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From a Doghouse all Empty and Sad

The Doghouse insisted the the Gingerbread House cut in front of him.  The Gingerbread House has agreed to wait a week.
I know my inhabitants expected nothing from me.

No matter who lived here,they accepted what I had to offer and that wasn’t much at all.

Oh,I had fake windows,well not fake,shutters that could be done up on cold or blustery days. New and bigger houses don’t have shutters any more,well,they have them,all made of aluminum and they just hang there.

My only door never closed.

I have no wiring,no lights,no central heat,except that of the current inhabitant. I’ve got no plumbing either.

The last dog to live here,lives inside now. I just sit out here. No one pushes the snow off my roof.

I’ve had four dogs and a chicken.

The first two were dogs. One at a time,I was never that big,unless a toy breed came to live out here but those kinds of dogs become babies with doting parents.

“How’s my baby today? What’s my little one want for his dinner. Who’s a poochy poochy poo?”

That kind of baby talk makes me want to get up and shake off!

Okay,back to my dogs.

The first was a golden retriever. She was a beautiful dog. Brandy lived here till she was white in the muzzle. She made a game of hiding things inside me.

You should have seen her toting a painted top from one of the kids. It was the kind you push down on and watch it spin. There was a shoe,I think all dogs take a shoe at some point in their lives. She brought some mittens all balled together. Dolls. Balls. There were a lot of things she’d bring out.

Brandy lived inside the big house at the end.

A puppy came after. The grown-ups had to turn me up on one side to get all of the toys left by Brandy the golden. The man laughed when he found that shoe.

You know I still have a tuft of hair they didn’t pull out of my side.

The puppy was a real cry baby. Bandit whimpered,barked and even howled to be let in. He would tangle himself on his chain.

I don’t think anyone liked the puppy after the first few days.

Bandit grew quickly. One of the kids would come and walk him,or at least pretend to walk him. She was meeting a boy and I suspect the poor puppy went right into the trunk.

The puppy grew quite large,the food alone must have cost the people in the big house at least an arm and a leg.

Wait,these days people sell organs,must have cost them a kidney.

I am not sure what happened to Bandit the puppy.

One day in late summer,might have been fall,one of the middle kids showed up in the yard.

He put up a chicken wire fence all around me,strung out a heat light and managed to suspend it somehow inside on my roof.

I had central heat. It is still there but after the chicken jumped the fence and ran off,no one turned it on any more.

After what must have been a year,the fence came back down,someone raked the feathers up and went away.

I waited expectantly to see what would happen next.

I think another year went by before the dog who lives here now arrived.

Between times the noises up at the big house changed. The pop music the girl played so loud went away. The boy was gone,too.

A new family moved in,it seemed like it took forever,the clattering,the empty boxes tumbled out the back door. The new man would come out at the end of the day and fold those boxes up neatly and he’d tie them with twine.

Then he took the stack of folded boxes away.

More time was spent all around me,mowing,planting trees,a small garden went in and finally they turned their attention to me.

The new kids,small ones,set out to paint me. I imagine they must have picked the colors from left over paint cans. I began to look like I’d come right out of a day care.

The new man came out and put new hardware on my working shutters and the kids began painting again,amused at the vacant spots exposed to them while my shutters were off.

The light stayed. The man shimmied in and changed out the bulb. This could only mean someone would live here again.

One day the four of them came out with a curious fawn colored leggy thing that I mistook for a miniature deer. On further observation I knew it couldn’t be a deer.

It had short course fur very pointed ears and a sharp snout. Its tail curled impossibly back on itself.

I know it was a Basenji because the grown-ups explained he pranced when he walked and couldn’t bark. He was a dog after the ones shown in Egyptian paintings. Osiris was full grown from the pound.

Now,I knew why the man had left the light inside of me. This poor creature was not made to make his own heat.

The whole family got involved with this dog. They fenced in the garden to keep Osiris from digging and pooping there.

The family came to play at least twice a day with this silent creature. He was allowed inside the big house for hours sometimes the whole night.

The kids grew up but unlike the kids before,they never lost interest in the little fawn colored dog. The dog is gone now,so are the kids.

The man comes out and gazes at me with a wistful look in his eye. I imagine he is remembering the kids who painted me and that day they brought the dog home.

The man is older,not as substantial as he used to be. Like a copy of himself but faded.

My fun colors are pealing back,not all of them,must be the different kinds of paint they used. I look more patch worked now than fun.

I don’t think he is out here thinking of his next puppy. He looks too sad and regretful for that.

He comes out every morning and every evening but the woman hasn’t been out for a very long time. I think the man is here alone.

I wish I could talk,I know another dog would do him well. Maybe a golden retriever to hide his shoe would give him something more than memories to work with. But he goes back inside.

Later he comes back. It’s been this way for a very long time now.

A man without a dog and a doghouse all empty and sad.

What a fine pair we have become.

I know my inhabitants expected nothing from me. Did I mention the tuft of faded red golden fur still stuck in my corner?

I really miss the toys and shoes and balls.

The man is back,standing on his back porch where he once folded up the boxes.

A Doghouse all Empty and Sad…

January 27th,2012 | Tags:,,,, | Category:If Walls Could Talk | Leave a comment

Writerly Wednesday Welcomes LM. Preston

Welcome LM. Preston to Writerly Wednesday!  

 

 

Bandits by LM Preston

Buy link (Amazon):

Buy link (Barnes &Noble):

 

Bio
LM. Preston was born and raised in Washington,DC. An avid reader,she loved to create poetry and short-stories as a young girl. She worked in the IT field as a Techie and Educator for over sixteen years. She started writing science fiction under the encouragement of her husband who was a Sci-Fi buff and her four kids.

Blurb
Daniel’s father has gotten himself killed and left another mess for Daniel to clean up. To save his world from destruction,he must fight off his father’s killers while discovering a way to save his world. He wants to go it alone,but his cousin and his best friend’s sister,Jade insist on tagging along. Jade is off limits to him,but she insist on changing his mind. He hasn’t decided if loving her is worth the beating he’ll get from her brother in order to have her. Retrieving the treasure is his only choice. But in order to get it,Daniel must choose to either walk in his father’s footsteps or to re-invent himself into the one to save his world.

Excerpt from Chapter 6th of Bandits

 

BANDITS by LM Preston,Excerpt Chapter 6th

 

Daniel felt someone following them. Frowning,he wondered who it was,but he didn’t take the time to ponder it further. He pushed Nickel into the car. Then he glared at Jade and got into the driver’s seat.

Faulk got in,also feeling the edginess of the impending threat.

“I’ve gotta get us to the water faster than I hoped,”Daniel said,not wasting a moment to see if everyone was secured in their seats.

Gritting his teeth,he sped off down the dirt road,through the dark,winding roads that led to the waterfront. He didn’t take in the hanging willow leaves,which brushed against his car,or the yellow moon high in the sky. He just knew that whoever was behind them had to be shaken.

Pushing the car into top speed,the car slid out as Faulk brushed his elbow while adjusting the navigator. Daniel’s patience with Faulk was gone. “What the hell did they teach you in flight school? Are you trying to kill us? Keep your hands away from me.”

The road ahead was rocky,and the lush underbrush moved with the car. A lit beach appeared ahead. The sound of laser fire surrounded them. Jerking out of the line of fire just in time,Daniel sped to the sands ahead of him. He knew if he timed it right they would be able to get to the water cruiser when the fog came.

In the time just before daylight,it would be the darkest hour of the night. Black,thick fog would roll in and stick around until mid morning. During the months of tiding,the tides ran high,and the weather varied greatly between land and sea. Only those trained on Merwin were able to navigate through the blinding fog.

Daniel yelled over the roar of the engine that rattled upon impact of a stray laser. “Time it! The fog…how long before it comes? I’ll try to out run them until it hits. It looks like two cars are on me. When I hit the brakes,get out and run like hell to the cruiser!”

Jade pulled Nickel close. “It hits in just two minutes. The sky is darkening…now!”

“Hold on! Gotta get us near the water cruiser,”Daniel exclaimed. He tightened his hands on the steering wheel,and pushed the power. A surge of adrenaline pumped in his blood. He was high on the sensation of the danger from the chase.

Murky waters of the sea started to rise heavily with each crash of the tide. The water darkened with each decent of the fog,and with the fog,came the curse of the black sea.

Faulk pushed back in his seat,putting his foot on the dash in a full-body cringe. “What the hell is that?  The sea looks like its turning black like the fog.”

“Welcome to Merwin,cuz. Jade,hold Nickel tight! Faulk grab the ammo. Nickel stay close to Jade. Get ready.NOW!”Daniel yelled.

He saw the water cruiser bounce with each crash and grinned. Its chains held it on the beach. He had just a small window of time to get to the water cruiser before the fog hit,and that would give him the temporary cover of darkness he needed to get away.

Driving at top speed,the car slid in the sand,and the distance lengthened between Daniel and his pursuers. The yellow moon up above started to disappear as fingers of black fog oozed in. Daniel timed it,knowing the initial hit of the smog would give them only a sliver of time,a second -of instant darkness they would use to get away. Within an hour,the fog would slowly dissipate to a dim haze.

Daniel yelled,“Get ready! On three…two…one,”then he hit the brakes. The car jerked and swung before it stopped. Daniel grabbed his gun,and leaped out the driver’s side door. Jade and Nickel jumped out the opposite side and ran to the water cruiser that was only several feet away on the sand,bobbing fiercely with each wave. Daniel saw Jade running with the bag full of ammunition.

