Untitled

[mario_sunny]

Please, I beg you if you read this please reply. Topics on the library starve with barely any replies, and it would be very nice to recieve some. :D

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Updated: 3/31

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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"What do you think Henry?" the middle aged man asked me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A sunny afternoon on the Catherby beach. Fishers pulling up their edible prizes, trolls occasionally whacking the unfortunate passerby, and my tree- oh dear. It appears my apple tree has fallen to illness. I frowned at the sight. I am not a farmer but I do love to grow my own fruit trees, and at one point I almost considered myself and expert at growing them. It appears though now now nature has worked against me. I sighed and hoped I had stored another fruit seed in my bank, this time I would take extra care of it. Before I relaxed back in my chair though I remembered the unanswered question that the man beside me had asked.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wilkes is... how would you describe him? Different I suppose, but not in a bad way. Intelligent, but not too intelligent. He lacks certain areas of study and focuses all his attention on others. For example, if you were to ask this man how a mace-type weapon would help in combat he would probably not know even the slightest clue. But something on the subject of the famous Holy Grail he could probably tell you a bucket load about, for I believe he loves reading books. He is a man of persistance, detirmination, and well... wits.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Again I have wandered off, for this question had remained unanswered. I thought of a conclusion and presented my work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I believe these fish are not biting because of defective bait. Even though the rod is out of shape I doubt that would have to with this problem. The line seems fine, so I think it is just the bait."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wilkes rubbed his chin as he stared at the rod, bobber floating in the water. It took several minutes for him to answer, he seemed to be examining the fishing equipment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"It could be indeed. But have you ever considered we could have inadequate fishing skills?" He chuckled.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I smiled back. Wilkes, how could I forget, a joker.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He leaned back in his wooden chair.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I suppose we will have to buy our fish- as the live ones seem to despise us at the moment. Only a few steps from here actually is a fishing shop run by one of my old friends. He always has the freshest fish and keeps the freshest secret for his friends."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He stood up suddenly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Chop chop let's go!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I followed his command and reluctantly stood up and heard something pop in my knees. I strected my legs and arms a bit after a long relaxation and proceeded to follow Wilkes to the shop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was then that we stumbled upon our case.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inside Catherby's most popular fishing shop(well techinally the only one) lay the jolly Harry. I barely knew the fellow, but I did know he ran this rather large shop in Catherby. I could swear it had every fish in the sea, although I can't be certain as I am not a fisherman myself. I did know, though, that had inherited his business from his father about twenty years ago, or at least I heard while hacking through the plentiful willow trees in Draynor. Always waving as passerbies, always carrying a wide grin, this business owner actually didn't seem so jolly today when we approached east Catherby. For on his chubby face lay a large frown, in his eyes depression, and the wrinkles on his skin had seemed to grow deeper when I had last seen him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

