Category: Writings
Every now and then I get the urge to write something. Check out my dabblings here.
Wednesday Words – Bert & Jasper
There weren’t any juicy stories in the Burlingame Police Blotter this week, so I decided to try something different. I’ve always been a huge fan of westerns, so I wanted to write a short western story. Below is my first attempt. I learned, while writing it, that I’m not very good at writing westerns. Well in this style anyway. I have a fun western audio drama coming up that I think will be better than this. Anyway, it was just a first try. Enjoy. THe 100 Word Police Blotter stories will return someday!
Bert & Jasper
By Grant Baciocco
Bert Perkins looked at his horse and the horse, Jasper, looked back at him. He took a step towards the horse, the horse took a step back. They’d been at this for ten minutes. Bert looked towards the horizon. There was no way he would catch up to the posse at this rate. His chances of being able to split the reward money for helping catch Kurt Wembly were fading as the dust on the horizon that was kicked up by the posse riding out of town.
“Jasper, NOW is not the time.” Bert whispered through grit teeth. He was well aware that nosy eyes were peeking out of windows all along main street. He could almost hear Marla Grindle snickering beneath her hideous green bonnet of hers. He’d be the whispered talk of the Saturday night barn dance for sure.
Jasper snorted and shook his mane. His deep black eyes looked back at Bert without emotion. The sign outside Doc Cocharan’s office squeaked as it was blown by a small wind.
Bert spit into the dust on Main Street. Shaking his head, he fished into his shirt pocket and pulled out a sugar cube. He held it in an outstretched hand towards the horse. Jasper snorted and lifted his ears. Bert took half a step forward. Jasper simultaneously took a half step backwards and stretched his neck out and swiped the sugar cube from Bert’s hand.
Bert threw his hat down in the dirt. “Jasper! That is it! I’m telling you, you mangy horse, this is is your last chance. You either catch me up to that posse or I’m gonna put you out to pasture the hard way.”
Jasper knew a threat when he heard it. He bowed his head and dutifully stepped forward three steps to line the saddle up evenly with where Bert stood.
Bert snuffed. “Now that’s more like it.” Bert put one hand on the saddle horn as he put a foot in the stirrup. With his other hand he grabbed the reign. That was what Jasper was waiting for and the moment he felt Bert begin to pull himself up into the saddle the horse took off. Bert’s backwards momentum at the horse’s sudden jolt forward locked his boot into the stirrup. Reaching to free his foot, his hand caught in the reigns.
Bert finally caught up to the posse two miles out of Bentwood Flatts, having ridden the the entire time with his head inches from the prairie floor. His throat sore from screaming at the horse every obscenity he could think of, and a few made up just for the occasion. Jasper slowed as he reached the other horses, trotting to a stop. The rest of the posse stifled snickers as Carl Munroe hopped off his horse and helped Bert get untangled.
Bert stood up and dusted himself off. He thanked Carl and turned back to Jasper. Jasper looked back almost sheepishly.
Bert took a step towards Jasper. Jasper took a step away.
100 Word Wednesdays – Lost & Found (plus bonus story)
Another work of 100 word fiction inspired by an actual event from the Police Blotter in my hometown of Burlingame, CA. Enjoy!
Lost & Found
By Grant Baciocco
Roger had found it while he was pulling up the floor in the upstairs bathroom. After the initial shock, came the thought of what exactly he was going to do with it. He had poked it with a the end of the crowbar and it had done nothing. He’d tried throwing water on it but all that seemed to do was get it wet.
He next went to the shed and came back with a shovel. After several minutes of straining, he’d wrested it from between the floor joists.
The question remained…What was he going to do with it?
—
February 10, 2013 − 12:43 p.m.: A citizen who found something turned it in to police.
BONUS
Here’s a bonus story. This one is one I stumbled across while searching for Burlingame Police blotter stories. This one is from the Bay Area city of Foster City. Not too far from Burlingame.
Off to School
By Grant Baciocco
Officer Roberts removed his apron, being careful not to snag the apron strings on his revolver or nightstick. He gathered up the sandwich, apple slices and baby carrots that he’d just placed into sandwich bags and put them into the paper sack on the counter. He rolled up the top of that bag and, taking a pen from his pocket, wrote Alison’s name on the front.
Just then, Officer Morgan entered the kitchen with Alison in tow. Alison, groggy, sat down at the table as Officer Roberts served her scrambled eggs.
“Thanks.” Alison muttered.
“Eat up or you’ll be late.”
—
100 Word Wednesdays – Framed
Another story based on an item in the police blotter from my hometown of Burlingame, CA.
Framed
By Grant Baciocco
It’d taken him months to get just right. Lots of trial and error. Lots of decisions. Which rhinestones looked good with the wood varnish he’d chosen? The red ribbons or the green? Would the moulding obscure any information the DMV required to be seen?
When Richard thought of all the hours spent using the lathe, the hot glue gun, the wood burning iron his blood boiled. And he couldn’t bring himself to think about the Swavorski Crystals. It was all gone. It had been too special to put on his car but, dammit, he just had to show the world.
—
5:25 a.m.: A resident in the 1800 block of Casteneda reported his license plate frame was stolen.
100 Word Wednesdays – The Date
On time this week. Enjoy!
The Date
By Grant Baciocco
Marlene was several decades removed from the dating scene. True, her and Simon, rest his soul, had dated but that was before they were married at 17.
Here she was, 71, about to be taken on a date by a man she met in the supermarket three days ago. She’d put on a brand new flowery dress and a silver bracelet and had been standing by the door putting on her shoes as Walter had driven up out front.
That was 20 minutes ago. Walter had yet to leave his Buick. Marlene was nervous. Perhaps he was getting cold feet.
—
Marco Polo Way, 10:03 a.m. Thursday Police and fire department personnel assisted an elderly man whose seat belt was stuck.
http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-courts/ci_22524140/police-blotter-los-gatos-police-arrest-man-after