Faulk stood,guns drawn. “Go to the boat before they get here! I brought a little something with me. So get out of the way!”  Faulk threw the mini-bomb in the direction of their pursuers and took off running behind Daniel.

Jade released the cruiser,and it was starting to pull off. Daniel climbed up on the cruiser and turned to pull up Faulk.

“Fog’s descending!”Jade yelled.

Daniel directed when he saw their pursuers cars slide to a stop within shooting distance,“Now. Faulk!”

Faulk pushed the button on the detonator he held in his hand. The mini-bomb exploded,and Daniel secured his spot at the wheel. Fire lit up behind them when the fog descended,turning the world around them completely black. Faulk started to cough excessively. He wasn’t used to the claustrophobic feeling of the descending fog,which covered Merwin in darkness enveloping its inhabitants in moisture so thick it felt like they were drowning.

Jade went to help Faulk. “Relax. Just take it in. Breathe slowly,or you will drown in it.”

Daniel figured she was rubbing his back with soothing strokes like they’d been taught to do as children.  He closed his eyes and let his memory lead him out of Death Cove and theislandofBethan,his home. Living on a planet of a million different islands was the one thing that made Daniel love Merwin. As a child growing up,he’d never run out of new places to explore,and being the son of an EBRA made his life even more exciting than most other Zukar boys.

He knew he couldn’t get to his father’s trove that night,so they’d stop at Jade’s family trove. Getting to his would take two days at sea. Flying on Merwin was prohibited,with the exception of the space ships owned by the Zukar that controlled them,or the King. For the sake of controlling trade on Merwin,clearance for air travel could only be given by the King himself.

Willows Oasis was Jade’s father’s trove. He had no choice now but to use her help,because she knew the combination to her father’s trove. He hoped they wouldn’t have to fight off Merpins,vicious cannibalistic Merwinians who were cast out to sea millions of years ago. They’d evolved in appearance from other Merwins who lived on land.

Listening,he realized Faulk had calmed down in the midst of the dark,heavy fog. The fog had let up a bit and was now a thick,gray,puffy mass around them. However,visibility was still nonexistent as they rode for several hours. Daniel steered the cruiser using the beacons and memory to get them around the danger spots in the dark seas. Daniel glanced at the water to gage the time left before daylight. The water had turned black with slithering silver veins of passing schools of fish.

The gray haze lifted,allowing visibility below the deck of the boat,but the water remained black. Silver fish broke through the darkness to eat the minoites. They broke through the surface to eat the tiny yellow fish that floated on top when the sea went black.

Faulk came up behind Daniel. “Hey,this place is crazy. Nothing prepared me for the fog. I don’t remember that from when I visited when I was a kid. Anyway,I know this is a stupid question –but what the hell is a trove?”

Daniel looked for his marker. The water cruiser would call to the Terconion markers buried in the sea,and those would lead him to Willows Oasis. He reflected on theIslandsof his homeland and smiled. “The Zukar,like my father,the ones who’d proven their worth,got permission to take the uninhabitable islands for their personal treasure troves. Jade’s dad and my father have the most coveted treasure troves on the entire planet. Since the planet’s mostly water,finding land to store wealth is hard to find. We’re going to Jade’s family trove first. It takes two days to get to mine.”

Faulk looked at the water and made and exaggerated quiver,rubbing his hands together,“A treasure trove?  Man,I can’t wait to see that.”He walked to edge of the boat and pointed to the black water. “What the hell are those?”

Daniel smiled. He was starting to warm up to having his cousin around. He pointed at the flurry of feeding fish and said,“They’re called Minoites. They break through the sea to eat the smaller fish that are dazed by the darkness.”

Faulk frowned at replied,“Yeah,they look vicious. You see those teeth?”

Daniel burst out and laughed at the look on Faulk’s face. “Yeah,they are vicious. They only come out in the fog,but they’ll eat you alive if you fall in. The fog is seasonal. We don’t get it all year long. I remember you coming inParadiseseason,when Merwin’s western region is sunny every day and rainy at night. That’s why you don’t remember the fog. Trust me…most off-worlders never forget this.”

“How’d you learn to navigate like this?”Faulk asked. His fingers slid together like he was anxious to try.

Daniel’s gut filled with a sense of regret and loss. “Since I was maybe three,my dad would tell me to close my eyes and steer with him. He brought me out to his trove every chance he could get back then. My mother would stay at the house,and my father would train me in the ways of the Zukar. When Nickel was a toddler,my mother died,and I had to drive a lot of the time because my father had to take care of Nickel.”

“Why didn’t your father remarry?”Faulk asked.

Daniel moved around the water vines that protruded from the water when the fog came. “He said no one could replace her. He had women and all,but they never stuck around long. It was like…like,he didn’t want them to get cozy and take my mother’s place or something. I can’t explain it,but I felt the same way. Only problem was,Nickel never got to have a mother. Kind of selfish of us,now that I think about it.”  Regrets bubbled up within him,and again,he pushed it down,deep down where it belonged.

“How did you meet Gabe?”Faulk turned back to check on Jade and Nickel.

“The EBRA was started by Haden,Bry,and my father. They were the best Zukar here at the time. Actually,there is none better than they were –not even today. Haden runs the EBRA now,since my father sort of stopped doing his job.”Daniel shrugged. “Something happened to him on a job that he did alone about three years ago,and when he returned,he just…changed. Bry,Gabe’s father,bowed out and opened his club. Haden is the only active EBRA of them,and he has over 500 EBRA he’s in charge of. Gabe and I always got along well,like the same things,and worked the same EBRA jobs. Not to mention,we like the ladies,”Daniel admitted with a sheepish laugh.

Faulk turned away from Nickel and Jade,turning his gaze to the dark sea. “They fell asleep. How much longer?”

“We’re almost there,but I gotta take it slow over here. This is Merpin territory and we sure as hell don’t want to wake them. They’ve got a thing for flesh. Our scents carry on the wind the more we move. When they smell it,they attack. Besides,there are too many jagged rocks. If I go too fast,we’ll sink,and become breakfast.”Daniel squinted and watched out for the fish like Merpins.

Faulk expelled a deep breath. “Just great. What is a Merpin anyway? You ever see one?”

“I only had one run in with Merpins. I was out with my friend Tomas at the time,and his father died saving me from being eaten alive.”

“Hell!”Faulk ran a shaky hand through his short black hair.

“Scared? You’re the one who ran from your safe,soft world to come here.”Daniel chuckled at Faulk’s wary expression.

The water cruiser moved easily through the murky waters,and Daniel and Faulk stood quietly,looking out to the foggy,dark waters. The Minoites’feeding frenzy was over,and the dawn came in quietly.

“What was that?”Faulk called out when the water cruiser was jarred,followed by a thump on the bottom.

Daniel growled. “Merpins! Wake them up. I’m gonna try to out run them. We’re almost to Willows Oasis.”

Faulk went over to the others and yelled out. “Wake up! Jade! Nickel! Get a weapon…anything. Oh God…one is climbing up the side!”He shot at the Merpin that was clawing its way up the side of the boat. Its black,stringy hair,white skin,long curved teeth,and predatory sea-blue eyes looked haunted with starvation. “Damn,I missed!”

Daniel spied another Merpin clawing its webbed hand into the cruiser as its webbed feet hung over the railing of the cruiser. “There’s another one!”His stomach filled with dread,because he knew there were others to follow. Aggravated,he reminded himself not to speed too fast through this rough sea of rocks,and hidden reefs or they would all perish and become the starving creatures’meal. A shriek sounded behind him. He saw Faulk and the creature in the midst of a stand off.

Faulk looked stunned,mesmerized by the hungry,growling creature’s slanted eyes.

Daniel yelled out to Faulk. “Kill him! Aim for the head. Do itNOWFaulk!”   He steered the water cruiser around the protruding rocks where the Merpins sometimes slept.

Faulk snapped out of his daze as the Merpin lunged at him. He shot it,and the Merpin fell back into the water with his sharp green teeth exposed.

This isn’t over yet. Daniel swallowed hard.

Jade ran to the back of the boat. “There are two more in the back,but –I got them.”

Daniel heard one scream out from her shot,it’s piercing yell surrounding them. Daniel knew the death-cry of the creature would draw many others. He put in the command for the cruiser to release the knives on its underside,hoping that would deter more of the Merpins from climbing onto the boat for their breakfast. He was rewarded with numerous screams from the Merpins that were already attached to the bottom of the water cruiser.

“Grab something! I’m out of rock territory. I’m gonna to pick up the speed. If you go over the side you’ll be breakfast,”Daniel warned before the cruiser speed increased.

The ship jerked with the pull of the engines. He navigated quickly through the rocks,careful to not hit any. The cruiser dragged a distance before the bodies of the dead Merpins attached to the knives on the bottom fell and floated out to sea.

Jade backed up toward Daniel. He glanced at her and saw her eyes filled with horror.

“Crap! Get them. There are two of them …next to Nickel!”she yelled out at Faulk.

Nickel looked up from where he sat getting more ammunition out of the bags.

She aimed her darts to kill the Merpins that were quickly climbing up the back of the cruiser. Daniel pivoted to see the sickening pale and greedy sea cannibal lick its lips at the anticipation of his capture of Nickel. Jade’s darts hit each Merpin in the eye,and they fell back off the ship with a loud splash.

