The CBB :: View topic - Jo Scott joins The Gang

#1: Jo Scott joins The Gang Author: caz, Location: Cambridge

Posted: Mon May 10, 2004 4:41 pm

This is rather random, but I thought I might as well post it anyway.

Mary-Lou Trelawney woke on the stroke of midnight. For a minute, she couldn’t remember why she’d set her alarm but then everything came back to her in a flash. Of course! It was the last night of term, and time for Jo Scott’s initiation into The Gang. She rolled out of bed and shook Vi Lucy and Lesley Malcolm awake. They spread out through the dormitories and The Gang was soon gathered in the darkened Common Room.
“Right, you all know what to do,” Mary-Lou stated as she surveryed her minions. “Vi, Josette, put on your masks and robes and go and get Jo Scott. The rest of you, robe up! And try not to make too much noise. I did tell the Abbess we were meeting tonight but she can’t very well ignore us if we wake the kids.”
The girls fled to do her bidding. Jo was startled into wakefulness a few minutes later to find a masked figure on either side of her bed. Her scream was forestalled by Vi’s hand thrust roughly over her mouth.
“We are messengers of the Great One, come to seek Jo Scott,” Josette intoned. “Arise and come with us.” Greatly wondering, Jo pulled on her dressing-gown and obeyed. She followed her guides in silence until they halted at the door of the Common Room. Vi turned.
“The sights you will see and sounds you will hear must be revealed to no-one,” she commanded. “Thou shalt swear to keep the pact of secrecy on pain of ostracisation.”
“Ostracism, you idiot,” Josette hissed. “C’mon, Jo, swear,” she urged.
“I do most solemnly swear that everything I see and hear tonight shall be locked in my memory and not released this side of the grave. That do?” Jo asked. It hadn’t taken her long to guess that some mischief was afoot but she reasoned that anything Josette and Vi were in should be OK.
Vi performed a complicated series of taps on the door and it was opened slowly. Jo’s eyes were drawn to the end of the room where two lamps illuminated a masked figure. She could dimly see other figures around the room. The masked figure, clearly recognisable by the Kenswigses, spoke.
“Approach.”
Jo did so, prompted by a sharp poke from Josette.
“Josephine Scott, you have been deemed worthy of joining The Gang,” Mary-Lou intoned. “In view of your recent actions in saving Emerence Hope, it has been decided that no further ordeal shall be demanded of you. But you must swear the solemn oath. Do you wish to proceed? If not, return to your dormitory now and it will be as though this never happened.”
Jo gaped at her. She’d thought that all this business about The Gang was just a slightly childish nickname but this seemed more like – like the Ku Klux Klan, she thought suddenly.
“Well?” Mary-Lou demanded in her normal tones. “It’s all right, it’s nothing bad or anything. The Heads approve. In fact, Miss Annersley started us off.”
Jo relaxed. “All right then. What do I need to do?”
“You must repeat this oath,” Mary-Lou gestured to Verity-Ann Carey, who delighted on these occasions in the title “Supreme Speaker of the Solemn Oath”.
“I, Josephine Scott…”
“I, Josephine Scott…”
“…do most solemnly swear…”
“…do most solemnly swear…”
“…to keep all the secrets of The Gang…”
“…to keep all the secrets of The Gang…”
“…henceforth entrusted unto me…”
“…henceforth entrusted unto me…”
“…to give absolute obedience to our Leader…”
“…to give absolute obedience to our Leader…”
“…to uphold the traditions of the Chalet School…”
“…to uphold the traditions of the Chalet School…”
“…to always act rightly…”
“…to always act rightly…”
“…no matter what the personal cost may be…”
“…no matter what the personal cost may be…”
“…and to fight the forces of evil with my utmost might and strength.”
“…and to fight the forces of evil with my utmost might and strength.”
Verity-Ann nodded approvingly and stepped back into the shadows.
“What are the “forces of evil”?” Jo demanded. “Do you just mean underhand stuff like cheating and lying? It seems a bit strong for that.”
“The dark forces will be revealed to us when we need to know. We shall recognise them. We must always be alert and on our guard,” Mary-Lou sounded as mysterious as she could. Truth to tell, Miss Annersley had never been very forthcoming on this point.
Josette handed Jo a mask, and drew her into the circle which was forming.
“There is no other business tonight,” Mary-Lou declared. “Remember to be alert at all times, though, as the dark forces are not constrained to the Platz. Now, the watchword: be brave.”
The girls clasped hands and repeated “Be brave,” before leaving as silently as they had come. They reached their dormitories without incident and hid their masks and robes carefully. Jo slipped back into bed and slept, dreaming uneasily of trying to capture a nameless force with her dressing-gown and Mary-Lou’s guide cord. She would have been relieved to know that no such deeds were to be demanded of her, and that the rest of her school-days would pass as peacefully as any Chalet girl’s could.

