Weekly Wordzzle Challenge # 185

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, 22nd installment, 23rd installment, 24th installment...

HARD TO BELIEVE I HAVE BEEN DOING THE PARAGON'S STORY FOR 25 WEEKS NOW. TIME GOES SO FAST!  THAT SAID, I'M GOING TO POST MR LINKY AWHILE, BUT WILL PROBABLY WAIT TO DO MY EXERCISES UNTIL TOMORROW AGAIN.  

6:30 Saturday - 2 down, one to go.  I'm not happy with what I have done so far but nothing better is likely to come to me. I'll post the first two and add the third after I eat supper. Sigh. I think maybe I should start cheating and make word lists that will be easier to work into my story, but where's the challenge in that?

7:30 Saturday - Finished... for better or worse. This week was REALLY DIFFICULT.

Words for this week's 10-word challenge:  platitude, cow, chilly, sport, match, star, wind chimes, hood, bandage, wedding gown   And for the mini: treatment, paper, independent, brick wall, revolution

My mega:

Meanwhile, back at the Fortress, a glorious revolution of sorts had taken place. Guided by Psycho, McFlash, Bubbles and the Paragon, the entire population was now chanting "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," and it was if a giant bandage had wrapped around the Fortress and some miraculous healing treatment had penetrated not just the hearts and spirits of the population, but even the air they breathed. The chilly brick walls seemed warmer. Wind chimes sounded more musical and food and cow's milk tasted better. The stars seemed brighter, the air purer, the sky bluer. The portrait of Amanda Purist was hung near the greenhouse, protected by multiple spells and dozen armed guards. Over a thousand independent agents were sent to scour the kingdom for the missing purple teddy bear and papers were circulated promising a reward to anyone knowing of a purple teddy bear matching the description and included picture. Stealing teddy bears from young children and dying them purple became an unfortunate sport until Psycho issued an edict forbidding it. They began a thorough and methodical search of the Fortress' archives, finding many interesting artifacts, from Amanda's wedding gown and wedding ring, to her childhood artworks, books and a host of other items which kept Psycho absorbed and delighted for hours. Fred Johnson watched him at times in wonder that this was the same person who had done so much evil for so many years. The transformation gave him hope, but as days passed with no sign of the teddy bear, he began to fear that they would not succeed in saving the Count's mother. And then, just as hope was fading, he heard the dragon's voice in his head whispering an old platitude. "It's always darkest before the dawn." We have learned from the painter that it is the key to unlocking a secret room. 

My mini: 

Paragon of Virtue, Fred Johnson distractedly scratched behind the ears of his beloved dog Cane, talking to him as he did so. "You know, Cane, I thought we were about to hit the proverbial brick wall and then - voila! - the dragon's voice offers hope yet again. Bubbles, McFlash and I have decided to take three independent revolutions of the Fortress. You are going to help me with mine. The dragon and the wizard have done a special treatment on this paper which we hope will allow you to guide me to the location of the secret room. It's worth a try, don't you think, my friend?" The dog wagged his tail, nudged the Paragon's hand and jumped to his feet as if eager to start their quest.

And the 10-word: 

As he moved slowly around the Fortress with his dog in tow, the Paragon continued his musing. "I'm trying to figure out, Cane my friend, why they would use a platitude like 'it's always darkest before the dawn," as a key. I wonder if there's a hint in it somehow..."  A light breeze stirred as they walked and he muttered, "Getting chilly, isn't it boy, zipping his jacket and pulling up its hood. And then he stopped in his tracks, looking around, realizing it wasn't a normal chill he had felt.  Looking to his right, there was a large infirmary, being exited by a man with a large bandage around his head, who stopped, struck a match and lit a cigarette before walking on. "Bar fight, I'll bet," the Paragon whispered to his dog. Looking to the left his jaw dropped as he looked at three shops. First was a sports equipment shop called Midnight Sporting goods, next a derelict toy store with collection of derelict toys collecting dust in the window (a stuffed cow, an old rusty train set and a fairy doll holding wand with a star on it)... it was the next shop that sealed the deal, though. Dawn's Wedding Gowns. "We've found it, Cane. Go and fetch the others." Then, stepping toward the door of the shop, he said loudly, "It's always darkest before the dawn."  Instantly there was the sound of wind chimes, a draft of cold, stale air, and a portal opened. "Bring the others," he repeated to Cane and stepped through. 

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Words for next week's 10-word challenge:  positive, genius, pot, red-head, clump, oops!, marionette, capricious, tapestry, putrid

And for the mini: temper, boil, cluster, cute, dilly-dally

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.

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