Showing posts with label Oh look I'm finally finishing stories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oh look I'm finally finishing stories. Show all posts
Saturday, 24 December 2011
Scroogical: Stave Five
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STAVE FIVE
The bed was his own, and the room was his own
He was pleased that he was finally back alone
Not a ghost or a spirit or a spectre around
No rattling chains, no phantomly sounds
Just him all alone in his room painted grey
Bathed in the dawn light of this Christmas day
But, wait! thought our Scrooge, have I slept through it all?
He opened the window and he gave out a call
“You boy! Over there? What is today, please?”
The boy, loitering, looked at Scrooge with unease
“’Tis Christmas, you know,” he said with a shrug
And waited, expecting the old “Bah, humbug!”
Instead, though, Scrooge cheered, and spoke with much joy
“I have an errand you must run for me, boy!
“Go to the butcher’s and ask him to bring
“That turkey, that large one he has out hanging
“I’ll give you a shilling if you go there post-haste”
And watched the boy run off at a remarkable pace
Scrooge went back inside and got himself dressed
In the clothes he considered his Sunday best
He went out to street, greeting everyone well
And he heard in the distance, the Christmas church bells
The butcher arrived with the turkey in hand
Scrooge led him towards the horse-drawn cab stand
“Take this to that address!” he told the stunned guy
He gave him some money, and waved him goodbye
With Bob’s dinner done, Scrooge thought he would spend
His time and his money trying to amend
The wrongs that he’d done, now he finally learned
His tight-fistedness and his stinginess turned
The day went on like the Ghost had revealed
Only now Scrooge’s presence had a better appeal
He went to the party his young nephew threw
With each minute passing, his cheerfulness grew
Scrooge was now a changed man, he never went back
The Ghosts having set him on the right track
The ghost of Marley had come just right time
But now I’m left trying to finish this rhyme
As Tiny Tim said, (am I quoting this right?)
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!
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Yeah, I like those last words more than Tiny Tim's actual last line
Merry Christmas, everyone!
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Friday, 23 December 2011
Scroogical: Stave Four
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STAVE FOUR
“A third ghost!” he cried. He couldn’t believe
All the things that could happen on one Christmas Eve
The Spirit’s form hidden in a great heap of black
A sole hand outstretched, the bones of which cracked
Though Scrooge was now used to these ghosts in the night
This new apparition consumed him with fright
Scrooge looked at the Ghost, though no eyes could he see
“Are you here to show me what is yet to be?”
A nod from within the folds of the shroud
Told Scrooge more than anything said aloud
“Lead on O Ghost, oh lead on I pray!
“And show me how I can better my ways!”
And then they were in
a room that Scrooge knew
A place that he loved, and where his money grew
The London Stock Shop was filled with his peers
To hear their words better, Ebenezer drew near
“He’s dead don’t you know. Last night, so I heard.
“But how I don’t know, I’ve caught not a word.”
“And what of his money? What’s to happen to that?”
Asked a man, who seemed to be made of just fat
As they spoke of the death, Scrooge looked all around
And noticed himself was nowhere to be found
But he supposed, maybe this was a sign
That in the future, of this place he’d resigned
“We’ll have to give Scratch a wake, I suppose
“If we all come at least there’ll be people he knows”
They all agreed, though with an air of strange gloom
And at the same time, they all left the room
The Phantom led Scrooge away from the scene
And to a part of town that he’d never been
He hated this area, it was dark and it stunk
The people were slipshod, ugly and drunk
As they walked there, three people walked past
Carrying items, and moving quite fast
They spoke to themselves, with a slight cruel sneer
And to Scrooge it all was certainly clear
That these three gift bearers, charming as they were
Were holding no gold, frankincense, or myrrh
They went into a shop and the two followed suit
Where an old man was seated, surrounded by loot
“More stuff, then?” he asked, as the bags were put down
He opened one up, and said with a frown
“You took the sheets too?
Now that’s a bit low.”
“So what? They’d just get thrown away, you know.
“If he wanted his stuff safe when he finally croaked
“Then he shoulda had kids, like all other blokes.”
Scrooge said not a word as he listened to this
Wondering who’d died, who nobody missed
New voices made Scrooge’s attention arouse
And he found himself inside yet another house
A couple were talking, with great relief
With tones that tried to account for some grief
Enquired the wife: “Where will our debt go?”
The husband just shrugged, said that he didn’t know
But that they could sleep easy, for it won’t be as bad
Or nearly as cheap as the one that they had
And then the scene changed, to Bob Crachit’s place
Where the family sat, with no smiles on their face
“His nephew was kind to us,” said his wife
“After the passing of Tiny Tim’s life.”
