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Advent Drabbles: December 10th (Part 3 21:34)

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#1: Advent Drabbles: December 10th (Part 3 21:34) Author: Advent Drabblers,

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:18 am
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Brace yourselves!

A long line of heavy Army transports stood in a line outside the Chalet School on the Sonnalpe, guarded by grim-faced soldiers. Inside the school there was bedlam, with orders being shouted in German at staff, and every so often frightened cries from the frightened girls. They were packing their last minute things into cases, the trunks and most of the school furniture having been despatched already on the long journey to England. The Authorities were eager to see the last of this school, and were providing the transport as far as Innsbruck, where they would board the train for England. All Austrian and German girls had been withdrawn already, and those that were left were mainly English, with a good sprinkling of other nationalities.
At last they were all ready and lined up in the Hall, ready to depart. Miss Annersley stepped forward to address them.
“We will be going out to the transport presently girls. I want you all to remember what Madame said to us, to ‘Be brave’. We have a long journey ahead of us, and I don’t imagine that the first part will be any too comfortable, but it will only be for a very short time. You will have either a Mistress or a Prefect with you, and there will also be a soldier in the back of each truck. Try not to be frightened, and once we are on the train things will start to look better. Now, forward march.”
The lines of girls began to move outside, and one by one they scrambled into the back of the trucks. The smaller ones had to be lifted, and one or two of the soldiers whispered a quick word of consolation in their ears, for not all believed that what was happening was right. The girls sat on long benches running down the sides of the trucks, with their cases stacked in the middle. As each truck filled, a Mistress or Prefect scrambled in after them, followed by one of the soldiers. When the last truck was filled there were still some people waiting for places, so they were crammed into the middle of some of the trucks, sitting on suitcases. The drivers and another soldier climbed into the front of each, and the Commandant in charge swung up into the escort vehicle and they were off.
Miss Annersley had been correct, the journey was not comfortable at all; in fact the opposite, especially for the unfortunates perched on cases. they were all bounced around as the trucks began the long descent from the Sonnalpe to Wiesing and the main road to Innsbruck. There was nothing to hold onto as they swung round the corners, but those on the benches were so tightly packed that it was impossible to fall. The curtains had been dropped over the back of the trucks to keep the thick fog at bay, but it was cold and clammy even though it was May. The staff blessed the fog, for though it made travel hard, it also provided cover for those of their group who were fleeing for their lives. The conditions were making the road slippery, and the trucks crept forward slowly with headlights on to light as much of the road as possible. As they reached the steepest part of the road, with more twists and turns than any other, the front truck lost traction and started to skid, the driver making frantic efforts to control it, but in vain. It side-swiped the escort vehicle, sending it flying off the road and down into the depths of the valley. Hilda Annersley would have cheered silently had she seen it, for she had had a good deal to endure from that officer. Then the truck, gaining momentum all the time, hit the cliff side a glancing blow, and tyres squealing ran straight for the tightest bend on the road, with nothing ahead but empty space.

Last edited by Advent Drabblers on Mon Dec 10, 2007 9:35 pm; edited 2 times in total

#2: Author: Lottie, Location: Humphrey's Corner

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:45 am
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Eeekk!!! I hope Lesley's going to rescue them, and that Carolyn's not going to make things worse, first. That sounds like a terrifying journey.

#3: Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 1:18 pm
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Oo! this is nasty.

#4: Author: JackieP, Location: Kingston upon Hull

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 1:21 pm
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Uh-oh.... Shocked

*Awaits the next instalment eagerly*

JackieP

#5: Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 3:54 pm
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What a terrifying journey for the girls. I'm glad they were allowed a prefect and a mistress with each group. I hope nothing worse happens to them.

#6: Author: Advent Drabblers,

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 4:25 pm
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Madge wondered through the empty nursery. As she stopped by the empty beds she breathed a prayer for the children, her own two, David and Sybil, her brothers children, Peggy and Rix, Bride and Jackie, and her neices Daisy and Primula. They had left for the safety of England several days ago, and today she had seen the school leave, fearfully watching the trucks full of girls leave under the guard of the soldiers. That was not the worst of it though, it was not knowing about the other group that was causing the gnawing in her stomach.

She left the nursery and walked down the hall to Joey's room. It was bare now, packing having been started by Joey, then disrupted and ransacked through by the soldiers and finally packed once more by Madge. There were just a few crates now, all but one nailed shut. She paused by that one, looking down at the mix and match contents she could see in the straw. A photograph of Madge and Jem in a frame, a copy of the most recent Chaletian, a prayerbook, a pen. All things that summed up her sister.