Faulk shot at the three Merpins that were holding onto the back of the boat. One jumped over the edge of the boat,and its webbed feet landed easily on the deck. Its clawed fingers and scaled torso bent over and sliced through the flesh on Faulk’s arm in its attempt to take a bite out of him. Faulk roared in pain. He fired consecutively and the creature’s lifeless,bleeding body fell into the murky sea.

“Nickel? Nickel! Hold on.”Jade called out as she ran toward him.

Daniel’s gut filled with anger and fear. They’d cleared the rocks and were so close to Willows Oasis. The warmer waters should help slow the Merpins down. “Can’t help you! I gotta get us out of here.”

As he navigated them to safety,Daniel periodically glanced back to check on the others. “Faulk! Kill it. Jade use your poison darts with his fire.”

Jade went to her hip and grabbed her poison darts. The Merpin pulled Nickel,who fought and struggled while screaming out. Daniel’s hand slipped off the wheel as he went for his gun and the cruiser jerked.

“No! Daniel,get us out of here. I got this!”Jade yelled.

Daniel reluctantly grabbed the wheel and maneuvered just in time to evade a large rock. The cruiser lunged to the side,and Daniel held onto the wheel. Jade adjusted her stance and ran toward Nickel with darts aimed high.

Nickel screamed out as he struggled against the Merpin’s grip. It dragged his lower body over the side of the cruiser. Nickel held onto the side with fierce determination,tears of fear welling up in eyes.

Jade aimed for the Merpin’s eyes and hands with darts in both of her closed fists. One,then two darts hit their targets. The Merpin cried out when it released Nickel,and fell screaming backwards into the sea. Jade’s remaining darts flew over the edge of the cruiser with it. Nickel pulled himself up and over the side of the boat. He shook his head and stood,tears from fear streaming down his face.

Faulk fired one last shot,and the last Merpin slid down the side of the ship and into the knives that protruded from the back of the water cruiser. “It’s dragging on the boat!”  He shot the Merpin off the knife’s edge,which held him.

Daniel warned,“Make sure they’re gone. I don’t want to drag any with us to Willows Oasis. One of those things could eat us whole if it got its claws lodged in us.”

They split up and checked the sides of the water cruiser,and spoke their confirmations of their safety.

Faulk came up to stand next to Daniel. “Man,I’m so tired I could pass out. After that –though,I don’t think I’m going to sleep for at least a week without one eye open.”Faulk shook his hands in disgust. “Those things were freakin’ugly. We definitely don’t have creatures like those on Earth.”

“Get used to it. This isn’t Earth,”Daniel answered.

Jade checked on Nickel.

Nickel hastily moved her hand from his face and sat down on the deck,turning away from her. “I’m okay,”he mumbled.

Jade strolled over to Daniel and stood on the opposite side of Faulk. “So,for my first adventure,I’d say I did just fine –you know,being a girl and all. Don’t you think so,Daniel?”

Daniel groaned. “Your brother’s going to kill me. When we get to your father’s trove,you’re staying there.”

Jade put her hand on Daniel’s shoulder. “Not on your life. When are you going to tell me what’s going on Daniel?  I know you didn’t just come over to pick up Gabe. Something bad must’ve happened. Tell me! I have a right to know,you know. I mean,I smuggled that key out for you and everything.”

He tensed. The thought of telling her his father had been killed,made him feel uneasy. She called his father ‘Poppy’,and his father doted on her like she was his own daughter. He knew once she found out,she’d be hard to ditch,but he also knew he could no longer keep the tragedy hidden.

Realizing he still wasn’t ready to tell her,he answered,“Leave it.  I’ll tell you everything when we get to your father’s trove.”

He knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t give up to easy. She had fought Gabe and him for years to prove that she was just as strong and skilled in the ways of the Zukar as they were. Gabe and he had indulged her little tirades for the most part,except on those occasions where she got so obnoxious that they had to physically lock her in her room to keep her quiet. That didn’t last long,either,because Jade was excellent at picking all types of locking mechanisms. He knew if he told her what happened to his father,she’d want more answers than he had.

The remaining ride was calm,and Nickel came up to stand next to Jade. “Can you let me drive?”Nickel asked in his imitation grown up voice.

Daniel smiled. “Yeah,come over and let me guide you for awhile.”He and his father had been teaching Nickel to navigate the seas of Merwin since he could walk. Daniel trusted Nickel was capable of navigating most spots. Once Nickel had a firm grip on the wheel,Daniel slowly let go.

Jade stomped her foot and then blocked Daniel’s path. “Why should I have to wait?  I want to know the situation now,Daniel.”

Daniel looked toward her with a frown. “Forget it. I’m not talking.”

She looked angrily away from Daniel. Tapping her foot,she turned a pensive look to Faulk,with a seductive flutter of her long eyelashes,and a pursing of her lips,she lowered her voice. “Faulk,you know what happened. Tell me. I’ve a right to know.”

Faulk shook his head. “Sorry gorgeous,I have to agree with my cousin on this. Occasionally the salty dufus knows what he’s talking about. It should wait.”

Faulk walked over to the ammunition bag and pulled out two guns. He tucked one in the back of his belted pants and put the other in his holster. Grabbing part of the torn flag on the cruiser,Faulk tied it around his wound. He rubbed his arm where the Merpin had cut him with its long hooked claw,before he sat on the seat looking outward to the back of the boat.

Daniel watched him with an upturn of his lip. He realized Faulk’s run-in with the Merpins had left him shaken. He walked over to Faulk and stared at the gray waters behind them. “They can’t follow us here.  The waters are too warm. It weakens them,making them prey for other sea predators.”

Faulk replied with a relieved nod of his head as he looked at the darkest,hungriest sea he’d ever seen.

 

7

Daniel turned away from his cousin to watch Nickel steer the cruiser while Jade directed him to her father’s trove. The misty air and murky sea cleared as they broke through the calming waves of Willows Oasis. With the fog behind them,Daniel squinted with the light of the rising sun. The island’s green,sandy banks and massive willow trees came into view when Nickel steered closer.

Daniel got up from his seat and reclaimed his spot as the captain of the cruiser. “I’ll take it from here,”Daniel said to younger brother.

Jade didn’t bother directing Daniel. She knew he had been to her family’s trove many times with Gabe. Sitting there quietly,she watched him while he navigated to her trove.

He steered in silence,wondering who murdered his father. I know he ticked the EBRA off with the mess up on that last job,but it wasn’t a big loss. Still,the Vipen sect needs little motivation to kill someone of another sect.  

Jade pointed to the alcove on theislandofWillows,where her father’s trove lay buried. Jarred out of his thoughts,he steered the cruiser into a hidden niche several yards from the island’s edge. Huge hanging willow trees flanked the island,their long roots protruding from the ground to snake along the jagged edges of the island. The gigantic roots of the trees slinked into the green,splashing waves of the sea.

Jade led Nickel and Faulk into covering the cruiser with the hanging limbs of the willow trees. Daniel looked around at the thick curtain of branches and leaves surrounding the cruiser to make sure they were well hidden.

Faulk nodded,looking at their work. “This should be good. I can’t see out of here,and I’m sure no one can see in.”

“Yeah,it’s good.”Daniel said confidently. “Nickel go into the belly of the cruiser and get out the swim gear.”He spied Nickel shooting pipens at the hanging branches. His slingshot,shot with accuracy at each branch,and the pipen rock burned through each leaf it hit,before melting away with fire.

A look of apprehension quickly passed over Faulk’s face. “Where are we swimming to?”

Jade secured her gear tightly. “We can only get to my father’s trove through an underwater entrance,but it’ll take us a mile walk to get there. We haven’t been here in over a year. Ever since he started the club and his manager,Trix,got killed,he hasn’t had the time to take on any snatch jobs. So,he’s had no treasures to bring here,and no time to inspect the place.”

Daniel held his lips firm,trying not to smile at Faulk’s discomfort. “Faulk,there are no Merpins here. They only hang out in the cool waters of the isle of Bethan at the edge of the black seas. But,these waters have Tiliquens. They’re gold,snakelike pests that sting you if they get spooked. They’re harmless,just don’t tick them off.”

Jade nudged Faulk with her elbow and smiled at him reassuringly. “We have to get to the island on the dock. If we park the boat alongside the island,a booby trap of knives will come up.”

Faulk shook his head in disbelief. “You gotta be kidding me!”

Jade smiled. “Nope.”

Nickel returned with the wet gear and dumped it on the ground. Daniel grabbed the headgear from Nickel that they would use for breathing underwater.

Faulk tried on the goggles,and nosepiece,which fed him oxygen. “Great. This freakin’planet is a death-trap,not a playground. I’m just surprised kids survive here. Earth is nothing at all like this. The only good think about this place is I don’t need an oxygen injection to visit here.”

Daniel breathed in the sweet air of Merwin,and thought back to his one visit to Earth,for the funeral of his mother. Her family insisted that his father return her home. Sometimes he missed her so much,but he always managed to press past it. He couldn’t bring her back,and now his father was with her. Grudgingly,he admitted that he missed the old man too. The seeping feeling of grief threatened to spill from his chest,but he buried it away. His anger at his father’s changed ways wouldn’t let go,and now,it tightened in his chest with regret and a piercing pain of sadness. He shook his head to stave off the memories as Jade’s call to Faulk sank in,and absently rubbed the beaded necklace his mom made him for comfort.