“Now that’s he’s dead, I don’t know what we’ll do.”
“I don’t know who he’s left his company to.”
“There’s death all around, but let’s not dismay
“For another four hours, it’s still Christmas day.”
And then it struck Scrooge like a sharp lightning bolt
He shuddered at this, his face warped in revolt
“Where am I right now? Show me, I demand!”
In response the Ghost simply slowly raised a hand
Scrooge had assumed he’d be back at his work
Working more after he’d sent home his clerk
Or maybe at home, taking a sick day
Instead the ghost pointed in the opposite way
The cemetery at the back of the church
With the statue of Mary on which crows liked to perch
The Ghost led our hero to a freshly-dug lot
With a grave not yet placed at the head of the spot
Scrooge slowly walked over to see the gravestone
He read the name on it, and gave a brief groan
Stunned and confused, he took two steps back
And re-read the name on the grave’s metal plaque
A small “Here lies”, then in letters quite huge
He read, unbelieving: Ebenezer Scrooge
“Good spirit, is this really the Christmas to Come?”
In his chest he could hear his heart like a drum
“No, it’s the Christmas that only May Be!
“If I live by the lessons of you spirits three!
“I’ll honour the season, live by it all year!
“I’m a changed man, I swear, I am, don’t you hear!”
The Spirit made show that he had concurred
And drew Scrooge away from cold sepulchre
The Spirit took hold
of the old man’s right wrist
And enveloped him in his cloak of back mist
And as these bleak visions played in his head
Scrooge opened his eyes and was back in his bed
---
Thursday, 22 December 2011
Scroogical: Stave Three
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STAVE THREE
The Second of the Three Ghosts
Scrooge stayed in his bed, and looked all around
But he saw nothing and heard not a sound
Expecting a ghost, he sat bolt upright
But nothing appeared in the blackness of night
He waited, and waited, and waited some more
And became aware of some light on the floor
He saw that the light came from under a door
One he was sure hadn’t been there before
He got out of bed, with a small cry of pain
(His knees didn’t bend well when it was cold or it rained)
He got to the door and he opened it wide
Stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the inside
The room had been filled, from ceiling to floor
With exquisite food, like he’d never seen before
Piles of fine meats, and garlands of fruits
With walls covered in ivy and holly to boot
And sitting on top of a throne of fine food
A gigantic man of quite cheerful mood
“Come in!” he boomed. “And look upon me!”
Scrooge bashfully entered and looked up to see
He wore a green cloak, which hung quite slack
His brown beard was thick, his hair ran down his back
And on his head wore a large holly wreath
With attached to his gown, an empty sword sheath
“Your lesson begun with a look to your past.
“Are you ready for more?” the spirit then asked
“Touch my robe! Off we go!” exclaimed the old giant
In a booming tone that made Scrooge quite compliant
And before he knew it, they were standing back down
In the heart of a market at the centre of town
Where shopkeeps and townsfolks exchanged food and goodwill
Too cheerful to notice the cold morning chill
The Ghost had brought him here to show how they thrived
In the hustle and bustle of a town come alive
Though every so often a clash would break out
Not uncommon a sight with so many about
But by sprinkling water from the torch that he held
The Ghost would restore peace, and the problems were quelled
The day had gone quickly, and soon it was night
And the streets were aglow with the torch-lit streetlights
And then they set off, and they walked down the streets
Not troubled at all by the much to his surprise
Walked the small roads, despite his great size
They arrived at a house and he gave Scrooge a smirk
And informed that they were at the house of his clerk
It was a small place, with only four rooms
With not many candles to brighten the gloom
The Ghost took his torch and, just like before
He blessed those inside as he sprinkled the door
Inside Scrooge saw Mrs Cratchit and their girls
Preparing the dinner for Bob’s safe return
And then he came in with, on piggyback
His youngest son Tiny Tim, like a man at the track
His family greeted them both with much zeal
And they sat all together to start their Christmas meal
“Why doesn’t he walk?” Scrooge said to the air
But noticed Tiny Tim limping to his chair
They seemed to enjoy themselves but all Scrooge could see
The meagre portions they ate for their tea
A small Christmas goose, with a couple of sides
And a small Christmas pud which seemed quite dry
Although they were pleased, this small family
Scrooge cried out and said, quite unhappily
“This isn’t enough to sustain such a child”
And he turned to the spirit, with a look quite mild
“Tell me, o ghost, will this young boy live?”
Said the Ghost: “That’s a gift that I cannot give.”
