I hope your week is going well. Two weeks until Christmas Day! It’s scary how quickly it’s coming round. Anyway, time for your new story challenge.
Can you tell a story 31 words using the following words in it somewhere:
- CHIMNEY
- SPARKLE
- NAUGHTY
Last week’s challenge was to write a story in 80 words using the following eight words in it somewhere:
- CREEP
- MERMAID
- TEA
- VIDEO
- RED
- GALLOP
- AGENT
- PILLAR
Here are your fabulous stories:
At midnight, a shadowed creep slinked past the pillar where the mermaid statue stood. Detective agent Harris sipped tea, watching a video of a red horse gallop through the misty streets. Suddenly, the statue blinked, whispering secrets of sunken treasures. Harris nearly dropped his cup, heart pounding. “I’ll need more than luck,” he muttered. Outside, the wind howled, carrying the scent of salt and danger, as the mysterious mermaid smiled knowingly. Adventure had begun.
–
At midnight, a shadowed creep slinked past the pillar where the mermaid statue stood. Detective agent Harris sipped tea, watching a video of a red horse gallop through the misty streets. Suddenly, the statue blinked, whispering secrets of sunken treasures. Harris nearly dropped his cup, heart pounding. “I’ll need more than luck,” he muttered. Outside, the wind howled, carrying the scent of salt and danger, as the mysterious mermaid smiled knowingly. Adventure had begun.
Nicola Daly:
My new agent gave me an impossible dilemma: she thinks there should be a red-headed mermaid who wins legs from a wicked sea-witch in exchange for her voice, and then gallops off into the sunset with the creepy prince to live happily ever after. Blaaaaagh. Personally, I’m more inclined to have her sitting on a pillar luring the creepy prince’s ship to its doom and then going back home for a cup of tea and watching it playback on video.
Jason, a pillar of the community, took an interest in helping senior citizens. He would serve tea in his parlor and show movies. His guests loved The Little Mermaid video. He could not understand why until one night, an agent from the rest home explained that most of the seniors had a fondness for red soda. Once they drank it, they would gallop around the parlor, then creep to their beds. The movie made them forget the soda and relax.
Terry Baldock:
He hadn’t been worried until he saw the video. ‘Nothing to worry about really,’ Monty, his agentsaid, over a cup of red tea, or whisky, as we would call it. ‘You’re a pillar ofthe community.’
Blackmail? The short scenes withthe mermaid didn’t help.
‘She couldn’t creep up on you,’ Montyexplained. ‘Not with that tail.’
‘I’m finished.’ The fading star watched his reputation gallop, or try to swim, away.
Rall:
the mermaid with her
lovely long red tresses
a pillar of sobriety and propriety
sat sedately drinking her tea
when along came the sleaze bag agent
offering her a contract to make a porn video
she had been warned about this creep by her friend
the sea horse gallop champ
in no uncertain terms she told him what she thought of
his discriminatory behaviour against legless sea beauty creatures and
to expect a visit any time soon from sancho the sword fish
Granny Eulalia and the 60ies
“No mermaid and I hate red, Mom!” the girl hissed. She wished she could hide behind a pillar. Shopping with parents was the worst for a teenager, but they would go to have tea with granny Eulalia, who still used a video camera to record family meetings and told stories about her time as music agent, representing all those hippies like the creep that once came to her office naked and high (up) on a white horse in a gallop.
The mermaid sat, wanting to be a lady, tried to cross her tail but without success. She sipped her tea, thankful for fingers and not fins. On the video some woman in biblical times was trying not to be turned into a pillar of salt. Even at a gallop it looked an impossible ask. The mermaid would have preferred red wine but the creep next to her said he was a secret agent and she wanted her wits about her.
A mermaid was sipping tea and watching a video on YouTube when she got a call from her agent ‘Red’ Coltrane. He was a creep that booked her shows over at Palisades Park where she sometimes showcased her talent of being a ghostwriter. As Siri listened to Red explain how a pillar of society was excited to have her preform this weekend he asked if it would be possible for her to gallop in riding on a spotted white horse.
