BlogBattlers are back. Let the games begin in 1000 words.
Read the rules here: https://blogbattlers.wordpress.com/rules/
Genre: Tall Tales (a tough one)
Prompt: Resolved (words 987)
Resolved
Have I ever told you the story about Grandpa Muckle’s house? No? Annie’s 10-year twin nephews leaned forward where they sat on the floor cross-legged.
After our grandfather died, your father and I helped clear out the house. We were eighteen and twenty. Rick positioned the painter’s ladder beneath the trapdoor to the attic. He had waited a long time to peek inside that forbidden place, but he paused.
“Go on. You don’t expect monsters, do you?” I concentrated on the square in the ceiling, too. Chewing on the end of my ponytail as was my habit, I thought I’d choke on it.”
“Grandpa wouldn’t allow us to explore up there, remember,” Rick said. “I’ve always been curious why.”
“Maybe he never finished it like Dad.”
Your father blew out a breath and gave me the look. Thick Styrofoam clad the removed board.
“Flashlight.” I poked him in the ribs with the one in my hand. He heaved himself through and sneezed.
“Bless you. What do you see? Anything interesting?” He disappeared into the dark, wordless.
More curious than nervous, I sprang up the ladder after my brother. With a click, the room flooded with light. We gaped like dazed children, pulling dust covers off in a hurry: four white chairs; a matching table; a single bed and dresser; a dollhouse and an ornate trunk. Everything white except for the trunk, which was painted a slick ebony shine. Smooth white-painted walls encased the room. Rick dropped into a chair and I slid into another. The chairs spit us out on the floor, bouncing back into shape toward the trapdoor. They wobbled like rubber, the legs bendy and weak to accommodate our weight and size before pop and shriek.
“What happened” My eyes rattled in my head like in a cartoon.
“What is this?” Eyes glazed with shock, Rick’s voice cracked. “Is this the Twilight Zone? I don’t know what to make of it. Do you?” He surged upright, then paced the black and white tiled floor. Hands deep in his pockets, he slumped against the wall. The wall stood firm.
In one corner, the trunk beckoned. Dust motes danced over top as if in invitation. Childhood dreams of treasure chests and pirate’s treasure awakened again. My brother’s voice faded. The chest waited. I struggled with the lid. No go. Locks require keys. I didn’t see one. “Help me open this.”
Rick lost no time patting down the lacquered box. No luck.
“Seems strange it’s sitting off the floor. Is that a skid under there?” I pointed.
Rick clutched the bare wood. “Help tip this over.” We stooped hip-to-hip and heaved in unison.
The trunk weighed less than it looked. A half-dozen grunts and huffs later, it lay on its side. Rick found something taped to the bottom. Whoever guesses what gets an extra cookie.”
The twins elbowed each other. “The key—the key.”
“You’re both right. Your dad fitted it in but it refused to turn. He tried and tried. Nothing. What to do?”
The boys shared a probing stare, freckles bright. “Oil can.” They high-fived.
“Aren’t you smart? Great answer, but it still didn’t work.”
“Did you see inside the trunk or not?” Trevor’s face reddened.
“Patience. Sometimes patience conquers all.”
His brother breathed deep, the chords in his neck engorged. “What did you find? Something good, I hope.”
I raised a palm. “The key wouldn’t work because someone had bashed the lock. With a screwdriver and hammer, my brother somehow worked his magic. The lid lifted like a charm and guess what?”
“What? What? Pieces of silver?”
“Rubies and diamonds?”
“Something better than that.”
Faces incredulous, the boys squinted. “No way. Nothing’s better than gold or silver.”
“Inside—wait—inside lay a white robot, an R2D2 look-alike—sort of.” The boys scrambled onto their hands and knees.
“No way. Did it work?”
“Did you charge it?
“Hey ho.” Rick called from the hall, “What are you guys doing?”
“Tell us about Grandpa’s attic and the robot in the trunk. Did it work?”
Rick pointed a finger at his sister and pursed his lips. “You didn’t.”
Taupe-penciled brows peaked, she crossed her arms. The boys frowned contemplating their aunt and father.
“Did it work? Come on, Dad.”
A silent deliberation transpired between brother and sister. “Come here boys.” Rick flopped into the center of the sofa. “You know Aunt Annie tells tall tales, Right? Remember the one about fool’s gold in the backyard?
Three sets of eyes scrutinized Annie. “You wouldn’t.” she said.
“What part of the story did I interrupt?”
“The robot, Dad—in the black chest.”
“Of course, him. He had a note taped to his gray metal chest.
I have no experience and no action. I’m worthless. Sorry.
“What happened to it, Dad?”
“You know this is Grandpa Muckle’s house. Your aunt liked it so much, she renovated it and hoped future Muckles will too. You haven’t seen the attic?”
“So, what about the robot and the crazy furniture?” Trevor brayed.
“Your aunt made up the story about the crazy furniture—it’s make believe. The robot—you have to see for yourselves. Let’s get this resolved. Come on.”
Rick pulled down the new-fangled stairs to the attic and led the way. He hit the lights.