She couldn't stop the tears flowing at last. She had been strong for so many days now as she dealt with the closure of the school and the house, and now the last of the girls and the majority of the staff had left she was finding it harder to hold the brave face. Madge sank onto the bed and her face burried in the pillow finally gave release to the tension, worry, fright, that had been building up inside her. She sobbed as she had not sobbed since childhood, always feeling the need to be strong for Joey, but now, she had no idea where Joey was or when they would met again.

Madge cried a storm, and finally when there were no more tears, fell asleep. It was some time later that she awoke, instantly knowing something was wrong. Her mind went first to Joey, but a noise downstairs told her the source of her worry was closer to home. Hurrying onto the landing she saw a blaze of lights downstairs, her heart in her mouth she hurried to the stairs, and to her horror saw the front door wide open, armed guards stood either side of it. Her gasp of horror attracted attention, grinning the guards on the door pointed with their guns to a scene further up the hallway.

She turned, then as her body took in what it was seeing she grabbed for the handrail. Her knees gave way as her vision tunneled in on the one horrifying tableau. Jem, tied to a chair. His lip split. A soldier stood next to him, arm raised. Papers from the study scattered all around the floor. Madge made one last leap for control of her body, but lost it and with one hand on the rail span slowly round as she fell in a faint.

#7: Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 4:30 pm
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Even wibblier.

#8: Author: Simone, Location: Newton le Willows

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 4:31 pm
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OMG - how terrifying

#9: Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 5:01 pm
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Shocked

Oh no! Not what I was expecting.

#10: Author: Smile :), Location: Location? What's a location?

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 5:13 pm
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Oh no!

#11: Author: PaulineS, Location: West Midlands

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 6:16 pm
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Help! Help!!

#12: Author: Elder in Ontario, Location: Ontario, Canada

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 7:12 pm
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Help, help indeed - how terrifying Shocked

*Please* don't keep us in suspense until nearly midnight UK time to see the outcome of this!! I'm sure I won't be the only one who will have no fingernails left if you do!!

#13: Author: Advent Drabblers,

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 9:34 pm
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Elinor shook her head slowly and sighed, she was sitting in the Staff Room of the Margaret Roper School – her School, she thought with some pride. It was very late in the evening and very few were still up however the only other occupant of the Staff Room looked across,

“What is it? Are you stuck?”

Elinor looked over and smiled at her companion, Mabel Kilner’s voice was rather harsh, almost metallic in tone. It belied her warm heart, “Will my Classics Mistress be able to help, then?”

“Well I’ll not know until I read,” Mabel replied, “English may not be my strongest subject but I know what I like to read.”

“Oh very well, read this,” Elinor passed across her notebook, “I’ve got two separate stories at the same time, I told you that I was going to have to move my School?”

“Well considering we are at War with Germany and Austria I think that’s wise,” Mabel replied, “girls are not going to want to read about the School when their fathers and older brothers might be called up.”

There was silence for some time as the older woman read Elinor’s hastily scribbled notes; Miss Kilner was easily fifteen years older than her Headmistress. She had retired almost five years before but had returned to teaching when the outbreak of War had meant a serious shortage of teachers.

“Well? What do you think?”

Mabel pursed her lips, her grey hair, aquiline features and blue eyes seeming to make her far 'harder' of appearance than was actually the case,“How old are the girls reading this?”

“Ten to twelve, normally, why?”

“I just wonder whether they really need to know about the realities of War...”

“Well if we move on from this phony war, as seems likely, many will learn first hand.”

“True, true.”

“And I feel that should know, a little, about what girls their age are having to endure in other countries.”

“But you’ve not really said a great deal about that, have you? And anyway, are you hoping to continue after this book?”

“Well yes, I’ve some other ideas.”

“Because, according to this you’ve got the Founder and Owner of the School in deadly peril, the Headmistress and a truck load of girls flying off a cliff and another lot, including your main character, Joey, missing, condition unknown. Why are Joey and the others having to flee, by the way?”

“Oh that comes earlier, they see a group of thugs harassing an old Jew in the town and have to run from the Gestapo.”

“Well this might be a little too much, don’t you think? Young girls’ attention spans are never long and having to worry about three different emergencies at the same time. Keep focused on your main character – she’s the one the girls identify with, isn’t she?”

“Hmmm, hadn’t thought of that, you’re probably right.”

“Well of course I am,” Mabel Kilner yawned, “well, I’m for bed, don’t be late, will you?”

“Just who is Headmistress here?” Elinor said sternly, “watch yourself, Miss Kilner, or I’ll write you into one of these as the villain.”

