Both of Us

Story Based on Jeff's Portrait of Words

John and I wrote this story together. I wrote a line then he wrote a line and so on. We did not discuss where the story should go. But somehow this is the story we ended up with.

Sandra had to go to the dentist whether she liked it or not but she really hoped the penguin wouldn't come as well. It could cause her to get teeth worked on that were in perfect shape by influencing the Doctor. The very thought filled her with as much fear as the bus ride downtown.

Nevertheless she got on the 012 bus and then she found that a young man on the bus disturbed her. He had the look of a tough teen and wore a silly hat and , of all things, a necklace. The seats were occupied and the only available one was next to that strange young man, so she sat with her arms folded keeping herself as far away from him as possible. But she couldn't help looking at him and suddenly on the back of his seat was her penguin and a miniature lama. Her expression of shock made the young man look at her with a question on his face, and then to turn around to see what she was looking at.
" You can see my lama", he said.
"Yes, but are you able to see my penguin?" she asked.
"Of course" he said."They seem to be getting along"
His strangeness now was disappearing with the shared experience of seeing things, and she felt she could talk to him. She was wondering if he was cursed by a gypsy or perhaps, he was a gypsy.
"I am wondering if you find the lama a help or hinderance in your occupation , which is?" she asked.
" Lady you sure are nosy. I didn't ask you about your penguin. did I?"
With that retort she sat silently waiting for her stop.
At the stop which was in front of Bristol Bob's Beautiful Bowlatorium he followed her out of the bus. Sandy paused catching her breath, before she had to climb the steps to her dentist office above the bowling alley. " Are you following me" she said to the young man.
"No I am following the llama and a penguin. Your penguin has a bucket of rusty screws and I'm afraid he will dump them somewhere he shouldn't. Your not paying any attention to him."
"What makes you think I have any control over the penguin?"
He looked at her with a strange smile and said " I thought you were a gypsy but your one of the cursed aren't you."
"I am one of the cursed, but are you a gypsy?"
"Of course! But I thought you knew that because you could see the lama", he said.
" I need to get to my dentist, but I would like to talk to you more about llamas and penguins," she said as she began the climb to the dreaded dentist.
She looked back only long enough to see the penguin dumping the screws on his head while the lama tried to push it aside. Then she sprinted up the stairs.