My Friend Stephen

tribute to my friend Stephen. kinda.

I’ve known Stephen for almost thirty years. When I first met him in the eighties, he looked the picture of misery, nothing more than a bag of bones. He looked like Ichabod Crane with Glasses.

I’d gone to a bar for a quick drink and there he was, occupying a corner table, nursing a beer. To this day, I’ll never know what drew me to him. Don’t they say everything happens for a reason? I took my beer and asked if I could share his table. He just nodded and I sat there, observing him out of the corner of my eye.

Before long, he started telling me about himself. He said he was an aspiring horror writer and that he couldn’t finish his first novel ‘cos he was out of ideas. Now, being a prolific writer, blessed with a fertile imagination, I.. (What? It’s the truth, isn’t it? No, I’m not bragging.) gave him a few ideas to improve his story. He’d showed me the manuscript. I honestly didn’t think much of the plot, and the characters weren’t fleshed out enough. I vaguely remember it was about a guy falsely accused of killing his wife after he’d found her in bed with another guy. The husband was thrown in jail. And that’s where Stephen stalled. Well, at the time, I had plenty of ideas gambolling in my head, occupying space. I had no use for them so I tossed him a few. Stephen was thrilled and couldn’t stop thanking me, which was embarrassing as the bar had started to fill up.

The long and short of it is that I made his insipid story more interesting, tightened the plot and made the MC more believable. I concocted a brilliant (even if I say so myself) escape from Shawshank prison that took the unfortunate man twenty years to put in place. He ran away with the director’s savings, swimming through a mile of sewers. Later, the book was turned into a movie, if memory serves me right. I met Stephen and his wife Tabitha and their daughter Carrie at the opening. He was literally shining with pride.

That first novel launched his career. He never looked back, and to think that I practically wrote the damn thing. Cast your bread upon the water. Huh. Yeah, right.    

Author's Note

if you've read horror stories, then you must have spotted what's buried in this one.

Reviews

[barleygirl]

Your ego knows no bounds. You really are a fountain of amazing ideas, but this one stretches your credibility just a tad. Still, I'm always entertained by your fertile imagination. What makes this little ditty sing is the subtle laying down of recognizable details, rather than a big boastful blow.

[Woody]

:) I'm sure you know I'm not the boastful type. in fact I'm the opposite of my alter ego here.
I enjoyed slipping in a few of his most known writes. it was fun.
muchas gracias signorita (that's a new one)

[barleygirl]

Yes, your shy modesty is what I find most attractive . . . *smile*

[Samuel Dickens]

I think I caught some, if not most of the names. As always, it's clever writing, but the thing I notice most about this is the degree of polish on it. Technically, it's the cleanest, best writing of yours I've seen to date. Very nice, indeed. Many around here should take note. I found two nits--"...I had plenty of idea(s) gamboling in my head.." Only one "L" in "gamboling".

[Woody]

thanks heaps Sam. I'm elated you found this one good. boy! praise from the master :)
I'll add the "s" to idea. as for gambolling, I chose to stick to the English spelling. I've got nothing against American, it's a choice I made from the start and I try not to mix both.
thank you dear Sam.

[Matching Socks]

I just knew you were rubbing elbows with the rich and famous! :)
Does he really have a daughter named Carrie? That's creepy.

[Woody]

haha no. I just had to slip Carrie in somehow. it's actually the title of his first novel. in the movie, the lead role was played by Sissy Spacek if I remember rightly. his wife's name's really Tabitha.

[Matching Socks]

Yes, I remember the movie. But it was so long ago. I didn't realize it was his first.
Ok, I know he has a son too.

[Woody]

I know it was his first. yeah a very old one. s**t gives an indacation about my age. too late now. I didn't know he had a son. I know he has a dog.

[Matching Socks]

Lol. You're ageless, don't worry.

[Mr_M]

Woody you will need to lend me your wise and inspiring words! Great little story with a clever streak running through the heart of it.

[Woody]

Hi there Mr_M. thanks heaps. appreciate your stopping in. pardon me for asking but any idea who my friend is? cos if you don't, then I consider I have failed miserably in my stab at humour.
had a quick look at one of your stories earlier. back for a review.

[Delmar Cooper]

You are simply too generous for your own good. Did the ingrate even so much as offer to buy the next round?

[Woody]

I know you're being sarcastic, Delmar, but I can't help worrying that you might've missed my point.
but to answer your question, he did buy the next round. these days, though, he pretends he doesn't know me.
thanks a lot Delmar for stopping by.

[Delmar Cooper]

Missed it? My round didn't land in the same county. I assume it was brilliant fiction rather than sad fact.