Two Heads for Business
A short story written by Mitch Moldofsky with PlotWeaver: Cards of Creation, a storytelling game made by Mod Hob Cooperative.
This story uses a Frame Tale Plot Pattern, written in 15-minute timed acts with all story cards drawn at random. For more information, visit www.plotweavergame.com
Act 1: Outer Frame Introduction
Story Element Cards: The Flawed, The Jester, Lush Forest, and Tragedy
George Jonas pulled up on the reins of his horse and looked about. Seeing the remains of a previous encampment, he dismounted and called to Stewart, his steward, simply, “Here.”
“Here, here!” said Stewart, setting about gathering firewood, aplenty in the lush forest they were travelling through.
“I can’t wait to get home,” said George, beginning to set up camp.
“We are home, George,” said Stewart, building the fire. “Home is where the hearth is.”
“Enough of your puns,” George waved his hand dismissively. “It’s been a rough trip.”
“Was it?” asked Stewart. “I was outside with the horses most of the time.”
“You mean in the bar, picking up girls.”
“Tomato, tomahto,” said Stewart. “So, what happened with your business deal?”
“It didn’t go quite as planned,” said George. “And it’s partly my fault.”
“Go on,” said Stewart. “Tell me. Maybe I can help.”
“Ha!” retorted George. “That’s the funniest thing you’ve said all trip.”
Stewart let the barb slide off with a smile.
“Humour me,” he said invitingly. “I’m listening.”
Act 2: The Inner Story Development
Story Element Cards: The Villain, City Streets, and Isolation
“You know the basics,” George began. “I was there to see a restaurant. It seemed like a good investment, on a main thoroughfare, popular menu, and licensed.”
“But when I got there, it was a different story. The place was actually in an alleyway behind the main row of shops. The menu was basic, and the chefs changed almost weekly. And the liquor licence? They said it was forthcoming. A lock once certain health issues were taken care of. Nothing to worry about.”
“I see,” said Stewart, closing his eyes, a habit that annoyed George no end.
“What could I do?” George pleaded. “I told the proprietor, Sinbad, the deal was off. But then he became another man. It was a Jekyll and Hyde transformation — you should have seen it. It was like he almost grew another head. And then he came at me!”
“He attacked you?”
“Yes! What could I do? So I shot him. That’s why we left early. So, joker… what do you think? What should I do?”
Act 3: Return to the outer Frame
Story Element Cards: Parallel Universes merging
Stewart leapt to his feet.
“This is terrible!” he cried. “I never told you before, but Sinbad was my brother!”
George was dumbfounded.
“We lived in different cities and never spoke much,” Stewart continued. “When I learned you were going to see his restaurant, I had my doubts, but I kept them to myself. But now that he’s dead, I’m starting to miss him. There are so many things we never said. And now we never will, because of you!”
And then a strange thing happened.
Were George’s eyes deceiving him?
No.
Stewart was growing another head.
And it was Sinbad’s.
“What is happening?” cried George.
“We are not from here,” said Stewart-Sinbad in unison. “We hail from another reality. There is a war where we come from that has been going on for one thousand years. We escaped to this dimension to be safe, then split up once we discovered that two heads were frowned upon in this universe.”
George didn’t know what to make of that. He wondered briefly if Sinbad’s body was still on the floor of his restaurant, but he didn’t have time for idle speculation.
“All right,” said George. “I’ve heard enough. Sinbad,” he said, addressing the head to his right, “I’m sorry I lost my temper. You might not be dead, you know, I only think I winged you.”
Sinbad frowned, as if considering whether he should check.
“And Stewart, you know what your brother is like. You can’t really blame me for reacting the way I did. Why don’t the two of you just split up again and we’ll start over? Sinbad, you have my investment, but with conditions. First of all, that liquor licence.”
“You won’t be sorry,” said Sinbad, relieved, as his head disappeared.
Stewart shook his remaining head.
“Well, George, I guess it goes to show.”
“What’s that, Stu?”
“Much as I hate my brother, two heads are better than one.”
 | A guest post by
|