Thursday, December 17, 2009

The Conclusion of the Silver Safety Pin Affair - Scene 8

Scene 8 – the drawing room of the inn


SH: (hits the floor and starts crawling around for clues)


GB: (looks at BW) Um…I’d do that too, except I’d get tangled up in my snuggie.


BW: Same here. (to SH) What would you like us to do, Holmes?


SH (muffled from beneath the sofa): Bre, you shall go out in the garden; leave no corner unsearched. And I beg of you, take great care not to spoil any footprints.


BW runs to the garden


GB: And…what shall I do?


SH: (still under the sofa) Inspect the cage and the hamster for marks of tampering. You’ll find the fingerprint powder over there (motions with his leg over to the desk)


GB: (attempts to stifle a giggle) All right then. (fetches powder, starts applying it to cage) (mutters) I sure hope I’m doing this right…


SH: (yells) What was that?


GB: Nothing, Holmes, nothing. (continues) Holmes, there are some very strange marks here…


SH: (springs up, bumping his head on the couch in the process and rushes over) DON’T TOUCH THEM!

Ahem, yes, don’t. (rubs the back of his head)


GB: (crossly and sarcastically) Darn that, I really wanted to pet them.


SH: Please compose yourself, Grace. (stops rubbing his head and lays hand on her arm while intently studying the powder)


GB: (stunned silence) (thinks) His hand…is on…MY ARM!


BW: (runs in) Some rather strange tracks in the garden, Holmes. (stops abruptly, takes in the scene) Um…

(walks over to GB, whispers) And you talk to me about playing lovers? Really?


GB: (whispers) He’s caught up in the moment; it’s the intriguing marks, not me.


BW: (resigned air, shrugs) Whatever.


SH: (breaks from his trance) These are no human prints.


GB: (proudly) So I deduced.


SH: (annoyed) Pray, do not steal my lines. They’re copyrighted, I assure you.


GB: (scoots down in seat) Sorry…


SH: (snickers) I’m merely playing with your sense of embarrassment; it’s quite amusing. But, back to business.

As I said, these are no human prints. However, it shall involve further study to ascertain what kind of prints they actually are. Ah, Bre, you say you have found tracks in the garden?


BW: Yes, this way. (snuggie gets caught on doorknob)


GB: (giggles) We probably should lose the snuggies real quick.


BW: (looks down) Yeah. Excuse us for a moment, Holmes.


SH: (grinning) Of course, my dears.


GB and BW, both rather flustered, rush back to the room and remove their odd apparel, then rush to the garden


BW: (points to a long, thin, slithering track, complete with claw marks) I am quite at a loss to discover what made these. They are exceedingly singular.


GB: Those are freakish. (whispers) like your hamster.


BW: (coughs) Fluffy is *not* freakish...


SH: (examines ground, oblivious to the girls) Ah…there is something amiss here, as there was in the prints inside. But I can’t put my finger on it.


BW: (wrinkles forehead to think) Hmm.


GB: Well, at least Fluffy is unharmed. (covertly rolls eyes)


SH: Ah, yes, little Mr. McFee. (exchanges humorous glance with GB over BW’s head)


BW: (straightens up from looking at tracks) I’m sure he’d prefer being referred to by his first name as well,

Holmes. (smiles widely)


SH: (twitchy half smile) If that is Fluffy’s wish. (bows in the direction of BW)


BW: (blushes and looks at her feet)(thinks) oooh...the twitchy half smile...


GB: Shall we go back in and plan our next move?


SH: Excellent proposition, Grace. (offers each girl an arm)


GB and BW smile at SH


EXEUNT

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Sherlock Holmes Camping

So Grace just sent me this funny email, and I laughed and thought I would share it with y'all.

Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson are going camping. They pitch their tent under the stars and go to sleep. Some time in the middle of the night, Holmes wakes Watson up.

"Watson, look up at the stars, and tell me what you deduce."

Watson says: "I see millions of stars and even if a few of those have planets, it's quite likely there are some planets like Earth; and if there are a few planets like Earth out there, there might also be
life."

Holmes replies: "Watson, you idiot, somebody stole our tent!"

