Generation 6 Teaser
This is actually from a sim_spiration prompt. It came over Memorial Day weekend, when I could see the prompts on my iPhone, but had no way of uploading it. Anyway, I'm preparing to film this scene, so I was polishing the writing today, and thought I'd share.
Warning: This is James' first encounter with the future Mrs. Bradford.
The spring afternoon was warmer than had been expected. James and Taddy were cutting across the Common on their way back to their dormitory after catching a ballgame at Simway Park. Their beloved Portsimouth Blue Stockings had defeated their archrivals from New Sim City and the victory had put the two young men in a very good mood. They were laughing as they traipsed across the grass. Occasionally, one would throw an arm around the other, and they would break out into a rousing chorus of Take Me Out to the Ballgame.
Suddenly, a terrified shriek rang out in a voice clearly belonging to a lady. James and Taddy stopped in their tracks.
“It came from over there,” said Taddy as he pointed. The two quickly moved towards where the shriek had come from. Their mothers had taught them to be gentlemen, and if there was a lady in need of assistance, they wanted to be the ones to do so.
They rounded a corner, and were greeted by one of the oddest sights either one of them had ever seen. A blond woman, who couldn’t have been much past her twentieth birthday, was doing an odd sort of dance on top of a park bench, ordering an unseen assailant to stay away from her.
“Pardon me, miss? Do you need some help?” asked James after exchanging a puzzled glance with Taddy.
“Oh yes. Thank heavens you’re here! Would you be so kind as to help me?” she pleaded.
“With what?” asked James, obviously confused. “Why were you screaming?”
"I was being attacked."
“By whom?”
“That!” she shuddered as she pointed vaguely towards an area on the ground to her left.
James looked, but there was nothing. Just as he was about to ask the lady if she was feeling well (because she clearly was not in her right mind), he saw a speck of movement from the corner of his eye. He knelt down to examine it closer.
“Is this,” he asked as he picked it up and held it in her direction, “your attacker?”
“Yes!” she shrieked again. “It was crawling across my shoe. Please, keep it away from me!”
“Aw, it’s just a little spider. He’s not going to hurt you.”
The young woman shuddered again. “I detest spiders. They’re so…crawly.”
James was tempted to chuckle. Instead, he took a closer look at the little creature in his hand. He’d seen far bigger ones in the attic of the Gavigan Manor, and this spider looked like it wouldn’t hurt a fly. “Come on, little fellow. Let’s find you a new home.”
He walked over to a nearby birch tree, and let the spider crawl onto its milky bark. “Now, leave the nice young lady be in the future.” The spider, seeming to understand James, crawled up the trunk and out of sight.
James now turned around to see the blonde had visibly relaxed. He crossed to the bench, offered her his hand, and helped her step down.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice taking on a softer, lyrical quality now that the spider was long gone.
“You’re welcome,” he replied. “Come on, Taddy.”
“Wait!” she called. “Aren’t you going to introduce yourself?”
“Why?”
“I’d like to know the name of my savior,” she replied, batting her eyes.
James rolled his. “James Bradford, at your service, mademoiselle.” He made an exaggerated bow.
“It’s nice to meet you, James. I’m Cindy Selby.”
“Nice to meet you. Please excuse me; my friend and I need to be getting back to our dorm .”
The two young men walked away, leaving Cindy with a slightly perplexed look on her face.
Once they were a safe distance away, Taddy smacked James on the back of the head.
“What the Hell was that for?” James asked, rubbing the tender spot.
“That was to knock some of your thickheadness out of you. She was trying to flirt with you, idiot.”
James snorted. “As if I’d go for a girl who was paralyzed by fear from something as trivial as a spider running across her foot.”
The two young men laughed, and continued toward their dormitory.
“You know, Taddy, that really hurt,” whined James.