I like to frequent Chuck Wendig’s blog and am going to be forcing myself to do the bare minimum of writing with his flash fiction challenges. I might do other challenges by other writers if I start getting back on track.
I’m having trouble balancing a new full time job and writing more novels. To prevent depression from lack of creative work and actually working on my own goals, I’ll at least be churning out the occasional short story.
For some reason whenever I write a “short story” of my own it balloons into at least 15000 words, sometimes 30000. When I do challenges for other people my brain manages to keep the word count down. Stupid brain.
Here’s my short story:
Blue Serpent
Lamp-light spilled into the dingy bar illuminating a masked woman in the corner. The oak door creaked as it swung open, underneath a chorus of strained swears.
The masked woman beckoned at the barkeep from the staircase.
The bar had closed some time ago. Candles on the tables burned spilling hot wax onto the dirty plates which held them. Most had gone out, the barkeep had not been replacing them, signalling to his patrons that it was time to go.
The barkeep shook his head without looking at the masked woman. He cleaned his chipped glasses and plates and polished his bar watching the last drunk patron in a torn coat stumble out, held up by merchant in high heeled boots and a black hat.
“You’re late, Griggs,” said the masked woman.
“And you’re supposed to stay out of sight. What of it?” said Griggs. Griggs was a portly goliath of a barkeep with a stony expression. He had a stained apron and gigantic muscles straining underneath it.
Griggs exited a small door to his bar holding a length of oak. He affixed the oak bar to his tavern entrance and locked the door for good measure.
A light voice from a corner in shadow called out to Griggs.
“Coast is clear Griggs, mind if I take off my chains and grab some of the leftovers. The merchant left an entire steak,”
“Yeah. Mash potatoes still in the pot. Everything’s in your corner, ready to be cleaned in boiling water when you’re done. Got half a jug of goat milk, take everything I left you,”
“Sure thing boss,”
A cage was swung open from the shadows and a thin woman stood up. She was missing part of her nose and her skin was covered in granulomas.
“Shit, they weren’t lying. You do keep a crazy leper locked up in a cage,” said the masked woman.
“Hey!” said the leper sitting down next to the fireplace furthest from the masked woman and the staircase behind her with his back turned. She threw three small logs onto the embers and started to eat her evening meal, ignoring the pair behind her.
“Hey. Ella has feelings, no one gets to hurt them when she’s off the clock,” said Griggs, “I thought all the Serpents knew this by now? You sure you work for the count?”
“I think you know how bad an idea it is to lie about being a count’s man,”
“Uh,” said Griggs, picking up a sputtering candle on a plate and bringing it with him.
Griggs squinted at her. Once he got close the air of confidence of the masked woman wavered, but only for a moment. She seemed shapely enough, despite obvious bulging of armour and weapons beneath her plain white and brown coat. Her mask was made of plain wood hewn to look like a snake, bearing only the top jaw. Her own mouth smirked beneath the two wooden fangs in the perfect affectation of confidence. Griggs was not impressed. He grunted, “Didn’t know they allowed women into the Serpents, they must be getting soft. What’s your name?”
The woman stared at him for a second before nodding, “You know full well there are women that are Serpents, you’ve had this bar for a decade and worked with them. You also know Serpents don’t have names. Not for business calls at least. This is the appointed meeting at the appointed time. You don’t bother with passwords, so I was just told to show up,”
Griggs grunted again and leaned back, satisfied with the answer to his apparently innocent question. They both relaxed a fraction.
“Why the leper? She doesn’t look crazy like they say.”
“Aren’t you a curious one? Ella works for coin, food and a room. Every business in the entire neighbourhood has had a break-in by scum. Everyone’s but mine. Everyone who’s lived in Renveer knows that if you break into my joint a crazy leper will cut herself and run at you and your crew. You must be a new transfer into the count’s militia. The king does like moving everyone about.”
“Does she really have leprosy?”
“People on the street seem to think so. Let’s get to business,” said Griggs growing impatient.
“Of course. The count was thankful for your information during the last incident. It may have saved many a life.”
Griggs shrugged.
The masked woman caught on and shrugged.
“Well… The goods we allow you to smuggle into town can’t come in the usual way, that’s why you’re meeting me today, instead of the Red Serpent. We are doing raids on incoming land wagons. All of them. Your goods wouldn’t look good to the city watch.”
“I need to move the devil incense, it’s the actual money maker in my shitty bar. It’s what attracts all the unusual and dangerous crews, but keeps them peaceful while they’re actually in here. It keeps the information flowing too,”
“Strange you allow it, devil incense makes men act a bit… short sighted,”
“No consumption in my bar. If they want to buy it fine, but if they want to use it they can smash a competing bar.”
The masked woman chuckled, pouting her painted lips.
“I need my goods. The count needs to let a wagon through. You know my business is why I share the occasional word,” said Griggs.
“Of course, that and your good sense of civic duty.” Said the masked woman.
Griggs was silent for a moment.
“Just tell me what colour Serpent you are. The Red Serpent would be here to tell me he was shafting me if that was the case.”
The woman picked up a candle and brought it dangerously close to her brown curly locks. A blue line was illuminated around the edge of her wooden mask.
“I’m the Blue Serpent, nice to meet you.”
“So. The waterfront. You’re new to the city and they put you in charge of the waterfront? Huh,” Griggs took out a flask and took a swig. It was water, but everyone thought he was a heavy drinker. He liked it that way.
The masked woman grimaced.
“Same time, different place. Two hours past midnight, offloaded from the Iron Stallion, a trade cog. Waiting in front of the Misty Maiden, a bar at the waterfront. Our man keeps watch from there. Security and transport are your problem, as always.”
“Don’t you worry about my end. I thought the waterfront was closed off at night. They say something is coming from the sea and dragging sailors off at night,”
The expression of the Blue Serpent darkened, “About as much truth to that as in your leper.”
“Well, you see my leper right there,” Griggs jerked his large head towards the fireplace and Ella munching away at her meal.
“They’re likely only being dragged off by the Misty Maiden’s girls and not wanting to go back to sea. You best watch your mouth barkeep and not cause rabble rousing. Just show up at the time and place and get your goods out of our hair.”
“I don’t talk much, I listen though,” said Griggs, getting up, signalling to the frowning Blue Serpent the conversation was over. “Let yourself out using the rope on the first floor, I’ll pull it up behind you,”
“I…” the Blue Serpent began she was not used to being dismissed and obviously angry. She watched Griggs ramble over next to Ella and sit down watching the fire. She adjusted her mask and left into the unlit back street, swearing quietly as she went.
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