A London story
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By Time Out editors
Posted: Tue Feb 27 2007 Last week, novelist Toby Litt kicked off our chain story . Here is the second chapter, written by Time Out reader Peter Beverly. Thanks to everyone who contributed.
Chapter Two by Peter Beverly
Mo rested her head and closed her eyes. She needed to dissociate from landing to avoid fear. She thought about the adolescent fights she had had; the attempts to assert her independence, causing scars that had never healed. How she had not been there to help Betsy.
The plane landed. She collected her belongings and made her way into the airport. She was struck by the dirt, noise and long queue compared with the clean efficiency of Berlin. As she emerged, she saw Maureen and her father Otto looking older, greyer, tired.
She hugged them both tearfully. ‘Tell me what happened?’ Feature continuesAdvertisement
‘She said she was going to Caroline’s on Friday after school. But she was lying. She never went there and we have had heard nothing.’ Her mother gulped.
Her father stood back, looking at Mo.
‘Caroline said she had been seeing a boy. Babygirl told her he knows you. He is German, working over here for a while. 24 . Your age. She said his name is Franz.’
Mo blanched. She only knew one person who fitted that description and immediately she knew Babygirl was alive but in danger.
Mo had had a relationship with Franz Schmidt for several months two years previously, when she first moved to Berlin. He had moved into her flat. He was dark, tall and handsome, with piercing blue eyes. He said he was setting up his own investment company while still working for an accountant. She had found him to be a fraud, but not before the £10,000 she had invested in his company had disappeared with him. She felt cold as she thought about Betsy, young and gullible. Their mother’s inherited wealth. The houses in Kensington , Cornwall and Scotland. The trust fund to which Betsy, like Maureen,would have access when she reached 16.
‘I must go to the police,’ Mo mumbled.
‘They weren’t very interested,’ said her mother. ‘They said most teenagers turn up again.’
‘They will be when they hear what I have to tell them,’ said Mo, pulling herself together and picking up her bag.
In the car she wondered how they would trace Franz. Her organised, comfortable, uncomplicated life had just turned into a nightmare.- Add your comment to this feature
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10 comments
Judging from the responses, it seems all are writers wanting to take a stab at writing the next installment. Eventhough we are now on the 13th installment, most of these responses happen to be for the first, a bit misleading in a way until you read carefully.
I'm confused - the title is "A London Story" but what's being published bears little or no relation to it. Babygirl appears to have been spirited AWAY from London; the frequent flashbacks to Germany are quite simply bizarre; thank god Howard Dorman has paid attention to the title!! This story is utterly depressing.
I think the best way to trace Franz would be to place a sheet of translucent paper over an old photograph of him and then carefully sketch his outline with a soft pencil, adding as much detail and colour for realism as possible.
It's no doubt that the piece is well written and would be a good read, but it's a genre. Toby did what he does -write well and about something he has a story in his head about. But if the TimeOut people wanted a large participation then it would have been better to start us off at a path with many possible paths.
Hmmm, nice idea, shame the first chapter is less than inspirational.
Really fun idea, but agreed the beginning doesnt leave a lot to work with at all. I guess the next chapter will really set the tone in stone. Also a deadline wld be nice for submissions (!)
Sorry to change the subject chaps,but I've just noticed that the capricious gods of the Time Out books section have once again ignored our prayers for the listing of our poetry club which they insist is finished. NO !
Y Tuesday poetry club, Tuesday 6th March 2007, 8pm, 3 Kings pub, Clerkenwell close EC1
London's cosy, candle lit club with a cat, 1 year old and going strong. Still a whopping FREE to get in.
Great idea, but a deadline when entries have to be in by each week would be useful. I couldn't see on in the mag or on the site.
Great Idea!! This would have been great fun, just wonder why you had to start us off so somberly with negativity looming in the future. It leaves us very little versatility. Hope you give us the chance again and start us off with a little lighter feeling and a chance for a diverse plot. I'll be looking forward to it.
Nice start Toby, rich with promise and all sorts of potential. It's inspired me to attempt an entry, but I'm a bit rubbish at fiction. Looking forward to the next episode folks.