Jules opened the crumpled wad of paper. The guy in the black cape had stuffed it into his hand as he rushed by hotly pursued by a rowdy, angry and scary looking bunch of men. The all looked Arabic and yelled and screamed as they raced by, knocking people left and right. The caped man was now no where to be seen. Vanished into thin air.
The paper was like parchment, old and yellowed around the edges. The writing was odd, Egyptian like. Jules had no idea what it said but sensed they were of some importance. Instinctively he knew that somehow he was being drawn into something potentially dangerous. He was sure the hieroglyphics meant something to some one.
As he pondered this, noise erupted once again. From the direction they had disappeared, the mob appeared again. The shouting had ceased. They huddled together in a protective manner, almost shuffling along. As the group leveled with Jules, he noticed the caped man in the middle of the group, trapped amongst the others’ bodies, confined by their presence. His eyes were like pools of oil and fastened on Jules. They widened to their extreme. Jules saw so much within them – mortal fear and pleading. Pleading to Jules. He understood this immediately but felt powerless to help. Briefly the black eyes flickered down to Jules’ hand, still holding the paper and back up again to Jules’ face. Pleading. And then Jules understood. The message on the paper was somehow vital to this man’s survival or some greater puzzle.
Jules remembered vaguely nodding as the huddle of bodies continued past him and was lost again in the crowded street. He stared after them for a long time. Suddenly he felt like Idianna Jones caught up in a mystery so powerful it could be life changing. The big difference was he knew Harrison Ford would know precisely what to do. He had not one iota of an idea. Not yet any way.
Carefully he folded the paper and stored it in his pocket. He’d work this out. He had been chosen, who knows why, but he knew there was a reason and the caped man’s life could depend on it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
So many questions, Peta. Jules has been thrust into the midst of a kidnapping and holds the vital clue but doesn't have a clue what it means.
I liked the silent interaction between Jules and the caped man. So much conveyed in the looks between the two.
I wish I had as much faith in Jules' ability to solve the mystery as I would if he actually was Indiana Jones. But...only so much can unfold in 15 minutes.
Previous was from Kerry.
Peta, you always leave me hanging on another chapter! My mind is buzzing with possible outcomes that could explain the mask, the Egyptian hieroglyphics, the mob - all no doubt your evil intention.
I liked the character development - we learn a LOT about these two characters in a very brief period of time.
What an exciting post Peta. Are you sure you did it all in 15 minutes? You sure left us hanging on the cliff though. I'm trying to imagine how you might finish it.
Well done
Peta, you were setting up a real tangle. It took some working through. I got the characters--"rowdy, angry and scary. A really good read.
Gordon
Post a Comment