*giggles*

The Conclusion of the Silver Safety Pin Affair - Scene 7

One of the randomest scenes, imo :P

__________________________

Scene 7 – Inn in Australia


SH (pats BW’s hand) I shall leave you ladies to freshen up. I shall return soon, with my walking stick and a new safety pin.


BW (nods and unlatches herself from Holmes’ arm) I shall prepare Fluffy.


GB (puffs into the inn as SH walks away) (when SH is gone, grabs BW’s arm harshly and pulls her into a corner roughly)(mockingly) Oooo Holmes! I shall prepare Fluffy for our intimate little stake-out! We could even have little watercress sandwiches! How DARE you?! HOW DARE YOU!?


BW (despite the pain in her arm, smiles sweetly up at her assailant) How..dare..I..what?


GB (releases BW) You, still call him “Holmes,” and sit nearest him in the carriage…and take walks with him in the garden, and present all these..weird…ideas, and HE ACCEPTS THEM! AND YOUR HAMSTER IS FREAKISH! (pulls out crowbar she removed from BW’s suitcase after the last incident)


BW (yelps and backs up, hands in the air) This isn’t funny, Grace, please stop.


GB (holds crowbar over head) You know what else isn’t funny? YOU STEALING MY BELOVED!


SH (jumps out from behind GB, grabs the crowbar, and does a sweet move, a flip in the air, and waves his arms around) Hah! (runs behind the building with the crowbar)


GB (flushes, surprised) Oooooh my word…oooooooh my word…(wants to sink into the ground)


BW (hands still up, staring at the corner of the building where Holmes disappeared to in some shock)


GB and BW gawk at SH when he returns, laughing


SH (laughing, smacking the crowbar against his palm) I knew this (holds crowbar up) would make it’s return, though I had no idea in such a fashion. I am very surprised at you, Miss Brennan. I had no idea you were capable of such…(stops when GB starts crying)


GB (starts to sob)


BW (starts crying as well)


GB (runs to and hugs BW) I’m sorrrrry!!!!!!! (continues sobbing)


BW (sniffling, hugs back) It’s alriiiight!!!!


SH (witnessing in triumph, trying to piece together exactly what’s going on) I will be going now. Bre, here is your

safety pin. (hands safety pin to BW)


BW (shocked that he used her first name, blinks and takes safety pin without letting go of GB)


SH (pats GB’s back) Try to control yourself a bit more effectively, Miss Brennan.


GB (fresh round of sobbing at hearing her name used formally)


SH exits


BW (apologetic) I’m really sorry…um…yeah.


GB (lets go and heads off to her room)


BW (trails behind)


Girls get to room and the door is locked on the inside


BW OMG! What is going on?


GB (stares blankly at the door)


BW (starts kicking door)


SH (shouts from the inside) Hey! Stop that! I’m coming!


BW (turns to GB, one eyebrow raised) Whaaa..?


GB Um, this is weird.


SH (opens door) I am leaving now. You two will stay here, in your room. (unscrews door handle and turns door knob so the lock faces outward)


GB and BW watch, mystified


BW Holmes, what on earth are you doing?


SH (finished, motions for the girls to enter) I’m taking the crowbar, I would rather not return to find either of you murdered in your bed. There are two boxes, one for each of you, inside on your beds. (walks inside the bedroom, returns with Fluffy in the cage) Bre, I need the safety pin.


BW (on the way inside, hands him safety pin, still getting used to his calling her by her first name) What are you doing with Fluffy?


GB (mechanically walks in and goes to box on the bed) Thank you so much for taking Fluffy (shudders)


SH I’m going to stake-out. But you two will stay here, and resolve this whole issue, *without* killing each other. Open your boxes, I’m locking you in. Good night.


GB (whirls around to protest, but SH is already gone and the door locked) (to BW) Oh goodness.


BW (meanders to the box) Wonder what these are?


GB I’m slightly past caring at this point.


BW (opens box) I do. (takes lid off) Oh my GOSH! A SNUGGGIIIIIIIIIE!!!!!!


GB (forgetting the whole issue) Are you serious? (opens her box) Yessss! A snuggiiieeee!