Muffled laughter floated back before the swung closed once more. Elinor looked again at her notebook, ‘it seemed a pity really to just throw the scenes away, yet Mabel was right, the girls, the ones who were buying the books, would prefer to read about Joey and the girls. Perhaps, one day, some of the other stories could be told,’ she paused next to one phrase,

Hilda Annersley would have cheered silently had she seen it, for she had had a good deal to endure from that officer,

‘A pity she could not develop that phrase – still, perhaps someone else would manage it in the future.’ She tore out the pages and threw them on the fire – she would concentrate on the escape from Spartz, that was what her readers would enjoy. She damped down the fire, checked the blackout, then left the Staff Room and went to bed.

#14: Author: Pat, Location: Doncaster

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 9:42 pm
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That was great Lesley.

#15: Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 9:57 pm
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Thanks, Lesley, most ingenious.

#16: Author: linda, Location: Leeds

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:01 pm
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Very clever Lesley!!!

#17: Author: Elder in Ontario, Location: Ontario, Canada

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:12 pm
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Most ingenious Lesley - and thank you for not keeping us waiting too long for the denouement!!

#18: Author: Vick, Location: Leeds, Yorkshire

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:18 pm
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At least the ending was a little more lighthearted than the rest. Well done all three Very Happy

#19: Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:22 pm
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Oh, so no-one's recognised her yet then? Laughing

#20: Author: Sugar, Location: second star to the right!

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:22 pm
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Fantastic!

#21: Author: JackieP, Location: Kingston upon Hull

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:24 pm
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Well solved, Lesley... I like it...

JackieP

#22: Author: Rosalin, Location: Swansea

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:31 pm
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Lesley wrote:

Oh, so no-one's recognised her yet then? Laughing

Is it Miss Bubb?

2 very emotive parts and a very clever ending.

Thanks ADs.

#23: Author: Liane, Location: Manchester

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:38 pm
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Very clever, thank you.

Don't know who I'm supposed to recognise though.

#24: Author: Carolyn P, Location: Lancaster, England

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:51 pm
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Well I am presuming that Rosalin is right, that was certainly my thought on reading it.

I am just so relieved you found a lighter note for the ending. Laughing

#25: Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:07 pm
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Thanks ADs Very Happy

#26: Author: Susan, Location: Carlisle

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:09 pm
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Fantastic. Thanks all!

I recognised her right away - she appears for a short while very soon Then again in Switzerland.

Won;t say her name for spoilers.

#27: Author: Tara, Location: Malvern, Worcestershire

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:34 pm
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That was a tour de force from all three of you! The first two parts were really powerful and the ending very clever.
Many thanks, all three.

#28: Author: Sal, Location: Walsall / Aberystwyth

Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 2:04 am
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The first two parts of that were really emotive and I loved the twist of the ending. Thanks Ad's

#29: Author: keren, Location: Israel

Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 8:39 am
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Is she Miss Bubb?

Very clever ending

#30: Author: PaulineS, Location: West Midlands

Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 10:39 am
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A role model for Miss Blubb I feel.

As I read it I recognised her, but to make a teacher into Miss Blubb just because she said "do not stay up too late," is a bit harsh!!!

#31: Author: Travellers Joy, Location: Middle of Nowhere

Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 11:34 am
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PaulineS wrote:

A role model for Miss Blubb I feel.

As I read it I recognised her, but to make a teacher into Miss Blubb just because she said "do not stay up too late," is a bit harsh!!!

I so agree!! Shocked

#32: Author: Carolyn P, Location: Lancaster, England

Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 11:45 am
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Travellers Joy wrote:

PaulineS wrote:

A role model for Miss Blubb I feel.

As I read it I recognised her, but to make a teacher into Miss Blubb just because she said "do not stay up too late," is a bit harsh!!!

I so agree!! Shocked

We don't know what she did next though! Maybe Lesley needs to tell us! Twisted Evil

#33: Author: Dawn, Location: Leeds, West Yorks

Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 10:13 pm
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That was really good - but I'm still wibbling about what might have happened

#34: Author: Fiona Mc, Location: Bendigo, Australia

Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2007 4:47 am
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Thanks Lesley. That was really clever. I never thought of Miss Bubb. My thought was Matey mainly cos of critising Joey's earlier books. She was too nice to be Miss Bubb

#35: Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent

Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2007 5:10 am
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Ah but she was told she would be made into the villain. Laughing

#36: Author: Róisín, Location: Ireland

Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2007 2:32 pm
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Thank you - I really enjoyed reading that Very Happy

#37: Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!!

Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2007 9:21 pm
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Lol!!!

Brilliant!!

Thank you girls!

#38: Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent

Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 1:12 pm
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Thanks, Advent Drabblers. It was great to see into Elinor's mind.

#39: Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US

Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 3:44 pm
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Scary!

Poor Mabel; such a reward for helping Lesley out there... Laughing

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