“Next year Tiny Tim may not be here”
In reply Scrooge could only mutter small “Oh dear”s
Then the Ghost took old Scrooge to see other folk
But the shock of Tim’s news had hit him like a stroke
But lastly they went to a vast, dead expanse
Scrooge stared to the distance, as if in a trance
But the Ghost called to him, and his lost gaze was broke
And Scrooge saw two kids holding on the Ghost’s cloak
The Present called them Ignorance and Want
They looked sickly, and pale, malnourished and gaunt
“Have they no refuge?” he asked, almost slurred
The Ghost looked at him, but said not a word
And as if his age finally caught up to him
The Ghost’s face wrinkled, and looked gloomy and grim
Slowly he lay down, in the darkness of void
And sighed the same dark sigh of the life-devoid
Then the Giant was dead, and Scrooge looked around
But he saw nothing, and heard not a sound
And he felt underneath him familiar sheets
And slowly returned the sound of the street
He was back in his bed but the night was not done
As approaching his bed was his Christmas to Come
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
Scroogical: Stave Two
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STAVE TWO
The First of the Three Spirits
One o’clock tolled, Scrooge stirred from his sleep
And heard, by his bed, a sound slowly creep
His bed-curtains moved and then swept open fast
Scrooge looked in the face of his Christmas Past
The spirit was old, but small like a child
His face was wrinkled, with a smile that beguiled
His long hair and dress were both a pure white
And he glowed and he flickered in the darkness of night
“I am the first ghost,” it said with some pride
He grabbed hold of the bedsheets and pulled them aside
With a light but firm hold, he grabbed Scrooge’s arm
And made for the window, to Scrooge’s alarm
“I am but mortal. I can’t fly you know!”
“Just hold on, don’t scream, now Geronimo!”
For just a brief second they plummeted down
Towards the cold streets of old London town
Scrooge opened his eyes, as soon as they’d stopped
To find that it wasn’t in London they’d dropped
Instead he was stood on a small country road
With white specks on the ground where it recently snowed
And all of a sudden, a smile sprang on his face
“I know where we are, I was raised in this place!”
They got to the town, which Scrooge recalled well
The familiar sights and those market town smells
“So,” said the Ghost, “you remember your past?
“Can you even remember when you were here last?
“I must say, for them we are quite unseen.
“These people are shadows of things that have been.”
Scrooge’s old heart was filled with much joy
As they walked past people he knew as a boy
And for the first time in many a year
Scrooge briefly remembered what was Christmas cheer
But then they arrived at a small darkened school
With only one boy, sat alone on a stool
And in a split second, the old man’s heart sank
He stared through the window, his expression quite blank
He saw himself, young, in the school all alone
Watching him Scrooge sighed and gave a brief moan
As he watched this sad scene, he heard in his ear:
“Now let us go forward in time a few years”
And they saw the same scene; Scrooge had aged a bit
He sat on his own in the room badly lit
When a small girl came in, his young sister Fan
And said that their father was now a changed man
Young Scrooge was ecstatic; with joy he did shake
Knowing he’d be home over Christmas break
They left the dark school, and as they did so
The memory faded, and started to slow
“Dear sister,” Scrooge cried, “you now rest with the dead”
And he thought back to earlier, when he shunned nephew Fred
But he couldn’t mourn long as soon they had moved
At another part of the life of old Scrooge
In seconds he knew it – and why wouldn’t he
The place he apprenticed at age twenty-three
The merchant they worked for, had closed for the day
They were packing away books and old dossiers
When his boss walked in – a man massively big
Scrooge instantly recognised old Fezziwig
“Ebeneezer, and Dick!” he called out to them
“Remember our party starts at eight p.m.!
“I’ve spared no expense for the company ball!”
He showed them tables of food lining the walls
And then the guests came and all had such fun
To his workers Fezziwig’s generosity won
Scrooge looked back on his days as apprentice as great
And wondered what happened to Dick Wilkins of late
But he’d no time to think, for he was soon whisked away
To another part of lifetime replay
In this scene he saw himself and a girl
As cute as a button, as pale as a pearl
She was his old flame, a beauty called Belle
How they were in love, to be married as well
But ‘cos of his greed, though, she broke it off
And left Scrooge to marry some other rich toff
The sight of the woman left Scrooge in great pain
“Please no more or God, I swear I’ll go insane!”
His face was all pale, his features aghast
“Only one more” said the Ghost of his Past.
They still were with Belle, but many years on
In a house filled with joy, in the south of London
Her husband came home, with presents in arm
He was happy but showed in his face some alarm
“Scrooge is quite lonesome,” he said rather grim
“With the death of his partner, his life is quite dim
“It’s been years since he laughed, or I’ve seen him grin
“I fear he’ll be like that till life does him in.”