“Look at this. There’s furniture, but it’s ratty old patio stuff, a dog carrier, and a sewing machine…Where’s the robot? Trevor, the older twin, scurried from corner to corner and stopped dead. He laughed and laughed. “Come here brother.”
“This stovepipe tinman is no robot. Aunt Annie, when you tell a tale, it’s a tall one.”
“But, no treasure? That sucks.” Trevor backed away. “Where’s the trunk? Did you check for secret compartments?
His father shook his head. “No trunk.”
“The only true thing is this black and white floor. You got me, Auntie. You too, Dad.
Younger brother whooped. “Hey, Trevor, is that a suit of armor?”
The End
©Tess @ How the Cookie Crumbles.
January 10, 2017 at 10:44 am
Fun story!
LikeLike
January 10, 2017 at 7:07 pm
Thank you for reading. Glad for your visit. ❤ 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 10, 2017 at 10:51 am
What fun!
LikeLike
January 10, 2017 at 7:08 pm
I hope so. This is not my genre and more coming up I know nothing about. But that’s the fun of it, isn’t it.
Thank you kindly for reading, Kanzen. I appreciate it. ❤ ❤
LikeLike
January 12, 2017 at 1:28 pm
You are most welcome! <3<3<3
LikeLike
January 10, 2017 at 10:51 am
That was delightful. I have never gone into our attic. Something about spiders…
LikeLike
January 10, 2017 at 7:09 pm
Thank YOU, Jacqui. I’ve never been in an attic. The only ones I know are squat and full of insulation and only from the floor. I agree about the spiders. Doesn’t bear thinking about. Yikes.
LikeLike
January 10, 2017 at 10:53 am
PS i like the new selfie on your bio!
LikeLike
January 10, 2017 at 7:11 pm
Ahem. How did you guess it’s a selfie? How did I give away my undercover shenanigans? 😀 😀
Probably because I have no one to take my picture, huh. Well, you’d be right.
LikeLike
January 12, 2017 at 1:27 pm
I could tell because I am so savvy to technology!
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 10, 2017 at 11:26 am
Very enjoyable! 🙂
LikeLike
January 10, 2017 at 7:12 pm
Thanks Paulette. i so appreciate your reading and taking time to comment. XX XX
LikeLike
January 10, 2017 at 11:40 am
This was a great story, Tess, I shall look forward to reading these Blog Battles again! 🙂
LikeLike
January 10, 2017 at 7:35 pm
Thank you, Judy. Kind of you to say and I appreciate your continued support. New territory for me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 11, 2017 at 3:46 am
You write a cracking short story, Tess!
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 10, 2017 at 12:21 pm
A marvelously warm and charming story on this cold, dreary day. Thank you Tess, for a tantalizing tall tale. Mega hugs.
LikeLike
January 10, 2017 at 7:32 pm
I hope this tale was up to scratch. I’m not that inventive. Seems this season we’ll be stretching ourselves in more ways than one. Eke. I may fail, but that’s okay. The fun is in the process. Thanks so much, Teagan for being a regular reader and supporter. XX XX
LikeLike
January 10, 2017 at 12:32 pm
I’ve missed your stories, Tess 🙂 We’ve never had a large attic but I’d love a rummage around one. Great story 🙂
LikeLike
January 10, 2017 at 7:29 pm
Thank you, Cathy. You’re sweet.
We’ve never had an attic other than the squat ones with nothing but insulation and the closest I’ve been is on the floor above. Wouldn’t it be fantastic to go through an old estate attic, Okay, so they’d have guards on each floor so no one steals anything they may bid on. My dream is to find an old diary, journal, essays, scribbles no one is supposed to see. Can you imagine the spellbinding magic? ❤ ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 11, 2017 at 3:46 am
Absolutely! The treasures that might be waiting to be found. So exciting! 🙂 ❤
LikeLike
Pingback: Blog Battle 1 ’17 “Resolved” Entries & Voting | BlogBattle
January 10, 2017 at 1:12 pm
Thank you, Rachael. ❤
LikeLike
January 10, 2017 at 1:09 pm
A charming tale nicely told Tess 🙂
LikeLike
January 10, 2017 at 7:26 pm
You’re a sweetie, Gilly. I appreciate your visits and comments. This is foreign ground for me and it’s going to ge weird around here. Yikes. Don’t know if I’m up for it all. 😀 😀 ❤
LikeLike
January 10, 2017 at 2:07 pm
A super tale Tess. Very nicely told. I liked the taupe penciled eyebrows description. (among many others)
LikeLike
January 10, 2017 at 7:24 pm
You’re always so generous in your comments, John. You’ve made my day. Thank you. 🙂 ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 10, 2017 at 8:59 pm
🙂
LikeLike
January 10, 2017 at 3:33 pm
I don’t think there is a child alive who doesn’t become excited at the thought of a found treasure chest!! Tall tales are the most fun 🙂
LikeLike
January 10, 2017 at 7:23 pm
I get excited too. No difference. 😀
I’m not good at tall tales but I’ve had my go. The next one will be fan fiction. What? Scary new territory. Ha ha.
