A Story You Want to Read: The Game )

Discuss any questions in English. Practise your writing skills.

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#26

Сообщение VictorB »

Kind_Punk,
A nicely-penned, hilarious short story )))
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#27

Сообщение Kind_Punk »

Rosy Skipping BunniesПоказать

Rosy Skipping Bunnies


When he came to senses, he was lying face down.

The first feeling he could discern was the smell of a damp earth and freshly mown grass. Then came the dull pain in his wrists — his hands were tied behind his back so tightly that he nearly lost the feeling of his fingers.

The legs, too, were firmly tied at the ankles.

But the worst of it was a gag stuck into his mouth and his eyes blinded by the band of a dense dark cloth.

He felt irresistible urge to swallow the saliva and to take a deep breath but couldn’t. Stricken with a mad panic, he started to writhe frantically when he heard soft footsteps.

Someone was nearing.



'At least I'm alive,' he thought. But did that mean that his fate would be worse than death? Was he kidnapped by a serial killer?

'What an irony,' he tried to smile.

But he knew that it was not true. He knew it would end like this. The question was, which girl would be revenged? And who would do the deed?

The one with stupid pigtails, his first victim? Or the second that played hopscotch? Or the last one, a teenager singing stupid song about rosy skipping bunnies?

He got the answer.



'My sister was only twelve' was the only and the last words said in a horrifyingly calm voice he could hear before a cold blade slit his throat.

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#28

Сообщение VictorB »

Kind_Punk,
You nailed it!
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As a side note, in the version I have in mind, "rosy skipping bunnies" was going to be the pattern of the panties the girl had on before she was raped and murdered. So, the moment the gag was put out of the rapist's mouth and the panties shown to him, he saw the pattern and at once recognized it.
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#29

Сообщение Kind_Punk »

bunniesПоказать
Well, the phrase 'was only twelve' implies rape, but I didn't want to write about it ) Or the humor would be too dark )
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#30

Сообщение VictorB »

Let's keep the ball rolling! I'm sure this time it's your cup of tea. The title is yours too )
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On a bench overlooking a half-neglected small pond, at the opposite sides of the bench, sat two
middle-aged men.
One of them was stout, apple-faced, and balding.
The other was thin, pale-faced, and long-haired.
The first was examining the sky through the opera-glasses.
The second was reading through a crumpled magazine.
"Well..." said the apple-faced.
He cast a sidelong look at the pale-faced and, seeing that he was about to put aside his magazine, snapped in loud whisper, "Keep reading, we may be watched!"
"Well well well," he went on, looking cautiously around him. "Now that we've transmitted the latest bit of the information we were sent here for, let's date our next meeting."
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"Okay", he raised his left arm to check the time by the watch painted with green felt pen on his wrist. "Lunchtime in about half an hour," he sighed.
"Yeah," the apple-faced acknowledged, inhaling the smell oozing from the canteen. "Cod in parsley sauce and boiled potatoes and peas..."
"And sponge pudding and custard," added the pale-faced, smiling wistfully when a loud high-pitched female voice cut across their conversation.
"Hey, you spies! It's high time you swallowed your pills!"
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#31

Сообщение VictorB »

Kind_Punk,
If you're not getting bored, I've got yet another idea:
What if you were challenged to write a conversation making a short story based on a couple or so interlocutory remarks you'd been provided with at the beginning? (without using "he said", "she replied", or any author's phrases)
The general idea is that in the beginning, it may be either clear or unclear who and where the interlocutors are. I mean their age, gender, occupation--and so is the theme of their conversation. It's up to you to think up how it develops.
The toughest part of it will be thinking up the final remark which is to be unpredictable in the context of the whole conversation. Or it has to reveal something unexpectedly odd, ridiculous, sinister, or funny. And that will be the punch line the whole dialogue was leading to with the reader unaware of it up to the very end.
Are you interested?
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#32

Сообщение VictorB »

Kind_Punk,
In addition to my previous comment:
There's one more thing. It slipped my mind that there should be provided something indicating the punch line coming afterward.
So, the closing remark, the one preceding the punch line, will be provided too. But that'll be tomorrow. Of course, if you are interested :-)
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#33

Сообщение Beginner »

Kind_Punk, please, tell me a story about a person who learned English helped to recover from depersonalization (blurred self-perception), thank you.
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#34

Сообщение Kind_Punk »

VictorB пишет: 30 сен 2020, 18:42 I've got yet another idea:
Let's give it s try )
boring пишет: 30 сен 2020, 19:35 a story about a baggage carousel
Will be coming )
VictorB пишет: 01 окт 2020, 00:08 if you are interested :-)
You bet )
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#35

Сообщение Kind_Punk »

Beginner пишет: 01 окт 2020, 18:55 a person who learned English helped to recover from depersonalization (blurred self-perception), thank you.
Oh, it's a serious one. I know what it is. Will do. (And you can write me a PM.)
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#36

Сообщение Kind_Punk »

VictorB пишет: 29 сен 2020, 18:24 Let's keep the ball rolling! I'm sure this time it's your cup of tea.
I somehow remembered even two things )

The first was that:
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Изображение
The second:
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Изображение
And now the story:
The SpiesПоказать
The Spies

At the opposite sides of a bench, overlooking a half-neglected small pond, sat two middle-aged men. One of them was stout, apple-faced, and balding. The other was thin, pale-faced, and long-haired.

The first was examining the sky through the opera-glasses. The second was reading through a crumpled magazine.

"Well..." said the apple-faced. He cast a sidelong look at the pale-faced and, seeing that the man was about to put aside his magazine, snapped in loud whisper, "Keep reading, we may be watched!"