His traditional welcoming to customers unfortunetly did not come when we entered the smelly shop, in fact it was if he did not even recongize that we had stepped in. The old man had sat himself on an old wooden chair, most likely an heirloom by the unique designs. Although puzzled by his unusual ignorance, I knew my questions would soon be answered.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Ah hello Harry, mighty fine day it is for some fish." Said Wilkes. He raised his eyebrow and tilted his head. "I'm hoping to visit the stronghold for some lovely spices for dinner tonight, I have heard from sources they have delicious delights. One cod please."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harry, seemingly unamused by his vistor, gave a low grunt and lowered his elbows to his knees, resting his hands on his chin. Several akward seconds passed, a time when I wanted to burst out anything- just something to interupt the akward moment. Finally Harry said something, slow and sad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"John..." he began and heavily sighed. "I'm done John, I'm done. All the work my father put into this business, all those years gone. I'm ruined John, how am I suppose to sell like this?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wilkes seemed just as confused as I, what was this man talking about?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Harry, what are you-". He was cut off though when Harry stook up suddenly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"HOW AM I SUPPOSE TO RUN A GOOD BUSINESS WITH THAT THEIF RUNNING AROUND STEALING MY FOOD EVERY NIGHT!" Harry angrily screamed at us. We were both stunned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I'm sorry... I-" he lowered his head as it came from red to its normal color. "You see, there has been a theif running around my shop- stealing my fish at night. Every night he does it, way late when all the fishers have departed. You'd think he steal only enough to feed himself, most of these people are poor ones who devote their life to thievery. Most of these common ones just come in once or twice- steal some shrimp or herring just to get some food to feed their crying stomachs. But no, this guy steals fish by the dozens, and lots of sharks and swordfish usually. He's running me dry god damnit! I don't know how the hell he does it, but somehow he does. I lock up the shop every night, windows sealed, doors tight shut. Once I tried waiting outside my store a night, I barely stayed awake but lucky my good friend Charlie was there. We kept shifts ya know, switching in and out. Well that night the theif didn't even show his face- but the next mornin' I discovered 30 fish missing!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harry glanced over at a fish barrel to the side. His eyes lowered, but the suddenly it was as if a lightbulb had suddenly turn on inside his head.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Hey you're a somewhat of a detective right? You can help me! Oh please at least stay to see if you can find any clues!" The round fisherman blurted out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wilkes flinched. I knew what it was, "somewhat". Just a few days with Wilkes and I knew he did not prefer that dreaded word to be put in the same sentence with the word "detective". A calm and polite man though, he held back his anger.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I suppose I could look around the place a bit..." he trailed off and he took a quick fake glance around the room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harry ran up to Wilkes and squeezed him. "Thank you! Oh thank you John! It would mean so much to me to get this dirty theif off my back! He'll soon face justice I sence!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And we went strait down to business. Wilkes asked for Harry to leave his store for us both to examine the place for any clues perhaps. I could see the dissapointment in his eyes when we asked him to do so, I'm sure it's quite exciting for him to see a detective at work. We seemed to share the same minds, as Wilkes assured him it wouldn't take long and we would go over everthing after we were done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a curious place this fishing shop by the beach. From mounted stuffed swordfish to hanging ship wheels it contained many accessories. Shelves full of fishing supplies, a sink for dirty hands to be cleaned, a medium-sized fishpond where pet lovers could attempt to catch their very own fish, lovely ferns, three tables, two stools, and several broken harpoons lying in the dust. We went our seperate ways, I exploring the north side, him the south. Dirty dishes, pots and pans, and unattached pipes lay around the untidy area. I carefully picked up each idividual item and examined it for anything- anything that would get this mystery rolling. I was dissapointed though to not find one thing that seemed even the slightest bit suspicious. There was, though, a pipe clogged with some rather disgusting unknown substance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The most curious item in my searching area were the shelves. Piles and piles of fishing equiment, some I did not even recognize. Some even looked like weapons of a murderer, but I reassured myself no one has been murdered... yet. Not only catching equipment, but bait lay there too. From large ones the size of a gnomeball to smaller ones even a shrimp might not find appetizing. It was yet again to my dissapointment that nothing seemed suspicious. I frowned and then returned to Wilkes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My expression matched his unfortunetly, puzzled. We then called Harry in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He came in excited, apparently hoping we had found something, but to his dismay we had only asked him in for a small question.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Harry", Wilkes asked, "Where do you store all your fish? Surely you have bundles of fish, yet I only see two barrels for storage!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Why of course I store it upstairs!" Our shop owner replied.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"But you don't have second story, you don't have a ladder."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"'Course I do, it's just a bit hidden." He smiled.