Wednesday 14 July 2010

Five Words

Our last meeting ended with a writing exercise to be done at home. We each picked a word and are to write a short piece. The words are: Malaysia, diocese, trees, piano and Batman.

Here's my effort.

Malaysia slowly raised the high powered binoculars to her eyes and peered out the third story hotel window. The dropoff was arranged by Bishop Jonas at the Diocese of the First, and Only, Most Holy Virgin of Mount Gotham Emmanuel. For the purpose of this matter, Bishop Jonas requested that Malaysia use the alias 'Catwoman'. Bishop Jonas was to be called 'Batman' and the carrier 'Robin'.

The clock beemed 1:05. Robin was five minutes late. Malaysia wasn't worried. Operations arranged by Batman often hit snags. She turned from the window and dropped the binoculars on the bed. At the same moment, Robin appeared from behind a patch of maple trees across the street. A leather bag hung at his side. He stopped on the sidewalk and raised his sunglasses above his head to examine the hotel. No sign of Catwoman. He glanced at his watch. Should he wait?

The leather bag contained sensitive information, if Catwoman didn't show, he would have to return it to Batman before midnight. Robin sauntered across the street and noticed a coffee cart on the corner. He decided to buy a coffee and if Catwoman didn't show he would return by the same route he came.

Malaysia decided to go downstairs. She put on the red baseball cap with a kitty logo. This was how Robin was supposed to identify her. She trotted down three flights of stairs to the lobby and stopped at the front door to gaze across the street. Still no one. There was time for a latte. If Robin didn't show in the next ten minutes, she would alert Batman via the Joker.

From a fifth story window in an office building beside Catwoman's hotel, Batman watched the pair bumble around. They both fell into his trap perfectly. Workers hoisted a piano up to the room beside his.

As Robin sipped his coffee, he noticed Malaysia's red kitty cap. He moved beside her, "Who's your favourite superhero?"

"Batman, of course," she replied.

"Would you like to walk?"

Malaysia did not reply but took her latte and stepped away from the coffee cart facing back toward the hotel. She began to walk. Robin strolled beside her.

Still watching from the office window, Batman grinned. They moved in the right direction. It was too easy. He pressed a button on his walkie talkie alerting the piano movers. "Count to 5 and let go."