"Well well well," he went on, looking cautiously around. "Now that we've transmitted the latest bit of the information we were sent here for, let's date our next meeting."



"What is there to plan for?" The pale said. "The same time, the same place."

"No. We have to change our routine," said the first.

"Oh, I see," was the reply.

The men were quiet for a minute, then the second said, "Do you sometimes regret that you chose the red pill?"

"Yes," the first answered.

"Me too," said the second.



"Okay", he raised his left arm to check the time by the watch painted with green felt pen on his wrist. "Lunchtime in about half an hour," he sighed.

"Yeah," the apple-faced acknowledged, inhaling the smell oozing from the canteen. "Cod in parsley sauce and boiled potatoes and peas..."

"And sponge pudding and custard," added the pale-faced, smiling wistfully when a loud high-pitched female voice cut across their conversation.

"Hey, you spies! It's high time you swallowed your pills!"
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#37

Сообщение VictorB »

Kind_Punk,
You've hit the nail on the head!
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#38

Сообщение Kind_Punk »

My jobПоказать

My job

I hate my job. It's so plain and boring. What fun is to carry baggage?

I'm often dreaming about entertaining children. I'm sure they will be happy to play with me. Well, it happens sometimes, but often ends badly. At least I have to stop, and this is much worse than working.

Well, sometimes the baggage I have to handle is quite interesting. What would you say if you found a pig in a bag? But that's not my business. I just move whatever I have to.

And I envy my colleagues that work with children. They just do not know how lucky they are.

I can't quit my job. It will be death for me. Well, a sort of.

I haven't said it yet? I'm a baggage carousel in an airport.
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#39

Сообщение VictorB »

Kind_Punk,
Well done! Maybe it's worth trying to distill it into exactly 100 words?
Just for the fun of it ;-)
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#40

Сообщение Kind_Punk »

VictorB пишет: 02 окт 2020, 21:25 Maybe it's worth trying to distill it into exactly 100 words?
Maybe later ) Now I have another story to write )
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#41

Сообщение Kind_Punk »

Let me out!Показать
Let me out!


Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?

I'm tired with this questions. They are what my every day begins with.

Am I dreaming? Am I a part of the 'Groundhog Day' movie?

These are the questions that come a bit later. I am so tired of all this stuff.

My only salvation is reading. And I read English books. It is hard for me to read them because English is my second language. But at least the questions stop bothering me, become more distant.

And how a character of some media can read about another fictional character? It is ridiculous. And this thought helps me to not lost my self.

Learning new words is a good thing, too. But I find less and less of them. What will happen when I find none?

I do not know. And this frightens me even more than losing my mind.

I feel I'm in a cage, and it's shrinking. Please, let me out.
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#42

Сообщение VictorB »

Kind_Punk,
Well crafted!
Kind_Punk пишет: 03 окт 2020, 22:21 Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?
Nicely chosen beginning.
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The Bohemian Rhapsody thing used to be one of my favorites )))
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#43

Сообщение Beginner »

great did, especially this
Kind_Punk пишет: 03 окт 2020, 22:21 Learning new words is a good thing, too. But I find less and less of them. What will happen when I find none?

I do not know. And this frightens me even more than losing my mind.
One more fear appeared in my mind ). Thank you man! ))

But if serious, how many English words approximately do you know? I think more than 10.000... .
Are you at a level where new words are almost non-existent?
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#44

Сообщение Kind_Punk »

Beginner пишет: 04 окт 2020, 21:26 how many English words approximately do you know?
Tests show something about 11 000 or 13 000. Far from a native )
Beginner пишет: 04 окт 2020, 21:26 Are you at a level where new words are almost non-existent?
Words I have a real need to look up are one or two per page ) At least in the Reddit's Nosleep )
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#45

Сообщение acapnotic »

Kind_Punk пишет: 03 окт 2020, 22:21 Learning new words is a good thing, too. But I find less and less of them.
Fewer and fewer, strictly speaking.
Kind_Punk пишет: 03 окт 2020, 22:21 What will happen when I find none?
Your 1000th birthday, maybe. :)
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#46

Сообщение Kind_Punk »

acapnotic пишет: 05 окт 2020, 14:24 Fewer and fewer, strictly speaking.
It is also used instead of fewer with other sorts of plural nouns, although many people still consider this use incorrect.

Less than 10 people showed up. = Fewer than 10 people showed up.
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#47

Сообщение acapnotic »

Kind_Punk, isn't it wiser to be with many than with few? :)
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#48

Сообщение Kind_Punk »

acapnotic пишет: 05 окт 2020, 16:10 Kind_Punk, isn't it wiser to be with many than with few? :)
I was sure it sounds natural ) But yes, not everything that sounds natural (especially to me, lol) is right )
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#49

Сообщение VictorB »

Kind_Punk пишет: 03 окт 2020, 22:21 Learning new words is a good thing, too. But I find less and less of them.
acapnotic пишет: 05 окт 2020, 14:24 Fewer and fewer, strictly speaking.
Kind_Punk пишет: 05 окт 2020, 16:02 It is also used instead of fewer with other sorts of plural nouns, although many people still consider this use incorrect.
My take on this:
For the narrator, it would have been hardly possible to enumerate the words from the full dictionary of the English language, so far unknown to him, so what he meant might have been the rough percentage of those.
That's why in that story, "less of them" doesn't grate on my ear or seems ungrammatical (in that particular context) :-)
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#50

Сообщение VictorB »

'Fewer' and 'Less': Exceptions to the Rule
https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-a ... er-vs-less
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