Shot at Dawn - Drabble for Leeds gather 25/11/06
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#1: Shot at Dawn - Drabble for Leeds gather 25/11/06 Author: Lottie, Location: Humphrey's Corner PostPosted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 10:37 pm
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Lottie checked her bag one more time. Anybody would think that she was nervous, and they’d be right! Purse, camera, glasses, phone, water bottle, penknife, name badge, book, chocolate, waterproof, torch, pen, paper, puzzles, umbrella. She was sure there should be something else, but she couldn’t think what it could be. Well, whatever it was, she’d have to go without it, or she’d miss the train!

Some time later, the sun was trying to come up over the moors of Yorkshire. Lottie couldn’t concentrate on her book, which was a shame, because it was the new DFB from Girls Gone By. She sucked on a square of chocolate, and fished out her puzzle book instead. No, she couldn’t work out the answer to that one, either. She looked out of the window. They were coming in to the town now. Leeds – home to the Royal Armouries – Gillian had given her a very nice postcard from there, but she didn’t think she would see the elephant today. It made her think of soldiers and wars. Suddenly a phrase sprang to her mind – “shot at dawn”. Oh no! Now she knew what she had forgotten.

When Lottie had checked the gathering forum of the CBB last night, it had said to bring a drabble; the penalty, if you forgot, was to be shot at dawn. She had forgotten her drabble! Well the sun was up now, so she supposed she had at least one more night on earth. But, if she had been nervous before, it was nothing compared to how she felt now. Perhaps she could just turn round and go home again, before anybody spotted her. Nobody knew her, and she could always pretend she had been ill – they’d never know. No chance – the conductor made her get off the train, even though she wanted to go back again!

“Lottie!” She tried to look as though she wasn’t there, but it didn’t work. She’d been recognised, by the elephants on her bag, on her jacket and in her hair. She supposed that she would just have to face up to it. She wasn’t a spineless jellyfish, really she wasn’t. If she told herself often enough, she might even believe it! She’d just have to go through with it; perhaps she’d be allowed phone calls to say goodbye to her family.

At least they all seemed very friendly, so far. Lottie couldn’t each much lunch, which was a pity, because it looked delicious. Then the dreaded moment came. “Drabbles, everyone!” It reminded her of handing in homework at school; would they believe that the elephant had trampled it? The sheets of paper were collected and ticked off against a list of names. This was it then - the moment she had been dreading. “I forgot”, she whispered. “Speak up!” Lottie repeated her admission. “Over there then!” Now what?

There was a big cannon – was she in the Armouries after all? One by one the girls read their stories. Now it was just Lottie left – they were all looking at her. She wished she’d never thought of coming, never even joined the CBB. Why had she let her daughters talk her into going to a gather? What had she done to deserve this? Two of the bigger girls (were they prefects?) picked her up and put her into the mouth of the cannon. It was no good trying to escape. A smaller girl had disappeared around the back. Suddenly there was a bang, the world went black and Lottie found herself flying through the air. It was quite fun, really, till she landed, with a thud, at her hostess’s feet, and lay there, still, grey, and to all appearances, dead. So that was what was meant by being “shot at Dawn”!

Beep, beep, beep! The sound of Lottie’s alarm clock woke her up. She tried to remember what day it was. That was it – Saturday – the day of her first gather. She was nervous, and now she knew why. She got up quickly to make sure that she had plenty of time to check her bag very, very carefully before leaving to catch the train to Leeds.
#2:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 11:50 pm
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Thanks, Lottie. That was very funny!
#3:  Author: arky72, Location: Cheshire PostPosted: Sun Nov 26, 2006 12:41 pm
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That was just so funny! Thanks for posting it Lottie. It was lovely to meet you yesterday.
#4:  Author: LizB, Location: Oxon, England PostPosted: Sun Nov 26, 2006 2:17 pm
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Laughing Laughing Laughing

Thanks, Lottie
#5:  Author: leahbelle, Location: Kilmarnock PostPosted: Sun Nov 26, 2006 3:12 pm
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Thanks, Lottie. That was fab Laughing !
#6:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Sun Nov 26, 2006 5:19 pm
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LOL!

Briliant Lottie! Laughing
#7:  Author: nikkie, Location: Cumbria PostPosted: Sun Nov 26, 2006 8:43 pm
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Laughing Laughing Laughing
Fantastic!!!!!!!
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