Jade opened the sack Nickel brought up and said,“Faulk,we won’t need to use this gear yet. Grab some blades,though. We may need them. It’s been a while since we’ve been here,and on Merwin,if you don’t keep some places cleared away,you never know what may grow there.”She pointed ahead. “There is an underwater dock that’ll rise when I activate my code. Once we’re off the dock,we’ll have to walk through the wild,slithering willow patch.”  She hooked her swim mask on the belt at her hip,and then went to the edge of the water cruiser,where she climbed down into the water to activate the lift for the underwater pier.

Faulk frowned. “Why don’t I like the sound of the slithering willow patch?”  He watched Jade walk through the green murky waters,raising a suspicious eyebrow.

“Because you’ve a good reason. That’s one of the first booby traps –of many.”Daniel stood with his arms crossed. “Each trove has deadly traps. Jade’s father has one of the more difficult troves to find,and to navigate. Jade was taught to find her way here when she was a kid. She’ll be able to lead us around the traps so we’ll be able to make it to the trove alive,”Daniel added,purposely leaving out the word unharmed. He knew getting to a Zukar’s trove could end in a lot of bumps and bruises –even death.

Jade yelled from the island’s edge. “Guys! Hey,it’s lifting. It only stays above water for a few minutes,and then it will drop back into the sea before it makes its way back to its hidden spot. Hurry up!”

Nickel pulled the willow branches further back to reveal the rocky dock that had risen up next to their water cruiser. “I’m so going next.”

Daniel took Nickel’s place and held back the branches. “Okay,go Nickel! Now you Faulk.”He pushed on Faulk’s back “Quick! You don’t want to get pulled under when the thing’s timer goes off,”Daniel added,and watched Faulk jump before he himself dropped down off the boat. His feet landed with a splash on the wet dock.

Nickel landed on the wet,rocky surface and ran as water crashed against the sides of the pathway with each wave. Faulk didn’t hesitate to follow,and Daniel ran behind them. Daniel yelled to Faulk,“Move it! Faster! It’s sinking!”

Faulk stopped abruptly as Nickel squatted in front of him to pick up his slingshot. Faulk slid and fell to his knees as water furiously splashed up on the side of the pathway.

Faulk righted himself on the rocky path. “Hey!”Faulk stood up and pushed Nickel lightly on the back.

Nickel jumped,and started to run.

“Keep moving!’Daniel ran past Faulk to scoop Nickel up. He picked up speed when he felt the jerk of the platform while it started to sink deeper into the water.

Faulk was at his heels,and they were almost to the edge. “Oh hell,we’re gon-na die!”

“Hurry! That’s the last warning!”Jade exclaimed,waving her arms frantically.

“I’m throwing Nickel!”Daniel said right before he felt another jerk and cold water lapped against his calves.

Daniel knew he only had two minutes to get to the edge. With a grunt,he tossed his brother forward. Nickel landed on the grassy sand at Jade’s feet. He and Faulk raced side by side and then he felt the last jerk before the final pull of the dock into the depths of the sea. They were almost there to the islands edge.

Daniel grabbed Faulk’s arm,and yelled,“Jump! NOW!”  He pulled Faulk forward while they both dropped and fell with a thud on the soft,sandy surface. He looked back to the sea and caught a glimpse of the rocky dock as it surged up out of the water one last time. With a creak,it jerked down with such speed that the waters separated before rushing over the opening created by its departure.

Faulk was breathing hard from the exertion. “Please tell me the traps get easier. If we had stayed on that thing a second more,we would’ve drowned.”

Daniel laughed out at Faulk’s fear. “You’re right. Even I couldn’t have survived that kind of undertow,and I’m an excellent swimmer.”He elbowed Faulk. “Sorry,cuz. You wanted an adventure right? I told you to be careful what you asked for. Let’s go. Jade and Nickel are leaving us,”Daniel said as he pointed to them.

As he stood and reached out his hand to help his cousin stand,Faulk looked at him and his face broke out into a grin. The same cocky grin Daniel remembered from the day Faulk had first appeared at his door. At that moment,he realized Faulk was looking forward to the challenges ahead. He returned his cousin’s smile,and slapped him on the back before they took off in a jog to catch

 

 

Interview
1. In three days,all power will go off,everywhere for a very long time. What will you include in your author survival kit?
My Ipad,Baby Ruth,Starbucks Mocha Latte,and my laptop.

2. Where did the idea for the work you are promoting arise?
My son asked me to write a book about a teen pirate and I got the idea for the world I build from my trip to Hawaii.

3. What do you like to read?
I love to read horror,thrillers and young adult paranormal.

4. Tell us about the most exciting place you have ever visited?
The Big Island in Hawaii and Italy.

5. What is the most mundane,day to day,thing you can share about yourself?
I’m an Engineer who goes to meetings all day.

6. What scares you the most?
Not being able to do all the things on my life goal list before time runs out.

7. Tell us anything but keep it G rated.
I have a secret addiction to foreign karate flicks.

Buy link (Amazon):

Buy link (Barnes &Noble):

Keywords:
lmpreston,lm preston,action adventure,mg,ya,adventure,romance,fantasy,99cents,scifi,

LM Preston
YA SciFi Author
WEBSITE:www.lmpreston.com
BLOG:
PARTY BLOG:
TWITTER:
FACEBOOK:

UPCOMING BOOKS
EXPLORER X –Alpha (Buy Now,Amazon and All bookstores)
The Pack (Buy Now,Amazon and All bookstores)
BANDITS

Writing stories for and about kids that overcome the impossible…

Next Week James Gurley  will be in the Writerly Wednesday Spotlight!

January 24th,2012 | Tags:,,,,,,,,,, | Category:Writerly Wednesdays | 6 comments

Home Sweet Home –If Walls Could Talk

This Friday’s contribution to If Walls Could Talk is -

Home Sweet Home

 

3
A roof and floors don’t make a home.

It takes people,it takes time and you have to really understand what home is.

There is no way a new house,slammed together,then sold to the next unworthy family can know.

One family didn’t make me a home,they were using me as a waiting place,I am not sure they owned me. That was a long time ago.

This family,if you want to call it that,didn’t fit at all. First off,there were too many of them. I mean there were not enough of them. Just two,one of each. They were pretty much just getting started,poor girl,didn’t know how to work a house to her own advantage.

You don’t just move in and call it home. You have to touch a place. Leave your mark. Leave your mark with love and satisfaction. She could barely run the broom. I don’t know where she was living before or who should have been bringing her along.

The man who came with her,well,if you ask me,he was no good for her. He sent her off on a train to see her sister,I think it was. The girl was having a baby or something,not yet,months away. But the fellow,he couldn’t wait to get her out of there.

As soon as the dumb girl was out of the house,there he went. He came back with a mop,some cleaning stuff and went to town. Got me to shining. He even got the drain cover things in the sinks all cleaned up.

Then the man took to hanging new curtains.

I didn’t know what to think. Unless the fellow took to talking out loud to himself about what he was doing,I could only watch.

But,it was appearing rather home like. Comfy. Warm. Cozy.

I was okay with it. After all,don’t all houses want to become a home? More that the sum of its plumbing and wires?

I waited.

I watched.

The man left one afternoon,I was sure he was off to the trrain station to get his woman.

I waited expectantly to see her. I wanted to hear how nice I had turned out. I wanted to hear the man boast about me. I wanted them to do a grand sweep through all of my rooms,I wanted the man to open and present my closets,my nooks to the woman who would coo and make over my homelyness.

The man was gone a long time. Dust gathered. My shine was becomeing drab. Well kept,no one was there to leave a mess or clutter or dishes in the sink.

I had a lonesome look,it had been an expectant look but now it had faded like curtains left too long on the south facing windows.

When the leaves began to drop outside and the windows cooled,he came back.

The man was sad and aged. He walked from room to room. He went through the motions of living as much as he could. Dishes sat. The stove went un wiped.

One day,just as the last leaves fell off the scrub mayple tree,he packed up his clothes and bathroom things.

The man took one more long slow walk through my rooms and let himself out through the back door off the kitchen.

I must have wintered. I don’t know how much time passed. I went inside myself,as houses in neglect and abandonment are known to do. It isn’t sad,this going in,it is timeless. Resting. No resentments,no sores to heal,we simply go inside ourselves. And wait.

It isn’t the concious wait like I did when the man went off to get his woman. This is a deep deep place of contentment. Almost a non being. Time doesn’t pass for us when we go inside. It simply is.

I know it was spring time when I began to come out again. I could tell by the feel,the slant of the sun and the smells in the air. I could not have picked a better time to begin to awaken than springtime. I noticed first off when some of my windows flew open. A fire was lit in the fireplace downstairs.

I was groggy if you can call it that so I did not become expectant or jubilent or even curious at first. I took my time coming around.

I had after all been right on the edge of becoming a home when something happened,out there. I was reluctant to look forward to or form any imagining for my future.

The curtains left I don’t know how long ago were taken down by a busy woman. She was young. She was smart. She was very business like. She took down curtains,cleaned my window sills,mopped and swept and had me cleaned up in no time at all.

There wasn’t any grime,the fellow before her had done a good job. She left for a day or two but I did not consider going back inside myself,the warm springtime sun felt good coming through unshaded windows,slanting sunshine on my floors.

In a few more days,the woman was back,with a man and children.

The children flew through wildly as if they had been caged for too long. They ran and explored every closet and cabinet. They played hide and seek. They were happy and distractable. One of them found a tiny crawlspace under the outside of me,I don’t have a basement. He played down there for whole afternoons.

The woman started my stove and stored food. She spent hours in the kitchen cooking things and had the man carve out a garden.

It didn’t take long for them to settle in.