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harry then lead us to the shelves I had previously examined. I was suprised then when he began to climb up the shelves and then prompty open a trapdoor on the ceiling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Heh, 'ol secret enterance of ours, me father built this himself." And we all three travelled up the squeaky shelves and up into the trapdoor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What did one expect? Barrels and barrels of stinky, smelly fish lay before us, some toppled over, some stacked on top of eachother. The place was small too, with it's strange triangular ceiling. But somehow Harry had managed to fit what looked like two dozen barrels in this attic. Harry let us examine the place for a bit then spoke.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"This is where dat thief has been stealing my fish! See that one turned upside down over there? Empty. Half my supply of lobsters are now gone! I swear he'll come back for the rest soon. That dirty thief!" He shook his hand in anger as Wilkes tried to calm him down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"There's nothing fishy here... well except fish!" Wilkes chuckled at this own joke. And with that we travelled back down the trapdoor to the first floor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was quite a strangle case. Somehow this clever thief had managed to crawl into the shop late at night and steal four bucketloads of fish! What puzzled me the most is the fact that all the windows were sealed and doors locked. This certainly is a tricky criminal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before we had given up though Wilkes had noticed something strange on the ceiling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Harry..." He trailed off as he looked up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Hmmm?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Why is there a metal lining running across your ceiling?" Wilkes asked politely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Oh why me father built that a long time ago, it was for extra support to hold all those fish on the second floor. I don't think anyone would like it if suddenly over 300 fish fell on their head." The fisherman chuckled.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wilkes then ran his bony finger along the dusty metal lining, almost using his tip-toes. Then he noticed it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About one to two feet apart on one metal bar there were strangle spots where there was no dust. The spot had two squares about 2 inches in length and were spaced apart by about 4 inches. Wilkies eyebrow shot up on the sight of it, probably very excited.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Did you ever notice these strangle marks on these linings Harry?" Wilkes asked, eyes still glued to the ceiling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harry had to walk over to it, pull out a stool, and stand on it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Perculiar!" the round shop owner gasped in excitement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The marks could not be seen from a distance and even I, who considered myself having great vision, could not see the marks until I pulled up a stool myself. Yes indeed they were there, strange marks spaced apart as if...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Wilkes! Someone must have... climbed on this or... something..." I realized I hadn't really planned what I was about to say, putting me in a clumsy position. Alas though, my conclusion was correct.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Indeed Henry, the thief must have used some sort of devise to climb this ceiling, but what could make such marks? Strange they are." Wilkes answered.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Perculiar!" The fisherman gasped again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Suddenly a thought came to me. I remembered one day travelling to Draynor Manor, as I heard from my friends it was a great place to visit. Although I did not particularly like the chairs that follow a passerby around and whom stop when they look back, the coffin with a rather loud banging noise coming from inside, and a mad Professor who lived at the very top of this seemingly abandoned manor, I did notice another room which I had previous passed uniterested. But now I was, as I just noticed a woman inside, fumbling with what looked like a big metal backpack. I was going to turn around and leave her to her work, but curiousity took a hold of me and I entered the room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Her name was Ava, and apparently she was an expert in the feild of science. The stange metal backpack she was working on was a metal attractor- how strange. It harvested metal objects at random with it's strange powers. I had been confused and concluded it was the work of magic, but she assured me it was just a magnet. A magnet! What a strangle devise, something that could attract metal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I presented my story to Wilkes and he perked up with excitement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Ah very good Henry! I remember this woman well, for I had once lost my way to Edgeville and had somehow entered the manor in which she was in. Oh yes what did she call it? A magnet! Of course! What a genious device, something that can attract metal. Therefore this theif must have used a magnet to climb up these linings, undectable on the floor! Genious!" Wilkes said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"That still leaves us to how he even came in-" I mentioned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I know- but for now let us track down this Ava and see if she can give us any information on this clever criminal."

[Geordiequeen]

I like it, it could be better if you improved your grammar a bit but on the whole quite a intresting story to read.

[dragoncmd]

Quite refreshing to see a readable AND intresting story. Only thing I would complain about is the short chapter.

[mario_sunny]

Quite refreshing to see a readable AND intresting story. Only thing I would complain about is the short chapter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks :mrgreen:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The chapter actually isn't done yet :P