Jack [Story a Day - Day 5]
Yesterday and today I’ve been suffering from writer’s block. I just couldn’t get excited about any story. This evening my wife suggested I take a nursery rhyme and add a twist by changing a character or something. I decided to add depth to the tale instead. The first rhyme that came to mind was Jack and Jill. For reference here is the rhyme that I decided to make into a little story:
The Nursery Rhyme
Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after.
The Full Story
Jack and his maternal twin, Jill, were shoed out of their house on a fine summer’s afternoon by their mother. “You two go and fetch me some water from the well so I can start preparing supper.“
Jack dashed out of the house and ran straight for a water bucket. Jack was running at full speed as he approached the bucket. He leaned forward slightly and stuck out his hand to grab the handle so he wouldn’t have to stop. Jack’s mother just shook her head, “what a full hardy lad” she thought. Jack’s finger’s wrapped around the handle and then he tried to stand up having grabbed his bucket, but the bucket’s weight threw off his balance and Jack crashed on the dirt road leading away from their house.
Jill went skipping by Jack with her bucket swinging by her side saying something that sounded like, “silly boy.” Jack slowly pulled himself to his feet, brushed off his pants, and wincing slightly, smiled at his mom and waved. He then turned to catchup with his sister in a slow job that had a slight limp. Jack’s mother called after him, “And remember to stick to the switchback; don’t go climbing the step side of the hill again, Jack.”
In no time Jack and Jill reached the switchback trail that lead to the town’s well. “I bet I can get to the well before you can,” said Jack as Jill started to skip up the trail to the top of the hill.
“Haven’t you learned your lesson about running with a bucket in your hand already?”
“I tripped because I didn’t expect the bucket to be so heavy.” Replied jack. “But this time I know how heavy it is since I’ve been carrying it. You just don’t want to race me because you know you’ll lose!”
“No. I don’t want to race yo…” Without waiting for Jill, Jack sprinted up the trail. “Hey! No fair. I wasn’t ready,” exclaimed Jill as she reluctantly ran up the trail behind Jack. Jill reached the well painting as Jack was pulling up his full bucket of water.
“Not only did I win,” said Jack, “I’m done getting my water. Slow poke.” Jabbed Jack as his bucket raised above lip of the well.
“So what are you going to do know? Run home with your full bucket and just leave me out here?” Questioned Jill.
“Maybe…” said Jack slowly as he started to back down the hill while holding his full bucket of water with both hands. Jack started to turn around in mid backward step to look like he was going to start back down the trail, when his heel caught on a rock and Jack lost his balance. Jack flailed his arms to regain his balance, which worked till the bucket full of water reached the edge of his flail and kept going. Jack side stepped, tripped and fell into a chaotic roll down the steep side of the hill.
Jill not knowing what to do, dropped her bucket and watched in horror as her brother bounced and tumbled down the hill and crashed on the path below. Jack didn’t move. Jill heard him groan and cry as he rolled down the hill, but now she didn’t hear anything. She could also see a slowly growing pool of blood around Jack’s head. Jill had to help, but going down the step side would mean she would probably fall as well. So instead she took the slower switchback trail that lead to the main path at the base of the hill.
Jill kept her eyes on the trail as she sprinted down it, all the while praying that Jack would be alright. As the switchback came near to where Jack lay, Jill looked up from the trail to see if Jack had moved and in that moment Jill tripped over a rock in front of her and tumbled down the rest of the hill to land a couple of feet away from Jack on the trail.
That’s the end of the nursery rhyme so it’s the end of my story.
