One Last Adventure

Here's a sample of a short story I've been tinkering with:

“I love you, Charles” she said through tears.

“Don’t be absurd, love is for children and simpletons. For gods sake Adrienne, compose yourself.” She always was a bit dramatic. I suppose it’s the proper reaction when dangling in a cage above a fire pit. These cultists were sticklers for cliche. Boring.

“Why are you so calm?! We’re gonna die here!”

I gave her an eyeroll, assuming she knew what I was thinking.

“Because, darling, I’ve just figured out how to get us free. And then we got free, figured out who the leader was--it was General Mossimo from Scottish Yard, frighteningly obvious if you ask me--and here I am today...”

“Grandpa, that is not a true story! You’re lying, again!” His young face looked at me with disbelief and a hint of annoyance. Joseph was my favorite of my grandkids. Not because he was the smartest, he was also the cleanest and most innocent.

“Ok, Joey, fair enough. Goodnight little one” I tucked him into bed, turned off the lights and left the room he was staying in. I had all the grandkids this week. Three children, all staying with me while their parents were on holiday, biggest adventure I’d have yet. I referred to him as little one, although he was the youngest, he still was older at 13. The middle one, Allison, 14 and had all the attributes of a Jan Brady, was still downstairs getting ready for bed. Jennifer, the eldest at 15 was old enough to talk back, but young enough to not be trusted alone. She enjoyed hearing my stories, as much as I loved telling them. The girls finished up and headed into the room they were staying in.

“Well, ladies, do you want to hear the one about your Grandmother and I in Africa finding the famous Jewel of Nubia? Or how about the time we had to sneak into the White House to uncover Nixon’s dirty secrets?”

“Grandad, let’s hear a REAL story tonight. How about how you met Grandma?” Jennifer, catching me by the heart strings...what I had left of them was definitely dedicated to them.

“Ah, now there’s an adventure I’ll never forget.” A loud rapping on the front door began. At first I thought it was the storm, but it was far too rhythmic. “I wonder who would be mad enough to be out in this weather, and way out here?” I said aloud to them, but more for my own wondering. To be perfectly honest, I knew this could only be one person, and that this was going to be a very long night.

“Hello Oliver, I have a letter for you.” The all too familiar man, dressed all in black, the quite standard attire of a government official, stretched his arm out from his coat to hand off the envelope. “The Queen once again, thanks you for your service in advance. Good day.” He turned on his heels and vanished into the darkness of my long stretch of a driveway.

“Ah, so, one last adventure.”