Historical
JACK OF DIAMONDS
ii Reggie entered The Arrogant Frog, a small pub on the corner of Greek Street and Romily he knew as Charlie Sabini’s haunt of old, hoping he’d find him at his usual table. Sunlight slipped in through the drawn venetian blinds, where it scattered across a parquet floor through upturned chairs resting on tabletops. He could see dust motes floating in the bars of light as a barmaid swept the floor. The girl looked up briefly, hesitating at her chore, the broom almost stuttering before she turned, looking at the barman standing behind the counter who nodded briefly. The bottles and glasses lining the wall caught the light coming in through the blinds, reflecting diamonds of light that danced across the room. A lazy fan with one broken fin slowly spun in the shadowy depths of the timbered ceiling, a trail of cobwebs caught in its orbit as if part of the tail of a distant comet.
By ben woestenburg3 years ago in Fiction
JACK OF DIAMONDS
i Reggie sat on the train holding the violin case as though his life depended on it; considering where he was bringing it, he thought, it could very well be true. Dressed in the only suit he owned, he hardly felt like the gentleman he was supposed to look like. Wearing a dark brown pinstripe, a colour which Claire said did nothing for him, he pulled his tie loose and looked out of the window at the slowly disappearing countryside. The lush, green rolling hills of Devon had given way to the stark industrial reality of what would soon be London. That was the moment he realized he hadn’t missed it. He shifted uneasily in his seat, his hip feeling sore because of the time he’d spent sitting in the one position.
By ben woestenburg3 years ago in Fiction
JACK OF DIAMONDS
So someone pointed out--a good friend of mine--that they didn't know what order the story parts were in because they weren't posted in a proper sequence. So I thought I'd post this little sidebar of how the story reads. I put up the first paragraph or two for each post, to help in case there's some confusion.
By ben woestenburg3 years ago in Fiction
JACK OF DIAMONDS
Chap 7 - Pt 2 (AND THEN TWO HOURS THERE BEFORE...) Artie stepped outside, walking to the small pen on the other side of the house where he’d tied the horse up for the night. He reached into his pocket and took out the apple he picked up off the counter in the cluttered kitchen on his way out. Offering it to the horse and stroking its neck gently, he thought about what happened earlier.
By ben woestenburg3 years ago in Fiction
JACK OF DIAMONDS
Chap 7 - Pt 1 (But then two hours there before...) Artie woke up before the dawn. His muscles ached from the climb up the wall last night, but he fell to the floor and did forty quick push-ups regardless. He wasn’t getting any younger, he told himself as soon as he finished. Still, it had been an exhilarating climb, even if he felt as if he’d been beaten with a cricket bat. He remembered how the first time he’d tried climbing he nearly fell; since then, he carried a rope in case he ran into any obstacles. So far, that only happened the one time, in London; and he’d broken a finger that time.
By ben woestenburg3 years ago in Fiction
JACK OF DIAMONDS
Chap 6 - Pt 2 (A PRINCESS IN INTERVENTION...) Sonia followed Nigel around the circular driveway, looking up at the facade that was the front entranceway of Bedloe Manor. The masonry was trimmed with a light cream coloured brickwork, the building itself was brownstone; there were hedgerows and garden-beds running along the length of the foundation, as well as manicured walking paths that would have done any groundskeeper proud.
By ben woestenburg3 years ago in Fiction
JACK OF DIAMONDS
Chap 6 - Pt 1 (A PRINCESS IN INTERVENTION...) Sonia checked her look in the small compact’s mirror. One last time, she told herself, before turning the key and shutting the engine down. She pulled on the handbrake before touching the corners of her lips and wiping a small smear of lipstick she’d missed the first two times she’d checked; she had to ask herself if it even mattered anymore.
By ben woestenburg3 years ago in Fiction