Amanda (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
littlealbatross) wrote2009-05-12 08:01 pm
littlealbatross) wrote2009-05-12 08:01 pm
Entry tags:
Short day
Though I did get right into it, so that was nice. My lovely husband needs the computer at the moment though so I'll just call it a day.
7735 / 50000 words. 15% done!
Laine woke up the next morning with a bellyache and to an odd noise. It reverberated through her room, slow at first but building to a frantic whack whack whack. She dismissed it as construction or irritating boys down the street or even pesky wildlife, but after a good five minutes with her head under the pillow didn’t stop it, she groaned and tossed it aside. She rubbed her eyes and stumbled to the window, yanking the curtains aside and peering out, anxious to find the offender.
A man was in the backyard, back to the window and clothed in white linen pants and a crisp black belt. Laine cocked her head, confused, and watched him as he whipped a deep brown stick back and forth, smacking it into his armpit only to flip it back outward again. He then seemed to throw it back behind him and she thought it might just fly up and hit her window, but he deftly flung his arm back and caught it on the downswing. The stick moved so fast she could barely catch a glimpse of it, but sometimes the sun caught a highly polished edge and made it glisten. She stood and watched, entranced, until the man turned his face slightly to the side as he jabbed at some invisible foe that lie on the ground. Then, she realized who it was.
Uncle Walker.
Her jaw dropped. She’d never seen anything like that before, and she had never heard that her Uncle could do… karate, or whatever that was. She’d seen movies where people had nunchucks and stuff but this looked nothing like that. It was more like her flag corps than real fighting. She thought that if he used her flag, he could teach her some really interesting moves. Maybe something she could take back to the team that would win them the competition!
She yanked the window up and the sound of the wood rubbing against the frame distracted Walker from his practice. “It’s about time you got up. It’s nearly nine!”
“It’s nearly nine on a SATURDAY, Uncle Walker”, she called down to him. “Nearly nine doesn’t count when you don’t have to go to school or something.”
He shook his head and Laine could see beads of sweat drip from his hairline. She crinkled her nose. “You’re wasting the best part of the day. It’s beautiful outside. You should come down here for a second.” He wiped at his brow, then shielded his eyes to the sun as he looked up at her. “Bring your flag with you.”
She nodded excitedly and pulled the curtains shut. Quickly dressing in a pair of sweatpants and a tank top, she stopped only to give her teeth a quick brush and pull her brick-colored hair back into a loose ponytail. Flag in hand, she barreled down the stairs, through the kitchen, and then out the back steps. “When I saw what you were doing, I really thought you could show me some new moves for the competition. We really need to bring something different this year. Midland High keeps winning.”
“We’ll see. First, show me what you’ve learned. Do you have basic stances that you do?”
Laine woke up the next morning with a bellyache and to an odd noise. It reverberated through her room, slow at first but building to a frantic whack whack whack. She dismissed it as construction or irritating boys down the street or even pesky wildlife, but after a good five minutes with her head under the pillow didn’t stop it, she groaned and tossed it aside. She rubbed her eyes and stumbled to the window, yanking the curtains aside and peering out, anxious to find the offender.
A man was in the backyard, back to the window and clothed in white linen pants and a crisp black belt. Laine cocked her head, confused, and watched him as he whipped a deep brown stick back and forth, smacking it into his armpit only to flip it back outward again. He then seemed to throw it back behind him and she thought it might just fly up and hit her window, but he deftly flung his arm back and caught it on the downswing. The stick moved so fast she could barely catch a glimpse of it, but sometimes the sun caught a highly polished edge and made it glisten. She stood and watched, entranced, until the man turned his face slightly to the side as he jabbed at some invisible foe that lie on the ground. Then, she realized who it was.
Uncle Walker.
Her jaw dropped. She’d never seen anything like that before, and she had never heard that her Uncle could do… karate, or whatever that was. She’d seen movies where people had nunchucks and stuff but this looked nothing like that. It was more like her flag corps than real fighting. She thought that if he used her flag, he could teach her some really interesting moves. Maybe something she could take back to the team that would win them the competition!
She yanked the window up and the sound of the wood rubbing against the frame distracted Walker from his practice. “It’s about time you got up. It’s nearly nine!”
“It’s nearly nine on a SATURDAY, Uncle Walker”, she called down to him. “Nearly nine doesn’t count when you don’t have to go to school or something.”
He shook his head and Laine could see beads of sweat drip from his hairline. She crinkled her nose. “You’re wasting the best part of the day. It’s beautiful outside. You should come down here for a second.” He wiped at his brow, then shielded his eyes to the sun as he looked up at her. “Bring your flag with you.”
She nodded excitedly and pulled the curtains shut. Quickly dressing in a pair of sweatpants and a tank top, she stopped only to give her teeth a quick brush and pull her brick-colored hair back into a loose ponytail. Flag in hand, she barreled down the stairs, through the kitchen, and then out the back steps. “When I saw what you were doing, I really thought you could show me some new moves for the competition. We really need to bring something different this year. Midland High keeps winning.”
“We’ll see. First, show me what you’ve learned. Do you have basic stances that you do?”