Susan Batten:
I videoed that old creep Marvin painting a pillar-box red mermaid in the Painting Competition in the square yesterday. He was taking it at a gallop, without stopping for tea, like a madman. Do you think he needs an agent or a minder?
The Mermaid Who Spilled Sea-crets
By a red pillar one moonlit night,
Soft waves whispered secrets in the silvery light.
An agent tried to creep past just right,
But a mermaid slurping salty tea
Waved her fin and shouted, “Hey, it’s me!”
She played a video, wild and bright,
Of seahorses gallop-dancing in pure delight.
The agent laughed so hard he fell,
Face first in sand, quite unwell.
They giggled together, what a sight to see,
Proof that ocean humor comes tax free!
The Next Move
The video arrived at dawn. Federal agent Torres had been drinking cold tea for six hours, watching the live surveillance feed, waiting for him to make contact again.
She recognized the mermaid statue immediately; Riverside Park, east entrance.
The creep had left another victim: red-haired teenager, maybe seventeen, bound to the concrete pillar beneath the statue’s corroded bronze base. Still unconscious. Still breathing. Her pulse would gallop hard when she woke.
If she woke.
This time Torres wasn’t choosing.
The Neighborhood Watch
The woman sipped her tea and activated the live video feed. It was time.
The girl with the red hair was floating in the pool like that Disney mermaid. The agent strolled through the backyard. He stopped at the pool, clearly irritated.
Just then, the boy began to creep from behind the pillar. Then ran at a full gallop. A water gun exploded. The man landed in the pool.
Another open house ruined. Those kids really don’t want to move.
Beatrice was drinking red tea for a video shoot.
Her agent was a bit of a creep, but he got the job done, getting her the best gigs and fees available.
She was a little uncertain about the mermaid costume though, and the pillar she was sitting on was cold and uncomfortable, hardly on a par with her Copenhagen counterpart.
As she sipped from the dainty cup, her mind drifted to the next job: Lady Godiva on a galloping horse.
Murray Clarke:
It was a clear, moonlit night when the mermaid – an undercover secret agent – set off on her epic mission towards the Russian coast.
She was greeted by a golden red sunrise as she finally arrived. She looked around to check there were no video cameras, and then, unable to walk, she jumped on a horse tethered to a pillar, and galloped off.
Her designated target was a well-known creep, hiding in the mountains. With any luck, he’d be dead by teatime.
Crime Scene No Weapon Found
“Creepy” Martha Mathison has a rough life, to escape her daily taunts she spends her days at the old swimming hole.
One day Martha heard galloping coming towards her. It was a Mermaid riding a unicorn heading into the lake.
Bewildered, Martha strips down and follows her.
Hiding behind a pillar, her bullies are video taping her, their laughter turns to screams of horror.
Agent Bradley Tea questions Martha, found near the bodies of 5 blood red gorged dead children.
Creep quietly among the seaweed and perchance you might see a mermaid on the rocks. She will possibly be drinking a cup of tea. You could take a video of her in her red costume as she climbs aboard her trusty sea horse to gallop over the waves. You as an agent of humanity and pillar of the community have the responsibility to make first contact. To make peaceful communication… We hope to meet the Atlantean mermaids and mermen soon!
Secret Mission
Under midnight’s shadow he’d creep,
A secret agent on a mission, no time to sleep,
He sipped tea by a harbour, moonlight on the sea
Half-expecting a fair mermaid to see,
He checked the video feed, the target lit in red,
A pistol in his pocket, plans in his head.
So he slipped behind a pillar nearby,
But saw his target on a horse gallop by,
His mission a disaster, the situation absurd
So home went 007 – shaken, not stirred!
To the Library
I sipped my tea as I thought about leaving soon for the North Pole. My cell flashed red as an incoming message came in. Your new agent name is Mermaid and your contact at arrival is Creep. Oh great, I thought, why couldn’t it be Frosty? Off I went and galloped like a horse to the library that had the portal to the locations. I took a video of the pillars as I entered the old library, which was impressive.
