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This is an "A-Z" story
I wrote for a contest at Tanya's
Page.
The rules were that you had to start the first paragraph with A,
and successively go through the alphabet for each paragraph.
"Are you
sleeping?" Nan whispered, rolling over and leaning on one elbow,
examining Bess's closed eyes.
"Bad . .
." Bess moaned, sounding frightened.
"Crazy Bess . .
. you're always talking in your sleep," Nan sighed. "How can
she sleep on a day like today?"
Darting light
flashed past the window, and Nan sat up, her eyes widening. She jumped
up from her bed and hurried to the window, not bothering to be quiet.
"He's here!"
Evidently Bess was
not as enthused as Nan, because she moaned and slumped face down into
her pillow.
"Finally, he's
here!" Nan exclaimed. "Bess, aren't you excited?"
"Go to slee,
Nan . . . It's still dar out." Bess mumbled, her words barely
understandable.
"How can you
just lie there? Dan's here!"
If Nan had poured
cold water on Bess's head, it might not have been more effective. Bess
jolted. "What!" Her hair stuck up in an odd frizzy shape
around her head as she sat up in bed and rubbed a hand over her eyes.
"Nan . . . he's here? Now? . . . I need to brush my hair, get my
dress--!"
"Just calm
down," Nan laughed. "You seemed totally unconcerned a minute
ago."
"Kindly refrain
from teasing, Nan," Bess retorted, grabbing a blue dress from her
armoire. "I was so sleepy and I didn't know who you were talking
about!"
Laughing, Nan got
dressed and didn't wait for Bess to finish fussing with her hair. Down
to the parlor Nan skipped, still feeling happily girlish even though she
was nearly seventeen.
Maybe Nan had
expected Dan to have changed over the year he had been traveling out
West, but when she entered the parlor she realized he hadn't changed a
bit.
"Nan!" Dan
exclaimed, grinning. "Good ta see ya. . . . I guess," he
joked, and winked at the glare Jo gave him.
"Oh, Dan, I
could say the same for you," Nan said, raising her eyebrow, then
smiling.
"Perhaps we
should get Dan some food to eat," Jo suggested, taking Nick's arm
and leading them to the kitchen.
Quickly they snacked
and chatted about trivial things. Nan felt like asking all about the
West, but she decided she would make herself wait until Bess and the
other kids had gathered.
Rather silently Bess
entered the room, looking at the back of Dan's head as he ate. Nan
looked up at Bess, which caused Dan to turn and look.
Standing to his
feet, Dan looked enthralled, and could hardly find his tongue.
"H-Hello."
There was a smile on
Bess's face. "Hello, Dan. I'm glad you're home."
"Uh, yeah . . .
so am I," Dan gave a sideways grin.
Very quietly, Jo
cleared her throat, smiling. "We all want to know what the West is
like, Dan. What did you think of it? Did it live up to your
dreams?"
"Well, yeah, it
was beautiful. Some of it, anyway," he laughed. "There were
some dusty dry places, an' then there were the great wide prairies . . .
all sorts a' new creatures and plants. I even got to play a
xylophone!"
"Xylophone?"
Nan asked.
"Yeah, it's
this instrument you hit with a stick an' it plays different notes."
Dan gestured with his hands.
"Zanier stories
have been told!" Nan shrugged.
Back
Border photo was taken by
John Medland.
The title font is Playbill and the story font is Book Antiqua.
Please do not use any of the graphics on this page without
e-mailing me (misshoney_bee@hotmail.com)
for permission. |
