Monday, January 21, 2008

Writers Island - Fork In The Road

Devlin and Chris had known each other for years. Not really socially – more a nodding acquaintance. It's just that they simply had nothing in common.
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They met at school many years ago, and now they were both invited to a reunion at a bar some miles away. Neither of them had heard of it before. It was in a remote village way off the beaten track. A village nobody from the city went to.

Chris set off in good time. He had an idea where he was going but after a few miles he came across a fork in the road. He had no recollection of having seen it before had no idea which way to go. He sat pondering for a moment or so. Then out of the darkness appeared an elderly gentleman. Chris wound down his window.
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‘Excuse me sir – I need to go to a bar called Destiny. Can you give me directions?’

‘Yes young man. Fork right and you will pass a church called St Saviours. At the crossroads go straight ahead. When you see a golden gate you are almost there. You will see it on the right side of the road'.


Devlin was late leaving. He drove fast and furious toward the village. After a few miles he came across a fork in the road which had never before seen. He stopped and swore under his breath. Just then he saw an elderly gentleman.

‘Hey – old fella –how do I get to a bar called Destiny?’

‘Fork left and you will pass a graveyard. After a mile you will see a club called Wicked. Take the road opposite and when you get to the burned out building you are almost there. You will see it on the other side of the road.


Chris walked toward the bar. The door was closed and a sign indicated that he should walk to an entrance to the right side. There he was met by a bronze Adonis who smiled at him then made the sign of the cross on his forehead with ice cold water.
‘We are expecting you’ he said. ‘Enter’.
Inside was an oasis of cool and calm

Devlin screeched to a halt outside the bar. He found the door closed and a sign pointing toward some steps leading down to the basement. There he was met by the dark shape of huge bearded man who pushed him through the door. ‘We were waiting for you’ he grunted.
The noise inside was ear-splitting and the heat overpowering.

Devlin and Chris never saw each other again.
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While I have your attention!!
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You may have noticed that just recently I’ve been writing a few kid's stories. It’s a genre I’d not previously considered, but judging by the comments it seems to suit me!

Anyway, rather than clog up my blog with children’s stuff, I decided to create a separate site and the result is
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I will post a brief message here each time I add a story, and there's a link in the sidebar. I would really appreciate some feedback from you – particularly if you are reading my stories to your kids.
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23 comments:

  1. Very nicely done sir. I like your take on this fork in the road prompt. where oh where are you tonight?

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  2. well done keith... i for one would have been a whole lot happier had they both somehow ended up in the same place.... but then again... that is just me... i have put both this blog and your new one in my reader,,,don't know why i didn't do it before...

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  3. Oooh, well done indeed. I like it.

    I'm off to go read your children's stories now :).

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  4. I vow never to ask directions from elderly gents at crossroads...

    you are very clever - and your children's stories are delightful

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  5. This was very thought provoking for me, Keith. And made so much sense. Thank you.

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  6. Keith, you are a marvellous story teller.

    I liked the way it ends..

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  7. i think its a more realistic approach, like the way how the story unfolds and ends :-)

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  8. ah, yes, the devil always gets his due...

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  9. very nice tale.. as always... very thought provoking...

    And I love he idea of a separate blog for your kids stories.. I do love them.. and do remember to make a post here every time you add a story there!!

    At the crossroad

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  10. Great story. I enjoyed reading it.

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  11. Nice story. I had no idea where it was going until just before it went! And I do love the children's stories, too, so I'll click the links.

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  12. Very original story Have to remember which way they went. Don't want to end up like Devlin. Thanks for the reminder. Will add your new blog to my blogroll.

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  13. Adore the subtle allegories here! John Bunyan remodelled! A wonderful reading journey!

    Smiles and Light

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  14. You are indeed a master story teller. Interesting that the roads to heaven and hell were situated in the countryside.

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  15. keith..that was very craftily done..what a devilish story!!!! :)

    remind me never to take directions from anyone...:D

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  16. A masterful little tale of good and evil... well done!

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  17. Cleaver, cleaver, cleaver and by the way well done!

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  18. Fun story for the prompt~ Children's stories are fun to write, too. I'd like to do more of them. I once wrote four little learn-to-read stories for IBM, each only a half-page or a page long. They paid me 1,400 $ for those little things! Wish I had more of those....

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  19. the forks in the road that lead us to our destiny...

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  20. The crossroads do determine our destiny which is really our choice to begin with. Yet each choice is a leap in the dark because there can be no Categorical Imperatives!

    I see you are writing children's stories. You Go Keith ! I would live to read them!

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  21. Lovely story, Mmmmm the good and the bad, well done, Thank YOU! Good luck with your children's stories, you've got the knack there!

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  22. oooh this was a good one! I love that the man destined for hell had Red writing in his paragraphs! haha And the other a soothing gold color! Excellent crossroads Keith... And hey! From now on I am always Forking RIGHT! :)

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  23. Why would I want to catch a ring? Is there a prize? Thank for letting me know about the Writers Island prompt..., I forgot about it. I went back and jotted my fork in the road before coming back to read yours. Now I have to go and see if it fits the Writers Island criteria, lol. Love ya Keith and your Fork in the Road. The Devil made me do it!

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