Met my mermaid riding horse
Gaily galloping, of course
Merrily, but on the flee
From agents of the undersea
There’s no evidence to show
(photos/stories/video)
Tail of green, hair of red
Don’t remember what she said
So we married, her and me
Lay in bath, drank cups of tea
Living life that all could see
Pillars of society
Then one day an argument
To the doghouse I was sent
Started calling me a creep
With me she no longer sleep
My agent Morry, who was a creep, called to say he wanted me for a video. “
“What’s it about?”
He said it was a story about a mermaid with flaming red hair who dreams she could ride a horse.
“Hmmmm” I said as I sipped my chai tea.
He added that she dreams she could gallop to the palace so she could see Samson pushing on the pillars.
“And to think I never knew mermaids were around back then.”
Sorry Charlie
At one time, Herman Merman was a pillar of the underwater community. That is, until that slimy creep, who had once been married to Sinead Mermaid, released a video of Sinead sipping tea with her talent agent from Neptune Productions, in a cozy corner of the red Coral Café It seems a herd of renegade seahorses, were handsomely paid to gallop through the area whilst taping the unsuspecting couple. Alas, Sinead did have to give up the tuna can gig.
Foiled Plan
Mermaid Land had a bad day when some creep leaked the video of their intent to invade the human fishing community.
One agent had made a power point presentation of their plan, and filmed it, then a defector had galloped his seahorse straight to the docks where those suckers were drinking afternoon tea.
The Mermen had managed to seem harmless and helpless, during the Red Tide, gaining naive human sympathies. Now, a pillar stands guard signaling they aren’t welcome anymore.
The Elite Business Club portrayed themselves as a local pillar organization. However, their true colours made the investigator see red when the video had shown the group’s illegal activities. Their leader was a creep, and the damning evidence placed him on top of the arrest list. The agent was looking forward to the completion of Project Mermaid. He’d be able to return to his normal life of drinking tea on the deck and watching his horses gallop across the pasture.
There was no creeping up slowly, as the red cape wearing agent came galloping up on his horse. He had a cuppa tea in one hand and a video camera in the other when he paparazzi surprised the mermaid lounging on the beach. A pillar of decorum he was not.
The mermaid screamed, the horse reared up, the agent fell off spilling his tea. It was all caught on tape, later winning a prize on a TV Funny Video program.
The mermaid logo on the masthead should have been red alert enough without the video evidence. This outfit wasn’t a pillar of anything, least of all mental health. The director was a creep – the sort you’d instantly gallop away from, an agent of something far darker than hypocrisy. You only had to watch for a moment to know this BeKind merchant was not someone you’d ever take to the Ritz for afternoon tea.
Deep Sea Mystery
Secret Agent Jumbo Shrimp watched the video again. A red-haired mermaid swam past an ancient pillar in the ruins. His partner, Seaside Philly McHorse, swam up at a gallop. “Three more sightings reported today.”
They studied the footage. The mermaid turned, staring directly at the camera with knowing eyes. “Don’t let this creep you out” Jumbo whispered, “but she sees us.”
McHorse went pale. “Then why hasn’t she made contact?”
“Hmm,” Jumbo thought, sipping his tea. “Something fishy going on.”
Tail of a Mermaid
“I’m not just another creep with a video camera.” The modeling agent assured her as he leaned over her lithe, young body costumed in only the glimmering green/blue tail of a mermaid.
He positioned her torso against a marble pillar and adjusted her flowing red hair to barely cover her exposed breasts.
“Now- hold that- and I’ll gallop on over and get you that Macha tea I promised- as soon as I am sure I’ve got my money shot.”
I sipped my morning’s cup of tea as I reviewed post-midnight videos from the cams. Most windows showed empty streets with advertising pillars. The interesting one was the statue of the Mermaid on Redstreet. I let that creep, because I liked the snow piling up on her shoulders before sliding off repeatedly. I sped up the rest, until every passer-by galloped across the window. Nothing else ever happened of course, since resistance agents train the AIs to erase interesting things.
agent of that moment
with which to foment
pillar of red and gallop fast
past the video of mermaids
rising from the sea
to monitor
the forms of idealism
think
blink and cleanse
the foul and stink
***
Image credit: Pinterest
Esther Chilton 
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