A Weird Semblance Thereof

I’m adding a ‘Setup’ item since the circumstances at PP1 need to know what came before them in order to make much sense.

Next up from my cheat sheet of master plots is Pursuit

Theme – Lying to your kids never goes well.

Setup – A former royal guard (think Special Forces-type), Conner has retired to the country to farm and raise a family. His meek ways don’t impress his son much at all.

Hook – A beast Conner had put down in his former life arrives at the farm to take its revenge, but Conner slips away with his son via a previously scouted escape route.

Plot Point 1 – Conner’s son is trapped in the narrow tunnel; Conner leaves him behind in expectation the beast will follow the man and not the boy. Of course, the son sees this as cowardice.

Pinch 1 – Having been chased over field and through forest the beast discovers Conner is without his son and leaves to find the son instead.

Mid-point Twist – Trying to find the beast and his son, Conner discovers his late wife was not the plain farmer girl he’d thought her. For some magical reason this makes Conner’s son special.

Pinch 2 – The beast captures Conner’s son but escapes Conner’s attack. Conner is rendered unconscious in the process.

Lull – Conner wakes in the home of the mysterious woman who cared for Conner’s son until his capture by the beast.

Plot Point 2 – The mysterious woman turns out to be Conner’s wife or a weird semblance there of.

Conclusion – The wife goes to save her son, the injured Conner follows her; Conner locates all three, kills the beast, loses his wife, and frees his son back. Despite being saved the son still isn’t much impressed overall.

310 words on day 641

Edit: The Third Conner’s Son

All entries for Conner’s Son.

Conner’s Son hadn’t destroyed them.

Conner toted the injured boy back to the source of the spring. He laid him carefully be way of apology. COnner’s Son couldn’t tell.

The first part of the cave required one to lay down and scuffle through the mud. It would not be forgiving about the bad ankle.

“Right one, yes?” Conner’s Son grunted his assent.

“I’ll go first. A bit of a ways in I can turn around and come back to help pull, but you’ll need to lie on your left side with he bad foot on top, crawling till I can get back to you to help.”

Conner’s Son struggled through the remaining nausea to say, “Cover…up.”

“Too late for that. We can only hope [the beast by name] won’t be able to get in. Don’t waste time come in right after me.”

Conner worried they’d wasted time trying to lead the beast astray of their hole.

Conner dropped into the spring and began to crawl. The narrow space made him a little frantic. He struggled his way through to each opening he could feel. Sometimes pushing, sometimes kicking, sometimes wriggling with his whole body. His son’s smaller stature would make it easier, but not by much. There was no way to know if Conner’s Son followed or not. All Conner could do was to get tot he turn around and edge back hands first.

Recall, on the weekends I edit.  Above edited below:

Conner’s Son hadn’t destroyed them.

Conner toted the injured boy upstream to the spring’s source.  He laid him down carefully by way of apology for his early outburst, but Conner’s Son didn’t notice.

“Right one, yes?”  Conner asked.

Conner’s Son grunted his assent.  The change of position from being carried to being prone renewed Conner’s Son’s nausea.

“I’ll go first.  The first part we have to lay down and scuffle through the mud. After a bit—two body length’s maybe—I can turn around and help, but you’ll need to lie on your left side, bad foot on top, kicking till I can get back to you to pull.   Near the end you want to be on your back.”

Conner’s Son stammered through the remaining nausea to say, “Cover…me…up.”

“Too late.  We can only hope [the beast by name] won’t be able to get in.  Don’t wait for me to disappear.  You need to be right behind me.”  Conner captured Conner’s Son’s eyes with his own.  “Right behind.”

Conner ducked into the spring-cave and began to crawl.  The narrow space made him frantic at first, but as the cold water soaked into his shirt and pants it cooled his fear.  He struggled through four narrowings and a leftward bend.  Sometimes pushing, sometimes kicking, sometimes wriggling with his whole body.  The pattern of movement brought to mind the first—and only—time he’d explored the cave.  Hopefully nothing new blocked their way.

There was no way for Conner to know if Conner’s Son followed or not.  All he could do was race to the chamber, turn his body around, angle back hands first, and hope.

The Third Conner’s Son

All entries for Conner’s Son.

Conner’s Son hadn’t destroyed them.

Conner toted the injured boy back to the source of the spring. He laid him carefully be way of apology. COnner’s Son couldn’t tell.

The first part of the cave required one to lay down and scuffle through the mud. It would not be forgiving about the bad ankle.

“Right one, yes?” Conner’s Son grunted his assent.

“I’ll go first. A bit of a ways in I can turn around and come back to help pull, but you’ll need to lie on your left side with he bad foot on top, crawling till I can get back to you to help.”

Conner’s Son struggled through the remaining nausea to say, “Cover…up.”

“Too late for that. We can only hope [the beast by name] won’t be able to get in. Don’t waste time come in right after me.”

Conner worried they’d wasted time trying to lead the beast astray of their hole.

Conner dropped into the spring and began to crawl. The narrow space made him a little frantic. He struggled his way through to each opening he could feel. Sometimes pushing, sometimes kicking, sometimes wriggling with his whole body. His son’s smaller stature would make it easier, but not by much. There was no way to know if Conner’s Son followed or not. All Conner could do was to get tot he turn around and edge back hands first.

Word count: 231
Day 146