Just about 350 words thus-far

The Half-Story

A story can be seen in terms of two movements --
the complication/entangling/knotting phase
and the resolution/untangling/unknotting phase.

Write the first movement of a story -- that is, take a character
and get him into some kind of trouble (or burden him with a problem).

Keep the following guidelines in mind:
Make your character interesting and original.
Try not to depend on telling us about your character or what he thinks.
Rather, let your character be revealed indirectly.
There are many ways to do this -- through his actions and behavior,
his setting (e.g., home, belongings),
his friends, what he reads, etc.
(This is called showing, not telling.)

Your half-story should be about 550 words.
Make 5 copies to bring to class on Tuesday.

Henry lived with his parents, it was a small two bedroom house and the basement wasn't the best of places to live. He tried to find a job and his own place to live, at least, he tried every time his parents bugged him to. He really wasn't motivated to go. He had a warm-ish bed at night and a roof and food. He didn't need much more and so... he was set. Or so he thought.
Now one thing you gotta know about Henry. Henry liked the women-folk... Henry loved the women-folk.
Mrs. Peters, from across the street, now she was a bit of a batty old thing, but she never did like that Henry boy. She sat up at her open blinds all night watchin', thinking one day she'll catch him and be able to tell the whole town what an awful boy that Henry is.
Now often, Henry brought women by, many different women, different shapes, different sizes, even brought boys by from time to time. But Mrs. Peters never caught him with his blinds open. Henry never left the blinds drawn, he was a bit shy you know, but what was so strange, what kept Mrs. Peters watchin' was the fact that of all the people she saw go into his place, not-a-one ever left.
On a dreary night though, there was a light on in the cellar and she saw a sillowette in the window, wielding a pick-ax, hackin' away at somethin'. Immediately, Mrs. Peters called the Sheriff, and she thought: "Finally!"
When they broke down the door, they found not a soul upstairs and the basement door was ajar. Creepin' down ever so carefully, so as not to be heard or seen, the police found themselves face to face with what they were led to believe was a murderous family of deviants. Henry, Ma, Pa, and a cute little colored girl were sittin’ there on the dirt floor of the basement, all shovelin' through mud. Face to face, all parties tremblin', Henry looked at the officers and wielding his ax said plainly "Let me explain."


So that's the assignment and the story; though it seems unfinished, it is not quite embellished enough yet... (gimme time)