They were a predictable family,sleeping and rising and playing and cooking.

I don’t know where the man worked but he cleaned up and dressed nice every workday and came home every evening.

It was a busy time. Some of my rooms went unused. The first couple didn’t use but one room upstairs. I had five up there. Now,they used two rooms.

The boys slept in the same room. The man or woman would read to them each night untill they fell asleep.

One winter,I think it was still the first winter,I have never been too good at time,houses aren’t all that interested in what year it is. It isn’t our business to worry.

The woman rounded out. The man was especially kind to her. He insisted she rest,put her feet up. He treated her like a queen from one of the stories they had read to the boys.

She stayed down for a while but soon was up and cooking,cleaning and she opened up the room next to hers and the mans upstairs.

One day she hung the sweetest curtains and the man brought a crib up there.

One night the woman cried out. A woman from town came and the energy was like no other. Awareness was sharp and tension in the house rang like a bell throughout. The boys came in and visisted the woman then left to their own room.

The woman from town sent the man off to read to the boys.

After a while of roaming the hallway,pacing like a only a man can pace,he was ushered back into the room where the woman appeared very distressed in a bed now padded with towels.

The woman rose up on her knees in the soft springy bed and seemed to be concentrating very hard. Soon she was looking like she might be about to kneed some bread,right there on the bed.

Next thing I know,there is a joyful sound and a tiny mewling squeaking.

The boys slept on. The woman from town set off with a bundle down the steps to the kitchen. This was my first baby,I didn’t know what the woman was doing in the kitchen,I feared the worst.

Upstairs the man was so happy and when the woman had rested a bit she asked him what they had.

A girl.

The joy was enough to fuel me for the next two changes of season. If houses slept,I would have felt deprived. It was noisey at all hours.

The boys adoreed the baby girl. They dropped in just to watch her sleep.

The woman didn’t take long to get back full on with cleaning and cooking a cooing over the new baby. She’d keep the infant in a laundry basket on the kitchen table as she worked.

The man and woman read to the boys every night.

The man went to work,still clean,still happy.

The garden grew the next year and the man turned more soil and planted more.

The baby girl was walking when once more the man tried to get the woman to take things slower and easier.

The last time he did this,a child followed.

I let myself become expectant with him.

This was a happy family. Sometimes the boys would fight and sometimes the woman raised her voice.

One day she grabbed up a broom and began chasing the boys around the house. They shreaked with laughter. She chased them some more then stopped an rubbed her belly.

She sent the tallest boy out on an errand and the smaller boy helped with the little girl.

By the time the man came home from work,the woman from town was already there and the woman was working hard.

And so the family grew. Another girl. The boys came in and visited the baby and the woman. Then the man scooted them off and and read a story.

For a while,both girls used the room next to the man and womans room. Then they opened up the fourth of the five rooms upstairs.

The woman was quite busy with the toddling girl and the infant. The toddler was too big to keep in a basket but the new one did just fine.

By this time I began to take my cozyness to heart. I was becoming. I no longer worried about the time I might go inside myself. I was comfortable,busy,humming.

I was a home. I know it because a house always knows when they become a home.

-  Home Sweet Home

Next Week The Gingerbread House has a story to tell..

January 20th,2012 | Tags:,, | Category:If Walls Could Talk | One comment

Writerly Wednesday Welcomes Rachel Rossano

Hello Everyone!  Give a great big Welcome to Rachel Rossano.  

I’ll leave the links showing this week.  Our guest has provided enough to invite error on my part if I made them all embedded.

Exchange by Rachel Rossano

Blog ~  http://rachel-rossano.blogspot.com/
Website ~  http://anavrea.webs.com/
Twitter ~  http://twitter.com/#!/RachelRossano
Facebook ~  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel-Rossanos-Rambles/240421865704
YouTube ~  http://www.youtube.com/anavrea

My Website – http://anavrea.webs.com

Buy link – http://www.amazon.com/Exchange-ebook/dp/B005PTXWDI

Bio

As a mother of three small children,Rachel Rossano dreams of new stories among the chaos of diapers and sippy cups. Then she writes as fast as she can during naptimes and after the little ones are tucked in for the night. She draws from a long history as an avid reader and lover of books. Usually she writes fantasy novels that masquerade as historical,but she recently spent time in the science and speculative fiction genres.

Blurb

Isolated on a distant planet,she is incarcerated for a crime she doesn’t recall. She has no name,no idea where she came from,or why she is injected with drugs daily to hold these vital facts from her grasp. Despite small rebellions,she wastes away,worn and losing hope of ever being whole again.
Then he arrives,claiming to hold the answers burned daily from her brain. He offers her a way out,but at what cost?

Excerpt
Darkness enveloped me completely. I breathed stuffy blackness in labored pants,struggling to tolerate the closeness. Cottony,the warmth threatened to suffocate me in a billowing blanket of malevolence.
I hated when I woke early.
The sensors glued to my forehead and scalp screamed to be scratched,but the arm bands made that impossible. I mentally clawed for something to fixate on,anything other than the inching six walls trapping me.
Why they called the box a dream suite I don’t know. I never dreamed,and it only barely contained me. Six by three by two feet,built to contain one average sized human,it was one of thirty stacked drawers in one wall of the ward. I suppose I should have been thankful I was a below-average-sized humanoid. Sometimes I managed to ignore the walls because I wasn’t constantly in contact with them,only the padded pseudo-bed beneath my back. However,no matter how I strained,I couldn’t truly believe they didn’t exist.
With a soft hiss,jets of cold air bombarded my naked feet signaling the waking time. The weight on my chest dissipated slightly in the cooler air,but in its place nagged the raw instinct to tuck my freezing feet closer to my body. I couldn’t bend my legs far enough. The knowledge degenerated into panic. Hysteria edged in just as a hum and jolt warned me to check that my eyes stayed closed.
Another whirling hum,jolt,and sucking whoosh later,piercing blue light assaulted my face as my chamber slid out of the wall into the ward. Arm restraints retracted into the sides.
“Down,female,7682R.”
The droid’s grating mechanical voice invaded the borders of my mind,setting my teeth hard against each other. A final blast of icy air from the suite’s jets,meant to encourage me to move faster,did the exact opposite.
The rebel in me wanted to defy the automaton until a humanoid showed her face. However,the penalty wasn’t worth the temporary high of asserting my own will. My skin crawled at the memory of the waspmice. Dark pock-like scars still marred my legs from last time. I clamored out of the DS and padded barefoot across the slick floor to the cleansing stations on the far side of the room.
The android,a bulky P-73,stalked behind,whining through its exhaust hose. It probably worried I would throw another fit or fall into hysterics. I was allowed to remember a few bits from day to day,like incidents of rebellion and the resulting punishments. With drugs and therapy,they attempted to erase the rest.
My skin crawled. I concentrated on unlatching the sealed door on the cleanser and climbing inside the chamber. A deep breath to brace myself and I pulled the panel closed. Alternating jets of tepid and steaming water blasted me from all angles. I ripped the rubber suction cells off my skin and threw them in the refuse slot. My temples throbbed where the probes had recently entered my skull. A light touch of my fingertips brought away blood. I wondered,how many times had I stood here. I didn’t know. It was disconcerting,to never remember one day to the next.
A pathetic sputter of water-flecked air constituted the cleanser’s attempt at drying my abused skin before a panel popped open with a belch of perfumed air. I coughed as I reached for the two-piece jumpsuit contained within. My arms executed the complicated movements of dressing myself without much direction from my thoughts. I knew I had been here long enough for this routine to become rote,unless,of course,I had worn clothing just like this before I came here. Or maybe I had always been here?

Interview

1. In three days,all power will go off,everywhere for a very long time. What will you include in your author survival kit?

I shall assume all the basics necessities of life are covered. My writing survival kit would include a generator with enough gasoline to last through the blackout,a box of long lasting laptop batteries,my Kindle with accessories and fully stocked with books (research and recreational),a dictionary,a thesaurus,a wind-up (because they last longer than battery powered) lantern to read by at night,notebooks and gel ink pens,and a stash of junk food (chocolate in various forms,mint candy,Utz sour cream and onion chips,and Coca-Cola).

2. Where did the idea for the work you are promoting arise?

Years ago,I dreamed a strange dream about being stuck in a small box in the dark. I think it would qualify as a nightmare since I am a bit claustrophobic. Ever since then,I wanted to write a story about a woman in a similar situation. Why was she there? Who held her there? What did they want from her?

After a few failed attempts to write the story,I set it aside.

This past spring,when my father was having heart surgery,I needed something to distract me. An opportunity to write a science fiction short story for a small publisher landed in my lap. I pulled out the story idea again. This time everything clicked and it flowed onto the page. I wrote the whole first draft in about two weeks.

3. What do you like to read?

I read a wide variety,but I have been focusing mostly on romance or research lately. It is mainly out of necessity because of the job. I need to keep up with what is out on the market.

4. Tell us about the most exciting place you have ever visited?

Germany and Switzerland are probably the most exciting destinations I have visited. I loved the architecture and the history. I thrilled in walking cobblestone streets and visiting historic churches and places that have been standing for hundreds of years. I loved the black forest area,especially. The deep forests and ancient trees evoked Grimm’s fairy tales and other stories of yore. The town we stayed in was celebrating its founding with a medieval festival. Everyone dressed up and joined in the fun.

5. What is the most mundane,day to day,thing you can share about yourself?

I am really skilled at keeping up with my kids. I have three (a four-year-old and two twenty-month-olds). My life is never dull. However,I do look forward to naptime.