I appreciate your visits and comments, Joanne. How is the body? Approaching close to normal? ❤
LikeLike
January 10, 2017 at 7:40 pm
I hope so, Tess. Tomorrow is followup day. I’m trying not to be overly optimistic.
LikeLike
January 10, 2017 at 7:42 pm
Fingers and toes cross for you, Joanne. XX
LikeLike
January 10, 2017 at 3:55 pm
Ah geez, I was hoping the R2D2 part was truth. A dandy story.
LikeLike
January 10, 2017 at 7:21 pm
Indeed. That would have been great fun, especially is they couldn’t find the electrical appliance to boot /charge his up again. Thanks so much for your visit and comment. ❤ ❤ 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 10, 2017 at 6:03 pm
There’s a universal truth in here that you can never tell who is telling what version of a truth the others would understand. Everyone might be the honest one or the leg puller and we never really know do we? Nicely done Tess.
LikeLike
January 10, 2017 at 7:00 pm
Thank YOU, Geoff. You’ve made my day. Even Daddy dearest can’t resist. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 10, 2017 at 10:57 pm
Nice story. Reminded me of my aunt. She could tell some stories!
LikeLike
January 13, 2017 at 5:01 pm
Wish I knew her. Wouldn’t mind learning a few more things about storytelling.
Nice to see you visit, Patricia. Are the kitties behaving? 🙂
LikeLike
January 21, 2017 at 10:09 pm
I was born on her birthday. Smartest thing I ever did. I visit but find it difficult to visit everyone and comment. I am always behind! Teddy and Jack are behaving as they always do…in their way.
LikeLike
January 10, 2017 at 11:20 pm
Love your new selfie and blog header image, Tess!
This story was so fun, a true tall tale indeed! 🙂 The robot is a stovepipe tinman!
LikeLike
January 13, 2017 at 5:01 pm
Thank you, E.E. Where is your story? I don’t see your posting yet. You’re joining, aren’t you? 🙂 ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 11, 2017 at 5:59 am
I love a good attic!!!!
LikeLike
Pingback: Smorgasbord Blogger Daily Wednesday 11th January – Yellow Hair, Earth, Slices of life, Sir Chocolate and David Bowie | Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life
January 13, 2017 at 4:56 pm
Thanks so much, Sally. It’s such a pleasure to be included with all these exciting bloggers and writers. Mwah. ❤ ❤
LikeLike
January 11, 2017 at 2:28 pm
Great story!! Very believable.
LikeLike
January 13, 2017 at 5:04 pm
You think so? I changed direction about four times. I have trouble not telling it like it IS. Ha ha ha.
Thanks for your lovely visit, Darlene. We had snow, then rain Tuesday and of course ice by night time. Then rain for a couple days and now we’re heading into a cold snap again. You nice and toasty, are you? 🙂 ❤
LikeLike
January 11, 2017 at 9:05 pm
Nice to see you and your short stories back in full Tess force! 🙂 xo
LikeLike
January 13, 2017 at 5:05 pm
Bless you, Debby, and thank you. This season is a bigger challenge. A new genre and prompt every week. Eke but it might be interesting. ❤ ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 13, 2017 at 8:18 pm
I’m sure you’ll rise to the challenge beautifully! ❤ 🙂
LikeLike
January 12, 2017 at 3:15 pm
What a lovely interesting and amusing tale.. made me smile all the way through
LikeLike
January 15, 2017 at 9:57 pm
Thank you. Thank you, especially since I found myself in unfamiliar territory. Glad it worked. 🙂
LikeLike
January 12, 2017 at 5:49 pm
Tellers or tall tales are gifts, aren’t they? They make the mundane world bright. Thanks for the smile. Happy New Year! xx
LikeLike
January 15, 2017 at 9:58 pm
Thank you and Happy New Year to YOU, too. Glad this attempt worked. 🙂
LikeLike
January 12, 2017 at 5:58 pm
That was a tough assignment (prompt)! And of course, you nailed it. Great job.
LikeLike
January 13, 2017 at 5:08 pm
Thank YOU. ❤ ❤ I changed direction four times.
This season should prove interesting as the genre is set to change each week with the prompt.o_O Most genres are as foreign as language to me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 14, 2017 at 8:19 am
Excellent practice for your writing craft. I’ll be checking each one out. 🙂
LikeLike
January 13, 2017 at 11:32 pm
I love this, Tess – what a great imagination can add to a story to delight children – wonderful. Annie is the best kind of aunt.
LikeLike
January 15, 2017 at 10:01 pm
Though she’s never had children, she appears to know how to entertain them. 🙂 Annie surprised me. 🙂
LikeLike
January 14, 2017 at 8:42 pm
Fun tale, Tess. Glad to be back in the battle again with you. 🙂
LikeLike
January 15, 2017 at 1:53 pm
Hi, Cathleen. It’s been a long while. Glad to see you again. 🙂
LikeLike
January 16, 2017 at 8:15 am
Great vignette and you captured the characters so well in such few lines. Another winner, Tess!
LikeLike
January 16, 2017 at 6:03 pm
Such a funny tall tale, Tess. 🙂 I love their aunt, tall tales and all! ❤
LikeLike