GB and BW don the snuggies


GB How did Holmes know that I wanted a snuggie?


BW I don’t know! He’s so thoughtful.


GB I know. (girlish giggle)


GB and BW start spinning around in the snuggies


BW (stops abruptly)


GB (runs into BW) Hey! I need to spiiiin!


BW (gasps) What if we planned a SURPRISE for Holmes, when he returns? You know…to show that we’ve made peace with each other, and aren’t going to murder each other with crowbars in the middle of the night when

we’re supposed to be asleep?


GB (slightly worried that BW plotted something behind her back, but goes with it) A surprise? What *kind* of surprise? And he took the crowbar…


BW (eyes sparkling) A SNUGGIE DANCE!


GB Shweet! A snuggie dance! We could totally choreograph it and everything!


BW (laughs) Yes! A snuggie dance. We shall choreograph a dance…in our snuggies!


GB (dissolves into a fit of laughter on the floor, becoming entangled in her snuggie in the process)


SH (listening with his ear to the door…hears laughter and something about dancing, and leaves, smiling)


BW (helps GB to her feet, starts flapping her arms around and kicking her feet)


GB (follows suit)


GB and BW continue to dance around in their snuggies


GB I know! (runs to suitcase, pulls out fluffy flip-flop slippers and a big, floppy, purple hat) Did you bring a hat?


BW yes! (runs to suitcase and pulls out bunny slippers and a black bowler)


GB (excitedly situates hat on head and puts slippers on, while trying to maneuver the snuggie around) We have to dress up.


BW (nods and pulls slippers on, while the bowler slides down her nose)


GB (noticing the bowler) Why do you have a bowler in your suitcase? I thought you liked floppy sun hats.


BW (pushes bowler back up on head) Um…yeah. I do. I just…brought…my bowler, just in case I needed it.


GB (confused) A bowler, and a crowbar. It’s like you’re turning into a homicidal Watson or something! Were you planning on murdering me in my sleep??!


BW Noooooooo. Why would I do that?


GB (worried, remembering the first crowbar incident) Um…maybe because I insulted your hamster or

something?


BW (starts to speak, but then something slides under the door) (inspects the object)


GB DUDE! It’s a…it’s a…


BW (raises eyebrows) Uh…what is it?


GB (confused, picks up brown, crescent shaped object) It looks like…a…


BW (pokes it) Is that a banana?


GB (squishes it, the inside oozes out) Uh, yeah, I’d say it’s a banana.


SH (snickers quietly on the other side of the door)


BW Uh oh…


GB Uh oh what?


BW I think that was our dinner…and you squished it!


GB (frightened) Don’t murder me! NOO, please! (runs to the bed, becoming entangled in her snuggie)


BW (laughing) I wasn’t going to…murder you, but now you’re in a pretty predicament. (pulls chocolate Hershey bar out and starts eating) You squished your dinner, and you’re stuck in your snuggie on the floor. (meanders to the bed and sits down)


GB (looking at the banana) I’m pretty sure we’d get food poisoning from this, anyway. (realizes she’s still on the floor, enveloped in the snuggie) Um, help?


BW (helps GB up again) Now, you stand here, and you stand here. Throw that banana in the trash bin, please.


GB (throws banana away, then stands across from BW)


BW and GB start randomly dancing in their snuggies


SH (hearing their slippers on the floor and their giggling, leaves satisfied and heads back to Fluffy’s cage, where he finds the safety pin missing) What? (runs back to girl’s room, does baritsu on the door and knocks it down, and sees the girls singing loudly and thrashing about in their snuggies with their eyes closed) Bre! Grace!


GB (startled at hearing her first name) What?


BW (stops, embarrassed) What, Holmes?


SH The safety pin is missing. We must conduct a thorough investigation immediately! (turns on heel and runs down the hall)


BW (looks at GB, settles bowler back on head, and takes off down the hall in pursuit, snuggie flapping behind her like a cape and bunny-slippers’ ears bouncing)


GB (in a sort of shock) He called me Grace…he did, didn’t he? (realizing she’s alone, flings hat aside and rushes down the hall after SH and BW, snuggie flapping behind her)


EXEUNT

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

The Conclusion of the Silver Safety Pin Affair - Scene 6

Scene 6 – safari. Trio is squished into a carriage, BW in the middle


SH (thoughtfully, to no one in particular, looking out the window of the carriage): One should never go through life without taking a safari.