6. What scares you the most?

The thought of losing my family frightens me.

7. Tell us anything but keep it G rated.

I am love watching movies,rated PG-13 and below,and especially BBC costume dramas. Yeah,I am a bit addicted to those. North and South,Jane Eyre,Wives and Daughters,Persuasion,Pride and Prejudice,Sense and Sensibility … well,you get the picture.

Keywords:
Exchange,Rachel Rossano,science fiction,short story,sci-fi,romance,clean,sweet,Publishing by Rebecca Vickery,prison break,memory loss

I am in the throws of editing Milk Carton People…well,Kim is editing and I am coping.  Honestly,it has been a harrowing adventure and I’m half terrified and filled with last minute doubts about my abilities.  I just hope Kim can put up with me during these last weeks before the book comes out.

Rachel Rossano has been a very good guest and I hope she’ll come back when her next book comes out!

Blog ~  http://rachel-rossano.blogspot.com/
Website ~  http://anavrea.webs.com/
Twitter ~  http://twitter.com/#!/RachelRossano
Facebook ~  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel-Rossanos-Rambles/240421865704
YouTube ~  http://www.youtube.com/anavrea

My Website – http://anavrea.webs.com

Buy link – http://www.amazon.com/Exchange-ebook/dp/B005PTXWDI

Next Week Writerly Wednesday will Welcome Lm Preston.

Drop by on Friday for a new post on If Walls Could Talk and don’t touch anything sharp!

January 17th,2012 | Tags:,,,,,,,,,, | Category:Writerly Wednesdays | Leave a comment

Outhouse –If These Walls Could Talk –2

2
Yes,I am an humble outhouse.

I was slapped together and mounted over a rather deep hole. A wide hole,I was a double seater.

Toilet paper hung from sawed off broom nailed to the walls like giant dragon perches.

Sure,I smelled. I still do. The smell is in my pores,deep in my soul if an outhouse can have a soul.

I bet if you took me out and sawed me up into kindling I’d still smell. My smoke would rise into the air still smelling of human kind.

Do you wonder if anyone ever came in by twos? I know I would have to ask. Do two people use the toilet at the same time?

Well,mostly,no. But sometimes,on really dark nights and strange days,they’d come out in pairs. If they all ate a bit of something bad,I’d get them by twos.

The worst part was when the shivering men folk missed. The urine would freeze over. Frozen pee will stick to the thighs of bared bottoms in the winter time.

It was during the winter that most folks realized just how ventilated I was.

The wind whooshes up on the nether regions of those in need of relief. This is why some people kept thunder pots up in their bedrooms. Who in her right mind is going to go out into a cold and blustery winter’s night?

In the summer time I’d get a good cleaning. No one enjoys the chore of shoveling shhh,uh,crap. Between times the flies would gather,especially in the high times of summer when dusk lingered almost till morning.

I suffered through a hornet infestation one year. I thought they’d set me on fire rather than dealing with the pests. I know I’d opt to burn me down!

One day,there was a commotion up at the house. The people stopped dropping in so often.

The only time I saw people was during summer days and they were the children who didn’t want to go inside for fear of being sent to bathe and go to bed.

People have carved symbols into my wood. I don’t know what they are. A few kids sprayed paint on my outsides.

A small fire that wouldn’t take scorched my side.

Now,no one comes.

I still carry the smell of a few generations of humankind.

Now a days,I’ve had beer cans,sodie cans,and plastic water bottles thrown down both holes. It is humiliating to be violated in such a way.

My door yawns open,kind of cocked to the edge,hung up on a clump of dirt and over grown grass. The hinge is off.

Humble Outhouse painted by S Franklin C

I think my wood is rotting,dry,frayed,there is not a chance someone will harvest me to frame a picture,more likely they will take a picture,call me quaint call me obsolete. Some artist will paint a picture of me.

Last summer a huge snow piled up to one side of me and set me listing toward the sunset.

I’m falling apart,becoming a pile of boards and waste. I think I’ve passed the quaint photo op phase.

I still claim my smell.

My containing.

Mice run through once in a while and I think some birds are looking to nest here. They are pale blue birds,washed out,as washed out as I am.

Did I mention the path that leads away from me?

It is over grown,now. You can still make it out if you try. It leads from the back door of the house. The back door has been replaced up at the house. The screen door bangs on rare occasions. I am not sure anyone lives there anymore.

Why would they let kids paint and carve things on me if someone lived up there?

I am fading. Falling. Past my usefulness. But I was the best outhouse a family could want. I was always there,waiting. Containing.

Humble Outhouse
__

January 13th,2012 | Tags:,,,,, | Category:If Walls Could Talk | 2 comments

Writerly Wednesday Welcomes Rebecca Minto

Our Guest this Week is Rebecca Minto who has a release so new the pages are still wet!

A Kiss to Remember

Buy Link:http://www.eternalpress.biz/book.php?isbn=9781615725885

Blurb:
When Daphne Davernay awakened on her birthday to find her father brutally murdered,she lost everything that had ever mattered to her. Cast adrift,she found herself at the mercy of her guardian,the Duke of Cheney. He was a hard,intimidating man…and the only man who had ever inspired her to dream.

James didn’t know what to make of his ward. She was both maddening and adorable. Society ruled that there could never be anything between the two of them,but his heart longed to keep Daphne all for himself. Even as he fights his own desires,it soon becomes clear that someone else wants Daphne…dead.

Excerpt:

“No,do not interrupt me. If I slaked our passions tonight,you would regret it.”

“I would never regret it,”she hissed.

“Not tonight,”he admitted. “If I did my best by us,you would not have any regrets tonight,but come morning,you would. Your virtue belongs to your future husband.”

She began to cry again,big,silent tears that slid like diamonds down her cheeks. “James,”she moaned.

“I cannot marry you,Daphne,”he told her quietly.

“I always knew that,”she sniffed,struggling to find her control once more. “I was not highborn enough to-”

“Damn it,titles do not matter here,”he snapped. “It has nothing to do with that. What matters is that we must face the reality of who we are.”

Her breath hitched in her throat. He’d said who,not what.

“Who are we?”she breathed.

“You are my ward,”he growled. “And I am the man your father trusted to protect your honor. There can be no future for us.”

Interview Questions:

1. In three days,all power will go off,everywhere for a very long time. What will you include in your author survival kit?
I couldn’t live without several notebooks and pencils,my own copy of Mary Stewart’s Merlin Trilogy,and a mega-supply of Altoids.
2. Where did the idea for the work you are promoting arise?
I first started writing A Kiss To Remember when my son was very young. He was a premie and he had a difficult birth,I was up every two hours with him and was constantly in a state of exhaustion. I was also estranged and hiding from his father,who appeared to have lost his mind. It was a stressful and difficult time for me. One night I had this vivid dream of this young lady waking up. There was no talking in the dream,a soundless vigil of watching this beautiful lady dressing and a sense of her feelings of excitement and joy. I watched her go through the motions of readying for the day,walked behind her as she went downstairs in this beautiful house and then heard her scream. The dream wouldn’t let me go,so I started writing it down and the more I wrote the more these characters came to life. I fell in love with so many of the characters from this story,not only the hero and heroine. It was a blast.
3. What do you like to read?
Anything and everything! Julie Garwood has always been one of my favorite authors,and I enjoy Christine Feehan books as well. I also love reading some classics,such as Dante’s Divine Comedy. Any story that is well told is a story worth reading.
4. Tell us about the most exciting place you have ever visited?
I’ve visited some great places in my life. One of the most moving experiences of my life was visiting Pearl Harbor in Hawaii a few years ago. When I visited that landmark I was unprepared for the way the sacrifice of so many men,many of who were related,would grab me by the throat. Visits to Hawaii are always expensive,but everyone I meet I urge to take the time at some point in their life to visit the watery grave of our servicemen who gave so much.
5. What is the most mundane,day to day,thing you can share about yourself?
I am obsessed with oral health,and one of my favorite things is the Orabrush,a special soft-bristled brush specifically made for cleaning the tongue. I feel like I’m naked if I don’t wash with my Orabrush.
6. What scares you the most?
Like all mothers,what terrifies me most is the thought of something bad happening to my son. I can get through anything myself,but when I think of all the human monsters in this world I go a little crazy worrying about how I will protect him.
7. Tell us anything but keep it G rated.
My favorite movie of all time is Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. It is a family laugh the way I will go nuts over anything even remotely related to the movie. Incidentally,this is also my favorite fairy tale. I have always related to Belle,cartoon character or not,and I think the Beast is hot,be he animal or man.

Thank you Rebecca for being our Writerly Wednesday Guest,this week.  

That Buy Link again is http://www.eternalpress.biz/book.php?isbn=9781615725885

Come back next week to see who the Writerly Wednesday Guest might be.  And on Friday I will post a SpoonRiver type entry made by a Humble Outhouse.

 

January 10th,2012 | Tags:,,,,, | Category:Writerly Wednesdays | 3 comments

Foreclosed

 If These Walls Could Talk —

A Spoon River of Houses #1

__

The crew who built me and my sisters left here when I was done and went across town.  A guy I’d grown fond of comes driving through once in a while,he used to look at me with a certain pride,now,well,now he just shakes his head. 

 

He doesn’t have the big work truck anymore.  He still has a truck,a ford,white,not so big,not so new.  But the tools are still in the back. 

Here is my story.  I don’t want to tell it.  Can’t one of you go first?

