First topic message reminder :
Anyone done any writing of short stories? If so then place there here for to read and enjoy.
To start us off, here is one of mine.
John
THE EXPEDITION
“Captain.” Bellowed the general.
The captain, who was sitting at his desk, knocked over his chair as he jumped to his full height of two metres.
“Yes General Sir.”
“Ha, there you are. Assemble the men on the parade ground and stop hiding behind that candlestick, I can’t see you.”
“Yes sir, right away sir,”
Leaving the chair laying on the floor, the captain picked up his cap and swagger stick from his desk and marched out of the office.
After buttoning his immaculately ironed tunic over his large round belly, the General looked at his reflection in the full-length distorted mirror. His one metre sixty turned to one metre eighty. What a fine figure of a man he thought, as he turned to leave the office and headed for the parade ground.
The parade ground was the large open market square by the main city gate. The captain, having mustered the troops, now watched out of the corner of his eye for the general to appear. On seeing the general, he called the troops to attention. Placing the swagger stick under his left armpit, he grasped its large silver knob in his left hand and marched across the square. Halting three paces away from the general and called out. “The troops are ready for your inspection sir.” At the same time he gave the general a smart salute. Returning the salute the general inquired. “Inspection! What inspection?”
“Your inspection sir, you always inspect the troops when you call a parade.”
“Yes yes captain that would normally be right, but not today. Today is different. Today…we are going out of the city.”
“Out of the city! You can’t mean that,” exclaimed the captain;
his eyes wide open in astonishment. “Why? Only the farmers go out of the city, and they only farm by the city wall. If we go out there we could be eaten by an Eleroceros.”
“Rubbish captain rubbish, there’s no such thing as eleroceros, that’s something the mothers tell their children to stop them playing on the city walls. Anyway, not only are we going out of the city, but we are going to march to the world’s end, and look over the edge.”
“Look over the edge! The men won’t like that sir;
I think you should ask for volunteers.” squealed the captain in a high voice, as he turned white with fear.
“Your quite right captain. I’ll only take the ten most stout-hearted men there are.”
“Ten men? You can’t have ten men;
there are only nine men in the whole army.”
The general smiled, “Fantastically good, I’ll take those nine men and yourself to make up the numbers. It’s ever so good of you all to volunteer like that.”
“But General Sir...
“No buts,” snapped the general, cutting the captain short in mid sentence. “Let’s get started.”
At that moment, the mayor entered the square followed by more of the city residents.
“I say general, what’s this I hear? You’re deserting the city? Taking away the troops? Who’ll defend us if you go?”
“Defend you! Why the city has never been attacked since the day it was founded, so you don’t need defending, do you?”
“But general…”
“Tut tut your worship, you sound more like my captain every day. Anyway, it doesn’t matter what you say, the men and I, are going to the end of the world. Open the gates captain we must be away.”
The general, marching at the head of his troops, lead them through the city gates. They in turn were followed by the now curious city folk.
The baker, walking at the side of the mayor asked, “How far is it to the end of the world?”
Smelling the aroma of fresh baked bread on the baker’s apron, the mayor pointing forward with his finger saying, “See that tree over there, the one on its own, by its self, and no others with it? Well, from the city wall, all you can see beyond that tree is sky. So that must be the edge of the world.”
“Oh!” exclaimed the baker.
Just short of the trees, the troops started to slow down by taking shorter steps. Halting the troop, the general did a smart about-turn to address them.
“Come on now you men, there’s nothing to be afraid of. You there corporal, you’re not afraid are you?”
“Me sir, no sir, not I sir, I would follow you to the ends of the...” here his words faltered, “You know what I mean sir?”
“Good man, I knew I could depend on you. I’ll give you a medal when we get back.”
“A medal sir, for me, oh yes please Sir that would be fantastic.”
The rest of the troops remained quite;
shuffling about from one foot to another and none of them looking in the general’s direction.
“Well men, here is my plan. I will go forward to the tree and you lot can follow me later, okay?” getting no answer he continued, “Well then, here I go.”
The general marched the last few paces to the tree. Standing at its side he peered over the edge of the world. The troop and city dwellers, gasped in amazement at this brave deed. The general turned to face them, and with beckoning arms, he waved them forward. His gesturing was so wild that he lost his balance and fell backwards over the world’s end.
The soldiers looked at each other in stunned silence. The city women burst into tears and the mayor said, “I knew it, I knew it, - I knew he’d fall over the edge.”
The captain called for quiet and in the stillness that followed. A voice, faint, and far away, was heard to be calling.
“Can you hear me, helloooo, youeeee, can you hear me?”
The captain, now on his belly, crawled forward to look over the edge of the world. He couldn’t believe his eyes. What he saw before him, was a long slopping grassy incline that levelled out at the bottom, into a flat meadow. The meadow was covered in wild flowers and there was a small stream meandering through it. The general was attempting to ascend the grassy slope. He lost his footing and rolled back down again, turning head over heels until he came to a stop at the bottom. Picking himself up, he dusted off his uniform, feeling the gritty dirt beneath his hands. Looking back up the slope he saw the face of the captain peering down at him.
“Hello captain, come on down, roll over and over as I did. It’s wonderful;
marvellous, absolutely fantastic.”
The captain, now joined by everyone else, called down to the general
“No thank you sir, you come back up here, it’s safer.”
“I can’t, every time I try I roll back down again. It to steep for me to climb.”
“Then how are we going to get you back up again?”
The general thought for a moment then hit on a great idea. Shouting to the captain he said, “Order the men to remove their shirts, tie them together and I can use it like a rope.”
Removing their shirts, the troops tied all the arms together and the corporal handed the bungle of shirts to the captain. Keeping a firm hold of one end, he tossed the shirts down to the general. Tying the other end around his large waist, the general started his ascent.
The troops, now standing in line, began to pull on the shirts to assist the general in reaching the top.
“The strain’s to much,” called out the corporal, “the shirts are going to tear!”
“No they’re not,” shouted back the captain, “they’re just stretching a little, keep on pulling.”
Now back on top of the world. The general was having his hand shaken by the mayor.
“Well done general well done. I knew all along that you could do it, you’re such a brave fellow.”
The troops also congratulated the general on his great feat of bravery, by patting him on the back.
Happy and smiling, the general and the residents set off back to the city. The captain and the troops bring up the rear, their now elongated shirt sleeves, trailing in the dust.
Sat Nov 03, 2012 9:00 pm
- You did not read the title did you 
Short stories 
- you got carried away. Would hate to guess at how many words on there :
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