English Story Time

So I guess I should stop talking about this English story and post it. The only real reason I'm doing this is because everyone else seems to be putting up works of fiction. I wanted to develop on this idea a little more, but never got around to it, so I guess you could say it's a work in progress. It was from the stimulus line "A strong wind blew..."



A strong wind blew, whistling through the gaps and cracks between the boards of the small hut. The boy, Tahn, slept restlessly on the mat on the floor, covered by only the thinnest of sheets and disturbed in his rest by the tempestous storm raging outside. But there were other things disturbing Tahn's sleep that night. A storm within his mind, a terrible dream, making him toss himself this way and that, embroiled in night-terrors.

Eventually, morning broke and the storm ceased. Tahn arose from his disrupted slumber and prepared himself a square breakfast. Heavens knew he would need it, knowing of the trials to come. As he ate, feeling the comfort of the food sliding down his throat, he relived the horrors of the night before. Faces, leering, looming from the dark. Taunting him. Mocking him. A repeated image of himself, suffering many and varied defeats. But most of all, a strong, underlying sense of doom. Of failure.

Tahn cleared the images from his mind and the dishes from the crudely built table. That table, one of his earlier endeavours, built in the first days of his time as an apprentice. As he washed his plate in the small sink, a knock came at the door. Tahn dropped his plate, strode to the door and answered it. It was time, he knew it.

"My name is Dulan. You are to come with me now."

As he walked down the main street of the town, toward Dunnerston Arena, he felt eyes and heard whispers following him. The stranger, Dulan, said nothing, but maintained a stony-faced silence as he led the way. As they entered the looming shadow of the grand stadium, the crowds thinkened and Tahn's stomach churned, his nerves making him wish his meal had not been quite so large. Dulan ushered him into a chamber underneath the rows of seats, finally breaking his silence with the simple statement,

"Wait here until you are called."

Tahn did not reply, his face taking on a sickly sheen.

There were others in the chamber. At varying intervals, a booming voice would call a name, and one of the boys would trudge through the large, imposing gate, out on to the sand. Then the gate would crash shut with an echoing, hollow boom. This would be followed by an intermining period of booing, cheering and roaring from te crowd. Eventually, the crowd noise would subside. Then the next boy's name would be called.

After what seemed like hours of waiting, Tahn heard the booming voice, calling his name. He walked out into the blinding light of the day, blinking. The noise of the crowd, no longer diminished by the deadening stone walls of the chamber, served only to further disorientate him, the deafening noise ringing in his ears. As he stepped forward, the gate closing with a boom, he felt the weight of what he carried beneath his leather cowl, pressing into him.

He walked forward, to the centre of the sandy arena floor, feeling the crowd's judging eyes with every step, sensing their disappointment at his lack of muscularity, of obvious physical strength. A gate at the other end of the arena opened and a squadron of a dozen came forth, straining to maintain a grip on strong chains of steel, chains that restrained a great and terrible beast. The beast was led for a lap of the arena, slavering jaws and great teeth on show. Then the beast was brought before Tahn and its chains were released.




Sorry for the abrupt ending. Like I said, its a work in progress. Sometime future I might expand on it further, since even writing it down here gave me some exciting new ideas.

Till next time (and not Eulenspiegel)
Chris