My last family played pop music at full volume.  Well,to be fair,only one of the kids played it loud.  Then it was limited to after school hours,weekends and vacations.

I had a fairly normal family,they got up in the morning,doled out the instant breakfasts and went about their day.

Very normal for the time I live in,two incomes,the house up the road is far older than I,its seen so much more,but we agreed to talk about me.

The man and woman did not get along all that well and I am talking about more than when the lights went out.  They were in over their heads.  They knew it going in.  But they had to do this.

I remember hearing worker’s radios as I was coming together.   A song here,an ad there. 

 

What?  Bad credit?  No credit?  No job?  Boy,we have a loan for you. 

 

Home Ownership is not out of reach,you can qualify for a low interest loan.

 

In debt,refinance,now,  fold all of your debt into one monthly payment.

 

Home ownership is within reach of everyone,buy now.  If you are renting,well,you are just throwing your money away.

 

It went on like that from the moment I became aware.  

 

They put me up fast.  Slapped the tyvek all around me and ran wires,pipes,a sound system all around me,then they wired me for security,fire,something called radon. 

I have some really good insulation,I am almost a self heating oven.  State of the art heating system.  Did you know I have some heated floors in the bathrooms and the big room at the front?

My windows are state of the art,too.  Some of the blinds are trapped between the panes of glass and rise and lower without human touch.

You imagine it,I probably have it.

I wasn’t built to fit,I was a home built next to an identical home and across from my mirror image.  Even the streets and grass are new.  The trees are kind of sketchy.  Sprinkler systems retracted into the grass.

The head of the construction crew circles past and heads on out. 

 

I see that a lot,people used to come out here and smile. 

When my family moved in,there were lots of back yard gatherings.

On weekends the man and woman applied paint,colors,not the flat white the workers gave me.  They moved in new furniture with chemical smells almost rivaling the hard smell of the carpeting they put in on the floors that didn’t have heat running through them.

About the time they were all done,a general unrest began to grow within me.

The man left for work before the woman but they both left with agitation.  The kids,at first they seemed unaware.  With my new decor came new clothes,plasma tvs,game systems,anything they wanted.  My family had the deluxe loan package.

The rumblings were low at first.  The man,he began to put in more time at work.  The woman looked around for suitable work that would allow the shift work that modern parent do.  The kids were certainly able to let themselves in and I am equipped to keep them safe,warm and entertained.

One day the woman sulked.  The man protested he was doing all he could do.  She had not found that extra shift and her company was cutting back.

The music got louder about this time.  Everything got louder.  The back yard parties continued.  It was during this time that the stress lifted a bit as other people joined in the best cheer they could muster in the back yard.  But their actions,their smiles,their movements were different.  They were all restless and brooding and pretending things were fine.

The woman was home almost all the time,now.  For a few hours during the day,she dressed up and went out.  Then she was back.  Sulking.

For the first time,dishes sat where they were last used.  My carpet gathered dust,dirt,stains.  The kid’s rooms looked like a wasteland.

Once,all of my power went out for most of a day.  The man was home a lot more during this time.

As though reflecting the adults in the house,the kids began to simmer,stew and scorch.

It is hard to believe I was once,almost grand.  My neighbors were just like me,filled with hope.  Fresh.  State of the Art.

When furniture began to disappear I knew something was up.  I hoped I would enfold another group of people as I began to realize these people were leaving.

One day a thing beyond my wildest nightmare I houses could have a nightmare,happened.

The man slammed out of the house,into the garage.  He came back with a heavy tool and began bashing at my walls!

A day or two later the woman tore at my carpets.  The man bashed more of my walls.  They dragged my range out and pushed it with great effort onto its side in the kitchen and pulled at the wires.

I was in such despair I didn’t even keep track of the kids.  The family I protected had turned on me.

They took a lot of things out in big moving trucks.  Strange men stomped through taking things.

When I was hollow,torn up,bashed and deserted,the power stayed off.  I went dark.

One day a strange truck came up and two men began to change out my locks.  A sign went up in my front yard.

Slowly,signs went up all around me,families left in a state of hatred.  Other battered houses went dark.  Lawns grew out of control then dried up yellow.

Only the looky loos came in SUVs and Trucks pointing and nodding.

My pipes froze and gave.  The water was the last thing cut off to me and my mirror images.

Now,we sit,we shudder.

The other day,the worker pulled into my driveway.  He got out,peered into my windows,shook his head.  He got back into his Ford truck and I think he was crying. 

 

Everyone needs to own a house.  

 

Foreclosed Home

January 6th,2012 | Tags:,,,,, | Category:If Walls Could Talk | One comment

Writerly Wednesday Welcomes Suzanne Brandyn

Thank you Suzanne for being my first 2012 Guest and thanks for being so quick on the send button!  

Suzanne has more books coming out and will re-guest in March and May.  Don’t worry,I’ll throw a whole new set of questions at her.

Heat in the Outback

 

‘Heat in the Outback’ 

Suzanne Brandyn’s Website

Bio

Suzanne was born in rural Australia,on the edge of the outback. From there she travelled and lived in our cities,and in many coastal towns of New South Wales,and now resides on the Mid-North coast of New South Wales,the East coast of Australia. Suzanne has four brothers and no sisters and sometimes wonders what it would be like to have a sister. Suzanne has rounded up sheep on a motor bike,spotlighted for foxes and learnt to shoot a rifle. She also use to ride a surfboard,and surfed with many famous Australian surfers. She has dived the Great Barrier Reef and surrounding islands,speared fish,swam with sharks and dolphins,avoided sea snakes and moray eels,and taken free rides on sea turtles. Her experiences are just as diverse as our land.

Blurb

Usually what you’re searching for is right before your eyes.

The soaring temperature in the Outback is not the only heat Sarah Munro is facing when she returns home for her father’s funeral. She wants to settle his affairs,sell the family’s homestead,Munro Cattle Station and return to Sydney and to her fiancé as quickly as possible. Sarah doesn’t want anyone to find out what she’d done in her past. She wants to close this chapter of her life for good.  Then there will never be a reason to return to the dusty one horse town. She is wrong!

Ethan Wade,her first love is at the homestead. Ethan claims he owns half of Munro Station. Sarah wants him out! As they try to settle their differences a raging attraction ignites.

Will Sarah and Ethan find each other again as their past explodes before them?

Excerpt

“Red alert,red alert! Hot babe soon to materialize on Main Street.”

Almost the entire town’s population of hot-blooded males received the text message on their mobile phones. They dashed for closer observation of the strange silver convertible crawling through town.

Jack was at the bowser. Pete strummed a spanner in his hand,as his mechanic Dylan peered over his shoulder. Dan from the bakery took an admiring glimpse through his window and Sam leant on the edge of the architrave of the local real estate agent. Many more enthusiasts partook of the pleasurable sight.

Summer sun reflected off honey blonde hair,swaying in the breeze of the open top convertible.

“Sure is a hot one. Where in the hell did she come from?” Pete said,his mouth easing into a grin.

“The text message was from Bill,” Dylan stated. “Guess he’s hallin’ hay to Tamworth. Sure has city written all over her.”

The convertible disappeared,leaving mouths gaping,and eyes widening with disbelief.

“What’s everyone so hell-bent about? Looks like you’re all in overload.”

“That’s right Ethan,you wouldn’t have got one.”

“Got one what?” Ethan came to a standstill and leaned on the bowser.

“A text from Bill alerting us of the major babe attack.”

“Where,what?”

“Too late. She’s already gone. You know you should invest in a mobile phone.

It’ll keep you up to date.”

“Waste of time,talkin’ and textin’. I like the good old-fashioned telephone,one

anchored to a wall…was the woman alone?”

“Yeah,she looked like that Sarah Munro girl. You know the one that got engaged

to that actor guy,the big time model on the television. She was all polished up like one of those gals on our calendars. You wouldn’t understand,Ethan.” He let out a roar.

“She gave us a smile that had our hearts stoppin’,I can tell you that.”

Ethan understood all right,more than he was willing to admit. His lips thinned.

Not too many strangers resembled Sarah’s description.

So—had the love of his former life actually returned after ten years? As far as he

was concerned,it was ten years too late. She’d probably be here for the day and then she’d disappear,just as quickly as the last time.

 


Answer 7 Questions


1. In three days,all power will go off,everywhere for a very long time. What will you include in your author survival kit?

Firstly,I’d make sure I have plenty of gas. There’s a gas light in the shed,a gas cooking stove,and the barbecue is gas. Then I’d go out and buy quite a few batteries for my laptop. The current one lasts about eight hours. Also I’d make sure my wireless stick has enough internet access to last me during this time. It really depends how long the power is going to go off.    As long as I have my laptop,internet access,and means to make a coffee I’d survive. It’s a scary thought though. Lol. J


2. Where did the idea for the work you are promoting arise?

‘Heat in the Outback’ is based on a town I used to live in. I always went home and visited my grandmother. I guess it started from there.

3. What do you like to read?

My reading interests vary. I read Nora Roberts occasionally,contemporary romances,and romantic suspense. I have also recently read historical,and paranormal. If the story is well written well they’ve got me.

4. Tell us about the most exciting place you have ever visited?

I dived The Great Barrier Reef. Grabbed rides on sea turtles,avoided sharks,moray eels,and swam with dolphins. It was an exciting three months of holidays where I explored the depths of the ocean.

5. What is the most mundane,day to day,thing you can share about yourself?

Although I hate housework,I dust and vacuum,and do the bathrooms every second Monday. It’s so boring,but when I’ve finished,I feel better and then concentrate on my writing.

