RuneScape Forum Archive | RS Story Contest

Heres my entry - I'm GMT, by the way.

Roaring red armour and ostentatious strength - the adventurer rolling in minefields of wealth. Garnered the sunrise, makes headway for the dawn, never stopping to think of the lowly street man. And every day heroes in every day towns, tripping on trade stops and duels and all, gambling and buying and stocking and hoarding, worrying and goading and gloating and all. And by chance one was stalled, in his great dragon suit, in the town of Lumbridge, and he sat on a crate outside a smithy watching a man just sitting around.

'I've seen him before' he muttered to himself. 'He stands 'round here all day doing nothing. What gives?'

So he rose and walked up to him, with a hand outstretched, and in questioning tone asked 'Hey buddy, why? Why do you stand around all day and all night, kicking your heels. Why?'

The man looked up at him with tired eyes, and shook his head leaning up at the wall. 'Its a long story, traveller. Would you hear it?'

'I've got time.'

'When I was a kid my dad was real poor, we lived all alone in the back-end of Lumbridge. He drank all day and I cried all night, and I'd swear myself I'd get out of that mess. So I walked and I walked looking to score a job - but they were all taken in the harsh rising inflation. I was one of the thousands scraping a living, unemployed and unskilled.

'But eventually I managed to get a little job out west - in Al Kharid, as a Bookie for the staking. I couldn't believe my luck - that just didn't happen, not then! And I worked very long hours for decent pay. And I got a little place there and met a sweet desert angel - I feel love with her forever, and times were real high. I'd take her for meals and to dances and garb her with jewellery and the finest of dresses.

24-Sep-2011 18:31:47

Bolshevikova

Posts: 1,216 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

'But… A law had been passed to make gambling illegal; no more staking, no more bookies, no more stadium revel. I was out of a job and forced to sell my place; I moved back with my Da and couldn't visit my girl, I was depressed and low and once more unemployed.

'And I'd write letters to my lover, but get little returns… Her father, you see. He didn't like me at all. I was a vagrant to him; a wasteman, a dupe. But… History has a way of repeating itself; and just as I thought there was no way out, I scored a job in the city! The new Grand Exchange!

'Thousands of workers from all over the world! Carting in goods from Gelinors ends! Walking and talking, short hours and high pay! I got a place in the city, and I had my girl in the sun! Her father slapped me on the back and called me his boy! My dad could afford fine food and got the landlord off his back! I'd smoke cigarettes and shoot the breeze with Varrocks finest! The real height of the times, juggling sales! I was lord of the land - I felt like Martin Sheen!

'And then, as I said… History has a way of repeating itself. And they made Free Trade legal again. People just… Selling their goods for whatever price they felt like! It took its toll on the Grand Exchange and… Well, they had to make cuts. First it was less and less coming through in my paycheck, and then finally the inevitable happened.

'I lost it all - I lost my job. I lost my place in the city, and I lost any way to see my girl… So, now I just stand around. Got nothing to do. Leaning up against this wall here, much better than sitting around inside watching my dad drinking himself away. This patch of ground is all I got left.'

'Wow, man' said the adventurer shaking his head in dismay, 'Thats tragic, and so interesting. I never knew the Men standing around here were so fascinating!'

'Oh, the other ones aren't. They just repeat the same three lines over and over again - ******* schizos if you ask me, makes me real uncomfortable.'

'Oh, yeah. 'Course.'

24-Sep-2011 18:32:07 - Last edited on 24-Sep-2011 18:35:35 by Bolshevikova