And then, in a flash, Scrooge was back in bed
No sign of the ghost with the candle-flame head
The visions of pasts played back in his mind
Like seeing again after years of being blind
Shaken from it, he felt rather stunned
He didn’t pay notice to the clock striking one
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Tuesday, 20 December 2011
Scroogical: Stave One
Today, I start posting up the five staves of the rhyme of A Christmas Carol I've been working on sporadically over the last couple of Christmases. This time, though, I've decided to finish it (I still haven't as I type this but hopefully in the next three days I will have).
Here is the first, the second to come tomorrow!
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STAVE ONE
Ebenezer sat down at his old writing desk
When at the door knocked Edmund Harrison, esq.
Scrooge opened the door to a faceful of tin
Which, when it was shook, made a metallic din
“What do you want, I’m a damned busy man!”
He battered away the old donation can
“We would kindly accept any cash for the poor.”
“No,” Scrooge replied, and he slammed shut the door
“Something for nothing!” he cried to the wall
“All this money I have, I worked for it all.
“And they want me to give it – they’re taking the piss!
“My old partner’d be sick if he heard about this!”
Ebenezer had cash, and he had bloody loads
The gold stuff was piling up in his abode
He didn’t like sharing, the stingy old git
And never would he give a penny of it
Bob Cratchet looked up from his book of accounts
“Surely you can give them a little amount.
“It’s a time for giving, it’s Christmas, be nice!”
Scrooge looked at him coldly and cursed once or twice
“On the subject,” said Bob ,
“Can I ask that I may
“Be with my family for Christmas day?”
“You want a day off?”
Scrooge choked on his words
He couldn’t believe what he thought he just heard
It took Bob some talking, but Scrooge finally caved
“You go, but remember your wage will be waved.
“Now leave me alone, all of you, go away.”
Like his nephew Fred who’d come over that day
All full of joy, with a song in his step
But Scrooge would refuse to share in with the pep
And would certainly not join their dinner
That covetous, wrenching and clutching old sinner
The sun soon did set and the old arse went home
Put striped jammies on, and a cap on his dome
He got into bed, and blew out the light
When a clink from downstairs made him sit up in fright
His eyes went all wide when he saw the bright shape
He watched it walk in, his eyes all agape
It might have been living, dead, or yet worse
It walked through the door, as slow as a hearse
Then Scrooge saw its face through decomposed skin
And he recognised the face of who had walked in
“Ebenezer,” said the ghost of his friend
Scrooge looked away and he tried to pretend
That he couldn’t see what was standing right there:
But he couldn’t escape Jacob Marley’s dead stare
His graveyard expression, all twisted in pain
He carried with him great monstrous chains
“I come with a warning,” the ghostly man said
As he approached, Scrooge climbed out of bed
“You cannot be real, my head’s playing games!
“Must’ve been dinner, my stomach’s in flames.
He pushed past the ghost and made for the door
But was stopped by a cold hand, and fell to the floor.
“All day I’ve been showing you omens and signs!
“All part of redemption – of my own design.”
Marley loomed over the tiny old man
“Now listen up, pal, I’ll go over the plan.
“You’re horrid and selfish and no one likes you.
“A change of behaviour is long overdue.
“Because of all this, tonight you won’t sleep.
“The things you shall see tonight shall make you weep!”
Scrooge stood up and sat on his mattress, and sighed
“You’ve not been the same, you know, since you’ve died.
“What happened to you? You used to be cool.”
“By morn, you’ll appreciate this season of Yule.
“I pay for my past, to Hell I’ve been sent,
“And come as a warning, so you might repent.
“It’s still not too late to make better your ways!
“With luck you’ll be fixed before Christmas day.”
In silence Scrooge tried to make sense of the words
The warning he heard just sounded absurd.
The ghost just continued in his ghostly tone
A morbid fusion of dark cries and moans.
“Tonight, my old friend, three ghosts you will see.”
And paused for a second. “Well, four counting me.
“And they will show you how awful you’ve been.
“When your past, and your present and future you’ve seen.”
And like that he vanished, leaving Scrooge in his richness
But popped back for a second to shout “Merry Christmas!”
And once gone again, Scrooge sighed in relief
He slept in the calmness of that cold Christmas Eve
-----
Saturday, 12 February 2011
More modelling and Snowfalls
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Good news, everyone!
in between a tonne of Futurama episodes, I have been working on uni stuff. Here's some of the latest work I've been doing on the Toil of Trouble short.
Books are for when the camera pans across the shelf. The fat witch has taken the most part of the week, but I'm actually quite happy with the finished product. Well, I still need to rig it and make the arms fatter, but those notwithstanding, I'm quite please with it. Now I've only got the one character left to model and I can put all that behind me.
Also, here's a "walk" cycle for the blob character I did yesterday. There's plenty to tweak here, but you get the jist:
Goodnight!
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