#2: Author: Kat, Location: Swansea

Posted: Mon May 10, 2004 5:02 pm

Lol! Caz that was brilliant! Thanks for making me smile Kiss

#3: Author: Chloë, Location: London: when away from home planet!

Posted: Mon May 10, 2004 5:25 pm

Caz thats great Very Happy

#4: Author: Sarah_K, Location: St Albans

Posted: Mon May 10, 2004 6:12 pm

That's brilliant caz!

#5: Author: Alex, Location: Home again

Posted: Mon May 10, 2004 6:35 pm

I think your description as "complete mini-drabble" is a little innacurate though as obviously there will be more.

#6: Author: pim, Location: the place where public transport doesn't work properly!

Posted: Mon May 10, 2004 6:38 pm

Brilliant stuff Caz!

#7: Author: caz, Location: Cambridge

Posted: Mon May 10, 2004 6:45 pm

Alex wrote:

I think your description as "complete mini-drabble" is a little innacurate though as obviously there will be more.

*confused that Alex seems to know something she doesn't*

I thought the last couple of sentences were a clear enough ending.

#8: Author: Cazx, Location: Swansea/Bristol

Posted: Mon May 10, 2004 7:28 pm

Thanks Caz, that was a lovely interlude! Very Happy

#9: Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire

Posted: Mon May 10, 2004 7:53 pm

Great, a mini-drabble just when I needed it. Loved the Kenwigses!

#10: Author: Alex, Location: Home again

Posted: Mon May 10, 2004 7:57 pm

Must be more careful about reading to the end of the page. But you could edit those last 2 sentences ie remove, and continue...

#11: Author: Sarah_L, Location: Redcar

Posted: Mon May 10, 2004 9:37 pm

Mary-Lou fighting the dark side. Like Star Wars.

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

Posted: Mon May 10, 2004 10:52 pm

Now that made me smile...thanks a lot! Razz

#13: Author: Vikki, Location: Possibly in hell! It's certainly hot enough.......

Posted: Tue May 11, 2004 1:28 am

*giggling wildly*
Nice one Caz!!
I don't suppose there are any more where that came from?

#14: Author: Lesley, Location: Rochester, Kent

Posted: Tue May 11, 2004 3:24 pm

Thanks Caz! Laughing

#15: Author: LL, Location: Tottenham, London

Posted: Tue May 11, 2004 5:08 pm

Thanks Caz!

#16: Author: Kate, Location: Ireland

Posted: Tue May 11, 2004 5:49 pm

Aw, that was great! I'm really glad I read that - I was feeling a bit down and it cheered me up a good bit. Smile

#17: Author: Abi, Location: Alton, Hants

Posted: Wed May 12, 2004 1:49 pm

ThanksCaz! That was funny. But why did Miss Annersley start the Gang? And when? Did she write the oath? Surely you can tell us more...

#18: Author: LL, Location: Tottenham, London

Posted: Wed May 12, 2004 2:55 pm

Yes! I want to know more background info, Caz!
Please? Surprised

Pretty please? Crying or Very sad

Please please please? Wink

#19: Author: caz, Location: Cambridge

Posted: Wed May 12, 2004 3:13 pm

Abi wrote:

But why did Miss Annersley start the Gang? And when? Did she write the oath? Surely you can tell us more...

Sorry, I can't tell you any more because I don't actually know myself! All I know is that Miss Annersley started The Gang at some point after Mary-Lou joined the school, recognising the girl's innate leadership qualities. It was started to fight against "the forces of evil". Depending which CS universe you would like this to be in, those forces might include EBD (or they might not). Miss Annersley could well have written the oath, but it may have evolved from among the girls themselves: it is deliberately anonymous.

I'm glad that this was well-received, I was worried it was just a bit too random an idea. But I really don't intend to expand it - I hope that doesn't sound like I'm being a spoilsport, but I don't have any more inspiration for it and it was always meant to stand alone. Also, I need to do some work, and I'm already playing around with two other drabble ideas at the moment.

#20: Author: LL, Location: Tottenham, London

Posted: Wed May 12, 2004 3:37 pm

sounds good - we'll wait for those.

#21: Author: Annie,

Posted: Wed May 12, 2004 7:59 pm

*hee hee* Thank you for that little laugh

#22: Author: Susan, Location: Carlisle

Posted: Mon May 17, 2004 11:09 am

Really enjoyable story. Would love to see Miss A starting the gang and a few exploits from them.

#23: Author: Mandy, Location: Derry, N.Ireland

Posted: Tue May 18, 2004 11:57 pm

Good stuff, caz, you can just picture it. Very Happy

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