GB (raises eyebrows, leans forward to be sure SH isn’t paying attention. Whispers rather harshly) Don’t think I didn’t see you two out in the garden playing lovers.


BW (surprised) You *saw?*


GB (holds finger to lips) Shhh. If he hears it’s all over.


BW (checks to be sure Holmes isn’t paying attention. Whispers) Sorry. We were not ‘playing lovers.’ He saw I wasn’t feeling well and offered to take me outside for a stroll in the garden.


GB (heatedly) For goodness’ sake, if that’s not playing lovers, I don’t know what is.


SH (stirs from his contemplating mood)


GB and BW look out opposite window quickly


GB (fuming inwardly)


BW (rather annoyed)


(All is silent for a few moments)


SH (leaps out of seat and points frantically out the window) There it is!


GB and BW (startled, jump up)


BW : There what is, Holmes?


GB (chokes and elbows BW)


BW (glares)


SH (excitedly, still standing in the small compartment) The animal I’ve always wanted to see in reality. I’ve written a monograph on them, but I have never actually *seen* one…(sits down and rubs hands together)


BW (confused look) Wha..?


GB (shrugs) I have no idea…


BW: No, I mean…I know what the animal is…I always wondered why he wrote a monograph on them…


SH is not participating in this conversation…he is eagerly staring out the window, watching some unknown creature worm its way through the tall grass


GB (nudges BW) What is it, obsessive, smarty-pants woman?


BW (still confused, in a sort of trance) I’ve read all of his monographs on everything from cigar ash to…


GB: SERIOUSLY, Bre! What is it?


BW (comes out of trance, matter of factly) Oh, it’s a platypus.


GB (mortified) Um…Mr. Holmes?


SH (doesn’t reply)


BW (bites lip trying not to laugh)


GB Mr. Holmes…are you, by any chance, referring to a…a…platypus?


SH (turning from the window) Yes, Miss Brennan, I am.


BW (emits a weird sound SH takes to be a giggle)


SH Miss Ward, I must ask that you stop making such noises. It’s very unbecoming of you.


BW (composes self) Sorry, Holmes.


GB (fuming, elbows BW again. Through clenched teeth) Hoolmes?


BW (innocently) He said I could.


GB (teeth still clenched) HE said you could!? He didn’t say I could!


SH (startled) Who didn’t say who could do what, Miss Brennan?


GB (confused, and a little embarrassed) It’s nothing, Mr. Holmes.


BW (trying to suppress laughter. Thinking:) I have triumphed! YES!


GB: (to SH) I have, however, been meaning to ask you…oh…this is silly…but…could I possibly…call you

Holmes?


SH (laughs softly): I had been waiting for you to ask that, Miss Brennan. Naturally you may.


(Trio exits carriage onto brick walkway)


SH (offers arm to BW)


BW (takes it and flashes an evil grin at GB)


GB (fuming, trailing behind)


BW: Where are we going now, Holmes?


SH: We are, at present, heading back to the inn. You two may freshen up while I retrieve my walking stick,

which, in my haste, I had forgotten to bring along. Then we shall go to dinner and possibly the opera.


BW (beams) The opera? I love the opera!


GB (runs to catch up) Me too! What after? Are we still pursuing the safety pin?


BW (reminded of Fluffy; thoughtfully) Holmes…


SH Yes, my dear?


GB (screams inwardly)


BW I don’t really want to put Fluffy through this terrible affair again…but…what if, instead of chasing Mr.

Moran around the globe, we simply placed another silver safety pin in Fluffy’s cage? Then we could hold a stake-out, and catch our culprit in the act!


GB (rolls eyes and wonders what on earth is up with this safety pin nonsense)


SH That is an excellent idea, my dear Miss Ward. We will not know if it would work unless we try. Let us

remain here in Australia, then, for another fortnight, and watch for our culprit.


NON EXEUNT…continue to scene 7