The Key

Start your story with this line: Alice tried to remember who had given her the key.........

For those following the weekly updates on Captain Juan, this will be added in within the next few weeks - it will make sense when you read it in context.. really..... If you haven't already - please subscribe to a message in a bottle and join us in a ripping yarn about The Astonishing Adventures of Captain Juan - a story being co-written before your eyes by Paul , Jodi and myself.

Alice tried to remember who had given her the key. It had been a long day and she had many clients come and go. She sighed, thinking of the extensive night ahead and how exhausted she already was.

“Therese! Get your damned snake out of my room.” Her call was shriller than she had meant it to be and wished she had the gumption to kick it. The serpents tongue flickered and it seemed to take special interest in her movements.

“Therese, your snake is looking at me again.”

A scantly clad buxom lass sashayed her way into the tiny room.

“Oh keep your corset on. Of course he’s not.” Therese reached down and pulled the snake up from the floor and placed it round her shoulders. She moved her cheek across its silken body and purred.

“He wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

“You and that snake are plain creepy. Why can’t you just be normal and do your business like the rest of us?”

Therese sniffed and jingled some coins in a pouch she had retrieved from her flimsy blouse.
“Huh, normal. How much did you make today then? Let me tell you Miss High and Mighty, Normal don’t bring in this sort of money.”
“You’re just a tart with a snake. And all he does is hide your fat arse.”
“Right – that’s it.” Therese’s lightening fast fist landed squarely in her stomach. “The next punch messes your pretty face up.”
Alice crumpled and whimpered. The key she had been holding fell to the floor with a clatter.
“Who did you steal that from?”
Struggling the breath, Alice clambered onto her bed. “ I dunno, one of my clients must have given to me.”

Therese picked it up and studied it. It was a fine silver key with tiny inscriptions. “ I can’t read and neither can you, but I reckon the name of the owner is written on it.”

Alice lunged and grabbed a hold of it. ‘Well, I like it. I’ll wear it till the owner comes back.”

Therese laughed. “Like any of your clients ever come back.”
Alice pouted.
“Oh go on. You know I am kidding. You are the prettiest girl here. Who’d you have today?”
Alice thought for a moment. “None of my regulars. I was busy with all those sailors who were waiting for your next show.”
Therese slapped Alice on the back good heartedly. “Well you can keep the key. The owner will be long sailed by now. Its just a pretty thing to hang round your neck.”

Finding a piece of ribbon, she threaded it delicate key round her neck so it hung between her breasts.

“Humm very fetching.”

Before Alice had time to reply an enormous explosion sent tremors through the building.

“Lawds what was that?” they both exclaimed and clambered to the tiny window to see into the street.

“Its Amos’s place. Was he making a special brew?”

“That blast was bigger than that.”

The new sea breeze wafted its salty way into the stuffy room.

“Well there goes the tide and whatever ship is following it.”

“Can you smell something burning?”

They both attempted to push their heads out the tiny window. The sound of the church bells set off a cacophony of stray dogs howling.

“Huh hope all this doesn’t stop our business tonight.”