms firmly with both hands. “You’re not thinking clearly. You’re scared, and I don’t blame you. But you can’t just run blindly through the countryside. Rainbolt is right. We need to stay on the base, where we can be protected. At least for a while…” She looked at him, quivering from the adrenaline coursing through her veins. Fear, fatigue, and uncertainty were getting the better of her. Cassie took a deep breath and expelled it slowly, then got up on her toes and gave Stephen a quick kiss. “You’re right,” she said. “I guess I just panicked. Let’s go.” Stephen bent down and kissed the top of her head. “You’ll be fine. Let’s just make the best of a bad situation.” He wrapped a protective arm around Cassie and they walked off in the direction of the base quarters. In the woods to the left of the couple, a branch snapped softly… Startiara this campfire is now officially closed. This has been a very fulfilling experience. Thank you all for your participation!!! Looking forward to working with you on other campfires in the future!! I wish everyone a very happy writing experience in the future!! HAPPY WRITING everyone!!!!! The End! © Copyright 2007 Startiara, Dave Gordon, Stan Stanley, Rob G. ~Led by the Master~, Ryguy, Semper Fi, Rooster Roo, Tamara H, Carolina Blue, Max Griffin, Rose : looking for open window, (known as GROUP). All rights reserved. GROUP has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work. |
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