Weekly Wordzzle Challenge # 182

Still going with the story of Fred Johnson,  Paragon of Virtue. Here are links to the previous episodes.  If you need/want to catch up, click here for the 1st installment, 2nd installment, 3rd installment, 4th installment, 5th installment, 6th installment, 7th installment., 8th installment, 9th installment, 10th installment, 11th installment, 12th installment, 13th installment, 14th installment, 15th installment, 16th installment, 17th installment, 18th installment, 19th installment. 20th installment, 21st installment... 

Words for this week's 10-word challenge:  pampered, snow on the roof, alchemy, music, polar bear, number one, sneezing, join, traffic, hanging   And for the mini: shampoo, shattered, cosmic harmony, curvature, caterpillar

My mega:  


They decided to risk updating Psycho on recent events with the painter Purpose Perfidy and found him still in his greenhouse removing a caterpillar from a hanging fuscia plant. His pampered gardens brought out the best in Psycho and seemed to have restored him from the shattered state in which the Paragon had last seen him. Outside, there was snow on the roof and it was cold enough for a polar bear's paradise, but greenhouse was a veritable wonderland - an alchemy of sound (the Count had soothing music piped in for the plants), color and the redolent aroma of roses and other plants. Even the curvature of the walls and decorations created a kind of cosmic harmony that reached into the heart and lifted the spirit. Even the layout was designed to make the flow of human or other traffic flow with a kind of easy harmony. "This place is magnificent, Psycho. I think it would rate as the number one greenhouse not just in the Kingdom of Sunday, but in the known universe." Fred exclaimed. "It truly is a horticultural treasure house," McFlash joined in. "The Count has even created a corner for me where he grows some of the rarest and most desirable healing herbs and plants. I use his herbs for everything from shampoos to remedies for sneezing, coughing and a host of maladies. But, alas, we did not come here to bask in this healing beauty. We have serious news to tell, both good and bad."  

My mini:

As McFlash spoke, the sense of peace and cosmic harmony seemed to be briefly shattered, but the Count quickly recovered himself and said, "Before you go on, let us have this conversation in comfort. Let us go to my special place where we will be ensured of both comfort and privacy. So saying, he lead them to a corner of the greenhouse where the curvature of the wall, it turned out, concealed a small room - well and apartment really -filled with some of the most beautiful plants Fred had ever seen. Leading them to a small sitting room, he offered them each a cup of tea. Even more surprising - to Fred at least - they were joined by two very affectionate cats - Shampoo and Caterpillar by name - who, after a brief nose-rub with The Paragon's dog Cane, settled happily in Psycho's lap. 




And the 10-word: 


Looking at their surroundings - an eclectic mix of the sophisticated and the child-like - Fred felt deeply moved by this deepening new vision of his former nemesis. The same subtle and soothing music played in this private area as in the outer gardens. Also, despite the odd mix of decor - one corner contained a large stuffed polar bear, several teddy bears and variety of other toys, while hanging on the wall was a collection of exquisite paintings of various types - the room had the same alchemy of some deep spiritual and sensual fusion as the more public parts of the greenhouse.  It was almost as strange to see Psycho snuggling the two pampered and sneezing cats as it had been to see the vulnerable child within just a day earlier. He knew he should hold on to caution, but he had a deep, intuitive belief that this space reflected the real Psycho and that speaking the truth about his mother had broken some kind of powerful spell. He knew it was a risk in some ways to offer total honesty to the Count, but it also seemed the only path forward, because his intuition also told him that once the spell was broken, the danger to Psycho's mother would deepen rapidly. As if sensing the Paragon's thoughts, Psycho broke the silence among them. "I have never allowed anyone but the cats to join me here before this day. This greenhouse and this secret room were created for my by my grandfather on my mother's side, that gentleman with the snow on the roof as they say, I believe,"  he said pointing to a startling portrait directly of a dignified but kind-faced gentleman across from him. There could be no doubt that this was Amelia Purist's father. The resemblance was unmistakable. I always feel like he is still watching over me somehow.  "He told me things as a child that I didn't understand, that my father was trafficking in the dark arts and that if I came to him here, he would watch over me. There was a poem he told me to remember. He said that a time would come when it would save my mother and me and the kingdom. I had forgotten it until you spoke of her portrait last night... until you awakened me. It's a kind of song, I guess. "Remember son, the Number One, Sun to sun, the Number One, Day is Done, the Number One, that is how the spell's begun, First we dance, then we run, then we watch the web be spun. Hate expires, Love has won, Love is ONE. Dawn of day to setting sun. Remember always Number One."  They were all silent for a moment after he had recited his grandfather's song, which the Paragon was simultaneously transmitting to Paraphrase and Spark. He could feel the dragon laughing with each word and his own spirits lifting. There was hope for them yet. 

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Words for next week's 10-word challenge:  speaker, moose, garbage, clouds, SOS, simple, calendar, entertaining, wool, bananas

And for the mini: sweet, whimper, orange glow, flute, dose

Thanks you for playing.  Newcomers can check here for some guidelines to make the game more fun. There are no rules, just some general guidelines and tricks.