6. What scares you the most?

Spiders. I lived in an old house when my daughter was little. While asleep,well half asleep I could feel something crawling on my face. I brushed it away only to feel it against my stomach. Jumping from the bed,I switched the light on and almost died. It was a huntsman spider. They are huge with long fury legs. Lol. Spiders,especially the larger ones,scare the daylights out of me.

7. Tell us anything but keep it G rated.
Naturally. J My husband has read the love scene in my novel. He said,‘We could always practice. That would make it more real.’ My answer,lol. ‘In your dreams.’ Lol Men are such weird creatures aren’t’ they,but adorable? J

Thank you Sally.

You are so so welcome Suzanne!  Thank you for letting me expose you in this way.  

‘Heat in the Outback’ can be purchased at:http://www.eternalpress.biz/book.php?isbn=9781615721016

My website:http://www.suzannebrandyn.com

 

I took two weeks off on Writerly Wednesday,now that I’m back,I have lots of open spots.  If you have a novel or book you would like to promote,email me at sally@sallyfranklinchristie.com with the words Writerly Wednesday in the Subject Line.  I’ll reply with the guidelines and get you up on the calendar.  I don’t charge for these spots and expect nothing more than the favor of sharing my link.

If you have a moment,poke around the site,check out the cover on my upcoming release of Milk Carton People.  If I Should Die is listed with a list of buy links.

At the moment,I don’t know who we should expect for next week but it will be fun!

Till next time,don’t touch anything sharp!

 

January 3rd,2012 | Tags:,,,, | Category:Writerly Wednesdays | 13 comments

Habakkuk –If Walls Could Talk

Habakkuk 2:11
The stones of the wall will cry out,and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.

This is the most frightening thing I ever heard. It made my brother’s taunts to tell on me seem frivolous. I may not have done anything but I sure had thoughts. Thoughts and wishes that sometimes came true.

The preacher at summer camp blotted out that very thin line between thoughts and deeds and every single boy and girl needed to repent now and know the fear of God.

Some will say this verse was taken out of context. God in the Old Testament was a far more vengeful God than the Father of our Lord. Some,will shrug the whole thing off. Who was Habakkuk,anyway?

None of these comforts were available to me,that hot summer day. After camp,I had to go home to my own personal hell. The abuse heaped upon my siblings and me would pick up right where it left off. Those terrible thoughts of a fourth grade girl would sometimes come true. If God reached out through the adults in my life,I might very well be yanked out of my wheelchair and dangled in Judgment as the walls cried out against me.

The whole idea of talking walls,raising their voices in testament against me,never left. I do know,now,that I am not the only person in danger of such events. Other walls must stalk other people. These walls must also witness the good along with the bad.

What follows is a Spoon River Anthology of Houses. You will read about houses and homes of all sorts. Some are whimsical,some sober,some horrid,historical,hateful and sweet. While writing this project I compiled a list of 64 potential houses and homes. Not all of them made the cut. You’ll see The House that Jack Built,a tree house,Gingerbread House,Court House,Warehouse,outhouse,trailer house,Home Sweet Home,retirement home,a house of cards,foreclosed home,work house,mad house,and more. Each one will have a turn at upon my stage.
**

December 30th,2011 | Tags:,,,,,, | Category:If Walls Could Talk | 5 comments

Writerly Wednesday Welcomes Travis Heermann

Welcome Travis Heermann to Writerly Wednesday!  

 

Snakes

Buy Link for Snakes 

About Travis 

Damnation Books has a Special Offer on this Title and others –Details are at the end of this post!

 Bio:
Freelance writer,poet,screenwriter,podcaster,English instructor,poker player,biker,roustabout. Travis Heermann is the author of two published novels,Heart of the Ronin and The Ivory Star,plus Rogues of the Black Fury,forthcoming from E-Reads,a metric ton of role-playing game content for AEG and EVE Online,and he has sold short fiction pieces to anthologies and magazines,such as Cemetery Dance,Historical Lovecraft,Library of Horror Press,Pulp Empire,and others. He taught English in Japan for three years,where he stood out like a space alien with his head on fire,but he now lives in much larger world than before. He’s camped out in Nebraska,nursing his long-cherished dreams:a NYT best-seller,a produced screenplay,and a seat in the World Series of Poker.

 

Book Cover Blurb:

Eddie,a young,pretty single mom,is trying to do the right thing by her three-year-old daughter. She really is. With no education,no job,and a string of loser boyfriends behind her,she faces hard decisions every day. Gas for the car,or food for Joy? She’s already been forced to move back into her mother’s decrepit old trailer in Shady Acres Trailer Court in rural Arkansas. Should she get a normal job working long hours for minimum wage,or should she put on her stiletto heels,bikini bra and micro-skirt and go back to exotic dancing so she can bring home fistfuls of cash for a few hours’ work? When she catches her daughter playing with handfuls of baby copperhead snakes behind the trailer,the choice gets a lot easier:get out of there by the quickest means possible. But at what cost? And is that strange man the devil or her knight in shining armor?

Excerpt:

Eddie’s Mother Radar sought a lock on the sound of Joy’s voice,which had started roaming the yard. She went to the door.  The plastic bucket and Barbie doll lay abandoned beside the gravel castle. “Baby,where’d you go? I told you to stay right there!”

Cicadas whirred and droned,and the ancient oak trees surrounding Shady Acres cast the yard in shadow as the sun fell toward evening.  The trailer Eddie’s mother had left her was the last one on the end of the lot,closest to the wooded hillside border.  Tall grass and weeds created a patch of impenetrable jungle that could swallow Joy like the Amazon.  As soon as Eddie had ten bucks,she’d have to hire that black kid Leroy to mow it if he was still around.

“Joy!  Where are you?”  She circled the trailer,scanning the waist-high forest of weeds and bushes.  “Joy!” She pushed through the weeds,ignoring the leaves and pollen and bugs brushing her naked legs.

A hummingbird hovered near a trumpet vine’s orange flowers,distracting her for a moment,a supremely delicate creature with tiny blurred wings,like a floating dab of rainbow.

“Look,Mommy!  Worms!”

Eddie gasped and jumped and spun all at once.

Joy held up two chubby fistfuls of writhing,squirming creatures,pale on one side,coppery-brown and striped on the other side.  Their little wedge-shaped heads were twisting and striking at her fingers and knuckles,but their mouths were too small to bring their tiny fangs to bear.

Interview

1. In three days,all power will go off,everywhere for a very long time. What will you include in your author survival kit?
A medical book,a first aid kit,U.S. Army Survival Guide,Winchester Model 94 30-30,Colt Python,katana,tent,water bottle,a notebook and several pens and pencils.

 

2. Where did the idea for the work you are promoting arise?

I heard a family story about an incident were a 4-year-old girl walked up to her mother and said,“Look,Mommy!  Worms!” But she had two little fistfuls of baby copperhead snakes.  As soon as I heard that,I knew it had to be the foundation for a story.
3. What do you like to read?

I read tons of fiction of all genres,plus a lot of history,mythology,and creative non-fiction. All of it fuels the storytelling mill.
4. Tell us about the most exciting place you have ever visited?

If I had to narrow it down to one place,I would have to say Angkor Wat.  Cambodia is pretty far off the beaten path for most Westerners,and in the Siem Reap,the town near the ruins,there’s this strange dichotomy between wild west boomtown catering the tourists who come to Angkor and the mind-blowing poverty that the locals live in.  $1500 per night hotels a handful of blocks away from cinder block and tin-roof ghettoes. And the history of the country is so tragic,still very visible today,with lots of people around missing limbs and eyes from land mines,an almost complete lack of people older than 40,areas with land mine warning signs. All this surrounding one of the most stunning cities on the planet,the ruins of Angkor.
5. What is the most mundane,day to day,thing you can share about yourself?
I still pay the bills with a day job. I’m hoping to change that very soon.

 

6. What scares you the most?
Some of my biggest personal fears:running into a bad cop on a bad day (you ever read Stephen King’s Desperation? That’s some scary stuff right there.),religious fervor of any stripe because it represents a brand of absolute closed-minded ignorance (perhaps you’ll see a shade of that in “Snakes”),anyone who thinks he or she knows what is best for me,the corporate homogeneity that turns employees into unthinking drones and customers into mindless consumers represented only by numbers. So I guess you might summarize my fears as “ignorance,and the willingness to impose your ignorance on me.”

 

7. Tell us anything but keep it G rated.

I have tons of creative projects in the works.  A new podcast novel to go along with the upcoming release of the print version of Rogues of the Black Fury. A zombie comic,for which I’m seeking an artist. The sequel to Heart of the Ronin,which hopefully by the time this posts will have passed the “finished first draft” stage. A horror-western screenplay making the festival circuit. I recently made a conscious commitment to living a creative life,and as soon as I did that,creative opportunities began to open up. The “jumping off a cliff and building your wings on the way down” metaphor really works.

Buy Link for Snakes

Damnation’s Special Offer!

Holiday coupon code. Use promo code 191W1WM6D6CY at check-out to get 25% off of your entire book order. The code is good through 12-31-2011 and is only good on our website at http://www.damnationbooks.com

–Kim Richards CEO Damnation Books LLC/Eternal Press www.damnationbooks.com

Thank-you Travis for letting me do this to you.

Till next time –don’t touch anything sharp!

December 13th,2011 | Tags:,,,,,,,, | Category:Writerly Wednesdays | 3 comments
 
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