North Rivers Running Club 6x2

[Dorothy Pendleton]

Ophelia and her husband Ken fulfill the Jack-Spratt-dynamic of all couples by countering Ophelia's loquaciousness with Ken's broad Cheshire cat silence.

She already speaks German when she joins my advanced conversation class, and explains that they--we all think CIA--taught her to speak Serbian while Ken was teaching Russian to the enlisted men.

A life in Switzerland adheres to her German, but in acknowledging the Serbian, she has apparently already reached the limits of what she will divulge.   Hence, in their social interactions much of their life remains obscure.

Everything Ken and Ophelia do tends toward extreme sports:  they are both devoted member of the North Rivers Running Club.  Most members are gray heads:  old, and some emeritus, professors and their wives or current girlfriends--doubly bound together through the relentless academic grind and the miles they've clocked together:  jogging daily at noon, the annual marathon, and the forty miles to Willow Creek, a punishing intramountain course devised to test their manhood every spring.

"The creep, just fresh from another murder, runs down one of North Rivers' own on a sunny weekday morning, and the newspapers respond with impotent mewlings about multiple agencies and delicate considerations, BUT I want this jerk behind bars ,now--and for good!"

"He's already in custody," Ophelia assures me, "so my guess is they're being extra careful not to provide any legal loopholes by 'trying him in the press.'"

"If this guy walks free--I don't know what I'll do!" I croak, but she responds matter of factly, "Oh, if he gets out, someone will kill him."

"You mean?" I nod towards her husband.

"The guys," she responds, her voice rising slightly, as if I should have known.

The satisfaction that rises in me tastes metallic and familiar as my own blood.

[Sandra Davies]

I picked up a hint of Updike from this before reading the comments.   The culture is alien to me but the mystery of it beguiling

[Dorothy Pendleton]

Absolutely incestuous --and outside of time.

Got it!  Thanks.

[Gita]

You capture the somewhat incestuous atmosphere of faculty life -- or that of any small community of friends -- who work and run together. I love the opening Jack Spratt analogy. I recognized these people and now, with a murderer nearby, all kinds of plot possibilities open up. Is it one of the runners? Or will the club band together to off the killer? I am staying tuned.

And by the way, NEVER apologize for your work. It's a house rule.

[Dorothy Pendleton]

It's the first six that need work, but thanks for the encouragement.  Finally found some time to write and think I was just overwrought.  Feel like I'm dying of thirst in this wretched schedule.  Whine, whine.  Good to have your alphanumeric inspiration behind me.

[Kristine_ES]

Hi Dorothy!  Miss you too!

it's hard to cram it all into six sentences, what a challenge. but i think the main thing is that there is a story (an interesting one at that)  in there that wants to be revealed.

[Dorothy Pendleton]

Thanks Kristine, but this sucker is way too overwritten.  Don't have the rhythm of the six s yet.  Will keep trying.  Miss you!

[Kristine_ES]

ooohh...   there's a lot more coming behind this, i hope? 

i like these guys!